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Empirium Game 10 Rules.

Posted by GodzfireflyFor group public
Godzfirefly
GM, 1093 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 06:58
  • msg #1

Empirium Game 9 Rules

INDEX:

A.1 - First Turn Info.
     A.2 - Point Buy System
     A.3 - Creating Your Homeworld
     A.4 - Mech-Gen Decision

B.1 - Turns.
     B.2 - Requirements for Turns
     B.3 - Turn Order of Operations

C.1 - Planetary Production & Stored Units
     C.2 - Storing Units

D.1 - Combat & Subjugation
     D.2  - Combat Enhancing Technology
     D.3  - Subduing a Planet
          D.3a - Procedure for Subjugation
          D.3b - Rulings on Shielding During Subjugation Phase
          D.3c - Trading Planets with Shields
          D.3d - Retaking a Planet During Subjugation
          D.3e - Galaxy Map: Grid Sector System
     D.4  - To The Victor Goes The Spoils
          D.4a - Spoils of a Successful Attack
          D.4b - Characters on the Losing Side
     D.5  - When You Subdue A Planet
     D.6  - Colonizing While under Siege
     D.7  - Contested Planets
     D.8  - More Than Two Sides in a Battle
     D.9  - Unit Conversion (Fluff)
     D.10 - Troop movements
     D.11 - Empire Mobilization and Defense
     D.12 - Shielding Technologies
     D.13 - Attacking As A Coalition
     D.14 - Piracy

E.1 - Construction Projects
     E.2 - Colonizing Planets
     E.3 - Unique Planetary Bonuses
     E.4 - Creating a Space Station
     E.5 - Creating a Warp Gate

F.1 - Research and Development
     F.2 - Speeding up R & D
          F.2a - Spending Workers
          F.2b - Faster R&D Tech
          F.2c - Research Unions
     F.3 - Research and Development for Military Application.
     F.4 - Production upgrading R & D
     F.5 - Purchasing R & D from the Unifed Armada.
     F.6 - Trading Techs
     F.7 - Technology Lines
          F.7a - Implicit Prerequisites
          F.7b - Acquiring Tech Lines Out of Order
     F.8 - Limits of Technology

G.1 - Characters
     G.2 - Recruiting and Training
     G.3 - Imprisoned Characters
     G.4 - Commander
     G.5 - Admiral
     G.6 - Grand Admiral
     G.7 - Manager
     G.8 - Quartermaster
     G.9 - Astronomer
     G.10 - Tactician
     G.11 - Engineer
     G.12 - Master Builder
     G.13 - Spy
     G.14 - Saboteur
     G.15 - Security Master
     G.16 - Intelligence Master
     G.17 - Ruler
     G.18 - Heir
     G.19 - Character Option Chart

H.1 - Empire Death

I.1 - Winning the Game

J.1 - Diplomacy
     J.2 - Alliances
     J.3 - Treaties and Deals
          J.3a - Mutual Protection Pact (MPP)
          J.3b - Non-Aggression Treaties (NAT)
          J.3c - Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA)
     J.4 - Federations

K.1 - The United Armada
     K.2 - Trading through the United Armada
     K.3 - Purchasing from The United Armada.
     K.4 - Supply & Demand.
     K.5 - Favored Trading Status.
     K.6 - Sanctions

L.1 - Exploration
     L.2 - Basic Scouting
     L.3 - Detailed Scouting
     L.4 - Scout Detection
     L.5 - Solar System Scouting
     L.6 - Possible Scouting Results

M.1 - Special Case Rules
     M.2 - Leader Location

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:03, Thu 06 Oct 2022.
Godzfirefly
GM, 1094 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 06:58
  • msg #2

First Turn Info

A.1 - First Turn Info.
         A.2 - Point Buy System
         A.3 - Creating Your Homeworld
         A.4 - Mech-Gen Decision


A.1  First Turn Information:

During the first turn of the game each race begins with a homeworld, three turn's production from that homeworld, and a Point Buy System (explained below) is allowed to diversify your race further.

Use this turn to establish your character in the various threads and to forge diplomatic ties if you so desire.

A.2  Point Buy System:

Each Race Starts with the Following:
A Home Planet with 10 customizable resources of your choice.
3 Turns worth of production from the Homeworld.
Hyper Drive Basic (ships can jump 3 sectors)
A Warp Gate at their Homeworld.
Two level 1 Racial Techs that must be custom built and cannot be traded or stolen during the game.  (Techs using Racial techs as pre-reqs are always Racial techs.)
A Level 1 Ruler Character
Two Level 1 Characters
15 Customization Points from which to purchase the below:

1.) A space station with no Production (No more than 2) - 3 pts.
-- Space Stations will be placed by GM.
2.) A level 1 technology (No more than 2 Production techs) - 2 pts.
3.) A level 2 technology (No more than 1 Production tech) - 5 pts.
4.) A level 2 racial technology - 4 pts.
5.) One Turn's Production from your Homeworld in Stores - 2 pts.
6.) 9 non-military resource units of 1 type (10 Credits = 1 Unit) in Stores - 2 pts.
7.) 5 Military units of highest available grade - 1 pt.
8.) An additional level 1 Character - 1 pts.
9.) Increase a starting character to level 2 - 3 pts.
10.) Add 1 additional natural resource of your choosing to your homeworld's starting production, Maximum of 3 - 2 pts each.



You can also increase the number of available points by sacrificing some of what you would normally start with.

1) One less starting resource on your Homeworld: -1 point per resource (max 3).
2) Technologically ignorant; no starting techs beyond Hyperdrive Basic and your racial techs and no research for 1 cycle: -2 points; -1 more for each additional cycle your race can not research, limit 2 extra cycles.
3) Your race does not start with Hyperdrive Basic: -2 points
4) Peaceful - Your starting military grade is A0: -2 points
5) Your home world can only support 5 total levels of factories: -1 points
6) Your home world can only support one type of factory: -2 points. Can not be combined with #5.



A.3  Creating Your Homeworld:

Each Homeworld has base production stats of 10 units per turn to distribute among the 7 basic resources, though it may have more or less based on your point buy. Your Homeworld will produce whatever resources you choose every turn.

EX:  Player A has 10 points to distribute.  He decides to distribute them evenly with 1 unit across each of the 7 resources.  But, Player A has decided that his world doesn't have time for frivolous luxuries of any sort, so he takes the 1 unit from luxury and now has 4 remaining units to distribute.  He decides his race is an industrious lot with skill in both manufacturing and animal husbandry, so he places one unit each in Mechanical and Genetics.  He wants to supplement this improved productivity with a better workforce, so he puts another point into workers.  Lastly, he thinks his race is respects the discipline of military life, so he places the last point in Military.  His homeworld's resource distribution appears as follows.

Life Support: 1
Mechanical: 2
Energy: 1
Workers: 2
Luxury: 0
Genetic: 2
Military: 2

NOTE:  Your planet's production, including newly colonized / subdued planets, have a fixed base unit production.  This means what you submit to me at the creation of your planet will remain the same for the rest of the game, though production technology can improve it.

A.4  Mech-Gen Decision

When creating infrastructure structures, a race either uses Genetics or Mechanicals to pay the cost of building.  A race either grows its infrastructure (via bio-engineering) or builds it.  The choice of which the race uses is made when the race is created and is permanent throughout the game.

Infrastructure buildings include production-enhancing factories, any defensive structures, and any structure needed to make a tech work.

Also, the additional unit beyond Colonization cost that it takes to construct a Space Station will be determined by this decision.

Any time a technology says something costs M or G, this decision determines which it costs.

The decision should be placed on your First Turn Sheet under Additional Information (and may be added to them all as a reference, if you wish.)

This message was last edited by the GM at 16:39, Sun 04 Sept 2022.
Godzfirefly
GM, 1095 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 06:59
  • msg #3

Turns

B.1 - Turns.
          B.2 - Requirements for Turns.
          B.3 - Turn Order of Operations.


B.1  Turns:

Once a week, a turn will transpire.  Turns are due to be submitted at 10 AM Pacific Standard Time on Saturday mornings.  Some exceptions can be made for late submissions, but must be approved in advance by the GM.  Failure to post your turn by the deadline will result in a stagnant turn, where you neither produce any units, complete any projects (Colonization, R & D, Espionage, Factories) or have the ability to do anything but defend your territories with the troops you've already designated.

Before the turn happens, your characters can interact with the other characters in the game, creating truces, going to war, making legislation in the Council Hall and solidifying trades to be added to your turn sheet.  Also, you may elect to submit a pre-Turn Detailed Scouting request to the GM (see Section L.3 Detailed Scouting.)

B.2  Requirements for Turns

A turn sheet submitted will have the following information from you the player to me the GM.

- The turn number.
- Troop purchases, unit purchases, trades to other races. Please include the number of military escorts along with each trade being made.
  -For each type of resource, please provide a concise summary of gains and losses.  For example: {Military: X Storage + Y Production +/- Z Trade - Cost A - Cost B - Cost C = TOTAL} after this turns actions.  You should list all costs, including colonization, upkeep, R&D, factory construction, and any miscellaneous costs.
- Troop and character positions for both defense and offense.
   -"Defense" refers to any sector you control with a planet or space station. Everything else is considered offense.
   -If you are using spies or saboteurs on multiple planets, list those planets grouped by their current owner.
   -Also make clear any technologies which affect either your offensive or defensive capacity.
   -If you are utilizing techs that allow you to give off-turn or mid-combat orders to your military units (e.g. gravitonic drives), please clearly list your simple orders.
- Current R & D submitted and approved.
- Colonization requests, including payment and designation of which Stage you are on.
- Any additional information which is pertinent.


