Kate’s Cooking: LITTLE DEBBIE CAKES AND COOKIES AND AN INTERESTING MEAT ROLL

Hello there and I hope you are just fine. The cooking column took a hiatus recently but we are back and up and running. Firstly, today I would just like to make a suggestion, similar to what I have suggested in the past and that is to keep an eye out on the packets and boxes of foodstuffs that you buy, for the test kitchen recipes that are on the packets. They are really very good and for the most part, are not too expensive to make.

In particular today, I would like to tell you about the Little Debbie small cakes and cookies that are abundant here in the United States. They have some of the best recipe suggestions that you can find. If you live in a place or country where you are unable to buy these delicious cakes and cookies, then if you have access to a computer, take a look at their website – LittleDebbie.com. Two favorites come to mind. The first is PECAN SPINWHEELS. These are delicious little cakes that are so nice with coffee and the clever people at Little Debbie have made into a Bread Pudding. The second is NUTTY WAFER BARS. These wafers are truly yummy and they have created a recipe for a cheesecake that is truly decadent and excellent. So, do have a look at these cookies and cakes – there is a nice, wide variety and as mentioned and they are not too expensive. The recipes created using their products are really great. (I am not compensated for this by the way, it is a product that my husband and I are particularly fond of).

MEAT ROLL

I have been making variations of this meat roll for many years. I came across the original recipe while living in Toronto, Canada. This loaf is great hot or cold, for sandwiches and useful in salads, school lunches and toasted sandwiches with a piece of cheese added. The amounts given are approximate. Flavorings are yours to experiment with especially in the mashed potatoes and the additions to the ground meat.

-1 x lb of ground meat
-Flavorings as for meatballs are nice and add breadcrumbs and an egg to bind meat.
-6 good sized potatoes boiled and mashed as you like. I like butter, black pepper and cream.
-6 slices of ham

Flatten out the meat to about ½ inch thick, in a rectangle shape on floured foil. Spread with a single layer of ham and then spread with the mashed potatoes – about ¼ inch thick. You can spread ½ inch of potatoes if you think you can roll it without breaking the meat. Take one end of the foil – both sides – and gently roll it around until the roll forms and take both ends of the foil and gently pop it in a large loaf tin and bake in a moderate oven until juices run clear. This is a delicious form of a meatloaf really. It is particularly good the day after baking and as mentioned, makes spectacular sandwiches. Enjoy.

Well I’m off to deal with a tiny cat that has woken up meowing madly – I think she has forgotten where she is. We all had a bad night – to many interruptions with the local police chasing the crazy ones. Until next time, take care and be well.

Cheers, Kate.

Chatter With Kate: THE BUDDING PESKY POLITICIANS HAVE ARRIVED!

Well we are off and running with those who seek political office, showing us their faces, ideas and oh so sweet smiles on the television. It is a nice Saturday afternoon here in the desert southwest and I thank God, the bigG for the Create Channel. They have gone to Ireland for the day in order to celebrate the upcoming St Patrick’s Day. It is a nice break from all the incumbent pesky politicians and the would be pesky political candidates. Oh I know that they have to do their stuff and tell us what they are about but oh wow, some of these TV advertisements are already starting to sound snippy and quite frankly, speaking for myself, I can't stand this. I want to hear some constructive stuff. The erstwhile ideas of those seeking political office seem fine but you know, they (the new candidates) are not going to get their ideas past the toilet door because the corridors of political power are run by the party machines and these party machines have an arm-twisting skill that is scary – oh my yes. If you have been taking note of the comings and goings of Washington this past week in order to get this disputed healthcare bill passed into law, then perhaps you should think (as a candidate) ‘do I really want to do this?’. It shouldn’t be like this but I know that of all the people I have spoken to lately, 98% of them are so fed up with politicians. TERM LIMITS - they might help. If the Presidents get term limits, so should the Senate and the House. The other thing that the budding pesky political candidates need to take note of is the screwing around with the constitution and the fact that they, the incumbent pesky politicians, seem to be losing respect for what the founding fathers of this (still) great country wanted for us. Oh sure, centuries bring new things and each generation goes through changes and things in some cases, obviously need changing but the respect is no longer there. And yet, there seems to be no end of budding political (pesky?) candidates to have a go. They are so eager and they are all going to change the whole system and Washington – remember the last presidential campaign and all the promises about changing Washington - well hell, it is simply not going to happen and we all have to find a path through it and do as Italy does maybe, they seem to go on their own path (their citizens that is) and leave their Government to its on-going stupidity. I don’t think that our current incumbents are entirely stupid – in fact they are mostly very clever folk and that’s the frustrating part of all of this, they should be a lot better at their jobs than they are. We to, as citizens, have to remember that there is give and take and we can’t have all that we would like. So, to all the budding (pesky) politicians, good luck to you. I hope you all have a tough skin. You’re going to need it.

