Having read the TN campaign, and this campaign up to part 6, I have really enjoyed the stories, and also learned a lot about the game mechanics / tactics.
I hope to see more of it!
Steve, you're still alive, right? I'm a bit worried, cause I hear playing poker can get you killed in nasty ways, depending on your opponents.

Yes, I am alive

Although some of the people I play with might be described as colourful, the worst that usually happens is a heated argument.

Steve

Having read the TN campaign, and this campaign up to part 6, I have really enjoyed the stories, and also learned a lot about the game mechanics / tactics.
I hope to see more of it!
Steve, you're still alive, right? I'm a bit worried, cause I hear playing poker can get you killed in nasty ways, depending on your opponents.

I wonder why no side has ICBMs?
I think that would have been a nice option for both factions.
Especially for the chinese.

Conventional ICBM warheads hang around in orbit for some time (30 mins IIRC), which means any beam armed escort can shoot down hordes of them, making them essentially useless.  You'd have to upgrade to TN tech.  There's a post about it somewhere (have a search) and I think it came up in the fiction of one of Steve's earlier campaigns too.
The only useful thing I've found for ICBM bases so far is that the population loves them for planetary protection value.

Stephen

Quote from: "Yonder"

Hmm, the active missile radar being detected was an interesting development, and one that I can see coming up in the future.

Maybe missiles shouldn't turn on their active radar until they are on close approach to their target, or they lose contact with their fire control?

Yes, I have been thinking the latter should be the case as well

Steve

How about a box on the missile design screen where you set the time remaining to target to turn on the active sensors.  Combine this with if they lose the target then they automatically turn their sensors on should cover most instances.

Brian

Oh, and did you change the resolution on people's sensors when you changed the range formula? Doesn't seem like NATO's sensors should have picked up the fighters that far out.

Although I didn't change the resolution of the sensors, lower resolution sensors now have greater range.

Steve

Quote from: "Steve Walmsley"

27th June 2031
(SNIP)
The only NATO forces in Earth orbit are the two Hercules class tugs. Both ships are ordered to tractor one of the remaining shipyards and leave orbit immediately. On Earth's surface is the unarmed Cheyenne class planetary defence centre which detected the Soviet bombers. Although it does have a hangar bay that can hold a dozen F-24A Cobras, none have been assigned.
(End SNIP)

G'Day Steve,

A couple of ideas:
1) Move a couple of missile defense cruisers into Earth orbit (in case either the Chinese/Russian's decides to take NATO down a peg or two to their level);
2) Build some missile defense PDC's (same reason as 1);
3) Move some Cobra's into the hangar of the Cheyenne PDC (so NATO has at least a little power projection capability.
4) Build some more ground troops - just in case the winner of the Chinese/Russian war decides to keep the steamroller going (or to take NATO down a peg or two to their level).

What do you think?

The Independence group is temporarily in Earth orbit at the moment. 3) and 4) are already underway. 2) is harder because missiles launched from Earth orbit or elsewhere on Earth are going to hit their targets before they can be intercepted by AMMs. Point blank defence beam weapons will work OK though.

Steve

1) Move a couple of missile defense cruisers into Earth orbit (in case either the Chinese/Russian's decides to take NATO down a peg or two to their level);
2) Build some missile defense PDC's (same reason as 1);

Do countermissiles work when the launching ship is right on top of the target? Only way I can think of that they would is if there's an artificial delay when a missile hits a planet; otherwise they'd launch in the same tick the attacking missile strikes. Seems like there should be something to let planetary countermissiles work against point-blank bombardments, though...

Oh, and did you change the resolution on people's sensors when you changed the range formula? Doesn't seem like NATO's sensors should have picked up the fighters that far out.