The Mechanics' Guild: An RP(G) Community

[Lord Dominator]

I think my nuclear war mechanics are good as they currently stand. If there is anything that seems ambiguous or contradictory, let me know. Otherwise I'll shelve it as it currently stands and launch it whenever I have time (NS summer, probably).

I look forward too it!

[Harkback Union]

I think my nuclear war mechanics are good as they currently stand. If there is anything that seems ambiguous or contradictory, let me know. Otherwise I'll shelve it as it currently stands and launch it whenever I have time (NS summer, probably).

Erm...

Economy and Production

Civilian Infrastructure

Mines, a type of infrastructure, is used to collect natural resources. Natural resources can be used in power plants, to satisfy cities' energy demand and power air defences, or used in the construction of additional infrastructure, nuclear weapons, and military units. Natural resources can be stored from turn to turn, but energy cannot. The total number of natural resources collected by every block from the first turn contributes to exhaustion.

Mines and power plants in the mechanics do not merely represent mines and power plants, but also imply an entire heavy industry or consumer goods industry behind it.

Shaft mines cost a base of 2 natural resources, plus one more natural resource per each mine already present on the bloc. Each turn, they produce two natural resources, modified by exhaustion and technology to a maximum of three.

Pit mines cost a base of 3 natural resources, plus one more natural resource per each mine already present on the bloc. Each turn, they produce three natural resources, modified by exhaustion and technology to a maximum of five. Each pit mine contributes 1 exhaustion per turn in addition to production.

Coal power plants cost a base of 1 natural resources. They generate 3 energy, modified by exhaustion. Each coal power plant contributes 1 exhaustion per turn.

Solar power plants cost a base of 6 natural resources, plus one per each solar power plant already built in that bloc. They generate 6 energy, modified by technology.

Nuclear power plants cost a base of 4 natural resources. They consume one natural resource per turn, and generate 6 energy, modified by technology.

Military Infrastructure

Centrifuge cost 4 natural resources plus 1 for each centrifuge already present in the bloc, and allows the processing of natural resources to nuclear warheads at a rate of 2 natural resources to 3 nuclear warheads. Nuclear warheads have a finite storage capacity. If more than one centrifuge has been constructed, each additional centrifuge present improves the conversion rate by 1 additional nuclear warhead per 2 natural resources. This conversion costs 0.5 energy per 2 natural resources converted.

Missile Silos cost 3 natural resources, and allows 3 MRBMs or 2 ICBMs (if possessing the appropriate technology) to be used per turn. A missile silo increases storage capacity for nuclear warheads by 12.

Airbases cost 3 natural resources, and allows the deployment of 4 Strategic Bombers per turn. Airbases may also defend against Strategic Bombers in the bloc it is built in and adjacent blocs. An airbase also increases storage capacity for nuclear warheads by 6. Note that an airbase cannot attack and defend in the same turn.

Radar cost 1 natural resource, and allows nuclear attacks against one city or infrastructure and itself to be defended against.

SAM Batteries cost 3 natural resources, and allows defence against ICBMs, MRBMs, and Strategic Bombers in the bloc it is built in.

Satellite Centre cost 3 natural resources, and allows defence against ICBMs, MRBMs, and SSBNs in any bloc. It requires "Military Satellites" technology to be built.

Exhaustion

Exhaustion is collected by natural resource extraction, modified by technology, pit mines, coal power plants, and various technologies.

Every 300 exhaustion adds one to the exhaustion of the planet. Each exhaustion of the planet decreases the production of relevant infrastructure by one. High exhaustion may also trigger devastating climate disasters.

Cities

Cities have a population. Each turn, the population of every city with a nonzero population gains an additional 0.2 million population, modified by technology. Every 1 million population consumes 0.2 energy. If there is insufficient energy to meet the demand, there is no population growth.

The sum of the population of every city in a bloc is also referred to as the population of the bloc. The population of the bloc is allocated between research, defence, politics, and espionage. Each 1 million population dedicated to research produces a research point each turn which is applied to the currently chosen project. Defence is used to meet the population demand of various defensive structures. Each 1 million population dedicated to politics and espionage generates 1 political and espionage points per turn respectively, which can be used to take various actions. Political and espionage points may not be saved.

I'd strongly recommend the following:
- Get rid of either pit mines or shaft mines (or introduce different mechanics for the 2)
- Halve power output from power plants
- Halve energy needs for population, so that a million needs 0.1 E and 10 million needs 1 E.

