Starship Combat Scenario Designer (Update)
XON Gaming Item; Researched, Compiled, Edited and some Written by Mark_XON
 

Note; This write-up is in a very early construction period, its a learning phase for me and I haven't entirely 'converted' the Flames non-direct updates to direct updates.

This write-up more or less represents the design mechanics and rules presented in The White Flame and the Starship Combat games in a form of an outline to suggest methods on creating your own scenarios and to update STCS with FASA rules that where published after.

These new "rules" are based on FASA's defined terms and guidelines used in the STCS Rulebook and approved by FASA for a finished official release. Due to the fact that the STCS book only uses a rough outline (when compared to the White Flame) to present the scenario creation and training scenarios, I chose to use the The White Flame book as a rule update template to provide FASA-Like source material.

The White Flame Book wasn't actually published in the form of a sourcebook to present the new STCS rules, you sorta of discover them when progressing throughout the 15 scenarios. If a designer where to examine the book carefully, it could show you, indirectly,  how to outline different types of custom Starship Scenarios; single, linear or campaign style. The inclusion of new rules isn't really anything new, since much of FASA's supplements and adventures seem to include some sort of mechanic or rule 'update' that expand the core RPG rules. These new extensions are normally done or designed from the author of the particular module or book.

Due to the fact the entire finished White Flame Book is not presented here, you may need a copy of The White Flame Book in order to get the complete idea of how things where done. However I'm confident that after reading this write-up you should be able to come up with your own scenarios or scenario module using the new-ish mechanics and rules found here. Feel free to skip any of the lengthy steps in this write-up if you wish to present a simpler scenario. Refer to the STCS Scenario Sections (pages 8, 20 , 22-23, 31-32, 53) for a basic designer in comparison.

(This is not the complete manuals, but portions of them are discussed, text has been Modified)
Designed for the STCS Starship Combat Game.
"Uses the Graduate Starship Tactics Course"

Researched:

• Text extracted from FASA#2006 STIII Starship Combat RPG (2nd Edition)

• Text extracted from FASA#2003A Starship Tactical Combat Simulator

• Text extracted from FASA#2225 The White Flame Starship Combat Scenario Pack

• Text extracted from Fan Made#2330 Battlehawks Starship Combat Scenario Pack

SET-UP

In many games, the rules of the game often include the following: conditions at the start of the game; detailed descriptions that cover all the possible rules interpretations and situations that can occur in play; and victory conditions. In the STCS game, the possibilities are too numerous for this to be shown, however I will try to explain many possibilities. The gamers and/or the designer must decide these functions and matters on their own.

The Scenario

Because the game may be played with an infinite number of different ship combinations, starting positions, and so on, the gamers and/or the designer must decide on the conditions by which the game will be played and won. These conditions are called the scenario.

The scenario spells out what the sides are in the game, and what the goal of each side is. It tells how many ships each side will have, which ships will be involved in the battle, what is their state of repair, and where they will start on the playing board. The scenario also tells if any planets, asteroid fields, suns, mines, or other objects will be found on the playing board, and where they will be located. During play, if a side gets reinforcements, the scenario will tell when this can occur. Finally, the scenario specifies the victory conditions for the game.

The Scenario Design

What are the sides? (For beginners, there should be only two sides.) For Advance players, in most cases, captains will find it more enjoyable to control several ships (though the practical limit is about three), and to have several captains on a side. In these expanded games, a gamemaster almost always is required, whether he plays or not.

What are the goals and victory conditions of each side? (For Beginners, usually this is merely to destroy the opposing ships.)

How many ships of each type will each side have? (For beginners, it is a good idea to give each captain only one ship. Use the D and WDF combat efficiency values of each ship to help balance the sides, making sure that all the ships used have approximately equal Combat Efficiencies. For example, the Constitution Class, the D7-M Class, and the D-10 Class cruisers are all nearly equal to one another, and the Reliant Class cruiser is a match for the L-9 Class frigate. In larger battles, it is a good idea to have the total D of one side equal the total D of the other, and the total WDF of one side equal the total WDF of the other.

SCENARIO TYPES

There are three basic types of scenarios your group can play.

Scenario Length's:

• Single Encounter - 1 battle, unrelated

• Interrelated - 4 or less battles that effect the outcome of the next battle.

• Campaign - 4 or more battles that are linear; a single, continuous encounter.

Each scenario you design can recreate a single battle or encounter, or you may want to have several scenarios interrelated, maybe four, representing an Operation with various actions and responses. If you want something a bit longer you can try to provide a Campaign, several scenarios as a single, continuous battle. In these campaign scenarios, players keep track of battle damage taken by various vessels from one engagement to another, with earlier damage and losses affecting the condition and make-up of the forces involved. This damage must be recorded and carried over in each of the following scenarios. To ease your concerns: In rare cases, between campaign battles the Special Rule section may allow a repair to take place. This is up to the scenario designer.