Yslr vstr piy yjrtr. Nr dsgr smf er;;/

That was supposed to be take care out there. That’s what comes of talking to the cat while you are typing.

Cheers, Kate.

Miss Ginny's Diary March 14th 2010

Meow to you, its me Miss Ginny. It is a nice Saturday morning here in the desert south west. Spring is about to arrive and HM is concerned that we are still here with the very hot summer sun just around the corner. HD says not to worry as we are well likely to be living in a new home before the very hot weather comes upon us. It is quiet here at the moment, thank goodness. We all had bad sleeps last night as the local population was very noisy in the downtown area of the city where we live. Someone ran past our apartment at 3.25am and it shook the building and we all woke up and my sister ShooShoo woke up and growled like crazy. It was not good for HD to wake up at that hour as he has a long working day on a Saturday. I am spending my day with HM as she has to re-sort the packing she has already done. With the warmer weather coming, the spring/summer clothes have to be brought out to air and wash. HM is fussy with her cleaning and laundry. I woke HM up in the night as the police and the police helicopter were chasing some people up and down our street and they had blocked off the local roads and their lights were scary. HM is very good to wake up as she usually just says “what’s up Ginny” and I tell her big stories. She just said that she may fall asleep over the laptop and I was to wake her. She has 3 columns to write today, including mine. We all had some juicy white meat to eat this morning because HD had brought some home from his work and it was such a treat. Even GAD and my cat mom Lapper, stopped fighting long enough to eat peacefully. I don’t think that GAD and Lapper mean to snap at each other it is just that GAD has known us since we were born and when we were baby kittens she used to come and spend hours with us and she still plays with us and I think my cat mom gets a little jealous. Well this is the conclusion that HM and I came to. HM and I are looking at the television and we often look at the Create Channel and a very nice man called Rick Steves is taking us around Ireland in honor of St Patrick’s Day on the 17th March. HM is of Irish heritage and she just said that it would be nice for us to live there. No snakes and green fields and plenty of nice fish to eat. We have family living in Ireland – HD’s sister Lois and her family live in Dublin and we have a cat cousin there to, her name is Callie. I am sitting on top of the refrigerator watching the police on their horses go up the street. HM says that she must get a picture of them before we leave here. They look wonderful and very peaceful walking amongst the traffic. We have police on bicycles here too. They often come past our apartment. HM gets a little worried sometimes when the police are everywhere but HD says that it is better to see them about than not. I am sitting right by the laptop watching HM do my typing. I am brushing her arm with my tail and she says that I am cute and one of her BFF’s. HM was the first person I saw when I opened my eyes enough to understand things about me. I was born alongside her bed pillow and she says that I was the size of her thumb with little sticks for legs and she knew I was going to be a calico cat very early on. I am the third calico cat she has owned. The others were Fifi and Samantha who have both gone to spend time with God (or as HM says – the big G). Well I have to go as HM is taking a break from the work on the laptop. I will talk to you again soon.

Love and many meows to you from me, Miss Ginny.

P.S. This is me, in my favorite blankie.

Fantasy Trek: Summary of Events Stardate 0310.08

Quick Start Play:




If you'd like to be able to jump right in to see if you like this game,

you might want to try a few rounds of Simple Combat. The Simple Combat Game is a way for you to quickly resolve combat between vessels, or fleets of vessels. This is useful if you are playing a scenario or campaign that involves more than a few ships. Otherwise a simple

scenario could take weeks to play through.



It is useful to keep a copy of the Simple Combat Template. This makes

it possible to copy and paste the basics of your bit of 'paperwork', add however many ships you may need to, and change or insert ship names. Here is a very basic template (there are more in the files):



IKS rolls: o/d

USS rolls: o/d

Result:

IKS damage /15

USS damage /15



The first section is for points rolled (1d6 result times the appropriate multiplier), and how the points are allocated (offense/defense). The second "Result" section shows the calculated damage. In the case of basic AI ships, the damage potential is 15.. so you would indicate 5 points damage with 5/15. Pretty simple.



