MSGS: Chain-Linked Destinies Design Critique

[Sabersonic]

Shall I take it that my ideas are sound, or should I make a Vehicle-Related Ability for the whole internal cargo/hangar bay issue?

[Sabersonic]

I'm gonna assume that my design proposals for the Ability "Broadcast Aid", Defect "Identifiable Use", Perk "Helper", and Flaw "Countered" along with my initial solution for a hangar bay in the form of Knowledge, Gear, and Vehicle/Mecha Attributes are sound. Unless told otherwise of course.

However, before I move on with my design process, I have other custom-built Attribute and Defect proposals for the forum to review and critique in an attempt to create the side effects of both the Minovsky Particle and the N-Jammer at the very least.

Jammer – You have a very useful ability, almost powerful, in that it is able to disrupt the offensive ability of other characters. Typically, you are able to prevent or at the very least, make it noticeably difficult for a character to perform the continuous or instantaneous effect of their own special ability through the manipulation of the source of their ability; whether it be via technological, magical, supernatural, psionic, or even the divine in certain cases.

Under standard usage of the Jammer Ability, one is able to impose a penalty of -1 per level of that singular, chosen Ability per level. However, with GM approval and typically with a Difficulty Number on par with the total Level of said ability, the Jammer is able to disrupt the use of multiple Abilities that your Jammer is able to disrupt. The total number of both Ability and Penalty which is, of course, up to GM fiat at the time of creation but it can also be the determined by how much your dice check succeeds the Difficulty Number. Well… assuming that you rolled well. At least it was a good try!

Targeted Use – One or more of your Abilities can only affect a certain class of targets, all others are naturally immune to the effects of said ability. The commonality, or in certain cases rarity, of said targets determines the value of the defect and is ultimately derived upon the setting to which your adventure takes place. Thus it naturally requires GM approval beforehand. At Level 1, the types of targets your ability can work upon are fairly commonplace so it’s not so detrimental. At Level 2, your ability’s targeted audience are uncommon enough that you don’t use it all that much in a typical Act. At Level 3, the targets of your ability are so rare that you’ll be lucky enough to encounter them in a single Adventure.

So then, are they sound or do they need some alterations here and there to make them compatible with OVA2e?

[Sabersonic]

I can only assume that the lack of replies equates to no issues regarding to the Jammer Attribute and the Targeted Use Defect proposals. Like, before, I'm gonna assume that they are sound under OVA2e rules unless told otherwise.

Anyway, here's one suggestion for the Fusion Attribute Clay had initially attempted to use for OVA2e but ultimately abandoned. It's still a bit rough so peer review would be most appreciative.

Fusion – You have an ability that few others possess; the ability to transform into a completely different, more powerful version of yourself. As such, for each level you have in this ability you may spend four times as much in abilities to create a completely new character. The real kicker? Said costs must be shared with at least one other character equally and in order for you to succeed in the Fusion with the other character(s), a successful dice check against a Difficulty Number equal to the level of the attribute. Additionally, it takes an equal number of turns to the Attribute Level for the Fusion to be completed, meaning that it can be interrupted by outside parties.

Though the possibilities are limitless with Fusion, for effective game balance it is suggested that the use of the ability to be limited to only twice in a single Adventure, and that the total Ability Levels should be no more than half over the average value of the participating characters.

[Sabersonic]

Alright, while I wait for the response by the forum to my more recent inquiries, I should put up my interpretation of the Mission Disk of VOTOMS fame.

FAITH Mission Disk, Standard Basic (3 Points)

In the interwar period, FAITH tacticians and engineers have concluded that after extensive studies of mobile suit combat during the First Great Earth Sphere War, the automation of mobile suit operating systems can be improved in a case-by-case and mission-to-mission basis to increase the successful operation success of the mobile suit devicer with the customization of the OS programming as demonstrated by Space OMNI Enforcer Mobile Suit Devicer Second Lieutenant Kira Yamato of Gaea Command. However, such extensive programming of the basic OS was beyond the skill of even the average ZAFT Devicer and to produce an OS that could be quickly reprogrammed easily and then reverted caused more problems than it solved. The eventual solution was a programmable hard drive more commonly called a “Mission Disk”. It effectively allows a devicer to easily program a chain of commands to the OS with limited input upon the devicer during a mobile suit engagement, effectively allowing them to react faster and concentrate more upon the battle before them.