CAMPAIGN SCENARIO'S

Players may use these rules to create unrelated combats, though many will also want to pit their skill against others in a continuing effort, where the results of one combat have an effect on those of another.

For a campaign, it is recommended that each ship have a permanent Master Control Panel In this way, the damage done in one combat may be carried over into another if the scenario calls for it. Furthermore, it is recommended that individual captains and crews command and run the ships.

While not necessary, due to the nature of some of the combats and the use of cloaking devices, a referee is suggested. In some scenarios, The player will need to keep track of damage to his ships as the campaign progress.

COURSE MATERIALS

The Various playing pieces that are laid out for gameplay.

The Playing Board

Lay out the Starfield Mapsheet on a flat surface such as a table or the floor.

The players can attach several Starfield Mapsheets together to make a very large playing area. (For Beginners, usually only one sheet is used) The second mapsheet should be attached along the long sides to make the playing area as square as possible. If two more are added, they should be attached to the short sides. Combats rarely spread out over a larger area than four mapsheets, unless the scenario specifically calls for it. For chase scenarios, the mapsheets should be placed to give the longest possible run.

Asteroid, Planet, And Moon Counters

Counters have been provided for large and small bodies that could be found in solar systems. These counters fit on the Starfield Mapsheet, taking up one hex or as many as seven hexes. How they are laid out is determined by the scenario being played.

Starship Counters

Find the Colored, hexagonalStarship Silhouette Counters  that are going to be used in the scenario. Place the counters on the mapsheet to mark their starting positions. This varies depending on what the scenario calls for.

DESIGNING FLEETS

You may want to provide Extensive History and background of the Fleets involved in all the scenarios you make, such as FASA did with the White Flame. Its time consuming but its worth it especially if your doing something of a 'canonical' representation. This may be skipped in favor of simplicity.

The Captains

Also a list of OFFICER's should be provided. Such as Fleet Admiral, and various Captains. At the minimum again for simplicity sake, each Officer should include brief stats such as Captain's Skill Rating (Starship Combat Strategy/Tactics) and a Crew Efficiency Rating. Since each Commander usually are made to have an experienced crew onboard that have been working together with the same type of starship. (See the STCS pg31-32)

Other extended stats the Officer's can have are:

• RACE:

• VESSEL CLASS:

• VESSEL NAME:

• CAPTAIN NAME:

• Photo:

• Age:

• Rank:

• Position:

They should also have Physical Description, Personal History, Physiological Makeup and Crew Description profiles. These are not terribly important and can be skipped for simplicity.

Personality

Part of the enjoyment in playing a tactical role-play game is to give the captain a personality of his own and to make his actions match his personality as closely as possible. The personality that you choose for the captain is up to you. One time, you may decide to be fearless (rash?) Captain Solomon, rushing headlong into battle, regardless of the odds. Another time, you could be crafty Captain Teague, waiting for just the right moment to pounce. Or you could be the evil Klingon Kforst, hanging back from the battle, just waiting until all of your 'friends' have subdued the enemy, before turning your weapons on them to gain all the glory for yourself! It is fun to use the same captain again and again (assuming he survives), and the Captains increased Skill Rating will make him better.

SCENARIO TEMPLATE

Scenario rules should include all necessary information for understanding and playing the game. Each scenario should open with a narrative description of the combat, followed be a brief description of the battle's historical content, or cannon occurrences.
 

The Game Set-Up section should provide the map or maps arrangement, special terrain features, attacking and defending forces, and their deployment locations. Special damage or deviation from the listed statistics should be given.

The Victory Conditions should describe the various conditions necessary for possible outcomes of each scenario. Because combat between two sides rarely continues until one or the other is destroyed, the Victory Conditions usually list objectives and goals for both sides, as well as any point values used or a set number of turns for ending combat( See WHITE FLAME CUSTOM RULES and RULE EXTENSIONS after the Template for Victory Rules and Tables)

CUSTOM AND SPECIAL RULES

Finally, most scenarios include custom special rules and escape parameters not covered in the Starship Tactical Combat Simulator manual. These are discussed in the Special Rules section of each scenario. See WHITE FLAME CUSTOM RULES and RULE EXTENSIONS after the Template for Special Rules listed.
 

CAPTAIN SKILL AND CREW EFFICIENCY

The Captain's Skill and the Crew Efficiency ratings for each side are listed under the appropriate commander's description. Opponents' ratings are either listed in the scenario, or rolled up using the rules in the Starship Tactical Combat Simulator. (See the STCS pg31-32)

PLAYER BRIEFING

Tell the players the warp speed at which the combat will occur. Brief them on the goals of each side, clearly stating the victory conditions for each. Make sure all players know what ships are on each side.

