FFW: The ICS Papers - impressions and thoughts

[Vormaerin]

You can say that, but there's nothing in any of the published sourcebooks OR adventures that is about that. There's nothing in the sourcebooks that helps you run a military campaign, naval or army. There's nothing in the advertising that even claims that's what it is intended for.

Also, maybe you didn't read what I said, but I listed two sourcebooks I wanted to see. One was for using the 5FW as a background for a regular campaign and one was about using it with the Naval Campaign Guide and/or Mercenary.

If Mongoose just wants to publish a bunch of books that get read, but not used, fine. They can do that. I don't think that's a /good/ decision, but it is their company.

 

[collins355]

Just an addendum to note that the Zhodani "Naval Special Landing Force" in Armies and ICS Papers appears to overwrite previous Mongoose canon - in MGP40047 Aliens of Charted Space Vol.1 on pages 250-51 we have a description of a Zhodani Marine and his career. Repeatedly we're told about Zhodani Consular Marines in the text.
I'm guessing that must have been confused Imperial intelligence writing that earlier work!

 

[wintertraveller]

you could have a series of interlinked adventure modules.

I agree.

To some extent, we have this with the Drinax campaign.

I'd just like more of these interlinked adventure modules at the scale of mostly single-ship adventure class adventure groups.

The TSR examples in your post are epic and on-point.

 

[wintertraveller]

Bottom Line: a mixed good, bad and ugly

Thank you for this review. Well done.

 

[wintertraveller]

Delphine are turning out to be the idiots

In MTU, I've been portraying Delphine as a capable old spy master acting as a vibrant PC-patron. She is played a bit like Lady Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones.

She and Norris are secretly allied friends aligned in their guidance of the Imperium behind the claw. Their public rivalries are an act. She is passing the torch to him.

However, most of the local admiralty are ineffective and chained in bureaucratic knots. The big capital ships rarely ever leave the base docks. The fleets are static. They have an almost spectral character lurking in the background like the ship, Norway, in CJ Cherryh's Downbelow Station.

Action happens at PC scale in a more 007 manner.

 

[ottarrus]

In MTU, I've been portraying Delphine as a capable old spy master acting as a vibrant PC-patron. She is played a bit like Lady Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones.

She and Norris are secretly allied friends aligned in their guidance of the Imperium behind the claw. Their public rivalries are an act. She is passing the torch to him.

However, most of the local admiralty are ineffective and chained in bureaucratic knots. The big capital ships rarely ever leave the base docks. The fleets are static. They have an almost spectral character lurking in the background like the ship, Norway, in CJ Cherryh's Downbelow Station.

Action happens at PC scale in a more 007 manner.

A perfectly valid take on things. I like the idea of Delphine being a Diana Rigg like character.
IMTU, Delphine and Norris have very different ideas of what the Marches should be. Neither are happy with the status quo but their end goals are different. It isn't about personal power [as it's portrayed in MT and MgT] as much as it is different guiding lights. At the moment [in late 1108] Delphine has realized that she backed the wrong horse in Santanocheev. He was a useful tool in peacetime but is clearly not a wartime commander. While she has no tactical training to speak of, she is quite knowledgeable regarding strategy and even she can see that a commander who spends his time reacting to the enemy's moves is not making the enemy react to him. Once Lanth falls and her beloved Mora gets seriously endangered, she and Norris will reach an accord and Santanocheev will be out on his ass when Norris purges the fleet's officer corps.

 

[MasterGwydion]

A perfectly valid take on things. I like the idea of Delphine being a Diana Rigg like character.
IMTU, Delphine and Norris have very different ideas of what the Marches should be. Neither are happy with the status quo but their end goals are different. It isn't about personal power [as it's portrayed in MT and MgT] as much as it is different guiding lights. At the moment [in late 1108] Delphine has realized that she backed the wrong horse in Santanocheev. He was a useful tool in peacetime but is clearly not a wartime commander. While she has no tactical training to speak of, she is quite knowledgeable regarding strategy and even she can see that a commander who spends his time reacting to the enemy's moves is not making the enemy react to him. Once Lanth falls and her beloved Mora gets seriously endangered, she and Norris will reach an accord and Santanocheev will be out on his ass when Norris purges the fleet's officer corps.

This take and @wintertraveller 's take are both interesting and could be lots of fun.