Here is something I wrote up a few years ago, keeping it simple, and originally for the Admiralty edition. It is loosely based on an old computer game: Empire from the PLATO system (both are described in Wikipedia). Now I might use Space Empires 4X as a basis for a strategic campaign.
[size=150]Wild Empires[/size]
Rules for a space-based strategic campaign
By Glen Bailey
Introduction
This document contains rules for conducting a multi-player strategic-level space war with an emphasis on space fleet strength being the determining factor on many outcomes and eventually determining a winner. The main purpose of this campaign is to provide spaceship to spaceship battles with an overall goal in mind.
The rules are written as generic as possible, but some rules have to relate to the tactical rules system being used, which with this writing is Starmada.
Some game systems may have other ship systems. Treat armor boxes like hull boxes for repair.
Historical Background
The campaign takes place where several interstellar empires meet. Years earlier, a previous war became a costly stalemate that led to a peace treaty creating buffer, or neutral, areas between the empires. That peace treaty has expired and no one wants to renew, as the planets of the buffer areas have developed into prizes worth fighting for.
Each player is a representative, whether that would be an admiral of the fleet, a provincial governor, or a baron of business, of his respective space empire and winning this war could very possibly lead to his succession of becoming the new leader of that empire.
General Rules
Game concepts
Empire is the term used for each player's interstellar polity although it can be named anything else, such as a Confederation, a Republic, a Federation, a Union, a Domain, or a Hegemony.
A sector is one section of the map that contains a planet. Spaceships move strategically from sector to sector.
An area represents starting areas for setting up the map. An area can contain numerous contiguous sectors.
A planet represents the main location in a sector such that owning that planet allows the owner to have control over the entire sector, including any income and production capabilities of that sector.
The Map
The strategic map consists of areas that are either neutral or controlled by one of the empires at the beginning of the game.
Generating a map
If creating your own map, equally spread out each empire's controlled areas around a large neutral area and separate the empires with narrow neutral areas starting from the large central neutral area and extending to the edge of the map.
Each empire's area shall have of one A-class planet, the player's home planet and base of operations, and two B-class planets. The large central neutral area should contain one A-class planet per two players and one B-class planet per player. Each narrow neutral area should contain at least one planet, but may contain more. These areas should be equal in planet worth for fairness.
Add or subtract one or more planets to the central area if necessary so that the total number of planets on the map is an odd number.
Section the map such that each planet is in its own sector and that each sector should border at least two other sectors.
Insert empty sectors if desired. These sectors may never be owned or controlled.
Costs/Income
All costs and income are in terms Starmada's CRAT (Combat Rating).
All ships must have a CRAT greater than zero.
Troops cost 1 per troop.
Starting Forces
All empire-controlled A-class planets start with 5000 troops and all empire-controlled B-class planets start with 2000 troops. Neutral A-class planets start with 2500 troops and neutral B-class planets start with 1000 troops. These values are also the maximum number of troops that can be on a planet.
Each player has 10000 points to use to buy their starting space fleet or additional troops. These forces begin at the player's A-class planet.
Optional: Players get a free base at their home planet for its defense. This base must have the same cost/combat value for each player.
Sequence of Play
One strategic game turn consists of:
Movement and Combat Phase 1
Move Step
Plot FTL movement of spaceships.
Move spaceships.
Combat Step
Spaceship combat
Bombardment
Troop combat
Transfer Step
A planet's ownership may be transferred to another player.
Movement and Combat Phase 2
Movement and Combat Phase 3
Movement and Combat Phase 4
Victory Check Phase
Economics Phase
Increase troops on all planets.
A-class planets get 100 troops.
B-class planets get 50 troops.
Income Step
Receive points from your empire.
Get points for planets you control.
Maintenance Step
A non-troop unit may be scrapped for 25% of its cost.
Repair damaged ships.
Production Step
Pay for new forces.
Place new forces.
Economics
An A-class planet produces 100 per turn. A B-class planet produces 50 per turn.
An A-class planet can repair any amount of damage, build 12 new fighters, and raise up to 200 troops. A B-class planet can repair a total of 50 hull, build up to six new fighters, and raise 100 troops.
