The Rebellion Redux

[jfetters]

Originally posted by Kurega Gikur:

Did any of the MT stuff give hard numbers on the strengths of the different factions?

I want to say that either the Rebellion Sourcebook or FSOTSI had the Imperial map with the fleet breakdown, which you could then use to extrapolate the general fleet makeups (which would then include the reserves). I can't check at the moment, as I don't have my MT CD with me.

 

[daryen]

My request is a bit of a structural change. Refashion the factions so that they are not all equal in strength, doomed to perpetual stalemate. Let each one be logically sized for its situation.

(Actually, the original game did the "resizing" to force same-sized opponents. Just eliminate the original fudging and let the factions fall or rise as they may.)

Yes, this will generate "winners" and "losers", but some are going to die out anyway. Let the setup be more interesting.

The second request is to allow the endgame to finish. Yes, I know the OTU stops the rebellion in 1130 (or so). However, what would a virus-free endgame look like? Sure, it is an ATU, but it is potentially an interesting one.

 

[daryen]

My request is a bit of a structural change. Refashion the factions so that they are not all equal in strength, doomed to perpetual stalemate. Let each one be logically sized for its situation.

(Actually, the original game did the "resizing" to force same-sized opponents. Just eliminate the original fudging and let the factions fall or rise as they may.)

Yes, this will generate "winners" and "losers", but some are going to die out anyway. Let the setup be more interesting.

The second request is to allow the endgame to finish. Yes, I know the OTU stops the rebellion in 1130 (or so). However, what would a virus-free endgame look like? Sure, it is an ATU, but it is potentially an interesting one.

 

[daryen]

My request is a bit of a structural change. Refashion the factions so that they are not all equal in strength, doomed to perpetual stalemate. Let each one be logically sized for its situation.

(Actually, the original game did the "resizing" to force same-sized opponents. Just eliminate the original fudging and let the factions fall or rise as they may.)

Yes, this will generate "winners" and "losers", but some are going to die out anyway. Let the setup be more interesting.

The second request is to allow the endgame to finish. Yes, I know the OTU stops the rebellion in 1130 (or so). However, what would a virus-free endgame look like? Sure, it is an ATU, but it is potentially an interesting one.

 

[jfetters]

Originally posted by daryen:
My request is a bit of a structural change. Refashion the factions so that they are not all equal in strength, doomed to perpetual stalemate. Let each one be logically sized for its situation.

(Actually, the original game did the "resizing" to force same-sized opponents. Just eliminate the original fudging and let the factions fall or rise as they may.)

Daryen, I'm not sure what you are referring to here. Do you mean that Dulinor and Lucan pounded the crap out of each other and basically ignored everyone else (especially at the end)?

Yes, this will generate "winners" and "losers", but some are going to die out anyway. Let the setup be more interesting.

The second request is to allow the endgame to finish. Yes, I know the OTU stops the rebellion in 1130 (or so). However, what would a virus-free endgame look like? Sure, it is an ATU, but it is potentially an interesting one.

I completely agree. It could take the ending (if not the entire mission) in "Arrival: Vengeance" to a different place.

 

[jfetters]

Originally posted by daryen:
My request is a bit of a structural change. Refashion the factions so that they are not all equal in strength, doomed to perpetual stalemate. Let each one be logically sized for its situation.

(Actually, the original game did the "resizing" to force same-sized opponents. Just eliminate the original fudging and let the factions fall or rise as they may.)

Daryen, I'm not sure what you are referring to here. Do you mean that Dulinor and Lucan pounded the crap out of each other and basically ignored everyone else (especially at the end)?

Yes, this will generate "winners" and "losers", but some are going to die out anyway. Let the setup be more interesting.

The second request is to allow the endgame to finish. Yes, I know the OTU stops the rebellion in 1130 (or so). However, what would a virus-free endgame look like? Sure, it is an ATU, but it is potentially an interesting one.

I completely agree. It could take the ending (if not the entire mission) in "Arrival: Vengeance" to a different place.

 

[jfetters]

Originally posted by daryen:
My request is a bit of a structural change. Refashion the factions so that they are not all equal in strength, doomed to perpetual stalemate. Let each one be logically sized for its situation.

