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I’ve decided the best way to handle the variety of ships in the Last Empires setting will be creating its own ship design and combat systems. I’ve looked at several systems in games I’ve played over the years and a few more that were suggested by folks who responded to my various posts about it on Facebook, Mastodon, and a number of gaming-related message boards.
I initially thought I could take one of the existing systems, like the one in Cepheus Engine or D6 Space, and make a few modifications to make it fit, but I realized there are too many hidden assumptions in even the most generic systems that aren’t compatible with the setting at hand. Sorting all of that out and making the necessary changes and adjustments strikes me as more intensive than just building a new system from the ground up.
It can’t be too fiddly. If a spreadsheet is needed to track what’s going on in the design process, I’ve failed miserably. I’m thinking a modular system with large pieces that can be fitted together and fine-tuned into a ship will be the way to go. How I’m going to do that, I haven’t figured out. Starship geomorphs anyone?
There should be no complex formulas at any point in the design process. I want this thing to be as friendly as possible for anyone with worse dyscalculia than mine. It might be a tall order, but I want to try.
I don’t know of any system that can account for tech-level disparities of tens of thousands of years, and I’m uncertain if it can be done in a way that comes out looking remotely sensible. Although it might be amusing to pit a single Avalonian Cruiser against a fleet of Saryillian battleships…
The system needs to be able to handle anything from single-occupant pods all the way up to twenty-eight-kilometer warships and freighters.
It’ll have to be tied to the setting. There’s no way around that.
Disparities in tech levels should be a factor of component manufacturers and shipyards. Your basic Sky-Dancer will have drastically different shorespace drives and hull strength when built at the Avalon yard than if it came out of the shipyard at Tefgid Foel.
I initially thought I could take one of the existing systems, like the one in Cepheus Engine or D6 Space, and make a few modifications to make it fit, but I realized there are too many hidden assumptions in even the most generic systems that aren’t compatible with the setting at hand. Sorting all of that out and making the necessary changes and adjustments strikes me as more intensive than just building a new system from the ground up.
It can’t be too fiddly. If a spreadsheet is needed to track what’s going on in the design process, I’ve failed miserably. I’m thinking a modular system with large pieces that can be fitted together and fine-tuned into a ship will be the way to go. How I’m going to do that, I haven’t figured out. Starship geomorphs anyone?
There should be no complex formulas at any point in the design process. I want this thing to be as friendly as possible for anyone with worse dyscalculia than mine. It might be a tall order, but I want to try.
I don’t know of any system that can account for tech-level disparities of tens of thousands of years, and I’m uncertain if it can be done in a way that comes out looking remotely sensible. Although it might be amusing to pit a single Avalonian Cruiser against a fleet of Saryillian battleships…
The system needs to be able to handle anything from single-occupant pods all the way up to twenty-eight-kilometer warships and freighters.
It’ll have to be tied to the setting. There’s no way around that.
Disparities in tech levels should be a factor of component manufacturers and shipyards. Your basic Sky-Dancer will have drastically different shorespace drives and hull strength when built at the Avalon yard than if it came out of the shipyard at Tefgid Foel.
