Hard Science Fiction Wargame

[Blitzen]

Yes, ridicule me. It matters not. Someday I will rule the world, and <i>you</I> will be the first to die.

[kidko]

Well, I'll see what I can do. The physics are wrong on another count (I think)... isn't gravity 9.8ms², not 9.8ms^-2?

And also, anybody have ideas as to how we could work out non-passing battles using non-brand-specific LEGOs? Maybe 1x1 or 2x2 ~= 1 hex? And we could handle the third dimension pretty easily by just stacking the ships on top of plates/bricks, where x amount of bricks ~= 1 vertical hex.

[kidko]

Hey, Boomer, get on once in a while! I've got a challenger:

The Hellglass
9000 ton-ish

• 2250 ton Standard Binary Fusion drive: $450,000,000. Provides 1G with full load.
• 2250 tons of fuel (D/He-3) in a 180-ton tank: $90,000
• Hull is rated up to 2Gs (1260 tons): $12,600,000
• 5 advanced communications arrays: $250,000
• 5 military-grade sensor arrays (5 tons): $500,000
• Targetting VSkill = 3 (8 tons): $16,000,000
• Minimal infirmiry, 3 patient capacity (9 tons): $19,000
• 10 3rd-class passenger bunks (30 tons): $30,000
• 10 3rd-class crew bunks (30 tons): $30,000
• Medium-sized spin habitat (40 tons): $300,000
• 1 large airlock (4 tons): $30,000
• 2 10-man lifeboats (2 tons): $20,000
• Hanger, recovery/launch rate of 2 (84 tons): $420,000
• 10 tons of cargo space (10 tons full, 3 tons empty): $300
• 30 tons of advanced armor (1.5 protection): $40,000,000

Weapons

• 10 small missiles (500 tons): $130,000,000
• 5 small missile launchers (15 tons): $100,000
• 4 small laser batteries (200 tons): $8,000,000
• 2 medium laser batteries (200 tons): $40,000,000
• 2 unmanned fighters (700 tons): $300,000,000

Other Stats

• Damage Index = 22
• 74 days to build

Final Cost: $999,139,300
That's nine hundred, ninety-nine million, one hundred thirty-nine thousand, and three hundred dollars, short scale, for those with number difficulties.

[Olothontor]

BrikSpace: the name I have come up with for the conversion that I'm going to make an attempt at making. So far, I've got the (rough) formula for calculating the Cp cost of things on your ship. $10,000=1 Cp. That's roughly what I'm looking at so far.

If anyone wants to help me that'd be great, since kidko is refusing to do this with me...

[Boomer]

Well, I'll see what I can do. The physics are wrong on another count (I think)... isn't gravity 9.8ms², not 9.8ms^-2?

And also, anybody have ideas as to how we could work out non-passing battles using non-brand-specific LEGOs? Maybe 1x1 or 2x2 ~= 1 hex? And we could handle the third dimension pretty easily by just stacking the ships on top of plates/bricks, where x amount of bricks ~= 1 vertical hex.

Typo, not a physics mistake there.

And another good rule to just plain ignore is the hexes. The hexes represent 2500km a piece, and a battle in the abstract over this board doesn't need maps or hexes really.

Maybe a map. I think we should fight over an abstract little world or maybe across an asteroid field. Unless of course you want a simple engagement. Where we fight and how we get there will determine our present speed and fuel. Hellglass versus Muffin will be an awesome battle.

[kidko]

Maybe it could be a futuristic, horribly-out-of-porprtion joust? EX, we just send them at each other a set number of times, and pick a winner based on how much of the ship didn't help form an asteroid field.

If we could figure out how to abstract-ify a meeting engagement, that would be cool to,

[Boomer]

Maybe it could be a futuristic, horribly-out-of-porprtion joust? EX, we just send them at each other a set number of times, and pick a winner based on how much of the ship didn't help form an asteroid field.

