Topic: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

I don't know if folks think this is a good ideer or not, but I was thinking -- with the debut of the Goalkeeper DE -- that the forum here might be a good place for players to put their IS creations on display.  We could establish a dedicated thread.  My suggestion would then be to take an existing ship class already depicted in the rules and play with its profile.  A few guidelines might be:

1.) Don't add or subtract from the Hull value, as tonnage would be the same.

2.) Don't replace more than one class of special kit (IE maybe the existing hull carries a couple of FACs.  You can ditch those craft when building your variant, but can't then move on and replace any other bit of equipment -- such as stabilizers, rockets, etc....)

3.) Don't modify armor by more than + or -1.  The same goes for Thrust.

Other than that, you could be free to do what you want.  Yank Light Guns in favor of MGs.  Upgrade your primary guns.  Chuck your secondaries.  Whatever you want.

Then, if we get enough nods from IS players (including MJ12 supremo Dan)  we could slap a "chapter approved" label or whatever you might want to call it on the design.

This could allow players to take their favorite fleet, and "modernize" its ships or otherwise tweak their capabilities as they see fit -- while still keeping the existing counters and miniatures to represent the ships on the table.  In my mind, I see ships fielded in the first rulebook perhaps chucking some of their secondary guns to make room for upgraded primaries -- subscribing to Fisher's "all big gun" theory.  The odd left over point could go to machine guns or whatever to increase the ship's protection against FACs, as Joeys and Raubervogels become more and more prevalent in deep space warfare.

This idea hold any interest?

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

snipped Matt's excellent 'ship mod rules' suggestions...

themattcurtis wrote:

Then, if we get enough nods from IS players (including MJ12 supremo Dan)  we could slap a "chapter approved" label or whatever you might want to call it on the design.

This could allow players to take their favorite fleet, and "modernize" its ships or otherwise tweak their capabilities as they see fit -- while still keeping the existing counters and miniatures to represent the ships on the table.  In my mind, I see ships fielded in the first rulebook perhaps chucking some of their secondary guns to make room for upgraded primaries -- subscribing to Fisher's "all big gun" theory.  The odd left over point could go to machine guns or whatever to increase the ship's protection against FACs, as Joeys and Raubervogels become more and more prevalent in deep space warfare.

This idea hold any interest?

If need be, I can easily modify the artwork so that further 'upgraded' or 'alternate' ships might be included in further supplements - that of course, depending on Dan's approval.

..and yes, I got your email, I was knee-deep in Metaseqoiua yesterday, trying to make elephant legs... hmm

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

themattcurtis wrote:

I don't know if folks think this is a good ideer or not, but I was thinking -- with the debut of the Goalkeeper DE -- that the forum here might be a good place for players to put their IS creations on display.

Are you sure you don't mean "variant hull suppository"?

Yes, I am 34 years old, and no, I haven't moved past puberty quite yet. smile

Dan

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

themattcurtis wrote:

I don't know if folks think this is a good ideer or not, but I was thinking

Oh, and yes, I think it's an excellent idea. smile

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

We'll call it suppository if ya think the idea's "poopy."
smile

As for acting your age, I'm 32 and according to the wife, my sense of humor hasn't caught up yet.  But the 5-yr-old gets a kick out of me.  big_smile

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

themattcurtis wrote:

We'll call it suppository if ya think the idea's "poopy."
smile

As for acting your age, I'm 32 and according to the wife, my sense of humor hasn't caught up yet.  But the 5-yr-old gets a kick out of me.  big_smile

Farting at the diner table still gets laughs if everyone is relaxed.

Yes, I'm composing that 'Iron Stars Tech' email....just had to finish cruising the forum while I was here...

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

Here's an example of what I was thinking (zipped attachment).

Note armor goes down by 1, thrust goes up by 1, guns have been tweaked and the stabilizer chucked in favor of a single atherkatapult (one special item replaced).

Histories are optional, but I think they give a good idea of what you were thinking.

I have no idea of what the process would be, tho.  If we should have a poll, people post their responses or Inspector 12 stamps "approved" smile ......