This iteration of the Mission Disk is the most basic, primitive, and limiting but also the most cost effective to mass produce. It program customization is severely limited to one unique mobile suit/armor maneuver that only grants the devicer a slight edge over its target, meaning that timing is essential to victory and is naturally very difficult to master with a noticeably steep learning curve. Even so, exercises and mock battles have proven that mobile suit and mobile armor devicers that utilize the Mission Disk have a higher chance of survival, let alone success, compared to those who operate without the Mission Disk. Still, there have been devicers who have used their Mission Disk’s much larger capacity for non-combat oriented maneuvers to create more personified stances for their mobile suits that could be carried from unit to unit. Officially, FAITH discourages such use of the Mission Disk.

Level - Ability

• +2 - Agile
• +2 - Combat Expert “Mobile Suit Combat”
• +2 - Evasive
• +2 - Knowledge “Specific Mobile Weapon Model”
• +2 - Quick
• +1 - Time Freeze

Level - Weakness

• -3 - Limited Use “Programed Actions become Predictable” (Agile, Combat Expert, Evasive, Quick, Time Freeze)
• -3 - Prerequisite “Mobile Suit/Armor”
• -2 - Trigger “Programed Circumstances” (Agile, Combat Expert, Evasive, Quick, Time Freeze)

Basically what I'm trying to create is a kind of combat boost based upon what a user has programmed into it based upon combat data of a particular model of mobile weapon or even the combat style of a belligerent pilot in order to counter them and become more efficient in combat with limited input by the pilot. I figured that Limited Use and Trigger would be appropriate Weaknesses to illustrate this, but I'm not too sure about the values of the other Abilities.

And then there's another issue that popped into my head to such a degree that it caused quite a few sleeping issues. Basically it's the idea of mounting spare magazines, E-Pacs, and whatnots on the mobile suit design.

Now I know that Ammo isn't something that is readily discussed in tabletop engines such as OVA2e, but considering how I'm already making weapon loadout a tactical concern, it just seemed par the course.

The E-Pacs are a quite simple enough fare via the following attribute layout:

E-Pac (1 Point)

Level - Ability

• +4 - Endurance Reserve “E-Cap”

Level - Weakness

• -3 - Dependency “Beam Weaponry-capable Mobile Suit”

The more conventional munitions, bullets, rockets and missiles, are a bit tricky to implement. The only solution I could come up with at the moment is to have a Unique Ability called "Magazine Reload" whose value is approximately the same as the DX of the weapon in question. It would be like the following attribute layouts:

SRA Sub-Machine Cannon Magazine (1 Point)

Level - Ability

• +2 - Unique “Magazine Reload”

Level - Weakness

• -1 - Dependency “Electrical Primer Mobile Weaponry”

Zeon Assault Cannon Magazine (3 Point)

Level - Ability

• +4 - Unique “Magazine Reload”

Level - Weakness

• -1 - Dependency “Electrochemical-Thermal Mobile Weaponry”

ZAFT Battle Cannon Magazine (4 Point)

Level - Ability

• +5 - Unique “Magazine Reload”

Level - Weakness

• -1 - Dependency “Liquid-Propellant Mobile Weaponry”

Bazooka Magazine (6 Point)

Level - Ability

• +6 - Unique “Magazine Reload”

Level - Weakness

• -0 - N/A

Recoilless Rifle Magazine (6 Point)

Level - Ability

• +6 - Unique “Magazine Reload”

Level - Weakness

• -0 - N/A

Basically it's the idea of what is more important to the pilot in question: Combat Endurance or Combat Flexibility?

Anyway, I'm pretty sure the above ideas are pretty rough and would probably use a refinement or two overall. So then, thoughts on these brain worms that just won't give me a good night's sleep?

[Sabersonic]

Well, after discussing the issue with an online acquaintance of mine from another forum, I concluded that I wouldn't really need to make a Unique Ability to reflect the whole Magazine Reload issue. The technical issue of E-Pacs from what I can recall upon the Mechtalk Forum (the exact topic probably existed long before the current forum update and potentially lost, considering that it was YEARS ago), are enough to make it a particular issue. That and the fact that Beam Weaponry are powerful enough to need some kind of limitation to keep gameplay balance.