If we could figure out how to abstract-ify a meeting engagement, that would be cool to,

Abstracting a meeting a engagement isn't too hard. Just figure out how and why we are meeting and fighting and we are good to go. We note our new positions at each ship movement phase and then we know how far we are from each other still.

Now, if we are fighting near some 'terrain', such as a planet or asteroids, we may need a map or two. Something simple in MS-Paint would work out nicely.

[kidko]

Well... we're obviously having a scuffle over who gets to pirate a critical shipment of LEGOs bound for Verga II. Let's go with an open-space battle, since that's easier. Maybe we met going to where the shipment is going to launch from? I don't really care.

What do mean, "note our positions"? Do you mean relative from each other? It would work well for this sort of meeting... infinite distance on every side means we won't need to keep track of where we actually are, so can just keep moving in whatever direction we want to.

So... we could just note ourselves using two numbers: an X and Y coordinate, relative to the other person. This could be 1:1000km (1 increment is 1k kilometers), or we could just use whatever measurement the hex grid would have used.

Either way, we would end up with something like this:

Starting Positions: Me: (5,0); You: (-5,0)
I move 1 south, ending up at (4,0), with the location marker at (3,0)
You move 1 south, ending at  (-5,0), but also shifting me back to (5,0), since it's relative to each other.

Maybe it's too complicated... I dunno. Just a thought.

[Boomer]

Without terrain, and both of us essentially fighting over who intercepts a barge in deep space, all we have to worry about is our ships in a meeting engagement.

What makes deciding the reasons behind the engagement, the place of the engagement, and how we get there important involves how we choose to prepare.

This is more important for you because you have missiles and drones to launch days in advance while waiting for me to arrive. Those could be spread in between you and I, forcing me to deal with them first while trying to get you in range.

Your ship has a higher delta-v and can be in position before mine, and then has options to play with. My ship will begin braking maneuvers into position and you may take advantage of your missiles' and drones' travel ranges right there, they strike me in a passing engagement before I get to you, and while you are healthy I am damaged for our meeting engagement.

[kidko]

Ah, I see your point now. Hadn't actually thought into it... at all, it would seem.

I doubt we'd want to meet anywhere near a planet, since then we'd have to mess with gravity... And as for asteroid fields, as you said, we'd have to make some sort of map.

And for that, we'd have to establish a scale for measurement, or something along those lines.

[Boomer]

Well we already have the terrain set. We are fighting over a patch of empty space for the right to wait there. Our goal of course being to survive the meeting engagement with the other, holding the space.

So, simple. No terrain, and if we both get there we both have a meeting engagement. No need for maps, so no need for scales either. Mostly noting intended headings, maneuvers, and the resulting distances between us because of them.

Will either of us keep the other at range? Will we both try to close? Will we just circle strafe?

And those missiles and drones can do quite a bit.

[Boomer]

Kidko, where did you go? We have the whole thing pretty much set and ready.  Except of course for starting points for our ships, which I believe would be best set as 5 AU (750,000,000km). If you agree to that, we just assume each of has our starting base on opposite sides of the point at equal distance and we are beginning on the same day.

If you agree, we can begin opening moves.

[kidko]

Sorry, had actual homework and the like.

5 AU sounds good. Ready when you are.

Just as a point of interest, I'd actually say that the "bases" are more of entry points; we couldn't go off and attack them, they're just reference points.

[Olothontor]

This'll be interesting to watch...

   I always learn things better when I see them in action. I read the rules, but that doesn't mean my understanding of those rules increased any.

   Please continue on.

[Boomer]

Here is one problem, and one problem only, how are we rolling dice on this?

But until then, my opening and non-dice related move is to use max acceleration and burn 20% of my fuel.

This puts me at 0.125 AU/day. To slow I can use less fuel on the day of arrival. I'll begin breaking maneuvers in 40 days.

Present fuel after just under 8 hours is now 2000tons for a total ship weight of 9500tons.

Adjusting all my weight percentage calculations to match the new weight of 9500tons.

Your move.