(Actually, the original game did the "resizing" to force same-sized opponents. Just eliminate the original fudging and let the factions fall or rise as they may.)

Daryen, I'm not sure what you are referring to here. Do you mean that Dulinor and Lucan pounded the crap out of each other and basically ignored everyone else (especially at the end)?

Yes, this will generate "winners" and "losers", but some are going to die out anyway. Let the setup be more interesting.

The second request is to allow the endgame to finish. Yes, I know the OTU stops the rebellion in 1130 (or so). However, what would a virus-free endgame look like? Sure, it is an ATU, but it is potentially an interesting one.

I completely agree. It could take the ending (if not the entire mission) in "Arrival: Vengeance" to a different place.

 

[Michael Schulz]

If I could put out a series of Rebellion Redux supplements that were geared towards me--a highly intrigued, relatively new, Traveller fan who will never own all the DGP stuff--I think something like a series of faction books would be great.

On the other hand, I like the idea of 'phase' books. So each book would cover a different phase of the war, as divided in Survival Margin. Each Phase book would give some detail on what life is like in each of the factions, how their rulers are doing (it would be a great way to chart Lucan's decline), and keep track of major and minor, but intriguing, events that the PC's could get mixed up in.

Just to be super crazy, each of these books could have a section devoted to how the war is affecting a given sector that is not necessarily part of one of the safes. Maybe they could provide a subsector or two of data, and some indication of how the major battles or economic impact of the war are affecting a locality. Kind of a slow motion Hard Times in some cases, although I'm sure some areas boomed during the first phases of the Rebellion. In others, I'm sure they encouraged some shaking up of the politcal landscape.

Anyways, I'd love a set of chronological source books or faction books, or both...

 

[Michael Schulz]

If I could put out a series of Rebellion Redux supplements that were geared towards me--a highly intrigued, relatively new, Traveller fan who will never own all the DGP stuff--I think something like a series of faction books would be great.

On the other hand, I like the idea of 'phase' books. So each book would cover a different phase of the war, as divided in Survival Margin. Each Phase book would give some detail on what life is like in each of the factions, how their rulers are doing (it would be a great way to chart Lucan's decline), and keep track of major and minor, but intriguing, events that the PC's could get mixed up in.

Just to be super crazy, each of these books could have a section devoted to how the war is affecting a given sector that is not necessarily part of one of the safes. Maybe they could provide a subsector or two of data, and some indication of how the major battles or economic impact of the war are affecting a locality. Kind of a slow motion Hard Times in some cases, although I'm sure some areas boomed during the first phases of the Rebellion. In others, I'm sure they encouraged some shaking up of the politcal landscape.

Anyways, I'd love a set of chronological source books or faction books, or both...

 

[Michael Schulz]

If I could put out a series of Rebellion Redux supplements that were geared towards me--a highly intrigued, relatively new, Traveller fan who will never own all the DGP stuff--I think something like a series of faction books would be great.

On the other hand, I like the idea of 'phase' books. So each book would cover a different phase of the war, as divided in Survival Margin. Each Phase book would give some detail on what life is like in each of the factions, how their rulers are doing (it would be a great way to chart Lucan's decline), and keep track of major and minor, but intriguing, events that the PC's could get mixed up in.

Just to be super crazy, each of these books could have a section devoted to how the war is affecting a given sector that is not necessarily part of one of the safes. Maybe they could provide a subsector or two of data, and some indication of how the major battles or economic impact of the war are affecting a locality. Kind of a slow motion Hard Times in some cases, although I'm sure some areas boomed during the first phases of the Rebellion. In others, I'm sure they encouraged some shaking up of the politcal landscape.

Anyways, I'd love a set of chronological source books or faction books, or both...

 

[kafka47]

Most of all I think that I would want our very own Ben Bell, Martin J. Dougherty and Neil Frier to author the sourcebooks, as these authors really seem to have a grasp of the Imperium at its height. I rather hoping that we can move away from the DGP view of the Rebellion and more into a decent into barbarism.

Not that I mind DGP, in fact, some the best Traveller stuff out there is penned by DGP but they still retained too much of the vanilla flavourings of CT. I want to see the Space Cities crash and firefights that will haunt me in my sleep. And, DGP just doesn't do it.