However, the brain worm just won't leave. Instead it gave me idea of another custom Ability (yeah, I gotta stop doing that) that I call "Endless Magazines" or until I can come up with a more appropriate name.

Endless Magazines – Just when you thought that you have fired all those rounds at the enemy and are effectively spent, you seem to recall that you’ve grabbed just one more magazine, one more round earlier because you had a feeling that you’ll need it that day, a premonition that your life would be forfeit if you left it alone. Paranoia is fun! Add your Endless Magazine dice to any dice roll to see if you do have that spare shot on you to get you out of another mess. Usually, the more shots and/or more damage said weapon is capable of inflicting, the less likely you would have overlooked that particular boost to survival or at the very least final puzzle piece to solve a problem at hand.

Complexity - DN

• A single bullet - 2
• A pistol magazine - 4
• A rifle magazine - 6
• A grenade - 8
• A rocket/missile - 10
• A rocket/missile magazine - 12

It's a bit rough, but it's a good start. On its own, it simply implies that one can perform the dice check as many times as they need to, and opens up possible scenarios for tension and even comedy under certain circumstances. However, to keep this one from being too powerful, I think it would be advisable that said Ability should be paired up with the Limited Uses Weakness to note that, yes, one can only rely upon it for so long before it becomes even improvable that it should occur.

So then, opinion on the matter at hand along with my previous inquiries?

[Sabersonic]

While I awaited the forum's response to both the Mission Disk Gear and the Endless Magazine Ability (unless there's an unwritten rule that if a certain number of days pass with no response to a proposed new Ability/Weakness/Perk/Flaw, then it's automatically assumed that they're alright for use in a campaign and I should just shut up about them), I'm still buggered by the whole "Increase the cost of spacecraft by adding in a hangar bay" of my initial Minerva build that was given the Gear and Vehicle solution of the Archangel.

So, I ultimately created the following rough draft Attribute:

Storage Capacity – Your vehicle is able to haul a lot of cargo at once! Whether it is an internal hangar, warehouse space, or simple hammer space, it is able to haul a lot of items without any change in its usual speed. However, since the vehicle and by extension you, does not directly benefit from what is held within and is largely a “location” to which items and vehicles are placed there by other characters, for each level gained in this ability, one is able to store quadruple that level value worth of gear and vehicles.

Alternatively, the Storage Capacity could reflect the number of additional persons, either as passengers or crew, the vehicle is able to reasonably carry at once. However, with this interpretation, each level in the Ability equates to double that passenger/crew’s sum total of Abilities and Weaknesses. The exact number of individual characters, however, will vary depending upon GM fiat.

Along with the following Weakness that could be added to my Jammer Ability:

Linked Requirement – One or more of your Abilities can only be activated when another, typically unrelated Ability is used beforehand. The cause could be as awesome as summoning the spirits of your ancestors to gain a boost in your combat abilities to as mundane as reading someone’s mind in order to gain their knowledge and experience. Each Level in the Weakness equates to the number of Abilities that must be activated or used beforehand.

To showcase how both would be applied to a particular build, I present a modified version of the Archangel:

Pegasus-Class Assault Battlecarrier (202 Points)

