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To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest)

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To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest) Starfleet Ship Design Bureau, Refit ("To Boldly Go...")
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I would prefer our Heavy Cruisers to be Explorers that don't 'Explore', so we can do to our Council what the federation is doing to the Galaxy.

the best place for this is in the 2370-2380s where we can have both the Galaxy and Sovereign, where we can have the Galaxy have a limited run as an actual explorer, before becoming the Federation's heavy cruiser as the Sovvie gets put into service. the Galaxy can be perfect for this, because it's tougher than the sovvie already, and refits would make it even better.
 
lbmaian said:
WW2 was a weird era. The shift of war paradigms to aircraft carriers caused plenty of late redesigns, and there seemed to be a new ship class every year, even in the same category. Aircraft too.

The closest thing we have to WW2 in Star Trek is the Borg to Dominion War era. But even though there also was a flurry of ship designs then, it still seemed less chaotic than WW2.

The only way I can see for Starfleet to have so many ship classes if there were actually different branches all producing sometimes competing designs. But I'm pretty sure Starfleet R&D is not that decentralized.
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Could've been the various member worlds designing for their own needs using existing bits so that they didn't have to do the real heavy lifting. After all, we never see kit bashes as mainline ships. They probably are less efficient designs overall because they were built with wiggle room by second tier engineers for second tier issues.
 
So I'm doing up the Captain's turn run sheet, and I thought I'd just pull a snippet from it.

Caitian 1 Distress Call 14 Colony World, Uprising, Prs-T, gain pp, avoid potential combat situation, 1 Easy DC, Resp: 3d6=11, Prs+Def Response, USS Polaris responds, 10, pass

To translate this:

Caitian Sector rolls a 1 on the Affiliate Sector chart, which is Distress Call event
The specific event is a 14, relating to a Colony World getting up in arms about something
This particular one requires a Prs-T (Presence Test), and offers Political Will as a reward
The Difficulty Roll is a 1, which is an Easy DC
The current system for generating a response roll is 3d6, which came out to 11.
I respond with the Amarkian sector, as the closest, and two ships are available to respond. Because it is an unplanned diplomatic mission, it is a Prs+Def roll. Each ship rolls, Polaris (2 Prs + 3 Def) + 2d6, and a Miranda (1 Prs + 2 Def) + 2d6. Polaris rolls an 11, the Miranda a 7, so Polaris is the only one able to respond.
It is an Easy DC, which for non-Explorers means a 6. Polaris rolls 2+2d6, gets a 10, so it passes the event.



Sol 17 Local Anomaly Research, Sci-T, 10 Hard DC, Unplanned, Resp: 3d6=7, Sci+Def Response, USS Stalwart+Miranda+Oberth Respond, Sci-T (Stalwart+Oberth), 12 pass

Sol Sector rolls a 17, for Local Anomaly Research
This is one of the ones where you basically wing the actual narrative event, so I don't roll a sub-type. These are always Sci-T (Science Test) and +rp
The Difficulty Roll is a 10, which is a Hard DC
The 3d6 came out to a 7, and because it is an unplanned Science mission, it is a Sci+Def Response.
Stalwart rolled a 15, the Mirandas a 9, 13, 7, and the Oberth an 11. So, four ships can respond, however, for the actual mission test, they'd just get underfoot without a proper doctrine to guide them (the extra Mirandas can tow the others to safety if something goes pear-shaped though).
the Sci-T then is taken by the stats of the two best Science vessels, the Oberth and the Constellation, giving us a 7+2d6 = 12, which passes the DC 11 of the hard test for non-Explorers.



Sarek 2 Mapping Mission 32 Discover Anomaly, Energy Field Resource, Sci-T, gain sr, 6 Med DC

USS Sarek rolls a 2, for Mapping Mission,
Rolls a 32 for sub-type, gets a Mapping Mission
Narratively, everyone is out on the Cardassian frontier, so I don't roll for other reinforcements from sector fleets
5YM Explorers don't roll to respond, they're always there
Difficulty roll is a 6, so Medium DC
Sarek is S8, so 8+2d6 = 13, passes the DC12 requirement.
 
Heh, I like the behind the scenes mechanics snippets showing the event rolls. Just how big is your event table anyways?
 
OneirosTheWriter said:
So I'm doing up the Captain's turn run sheet, and I thought I'd just pull a snippet from it.

