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Astra Imperia > After Action Reports
AI Campaign Playtest 1
alanwebber:
Month 3
Nothing changed much this month:-
Income - 765 MCr
Research on Laser II - Cost 125 MCr - RP total - 102 out of 200 Required
Shipbuilding - New Portland Freighter - Cost 422 MCr - 90 tons total built out of 621
Colonization - 0.6 PP moved from Earth to Asteroids - Cost 600 MCr
Maintenance Costs - 209 MCr
Final balance = 5025 MCr
Discovery 1 jumped to Sirius, a distance of 3 LY taking 6 days. For the next 20 hours they took general readings of the system finding 4 medium gas giants, 2 asteroid belts and three rock planets, 1 Terran type and 2 barren. They decided to take a closer look at Sirius-2 - and opened a new chapter in Earth's history.
As they approached the planet, they began to pick up unusual readings. They needed to get in closer to carry out their survey but the captain was no fool. He approached at speed 1 stern first. If necessary he could reverse direction quickly. He could not activate his jump engines within 140,000 km of the planet (14 hexes from the planet and he needed to be within 100,000 km to obtain useful readings (that's what the manual said i.e. me). The planet had 1 moon in orbit at 80,000 km. He approached the planet with his active sensors on and shields up. A stealthy approach could be seen as a hostile act.
Unknown to the captain, the planet was home to the Hawth - a reptilian race who had recently mastered space flight and started to colonise their system. They had no FTL ability but that would soon change as they had just started researching FTL engines. They were fairly determined (Willpower 76), highly arrogant (86), fairly aggressive (73) and, although they were not generally xenophobic (40), they believed they were the highest life form in the galaxy and they did not welcome visitors. Two "Defender" frigates were powered down, hidden behind the moon, waiting for a chance to pounce on the unsuspecting invaders. Both were armed with 4x2cm mass cannons in turrets - and both were ready to attack.
If the moon wasn't present, the Terrans would have a 35% of spotting the engine off Hawth frigates but, as they are hiding, I decided to not give them a chance to spot them until they were 2 hexes away (just mean I guess). By then, the Hawth were in motion.
Remember that the Terran ship has speed 1 on vector 060.
Initiative - Terran 4 Hawth1 8 Hawth2 6
Hawth move first and apply 1 thrust in vector 240. Terrans apply 1 thrust in direction 060 to reduce speed to zero.
The Terrans have no weapons so cannot fire.
The Hawth open fire with 4 mass cannons each. At 2 hex range, mass cannons require 88 or less on d100 to score a hit. Hawth1 gets 3 hits, as does Hawth2. Each volley scores 3 thermal and 9 kinetic. The alpha shields reduce the thermal to 1 each by mitigation which is absorbed by the shields, reducing the thermal on the rear shield to 13 and the collapse value to 23. The first 9 kinetic also hit the shields, reduced to 7 by mitigation and thus reducing the protection to 3 and the collapse value to 16. The 2nd volley does the same, reducing the protection to 0, the collapse value to 13, and 4 points hit the armor. The armor gives no protection against kinetic damage so the 3 points hit the hull. 2 points of structure are damaged (441 to 439) and 2 hits obtained on the structure internally (437).
The Terrans rebalance the shields to try to reduce damage from the next attack. The kinetic protection becomes 7/6/7/6 (Forward / Port / Aft / Starboard) and the thermal protection becomes 15/14/15/14. The problem for the Terrans is that the next attack will probably collapse the shields, allowing all the damage to hit the hull.
Unknown to the Terrans, discussions are taking place on the Hawth flagship. They have seen that the Terran ship has no weapons and their honor code prevents them from attacking defenceless prey. They decide that, provided the invader leaves the system, they have made their point. They decide to cease fire and see what happens. (Rolled against xenophobia (dr=52, xenophobia = 40). The Terran ship can't believe its luck and accelerates as quickly as possible to a point where they can activate their FTL engines and return to Earth.
To be continued.
Alan
alanwebber:
Interlude
The result of the battle was viewed very differently by the two races.
The Hawth were generally pleased by the result. Commander Woltan was praised by (most of) the media although some said that he should have destroyed the enemy ship. As he pointed out he probably only had one more attack before they escaped into Warpspace and was unlikely to cripple the enemy. If he had destroyed the Invader, who knew what might come looking for their missing comrades. After all, the enemy had FTL drives and the Hawth didn't. Who knew what other surprises they had. Just because that ship had no weapons, it didn't mean none of their ships did. As it was, they had driven the Invader from the system without allowing them any chance to scan the planet. If the Hawth were worried about the Invader, it was likely the Invader was more worried about them. (Commander Woltan gained 100 Experience points for winning the battle).