HEALTH: 90
ENDURANCE: 80
TV: 30
DX[END] - Attack

• 0[0] - “LADAR PDS Mode” (Accurate x3; Defensive x2; Helper; Multiple Targets x6; No Gestures; Ranged. Activation; Assisted x5, Gunners; Ineffective x4; Requirement x2, Liquid/Humidity Light Environment)
• 1[0] - “Igelstellung 75mm Gatling Cannon CIWS Bank” (Accurate; Defensive; Helper; Multiple Targets x8; Overwhelming; Ranged. Assisted x6; Gunners; Ineffective x3)
• 1[0] - “PD AKV Launcher Battery” (Accurate; Area Effect; Helper; Multiple Targets x11; Ranged. Activation; Assisted x7, Gunner; Delayed; Ineffective x2)
• 2[0] - “Light AKV Launcher Battery” (Area Effect x2; Armor Piercing; Helper; Multiple Targets x9; Ranged. Activation; Assisted x6, Gunner; Countered; Delayed; Ineffective x2)
• 3[5] - “Anti-Materiel Laser Projection PDS Bank” (Area Effect; Armor Piercing; Helper; Multiple Targets x9; Ranged. Activation; Assisted x5, Gunners; Ineffective; Requirement x2, Liquid/Humidity Light Environment)
• 4[0] - “Heavy AKV Launcher” (Armor Piercing x3; Helper; Multiple Targets x3; Ranged. Activation; Assisted, Gunner; Countered x2; Delayed; Inaccurate x3)
• 5[0] - “Gottfried Mk.71 Dual 225cm-Barrel Mega-Particle Cannon Turret Battery” (Area Effect; Multiple Targets; Armor Piercing x3; Effective; Helper; Ranged. Assisted x2, Gunners; Buildup x2; Inaccurate; Requirement x2, Liquid/Humidity Light Environment)
• 4[0] - “Valiant Mk.8 110cm Linear Cannon” (Armor Piercing x2; Helper; Impairing; Multiple Targets; Ranged; Stunning. Assisted x2, Gunners; Buildup; Innacurate-2)
• 8[30] - "Lohengrin Positron Blaster Cannon” (Area Effect; Armor Piercing x3; Blinding; Effective x4; Helper; Impairing; Ranged; Strike Through. Buildup x6; Delayed; Inaccurate x4)
• 6[30] - “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density” (Area Effect x3; Continued Effect; Effective x2; Impairing; No Gesture; Paralyzing; Ranged; Strike Through. Backlash x4; Canceled x4, Non-Living Objects; Delayed; Requirement, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density”)

Level - Ability

• +4 - Armored “Ablative Armor”
• +3 - Art of Invisibility “Neutron Jammer”
• +3 - Art of Invisibility “Minovsky Particle Dispersion”
• +4 - Attack “Spacecraft Weapon Systems”
• +2 - Continuous Use “Minovsky Particle Dispersion”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density”
• +2 - Flight “Minovsky Craft System, Demi-Float Type”
• +3 - Jammer “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Electrical Disruption” (Technological, Superconductor-based Computers)
• +5 - Jammer “Neutron Jammer, Nuclear Fission Disruption” (Technological, Nuclear Fission)
• +3 - Knowledge “Mobile Suit Repair and Maintenance”
• +2 - Heightened Senses
• +2 - Invisibility “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density”
• +3 - Life Support
• +3 - Perception “Infrared”
• +3 - Perceptive “LADAR”
• +2 - Perceptive “Radar”
• +3 - Resistance “Ablative Armor” (Directed Energy Attacks)
• +3 - Resistance “Electronic Shielding” (EMP Attacks)
• +4 - Spaceflight “Inertial Confinement Pulse Rockets”
• +32 - Storage Capacity “Mobile Suit Equipment and Armory”
• +33 - Storage Capacity “Mobile Suit Hangar”
• +100 - Storage Capacity “Operation Crew”
• +4 - Storage Capacity “Supply Cargo”
• +2 - Swimming “Thermonuclear Turbo Hydrojets”
• +5 - Tough “Foamed Titanium Composite Fuselage”
• +2 - Quick
• +2 - Unique “Linear Mobile Suit Catapult”
• +2 - Vigorous “Minovsky-Ionesco Thermonuclear Reactor”

Level - Weakness

• -1 - Endurance Use “Inertial Confinement Pulse Rockets”
• -1 - Endurance Use “Thermonuclear Turbo Hydrojets”
• -1 - Expendable Use “Thermal-Antimatter Rockets” (Water/Remass)
• -1 - Identifiable Use “Neutron Jammer”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density” (Radar and Infrared)
• -1 - Identifiable Use “Thermonuclear Turbo Hydrojets” (Infrared and Sonar)
• -1 - Linked Requirement “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Electrical Disruption”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density” (Art of Invisibility “Minovsky Particle Dispersion)
• -1 - Linked Requirement “Neutron Jammer” (Jammer “Neutron Jammer, Nuclear Fission Disruption”
• -1 - Limited Uses “Neutron Jammer”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density”
• -2 - Periodical Maintenance
• -3 - Prerequisite “Heat Radiators” (4x Radiator Fins)
• -3 - Prerequisite “Skeleton Crew” (20x personnel)
• -1 - Prompt Use “Neutron Jammer”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density”
• -3 - Reduced Use “Ablative Armor” (Half Level on Sides and Rear)
• -2 - Reduced Use “Minovsky Craft System, Demi-Float Type” (Solid Surface)
• -3 - Reduced Use “Neutron Jammer”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density” (Square Inverse Proximity)
• -3 - Reduced Use “Neutron Jammer”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion” (Radar/Radio, Microwave, and Infrared Only)
• -3 - Restricted Freedom
• -2 - Servitude

