• Registered: 2008-03-15
  • Posts: 70

Topic: Tech Levels of Your Favorite Shows...

Ok, so I'm thinking of running some introductory games at cons. Just to make things thoroughly complicated I wanted to to do a crossover adventure AND represent the different tech levels. See if you agree...

Trek (TOS & Movie Era)
  Engine: 1
  Fighter: -2
  General: 1
  Shield: 1
  Weapon: 1

Trek (TNG)
  Engine: 2
  Fighter: -1
  General: 2
  Shield: 2
  Weapon: 2

Star Wars
  Engine: 0
  Fighter: 2
  General: 1
  Shield: 0
  Weapon: -1

BSG (new)
  Engine: -1
  Fighter: 1
  General: -1
  Shield: -2
  Weapon: -2

Babylon 5 (Earth Alliance)
  Engine: -2
  Fighter: 0
  General: -2
  Shield: -1
  Weapon: 0

Babylon 5 (Minbari)
  Engine: -1
  Fighter: 1
  General: 0
  Shield: -1
  Weapon: 1

Babylon 5 (Minbari/Vorlon Hybrid
  Engine: 0
  Fighter: 1
  General: 1
  Shield: 0
  Weapon: 2

  • Registered: 2005-03-29
  • Posts: 330

Re: Tech Levels of Your Favorite Shows...

I was working on a simular idea for longer than I can remember (I'd also hate to take Star Ranger's idea, but that's a different discusion).

Personally, I was going to work 'backwards' on designing ships.  What I mean by that, is determine what values 'feel' right for hull, weaponry and the like and make all the SU calculations work by picking the needed tech levels.  I was also going to determine what each convention goer should have in VP for a con and work from there (designing ships and fleets so a game could finish in a reasonable amount of time).  Probably around 1000 points or so.

-Bren

  • Registered: 2008-03-15
  • Posts: 70

Re: Tech Levels of Your Favorite Shows...

Actually, I wasn't planning on having players build the ships themselves, anticipating newbies who need to learn the system (and to be honest, a gm who's still green.)

So I'm trying to balance forces of roughly the same strength, from totally different universes. (Star Wars, Trek, B5 and Galactica). There are many fine conversions out there, but they're consistent only within their own universes, not across franchises.

The plan is to start small, with a few key iconic ships. Write a kewl scenario, and let it evolve from there.

  • Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,424

Re: Tech Levels of Your Favorite Shows...

Heh, that concept reminds me of this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aij02fmktHk

..not a big metal fan, but this sorta rocks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXnPG19npW8&feature=related

..this is shorter, but has more cross-overs.

  • Registered: 2006-03-03
  • Posts: 92

Re: Tech Levels of Your Favorite Shows...

falstaffe wrote:

Actually, I wasn't planning on having players build the ships themselves, anticipating newbies who need to learn the system (and to be honest, a gm who's still green.)

So I'm trying to balance forces of roughly the same strength, from totally different universes. (Star Wars, Trek, B5 and Galactica). There are many fine conversions out there, but they're consistent only within their own universes, not across franchises.

The plan is to start small, with a few key iconic ships. Write a kewl scenario, and let it evolve from there.

This is a good plan.

The scenario I use is a Cylon base star with fighter wings and lots of SFB-inspired ships, piloted in groups of 2 to 4 by the players.

It never fails to attract a crowd; the first turn is teaching the game, the second turn is watching the game sink in.  (which for my scenario means grasping 3-D movement), the third turn is getting comfortable with the mechanics, and the fourth turn and on turns into flying shrapnel.

Scenario is carefully balanced so that it looks like the Trek ships can lose.  If they man up, it's not likely.

  • Registered: 2005-03-29
  • Posts: 330

Re: Tech Levels of Your Favorite Shows...

falstaffe wrote:

Actually, I wasn't planning on having players build the ships themselves, anticipating newbies who need to learn the system (and to be honest, a gm who's still green.)

I wasn't having the player make or pick fleets either.  I would just make the conversions based on gut feeling without hamstringing yourself on which race as which tech levels.  If the BSG needs 4000 carrier Sus for all the needed vipers but you want it to be a size 15 ship, then so be it.  As long as the VP per fleet are calculated correctly and within ~5-10%, I'd say you are golden!

thedugan wrote:

Heh, that concept reminds me of this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aij02fmktHk

..not a big metal fan, but this sorta rocks.

Ahh. Star Wreck with new music.  Not that the fight wasn't cool, but I enjoyed the amount of discusion about which fleet would have really won.

thedugan wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXnPG19npW8&feature=related

..this is shorter, but has more cross-overs.

I thought it was funny that most of the discusion was asking someone to make a computer game that one could play all the different iconic ships.  If I was motivated (and I'm not, ask my wife) I would have stated that you could play a wargame that would allow different fleets to do battle complete with a link to the Star-ranger crossover games.

-Bren