Campaign Notes: Base Construction

[Democratus]

I thought I'd share my group's experience with bases in a campaign - and our eventual resolution of the problem.

Our current campaign began as a 10-point Battle, which is normal. It all started when I decided to use one of my 10 points to start with a Battle-level station. After the first turn, my opponents all saw the benefits I was getting from various modules. On top of this, it was a powerful deterrant to anyone who would try and attack my "home base" (the first location I captured). During the land grab phase, where everyone moved onto unclaimed planets, I increased the size of my base to a Star Fortress. Suddenly everyone realized that I would likely never be knocked off my base. That's when the building boom happened. The next turn, every other player outright bought a Star Fortress and plopped it down on their own home base.

We quickly realized that we were in danger of having the campaign turn into WWI trench warfare as every planet became an unassailable bastion. So we ruled that each player could only have one base. Even so, it isn't very likely that any player will ever be kicked out completely. One problem is that unless we roll up a War level scenario, the defending player doesn't even have to include the base and, therefore, can't loose the location. Even then, it has to be a certain type of scenario to require the presence of the base.

We began to think about how we could avoid this problem in future campaigns. Our first idea was to simply limit the size of bases in a campaign to the campaign level. So, for example, in a campaign with 10 Battle points you could only buy a Battle level base. This may have worked, but it felt artificial. Why can't a player build whatever they want?

So then we hit on an idea inspired by Federation & Empire (the SFB board game). A massive base simply can't be built in the span of a single turn. Instead, you must start by building a patrol level base. Then, on any given turn, you can pay to upgrade the base to the next level. This gives your opponents time to make spoiling attacks to prevent a huge base from taking shape. It encourages aggressive conflict - which is the point of an ACTA campaign, right?

We also liked the idea of laying seige to a base.

So...in essence, here is what we hashed out.

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STATIONS IN CAMPAIGNS

1) Station Construction

During the reinforcements phase of a turn, a player may purchase a patrol-level base (Way Station). This base is immediately placed in any strategic location owned by the player.

2) Station Upgrading

During the reinforcements phase of a turn, an existing station may be upgraded to the next priority level by paying the difference in cost from one level to the next.

Example: A Raid-level station may be upgraded to a Battle-level station for 8 RR (20 RR - 12 RR). The extra hardpoints may be filled with whatever modules are legal and desired. Modules that were previously installed on the smaller station are retained.

2a) A module may be removed at any time during the reinforcements phase. Empty hardpoints may be filled with new modules at a cost of 1 RR per hardpoint.

Example: A station has 2 Habitation Modules (1 hardpoint each) that the owning player no longer desires. He removes these in the reinforcements phase. The player then installs a single Launch Bay module (2 hardpoints) for 2 RR.

2b) A station may not be upgraded if the owning player lost a battle at that same strategic location on that turn.

Example: A battle-level station is on the strategic location Mars. The owning player fought a skirmish-level battle at Mars and lost. Since the battle did not include the station, the strategic location is not lost. However, the player may not upgrade the station this turn as supply routes are disrupted by enemy action.

3) Station Repair

A damaged space station will automatically be increased one damage threshold at the end of every turn. It will not be repaired in the same turn that it was reduced by at least one threshold level.

3a) A station will not be repaired if the owning player lost a battle at the same strategic location on that turn.

Example: The station at Mars is currently at "Damaged" when it is attacked by an opposing fleet. In the ensuing battle, the station is reduced to "Heavily Damaged" though the enemy is driven off and the battle won. Since the station was reduced by a threshold in this turn, it can not be repaird during the repair phase of the turn. The next turn a patrol-level battle is fought at mars and the owning player looses the fight. At the end of the turn he will not be able to increase the threshold of the station to "Damaged".
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Here's some of the reasoning behind this:

The rules that prohibit repairs or upgrades when a player looses a battle are to provide some "sting" to the otherwise consequence-free result of loosing a small battle where a station resides. One of the major problems when attacking, for example, a Battle Station is that if the scenario isn't at least battle priority you can't take the location even if you win. These mechanics make it possible to freeze/sabatoge the upgrading or repair of a station if you can establish space superiority in the location.