As one can tell, both Gear and Vehicle (Mecha) Abilities have been replaced by the Storage Capacity Ability since the Archangel does not directly utilize either the Gear nor the Vehicle (Mecha) via itself or its owner. The Attacks “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Electrical Disruption” and “Neutron Jammer, Nuclear Fission Disruption” are similarly replaced with the Jamming Ability.

Though... now that I think of it, would the Minion Ability be a better representation of the onboard Crew for a spacecraft which are, more or less, cannon fodder?

[Sabersonic]

Well it's been a while and I've had time to think about a few things.

For starters, the Mission Disk probably doesn't need the whole Prerequisite “Mobile Suit/Armor” weakness since it doesn't really effect gameplay that much and can be ruled out that it can't be used by any individual character outside of a combat space vehicle, making it a 6 Point Gear.

As for my Endless Magazine Ability, I was advised through a completely different Tabletop Engine that it wasn't practical for my needs.

However, said person has also advised something similar to my original Unique Ability, or rather a better way to calculate the cost. Thus I showcase this new Ability:

Ammunition Reserve - Your character has one or more reload upon their person to utilize their Attack and/or Ability that have the Ammunition/Limited Use nature. Each single reload to any single Ability/Attack with the Ammunition/Limited Use weaknesses/flaws equates to three levels.

A bit counter-intuitive of the usual OVA2e level cost, but it's enough to ensure that it isn't game breaking in its base form. As for how it can be implemented in my campaign, here's a sample profile.

FAITH 75mm Submachine Cannon Magazine (1 Gear Point)
A spare reload for the Submachine Cannon weapon, it can be used to fully replenish an otherwise spent SMC. As such, it can only be used once.

Level - Ability

• +3 - Ammunition Reserve "SMC Dual-Fed Magazine"

Level - Weakness

• -2 - Unique "Only SMC Attacks"

Okay, to be honest, it wasn't that much different from my previous Unique Ability idea. I concluded that the chosen weakness would affect gameplay in that it can only work with certain Attacks rather than any one Ability/Attack.

Of course, if the wording of my base Attribute description is satisfactory enough to even suggest then, then I wouldn't be too bothered about it.

And then there's the issue of having capital ships being proportionally more expensive to purchase than mobile suits for individual characters. My first attempt was with the custom ability Storage Capacity. Originally, it was a 1-on-1 value Attribute like Gear, but then I got the idea of using the Endurance Reserve, Tough, and Vigorous as a guide to refine the Storage Capacity ability. Thus it has changed into the following:

Storage Capacity – Your vehicle is able to haul a lot of cargo at once! Whether it is an internal hangar, warehouse space, or simple hammer space, it is able to haul a lot of items without any change in its usual speed. However, the vehicle and by extension you, does not directly benefit from what is held within and is largely a “location” to which items and vehicles are placed there by other characters. The equivalent of each level of Storage Capacity is in the following table:

Storage Capacity Level - Unit of Measurement Value

• 1 - 10
• 2 - 20
• 3 - 40
• 4 - 60
• 5 - 80
• 6 - 100
  And so on…..

The exact meaning of “Unit of Measurement” varies from the exact nature of the vehicle in nature and generally common sense. Whether it be pounds, gallons, kilograms, liters, or tonnes, is ultimately dependent upon GM fiat.

And then I had another idea: What if I used something similar to denote the number of people onboard. Thus I engineered the following:

Passengers – Your vehicle, or yourself if you’re that bizarre, is able to comfortably ferry more than a single individual. The maximum amount of extra individuals, either PCs, NPCs, or background fodder, per level is found upon the following table:

Passengers Level - Individuals/Characters

• 1 - 1
• 2 - 5
• 3 - 10
• 4 - 20
• 5 - 30
• 6 - 40
  And so on…..