B.3  Turn Order of Operations

I will then follow this standard order of operations for your turn submission.

1. Resource Production.
2. Scouting.
3. Research resolves. R&D is completed but not yet active.
4. Trade resolves.
5. Resolve pre-movement Saboteur actions.
6. Resolve Movement.
7. Pay upkeep and destroy units not paid for.
8. Resolve other Spy & Saboteur actions.
9. Resolve Combat actions.
10. Resolve Colonization/Construction actions, including spending costs.
11. R&D completed and traded this turn becomes active.

This message was last edited by the GM at 14:08, Thu 22 Sept 2022.
Godzfirefly
GM, 1096 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 07:00
  • msg #4

Planetary Production & Resources

C.1 - Planetary Production & Stored Units.
          C.2 - Storing Units.


C.1  Planetary Production & Stored Units

Planetary Production is the life blood of your planet and the driving force behind your Empire.  You are required to spend units for various actions in the game.  The following are the produceable units and what they are typically used for.

Life Support:

Life support is necessary to have life on your planets.  Typically, every 5 military units require an upkeep cost of 1 life support per turn.  Also, life support is a vital component to colonization and may also be a requirement in certain R&D.

Mechanical:

Mechanical units are instrumental in building a strong infrastructure for some races.  Mechanical are used in upgrading production on planets through the building of factories.  Mechanical units are also a cost for most R&D, required for colonization, and may be used for every stage of space station construction.

Energy:

Energy is the force that helps you power your special tech & unique mechanisms.  Energy is required for all R&D and for colonization. Many abilities gained through technology also cost Energy to use.

Genetics:

Genetic units are instrumental in building a strong infrastructure for some races.  Genetics are used in upgrading production on planets through the building of factories.  Genetics units are also a cost for most R&D, required for colonization, and may be used for every stage of space station construction.

Luxury:

Luxury units help bolster your race's economic strength in the galaxy & allow you to purchase things from the NPC races.  Luxury is also integral in the maintenance of mercenary units.  A base upkeep cost of 1 luxury per 5 Mercenary units is required per turn. Lastly, Luxury are used to convert captured characters to your control.

Workers:

Workers are often the backbone of societies.  Workers are the most versatile units and can do a variety of things.

- 5 workers can be spent to hurry an R & D project by 1 turn.  You can hurry multiple turns, but the cost grows by 5 workers.  1 turn hurried costs 5 workers, 2 turns hurried costs 15 workers, 3 turns hurried costs 30 workers, etc...
- 2 workers can be converted into any 1 non military unit.
- 5 workers can be converted into 1 military unit of your equivalent military grade.

Military:

Military units protect your empire and lead your assaults on your enemies. Military units have a base upkeep of 1 life support unit per 5 military units. You pay separate upkeep for each location where you have military units present (planets attacked/defended, trades, colonies, or just floating in space). You may produce as many units as your production allows, but unless the upkeep is paid for that turn, all additional units will starve and die.

Example: If you have 5 military on 1 planet, you pay 1 life support every turn.  If you have 5 military each on 2 planets, you pay 1 LS per planet for 2 LS every turn.  If you have 1 military in each of 5 sectors, you pay 1 LS per sector for 5 LS every turn.

Unlike other resources, which simply exist in stores and can be spent for any purpose, military units must be placed in a specific location on the map. You may place your military units on any completed planet or station you control, regardless of which locations are providing the military production.

Non-Standard Military units:
Some technology, such as Assimilation or monster enticement techs, may allow you to gain military units that are not part of your standard fleet. Similarly, you may recruit mercenaries you find throughout the galaxy. By default, non-standard units will retain their original Military Grade regardless of what Military Grade your standard units are, but will benefit from all other combat technology you possess. You must keep track of these units and their military grade on your sheet.

Mercenary units use Luxury as upkeep, rather than Life Support. Like military units, each squad of mercenaries must be upkept separately.

Other units may require different types of upkeep, as specified by the tech that grants them. If multiple types of units require the same resource to upkeep, they may be counted together if they are in the same sector. (e.g. Assimilated units and standard units, or mercenaries and a monster that requires Luxury upkeep).

Credits:

Credits are not exactly resource units, but are instead currency that can be used for purchasing units.  Credits are usually created through either selling units or starting up a general trade agreement.

General Trade Agreements (GTA) yield 4 credits per contract, per turn, for each party.

C.2  Storing Units

If you do not use a unit produced, you can store it for future use.  The only exception to this rule is for units which require upkeep.  Stored units can also be sold or traded, but only after they are produced.

This message was last edited by the GM at 03:34, Thu 17 Nov 2022.
Godzfirefly
GM, 1097 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 07:01
  • msg #5

Combat and Subjugation

D.1 - Combat & Subjugation
         D.2  - Combat Enhancing Technology
                D.2a - Fleets with Disparate Units
         D.3  - Subduing a Planet
                D.3a - Procedure for Subjugation
                D.3b - Rulings on Shielding During Subjugation Phase
                D.3c - Trading Planets with Shields
                D.3d - Retaking a Planet During Subjugation
                D.3e - Galaxy Map: Hex Sector System
         D.4  - To The Victor Goes The Spoils
                D.4a - Spoils of a Successful Attack
                D.4b - Characters on the Losing Side
         D.5  - When You Subdue A Planet
         D.6  - Colonizing While under Siege
         D.7  - Contested Planets
         D.8  - More Than Two Sides in a Battle
         D.9  - Unit Conversion (Fluff)
         D.10 - Troop movements
         D.11 - Empire Mobilization and Defense
         D.12 - Shielding Technologies
         D.13 - Attacking As A Coalition
         D.14 - Piracy


D.1  Combat & Subjugation:

Combat is decided using the board game Risk's system. Up to 3d6 will be rolled for the attacking player and up to 2d6 will be rolled for the defending player. The GM makes these rolls on behalf of each group engaged. The highest roll of each player will then be compared and the lowest number unit is destroyed. Then, the next highest roll of each player will be compared and the lowest number unit is destroyed. Defenders win a tie, and the maximum roll you can acquire is a 6, even if a tech upgrade would give you a 7, 8 or 9.

Relative military strength of individual units is represented by the unit's military grade.  A unit with a 1 or 2 military grade advantage over another unit will have a +1 bonus to each dice. A unit with a 3 or 4 military grade advantage over another will have a +2 bonus to all rolls. A unit with a 5 military grade advantage or better over another will have a +3 bonus to all rolls.

Other circumstances may also give a bonus or penalty to the rolls, and these will stack with the military grade bonus. However, the highest total bonus possible is +3 and the lowest total penalty possible is -1.

D.2  Combat Enhancing Technology

Besides Military Grades, there are many possible ways to enhance your combat abilities technologically. While you should feel free to come up with your own ideas, a few common ones have been listed here to give you an idea of what is possible.

Technologies may exist to increase or decrease the result of a dice roll. The maximum for a roll will still be 6, and the minimum will still be 1, but this can give you a significant advantage. No single tech (or tech tree) may increase or decrease combat rolls by more than +/- 1.

Technologies may exist to increase or decrease a player's number of dice rolled each combat 'round' of rolling. The GM will compare a number of dice equal to the smallest number among both players.

Technology might exist to 'auto-kill' an opponent's ships. This is considered a kill effect, rather than an attack or combat kill, and are resisted by different technology. Things like Kamikaze tech, Orbital Defense Cannons, etc can cause kill effects.

Technology may exist to prevent the destruction of a ship that might otherwise be destroyed by combat or a kill effect. This can never be a guarantee, but can help keep your ships fighting longer. A technology that prevents destruction from attacks won't stop kill effects and vice versa. These are different tech trees.

Technology may exist to let you regenerate your own or others' destroyed military units. With highly advanced tech levels, this can even make your fighting force capable of growing mid-combat.

Technology may not exist to remove units that have already rolled in combat from being the current unit rolling.

D.2a  Fleets With Disparate Units

Most military units belonging to one player are identical. However, a fleet may also contain mercenaries, monsters, summoned units, or more. Whenever there is a real choice on where to assign damage, kill shots, stuns, or anything else, the target is allocated to an eligible unit as if the receiving player was making the decisions. As such, given a choice, weaker units will always be affected before stronger units.

For pre-combat effects, such as Shock & Awe or the Bomb Fleet action, any ship in the fleet is an eligible target. Weaker units will be stunned or destroyed before stronger units.

For effects during combat rounds, only ships actually fighting are eligible targets. As such, you cannot fight with powerful units for their combat bonus, and then assign all hits to weaker units. Once a ship has been engaged, it cannot retreat, even if it has multiple HP or some other way to avoid destruction.

Players may freely determine in what order their units fight in their combat orders, if they so wish. If there are no such orders, the units with the best combat bonus will fight first. If there are multiple units that would receive the same combat bonus, the weakest of those fight first. For example, against an A1 foe, a fleet that consisted of A2 and A3 units would fight with the A2 units first, as both receive the same +1 bonus. If A4 units were also present, those would fight first, to utilize their +2 combat bonus.