Under this rule set, siges suddenly make sense. You can attack a base - even a massive one - and inflict some damage. Even if you are driven off, you can continue to attack the location and prevent repairs while you build up to the next assault. Over time - if you keep up the pressure and keep winning battles - you can chip a station away and capture the location.

I welcome comments, criticism, and suggestions. We are always trying to improve our campaign experience!

 

[locarno24]

I think you're right that more than one base feels wrong, and star fortresses should certainly take time to emplace.


That said, multiple way stations don't feel too bad (especially in a multi-system campaign). I'd be tempted to say 1 base at whatever priority you like (depending on campaign) and then nothing bigger than a waystation for any other facility.


All in all, I like the idea.

 

[Democratus]

Oh we have a whole multi-system campaign ruleset coming together. Stations in each system are a requirement to keep your fleet in the supply chain.

But that is a whole other bag.

 

[AdrianH]

We quickly realized that we were in danger of having the campaign turn into WWI trench warfare as every planet became an unassailable bastion. So we ruled that each player could only have one base. Even so, it isn't very likely that any player will ever be kicked out completely. One problem is that unless we roll up a War level scenario, the defending player doesn't even have to include the base and, therefore, can't loose the location. Even then, it has to be a certain type of scenario to require the presence of the base.

Is this still the case under P&P? In basic 2e, a space station costs three times the RR points of a ship of similar PL to build, and 5 RR points per turn thereafter, in return for which the station prevents the strategic target from being captured. In P&P the space station rules, which I believe are supposed to completely replace the original rules, specifically state that stations no longer cost triple RR points to build nor 5 RR points per turn. The station must still be used if the relevant scenarios at the station's PL are rolled. No mention is made of the strategic target being impossible to capture; instead, the new rules say that if the target is captured, so is the station unless it has a Planet Killer module.

 

[Democratus]

The P&P rules don't state that they override all the station rules from the main book. At least not that I could find.

The new rules about capturing a base don't contradict the original rules. If you win a battle in a strategic location containing a base, you capture the location and the base.

Let me know if I'm missing something here.

While it can be frustrating to attack a location with a base and fail to take it because of the mission, it would be even goofier to have a Star Fortress in orbit over a planet and then have to surrender the thing due to loosing a patrol level scouting mission. Talk a bout a waste of resources!

 

[AdrianH]

The problem is that P&P does not specifically mention the bit about a station making a target impossible to capture. Pretty well everything else is either explicitly contradicted (e.g. you no longer pay triple points to buy the station or 5 points per turn thereafter) or explicitly restated (e.g. stations never use special actions). Nothing is said either way about what happens if a strategic target is attacked and the station is not used, although the conditions under which the station must be used are restated. But since you're no longer paying the price, I'd assume you no longer get what that price bought in 2e.

As for losing a Patrol level Recon Run, I never understood how that would force the surrender of the strategic target, let alone a space station parked next to it.

 

[locarno24]

It's supposed to be a 'consequences of', I guess - provided with accurate info from the Recon Run, the rest of your fleet subsequently rolls in and catches the enemy in a particularly nasty ambush.

You might as well ask how you've managed to take and hold a settled world with a population of umpteen billion after winning a patrol priority planetary assault, giving you a very tenuous foothold on a planet at best.

 

[Misiolak]

The rules about stations preventing capture are not the space stations rules, but the campain rules. The P&P replaces the station rules, but only changes some menitoned parts of campain rules. So the stations still protect their strategic targets. At least thats the way I see it.

 

[Democratus]

Thanks, Misiolak, for stating it more clearly than I did.

A station does offer protection that prevents things like patrol recon missions taking away a planet. That's what you get for the price.

As for losing a Patrol level Recon Run, I never understood how that would force the surrender of the strategic target

That's something you can often fix with backstory.

Since you have no station in orbit over a location, you must guard it with your fleet. When the enemy comes to attack you get locked into an intricate battle of manuver - each side attempting to gain a positional advantage. That's when a tiny patrol of scouts finds a previously unseen gap in the enemy disposition, allowing the attacking fleet move in on a vulnerable flank and force the enemy to either retreat or be annihilated.

At least, that's how we handle it. 8)