If you are playing a single player game, roll a 1d6 to see who 'wins the toss'. If you roll a 1-3, you do. Then you roll the 1d6 for your opponent first. Allocate available points according to this multiplier chart:



2 (DS) Defense Sat/(FR)Freighter X1

3 (FF) Frigate X4

4 (DD) DestroyerX6

5 (CL) Light Cruiser X8

6 (CA) Heavy Cruiser X10

7 (CC) Command Cruiser X12

8 (BCH) Heavy Battlecruiser X15

9 (DN) Dreadnought X20

10 (BB) Battleship X22

11 (CV)Carrier X25

12 (STB ) Starbase/ (BS)Base Station X50/75 (reroll, 50/50)



Here is an example of simple combat between the Klingon heavy cruiser

Perseus and the Sha'kurian heavy cruiser Count: In this case, I won the

toss, playing as the Perseus. That meant that I had to roll and allocate for the Sha'kurian first. (The point of all this 'coin tossing' is to add randomness to the gameplay in the single player game. It puts the luxury of being able to react to your opponent's first move on a totally random footing. And of course, whoever rolled second first time rolls first the next. Compare it to the coin toss to determine who receives the kickoff in a football game ) That first roll was a 6 (on a 1d6), for 60 points. Acting for the Shakurian, I decided to play it safe, putting it all on defense. As it turned out, the caution was unnecesary. The Klingon only rolled a 1.



IKS Perseus rolls:10 0o/10d

SRS Count rolls:60 0o/60d

Result:

IKS Perseus damage 0/25

SRS Count damage 0/15



For the next volley, the Klingon ship took its turn rolling first. It rolled a "3", for 30 points, and put them all on defense. It didn't save him, because the Count rolled a 6.



IKS Perseus rolls:30 0o/30d

SRS Count rolls:60 60o/d

Result:

IKS Perseus destroyed

SRS Count damage 0/15



You'll note that the Perseus is able to take 25 points of damage. That is because all of my play has given me a "Elite" rating. The increased available points is one of the benefits of that. For details, see "Experience Points: How to Get Them and What They Get You". If you

want to take it a step further, you can capture ships using Simple Combat. You have to cause 10 points of damage to lower the enemy

shields, then transport over. Ah, but to so that you have to lower your

own shields. Do that by giving yourself (just for the 'transport' volley) 10 points damage. A bit tricky, with careful timing involved, but a great tactic. And of course, as new races are added to Fantasy Trek, there will be a few necessary variations to these rules (i.e. Tholian Webs).



So what to do with all of this? As I said, the Simple Combat Game is

ideal for extended scenarios involving many ships in combat. For

example, Head to Head Sector Assault was written with Simple Combat in mind:



Rules

The goal is to conquer and hold all 5 systems.



In order to do this, you must conquer (in order, 1 through 5), and

sufficiently defend all systems while denying your enemy access to

those same systems. Reduce the enemy fleet sufficiently to prevent them from building a shipyard, and stop/destroy enough enemy convoys to deny random reinforcements sufficient to threaten your shipyards. You must also attain a minimum of 13 points (see 'Victory Conditions' below)



System Conquest:

Regardless of whether a system has been taken by enemy forces, you will face a random-sized enemy fleet upon first arrival in a new system.

Roll 1d6 for size of enemy fleet, then subtract any applicable random

fleet disadvantage (see below). If the size of the enemy fleet is less than the random fleet disadvantage, then there is no contact. Then use

appropriate simple combat template. All surviving ships retain damage

but can move and fight until destroyed. They can only be repaired by

remaining in place for two turns (subject to random enemy attack each

turn-50% chance of random attack. 1d6:1-3=no contact. 4-6=attacked) or

by docking at shipyard for one turn (subject to random enemy attack,

same odds as above). The system remains yours once you've defeated the initial fleet, but if left undefended, any attempt to conquer it will only be countered by a randomly generated fleet. You can (and should choose to leave any combination of ships and/or a shipyard to defend it.



Open Space:

Enemy convoys will only be encountered in open spaces. Roll for

encounter (1d6:1-3=contact). Then roll 1d6 for enemy escorts. 1-3= 1 CA escort. 4-6= 2 CA escorts. The random fleet disadvantage does not

affect this. Random enemy convoy(s) must be stopped=at least 3/5

freighters destroyed or captured (5/15 damage and successful boarding

party action), escorts destroyed or disabled (10/15 damage) in 5

volleys or less. Every convoy that is stopped decreases random enemy

fleet size by one. This is the random fleet disadvantage. For every

three freighters captured, your random fleet disadvantage is reduced by

one. You will not encounter convoys in open spaces when you have

conquered both adjacent systems



Shipyard:

Shipyards are recommended. They can only be built in systems that you

hold (by destroying an initial assault fleet). Three starships must remain in system or open space area for three turns to build shipyard. During each turn 50% chance of random attack. (1d6:1d6:1-3=no contact. 4-6=attack, then roll 1d6 for size of enemy fleet. If the size of the enemy fleet is less than the random fleet disadvantage, then there is no contact.) LOS (line of sight) must be maintained to use or attack shipyard. Shipyard has X75 multiplier. Shipyard can construct replacement ships in 3 turns. While your fleet can not exceed 6 ships,

additional ships built at shipyards do not count against this total. They cannot fight with full-sized fleets, but can supplement diminished fleets. The same rule applies to surviving random reinforcements. Since you must have a minimum of three ships to build a shipyard, it is

recommended that you build at least one shipyard and at least two reserve ships just in case of unforseen losses. A fleet reduced to two

ships and no shipyard to fall back would have little chance of victory.