D.3  Subduing a Planet

When combat is resolved, if the attacking player has at least 1 remaining military unit, they may begin subjugation of the planet by leaving troops stationed there. Subduing the planet takes a minimum of one turn after the turn of the successful invasion, during which the planet produces no units and does not count as a planet owned for a win total. At the end of this turn the planet fully transfers to the attacker's control and will resume producing resources during the following turn (see D.4 To the Victor Goes the Spoils, below).

If the original owner would like to retake the planet while it is being subdued, they must attack (using attacker's dice, not defender's.) But, if they successfully retake it, it resumes production as normal on the next turn and does not need to be subjugated. Below are set rules on how we determine ownership of planets, shielding, etc...

NOTE: The attacker must keep a military presence on the planet during every Subjugation Turn, or it will fall back under the control of the previous owner.

D.3a  Procedure for Subjugation

This is the following procedure for subdual / ownership.

Turn 1: Player A attacks and wins against Player B, taking planet 1.
 - Planet 1 begins subjugation period.
 - Planet 1 does not count as a win planet for either player.
 - Planet 1 produced at the beginning of the turn for Player B (the original owner) but will not produces unit for either player next Turn.

Turn 2: Player A continues subjugation.
 - No one gains production from planet 1.
 - Planet 1 does not count as a win planet for anyone.
 - If attacked by anyone, Player A now gets defender's dice.
 - Player A is unable to use shielding technology or any other planet-based defensive technology during subjugation.
 - If Player B (and only Player B) retakes planet 1 this Turn, no further subjugation is necessary. Planet 1 is then Player B's as normal.
 - If a third player attacks this Turn and takes planet 1 from Player A, next Turn counts as the third player's Turn 2.
 - If a technology increases subjugation time, additional instances of this Turn may be needed.

Turn 3: Player A now controls planet 1.
 - Planet 1 counts as a win planet.
 - Planet 1 produces units for Player A.
 - Planet 1 can be shielded & defensive tech can be used.
 - Factories can be built on planet 1.

D.3b  Rulings on Shielding During Subjugation Phase

Player A attacks Player B. They take planet. Turn 1 begins subjugation.

During Turn 2, Player B counter-attacks Player A and kills off all their military. Should Player A be able to put up shields? NO. They did not have it fully militarily subdued.

The same rule applies to other defensive items (like ODCs) as well.

D.3c  Trading Planets with Shields

Player C gives Player A a planet. One turn of peaceful subjugation is needed, but no more.

If Player B attacks Player A on the planet and destroys their military on the Turn the planet is to be traded. The Shields are activated and the planet is protected by them.

If Player A is able to counter-attack and wipe out Player B's defenses, then ownership has already been transferred to Player A. Therefore, the peaceful subjugation completes, and Player A gains the planet as his own. The planet is considered their planet for a win going into the next turn and may immediately produce units.

The same rule applies to other defensive items (like ODCs) as well.

D.3d  Retaking a Planet During Subjugation

Player A attacks Player B and takes his planet. Turn 1 begins subjugation.

Player B retakes the planet next turn. Turn 2, the planet is still considered theirs and does not need to be subdued. This only occurs if the original owner retakes the planet during the aggressor's subjugation phase of his planet.

D.3e  Galaxy Map: Hex Sector System

Each Sector in the Galaxy Map is a section of space with planets, space stations, monsters, ships, obstacles, or something else. The Galactic Seat is marked on the map and begins controlled by a GM-controlled NPC. You have to scan a Sector in order to know what is there or move military into it.

D.4  To The Victor Goes The Spoils

In war, successful military occupation of an enemy's territory can provide significant benefits, including resources and technology. Below are the rules for what you gain if successful in conquest.

D.4a  Spoils of a Successful Attack

When you successfully engage and totally destroy a race's defending military over a planet, you gain the most recently researched non-racial tech of that race. This rule applies to each attack. So regardless of how many planets are attacked in a Turn, only the most recently researched tech is stolen. The technology can be declined if the attacker wishes.

NOTE: Until the planet is fully subdued, the last race who owned the planet will be the one chosen to pay the tech requirement for the above rule, rather than the player subduing the planet.
NOTE2: Only techs researched by the planet's former owner can be stolen. Techs that were traded to, purchased by, or given to the former owner will not apply.

D.4b  Characters on the Losing Side

Any character located in a battle sector and controlled by the losing side of a battle is captured by the winning side. (If there are multiple winning sides remaining, they must choose which side imprisons the character in the same way they choose who controls the planet.) Captured characters are imprisoned at the nearest planet controlled by the capturing side (or the current location if a planet is there.) For the disposition of imprisoned characters, see Section G.3 Imprisoned Characters.

D.5  When You Subdue A Planet

After successfully subduing a planet, that planet continues producing its base natural resources, but half the factories for each resource (rounded up) are destroyed during subjugation. This will be the case each time the planet is subjugated. There will always be at least one factory of each type remaining though.

EX: Player A has upgraded his Energy production to 4 additional units per turn at Planet 1.  Player B captures Planet 1. When subdued, 2 of those factories are destroyed, reducing the additional energy units to 2 per turn.

D.6  Colonizing While Under Siege

If military is present at a construction or colonization project, they can defend the colonization/construction project in the case of an attack. Should the military defenses fail, Terraforming Shields can be activated (if you possess the technology) to protect the project for 1 Turn, giving you a chance to recapture it. If no shields are available, then the colonization/construction project is canceled. Any resources already spent are lost, but since combat occurs before colonization, any resources designated for the project that turn are not spent.

D.7  Contested Planets

Eventually, two or more races will attack / colonize the same planet. In doing so, they will have an opportunity to "bow out" of the subjugation process and allow their neighbor the rights to the planet. Or, they can fight it out for the rights. Bowing out must be resolved during the turn submission's orders, otherwise battle will ensue and arrangements can be made after the fact.

NOTE: The planet is considered neutral soil until a player begins the first stage of colonization.

D.8  More Than Two Sides in a Battle

If 3 or more players are fighting over a neutral sector, the groups will be randomly split into a tournament bracket.

EX: There are four aggressors. Player A and Player B's units will fight each other while Player C and Player D's units fight each other. Winners of both fights will then face off against each other. The last one standing claims the planet.

If an odd number of players are fighting over the rights to the planet, dice will be rolled to see who sits out in the first fight. The winner of the first fight will then have to fight against the third player's units.

If two (or more) sides are attacking a sector controlled by a third player, and there are no notes in the Turn Sheets indicating cooperation, the attackers will fight each other before fighting the defender. If there are more than two attackers, the rules for 3+ players fighting over the same neutral sector will apply to see who will be left to attack the defender.

D.9  Unit Conversion (Fluff)

Combat Units will be described as whatever the player decides, but are detailed by unit for ease within the system.

EX: You may have 100 elite infantry units worth 10 military units or a Drop Ship worth 10 units. Either way the same total is 10 units.

If you provide to the GM a description of what a military unit is for your race, it will greatly enhance battle descriptions.

D.10  Troop movements

Troops must always have a designated location indicated on your turn sheet. Troops can travel freely between your worlds at Hyper Drive speed or through Warp Gates. Not both. But, travel to any Sector which you do not have a planet or space station at should be specified separately on your Turn Sheet, including distance traveled, origin, destination, and the use of any Worm Hole or Warp Gate.

Most movement on the Galaxy Map is done using Hyper Drives. The basic Hyper Drive will allow a ship to move 3 Sectors. Each sector costs 1 movement. Movement through Hyper Space is almost instantaneous, but rebuilding enough energy in a ship to do it again takes the rest of a cycle. Upgrading Hyper Drive can allow ships to travel greater distances across the Galaxy. When moving using Hyper Drives, a scouted path is required between the start and endpoints, but the ships do not normally encounter anything along the path (such as monsters or hazards) while traveling. It is possible certain technology or monsters could cause a ship to stop before completing its travel, in which case it would encounter the space it stopped in. No ship will ever encounter more than one space in the same turn, barring special technology.

Warp Gates are devices left over from a previous era. If you know the address for two Warp Gates you can send ships from one Warp Gate to another. These devices allow ships and communications to travel from one friendly star system to another star system with a gate in 1 cycle. Warp Gate Construction is a Level 5 Technology. Each Warp Gate costs 2M (or 2G) & 2E to construct.

D.11  Empire Mobilization and Defense

Your military should not be moving farther than their move speed to move between your planets. That said, you will not be required to account for the movements of every unit between defensive locations on your turn sheet like will be required for moving into a sector you did not previously occupy.

When attacking, your ships will receive a -1 penalty to their die rolls if they have spent more than one cycle in travel. In order to avoid this penalty, their previous location must be an allied planet or space station. In the case of mercenaries that were just hired, their location counts as a space station for this purpose on the turn you hire them.

No planet or station that started the cycle being subdued will produce anything.

D.12  Planetary Shielding

Planetary shielding works much like force fields for a planet. When researching tech for planetary shielding it takes multiple levels of the shielding tech to be able to shield a planet. Shielding technology, as well as technology to improve the effectiveness of your shields and break through enemy shields, are detailed in the Technology list.

D.13  Attacking As A Coalition

When attacking as a group, the GM will divide the attacking units into an attack pattern as follows. Players A, C, & D are attacking Player B in this example.

