OBS-4 Discussion (game and roll call)

[metadigital]

Exactly. WTF? If you have one more unit than the opposition you win. Period. Three to one? Must be something to do with destroying the opposition and not permitting retreats ... or maybe it means regardless of whether support is cut ..? I mean, it's a pretty ropey description, not least because they've got the ratio backwards the second time they quote it.

[jaguars4ever]

Perhaps we can interpret it like this:

 

When the Klingons attack the SAME space with 3 or more units, the attacks ALWAYS succeed providing all the attacks go through and the support isn't cut.

 

This makes a successful 3 prong Klingon attack capable of beating a defense of 3 or greater.

 

[Kaftan Barlast]

 

 

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE.

 

(dibs on the Borg)

[jaguars4ever]

 

EAR LOBE POWER BABY! FEAR THE FERENGI!

[metadigital]

We still need at least one player. Once we have seven players for the game, email me with your choices.

• Borg: 0815, 4711
  Cardassia: Cardassia Prime, Cardassia Secondus, Cardassia Tertius
  Dominion: Omarion, Karemma, Brax
  Ferengi: Ferengi, Zeta Maxia, Volchok Prime
  Federation: Earth, Vulcan, Alpha Ceti, Beta-Zed
  Klingon: Q'onos, Khitomer, Boreth
  Romulan: Romulus, Remus, Algeron
  

Hmm. I thought the Borg were in the Delta quadrant ... and weren't they coming through the Klingon space?

[jaguars4ever]

We still need at least one player. Once we have seven players for the game, email me with your choices.

• Borg: 0815, 4711
  Cardassia: Cardassia Prime, Cardassia Secondus, Cardassia Tertius
  Dominion: Omarion, Karemma, Brax
  Ferenghi: Ferenghi, Zeta Maxia, Volchok Prime
  Federation: Earth, Vulcan, Alpha Ceti, Beta-Zed
  Klingon: Q'onos, Khitomer, Boreth
  Romulan: Romulus, Remus, Algeron
  

Hmm. I thought the Borg were in the Delta quadrant ... and weren't they coming through the Klingon space?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Aww...those Emoticons are so .

 

After our powers are chosen, players should be forced to integrate their corresponding pic into their sig.

[Kaftan Barlast]

What do mean "need atleast one" player? You ve got Jags and me, what more could you possibly want? :D

 

 

You could start an exclusive "Star Trek Diplomacy" thread to attract extra players "

 

but the are mein!!

[jaguars4ever]

And the are mine! You can't dispute the power of dibs!

 

 

Also: What's the Star Trek equivalent of newspaper press releases? Holo-deck neural-net or something like that?

[metadigital]

Subspace.

 

But the game is meant to be played without press (gunboat) and blind.

[Kaftan Barlast]

Wait a sec, doesnt "gunboat" in fact mean that the identities of the player behind each faction is secret so that no actual diplomacy can occur? Thereby making the game strategy-only?

[metadigital]

...

After our powers are chosen, players should be forced to integrate their corresponding pic into their sig. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are an inveterate geek.

[jaguars4ever]

Mets says we need extra cannon fod..err, no wait a player - yes that's it! Let's get Baley. :ph34r:

[metadigital]

another Star Trek Diplomacy rulebook (This is an earlier game, which has fewer, but more complex rules (written in English!), and so it might be useful. It seems a lot more balanced, and not a gunboat variant ...)

 

what "Gunboat" means: no press

 

 

List of all the SF diplomacy variants

[jaguars4ever]

another Star Trek Diplomacy rulebook (This is an earlier game, which has fewer, but more complex rules (written in English!), and so it might be useful. It seems a lot more balanced, and not a gunboat variant ...)

I'm reading it now. It looks good.

[metadigital]

I think we could quite easily combine the rules from this first variant, with the map from the second variant. (I assume the first variant stipulated using the same board through lack of time / motivation to finish the job; the guy who designed the ruleset wsa one of the designers for the second game, too.)

 

I wonder if the secondary power, from the second variant, is worth trying to re-interpret?

[jaguars4ever]

I think we could quite easily combine the rules from this first variant, with the map from the second variant. (I assume the first variant stipulated using the same board through lack of time / motivation to finish the job; the guy who designed the ruleset wsa one of the designers for the second game, too.)

I was about to suggest the same exact thing.

 

I mean Borg & Dominion is Serbia, Bulgaria, Constantinople & Aegean Sea? WTF - talk about blowing the whole fanstasy. <_<

 

----

 

I wonder if the secondary power, from the second variant, is worth trying to re-interpret?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm sure we can do it.

[metadigital]

Well, give it your best shot ... and I will too.

...

Additional Powers

Each great power has additional abilities, some of which are intrinsic (i) abilities, others of which are additional orders (B).

• Federation: Negotiation ability (B) and starts the game with an additional SC (i)
  
• Klingon: Camouflage (B) and combat capability (i) - a ratio of 3:1 attackers : defenders prevents retreat (i) (i.e. instant disband)
  
• Romulan: Secret service (B) and camouflage (B) -:must secret service betray, if it retreaten or a SC lose
  
• Cardassian: Antiproton (i) and doubled range of vision (i)
  
• Ferenghi: captivate (B)
  
• Borg: Assimilation (B) and movement bonuses in the own quadrant (i)
  
• Dominion: Masking of ships (B) +APS (i)
  

...