If you want to register as a player, notify me through a comment on the

blogsite. I recommend keeping a record of your games played, as they

add up to experience points that enrich your gaming experience.



Victory Conditions/Points-

Shipyards 5 (max)

Fleet size 6 (max)

Reinforcement capacity 6 (max)

You must conquer 5 systems and attain 13+ VC points

Templates (it is recommended that you keep a master copy of these,

making working copies to modify suit your needs):



Klingon fleet vs Federation Fleet

KCA IKS Kandido rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Kurry rolls: o/d

KCA IKS DuranQo rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Ok'ran rolls: o/d

KCA IKS D'Han rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Glommer rolls: o/d

FCA USS Washington rolls: o/d

FCA USS Roosevelt rolls: o/d

FCA USS Cleveland rolls: o/d

FCA USS Detroit rolls: o/d

FCA USS Abraham Lincoln rolls: o/d

FCA USS Guadalcanal rolls: o/d

results

KCA IKS Kandido damage: /15

KCA IKS Kurry damage: /15

KCA IKS DuranQo damage: /15

KCA IKS Ok'ran damage: /15

KCA IKS D'Han damage: /15

KCA IKS Glommer damage: /15

FCA USS Washington damage: /15

FCA USS Roosevelt damage: /15

FCA USS Cleveland damage: /15

FCA USS Detroit damage: /15

FCA USS Abraham damage: /15

FCA USS Guadalcanal damage: /15



Klingon fleet versus Federation convoy with two escorts



KCA IKS Etlh rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Dk'tagh rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Bertaa rolls: o/d

KCA IKS BortaS rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Chang rolls: o/d

KCA IKS tIQ'etlh rolls: o/d

FCA USS Komack rolls: o/d

FCA USS Nogura rolls: o/d

Fr1 rolls: o/d

Fr2 rolls: o/d

Fr3 rolls: o/d

Fr4 rolls: o/d

Fr5 rolls: o/d

results

KCA IKS Etlh damage: /15

KCA IKS Dk'tagh damage: /15

KCA IKS Bertaa damage: /15

KCA IKS BortaS damage: /15

KCA IKS Chang damage: /15

KCA IKS tIQ'etlh damage: /15

FCA USS Komack damage: /15

FCA USS Nogura damage: /15

Fr1 damage: /15

Fr2 damage: /15

Fr3 damage: /15

Fr4 damage: /15

Fr5 damage: /15



Sample First Turn:



Turn 1)

(1209.13)

System 1: FCA USS Essex FCA USS Challenger FCA USS Tahir FCA USS Robau FCA USS Abrahms FCA USS Orci form Fed 1st Fleet (FF1). Contact: 4 KCA's *won toss. (1209.13) FCA USS Essex FCA USS Challenger FCA USS Tahir FCA USS Robau FCA USS Abrahms FCA USS Orci vs KCA IKS D'Qu KCA IKS NaQjej KCA IKS Ej'QuD KCA IKS Qaw'lu: Klingons destroyed. No damage to FF1.



System 5: KCA IKS Kandido KCA IKS Kurry KCA IKS DuranQo KCA IKS Ok'ran KCA IKS D'Han KCA IKS Glommer form Klingon 1st Fleet (KF1). Contact: 4 FCA's *won toss. (1209.13) KCA IKS Kandido KCA IKS Kurry KCA IKS DuranQo KCA IKS Ok'ran KCA IKS D'Han KCA IKS Glommer vs FCA USS Washington FCA USS Roosevelt FCA USS Cleveland FCA USS Detroit: Feds destroyed. No damage to KF1.



Games in Play:



"Fifty Points" (see Dev notes for rules)



Slow week, but the Federation is learning the difficulties and advantages of having to use diplomacy to build shipyards. Here are turns 39 through 41:



Turn 39)

0310.04

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) at Planet Blue17 Dispatch DD USS Gallipoli to investigate distress signal. FF1 initiates diplomatic contact/permission to build FSY1: Turn 1? Unsuccessful (v,10)

Klingons: KBF (Klingon Black Fleet) Construct KSY1 turn 3/3. (y,13)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan First Imperial Fleet) Construct RSY1 turn 3/3. Contact? No contact (af,14)



Turn 40)

0310.04

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) at Planet Blue17 Dispatch DD USS Gallipoli to investigate distress signal. FF1 initiates diplomatic contact/permission to build FSY1: Turn 2? Unsuccessful (v,10)

Klingons: KBF (Klingon Black Fleet) on station KSY1 complete. (y,13)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan First Imperial Fleet) on station RSY1 complete (af,14)



Turn 41)

0310.05

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) at Planet Blue17 begin construct FSY1 at (v,10) turn 1/2? Pirate contact: Three Fed-based DD's. FDD USS Gallipoli at (w,10).