Of course, this is under the assumption that each passenger is the standard human being. Thus it is well advised that the value of these non-human individuals be discussed with the GM along with a note stating as to what the number reflects whom and what size.

I am open to a better name of the Ability, by the way.

As to how these Attributes are applied to a particular vehicle build, I present the Musai:

Musai-class Light Cruiser (28 Vehicle Points)

Designed at the same time as Zeon’s Mobile Suit Development Program, the Musai-Class Light Cruiser was engineered specifically for the concept of Minovsky Particles, Mega Particles, and Mobile Suits in warfare and serves as the backbone of the Principality of Zeon’s space forces. Its primary armament consists of five dual-barrel Mega Particle Cannon turrets; however it requires the onboard reactor several minutes to compress its supply of Minovsky-Particles into Mega-Particles. Thus it relies mostly upon its magazines of Autonomous Kill Vehicles for the majority of the combat engagement with its network of Machine Cannon Point Defense Turrets for protection.

However, the Musai-class’ most important weapon system for both offensive and defensive actions lie with its onboard compliment of Zaku-series Mobile Suits, with four serviced and launched via Linear Catapults from the Musai proper with two other Zaku-series Mobile Suits stored within the Komusai Shuttle’s own mobile suit hangar with a total number of six Zaku-series Mobile Suits per Musai. These hangars were designed to not only replenish remass, propellant, fuel, and munitions to the Zaku-series Mobile Suits, but also to remove waste heat from the onboard reactor that naturally accumulates during operation and especially during combat.

The only true flaw in the Musai is that they were not designed for lengthy independent operations. Instead, each Musai Light Cruiser is serviced by Papua-class and Pazock-class logistical spacecraft in addition to any other Settlement Freedom League spacecraft or base.
HEALTH: 40
ENDURANCE: 40
TV: 11
DX[END] - Attack

• 0[0] - “LADAR PDS Mode” (Accurate x3; Defensive x2; Helper; Multiple Targets x6; No Gestures; Ranged. Activation; Assisted x5, Gunners; Ineffective x2; Requirement x2, Liquid/Humidity Light Environment)
• 1[0] - “75mm Machine Cannon PDS Bank” (Accurate; Defensive; Helper; Multiple Targets x8; Overwhelming; Ranged. Assisted x6; Gunners; Ineffective)
• 2[0] - “Light AKV Launcher Battery” (Accurate; Armor Piercing; Helper; Multiple Targets x9; Ranged. Activation; Assisted x6, Gunner; Countered)
• 4[0] - “Heavy AKV Launcher” (Armor Piercing x3; Effective x2; Helper; Multiple Targets; Ranged. Activation; Assisted, Gunner; Countered x3)
• 5[0] - “Dual Barrel Mega-Particle Cannon Turret Battery” (Area Effect; Multiple Targets x4; Armor Piercing x5; Effective x3; Helper; Impairing; Ranged. Assisted x5, Gunners; Buildup x6; Inaccurate; Requirement x2, Liquid/Humidity Light Environment)
• 3[5] - “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Electrical Disruption” (Area Effect x2; Continued Effect; Effective; No Gesture; Ranged; Strike Through. Canceled x4, Humans; Delayed; Requirement , “Minovsky Particle Dispersion”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density”; Unique x2, Effects Superconductor-based Computers only)
• 6[25] - “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density” (Area Effect; Continued Effect; Effective x4; Impairing; No Gesture; Paralyzing; Ranged; Strike Through. Backlash x4; Canceled x4, Non-Living Objects; Delayed; Requirement, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density”)