EX: Player A attacks Player B Defends.
Player C attacks Player B Defends.
Player D Attacks Player B Defends.
Player A Attack Player B Defends.

D.14  Piracy

Piracy is the act of hiring unaligned mercenaries, privateers, or pirates to attack your enemies for you so that attacks can happen without reflecting negatively on you. Technology to create and utilize Privateer fleets is detailed in the Technology list. Privateers will appear on the game map as a white NPC fleet.

This message was last edited by the GM at 20:16, Thu 17 Nov 2022.
Godzfirefly
GM, 1098 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 07:02
  • msg #6

Colonization and Construction

E.1 - Construction Projects
         E.2 - Colonizing Planets
         E.3 - Unique Planetary Bonuses
         E.4 - Creating a Space Station
         E.5 - Creating a Warp Gate


E.1  Construction Projects

Construction projects are ways to expand your control of the galaxy. They include colonizing planets and building space stations and other installations in empty sectors.

In order to start a construction project, you must have at least one military unit in the sector you are attempting to build in - scouting is insufficient. Once started, military is not required to maintain the project, but any other military force entering the sector will supersede your claim if you do not have military present.

You have to maintain control of the sector at all times.  You cannot do any construction if hostile forces are present (either other player's units, neutral units, mercenaries, or monsters.) If hostile forces take control of the sector while construction is ongoing, all progress is lost.

Once a construction project has been completed, hostile forces will take over the planet or station if they gain control of the sector. Most types of completed construction projects cannot be destroyed without specific tech to do so.

E.2  Colonization

This section explains the method by which you terraform a planet and build a colony able to produce units.

Colonization is expensive and time consuming, taking a base of 4 turns and 4 resources per Turn, in specific stages.  Each stage must be paid for in the Turn that it occurs, not before or after.

Stage 1:  Planet begins the Terraforming process.  1 Mechanical unit; 2 Energy units; 1 Genetic unit.  (Turn 1)

Stage 2:  Planet has lifeforms and/or materials introduced to sustaining its newly forming ecosystem.  2 G/M (The infrastructure unit you did NOT choose); 1 energy; and 1 life support.  (Turn 2)

Stage 3:  Building Infrastructure, including the beginning actual colony and tools used to extract produced units. 2 M/G (Your infrastructure unit); 1 energy; 1 life support. (Turn 3)

Stage 4:  Colony planted. Production can begin starting next Turn, and planet can self sustain itself.  1 M/G (Your infrastructure unit), 1 energy and 2 life support.  (Turn 4)

NOTE:  Once the final Stage 4 costs are paid, the colonized planets resources will be available to use on the next turn, NOT the turn its cost is fully paid for.  However, the planet will be considered fully colonized and you will be able to gain defenders dice, minefield techs & planetary shielding technologies for use on it.

The time and cost it takes to colonize can be adjusted using R & D.  If you reduce the duration of Colonization, you will perform the last stage in the same Turn as the stage before and you must then pay for both stages in that same Turn.

EX: If you have Reduced Colonization Time I active, and are a Mechanical race, the colonization costs will instead be:
Turn 1 - 1M, 2E, 1G      - Stage 1
Turn 2 - 2G, 1E, 1LS     - Stage 2
Turn 3 - 3M, 2E, 3LS     - Stage 3 & 4


E.3  Unique Planetary Bonuses

Every new colonized planet is self sustaining and has basic available units it can produce.  These are pre-rolled and can be learned by using Detailed Scouting.  Technology can increase this during colonization, but the technology must be available before the colonization project is finished.


E.4 Creating a Space Station

Space stations are manufactured bases that can house military units and produce resource units.  However, because they are artificially made they do not produce units naturally as a planet might.  Nor do they count towards a race's total number of planets for a win. The cost for creating a space station is the same as the cost of colonization, except each stage requires an additional Infrastructure unit (see Section A.4 Mech-Gen Decision).

Building a space station is different from terraforming an already-existing planet, so it needs to have separate R&D to speed up or reduce the cost of construction.  Any techs which aid colonization DO NOT work with planting a space station and vice versa.

You can only create a space station in a sector that has been explored and is currently empty of anything but your fleet. There is no limit to the number of space stations you can construct except the number of available sectors.

E.5 Creating a Warp Gate

Warp Gates are orbital portals that allow transport between them. If you possess the Warp Gate technology, you can create a Warp Gate for 2M2E or 2G2E (depending on your infrastructure unit.) Warp Gates can be constructed in the same sector as planets or space stations, and cannot be constructed in sectors containing blocking hazards.  You must have a military unit present to build a Warp Gate.

Unlike other construction projects, Warp Gates can be destroyed by military units. Each Warp Gate has 8 HP, and each military unit in the sector ordered to attack it will do 1 damage to it per turn. When the Warp Gate loses its last HP, it will explode and destroy every unit currently attacking it.

Anyone who has the coordinates of a Warp Gate may use a single hyperdrive jump to travel there from any other sector containing a scouted Warp Gate.

This message was last edited by the GM at 21:35, Mon 10 Oct 2022.
Godzfirefly
GM, 1099 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 07:03
  • msg #7

Research and Development

F.1 - Research and Development.
         F.2 - Speeding up R & D.
                  F.2a - Spending Workers
                  F.2b - Faster R&D Tech
                  F.2c - Research Unions
         F.3 - Research and Development for Military Application
         F.4 - Production upgrading R & D
         F.5 - Purchasing R & D from the Unifed Armada
         F.6 - Trading Techs
         F.7 - Technology Lines
                  F.7a - Implicit Prerequisites
                  F.7b - Acquiring Tech Lines Out of Order
         F.8 - Limits of Technology


F.1  Research and Development:

During each turn, your race will be given the opportunity to work on a single Research and Development project.  The details of each new technology must be submitted to the GM, who will incorporate it into the game system for your benefit.  While only 1 R&D project can be worked on at a time by each race, technology can be traded and races do have the option of working on a project together to share the cost and speed up the time it takes to finish the project (see Section F.2c below).

NOTE: Technologies can be used at the beginning of the turn after they are completed (all costs are paid) or received in a trade.  Not before.

Level 1 Research and Development takes 3 turns and 3 resources to complete a project.  Each additional level adds 1 turn and 1 resource to the cost.  The highest level technology available (except military grade) is Level 6.  However, R & D projects can be traded, stolen through espionage or gained through capture of another race's planet.

The resource costs of techs will be:
Mechanical Race:      Genetic Race:
Lv1 1M,1E,1LS         1G,1E,1LS
Lv2 1M,1E,1LS,1G      1G,1E,1LS,1M
Lv3 2M,1E,1LS,1G      2G,1E,1LS,1M
Lv4 2M,2E,1LS,1G      2G,2E,1LS,1M
Lv5 2M,2E,2LS,1G      2G,2E,2LS,1M
Lv6 2M,2E,2LS,2G      2G,2E,2LS,2M

Do not change the costs of techs from this without the current GM's specific permission.  Use the same pattern for increasing tech costs for Military Grade technology.


F.2  Speeding up R & D

R & D can be completed faster than the initial 3 turns it costs in one of three ways, each of which can be utilized together or separately..


F.2a. Spending Workers

You can reduce the research time by one turn by spending 5 workers.  Additional reductions have an increasing cost of five workers each time (10 for the second round, 15 for the third round, etc).  These costs are cumulative so reducing the research time by 3 rounds has a total cost of 30 workers (5+10+15).
Total base worker cost for hurrying R&D:  5/15/30/50/75/105/140/180/225...


F.2b. Faster R&D Tech

Each level of this technology reduces the total time to research other technologies by 1 round.

EX:
Faster R&D, L2
Reduces the time it takes to research a project by 1 turn.
-Upgrades reduce the time by 1 additional turn.
-This tech tree is not affected by other techs within this tree.


F.2c. Research Unions

It is possible to work on the project with multiple races if each race is a member of a single Federation (see section J.4 Federations).

To do so, each race contributes the necessary costs, including workers to reduce the total time (see F.2a above) in any combination, including each race's 1 turn of "research time."  So if three races work together on a single project, they provide a total of 3 turns worth of research in a single game turn, which would be enough to complete a Lv1 technology in one Turn.

If any race has access to a Faster R&D tech (see F.2b above), the research benefits from it.  Multiple players with such technology cannot stack the effects; Only the best version is applied.

When the unit costs have been paid and enough research turns have been provided, the technology is completed and is available to each of the races who contributed Turns to it.
If the time cost has been spent but not the resources, then the tech is not considered finished, but you can set the work you've already completed aside to start a new tech until the unfinished one is paid for (as long as the unfinished tech in not a pre-requisite.)
This should be indicated on your Turn Sheet.


F.3  Research and Development for Military Application

Everyone in the game starts out at the same basic military level (A1).  Through Research and Development you can increase your military level to another grade higher, (A2), (A3), etc...  You are encouraged to describe your military advancement in any way you desire to foster good role playing.

NOTE:  Basic Defensive and Offensive military grades are bundled together.  Therefore R&D in Shipboard Shielding and R&D in Photon Torpedos are considered a military grade advancement in the same category.  So Race 1 might have Shipboard Shielding and be a grade of (A2) and race 2 might have Advanced Weapons and be the same grade (A2).  Therefore they are the same military grade and have no bonuses vs the other player in combat.  Also, if those races traded their A2 techs, they would still both be A2, since it takes an A3-level tech to increase military grade to A3.