Klingons: KBF (Klingon Black Fleet) moves to (x,14) KSY1 complete. (y,13)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan First Imperial Fleet) moves to (af,13) RSY1 complete (af,14)



(Ent Era) "Edge of Empire"



Challenger NX-07, on a mission to circumnavigate the Romulan Star Empire, encounters a world that threatens to expose its covert mission. Odinas IV is a world rich in natural resources that could give the Romulans an edge in the war, but doing anything to stop the Romulans could bring the weight of the Romulan war machine down on the.lone ship. What should Captain Sam Carpenter do?

----------------

Captain Carpenter orders the planet scanned. It is K-type, and uninhabited. While it would be tempting to somehow sabotage the Romulan war effort, he decides that the risks to his ship, as well as the intelligence gathering mission outweigh the benefits of depriving the Romulans of the planet's resources. He orders supplies brought up from the surface, filling Challenger's stores before moving off. He also decides to advise Starfleet Command at the earliest opportunity.



--------------------------------



For next week:



(TOS Era) "FutureCast"



A science team investigating space-borne lifeforms in an uncharted system at the edge of explored space discovers a radiolitic nebula that seems to be growing in size and intensity. Projecting along the expected path of the nebula, it is determined that it would eventually engulf a solar system in the early stages of development. Within a century, the system could potentially support a dozen planets, with half of them being Class M. There are also indications of valuable minerals in the matter swirling around the young sun. The properties of the nebula would render the system uninhabitable.



At the same time, the local space-borne lifeforms thrive on the very radiolitic properties that threaten the new solar system, as well as the rest of the inhabited systems beyond.



What Are Your Orders, Captain?



Post your solution here for a Command College Point. Feel free to discuss this with the 'comment' feature



"Captain's Log"



"...recorded message..."



(ENT Era)



Class F Geometallic

Age: 1-3 billion years

Diameter: 10,000-15,000 km

Location: Ecosphere

Surface: Volcanic eruptions due to molten core

Atmosphere: Hydrogen compounds

Evolution: Cools to become Class G

Life forms: Silicon-based

Example: Janus IV



20) At some point during the mission, the planet disappears.



(ENT/Ancient Era: Vulcan Sundering)



Vulcan Star Cruiser T'lalak

Commander Nurok

(Date Classified)



Our investigation of F Class planet Tal Taya revealed information which could, if widely disseminated, cause wide-spread diplomatic damage. Therefore, this log entry will be scrambled and classified, for eyes of intelligence directorate only. Begin scramble//



Tal Taya is in the last stages of its existence. This hostile and geologically violent planet is unusual in that it has a highly charged atmosphere, including a major storm that has dominated the atmosphere for at least two thousand of the planet's approximately 3 billion years.



Deep scans of the storm indicated regularly occuring electrical signals. Too regularly occuring to be natural. Brief examination of the signals revealed a close relationship to several ancient Vulcan dialects that were last in wide use nearly two thousand years ago. The time of Surak. Further examination confirmed what some today believe but few will speak of publicly. The recurring transmission was a recorded message from a dying ship as it was pulled into Tal Taya's atmosphere. It was directed at another ship in orbit, and specifically to a person called S'task. S'task, who was supposed to have led ships full of Vulcan dissidents to eventually found the Romulan Star Empire. What was once myth is now fact, and Vulcans are cousins to Earth's greatest enemy. If word of this reaches Earth, the consequences could be disastrous.



//End Scramble



Tal Taya has now fallen in upon itself, and will eventually form an asteroid belt in this system. Any secrets that the planet hid are now gone for good.



For next week. write a 100+ word log entry including the phrase "...expelled from the nebula...". Post it in the yahoo group or on the blogsite's "comment" feature for a Command College Point.



