PBEM TCS and FFW

Warning - this is long.  James, you might want to put this at the end of
the digest.

[email removed] (Eric Halil) writes:
> Adrian Hurt:
> >Alright, I'm calling everyone's bluff.  If there's a refereed game, please
> >can I join?
>
> I'm willing to GM a PBEM based on FFW rules.  I've been thinking that the
> full campaign may be a bit much to play out initially, and am interested in
> playing a TCS style campaign using FFW rules as a basis.  When I get the
> rules (thanks Arthur!!) I will put forward a more definite proposal though
> Pauli in another article has some good ideas to start with.  You might be
> interested in putting forward some ideas for how combat would work in a
> PBEM format (since at least you know the rules :-)

Assuming FFW rules, here is my initial idea for how things could work.
Each turn consists of:

1.  Reinforcement Selection Phase.  The GM tells each player what
reinforcements have become available this turn.  Each player then
tells the GM what he is doing with his replacement points.  In a
non-refereed game, each player sends the other a list of what
reinforcements and replacements are entering play this turn.

2.  Movement Phase:
 A. Discretionary Movement.  Both players inform the GM of their
 discretionary moves (X-boats, scouts, fleets led by admirals with
 plotting factor 0).  In a non-refereed game, one player sends the
 other all his discretionary moves, then the second player sends
 the first player his list of discretionary moves.  Either the players
 take it in turns to go first, or they agree not to read the message
 with the title "Discretionary moves" until they have sent their own
 such message.

 B. Plotted Movement.  Both players inform the GM, or each other if
 there is no GM, of their plotted movements for this turn.

3.  Combat Phase:
 A. Black Globe Step.  If the optional black globe rules are being
 played, players owning fleets containing only black globe squadrons
 tell the GM, or each other, what special actions (if any) those fleets
 are carrying out.

 B. Space Combat.  This is the tricky one, if disengaging from a combat
 is to be allowed.  I suggest that for each round of space combat, each
 player sends the GM, or the other player, a list of 4 die rolls.  The
 GM or player will then have a list of 4 rolls for each side.  These
 rolls are used as the rolls for the corresponding side on the combat
 tables.  A fleet may disengage when all 4 rolls have been applied, or
 on the round that a set of rolls results in the fleet's firepower being
 shifted down by one column on the table.  The battle ends when one side
 has been destroyed or has disengaged.  For quicker battles, more than
 4 rolls can be sent per message; for more precise resolution, fewer rolls
 can be sent.  The number of rolls must be agreed on before the battle
 commences.  For the sake of speed, all space combats occurring in a turn
 can be run in parallel.

 C. Interface combat.
  a. System Defence.  The defending player tells the attacker, and the
  GM if present, if the system's SDB's are active this turn.  If so,
  the combat between them and the attacking fleet is resolved the same
  way as Space Combat above.
  b. Surface Bombing.  The player who owns any squadrons or SDB's in a
  system sends either the bombing rolls for this turn, or a message
  saying "No bombing" or something to that effect.  Again, all bombing
  on all worlds is resolved in the same message exchange.
  c. Space-Surface Transfers.  Players exchange messages with the GM, or
  with each other, stating what troops are being loaded/unloaded on all
  worlds.

 In any system, only one side will be able to do bombing, and only that
 side will be able to do transfers.  Thus, the message containing bombing
 results can also contain the space-surface transfers.

 D. Surface combat.  On all worlds containing troops from both sides,
 one die roll is made for the combat occurring that turn.  All die rolls
 can be sent in the same message.

4.  Plotting and Reorganisation Phase.
Players do not tell each other about their plotting and reorganisation.
They tell the GM, if there is one.  The status of guerillas is declared
to the other player, and to the GM.

5.  End of turn.  There are no secrets in victory points, so everyone
can calculate them.  If someone thinks he has an automatic victory, he
says so.  If not, tough.  Just to give everyone an incentive to get out
their calculators, I suggest that if a player does not claim an automatic
victory, he does not get it, and the GM is not obliged to point it out -
just to check and enforce or reject the claim.  Otherwise, the Zhodani
player may claim a unilateral armistice; or either player may ask the
other for an armistice, which may be rejected.  If there is no automatic
victory or armistice, go back to phase 1.

- --
 "Keyboard?  How quaint!" - M. Scott

 Adrian Hurt			     |	JANET:  [email removed]
 UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian     |  ARPA:   [email removed]