Relative military strength of individual units is represented by the unit's military grade.   A unit with a 1 or 2 military grade advantage over another unit will have a +1 bonus to each dice.  A unit with a 3 or 4 military grade advantage over another will have a +2 bonus to all rolls.  A unit with a 5 military grade advantage or better over another will have a +3 bonus to all rolls.

Note:  Military Grade techs of the same level are NOT stackable and you must invest in researching a higher grade to affect your military level.  Therefore if you are an (A3) and someone wants to trade their (A2) tech to you, it will not affect your military grade whatsoever.  And, if you trade your military grade of (A4) to someone with an (A1) military grade, they only effectively have an advancement of (A2) not (A4).  In the words of a player in this game, you can give a caveman a machine gun, but he's still a caveman.  It makes him more effective in combat, but not as effective as a trained marine.


F.4  Production upgrading R & D

Technologies can allow you to build factories to improve production of a single type of unit (i.e luxury) on a planet or space station.  A Level 1 production technology allows you to build a factory which provides a +1 production of a single resource type. Production techs may be upgraded, following the standard cost increases for higher level techs outlined above (see F.1 above).  Each additional tech level requires a new factory to implement it.

On each planet or space station where you wish to gain the bonus production, a cost of 2 infrastructure units is required in order to build a factory to implement the work needed to produce the extra +1 to production on each planet or space station you wish to use this technology on.  This cost must be paid every time you upgrade the production technology (from +1 to +2 and so on).

EX:  Player A wants to upgrade his life support production and researches Improved Life Support I.  However, he has 3 planets and must pay 6 mechanical units to build the factories needed to gain that +1 on each of his 3 planets.  2 mechanical for each planet.

In order to gain the +2 bonus to life support production, the player must research a Level 2 technology with the associated increase in time and cost.  A +3 requires a Level 3 technology, etc.

NOTE:  Production R & D follows the same rules as military grade advancement where skipping levels is concerned.


F.5  Purchasing R & D from the Unified Armada

R & D can be purchased from the Unified Armada.  A list will be submitted in the Cost Charts thread stating which R & D's are available to purchase along with their credit costs.  Each race is only able to purchase 1 technology from them per turn.


F.6  Trading Techs

Each race is allowed to trade technologies with other races.  However, each such trade can only contain a single technology per race, though trades to different players may contain different technologies.

For example, Player A can trade 1 technology to Player B, but cannot trade 2 technologies.  In order to accomplish this, Player A would have to send the second technology on a subsequent turn.


F.7 - Technology Lines

Many technologies come in tech lines - multiple techs with the same name, but different levels. Each new technology in the tech line is one level higher than the previous technology, but will often provide the same or similar benefit in a manner that stacks with other technology in that line.


F.7a - Implicit Prerequisites

A technology in a tech line always has all lower-level technology in that line as prerequisites. For example, you cannot research First Strike III unless you possess both First Strike I and First Strike II. Because this is true of all tech lines, prerequisites are only listed for differently-named technology. While some similarly-named technology may follow a similar progression to a tech line (e.g. Space Station Shields and Planetary Shields, or Improved and Advanced Terraforming), these are not tech lines as they do not share the same name. This means that you can research Planetary Shields even if you do not possess Terraforming Shields, so long as you have Space Station Shields.


F.7b - Acquiring Tech Lines Out of Order

In the event that you acquire a technology in a tech line without possessing its lower-leveled version, such as from a Point of Interest or through trade, that technology will always function as the lowest-leveled tech in that line you do not possess until you fill the gaps. This is true even if the individual techs in that line have slightly different properties - for example, if you possessed Efficient Colonization III without any lower-leveled versions, you would still reduce the price of stage 4 of colonization, not stage 3.

Despite having lesser functionality, these technologies still retain their level at all times, and will improve if you later acquire the lower-level technology they are functioning as. They fulfill prerequisites normally - for example, Mechanical Production +2 will fulfill the prerequisite for Improved Taxation even if you do not possess Mechanical Production +1. However, since tech lines include all previous technology as prerequisites, Mechanical Production +3 requires both the level 1 and 2 versions to research, and cannot be researched with only one.


F.8 - Limits of Technology

No technology may advance beyond level 6, except Military Grade.  A level 6 technology can destroy planets/solar systems, let military units cross half a galaxy in a single Hyper Space Jump, cross an entire galaxy through controlled worm-hole interface devices, and other amazing things.

 Technology can not add more than +3 to a combat die roll.
 Technology can not reduce a die roll by more than -1.
 Technology can not add or subtract more than +1D6 to a combat roll.
 Technology can not make you or your military invincible, just nearly so.
 Technology cannot reduce Subjugation time to less than 1 Turn, but it can increase it.
 Each level of technology should do 1 specific thing.
 Technology cannot reduce a % chance of something happening below 1%
 Technology cannot make military units, space stations, or planets invisible to scouting.
 Technology should not exist that lets one resource do the stated job of another.
 Technology should not make the GM have a stroke from excess work. (No protractor or straight-edge should be necessary, for example.)
 Technology can not 'WIN YOU THE GAME', but it can create alternate win conditions, reduce the # of planets you need to win the game or otherwise make winning the game easier.

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:04, Thu 06 Oct 2022.
Godzfirefly
GM, 1100 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 07:03
  • msg #8

Characters

G.1 - Characters
        G.2 - Recruiting and Training
        G.3 - Imprisoned Characters
        G.4 - Commander
        G.5 - Admiral
        G.6 - Grand Admiral
        G.7 - Manager
        G.8 - Quartermaster
        G.9 - Astronomer
        G.10 - Tactician
        G.11 - Engineer
        G.12 - Master Builder
        G.13 - Spy
        G.14 - Saboteur
        G.15 - Security Master
        G.16 - Intelligence Master
        G.17 - Ruler
        G.18 - Heir
        G.19 - Character Option Chart



G.1  Characters

Each Empire is managed and maintained by individuals of great skill, charisma, and/or intelligence.  These are represented by Characters.  Characters can either be attached to a claimed sector or fleet, and when they are attached to a Fleet they move with the Fleet.  Different types of Characters do different things for your empire.  Characters have no upkeep, but can have a significant affect on your strategy.  Characters should each have names, type, total level, and action performed on the Turn Sheet.  (In the case of Spy and Saboteur, the success record should also be included.)

G.2  Recruiting and Training

For every Planet you claim at the start of your Turn, you have a single Recruit/Train action on your Turn Sheet.  If you use this action to Recruit, you get a new Character at that planet at the end of the Turn.  You may choose the Character's type from the available options.  If you use this slot to Train, then a single Character at that planet will increase by 1 level.  Characters being trained cannot move or use their abilities during the turn they are being trained.

G.3  Imprisoned Characters

Sometimes, you will manage to capture and imprison enemy characters through various methods.  If so, you won't be able to move them from the planet they are on.

If this happens, you might want to convince them to convert to your side instead.  Each turn, you have a chance to convert each character you have imprisoned equal to 25% minus 5% per basic level of the character (Commander, Manager, etc), and minus 10% per non-basic level (Saboteur, Quartermaster, etc). Each turn the character remains imprisoned, the chance of conversion increases by 20%. You can also spend up to 10 Luxury each turn. For every 5 Luxury spent, you increase the chance of success by a further 10%. If the Character is converted, you will have full access to its abilities and be able to move it on the next Turn.

It is also possible that you might want to sell or trade the imprisoned character for your own benefit. The prisoner can always be traded from its location and will appear at the new owner's nearest planet. If this is the original owner, then the prisoner will no longer be imprisoned and can resume normal activities. If this is a third party, the prisoner will be moved to the nearest planet and remain a prisoner under the same rules. Trading a captured character to a third party will NOT reset the turn counter for conversion, but having them captured from you by force will.

(Unimprisoned Characters can also be traded, of course.)

G.4  Commanders

A Commander is a basic character type that can be recruited with a Recruit Action.  When a Commander is assigned to a fleet, the fleet receives an effective Military Grade boost equal to half the Commander's level (rounded down) and a movement speed boost equal to half the Commander's level (rounded up).  Only one Commander can affect a fleet at a time.  (Only ships that travel with the Commander for the whole Turn count as the Commander's fleet.)

G.5  Admiral

When a Commander has been trained to a minimum of level 5, a Train action can be used to instead convert the Commander into a level 1 Admiral.  When an Admiral is in a sector, all allied fleets in that sector will receive a Military Grade boost equal to half the Admiral's level (rounded up).  The Admiral will also keep his Commander bonus (though he won't be able to train as a Commander any more) and it will stack with his Admiral bonus.  Only 1 Admiral's bonus can affect a fleet at a time.

G.6  Grand Admiral

When an Admiral has been trained to a minimum of level 5, a Train action can be used to convert the Admiral into a Level 1 Grand Admiral.  When a Grand Admiral is in an empire, that empire's fleets all receive a Military Grade boost equal to half the Grand Admiral's level (rounded up).  There can only be one Grand Admiral in an empire at a time, his previous Admiral and Commander bonuses continue to exist, and they will stack with the Grand Admiral bonus.  (The Grand Admiral bonus also stacks with other Commanders' and Admirals' bonuses.)  The Grand Admiral bonus continues to apply when the Grand Admiral is being trained.