Level - Ability

• +2 - Agile
• +1 - Armored “Super Hard Steel Alloy”
• +3 - Art of Invisibility “Minovsky Particle Dispersion”
• +1 - Attack “Spacecraft Weapon Systems”
• +2 - Continuous Use “Minovsky Particle Dispersion”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density”
• +2 - Evasive
• +3 - Knowledge “Mobile Suit Repair and Maintenance”
• +2 - Invisibility “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density”
• +3 - Jammer “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Electrical Disruption” (Technological, Superconductor-based Computers)
• +2 - Life Support (Space)
• +16 - Minions “Flight Crew”
• +12 - Passengers “Operational Crew”
• +1 - Perception “Infrared”
• +1 - Perceptive “LADAR”
• +1 - Perceptive “Radar”
• +9 - Storage Capacity “Komusai Hangar”
• +14 - Storage Capacity “Mobile Suit Hangar”
• +4 - Spaceflight “Thermonuclear Fusion Rockets”
• +1 - Unique “Laser Communications”
• +2 - Unique “Linear Mobile Suit Catapult”

Level - Weakness

• -1 - Endurance Use “Thermonuclear Fusion Rockets”
• -1 - Expendable Use “Thermonuclear Fusion Rockets” (Water/Remass)
• -1 - Identifiable Use “Minovsky Particle Dispersion”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density” (Radar and Infrared)
• -1 - Limited Uses “Minovsky Particle Dispersion”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density”
• -2 - Periodical Maintenance
• -3 - Prerequisite “Heat Radiators” (2x Radiator Fins)
• -3 - Prerequisite “Skeleton Crew” (32x personnel)
• -1 - Prompt Use “Minovsky Particle Dispersion”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density”
• -3 - Reduced Use “Super Hard Steel Alloy” (Half Level on Sides and Rear)
• -3 - Reduced Use “Minovsky Particle Dispersion”, “Minovsky Particle Dispersion, Lethal Density” (Square Inverse Proximity)
• -3 - Reduced Use “Minovsky Particle Dispersion” (Radar/Radio, Microwave, and Infrared Only)
• -2 - Restricted Freedom
• -2 - Servitude

As some of you may have noticed, I used the Minion Ability to reflect the crew that would operate the various systems that would keep the spacecraft functional.

Still, I'm not completely sure that this is the ideal solution to reflect the idea that these machines are manned by multiple individuals simultaneously, whose individual and unaccountable abilities determines the overall fate of said spacecraft. So I welcome any corrections to this idea.

[Tod13]

As some of you may have noticed, I used the Minion Ability to reflect the crew that would operate the various systems that would keep the spacecraft functional.

Still, I'm not completely sure that this is the ideal solution to reflect the idea that these machines are manned by multiple individuals simultaneously, whose individual and unaccountable abilities determines the overall fate of said spacecraft. So I welcome any corrections to this idea.

I always thought of crew (as opposed to combat troops) as a Weakness. You can have a certain number of crew assigned to each ability--giving you consequences for inadequate crew levels. I was thinking of Trigger, Focus, or Suppressed Power or even Dependency, depending on the number of crew and nature of the Ability. A turret without an operator doesn't get to attack (Trigger) and a vessel with insufficient engineering/maintenance crew loses efficiency over time (Dependency).

[Sabersonic]

I always thought of crew (as opposed to combat troops) as a Weakness. You can have a certain number of crew assigned to each ability--giving you consequences for inadequate crew levels. I was thinking of Trigger, Focus, or Suppressed Power or even Dependency, depending on the number of crew and nature of the Ability. A turret without an operator doesn't get to attack (Trigger) and a vessel with insufficient engineering/maintenance crew loses efficiency over time (Dependency).

*Looks at Musai Entry sans Abilities and Weaknesses* Oh for the love of- Hold on, let me edit this.

Alright, now that I got some basis of my reply published, let me explain my design choices.

First off, I did put in a weakness of a required minimal manpower in the form of "Prerequisite 'Skeleton Crew' (32x personnel)" in addition to "Assisted xN, Gunners" to certain Attack Variation profiles to show that these stations not only need to be manned in order for them to be used independent of whomever is owning/flying the spacecraft, but also a tally to mark casualties that could make said spacecraft further unoperable and weapon systems unavailable due to unoccupied stations within the vehicle.

As for Trigger, though a potentially useful Weakness in the overall function of a spacecraft, I'm not really certain that it would be a necessity or even functional considering that I already have the Prerequisite Weakness. Still, a good fall back option to consider.

Now that I think of it, I'm not sure if I should add the Limited Uses Weakness to the Minion Ability or not to further suggest that the onboard crew are a finite resource during a tough engagement. And even so what would be the appropriate value? Should I match it up with the Crew Shifts or something different?