In fact, Woltan's analysis was very close to being accurate. Earth was in full panic mode. The Sirians (as the Terrans called them) had an offensive fleet. Earth had nothing apart from 1 defence installation orbiting Earth. Its only shipyard was tied up building a freighter because they had been assured there was no danger in exploring the universe. The Isolationists had a field day claiming that they'd always said that exploration was a recipe for disaster. Slowly, cooler heads prevailed. The Sirians could have no idea where they had come from and seemed to be of similar, albeit different, technology levels. Sure, Earth needed a defence fleet and that would be built as soon as space was available in the shipyard. For the time being Sirius would be out of bounds and further voyages of exploration would be put on hold. Both ships would be used to transfer population around Sol to increase the economy to support the new fleet. And they would wait to see if and when the Sirians would arrive in search of the home system of their enemy. (Captain Evans gained 50 experience points for getting his ship home).
Alan
alanwebber:
Month 4
NOTE - I decided that Earth was unlikely to totally abandon exploration so I decided to roll against Willpower - 73 (effectively starting at 0) and increasing by 1 each month. Month 4 roll = 33 - no exploration.
Earth continued as before, moving PP to the asteroids, researching Laser II, building a new Portland and paying maintenance for their ships. Balance = 4434 MCr
The Hawth had a different problem. The only worthwhile piece of real estate in the system was already colonised to its maximum value. The asteroids belts were of low value and the outer rock planet too far to travel until the FTL drive was fully researched. Even then the choice would have to be between an FTL freighter to move colonists or an exploration ship (which would have to armed if recent experiences were anything to go by). In the short term they decided to move a few PP to the nearest asteroid belt. Balance = 4802
Month 5
Terran exploration roll (requires 1 or less on d100) = 60 - no exploration
Terran Economics - as before - balance = 3843
Asteroid population = 3 PP - Annual income = 7.3 MCr
Hawth Economics - as before - balance = 4214 Mcr
Month 6
Terran exploration roll (2 or less) = 92 - no exploration
Earth Research Centre 1 has reached 204 RP for the Laser II project and begins to roll for success (60% or less). dr = 79. Failure - try again next month.
Balance = 3254 MCr
Hawth
FTL1 Project has accumulated enough RP for a success roll (60%). dr = 91 - failure.
Balance = 3626 MCr
Month 7
Terran exploration (3 or less) - dr = 62 - no exploration
Laser II project dr=22 - Success. Earth now has access to longer range weapons for its new defence ships. David Delaney (head of RL1) gains 50 experience points.
Balance = 2764
Hawth
FTL I project dr = 41 - Success. The Hawth can now build ships with a class I FTL drive. Leader Zara gains 50 experience points.
Balance = 3038 MCr
Month 8
Terran exploration (4 or less) dr = 15 - no exploration
No research (insufficient funds).
Balance = 2299 MCr
Hawth
No research (no funds)
Balance = 2512 Mcr
To be continued
alanwebber:
As things have been moving fairly slowly, I decided to move things along and only post "important" events.
Terrans
By month 13, the economy was in such a state that all colonisation had to be halted. On month 19, the ban on exploration was lifted on the understanding that Discovery 1 would be armed.
During month 21, Portland 2 was finished and added to the cargo fleet. Discovery 1 entered the yard for the addition of 5x10 cm Far IR PD Lasers and associated power plants. Tonnage increase = 105. Cost = 2367 MCr.
For the Hawth, colonisation was stopped for the same reason after month 10. The construction of Defender 3 continued but the rate was slowed to 20 tons per month in month 22 to reduce costs.
The Hawth have decided to add science instruments and an FTL drive to one of their Defender class ships to keep costs as low as possible once yard space and finances are available.
To be continued
Alan
alanwebber:
Terrans
In month 25, the refit to Defender 1 was completed and the next month it set off on a shakedown cruise which was completed without incident. In month 26, population transfers were restarted although at a slower rate than previously (0.4 PP per month). This allowed the economy to recover to some extent with the balance at the end of month 27 being 1065 MCr.
During month 27, Discovery 1 was sent to Wolf 359 to explore - a distance of 2.8 LY. This was a double star. The primary was a white giant (stellar class A IV) which proved to have no planets. The secondary was a small yellow star (G VI) which had only 2 planets, both within the biozone, and an asteroid belt. Survey showed the inner planet was a Terran type with a methane atmosphere and no idigenous population. However, the mineral survey showed large quantities of all mineral types giving an EV of 1720. The methane atmosphere was disappointing but the planet could support a population of 10,000 PP which was more than enough to fully exploit the planet. However, to move 1 PP there using the Discovery would take 10 trips and cost 500 MCr per trip, a costly enterprise.
The 2nd planet was barren with no atmosphere. The EV was only 345 MCr
The asteroids were more interesting with an EV of 1230 MCr.
A decision would have to be made as to whether to colonise Wolf359-1 to stake a claim to it in case the Sirians came knocking. As Discovery 1 was the only FTL capable ship, it would mean no further exploration during the colonisation period.
Hawth
For the Hawth, by month 27 they were close to completing Defender 3 but were still very strapped for cash. Balance = 152 MCr.
Alan
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