G.7  Manager

A Manager is a basic character type that can be recruited with a Recruit Action.  A Manager can produce one unit of any resource per level each Turn it is active.  The resource type must already be produced in the sector they are active, either as base production of a planet or via factories, and each Manager can only produce one type of resource per Turn.  Only one manager may produce any given type of resource in a particular sector each Turn.  Managers cannot move and produce in the same Turn.

G.8  Quartermaster

When a Manager has been trained to a minimum of level 5, a Train action can be used to convert the Manager into a level 1 Quartermaster.  The Quartermaster may continue using his Manager abilities, but cannot level up as a Manager again.  You may only have one Quartermaster in your empire.  Reduce the empire-wide upkeep of your entire military by 4% per level, rounded up.  The Quartermaster bonus continues to apply when the Quartermaster is being trained.

G.9  Astronomer

An Astronomer is a basic character type that can be recruited with a Recruit Action.  An Astronomer can Scout one additional hex per level.  All hexes scouted by the Astronomer in a Turn must be consecutive to each other and within 6 Hexes of the Astronomer's location (or within a range equal to the Astronomer's level, whichever is greater.)  No more than one Astronomer may exist at each planet and Astronomers can only Scout from a planet.  Astronomers cannot Scout and Move in the same Turn.  (This will reveal only the selected Hexes, not the adjacent ones too.)  If an Astronomer of level 7 or higher is at a planet, normal basic scouting actions taken from that planet can use the astronomer's level as their range rather than the normal 6 hexes.

G.10  Tactician

The Tactician is a basic character type that can be recruited with a Recruit Action.  Only one Tactician power may be used in an Empire each Turn.  For each level the tactician has, he may provide Detailed Scouting for a single sector.  These sectors do not need to be consecutive, but they must have already been revealed.

G.11  Engineer

The Engineer is a basic character type that can be recruited with a Recruit Action.  For every level the Engineer has, he can build or upgrade one level of one structure in the sector he is assigned to for free.  This applies to production structures and defense structures.  Only one Engineer can produce structures in a given sector each Turn.  An Engineer cannot move and build/upgrade in the same Turn.

G.12  Master Builder

When an Engineer has been trained to level 5 or higher, you may use a Train action to convert the Engineer to a level 1 Master Builder.  The character will still be able to use his previously earned Engineer abilities, but cannot level up as an Engineer any more.  For every level of Master Builder the character has, defensive structures in the solar system receive a 5% boost in effectiveness, rounded down to the nearest whole number (minimum 1.)  The Master Builder ability is still active when the Master Builder is Training.

G.13  Spy

The Spy is a basic character type that can be recruited with a Recruit Action.  The Spy has a variety of actions it can take with varying chances of success and various consequences for failure dependent on the Spy's level.  Unless otherwise noted, Spy actions do not require a known location to be performed.  By default, if a Spy is captured, the target race will imprison them and learn the Spy’s identity. However, you may give your spies orders not to allow themselves to be taken alive. In this case, the Spy will instead be killed, but the target race will not learn who sent them.
All Spy and Saboteur actions have a maximum success chance of 95%, regardless of character level.

-Learn Tech Level [The simplest and least dangerous spy action tells you the current number of technologies available to the target Empire, as well as what the highest level of technology available to them is.  The Spy has a 20% chance of success per Spy level and no consequences for failure.]
-Learn Current R&D [This spy action tells you what the technology currently being researched for the target Empire is, including completion level.  If the technology is not in the Technology thread, it will not tell you what it does.  Though, if the Empire is researching a standard tech under an alternate name, the report will include both names.  The Spy has a 10% chance of success per Spy level and no consequences for failure.]
-Learn Sector Claim [This spy action tells you the location of one sector claimed by the target empire which you don't already know.  The Spy has a 10% chance of success per level and no consequences for failure.  When this action succeeds, the GM will provide the coordinates of the nearest unknown claimed sector to the target sector, preferring warp gate travel if possible.  If there are multiple equidistant, then the GM will select Space Station claims first and then choose randomly from those. This does NOT reveal the specified sector on your map, only gives you its location.]
-Steal Blueprint [This spy action gives you a blueprint for one Technology that the target Empire has but you don't. This action requires that you have scouted or used the Learn Sector Claim action on at least one planet the target controls. The Spy has a 5% chance of success per Spy level, and if the attempt fails has a chance of the character being imprisoned by the target side equal to 50% minus 5% per total level of the Spy.  If no specific technology is specified, one blueprint of the lowest level available will be stolen.  If no technologies are available which you don't already know, you will get a free level 1 tech that neither of you have but which is appropriately thematic.]

G.14  Saboteur

When a Spy is level 5 and has completed at least 2 successful Spy Actions, a Train action can convert the Spy into a level 1 Saboteur.  The Saboteur can still perform Spy actions, but can also perform Saboteur actions.  Saboteurs can no longer increase in level as a Spy, though.  Some Saboteur actions require additional resource payment to perform, and all require the target be visible on your map.  There is no range restriction on Saboteur Actions. When performing an action, the chance of success is determined by the number of levels of the appropriate character type (Spy levels for Spy actions, and Saboteur levels for Saboteur actions), but the chance of imprisonment is determined by total character levels in both Spy and Saboteur.

-Disrupt Scouting [This saboteur action will prevent the target planet from being counted when determining how many Scouting Actions the target empire has during the next Turn.  The Saboteur has a 15% chance of success per Saboteur level, and if the attempt fails there are no negative consequences.]
-Disrupt R&D Project [This saboteur action will reset the progress of the currently researched technology to 0 Turns completed.  The Saboteur has a 10% chance of success per Saboteur level, and if the attempt fails has a chance of the character being imprisoned by the target side equal to 80% minus 10% per total level of the Saboteur.]
-Bomb Fleet [This saboteur action will damage the ships in a target fleet before it moves.  This action costs 1 Energy for every 10 Kill Shots desired. The maximum amount of Energy spent this way is equal to the Saboteur level of the character. The Saboteur makes one roll per 10 ships targeted, each with a 10% chance of success per Saboteur level. If any attempts fail the Saboteur has a chance of being imprisoned by the target side equal to 75% minus 5% per total level of the Saboteur, times the failure rate (number of failed attempts divided by number of attempts). If a natural 1 (5%) is rolled on any check, the Saboteur has a chance of being killed equal to 1 divided by their Saboteur level.]
-Assassinate Character [This saboteur action will kill one character in the target sector after it uses its action for the Turn or before it moves. By default the target is random, but a specific target can be chosen. If the appropriate target is not present at the target location, the Saboteur does nothing that round.  The Saboteur has a 5% chance of success per Saboteur level, and if the attempt fails has a chance of the Saboteur being imprisoned by the target side equal to 75% minus 5% per level of the Saboteur.]
-Capture Character [This saboteur action will capture one character in the target sector after it uses its action for the Turn or before it moves. By default the target is random, but a specific target can be chosen. If the appropriate target is not present at the target location, the Saboteur does nothing that round.  The Saboteur has a 10% chance of success per Saboteur level, and if the attempt fails has a chance of the Saboteur being imprisoned by the target side equal to 75% minus 5% per level of the Saboteur.]
-Rescue Character [This saboteur action will rescue one character already loyal to you in the target sector. By default the target is random, but a specific target can be chosen. If the appropriate target is not present at the target location, the Saboteur does nothing that round.  The Saboteur has a 15% chance of success per Saboteur level, and if the attempt fails has a chance of the Saboteur being imprisoned by the target side equal to 50% minus 5% per level of the Saboteur.]
-Bomb Building [This saboteur action will destroy 1 level of a particular building per Energy spent.  The type of building being bombed must be specified in the Saboteur's orders.  If successful, the production building will be damaged/destroyed as of the end of the Turn or the Defense Structure will be damaged/destroyed before any movement is implemented.  The Saboteur has a 10% chance of success per level, and if the attempt fails the Saboteur has a chance of being imprisoned equal to 75% minus 5% per level of the Saboteur. If a natural 1 is rolled on the success check, the Saboteur is killed during the attempt, regardless of success or failure.]


G.15  Security Master

When a Spy or Saboteur has reached level 6 (Level 6 Spy or Level 6 Saboteur, combined level doesn't count), you may use a Train action to convert the character into a level 1 Security Master.  Security Masters may not take Spy or Saboteur Actions.  Instead, they provide protection for the Empire against Spy or Saboteur Actions.  For every level of Security Master the character has, reduce the chance of success for Spy Actions by 5% and the chance of success for Saboteur Actions by 8%.  In addition, for every level of Security Master, the chance of a Saboteur being killed in a Bomb action is increased by 1% during success checks.  Finally, for every level of Spy the Security Master had before converting to Security Master, increase the chance of enemy Spies being imprisoned for failing Spy Actions against you by 1%.  And, for every level of Saboteur the Security Master had before converting to Security Master, increase the chance of enemy Saboteurs being imprisoned for failing Saboteur Actions against you by 1%.  No more than one Security Master may exist in each Empire.  The Security Master bonus continues to apply when the Security Master is being trained.

