The Mechanics

EMS = HP. For instance, a carrier will have a higher HP than a frigate or a starfighter. This implies that tactics and coordination between ships will be even more crucial. If a commander brings ten ships to battle, each one will have to engage in combat.

Bringing bigger ships to a fight will result in more rounds being added to the battle. This will make the fight longer, possibly lasting for hours, but yield more significant results.

Commanders can team up, but they are limited in how many ships they can bring to a team.

The dilemma you’ll face is a classic in strategy games: the trade-off between quantity and quality.

Quantity vs. Quality:

Quantity has a quality all its own. A more significant number of ships can overwhelm a smaller force through sheer numbers, even if the individual ships are less powerful. Yet, quality matters because a single, well-equipped ship can outmaneuver and outgun multiple lesser adversaries.

Tactical Considerations:

• Resource Scarcity: If resources like EMS are scarce, losing a high-value asset can be a significant setback.
• Attachment to Assets: Emotional attachment to certain ships can influence decisions, but balancing this with tactical pragmatism is essential.
• Suicide Tactics: If there’s no mechanic to deter suicide attacks on flagships, then it’s logical to avoid bringing them to battle to prevent disproportionate losses. Yet, we’ll allow engineers to craft unique technology. A Commander must connect with an engineer or utilize Void, Seed, or Entropy technology to equip this technology.

Strategic Adjustments:

• Fleet Composition: Opting for a fleet of frigates or smaller ships can be a sound strategy, especially if it aligns with past successful tactics. However, now there’s the Round Length.
• Round Length: Larger ships in combat prolong rounds, disadvantaging smaller fleets.

GM Perspective:

• Fleet Destruction: As storytellers, our goal is not necessarily to destroy a fleet during combat. Instead, we aim for a decisive victory, allowing the story to progress. At the end of the combat, we calculate each side’s EMS loss. The side with the least EMS loss will be declared the contention winner.
• Threat Level: Including at least one cruiser and above in the enemy fleet composition can raise the stakes and make engagements more thrilling.

Overall:

• Balancing Mechanics: New mechanics will balance the advantages of longer combats. This includes a higher EMS loan, special abilities for ships, and encouraging teamwork between Commanders to support roles smaller ships can’t fulfill.
• Victory Conditions: Victory doesn’t necessarily require the destruction of an entire fleet. These conditions should allow for strategic retreats and preserve resources.
• Risk vs. Reward: This system will require the participation of larger ships, which can lead to greater rewards, although this should encourage players to use them strategically.

Ultimately, we aim to create rules that encourage engaging gameplay while maintaining a sense of risk and reward. It’s about finding the right balance that works for us and others’ GM campaigns and keeps you invested in the strategy and the narrative.