Out of the ten people who've voted so far, only three have chimed in. C'mon guys! SPEAK UP 8) Be heard! Please, we can't do this without your input.
I haven't voted myself, because I'm entirely flexible. I'm willing to play, GM or whatever in any of the above campaigns.
Now rules probably deserve their own thread but that can be dealt with that next week. Right now we can spout ideas.
Rules ideas:
The ATOW campaign, of course would use ATOW and the ATOW Companion but the Grand Strategy games... they'll need their own rules. I've got an old copy of the rules from the last FGC I tried involving myself in but honestly, it's one of those spreadsheet heavy things and too convoluted for me. Nothing against anybody who wants to do that kind and has the patience and technical skill to manage it but I don't. I also don't think one of my old rulesets I used for the Frontier's Shattered Sphere games would appeal to anybody here (it has a few fans but I'm not one of them) and it was allot of math. So if anyone's got any ideas lets hear them.
For combat resolution, I've become fond of an adaptation of Tomorrow's War (a futuristic generic miniatures game) rules. They use a fixed target number of 4, and change the number and size of the dice depending on the situation and use a firepower vs defense opposed check. So that'd allow for the two gradiants Battletech runs around - experience and technology and if you worked it right you could take account for the differences between mechs and other units, as well as weight classes and I've got some thoughts on unit size too boot. In my mind's eye, I see two kinds of record sheets for units - a short one (so we could fit two on a normal 8 1/2 by 11 paper) and a long version (takes up the whole page) that could contain the records for a complete command from up to an RCT/Division in strength. For a large scale GS game, even this much might be too much. So it'd look and feel something like Battletech we've all come to love even if it plays differently. As for units to be tracked, we focus on the named forces.
Economy wise, I would like to keep it simple enough that either a simple spreadsheet (and not a monster one) can handle it or even better, it can be worked out by hand. I'm thinking of a two point system. One, would represent your general economy and you spend it like cash to buy things from military units, transportation ability, industrial infrastructure and technology. This amount could be based on a number of things but we can work that out later. The second would be an action point setup that you spend when you conduct certain activities like launching attacks, invasions and other such things. Each action would have a cost attached to it and you can only spend what you have. You'd get a base number of action points every year for participating in the game and doing your budget (the stick) and more for writing posts (the carrot) so if you're getting back what you put into the game.
As to technology, that's another sticky part. Some people like detailed, some people don't. My take is not to overly concentrate on it - maybe work out something like general scaling up - the Inner Sphere and Clans both have about three distinct generations of technological increases above their base level of technology. But there are somethings that are both technological and infrastructure in basis - like dropships, jumpships and warships that should be covered seperately.
ATOW campaign ideas:
I'm running a ATOW campaign in the real world of with 7 to 11 players (depends on what we're doing) set after an alternative WoR where Clan Blood Spirits leave the Home Worlds one step ahead of the other Clans while heading towards a promised new start in the deep periphery, Battlestar Galactica style. To keep the game moving, I revolve the players every month or so/ or every half dozen sessions so from one group of PCs to another, covering various levels of the Clan from the top to the rank and file warriors and even playing as their own eventual opposition in the Coreward Confederacy/RWR Outpost 27. We could run that, or something along similar lines or something else. The usual mercenary routine is always good but I feel like something more involved than that.
Small scale GS campaign ideas:
First idea is based around the Circinus Federation to Magistracy of Canopus Periphery in the years before the Marian Hegemony eats the Lothian League and Illyrian Palatinate. Each player plays one of the periphery powers and independents or maybe a regional power or two from the FWL could also get into the act. The focus of the game is try to eat others while not being eaten at the same.
Second idea is to do the same kind of thing as above but in the Chaos March starting in the early months. The players would control the proto-states or independent worlds, maybe even mercenaries trying to get into the action. In addition to their own antics, they'd have to deal with the outside influences of the various houses as they try to bring the factions into their camps.
Third idea, Clan home world based game. Either before the invasion or after (Wars of Reaving perhaps???)
Large Scale GS campaign ideas: (deliberately not fleshed out atm)
The Succession Wars Game of Thrones edition: The five great houses and their various going ons. Just skip the explicit sex scenes because this is a family friendly site. This game could work with a dozen players but more can be accommodated.
The whole kit and caboodle - The Inner Sphere, the Clans and the Periphery in all their glory. The grand campaign from the start of the Clan Invasion, After Tukayyid, F-C Civil War or wherever. This one would be the beast of beasts and requires at least a score of players to do properly.