 

[kafka47]

Most of all I think that I would want our very own Ben Bell, Martin J. Dougherty and Neil Frier to author the sourcebooks, as these authors really seem to have a grasp of the Imperium at its height. I rather hoping that we can move away from the DGP view of the Rebellion and more into a decent into barbarism.

Not that I mind DGP, in fact, some the best Traveller stuff out there is penned by DGP but they still retained too much of the vanilla flavourings of CT. I want to see the Space Cities crash and firefights that will haunt me in my sleep. And, DGP just doesn't do it.

 

[kafka47]

Most of all I think that I would want our very own Ben Bell, Martin J. Dougherty and Neil Frier to author the sourcebooks, as these authors really seem to have a grasp of the Imperium at its height. I rather hoping that we can move away from the DGP view of the Rebellion and more into a decent into barbarism.

Not that I mind DGP, in fact, some the best Traveller stuff out there is penned by DGP but they still retained too much of the vanilla flavourings of CT. I want to see the Space Cities crash and firefights that will haunt me in my sleep. And, DGP just doesn't do it.

 

[Golan2072]

My idea was to create an alternative sequel to Hard Times, replacing the total collapse of the pre-TNE Virus with a partial collapse and a slow recovery; set a milieu in the late 1130s, in the broken remains of the Imperium shattered not by any outsde or alien factor (such as the Virus or the Core Baddies), but by Human greed and hubris.

This is the setting of my Gaian Unity variant.

 

[Golan2072]

My idea was to create an alternative sequel to Hard Times, replacing the total collapse of the pre-TNE Virus with a partial collapse and a slow recovery; set a milieu in the late 1130s, in the broken remains of the Imperium shattered not by any outsde or alien factor (such as the Virus or the Core Baddies), but by Human greed and hubris.

This is the setting of my Gaian Unity variant.

 

[Golan2072]

My idea was to create an alternative sequel to Hard Times, replacing the total collapse of the pre-TNE Virus with a partial collapse and a slow recovery; set a milieu in the late 1130s, in the broken remains of the Imperium shattered not by any outsde or alien factor (such as the Virus or the Core Baddies), but by Human greed and hubris.

This is the setting of my Gaian Unity variant.

 

[Gnusam Netor]

A partial recovery after the initial clashes and the following exhaustion, is the model i prefer myself. Partial recoveries and then exhaustion followed by yet another recovery sounds like misery, but it also provides a very fluid environment and change is good(tm).
One can use the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 4th and 5th centuries as a paralell. Warlords creating their own sector wide empires - their power resting more on their fleets and less on their population. Why not a "Mao's long march" of Dulinor? Or, Attila the garden planet virus*, jump-marching towards Terra?

*- from Alistair Reynolds' Inhibitor Universe.

 

[Gnusam Netor]

A partial recovery after the initial clashes and the following exhaustion, is the model i prefer myself. Partial recoveries and then exhaustion followed by yet another recovery sounds like misery, but it also provides a very fluid environment and change is good(tm).
One can use the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 4th and 5th centuries as a paralell. Warlords creating their own sector wide empires - their power resting more on their fleets and less on their population. Why not a "Mao's long march" of Dulinor? Or, Attila the garden planet virus*, jump-marching towards Terra?

*- from Alistair Reynolds' Inhibitor Universe.

 

[Gnusam Netor]

A partial recovery after the initial clashes and the following exhaustion, is the model i prefer myself. Partial recoveries and then exhaustion followed by yet another recovery sounds like misery, but it also provides a very fluid environment and change is good(tm).
One can use the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 4th and 5th centuries as a paralell. Warlords creating their own sector wide empires - their power resting more on their fleets and less on their population. Why not a "Mao's long march" of Dulinor? Or, Attila the garden planet virus*, jump-marching towards Terra?

*- from Alistair Reynolds' Inhibitor Universe.

 

[jfetters]

Originally posted by Gnusam Netor:
Why not a "Mao's long march" of Dulinor?

While the plot was more akin to Napoleon than Mao, the metaplot of Dulinor marching to Capital (which ended up releasing Virus) in Survival Margin is something along those lines.

You could have an alternate version of that - where Virus is never released and Lucan gets his ass whipped.

Or if you are into large scale fleet action, you could play a series of Battle Rider scenarios to work this out.