[Tod13]

Now that I think of it, I'm not sure if I should add the Limited Uses Weakness to the Minion Ability or not to further suggest that the onboard crew are a finite resource during a tough engagement. And even so what would be the appropriate value? Should I match it up with the Crew Shifts or something different?

I would make minions different from crew. In general, crew fights the ship (steers, runs the turrets, maintains the engines). The Marines or landing party or raid party are the non-crew attackers/defenders. Those are the minions. They're very different training (as a general rule).

Alternatively (maybe two kinds of minions or combining X Marines to get 1 F-14), and maybe more fun/dangerous, Minions for ships are additional smaller ships--part of the carrier force or carried by the larger ship. Think, the Enterprise aircraft carrier being able to "summon" F-14 minions or having a destroyer screen.

[Sabersonic]

Perhaps, but the standard Minion Rules doesn't really allow further combinations beyond the +2 Ability and the mobile suit designs I have....well..... they're a LOT bigger than +2 and that doesn't even cover the escort ships.

Probably could hand wave that as an NPC thing... Still, better get an expert or even Clay to answer this conundrum.

[Clay]

I think Minions should probably remain expendable grunts in the context of mecha. Sure, there will be a few really cool Gundams floating about, but Minions represent the kind of giant robot that gets slashed in half in a single blow.

But if you want to represent a ship’s capacity for carrying units in a concrete way, it might be best to just write up a new Ability for that purpose. Standing Army, or some such, for rank and file, and Standing Elite for heroic class mecha. Obviously the former will grant you a lot more units but of much lesser quality than the latter.

If you want it to be really descriptive/narrative in style. You can make such a Standing Army Ability represent the rough mass scale combat power of the ship that happens “in the background” while the heroes fight.

For example, your players may have 3 mecha, and the enemy have three mecha. They fight it out as per the usual combat rules.

However, their home ship the Endeavor may have an Army +2 Ability, while the bad guy’s Intrepid has +4. Every turn you can roll dice for both (4 dice vs 6 dice) and narrate the tide of the battle based on that result. The HEROIC one-on-one battles are still up to the players of course, but the background explosions can be handled simply and elegantly through this.

[Sabersonic]

Standing Army and Elite Army, or in this case Standing Force and Elite Force, sounds like an interesting idea to use. Though I'm going to assume that it'll have similar execution as Minions? Meaning that it'll probably best to use the Ability Level of Vehicle/Mecha in an abstract concept of the quality of said machine rather then as an absolute value to keep things down to a minimum. After all, they're cannon fodder generally going up against protagonist-level opponents, they need all the help they can get!

However, it still leaves in the bind of crew casualties since I had added the Weakness of how a ship has a minimum crew capacity for full operation. *Ponders* I guess I can come up with a new Ability and new ship-centric stat similar to Health and Endurance that ties directly to it. Not sure what to name both, though I'm leaning towards "Manpower" for the latter. Maybe "Large Gang" and "Small Gang" to help determine the amount of people onboard outside the standard. I'm not completely married to the chosen terminology so I'm open to more appropriate wording.

Then again, I was trying to translate the Atomic Rocket's Crew subject into RPG format and it was a hangover from a previous tabletop engine....

[Clay]

Making Crew a kind of Health total reminds me of Star Control video games, where “Crew" actually ARE your hit points. Fun times!

In any case, it just depends on how much you want the crew to be a focus of your stories. It might be easier to just handwave the situation if your PCs aren’t actually commanding battleships.

[Sabersonic]

Making Crew a kind of Health total reminds me of Star Control video games, where “Crew" actually ARE your hit points. Fun times!

In any case, it just depends on how much you want the crew to be a focus of your stories. It might be easier to just handwave the situation if your PCs aren’t actually commanding battleships.

True, though I'm sure there's at least one out there who'd want to make a Star Trek or at least a starship-centric campaign. Might as well get these inquiries in and over with.

Still, there's gotta be a better wording for a ship having lesser or greater crew onboard than "Larger Gang" and "Lesser Gang"..... "Larger Crew" and "Lesser Crew" sounds a bit redundant. Ideas anyone?