InterstellarOps ISaW without the ACS

[Baldur Mekorig]

I am a player of the old Fan Council games using the Combat Operation ISaW, and still remember its problems. The new system in the Interstellar Operations book seems to deal with some of those problems, but creates a new one, ACS.

Maybe for more expeerimented players its easy, but for our group it was bothersome, clunky, had to go back and forth with the BF rules, and luckly, we found the pre-generated Combat Command units in the Campaign Operations book.

My question is, have anyone modified the new ISaW game not to use ACS, and use something more similar to the old combar system?

[zulf]

The main issue is what scale are you after?

I really don't think there's a point for a system with a scale between Combat Command (ie SL Divisions/ RCTs) and Battalions. Which is what I view ACS as trying to solve.

So if I want CC level play I would use the old IS in Flames rules and if I want Battalion level I have  SBF or BF to pull from. I definitely think there's lots of homebrew possibilities to massage the systems to your preferences though.

[pokefan548]

In my experience, most people just use SBF or a hybrid SBF/ACS. ACS is indeed pretty clunky, though I will say that you definitely want it for enormous invasions (IE pretty much any Battle of Terra) that are just plain cumbersome even with SBF units. I believe there are also some who use ACS for the basics of planetary movement and large-scale engagement initiative, and once two units get into combat they then break that down into an individual BF/SBF match and resolve from there.

[Zematus737]

I myself was working on piecing together a system that uses the Reconnaissance Phase of the higher scales and zoom in if there is an engagement with SBF or BF, reserving further zoom with TW scale for duels or Pseudotech games my 12 year old who loves playing with the powerups and stuff.  I haven't the time to iron it out, but that's the idea and may involve learning a bit of all the different scales to pull it off.  While using the RP system on ISW to manage planetary systems and their upgrades and be the source for creating battalions (even those that are used for planetary defense, as I found the default system a little over powered once a planet was 'owned' or settled).  Good luck.

[SCC]

Looking at the rules I'd say the big problem with them is the way that they are scaled up BattleForce, so there's lots of flipping back and forth as everything isn't in the same place.

[Zematus737]

Looking at the rules I'd say the big problem with them is the way that they are scaled up BattleForce, so there's lots of flipping back and forth as everything isn't in the same place.

The time tables that represent each scale help organize what is where and when.  Most things scale appropriately except for space turns in BF, which are represented on the 6th turn as well, same as Core TW.  In Strategic BF both land and SAS are 3 minutes.  An ACS turn is 1 month or 1 Inner Sphere at War turn.  So, any attempt to bring encounters into detail below ACS would require a zoom and keeping track of the passage of time by turn so that it doesn't overlap -- but if there IS overlap, you have the higher system interacting with the lower throughout long cycles.  But it would be very difficult to drag out a planet side confrontation for so long that the non-ACS tactical scale will reach a month.  TW is 10 seconds a turn; Battleforce is 30 seconds; Strategic Battleforce is 3 minutes; an ACS turn is 3.5 days (84 hours).  ACS is about 8 turns in one AToW period.  In TW Core, space turns occur every 6th turn.  In BF space turns occur every 6th turn as well (I suppose they did this to maintain as much congruity between the ruleset as possible, as transitioning from BF to Core has become very similar in movement and various other rules and conversions).  So, it is possible to play ISaW without ACS, but you would need to apply a calendar and time management to everything that is going on at the same time.  A daunting project if there ever was one.  I recommend you start small and grow rather than with the armies you start ISaW with where entropy is expected to reduce resources and materiel.  I still hold that Adv. Battleforce is perhaps the best option in any large scale game -- and leave core rules to duels, unless the encounter has reached the level of regiments vs regiments.  At which point you'll be begging for the ACS system.  You'll have to borrow espionage and other things like that and adapt them with only two players.