I'd also probably introduce some more mechanics, If I was in charge:
- Introduce Oil and uranium "strategic" resources and Oil rigs / Uranium mines. Strategic resources do not accumulate over turns, but instead uranium limits the number of centrifuges you can run and oil limits the size of your armies/navies. Excess oil can be converted to energy.
- Centrifuges need no "natural resources" to operate, but instead access 1 uranium each and a lot of energy (say, 1). A centrifuge can either produce warheads, or supply nuclear plants with fuel. With advanced technology, they can do both.
- Mines come in levels. At the start, Add resource depletion dates for each block, say, you have resources remaining till 2250. Each time mines are upgraded, the cost doubles, but so does the output, and the remaining years are halved (rounded down). If you are in 2017 and you upgrade your lvl 1 mine which produced 2 NR per turn for say the price of 8 NR, You now have a lvl 2 mine which produces 4 NR per turn, but you'll only have resources left until 2133 (you take the average of the 2 dates!). If technologies add to mining efficiency, you don't mess with the date, just simply increase income.
- Coal plants eat Natural resources, but produce way more power then solar. Nuclear be more expensive/need uranium. Exhaustion replaced with Pollution (since resource depletion is already accounted for). Each time new industry is built (mines/coal plants) Players increase their own block's pollution (emission) level/rating by one. Every 5-10 turns, somebody counts the current emission rating from all blocks, multiply it by 5-10 and add it to a global emission scale.
- As we cross certain pre-determined (but perhaps hidden) lines on the emission scale, bad stuff happens on a globally.
- Add forests and natural wonders. Blocks that start off poorer (provided there is asimmetric start) should have more of these. Forests count as negative pollution for your rating and absorb emissions. You can chop down your forests, 1 each turn to earn extra natural resources, however, they are very expensive to replant. Natural wonders could provide minor long term benefits, which, like forests, could be squandered for a quick buck or used for target practice with nuclear weapons. Perhaps global warming could ruin them as well.
- Add expensive and energy-eating recycling plants, biofuel refineries or some other fancy technology (which you might have already done) that lets you produce synthetic oil and get some of the NR from non-mining sources.

I should really stop there... right there... no more rulebooks Harkback, no more!

[Plzen]

- Halve power output from power plants
- Halve energy needs for population, so that a million needs 0.1 E and 10 million needs 1 E.

Seems easier to just double energy use elsewhere. Accomplishes the same effect. I'll get around to it when I have time.

- Introduce Oil and uranium "strategic" resources and Oil rigs / Uranium mines. Strategic resources do not accumulate over turns, but instead uranium limits the number of centrifuges you can run and oil limits the size of your armies/navies. Excess oil can be converted to energy.
- Centrifuges need no "natural resources" to operate, but instead access 1 uranium each and a lot of energy (say, 1). A centrifuge can either produce warheads, or supply nuclear plants with fuel. With advanced technology, they can do both.
- Mines come in levels. At the start, Add resource depletion dates for each block, say, you have resources remaining till 2250. Each time mines are upgraded, the cost doubles, but so does the output, and the remaining years are halved (rounded down). If you are in 2017 and you upgrade your lvl 1 mine which produced 2 NR per turn for say the price of 8 NR, You now have a lvl 2 mine which produces 4 NR per turn, but you'll only have resources left until 2133 (you take the average of the 2 dates!). If technologies add to mining efficiency, you don't mess with the date, just simply increase income.
- Coal plants eat Natural resources, but produce way more power then solar. Nuclear be more expensive/need uranium. Exhaustion replaced with Pollution (since resource depletion is already accounted for). Each time new industry is built (mines/coal plants) Players increase their own block's pollution (emission) level/rating by one. Every 5-10 turns, somebody counts the current emission rating from all blocks, multiply it by 5-10 and add it to a global emission scale.

There's only so much I can keep track of in a mechanics-based RP without going stir-crazy. This won't be happening.

- Add forests and natural wonders. Blocks that start off poorer (provided there is asimmetric start) should have more of these. Forests count as negative pollution for your rating and absorb emissions. You can chop down your forests, 1 each turn to earn extra natural resources, however, they are very expensive to replant. Natural wonders could provide minor long term benefits, which, like forests, could be squandered for a quick buck or used for target practice with nuclear weapons. Perhaps global warming could ruin them as well.

Asymmetric starts are a very interesting idea. I'll definitely be willing to go with this, but only if people are fine with having considerably unfair starting positions.

[Harkback Union]

- Halve power output from power plants
- Halve energy needs for population, so that a million needs 0.1 E and 10 million needs 1 E.

Seems easier to just double energy use elsewhere. Accomplishes the same effect. I'll get around to it when I have time.

The reason I recommended halving energy production and the population's usage is so that its easier to remember how much energy you need per capita and there is less computation overall.

There's only so much I can keep track of in a mechanics-based RP without going stir-crazy. This won't be happening.

I see...

But about those mines, I don't think they make too much sense. Other block's mines deplete your resources? I mean, if exhaustion is applied on a global level, your mines will lose income even if you barely had any mines of your own.
So, I don't see why anyone would want to build shaft mines. Sure, it delays the death of the mother earth, but if your opponents are using pit mines, they'll have a massive advantage on you, both short and long term. If the planet's resources are gonna get exploited anyway, its better be you who's doing the exploiting!

[Plzen]

So, I don't see why anyone would want to build shaft mines. Sure, it delays the death of the mother earth, but if your opponents are using pit mines, they'll have a massive advantage on you, both short and long term. If the planet's resources are gonna get exploited anyway, its better be you who's doing the exploiting!

Dispersed industry is harder to nuke. Having 3 shaft mines is less efficient than having 2 pit mines, but it's harder to destroy.