Dev Notes: A slow week for development. Work and RL have been tiring, and I have a free copy of "Star Trek: Legacy" on its way from a great friend. No change to the Fifty Points rules, but I'll note with extreme gratitude the permission by Lord Krueg and the rest of the Klingon Black Fleet (from Starfleet Command: Orion Pirates Dynaverse2 Community) to use the name "Klingon Black Fleet". The name Klingon Black Fleet has (and deserves) a fantastic reputation. The honor is great. No work done on Heavy Combat either, but I've been thinking about increasing range to Photon torpedoes, as well as dialing up the damage on Packet Disruptors as well. I've scanned the March calender image. It is a 'Project' concept picture for the Ab'Qaff Class. As always, the artwork isn't fancy, but I like it, and it's all mine. In fact, it's a color sketch that !'d done of the Ab'Qaff before I came up with the final version. As a note of trivia, the yIntaG who used to own the yahoogroup "Razor Klaw Fleet" told me that the finished product wasn't good enough for his website. So where is Razor Klaw Fleet now? Among the dishonored dead. One more note: I'm starting to study "C language". I plan to eventually be able to create simple Fantasy Trek mini-games. There is a game called "Space Trader" for the Palm OS, based on the drug runner game. Not that I condone that sort of thing for a second, but the game format seems ideal. Simple but configurable combat, missions, systems, fueling and repairs. That would be cool. Watch this space as I read through "Teach Yourself C in 24 hours". Here are the Fifty Points rules, just as a reminder:



Objectives:

Diplomatic agreement to settle unclaimed zone. Fifty-one planets in

three sectors. Seventeen systems each. Each sector= 10x25 spaces.



Three powers must establish economic/material support locally.



After initial battle group (One dreadnought, three heavy cruisers, two

destroyers), all ships must be built locally.



Each power must successfully transport twelve convoys to unclaimed zone and then back to friendly space.

Winning power must unite at least two sectors in order to win.

Winning power must achieve 17 experience points.

Winning power must win at least 5 heavy combat engagements



Sector Victory Conditions:

Military: 2/3 (12/17) systems conquered-see rules below.

Diplomatic/Subterfuge/Economic: 2/3 (12/17) systems cleared of pirate

threat.



At least ten 100+ word logs required from each power.



Rules



Shipyards:

Initial battle group carries enough duranium and dilithium to build

three shipyards. After that, shipyards require five freighters of

refined duranium and dilithium. Three heavy cruisers take three turns

to build a shipyard (subject to random pirate attack (each turn, 2/6

chance of attack) in systems where pirates are active).



Shipyards require one freighter shipment of duranium and one freighter

shipment of dilithium to build one carrier, three heavy cruisers or

five destroyers.



Shipyards build at this rate:

1 carrier= 6 turns

1 heavy cruiser=3 turns

1 destroyer= 1 turn

1 freighter= 1 turn

1 construction ship= 1 turn



Construction ships build at this rate:

1 defsat= 1 turn

1 dilithium refinery= 2 turns

1 duranium refinery= 2 turns



Each zone contains only four systems capable of supplying duranium and dilithium (for each survey, roll 1d6, 1,2= positive result, until four

are catalogued)



Aside from the twelve convoys that must be transported from friendly

space to unclaimed zone and then back to friendly space, convoys are

required to transport refined dilithium and duranium from refineries to

shipyards in order to build/maintain fleets. Powers can hijack enemy

convoys, but after each such incident, the odds of it being subject to

pirate attack increase. (see ROE)



ROE (Rules of Engagement)



Three powers must turn local populations to their sides. Each power

will have advantages:

Federation: Diplomacy/Economic strength

Klingons: Military

Romulans: Subterfuge



Three powers can use any means, but will face disadvantages when going against their strength. (i e: Federation using military strength will

weaken diplomatic standing. Klingon using diplomacy will embolden local

military resistance. Romulans using diplomacy will have less chance of

success)



During every turn, there is a 1/6 chance of random calamity (convoy

lost, contact lost with colony)



Use the following table:

1d6 roll=result

1= convoy closest to destination lost

2= contact with random colony lost

3= power lost to all shipyards for one turn

4= pirate appears from warp and attacks random colony

5= population stages violent revolt on random colony

6= defsats malfunction, destroy random orbiting ship in random system



Every system has 1/5 chance of being dominated by pirate activity upon

first contact. (1d6= '1'= pirate activity. '2-5=no pirate

activity. '6'=reroll)



Each time a power hijacks convoy, there is a 1/6 (1d6) chance that one

of its systems will fall under pirate attack.



Despite ROE, each power will have to use disadvantage to gain access to

system at least twice



Pirate Attack:

Pirate attacks consist of attacks on planets, installations and

starships. Use simple combat tables to determine number and types of

craft.



Default pirate craft will be determined by 1d6 roll:

Klingons:

1-2= Klingon ship

3-4= Romulan ship

5-6= Federation ship



Federation:

1-2= Federation ship

3-4= Klingon ship

5-6= Romulan ship



Romulans

1-2= Romulan ship

3-4= Federation ship

5-6= Klingon ship



Klingons and Romulans can employ privateers that can be customized.



Capturing enemy ships:

Capture attempts/hit and run attacks can only be used during heavy

combat.



System Conquest:

To conquer a system, you must conquer one controlling planet, including

any defense.



System Defense:

Systems have defense ratings of 1 through 10.