An empire's starting A-class planet can build any number of ships, fighters, and troops, as well as repair any number of hull. If the empire has lost his starting A-class planet then one of the B-class starting planets can be designated as a new temporary base of operations and be treated as an A-class planet for new construction and repair until the original A-class planet is retaken. If an empire has none of his starting planets then that empire must fight with what forces he has and what can be built from planets he does own.
During each Income Step all planets receive a free increase of troops.
Victory
When a player controls more than half of all the planets on the map during the Victory Check Phase he has won the game.
Repairs
A spaceship's systems are repaired after a combat. Hull damage must be repaired at a controlled planet during the Economic Phase. The cost is 1% of the ship's CRAT per hull box repaired (round any fraction up to the next whole number).
FTL movement
A spaceship with an operating FTL drive (Starmada: Hyperdrive) may move from one sector to an adjacent sector.
Simple logistics
One of the two sectors, either the starting sector or the destination sector, must be neutral or owned by the player controlling the spaceship.
If a spaceship retreats from a combat then it must move to a sector that the spaceship's player controls or is neutral at the beginning of this Movement and Combat Phase. If this is not possible then either the ship fights to the death, is scuttled (destroyed), or is captured by the player controlling the sector it moved to, in which case treat all but one hull box as destroyed.
Spaceship combat
Spaceship combat may be conducted in any manner agreeable to all. Terrain may be added. As an option, pick certain planets or sectors at set up to have a particular terrain (i.e., one B-class planet is an asteroid field so all combat at that location must use asteroids in the playing area). But one rule must be followed: all spaceships that are in the sector where combat will take place in a Movement and Combat Phase must be in play.
Bombardment
Spaceships and fighter squadrons may conduct bombardment on a planet containing enemy troops if no enemy spaceships exist in the sector.
Spaceships and fighter squadrons bombard a planet as if doing one round of combat at a range of 1; all weapons may be fired (no arc limitations). Planetary defenses are: (Starmada: A-class planets have a shield level of 3 and B-class planets have a shield level of 1; both are treated as having Armor Plating). Each damage point destroys one troop, but the last 100 troops on a planet cannot be killed by bombardment as they are too well dug in.
Option: taking neutral planets is easier due to their lower technology: every damage point destroys two troops.
Spaceships and fighter squadrons that bombard are attacked by the planet's defensive weapons. For every 500 troops, or fraction of, on the planet (before combat starts), treat the planet as having one weapon (Starmada: Anti-fighter Battery; Full Thrust: PDS), which gets to fire at every spaceship and fighter squadron that bombards.
Option: taking neutral planets is easier due to their lower technology: reduce the number of defensive weapons by 1.
Game designer note: allowing the defensive weapons to fire on every bombarding unit is a simple approach and avoids having to decide where to target the defensive weapons and who gets to decide. It also allows players to conduct their own bombardment and planet return fire to help speed play. If individual targeting for planet defenses is desired, then for every 100 troops the planet gets a defensive weapon.
Troop capacity
One troop space holds one troop.
Troop combat and planet control
A planet can only have one player's troops, or neutral troops. Whoever has troops on a planet owns the planet. Use troops to invade a planet to take ownership of the planet and control of the sector.
Troop combat is simple: losses are 2:1, the invader loses 2 troops while the defender loses 1 troop. If the invader has troops remaining after the defender has none then the invader has won and taken ownership of the planet.
Option: taking neutral planets is easier due to their lower technology: losses are 1:1, the invader loses 1 troop to every troop the defender loses.
Option: (Starmada) Each Hospital space on a ship in the sector returns 0.1 troop lost to combat after the combat is over if the invaders win, up to 10% of the total losses (drop any fractions). Defenders get 20% of their losses back if they win (drop any fractions).
Sample map for 4 players
Planet classification, A or B, is noted in parenthesis.
Where sector border lines intersect movement is allowed across the diagonal. For examples, a spaceship can move from Bau to Harindair, or from Harindair to Felindus, or from Jaras to Dertninbu, or from Crigel to Whylsn.
Two planets, Jaras/Jynnes and Whylsn, are modified for providing terrain for tactical combat. Treat each as one planet for strategic purposes.
Note that no two planets start with the same letter (excepting Jaras and Jynnes but they are in the same sector). This can simplify movement orders by using the first letter of the planet/sector the spaceships are moving from or to (e.g., Avenger : G to N).
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