G.16  Intelligence Master

When a Spy or Saboteur has reached level 6 (Level 6 Spy or Level 6 Saboteur, combined level doesn't count) and has completed at least 3 spy and/or saboteur actions, you may use a Train action to convert the character to a level 1 Intelligence Master.  Intelligence Masters may not take Spy or Saboteur Actions.  Instead, they improve the abilities of all other Spies and Saboteurs in your Empire.  For every level of Intelligence Master your character has, increase the chance of success for Spy or Saboteur Actions by 5%.  In addition, for every level of Spy the Intelligence Master had before converting, decrease the chance of your Spies being imprisoned for failing a Spy Action by 5% (minimum 1%.)  And, for every level of Saboteur the Intelligence Master had before converting, decrease the chance of your Saboteurs being imprisoned for failing a Saboteur Action by 3% (minimum 1%.)  No more than one Intelligence Master may exist in each Empire.  The Intelligence master bonus continues to apply when the Intelligence Master is being trained.

G.17  Ruler

A Ruler is a character necessary to run your Empire.  Without a Ruler, your Empire is stagnant.  While a Ruler gives no other direct mechanical benefit, it is still the most important character in any Empire.  A Ruler always needs the resources of a planet to maintain control of your Empire, so must always begin and end the Turn on a planet.  If at any time the Ruler is assassinated or captured, and no Heir exists, you have a Stagnant Turn.  After one Stagnant Turn, a new Ruler will generate itself on one of your planets and establish control of the Empire.  (If a captured ruler is traded back to the original owner when that owner has a new ruler, the lower level ruler converts all levels to levels of Heir.

G.18  Heir

While not necessary, an Heir can be extremely useful.  You can only generate an Heir if your Ruler is level 3 or higher.  If at any time the ruler is assassinated or captured, the Heir will immediately convert all Heir levels into levels of Ruler and prevent the loss of a Turn.  If multiple Heirs exist, the highest level Heir becomes Ruler.  If there is a tie, the player chooses.

G.19 - Character Option Chart

Commander*
 -Admiral
   -Grand Admiral
Manager*
 -Quartermaster
Astronomer*
Tactician*
Engineer*
 -Master Builder
Spy*
 -Saboteur
 -Security Master
 -Intelligence Master
Ruler
 -Heir

*These are the classes that can be gained with a Recruit Action.

This message was last edited by the GM at 22:19, Sat 10 Sept 2022.
Godzfirefly
GM, 1101 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 07:04
  • msg #9

Winning and Losing the Game

H.1 - Empire Death

If all of your worlds are subdued, you have two options.

Option 1:  Stay in the game as the same race and seek asylum with the Unified Armada, another race, or drift in space.  You are able to produce 1/4 of your Home-World's last known production plus the production of any Space Stations you still own.  And, you still have access to any Military units or Characters that are not yet destroyed.

Option 2:  Start anew with a new race 1 cycle after your old race's actual defeat*. Your new race will have 15 points to spend on Point Buy, plus 2 points per cycle that has passed. Your location will be secret until you are scouted or you tell others where you are. The GM must approve all new technology and give you a location before you can start.
NOTE: This option is not available once all planets have been explored!
*If your old race was defeated on cycle 4, then your new race will start on cycle 6 with its 1st Turn Submission

I.1  Winning the Game

The game will be won once a single player controls 50% or more of the total planets in the galaxy or by a Federation that controls 90% of the planets in the galaxy.  That player's (or Federation's) name will then be added to the Hall of Fame.  When resetting the game, you can choose to keep your race or change it and play something new.

The player or Federation must control the requisite number of planets for a full turn. That is, they must both start and end the turn with a sufficient quantity of planets.


This message was last edited by the GM at 22:54, Thu 11 Oct 2018.
Godzfirefly
GM, 1102 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 07:06
  • msg #10

Diplomacy

J.1 - Diplomacy
      J.2 - Alliances
      J.3 - Treaties and Deals
            J.3a - Mutual Protection Pact (MPP)
            J.3b - Non-Aggression Treaties (NAT)
            J.3c - Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA)
      J.4 - Federations



J.1  Diplomacy

Inevitably when dealing with other races, there will be a need for alliances, treaties, and other formal deals.  The following section will identify some of the ways diplomacy can affect the game.

J.2  Alliances

For the purposes of the system and NPC actions there are two types of Alliances.

1.)  Open Alliances: This type of Alliance is openly agreed upon by all parties involved and will be noted by the Unified Armada.  This type of Alliance is necessary to form a Federation and inevitably win as a Federation.  Treaties made as an open alliance should be publically displayed.

Drawback:  Everyone in the game knows who you are allied with.

2.)  Secret Alliances:  This type of Alliance is not broadcast and therefore is subject to the whims of each player involved.  If one of the members of the alliance breaks his allied status in a secret attack against his allies, then the Unified Armada isn't obligated to help enforce any treaties because of the secrecy of the alliance.

Drawback:  You really can't trust anyone who you are allied with and you can't be considered a Federation for a group win.

J.3  Treaties and Deals

Whether secret or open, there are certain types of treaties that have a standard meaning in Empirium.

J.3a  Mutual Protection Pacts (MPP)

All parties agree to protect each other should an attack come from either a designated aggressor or any aggressor.  This pact is normally integrated into an open alliance, but is not required.  Detailed requirements may be decided on a case-by-case basis.

J.3b  Non-Aggression Treaties (NAT)

All parties are forbidden to attack each other using Military or Sabotage.  If simultaneous actions (such as colonization or spontaneously attacking a mutual enemy) would cause conflict, an NAT will prevent any automatic attack.  In such a case, each army will hold until one player concedes the territory to the other.

NOTE: If a player has (standing) orders to violate a NAT, then the battle will engage as normal.

J.3c  Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA)

All parties are restricted from telling other parties certain types of information.  This may include troop numbers and/or locations, planetary or space station locations, Warp Gate locations, etc.  This treaty may restrict a party from passing the information to specific races or any race at all.

J.4  Federations

Federations are a specific type of Open Alliance that is able to win the Game as a group.  To win as an alliance, your Federation must control most of the known galaxy (90% of the colonizable planets.)  Also, you must agree as a Federation to dissolve your races' individual identities to serve the Federation you have created.

Requirements for the GM to consider you a new Federation:
1.)  All members must agree to an open MPP that protects all races in the Federation.
2.)  Upon creation, all members must donate 1/2 their current military units (rounded up) to be controlled by the Federation solely and 1/2 their produced units every turn after.  Donated units CAN NOT be returned to the original owner and will always remain under Federation control.
3.)  All members must appoint a Leader of the Federation as the representative of the Federation's military units.  This Leader will submit Turn Sheets for the Federation's actions.
4.)  Life Support must be provided by the members in whatever way they see fit to support the Federation's military units each turn.
5.)  A cost of 5 credits per race involved in the Federation is required per turn.
6.)  An Open Alliance must have existed between the Founders for 4 turns game time, according to my stipulations.  This Open Alliance must have been posted in the Open Treaties Thread for that entire time.
7.)  A Federation must have an open alliance status.  Secret alliances will not be counted for a Federation win.  This means that you must publically state your open alliance and not be vague at all.  It must be clear that you are allies.

Requirements to add a new member to an alliance:
1.)  Upon entry, all new members must donate 1/2 their current military units to be controlled by the Federation solely
2.)  Any new members must have had an Open Alliance (including an MPP) with the members of the Federation for at least 4 Turns.  This Open Alliance must have been posted in the Open Treaties Thread for that entire time.
3.)  The new member's name must be added to the Federation Charter.

Requirements to maintain a Federation:
1.)  Half of any military production must be donated to the Federation each Turn.
2.)  Life Support must be provided by the members in whatever way they see fit to support the Federation's military units each turn.
3.)  A cost of 5 credits per race involved in the Federation is required per turn.
4.)  A Federation must have an open alliance status.  Secret alliances will not be counted for a Federation win.  This means that you must publically state your open alliance and not be vague at all.  It must be clear that you are allies.


There are many benefits to a Federation.

Federations are allowed to engage in Research Unions (See Section F.2c).  Research unions are only allowed to be used by an established Federation, not before or during the transition to becoming a Federation.

In addition, Federation members have the ability to trade as many of their technologies per turn to another member of their Federation as they choose, unlike a non-federated race who can only trade 1 tech per race every turn.

Also, Federation members' maps will be combined into a single map, revealing all scouted territory of all members to all other members.  Detailed Scouting results will still remain private.

If this option is chosen, your Federation's name will be posted in the Hall of Fame, as well as the names of the federated players' races.

Godzfirefly
GM, 1103 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 07:07
  • msg #11

The United Armada

K.1  The United Armada
         K.2 - Trading through the United Armada
         K.3 - Purchasing from The United Armada.
         K.4 - Supply & Demand.
         K.5 - Favored Trading Status.
         K.6 - Sanctions



K.1  The United Armada

The United Armada, or UA, is an NPC entity that exists to promote trade and diplomacy among the races. The United Armada's hub can be used to conduct diplomacy and trade with other players, as well as acting as a neutral third party in disputes and contract enforcement.

K.2  Trading through the United Armada

The United Armada allows you to trade with other players without revealing your Warp Gate locations to them directly. The United Armada will ship any technology or resource to any other player for a fee of 3 credits. This fee applies only to the sending of goods - in most trades, both players will need to pay the fee, but a one-way shipment requires only one fee. Trades made through the United Armada take one additional cycle to complete.

In addition, the United Armada will allow you to create a General Trade Agreement (GTA) with players whose locations are secret from you. Such GTAs produce only 3 credits per turn rather than 4.