Matt

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

themattcurtis wrote:

I have no idea of what the process would be, tho.  If we should have a poll, people post their responses or Inspector 12 stamps "approved" smile ...

Is there really a need for a "process"? Just post 'em here, and I'm sure the masses will speak. smile

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

This might come in handy if anyone wants to generate pdfs.  There's a program called CutePDF Writer that is free for personal and commercial use that adds a pdf distiller.  Basically CutePDF Writer adds itself like a printer and any program you can print from you can "print" to the distiller and it will create a pdf.  If anyone is interested here is the link http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp.

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

And hey...could someone move the Gk Mk 2 post over here and delete the first one?  Just to keep all the vessels with that great "new ship smell" together.

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

New ship smell?

Wasn't there something about farting at the dinner table?

heh heh heh hunh heh heh hunh

jim

(still 14 after all these years)

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

Aresian's Goalkeeper Destroyer Escorts attached here.

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

aresian wrote:

This might come in handy if anyone wants to generate pdfs.  There's a program called CutePDF Writer that is free for personal and commercial use that adds a pdf distiller.  Basically CutePDF Writer adds itself like a printer and any program you can print from you can "print" to the distiller and it will create a pdf.  If anyone is interested here is the link http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp.

There are several programs that can output PDF's, Open Office http://www.openoffice.org can do it straight out, and PDFwriter available at Sourceforge http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/ can do the same thing as CutePDF apparently.

I have set up a printer driver to output PS, and use Ghostscript and Ghostview to convert them to PDF if I need them. My method is slightly more complex, but being something of a Geek, I figured that I might want PS files occasionally, and when I figured out how to do it 2-3 years ago, there weren't any decent free alternatives available. I can also use ANY printer driver (using 'print to file' - it outputs a *.prn file, but it's actually PS) to play with the desired resolution. Most of the free things are setup to  make as small a file as possible. Don't know about CutePDF - haven't used it.

CutePDF might be fine for most of us, some of us are geekier than others.
:-)

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

I had the design as a pdf.  I just didn't think it would compress enough to be a valid attachment.  I was wrong.  I doubt folks are going to re-download it just to have an adobe doc, but here it is again, just in case.

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

themattcurtis wrote:

Aresian's Goalkeeper Destroyer Escorts attached here.

I just realized I screwed up on that one.  The Gk Mk1 doesn't have it's torps.  Here's a corrected pdf.  And I even ran spellchecker on this one. 

One day maybe I'll learn, but don't count on it.

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

I know that this was originally for variant ships, but I had some inspiration.  Here is the proletariat protecting Soviet Kosmoflotilla which inclues:

Battlecarrier Vladivostok... a carrier with a keel bombard (nicknamed Vlad the Impaler)

Cruiser Novosibirsk...an all cannon vessel

Lt. Cruiser Amur... packed with 40 fire arrows

Destroyer Taiga... jack of all trades, master of none

FAC Spiral... see what Soviet engineering can do to a FAC

Now to find time to get them into battle.

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

Aresian --

The following links offer some historical info on the rebuilding of the Russian navy (first imperial, later communist) following their war with Japan.  Time frame is 1909-1917. 

I just thought it might offer some ideas of ship philosophy and some names you could plunk in.  The online book, in particular, shows were Russian shipyards were focusing their attention (ie the Novik destroyer, some battlecruisers, etc).  Who's to say this approach couldn't be mirrored in ether fleet development?  And following the civil war described in the first rule book, it's probably a safe bet both the Reds and the Whites are looking to rebuild their fleets.

In terms of getting them in the current timeline (IS is now up to 1909/1910), you could always have skirmishes between established Russian designs and your new fellas.  Or else have the Commies make a stab at Sakhalin, which starts as a minor conflict and eventually includes a couple of ether clashes between the Reds and Japan. 

