Year End Reports From the Playtesters

[Þórgrímr (OP)]

Originally posted by Haegan2005

I am slowly working on a word doc that will show the order placements. This is the single most confusing part for me. That and bad memory doesn't help. I will have to go back and reread the docs from one end to the other.

On the other hand the unit designs are much easier to understand now that we can see how the caps effect them and the costs seem to be mor in line with Real Life. The starting power seems to be about 80 million people with a good start up infrastructure. More units bought pregame means a smaller infra and less that can be done until later in the game.

Turns also do not take much time for you to process either. An average of an hour for each turn is not bad, but we may need to get you some tools for later ehen there are multiple planets(raises hand-sister world) and systems to do each turn. The player has to make many choices each turn and plan ahead for expensive facility construction and higher priced units. This may mean not producing infrastructure for a few turns and that will really bite him in the ass. Though i suspect by turn 35 or 36 the player should have a good deal of redundancy in his choices. On the other hand, it is possible to max out your infra and cease to grow by turn 30 or so if you have not started exploration by say turn 10 or 12. It takes time to reveal the regions potentials and more time to exploit them.

I will add more as i think of it.

[Þórgrímr (OP)]

Originally Posted by Backstab

So far ......

Nation Creation: no problems with creating a nation but (most probably due to my blindness) working out just what unit plans I could start with was the only problem I had.

Spreadsheets: I suggest having an example filled out so people can see what goes where. After a few turns it was easy enough and things went smoothly.

The Game: the start is nice and quick, orders were done , submitted and processed faster than any game I have played of this type. This may change a bit once the game proceeds.

Changes/additions: Ken, can we include a Ground Unit Cap for Infantry to turn them into Motorized Infantry ... maybe +1 Motorization- Giving an infantry battalion soft skinned trucks/transport enabling them the mobility but not the protection/fighting power of Mech infantry ... maybe an increase in fuel / IUU maint.

[Þórgrímr (OP)]

Thanks for the quick response guys.  

@ Chad:

1.) Most of the orders in the various documnets have the format they need to be laid out in. Is this what you mean? Or is it where on the sheets you need to put the orders?

2.) Real glad to hear this. As you well know, I was unhappy with the way things were in game one. Units were way too cheap and took far too long to produce. Thats why I redid the construction along with the command and control rules. I am myself pleased with the way things are proceeding, but we still have a long way to go yet. No buggy release will BTS! be!  

3.) Yeah I think I will need some automation to. Since I can see turn around times skyrocketing once the players begin to explore their system and beyond.


@ Gavin:

1.) Any suggestions on where that information should go beyond the Introduction and Pre-game setup? Or any suggestions to help the player in that regard?

2.) Good idea and it is being worked on as of now.  

3.) Gavin, does the following Cap satisfy your request?

+X Added Mobility (Infantry Vehicles):
Added Mobility allows Infantry to move faster, due to the addition of soft-skinned vehicles to the TO&E of the Infantry Battalion. This increased speed is strategically very useful as it allows Light Infantry forces to keep up with the mechanized forces, making this Added Capability invaluable for breakthrough formations. Added Mobility (Infantry Vehicles) may be taken multiple times, but each Added Capability including the first incurs a +.1 Fuel Upkeep. Each added mobility (Infantry Vehicles) cap taken increases the speed of the equipped Infantry Battalions by one.

If you have your turns ready for turn 13, January 2258, send them in.  



Cheers, Þórgrímr

[Þórgrímr (OP)]

Originally Posted by Haegan2005

As of the end of year 2258 I have a semi-balanced infrastructure.
My Infra is permitting me to accumulate reserves in everything but IUU, RP, and WU.

My limiting factor so far is Wu production and then PP available for unit purchases.

My land forces have expanded slightly, but no additional air units have been purchased.

I have also noticed that my meager mil forces will not put much of a strain on my ability to supply them at wartime maintaince levels unitl they are three times as numerous as they are now. Anything more will require additional shipping and transport net increases. This is actually instructional as My forces do not a Brigade make. In fact they would be hard pressed to make two regiments.

Increases in the Transport net will slow down the other infra construction but will pay off in the long run as I am forced to move my units around. Rebasing them from one side of the sontinent to the other will take the better part of three months as of now. This would not be good if someone invaded. The flip side is that increasing the Tn is a long term prospect as it takes so long to complete. It would be faster to put them on my freighter fleet and move them. This of course would hurt my trade WU production. Odd trade off s here.

In short, Everything is a trade off. So I recommend building units that build the economy like freighters, rockets, etc, and leave the mil units for later. Unless your on Balkanized territory. Which I'm not.

As of now a full third of my infra is in one region and another 15 or so is going into this region from previous orders. Orly will not continue to see a build up in infra until I have had several other regions built up as well.

The plus side is that my raw material production has finally exceeded my ability to use it so I can use my PP at full usage each turn. This helps out with my IUU production immensely and by extension, my WU levels.

Exploration continues slowly in the coastal oceans. I have considered Encouraging them theough life bonuses. You find something you live. Failing that I will produce more exploerers and prospectors.

My military commander situation is dismal. Perhaps I should cancel the all night martini parties at the basic training Academy? Or maybe make sure they can read. I will have to give this some thought.

All in all, Numeria is reaching a point where it is able to focus on more then one unit or project at a time and this is rewarding my diligence. I suspect that in another year it will have the ability to spread forth across the ocean to one of the other continents.

[Þórgrímr (OP)]

Originally posted by Backstab

Situation Report

The Game
So far I have no major problems with the rules.  The only problem so far was with where to put my orders for my rockets and probes , so I suggest that maybe you could include an example of an order or two in the rules to help the feeble minded (like me).  That is my only concern at this point.

My Nation: Blackenwald
So far I have found that you need to think at least 3-4 month ahead in regards to infrastructure and such.  As Haegen has mentioned, you should concentrate on the economic side if you have no threats otherwise you will find yourself short of cash. I'm looking at starting some big $ projects in the near future and I have started exploring the uninhabited parts of my planet as well as the moons.

[Þórgrímr (OP)]

Thanks for the quick responses guys.  

Gavin, your concern for the orders placement is valid, and I am going to draw up an annex for the orders in the game, just like Haegan did for the construction projects. That way the player will have a handy dandy reference chart for orders writing.  

Keep up the great work guys! We are getting a lot of good testing here. The bugs are getting squashed quickly.  



Cheers, Thor