Caitian 1 Distress Call 14 Colony World, Uprising, Prs-T, gain pp, avoid potential combat situation, 1 Easy DC, Resp: 3d6=11, Prs+Def Response, USS Polaris responds, 10, pass

To translate this:

Caitian Sector rolls a 1 on the Affiliate Sector chart, which is Distress Call event
The specific event is a 14, relating to a Colony World getting up in arms about something
This particular one requires a Prs-T (Presence Test), and offers Political Will as a reward
The Difficulty Roll is a 1, which is an Easy DC
The current system for generating a response roll is 3d6, which came out to 11.
I respond with the Amarkian sector, as the closest, and two ships are available to respond. Because it is an unplanned diplomatic mission, it is a Prs+Def roll. Each ship rolls, Polaris (2 Prs + 3 Def) + 2d6, and a Miranda (1 Prs + 2 Def) + 2d6. Polaris rolls an 11, the Miranda a 7, so Polaris is the only one able to respond.
It is an Easy DC, which for non-Explorers means a 6. Polaris rolls 2+2d6, gets a 10, so it passes the event.



Sol 17 Local Anomaly Research, Sci-T, 10 Hard DC, Unplanned, Resp: 3d6=7, Sci+Def Response, USS Stalwart+Miranda+Oberth Respond, Sci-T (Stalwart+Oberth), 12 pass

Sol Sector rolls a 17, for Local Anomaly Research
This is one of the ones where you basically wing the actual narrative event, so I don't roll a sub-type. These are always Sci-T (Science Test) and +rp
The Difficulty Roll is a 10, which is a Hard DC
The 3d6 came out to a 7, and because it is an unplanned Science mission, it is a Sci+Def Response.
Stalwart rolled a 15, the Mirandas a 9, 13, 7, and the Oberth an 11. So, four ships can respond, however, for the actual mission test, they'd just get underfoot without a proper doctrine to guide them (the extra Mirandas can tow the others to safety if something goes pear-shaped though).
the Sci-T then is taken by the stats of the two best Science vessels, the Oberth and the Constellation, giving us a 7+2d6 = 12, which passes the DC 11 of the hard test for non-Explorers.



Sarek 2 Mapping Mission 32 Discover Anomaly, Energy Field Resource, Sci-T, gain sr, 6 Med DC

USS Sarek rolls a 2, for Mapping Mission,
Rolls a 32 for sub-type, gets a Mapping Mission
Narratively, everyone is out on the Cardassian frontier, so I don't roll for other reinforcements from sector fleets
5YM Explorers don't roll to respond, they're always there
Difficulty roll is a 6, so Medium DC
Sarek is S8, so 8+2d6 = 13, passes the DC12 requirement.
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what are your DC scales? are they different for home sectors, affiliate sectors and frontier regions?

because the Hard DC of the second test was the same as the medium DC of the last one.

or do non-explorers just have an easier time of everything?
 
I'd say the last one, because both DC tests involving non-explorers said that that was the DC for non-explorers, and if a Medium DC for an Explorer was the same as the DC of a non-explorer, then that tells you something
 
So Centaurs make a solid support ship with science 3 and presences 3 and defense 3 in the refit version. Still this does drive that we want to post at least one excelsior in each sector to have a very good response ship.
 
SynchronizedWritersBlock said:
This is why we have non-combat stats I guess. Def seems important on the science ships.
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Defense also seems important on the diplomatic ships, insofar as "diplomatic" ships with high Presence are a separate category.

Indeed, ironically, defense may be least important on a dedicated combat ship built purely to send into fights. Because a lot of fights (especially fleet battles) will happen when and where we plan them to, so ships won't need to roll Defense checks to get there.
 
Well that was quite informative!

Takeaways:
  1. Event roll per sector
  2. If affiliate sector, ships from neighboring sector(s) can respond
  3. Unclear if full member sector allows ships from neighboring sector(s) to respond
  4. 4 types of rolls: Event type/sub-type roll(s), difficulty roll, response roll(s), event success roll(s) based off difficulty
  5. Event type/sub-type determines determines success/failure reward/penalty, may determine whether planned event
  6. For 5YMs, no response roll
  7. For unplanned events, response roll is always 3d6 DC, against each ship's defense+presence/science + 2d6
  8. Unclear what response roll is for planned events, except prior QM info that it's just defense-based
  9. Event success roll has fixed DC per difficulty level and whether FYM (higher for FYM); unclear if DC also based off event type
  10. For one particular science test (no guarantee all events are like this, might be dependent on doctrine), event success roll against sum of science of top two responding science ships + 2d6
  11. At least for this type of event (no guarantee all events are like this, might be dependent on doctrine), multiple responding ships allow undamaged ships to tow away ships critically damaged by event failure
  12. Starbases don't seem to able to respond to the sample events so far, so their defense seems primarily geared for fulfilling garrison requirements rather than event response?
  13. Unclear if any events have success based off defense, so for 5YMs, defense doesn't matter as much?
edit: added 11,12,13,doctrine
 