It is in the UA's interest to discourage violation of treaties.  Players who violate the terms of Open Treaties will not be permitted to trade via the UA for 5 Turns.  These sanctions will cut off GTAs and prevent trades that are performed through the UA, as well as provoke shoot-on-sight orders against that players' military units in UA-Controlled territory.

The UA will also offer additional enforcement of treaties between two players. The fee for this will be determined on a case by case basis, depending on the extent of the contract, its difficulty to enforce, and the extent of the reparations the UA will be expected to provide if it is broken.

K.2a  Trade Errors

Trade errors occur when two players attempt a trade and their turn sheets do not agree on what is being traded for what.

To simplify trade oversight, the GM will not enforce trade agreements.  Whatever you say you are sending will be sent.  If your trade partner is dishonest or forgetful and doesn't properly send the agreed-upon items back, you need to deal with that in character.

Ex: Player A agrees to send A2 Military to Player B and expects LS Production I in return.  Player A sends A2 Military but Player B sends nothing.  Now, Player B has A2 Military and you have nothing new.

If Player B sent something, but it is the wrong thing, and both Players involved approach the GM immediately with the error, it might get retconned.  But, if Player B sent nothing at all, nothing is getting sent that turn.

K.3  Purchasing from the United Armada

The United Armada will have goods and technology publicly available for trade. These items may be purchased from the UA as if it were another player. The UA may be haggled with and may have items for sale that are not publicly listed, but will always at least sell what is listed to you for the listed price, unless you are under Sanctions or someone else bought all of a particular resource.

K.4  Supply and Demand

The UA's prices are governed by Supply and Demand, and will change over the course of the game based on what is available, what is bought from them, what is sold to them, and their own best practices.  The UA operates as a business, and will look for both a profit and the protection of their own interests.

K.5  Favored Trading Status

It is possible to negotiate Favored Trading Status with the UA, through any means at your discretion. Favored Trading Status may grant you access to technology before it becomes publicly available, discounts on goods and services, and other miscellaneous perks. Every race will have a hidden favorability rating with the UA, which will determine the extent of these benefits.

K.6  Sanctions

The UA can impose Sanctions on any player who breaks contracts enforced by the UA. A Sanctioned player will be unable to buy or sell from the UA, cannot trade through the UA, and will immediately lose all benefit from GTAs through the UA. Sanctions last for five cycles by default, though certain contracts may impose shorter or longer Sanctions for certain infractions.

The UA will not interfere directly in any private dispute between players, but may send ships to liberate unlawfully seized goods or locations, or pay reparations to the harmed party. Such intervention must be negotiated beforehand.

Godzfirefly
GM, 1104 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 07:08
  • msg #12

Exploration

L.1 Exploration
         L.2 Basic Scouting
         L.3 Detailed Scouting
         L.4 Scout Detection
         L.5 Solar System Scouting
         L.6 Possible Scouting Results


L.1  Exploration

Exploration has always been key to a civilization's growth.  In this game, exploration will be facilitated through the system below.

L.2 Basic Scouting
  Scouting is a special action that can be performed once a turn for each planet you control.  When you scout, you select a sector within 6 sectors of a planet, space station, or fleet you control.  When your Turn is processed, your map will be updated with the selected sector and all adjacent sectors revealed.  Once a sector is revealed you will see what is in that sector for the rest of the game, including changes like the movement of fleets, planet ownership, space station construction, monsters, and other interesting features of the galactic landscape.  This means you will NEVER need to scout those sectors again, since they will stay revealed and updated for the remainder of the game!

  You will not be able to claim or affect sectors just because you can see them on your map.  Scouting does not send actual units.  Instead, it represents a concerted effort by a planet's astronomers to chart an area of space and watch for changes.  So, if you want to battle a fleet, claim a sector, or gather a resource cache from a system, you'll want to send your own fleet there.

L.3 Detailed Scouting
  If you wish, instead of using a Scouting Action for the basic scouting described above, you can receive a detailed report about any single sector you already see.  This would let you know details about the sector before anything moves.  Details that you can learn include number of ships in a fleet, resource production in that sector, defensive structures present, monster details, resource cache details, etc.

  Note:  Unlike Basic Scouting, you can get Detailed Scouting results before your Turn is submitted, allowing you to use the information to make decisions.  But, to get the information in time to use it, you must submit the Detailed Scouting request with enough time in advance.  If you ask for the details less than 18 hours before the Turn is due, don't be surprised if you don't get the information back in time to react on your Turn Sheet.  GMs need to sleep, too.

L.4 Scout Detection
  You will never see another race's scouting attempts.  Always assume that there's a chance someone might see your fleet movement or be counting your resource production.  After all, you're probably doing the same.

L.5 Solar System Scouting
  Whenever you colonize a Planet, you automatically Scout every sector adjacent to it.  (This does not apply to Space Stations claiming the sector.)

L.6 Possible Scouting Results

There are many strange things that can be encountered while exploring. The broad categories of encounters and the rules for them are as follows:

Space Monsters

Monsters are a common sight while exploring. They are nearly always hostile and will attack your military units without provocation. Monsters will generally yield rewards for defeating them, but will often be guarding resources or technology as well.

Every type of monster is a little different. Most will remain in one place, but others may follow you home or attack you. Most do not grow in numbers or strength, but some will assimilate the units they destroy or steal your technology.

Like all battles, what information you receive from a monster encounter depends on how long you fight. You will always be given the military grade and number of the foe, but must survive several rounds or see certain abilities in action to learn more.

Impassable Hazards

Black Holes, Debris Fields, Ionized Nebula...whatever it is, you can't go there safely. Because a hazard blocks a sector, it means that no construction can be placed there without some tech to allow it.

Wormholes

Wormholes are one-way passages to somewhere else in the galaxy.  Until you research the Worm Hole Travel tech, they CANNOT be traveled through the opposite direction.  You can send a Basic Scout through a Scouted Wormhole as long as it is within range, and it will reveal the region around the other end.  Also, you can determine the other end of the Wormhole using a Detailed Scout of the sector.  Either way, you can send ships through the wormhole at the cost of one sector of movement (as if the two ends of the wormhole were adjacent) once both ends of the Wormhole are Scouted.  Anything that cannot travel through a Warp Gate similarly cannot travel through a wormhole.

Wormholes do NOT block the sectors at either end of them. You can build stations at their entrances and exits (assuming the exit is not blocked for some other reason).

Points of Interest

There are several types of goods that can be found while exploring.

Resources: Free resources for the first person to put military units in the sector. Number and type vary.

Ancient Tech: Free technology to the first person to put military units in the sector. What tech is acquired and what level varies, but they can be anywhere from level 1-3.

Characters: Sometimes, characters of other races wish to join your organization.  These Characters will usually be Level 1, but may be of any type.  (See Section G for more details on Characters.)

Mercenaries: Mercenaries will join the army of the first person who pays them.  You need a military presence to make contact with them (detailed scouting is insufficient), but once you have done so, you may hire them at any future time without returning to their location. Their cost is a one-time fee, and afterwards they require Luxury upkeep instead of Life Support. You may move mercenaries to a new location on the turn you hire them, and must pay their upkeep on that turn as well. They benefit from all your combat tech EXCEPT Military Grade - they remain the same grade they started at forever, regardless of your upgrades. If not bought, they will remain in the sector and prevent construction.

When using mercenaries, make sure to specify them separately from your normal units on your turn sheet as well as note what grade they are.

Planets

Colonizable planets can also be found while exploring. Sometimes they may have resources or technology on them, or be guarded by monsters. Other times they may have inactive ODCs that will work for you once you colonize the planet, or a Warp Gate pre-built. And sometimes they may have special colonization rules, which will be detailed when you discover them. Regardless of this, all of them will count towards victory once you have claimed them.

A colored ring around the planet on the map will indicate who controls the planet, if anyone.

Space Stations

Owned space stations can be found while exploring, and the UA's Space Station will start in your map.  The colored ring will indicate ownership.

Player Fleets

Sometimes, you will see other player's military fleets.  Their color will indicate whose they are.  They won't be visible on the map in sectors with planets or space stations owned by the same player.

This message was last edited by the GM at 18:33, Sun 16 Dec 2018.
Godzfirefly
GM, 1105 posts
Mon 6 Oct 2014
at 07:09
  • msg #13

Miscellaneous Rules

M.1 - Special Situations
      M.2 - Leader Location


M.1  Special Situations

There are some situations that are rare but still need rules for how they are applied.  These miscellaneous rules are gathered here.

M.2  Leader Location

Regardless of fluff, every race has exactly 1 Ruler for rules purposes.  If you move your leader to another planet, you change your Homeworld to that planet.  The location of your Ruler (like all Characters) should ALWAYS be specified on your Turn Sheet.  If it is not, then the GM will assume it is at the starting Homeworld.

If the Ruler is assassinated or captured and you control an Heir, the Heir immediately becomes a Ruler of the same level.  If the Ruler is assassinated or captured and you don't control an Heir, you will lose a Turn to stagnancy.  (The stagnant race can not produce any units other than exactly those necessary for upkeep, they can not continue colonizing, nor finish an R & D.)  Afterward, you get a new Ruler that can be in any planet in your control.  If no planet is available, see Section H.1.

The Ruler must always be on a planet, and any movement involving the Ruler must end at a planet.  (This also applies to the Heir character.)

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