1= No installations

No ships permanently assigned



2= No installations

Less than six ships (Destroyer class) permanently assigned



3= Less than six defsats in orbit

Less than six ships (Destroyer class), or one to three ships (heavy

cruiser class) permanently assigned



4= Six defsats in orbit

Less than six ships (Destroyer class), or one to three ships (heavy

cruiser class) permanently assigned



5= Six defsats in orbit

Six ships (Destroyer class), or one to three ships (heavy cruiser

class) permanently assigned



6= Eight defsats in orbit

Six ships (Destroyer class), or one to three ships (heavy cruiser

class) permanently assigned



7= Eight defsats in orbit

One to three ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned



8= Nine or ten defsats in orbit

One to three ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned



9= Shipyard assigned

Four to six ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned



10= Starbase assigned

Four to six ships (heavy cruiser class), or any number of carriers

permanently assigned



Planets have natural simple combat multiplier of x100 without any added

defense, as well as 100 defenders. To conquer a planet, you must defeat

it in simple combat and boarding party action.



System Negotiation:

On first turn, 2/6 chance (1d6, 1-2 required). On second turn, 4/6

chance (1d6, 1-4 required). On third turn, 5/6 chance (1d6, 1-5

required). if you do not succeed at that point, negotiations fail. You

have to vacate system and wait three turns, then you can return try

again. If you fight off pirates in system, you automatically have 5/6

chance of success. If you attack system and fail to conquer it, system

is closed to negotiation.

Kapact's Rant: The Audacity of Obama

"...we're not campaigning any more. The election is over...."


Truer words were never spoken. Also fitting that it comes during a so-called bipartisan meeting. Just as promises of bipartisanship during the campaign were lies, so were so many other things. Of course, the campaign is over, so apparently those promises no longer mean anything, but just as a reminder, here are a few:



(List of promises compiled by John Stossel of FOX Business and FOX News, but quoted on several sites, including PolitiFact.


Promise #1: Cutting spending
On the campaign trail, Obama promised to cut spending several times. In the second presidential debate, he said that "actually, I am cutting more than I'm spending. So it will be a net spending cut." In the third debate, he reiterated: "what I've done throughout this campaign is to propose a net spending cut." Of course, Republicans made claims like that, too. Bush Sr. is famous for his "Read my lips. No new taxes" line. Bush Jr. made statements like "Prosperity requires restraining the spending appetite of the federal government."


Reality:
Under both parties, government's appetite grows. But the line rises sharply after Obama took office. Spending increased 2 TRILLION dollars -- more than any year in history.


Promise #2: Putting bills online
Obama promised "When there's a bill that ends up on my desk as President, you the public will have five days to look online, and find out what's in it before I sign it."


Reality:
He broke that promise when he singed his first bill, the Fair Pay Act. He's broken it since, for instance on the Credit Card Bill of Rights and an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program.


Promise #3: Health care negotiations will be on C-SPAN
Obama promised at least eight times that "we're going to do all the negotiations on C-SPAN, So the American people will be able to watch."


Reality:
They haven't been there. Well, briefly. C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb said, "The only time we've been allowed to cover the White House part of it was one hour inside the East Room, which was kind of just a show horse type of thing."


Promise #4: I Won't Force Americans To Buy Insurance
During the campaign, Obama attacked Hillary Clinton: "She believes we have to force people who don't have insurance," he said in a primary debate in January 2008. In a Feb. 2008 CNN interview, he added: "If a mandate was the solution, we could try that to solve homelessness by mandating that everybody buy a house."


Reality:
This September, he told Congress: "Under my plan, individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance."


Promise #5: Ban Earmarks
"We are going to ban all earmarks," Obama said at a press conference on January 6, 2009.


Reality:
The first spending bill he signed had over 9,000 earmarks.


Promise #6: No Tax Increase on Families Making Under 250k
"Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase - not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes," Obama said in a September 2008 town hall meeting in Dover.


Reality:
In his first year in office, he proposed Cap and Trade, which would be a fat tax on everyone. He increased the cigarette tax by 159 percent, and now we have that proposed tax on fancy health care benefits.


During the campaign, he criticized John McCain for just suggesting that. "My opponent can't make that pledge [not to raise taxes] and here's why: for the first time in American history, John McCain wants to tax your health care benefits," he said in the same speech.


But now it's Obama who wants to tax health plans:
"This reform will charge insurance companies a fee for their most expensive policies," he said in his health care address to Congress.

