ISaW: What's Still Missing?

[Xotl]

So ISaW came out in IO, and it had a lot of stuff, but there some things missing, some of which later showed up in the First Succession War rules annex.

What I'm checking for is what's still missing.  What do you feel still needs to be seen to help round out ISaW?

Please note that this isn't a general wishlist.  People tend to read over these caveats, but please understand I'm looking for simple, small-scale add-ons, not errata, revisions to older material, etc.  Basically anything that would fit in another rules annex-sized section.  No promises here, but I'd like to know.  Thanks.

[nckestrel]

Comstar/Word of Blake rules: how much are HPG contracts worth (to CS/WoB and to the House).
Sucession Wars "blight": how tech regresses, how conflicts and/or CS intervention can cause/reverse tech

[worktroll]

Espionage rules - spying, counter-intel, mole hunts, sabotage, black ops
Research rules
Communications rules (tied to Research)
NPC rules for ComStar bringing down the Interdict, or dropping Holy Shroud on people (for pre-Invasion play)
Rules for WoB/ComStar player forces in the Invasion & later eras - how to be an Interstellar Service Provider for fun, profit, and the opportunity to read other peoples' mail
Orbital bombardment
WMD (the "family atomics", anyone?)
Random event rules (memory cores, pandemics, lust-crazed population booms, demands for a new stadium, etc)

[SCC]

NPC rules in general, playing a periphery state while your mates get the IS isn't likely to be fun (And finding 9 people for that sort of game is unlikely)

There's also mentions of rules toggles, like this one from page 368 "Fixed Military, Fixed Economy or Basic Economy"

[Dreyf]

WarShips, both construction and upkeep would be nice along with many of the others mentioned above.

[The Purist]

My suggestion is that the developers 'evolve' the game much like the history unfolded. For now we have 1st SW and late 3rd SW/4th SW. Second and Third SW at start maps, economies and deployments would fill in the gaps. The 1st SW book was excellent and the additional rules for ISaW were a nice clean up of the initial IO version.

Dropship transport squadrons designed to lift combat commands are needed more than anything. That or perhaps an abstract system similar to jumpships that fits commands as they are built (whether standard or player choice). Right now there is no way to intercept an incoming force on DS between jump point and planet other than by using Aslt AS Wings and these cannot lift combat commands (transport numbers don't jive).

Not sure about espionage other than perhaps paying so many RPs to get a chance to uncover a portion of an  enemies map for that turn - say a mega hex (one hex surrounded by six). Although, once players start really getting into the a game they will find that money is scarce at the best of times (replacement armour, combat supply, rebuilding lost commands, etc).

Comstar/WoB can probably wait while rules for the Clans and their invasion are developed,... Foch and his forces can follow after the Clans get their chance to romp around the IS.

The designers may want to avoid too much 'chrome' until the core rules are finalized. The scale of ISaW involves armies and the games needs to focus on rules that allow armies to move, fight, supply, rebuild, etc.

[worktroll]

Not sure about espionage other than perhaps paying so many RPs to get a chance to uncover a portion of an  enemies map for that turn - say a mega hex (one hex surrounded by six). Although, once players start really getting into the a game they will find that money is scarce at the best of times (replacement armour, combat supply, rebuilding lost commands, etc).

There are many, many evil ideas which can fall under the Intelligence umbrella, although a neutral GM is required for best effect. For example - the set of reports you just got from the GM - how many are accurate, how many are inaccurate, and how many are planted on you by your opponents? Ideally, you won't know - you'll have to work things out over time. Just like the real world.

And yes, there's always a competition for resources - that's the whole idea of a game like ISaW.

[nckestrel]

There are many, many evil ideas which can fall under the Intelligence umbrella, although a neutral GM is required for best effect. For example - the set of reports you just got from the GM - how many are accurate, how many are inaccurate, and how many are planted on you by your opponents? Ideally, you won't know - you'll have to work things out over time. Just like the real world.

And yes, there's always a competition for resources - that's the whole idea of a game like ISaW.

There might be ways to "cheat" it without a DM.  Use espionage to move X unengaged commands X movement to simulate that they were actually somewhere else.  Or espionage points to delay enemy production, or to stall movement of enemy forces. 

[The Purist]

One rule that is missing is what to do about destroyed battalions. Experience in our 3rd SW has shown that disengaging a battered unit, especial if shaken/unsteady/broken, has very tough time disengaging and if destroyed, there is no means to replace it (mech, AS, armour, etc). 

One idea we have tossed about is to allow other battalions in the regiment to transfer companies (armour) to form the basis of a new battalion. All the battalions would then need to absorb replacement armour to get up to full strength and this could have the usual effects on experience ratings if done in haste. To round out the rebuild one may have throw in a few RPs (or perhaps a percentage of the RP cost based on the weight of the regiment) to rebuild the echelons within the regiment to  cover the creation of the new battalion.

[DarthRads]

WarShips, both construction and upkeep would be nice along with many of the others mentioned above.

This is something I had expected in the 1SW book considering it was when the House fleets bought it...