White Flame's
VICTORY CONDITIONS and TABLES:

The White Flame uses two methods for Victory Conditions, the more familiar method as presented in the STCS is providing a short paragraph defining what is considered a win or loss. The more elaborate method is to provide a custom chart along with brief descriptions of those charts. For simplicity sake you may choose to stick with the STCS method, if not examine the following section to see how the White Flame uses Victory Conditions.

WFVC1
The attacker wins by destroying all vessels that scan a Klingon vessel, and by escaping with at least two ships. The Attacker wins a partial victory by destroying all of the freighters. The Defender wins by avoiding the Attacker's victory conditions.

WFVC2
Victory is based on enemy vessels destroyed at the end of the scenario. Ship values are listed below. The player with the highest total wins.

WFVC3
This scenario lasts 5 turns. The Attacker wins by destroying all three vessels by the end of Turn 5. The Defender uses the table given below:

WFVC5
The Attacker wins a major victory if all three ships are destroyed and a minor victory if only two ships are destroyed. The defender wins if only one vessel is destroyed.

WFVC6
The last player with units on the board wins.

WFVC7
The Attacker's victory is based on the following table.

The Defender adjusts the victory down one step for each of the attacking D-18s destroyed.

VICTORY CONDITION FOR A CAMPAIGN

Victory in all (1-3) but the last scenario is determined by comparing the victory point value of the attacking vessels destroyed with this Victory Chart. Providing a single chart like this one is merrily for convenience when running a campaign.

WFVC8-1
The Attacker's victory is based on the number of turns taken to destroy the Defender.

The Defender's victory is based on victory points given for vessels destroyed or forced to retreat. Use the following chart for determining victory. All vessels forced to retreat are worth 1/2 the normal Victory Points.

Note that both sides may claim victory in this scenario.

The Defender's victory is based on the Victory Point total for all Attacker's ships destroyed or forced to retreat. Retreating vessels are worth 1/2 the victory points.

Note that both players may claim victory in this scenario.

WFVC10-3
The Attacker's victory is based on the number of turns it takes to force a retreat or destroy the defending ships.

The Defender's victory is based on the Victory Point total for all Attacking vessels destroyed or forced to retreat. Any ship that escapes is worth 1/2 the Victory Points.

Note that both players could claim victory in this scenario.

WFVC11-4
The survivor wins this scenario.

WFVC13
The scenario continues until one player loses all ships. Victory is determined by the following chart. The player with the highest Victory Point total wins. Any vessels escaping from the battle are worth 1/2 the VP number.

WFVC15
The Attacker wins by destroying all vessels by Turn 6. The Defender wins by avoiding the attacker's victory conditions.

CUSTOM RULES
and
RULE EXTENSIONS
mandatory custom rules
 set by the scenario designer.

These are all the examples of the kind of rules that where supplied in the White Flame Book. The rules use all of STCS rules and in some cases expands on them to add to a customized scenario, rarely are these rules re-used in more than one scenario; some are created for specific scenario types and some are general and used several times. These new rules are fairly straight forward and nothing extensive.

GENERAL RULES:

These are rules that are used in every scenario, unless the scenario specifically disallows it.

General Rule One;
Escape by Warping Out, use the following rule: any vessel with warp capability may Warp Out at the beginning of the phase(players simply declare their intentions). However, the vessel must have at least one movement point remaining during that phase. This rule applies to any scenario that has the option to Warp Out on, Warping out refers to changing ones Warp speed and Course as to move away from the current area fast, escaping the situation.

General Rule Two;
Rescues During Combat, A captain who finds his ship in trouble can abandon ship by beaming aboard a friendly ship or base, provided it is no more than four hexes away and facing shield sides are down.

This will count as a victory for the opposing side, but the captain is still alive and may be given another command if his host ship or base survives. The crew, of course, is also rescued but they will be absorbed by other ships, and will not remain together. The captain retains his Skill Rating, which he will use in his next command, but the Crew Efficiency Rating is lost.

SPECIAL RULES:

You can use what is presented here or come up with different ideas. Just remember not to over complicate them and avoid straying from the normal when possible. Usually only one through three special rules are all that is needed per scenario.

ESCAPE

• The freighters escape by leaving the Board or Warping Out. Any Vessel leaving the board can not return.

• Any vessel escapes by Warping Out or by exiting the board at anytime. Vessels cannot reenter the board.

• Players escape by Warping Out, or by exiting on their side of the map. Any vessel leaving the map may not return.

• The Romulan player escapes by Warping Out or by leaving the board. The Klingon player escapes only by exiting the  map on the left edge.

• Both players escape by Warping Out, but cannot escape off a map edge. If a starship leaves a map edge, float the map to accommodate that ship.

