Some Comments on Scenario Submissions
This is Steven Petrick Posting.
Today I started work on processing scenario submissions for Captain's Log.
One of the frequent problems is authors who feel that their submission is "the key event on which the entire fate of the General War" or at least "the fate of the Federal Republic of Aurora" or "The reason the Magellanics failed to stop the Andromedans."
Not every scenario needs to be the critical pivotal event.
All a scenario needs to be is interesting.
They do not need to be introductions for a special ship (or a specially modified ship that is the submitter's own personal ship, such as an Orion ship that has two extra weapons above and beyond every other ship of its class) that does not yet exist in the game. They should stand on their own within the existing background.
Scenarios can be based on existing backgrounds and use existing ship names from that background. Anyone reading about the Federal Republic of Aurora knows how the Klingons got there, but an author in creating a scenario does not need to decide that he will determine the fate of the ships. In so doing, he has (however unintentionally) closed the door on a potential campaign. The Klingon ships might have had a number of adventures and resulting in several battles before the survivors returned to Aurora. Doing one scenario as the whole story of their anabasis in the Omega Octant is something of a waste. It deserves more thought, and yes, an outline of the campaign should be sent before it is written.
Many years ago I created an Orion pirate campaign. I have asked others to create a new one with little success (some have tried, but have never reached the point of trying to submit it). My campaign was a simpler one, if only because "the times were simpler." There were no ducktails or skids, and the possible encounters were limited to freighters, armed freighters, Q-Ships, Free Traders, Armed Priority Transports, Federation Expresses, and large ore carriers (it was the 1980s). Things have changed. An Orion campaign should start with a small ship (in my opinion) and a set number of scenarios, some of which will be boring by their nature, but with a constant chance that the freighter being jumped is a Q-ship, and a variable time for when "the police" will arrive (and perhaps some variable on what the police ship is, other than "empire specific"). Maybe a small convoy (only need to loot one ship of course, but cutting it out of the convoy could be difficult). And of course participation in some published scenarios involving Orion ships. (Perhaps the subject of an enforcer visit, or perhaps serving as the enforcer, among others . . . there are lots of Orion scenarios). A set number of completed objectives earns promotion to a bigger ship (in the old days, LR to CR to BR to CA) and then perhaps the best Campaign player becomes the new Cartel Lord. That constant chance of tangling with a Q-ship is what keeps the Orion player "honest." In short, he should learn not to rush up on a small freighter, blown down a shield, and then just try (after lowering his own shield) to beam over boarders because the freighter might put a photon torpedo or a bolted plasma-F through it accompanied by a few phaser-1s. He should learn the correct methods of stalking and securing his prey, and doing it fast before the cops come.
Today I started work on processing scenario submissions for Captain's Log.
One of the frequent problems is authors who feel that their submission is "the key event on which the entire fate of the General War" or at least "the fate of the Federal Republic of Aurora" or "The reason the Magellanics failed to stop the Andromedans."
Not every scenario needs to be the critical pivotal event.
All a scenario needs to be is interesting.
They do not need to be introductions for a special ship (or a specially modified ship that is the submitter's own personal ship, such as an Orion ship that has two extra weapons above and beyond every other ship of its class) that does not yet exist in the game. They should stand on their own within the existing background.
Scenarios can be based on existing backgrounds and use existing ship names from that background. Anyone reading about the Federal Republic of Aurora knows how the Klingons got there, but an author in creating a scenario does not need to decide that he will determine the fate of the ships. In so doing, he has (however unintentionally) closed the door on a potential campaign. The Klingon ships might have had a number of adventures and resulting in several battles before the survivors returned to Aurora. Doing one scenario as the whole story of their anabasis in the Omega Octant is something of a waste. It deserves more thought, and yes, an outline of the campaign should be sent before it is written.
Many years ago I created an Orion pirate campaign. I have asked others to create a new one with little success (some have tried, but have never reached the point of trying to submit it). My campaign was a simpler one, if only because "the times were simpler." There were no ducktails or skids, and the possible encounters were limited to freighters, armed freighters, Q-Ships, Free Traders, Armed Priority Transports, Federation Expresses, and large ore carriers (it was the 1980s). Things have changed. An Orion campaign should start with a small ship (in my opinion) and a set number of scenarios, some of which will be boring by their nature, but with a constant chance that the freighter being jumped is a Q-ship, and a variable time for when "the police" will arrive (and perhaps some variable on what the police ship is, other than "empire specific"). Maybe a small convoy (only need to loot one ship of course, but cutting it out of the convoy could be difficult). And of course participation in some published scenarios involving Orion ships. (Perhaps the subject of an enforcer visit, or perhaps serving as the enforcer, among others . . . there are lots of Orion scenarios). A set number of completed objectives earns promotion to a bigger ship (in the old days, LR to CR to BR to CA) and then perhaps the best Campaign player becomes the new Cartel Lord. That constant chance of tangling with a Q-ship is what keeps the Orion player "honest." In short, he should learn not to rush up on a small freighter, blown down a shield, and then just try (after lowering his own shield) to beam over boarders because the freighter might put a photon torpedo or a bolted plasma-F through it accompanied by a few phaser-1s. He should learn the correct methods of stalking and securing his prey, and doing it fast before the cops come.
posted by Federation Commander at 6:22 PM
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