Matt

http://members.fortunecity.se/mikaelxii/ww1/Russia/Navy.html

http://www.neva.ru/EXPO96/book/chap11-1.html

But hey, I just saw you already have a scenario drawn up.  Never Mind big_smile

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

aresian wrote:

I know that this was originally for variant ships, but I had some inspiration.  Here is the proletariat protecting Soviet Kosmoflotilla which inclues:

LOVE it... especially all the background info. "A Taiga for every tree in Siberia", huh? We'll see what the Brits have to say about that. Space is, after all, a British sea...

smile

You should know that the Soviets will be among the first to have some Martian tech...

tee hee...

Dan

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

aresian wrote:

I know that this was originally for variant ships, but I had some inspiration.  Here is the proletariat protecting Soviet Kosmoflotilla which inclues:

Battlecarrier Vladivostok... a carrier with a keel bombard (nicknamed Vlad the Impaler)

Good lord...:-)

aresian wrote:

Cruiser Novosibirsk...an all cannon vessel

Heh....sorta normal.

aresian wrote:

Lt. Cruiser Amur... packed with 40 fire arrows

OMG - that's a monster....a light cruiser?

aresian wrote:

Destroyer Taiga... jack of all trades, master of none

Hey, is actually a standard ship for Soviets.

aresian wrote:

FAC Spiral... see what Soviet engineering can do to a FAC

I always compared Soviets to the Gorns - 'PUSH IT TILL IT MOVES'...
They did build a five-turreted tank in the 30's IIRC...

aresian wrote:

Now to find time to get them into battle.

Soviets (and I think to a greater degree, the Czars) had serious procurement and distribution problems - keeping those missile-armed ships supplied would be a problem. That's what killed the Soviet Empire, they threw money at problems with no view towards efficiency.

They had some great stuff, but there were TONS more failures...

MP3 currently playing: BLONDIE - ATOMIC

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

cricket wrote:
aresian wrote:

I know that this was originally for variant ships, but I had some inspiration.  Here is the proletariat protecting Soviet Kosmoflotilla which inclues:

LOVE it... especially all the background info. "A Taiga for every tree in Siberia", huh? We'll see what the Brits have to say about that. Space is, after all, a British sea...

smile

You should know that the Soviets will be among the first to have some Martian tech...

tee hee...

Dan

Um...Soviets with Martian tech? That's going to be interesting to model.
:-)

What happened to the Czar? The historical result?

I'm still waiting for the Argentines to show up...heh...

MP3 now playing: B-52's - ROCK LOBSTER

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

Of course the Soviets would be the first with Martian tech.... it is the RED planet afterall.  (Let the groans commence.)

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

aresian wrote:

Of course the Soviets would be the first with Martian tech.... it is the RED planet afterall.  (Let the groans commence.)

You do know that you just killed this thread, don't you....?

aauugghhh.....BAD PUN, BAD!

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

Ok...to try to make up for the pun....

I wouldn't mind seeing some of the minor powers fleshed out.  Just how easy is it to get and/or create hydrosteel? 

And I didn't think of it until working up the Kosmoflotilla, but these ships would be mostly ported on Earth and making runs out into space as required right? 

And the one question that's been magging me since I got the Merchant War.....why hasn't anyone been to the moon yet?

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

aresian wrote:

And I didn't think of it until working up the Kosmoflotilla, but these ships would be mostly ported on Earth and making runs out into space as required right?

Actually, no. The ships remain in orbit -- I picture Cavorite spheres as being the main transport from land to space.

And the one question that's been magging me since I got the Merchant War.....why hasn't anyone been to the moon yet?

What makes you think no one has? smile

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

Re: IS shipyard (variant hull repository)

cricket wrote:
aresian wrote:

And I didn't think of it until working up the Kosmoflotilla, but these ships would be mostly ported on Earth and making runs out into space as required right?

Actually, no. The ships remain in orbit -- I picture Cavorite spheres as being the main transport from land to space.

And the one question that's been magging me since I got the Merchant War.....why hasn't anyone been to the moon yet?

What makes you think no one has? smile

True....what I should have said is " Why hasn't anyone told us about it yet?" or maybe just ask when?