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lbmaian said:
Hmm that build schedule indicates to me that we need to build more escorts, which are crew efficient. Or QM starts introducing more br/sr sinks, like pricing starbases or something.
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We have actually had different constraints over time, so I am not sure that needs to be adjusted. Also when we run short on crew moving to refits would consume resources. We also were SR starved before and needed a one time boost this turn to get the resources we needed but we had the crew available for construction.

OneirosTheWriter said:
That's the price Explorers pay for being up to their necks in events. You have to be engaged in all kinds of ill-advised risk-taking behaviour to have that many "interesting" things happen to you.

Also, yikes, this captain's log is going to have a lot of single-entry events.
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For response rolls will the bonus be capped? If not Excelsior class are almost auto respond at 2d6+11 against a 3d6 roll and later explorers would be even worse. I could see capping the bonus to response rolls at +10, as more science and presence are still useful on the tests.
 
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lbmaian said:
At least for this type of event (no guarantee all events are like this), multiple responding ships allow undamaged ships to tow away ships critically damaged by event failure
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More generally, having a whole bunch of ships show up will probably NOT allow the ships to effortlessly ace the science/presence/whatever check, but WILL allow the other arrivals to assist in various foreseeable ways. For example, in a humanitarian crisis one ship might become the command center for trying to stop the volcanic eruptions, while others ferry medicine and supplies from neighboring star systems. Or one ship's captain might carry the Federation diplomat in negotiating a settlement with the separatists, while the other ships loiter menacingly in the background. Or whatever; it'd be very situational.

Starbases don't seem to able to respond to the sample events so far, so their defense seems primarily geared for fulfilling garrison requirements rather than event response?
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Logically, starbases would be incapable of responding to events, because they can't move. Starbases an outposts might have a fixed chance of responding to certain events based on when the event occurs literally in their lap. Starbases and outposts shouldn't stop us from keeping ships garrisoned in a sector, but they DO mean we can remove more of the sector fleet to respond to a crisis elsewhere without causing the inhabitants to scream bloody murder.

Unclear if any events have success based off defense, so for 5YMs, defense doesn't matter as much?
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The trick is that we've been using the same heavy explorers for five year missions that we use as flagships for our sector fleets, especially the ones we expect to see combat or other crises. A low-defense explorer would make a lousy sector flagship. Furthermore, canonically "defense" refers to a ship's speed, operational endurance, and other traits that determine whether it's available to respond to a given crisis. And an explorer designed to travel beyond the frontiers of known space to boldly go where no Blue Lesbian Kirk has gone before definitely needs speed, endurance, and so on.
 
Also, note the comment about:

Also, yikes, this captain's log is going to have a lot of single-entry events.
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With the DCs we've seen, a failure isn't uncommon, but one failures doesn't end the event. Instead matters seem to escalate until the ship finally either passes a test and can end matters or fails all the way to the worst possible consequences.
 
MS-21H 'Hawke' said:
I would prefer our Heavy Cruisers to be Explorers that don't 'Explore', so we can do to our Council what the federation is doing to the Galaxy.

the best place for this is in the 2370-2380s where we can have both the Galaxy and Sovereign, where we can have the Galaxy have a limited run as an actual explorer, before becoming the Federation's heavy cruiser as the Sovvie gets put into service. the Galaxy can be perfect for this, because it's tougher than the sovvie already, and refits would make it even better.
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I'd think it'd be the opposite, no? The Sovvie's stats look more like a Warship than a ship for Exploring.
 
Here's another one:

*Picard warns the Council about the impending threat of the Borg*

"Ah yes, the 'Borg' :turian:. That advanced species who wish to assimilate everything. We have dismissed that claim."
 
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UbeOne said:
Here's another one:

*Picard warns the Council about the impending threat of the Borg*

"Ah yes, the 'Borg' :turian:. That advanced species who wish to assimilate everything. We have dismissed that claim."
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I find it personally amusing that in our Timeline, the first reaction would be more like "FUCK THE BIOPHAGE IS BACK"
 
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