• Either Player's warships may escape by exiting the mapboard or by Warping out, but the Defending freighters may only escape by exiting the left side of the board. Any vessels that escape may not return, but they do not count as destroyed for victory purposes.

NEUTROLIUM

• The freighters were completely loaded with Neutrolium. When these ships explode, figure damage by adding 15 points to their energy level.

FEDERATION REINFORCEMENTS

• At the beginning of Turn 4, one player rolls a die. On a result of 9 or more the Fleet from Starbase 12 arrives, and the game ends. For each successive turn, add one to the die roll.

RESTRICTION

• Ships may not Warp Out or leave the board. Doing so forces that vessel to deviate from its course into the neutral zone, placing it at the mercy of other Federation vessels in the area.

THE ASTEROIDS

• Place the first six asteroids in hexes 1401, 1601, 1801, 1418, 1618, and 1818. These asteroids move inward towards the center of the board, at a speed of 3. They move before any vessels, moving 1 during each Movement Phase. At the beginning of Turn 2, place six additional asteroids on the board, in hexes 1501, 1701, 1901, 1320, 1520, and 1720. On Turn 3, place six asteroids in the first six hexes, and so on. This continues until the end of the scenario. Asteroids may be destroyed, but have 20 damage points representing the damage they take and the number of damage points done to any ships they collide into. This damage occurs before any other damage. If an asteroid collides with a ship, that asteroid is destroyed. If the asteroids collide with each other, they move in a new direction, determined randomly, at speed three.

BEAMING AND REPAIRING

• In order to board the Searcher, the starship must be within 4 hexes of the vessel with the shield facing the vessel down. That player may move the research ship in two turns. If at some time the opposing player can beam aboard, the players each roll dice. Whichever player controlled the ship last receives a +2 bonus to the die roll. The player with the highest number now controls the ship. Please note that repairs continue to require two turns, regardless of who controls it. (Neither Captain beamed marines over, fearing an escalation of the incident).

THE SEARCHER

• The Searcher is an Anton  Class MK VI cruiser. After the player repairs the ship, it is undamaged, but only five points of power are put out by warp engines, bringing the total power available to only eleven points. The vessel may not Warp Off the board. It is otherwise unharmed. The Searcher's  Captain Skill number is the same as the skill rating for the side who controls the vessel.

RELUCTANCE TO FIRE FIRST

• Neither Captain wished to fire first upon the other's vessel. To simulate this, both captains must roll above their Captain's Skill Rating in order to fire. Ignore this rule once one vessel fires upon the other.

WARP SPEED

• This scenario begins at Warp 3, but the Warp speed increases by one at the beginning of each turn, up to Warp 9. It is assumed that the Gallant Wing is keeping up with the destroyers.

EXPLOSIVE CARGO

• One of the Freighters, Defender's choice, is filled with explosive munitions. The Attacker is not informed as to which vessel it is. When this freighter is destroyed, add 15 to the energy of the explosion. It is identical to the other freighters in all other respects.

CLOAKING EXPERTISE

• The captain of the L-42 Wings of Destruction, Captain Kvel sutai Urussig, is an expert at detecting cloaked vessels. His vessel subtracts one from all Cloak Detection rolls.

REPAIR

• The three wings returning from combat repaired their vessels to some degree. To simulate this, use the following rules. All Sensor, Shield Generator, and Engineering hits are repaired. Percent Casualties are decreased by two dice, but all weapons are not repaired. Note that Repaired weapons fire at a +1 modifier, and are powered to 1/2 their original level. Any damaged Engines and Superstructure are repaired one die worth of points.

BOARDING

• All ships contain marines, represented by boarding points. Vessels may beam marines aboard a freighter in order to capture that vessel. To do this, both the beaming vessel and the receiving vessel must have shields facing the other down. Players record the number of points beamed to that vessel and whoever is the only one with points, the Klingon player controls the ship. To conduct boarding combat, roll one die, and add the number of points aboard that ship divided by 2. This represents the number of points the opponent loses. Both players roll simultaneously at the beginning of every Movement phase.

THE RED WING

• All vessels in the Red Wing, Defending Force One, must remain within two hexes of each other at all times until the traitor is revealed.

THE TRAITOR

• Before the start of the scenario, the attacker writes down the vessel, in the defender's first force, where the traitor is located. At the beginning of any turn, the attacker may claim that vessel.

ENDING

• A large number of reinforcements for the defender are en route. This means the game ends at the end of Turn 6. Attacking vessels incapable of Warping Out at the end of Turn 6 are destroyed.

FIRING ON THE PLANET

• Victory is based on damage done to the planet. When firing upon the planet, roll the hit. A hit results in that damage, while a miss results in half damage (round down).

KILTS WOUNDS

• Kilt was ill and wounded during this engagement, and so his skill rating is 60.