ISaW Campaign Game QuestionsAfter the review of the rules down in the Strategic Operations Forum it was suggested that a list of questions raised in that discussion, plus any additional that can be thought up, should be posted in order to form both clarifications and potential errata for the game.
There are quite a few, so,… here we go
Some acronyms (I’ll add as required):
FRU/D/N – fractions round up/down/normally
CC – Combat Command
CU – Combat Unit
MC - Mercenary Command
DR – a roll requiring 2 six sided dice
dr – a roll requiring a single six sided die
Inner Sphere at War #1 General Question on Fractions: if a rule does not state whether fraction should be FRU or FRD should fractions be FRN?
#2 General Question on Map Key: The map keys are contradictory to the definitions found on page 348 in regards to District and Regional Capital symbols. We have assumed that ‘Regional Capitals’ are now redefined (ie: Robinson or Dieron) and centers such as Vega or Stewart are now considered ‘District Capitals’.
Page 345; Sequence of Play: Clarification.
“Each Game Turn is broken down into four Sub-Turns. Each Sub-Turn represents approximately one week of in-universe time. Sub-Turns are used primarily in the Military and Movement Phases to track actions that require closer focus than the standard Game Turn allows…”
#3 Are the Sub-Turns mentioned above meant to be used as an “impulse” movement tool as a means to insert reinforcements into the ACS eight (8') game turn month?
Example #1 - a Combat Command (CC) is ordered to move from Caph (hex 2224) to Outreach (hex 2324). It will use one of four allowed IMP in the ISaW monthly turn to move one interstellar hex. The second IMP would normally be used to move to the Outreach system within the hex but as combat has been triggered in ACS, deployment would seem to be necessary. Does this mean the command will arrive on the SSRM on Turn 3 of the ACS eight game turn month as a reinforcement, where it then begins moving within the rules set for ACS?
Example # 2 At the same time another CC in Irian (hex 2422) is also ordered to move to Outreach. It uses two of four IMP to reach the Outreach hex. Its third IMP would have been be used to move to the system in the hex if the hex was friendly but as combat has been initiated it would then have enter the SSRM as a reinforcement, deploying on turn 5 of the 8 turn ACS month.
Example #3 Two opposing commands both pass through an interstellar hex while expending the same IMP. Would this trigger a potential Naval Battle as both commands jump into the same system in a hex (even if just passing through), presuming they both show up at the same Zenith or Nadir point?
(**NB - This question was triggered by the text found on page 350 in the second paragraph of the “Order Writing Phase” introduction: “…it falls to the gamemaster to call for any required dice rolls outside of combat, and to declare whether or not the players’ forces encounter each other in transit - or on the battlefield.)
#4 Or do all CCs arrive at their target hexes at the same time regardless of the number of IMP used within the ISaW turn. Play within the ACS eight turn month would them commence on Turn one (1) with deployment?
Page 347, Faction Abilities and Flaws; Parliamentary Chaos: Clarification.
The second half of the paragraph states that if a Faction that roles 1 – 3 on supply issues it will suffer from “Supply Problems” with a +1 modifier to morale checks and -1 modifier to initiative.
#5 Is this a different ‘Supply Problems’ to that found under Faction Traits (+1 RP supply costs)? Or, does a Faction that suffers “Supply Problems” as a trait get penalized twice (+2 RP to supply costs) under “Parliamentary Chaos” with the additional modifiers to moral and initiative?
#6 If the dr is 4-6 the rule states that all forces identified as in combat receive one extra RP. Is this RP added to the Factions RP Pool for units entering combat that turn? Or, is the additional RP added for units paying Combat Supply from the previous turn?
(**NB - We have not penalized the FWL twice but simply added the modifiers as applicable based on the dr. We also assume the +1 RP is for units that must pay combat supply in the current turn).
Page 347, Faction Abilities and Flaws; Supply Problems: Clarification
#7 The second sentence states that +1 RP is to be paid per “Formation”. As supplies are paid by CCs should “Formation” be replaced with “Combat Command”
(**NB – we have assumed the reference is to CCs)
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Page 351, Infrastructure: Clarification
#8 Is a Faction permitted to expand the number of Regional Capitals above those noted in the Era starting setup rule?
IE: Could the Federated Suns upgrade Kathil (hex 2730) to the Regional Capital of the Capellan March if New Syrtis is still functioning in that role?
Page 351, Supply: Clarification.
#9 If a Faction’s RP pool has sufficient points, must all CCs be supplied or can the players choose to leave some CCs unsupplied voluntarily?
Page 351, Supply and RP Deficit: Clarification.
#10 If the RP pool is insufficient to meet all supply needs must the available supplies be used until exhausted or are the players permitted to use all/some/none of those available RPs as they see fit?
#11 If a CC is/was in combat or executes any order that states “…must pay Combat supply costs next turn…” (ie: Assault Move, Planetary Raid, Patrol, etc.) is the player forced to use available supply on Combat Supply first (until it is exhausted) or may he/she choose to leave CCs unsupplied regardless of RP availability?
Page 351, Broken Supply Lines and Page 363, Interstellar Hex Control: Clarification
#12 How should an interstellar hex with systems controlled by two or more players be treated if the starting map has an existing border between systems?
For example; hex 2225 contains Terra, New Earth, Rigel Kentares, Caph, Keid, New Home, Sirius and Procyon. The Faction that controls the most systems in this hex in this case is the Capellan Confederation so as per the rule on page 363, House Liao controls the hex (perhaps not Terra for obvious reasons).
#13 If the border defines control for ‘at-start’ purposes, how is hex control to be determined after the game starts if two or more Factions are at war?
#14 In the case of a border hex where both sides control an equal number of planets in the hex at game start, how is control determined? See hex 2316 (Giasar and Megrez) on the LC/FWL border.
Page 352 Mercenary Supply and Hiring: Clarification.
#15 Is the Combat supply cost for Mercenary Commands based on ‘base supply’ for the command (5.5 x 4 = 22 RP) or on the 2x RP cost for mercenary upkeep ((5.5 x 2) x 4 = 44 RP)?
Page 352, Mercenary Retention DR: Clarification
#16 Should a player choose to not provide any RPs for Mercenary Retention, would the negative modifiers be such that this would result in an automatic departure of 100% of the mercenary commands currently serving that Faction (except on a DR of 12)?
Page 351 Broken Supply Lines and Page 352, Supplying Mercenaries: Clarification
#17 If an otherwise supplied mercenary command suffers from Broken Supply lines this means that the minimum amount of RPs paid to obtain the ‘retention DR’ TN of 8 for all mercenary commands has not been met. Assuming no additional RPs were paid to obtain positive modifiers to the ‘Mercenary Retention DR’ the entire mercenary force is now undersupplied with a retention TN of 9+ (depending on how many mercenary commands have broken supplies the TN may be higher). A Retention DR of 5 (ex) would mean the loss of 40% of all mercenary commands serving with that Faction.
Is this interpretation of rule correct?
#18 Or should the retention DR be modified as necessary only for those commands affected by “Broken Supply Line"? If only unsupplied Merc Commands are effected, would zero supply RPs being received result in the automatic departure of the mercenary command(s)?
Page 352, Hiring Mercenaries#19 As above, should the cost for hiring new mercenary commands be based on the base supply cost (5.5 RP x 4 = 22 RP) or modified mercenary upkeep cost of 11 RP (11 x 4 = 44 RP)?
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…to be continued…