 

Same as first rules,

similar to first rules,

totally different

[jaguars4ever]

Well, give it your best shot ... and I will too.

...

Additional Powers

• Klingon: Camouflage (B) and combat capability (i) - a ratio of 3:1 attackers : defenders prevents retreat (i) (i.e. instant disband)
  

Do you think the latter part means (A) Klingon defenders prevent the opposition's attackers from retreating; or, (B) Enemy defenders prevents Klingon atackers from retreating?

 

---

 

Also: If we incorportate the second rules (the English one!), with the first map (the good one!), we'll have to modify the Cardassian abilities. Given their adaptable characteristics those Cardies are allowed amphibious abilites to cross land and water (as per standard diplo map). But given the use of Space in the Star Trek map, one might think we would have to tweak this to use of "shuttles" which can travel space and act as troops. But I believe the second rules have only ships as units so we can just ingore this trait altogether. ^_^

[Archmonarch]

This seems quite interesting! Though Ive never been a huge fan of Star Trek, I am certainly up for this!

 

If I understand correctly, using a variant means we gain Kaftan as a player, but lose Trobalov, yes?

[metadigital]

Well, give it your best shot ... and I will too.

...

Additional Powers

• Klingon: Camouflage (B) and combat capability (i) - a ratio of 3:1 attackers : defenders prevents retreat (i) (i.e. instant disband)
  

Do you think the latter part means (A) Klingon defenders prevent the opposition's attackers from retreating; or, (B) Enemy defenders prevents Klingon atackers from retreating?

 

---

 

Also: If we incorportate the second rules (the English one!), with the first map (the good one!), we'll have to modify the Cardassian abilities. Given their adaptable characteristics those Cardies are allowed amphibious abilites to cross land and water (as per standard diplo map). But given the use of Space in the Star Trek map, one might think we would have to tweak this to use of "shuttles" which can travel space and act as troops. But I believe the second rules have only ships as units so we can just ingore this trait altogether. ^_^

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it means that if a klingon formation of 3:1 attacks, the defender cannot retreat.

 

I don't see the problem with Cardassians having ships that are Long-Distance (Warp: Ships) and Short Distance (Impulse: Armies) at the same time (giving them the equivalent of amphibious vehicles.

 

I think the English rules are better balanced than the German ones; Ferenghi are real gimps in the German rules.

 

The English rules are quite complex, though, especially with respect to Borg and Dominion (if I read that correctly, the Dominion get to infiltrate an opposition unit every year ... I don't know whether they lose that infiltrated unit next year, when they get another, or if they get to keep it ... I suspect they lose it, but again it isn't very clear).

 

I think it would be easier to just run with the English rules on the German board, and throw the German rules out.

 

What do you think?

[metadigital]

This seems quite interesting! Though Ive never been a huge fan of Star Trek, I am certainly up for this!

 

If I understand correctly, using a variant means we gain Kaftan as a player, but lose Trobalov, yes?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe so. I haven't heard back from Trobalov, and I've sent numerous requests for contact. I guess the interest wasn't there. (Mind you, apart from Calax and Jags no-one has emailed me their preferences, and Calax's were for normal Diplomacy.)

 

So I hope everyone will mail in their preferences, who wants to play. (Nominate here first; I will start a new thread for the actual game as we are already on page eleven.)

[Archmonarch]

I had assumed we would cement our choice of variants before sending in preferences? Are we definitely playing the ST version then?

[Calax]

I'd go for it, I just need to actually read the rules :">

[jaguars4ever]

Well, give it your best shot ... and I will too.

...

Additional Powers

• Klingon: Camouflage (B) and combat capability (i) - a ratio of 3:1 attackers : defenders prevents retreat (i) (i.e. instant disband)
  

Do you think the latter part means (A) Klingon defenders prevent the opposition's attackers from retreating; or, (B) Enemy defenders prevents Klingon atackers from retreating?

 

---

 

Also: If we incorportate the second rules (the English one!), with the first map (the good one!), we'll have to modify the Cardassian abilities. Given their adaptable characteristics those Cardies are allowed amphibious abilites to cross land and water (as per standard diplo map). But given the use of Space in the Star Trek map, one might think we would have to tweak this to use of "shuttles" which can travel space and act as troops. But I believe the second rules have only ships as units so we can just ingore this trait altogether. ^_^

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it means that if a klingon formation of 3:1 attacks, the defender cannot retreat.

 

I don't see the problem with Cardassians having ships that are Long-Distance (Warp: Ships) and Short Distance (Impulse: Armies) at the same time (giving them the equivalent of amphibious vehicles.

 

I think the English rules are better balanced than the German ones; Ferenghi are real gimps in the German rules.

 

The English rules are quite complex, though, especially with respect to Borg and Dominion (if I read that correctly, the Dominion get to infiltrate an opposition unit every year ... I don't know whether they lose that infiltrated unit next year, when they get another, or if they get to keep it ... I suspect they lose it, but again it isn't very clear).

 

I think it would be easier to just run with the English rules on the German board, and throw the German rules out.

 

What do you think?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree - English rules, German board.

 

As for the Dominion thing, I believe its handled similar to borg unit assimilations. So even though you're allowed to have more units (due to assimilation) than supply centres, unless you make up the difference (by capturing supply centres), the following year...you lose them.

[metadigital]

I had assumed we would cement our choice of variants before sending in preferences? Are we definitely playing the ST version then?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do you have a preference?