Such was my reasoning, anyways. Perhaps I should just call it "dispersed industry" and "concentrated industry" instead of calling them mines? More abstraction is almost always better in RP mechanics.

EDIT: Actually, I like that idea. I'll put renaming mines on my to-do list.

[Harkback Union]

That reminds me, I also have a global geopolitik simulator in the freezer.

Reading through your rules got me in the mood, would you mind me maybe launching a very similar RP to your own?

[Shadowwell]

Though this osnt a mechanic related question, many of you have been here a while, so here goes.

Is it allowed to create a temp Ic for an rp?

[G-Tech Corporation]

Though this osnt a mechanic related question, many of you have been here a while, so here goes.

Is it allowed to create a temp Ic for an rp?

What do you mean when you say temp IC?

[Shadowwell]

Though this osnt a mechanic related question, many of you have been here a while, so here goes.

Is it allowed to create a temp Ic for an rp?

What do you mean when you say temp IC?

Due to a family emergency i am away. But i want the ic to go up, before interest is lost. I was wanting the ic put up, to be temporary, before i put a proper one up.

[G-Tech Corporation]

What do you mean when you say temp IC?

Due to a family emergency i am away. But i want the ic to go up, before interest is lost. I was wanting the ic put up, to be temporary, before i put a proper one up.

Well, you could always just put up the IC in a makeshift fashion then edit it later to be better.

[The Burning Sun]

*yawns*

[G-Tech Corporation]

*yawns*

Looking for new RPs?

[Pac Kindom]

Me too

[The Burning Sun]

*yawns*

Looking for new RPs?

I dunno. Spring vacation is pretty uneventful so far, but I know things are about to go crazy with finals coming up.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Me too

Did you check out North's new Star Wars RP? It's delightfully mechanicy.

[Harkback Union]

I've got another RP coming up, planetary colonization with relatively simple rules (and no OP/Overlord reliance). Would anyone be willing to join after my previous disasters?

[G-Tech Corporation]

I've got another RP coming up, planetary colonization with relatively simple rules (and no OP/Overlord reliance). Would anyone be willing to join after my previous disasters?

+1

[Indo-pasif archipelago]

I've got another RP coming up, planetary colonization with relatively simple rules (and no OP/Overlord reliance). Would anyone be willing to join after my previous disasters?

Might be. Would it be something Civ: beyond earth-ish?

[Pac Kindom]

I've got another RP coming up, planetary colonization with relatively simple rules (and no OP/Overlord reliance). Would anyone be willing to join after my previous disasters?

+1

+2

[Harkback Union]

I've got another RP coming up, planetary colonization with relatively simple rules (and no OP/Overlord reliance). Would anyone be willing to join after my previous disasters?

Might be. Would it be something Civ: beyond earth-ish?

I'm thinking Mars, maybe?
Or is that too mainstream these days?

[Lord Dominator]

+1

+2

+3

[Plzen]

I'm thinking Mars, maybe?
Or is that too mainstream these days?

I think something like Civ: Beyond Earth would actually play really well.

Mars is simply too hostile for the science fiction tropes as we know them, and it doesn't have native life that we can fight/befriend. It's also awfully close to Earth, which means that ties to old sponsor nations will be really strong (maybe this is what you want, though).

Could I perhaps have a look at the mechanics you have so far?

[Harkback Union]

I'm thinking Mars, maybe?
Or is that too mainstream these days?

I think something like Civ: Beyond Earth would actually play really well.

Mars is simply too hostile for the science fiction tropes as we know them, and it doesn't have native life that we can fight/befriend. It's also awfully close to Earth, which means that ties to old sponsor nations will be really strong (maybe this is what you want, though).

Could I perhaps have a look at the mechanics you have so far?

My Idea is...
If its set on mars, I can just copy one of Nasa's maps instead of having to draw my own.

[Indo-pasif archipelago]

I think something like Civ: Beyond Earth would actually play really well.

Mars is simply too hostile for the science fiction tropes as we know them, and it doesn't have native life that we can fight/befriend. It's also awfully close to Earth, which means that ties to old sponsor nations will be really strong (maybe this is what you want, though).

Could I perhaps have a look at the mechanics you have so far?

My Idea is...
If its set on mars, I can just copy one of Nasa's maps instead of having to draw my own.

If you choose something other than Mars, you can use the Martian map and turn it upside down. Really most of us won't even notice it.

[Harkback Union]

I think something like Civ: Beyond Earth would actually play really well.

Mars is simply too hostile for the science fiction tropes as we know them, and it doesn't have native life that we can fight/befriend. It's also awfully close to Earth, which means that ties to old sponsor nations will be really strong (maybe this is what you want, though).

Could I perhaps have a look at the mechanics you have so far?

My Idea is...
If its set on mars, I can just copy one of Nasa's maps instead of having to draw my own.

Actually... The mechanics are still in the works. I have devised a story though
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=410257
I think I went a bit overboard here and there.

Anyway, I think the mars setting is pretty good since not only can I save time on maps but also on naval mechanics.
And who knows if mars has native life?