I know its easy and popular to attack the whole "Hope and Change" express, but really, I don't think even his supporters (the few honest ones that he has left) believe that anymore. What I'm talking about is the unbridled arrogance and hubris that the Obama/Reid/Pelosi hegemony are inflicting on the country. Mister Obama is an inexperienced socialist product of the Chicago machine, and his presidency is the biggest political disaster we've faced since... we were a nation. His disrespect for the people he is supposed to represent is matched only by his arrogance that says he doesn't have to care about promises and lies. Does he think we're stupid, or does he just think he's above the need to be honest with WE THE PEOPLE. I think it's arrogance. That is, among other things, a result of the broken system of government that permits rich, corrupt lawyers to run forever, supported by labor unions and corporations that are ruining the country. The only way to fix the system is a constitutional amendment that imposes term limits on anyone in the federal government, and restricts spending in national elections, or ads related to national elections (including house and senate seats) to money collected by taxpayers, administered by a bipartisan commission that is only allowed to serve for four years. That is the only way to remove corrupt, entrenched liars like Obama/Reid/Pelosi from office.

And we've got (at least) two more years to go. Great.

Chatter With Kate: GET OUT AND VOTE – YOU HAVE THE POWER

Hi folks. Well it is a gloomy Sunday afternoon here in the desert south west. I am back into politics in this column – to whit – the upcoming elections and a bunch of observations and thoughts that I have come across lately. So, here is a list of some of these things I have heard from folk from all places and all walks of life:



*I feel that the Democrats and the Republicans have big problems ahead and maybe that is why we will see many new faces in Washington.

* The bitter and stupid nuttiness of Washington DC is crazy.

* I would just like to say that there is a time when an incumbent administration must stop blaming the previous administration for woes and mistakes etc. It is just too boring to continually hear this.

*It seems to me that too many politicians serve masters other than the voting public.

*To many politicians have a total lack of morals.

*I am sure that there are a handful that are dependable and nice but show them to us.

The headline for this column is very important for our future here in our great country. GET OUT AND VOTE – GET REGISTERED. We have the power to change things. Try to get through the platitudes, the myriad of promises you will hear between now and voting day but at the same time listen long and hard to what the folk running for office are saying. One of the interesting things to watch for this year is the Tea Party – they might get a seat or two. Who knows? People are so dissatisfied that this party has come along at the right time and if they get themselves organized with an honest platform or agenda to campaign on, it could be very interesting. My husband and I are independent folk and it is the independent folk out there who could make the greatest impact. I heard someone say just recently that they are so sick of politics, politicians, Washington that they simply can’t be bothered with any of it. Well while I appreciate this sentiment, I say to this person, it is you who has the power to change things. Get out there and vote!! Next week I am going to do my best to ignore the pesky politicians and find something to talk about that will probably bore you to tears!!

Take care folks, be safe and happy. I am off to have my simple supper – poached eggs in chicken gravy poured over some bread and butter.

Until next time, cheers – Kate.

Miss Ginny's Diary March 7th 2010

Meow to you and I hope you are all okay. I have been sitting in the window watching a lot of strange people down in the street. HM is better and although she is tired she is up and about and writing and studying. She told me that she thought I should eat more than I do and she asked me if I was feeling okay. I am fine – I have never eaten a lot and I like to eat in the night when everyone is asleep and it is peaceful. Sometimes, my sister ShooShoo hears me and she gets up and comes to eat too. HM has several dishes of cat biscuits around the apartment for us and lots of water which is something you have to have if you eat cat biscuits. My sister has gone to sleep (it is the afternoon) on top of the shoes. It cannot be very comfortable but I guess she is okay. Grandma Carrie is trying to get HM to get the afternoon soft food meal. I think she will be successful in this. HM and Grandma Carrie have been together for so long that they understand each other well and know just how far they can go in annoying each other. Well HM says that moving from the desert southwest will likely be delayed and that we have to put up with where we are for a little while longer. If HD can get the transfer to Los Angeles and a better job then I guess that is where we will go. It is not too far away from where we are now. As long as HM doesn’t forget to pack all my toys then I am not worried about anything. I like to play chasing with bits of squashed paper. I chase them all over the tiled floor in the bathroom. My sister does the same thing. We got into trouble in the early hours of the morning today. It was about 2.15am and we got into a great game and a run and we just forgot ourselves and she chased me up and over the big bed and we woke up HD and HM and upset the laundry basket and it spilt over on top of my cat mother, Lapper and oh my. Well we went to bed very quickly after that. I like to sleep at the back of HD’s legs. I think my sister will be in big trouble if she does it again – she does this quite often. The worst one to wake up is Grandma Carrie because she sure does hiss up a storm. Talking of Grandma Carrie, her snoring is really loud at the moment. HM says she snores as loud as HD if he is lying on his back. GAD is talking a lot in her sleep too. Great Aunt Daisy has often done this. HM says that she is the only cat she has ever had that has done this. GAD is the coolest cat. She just goes along at her own pace and listens to HD and HM but does her own thing. She loves HD and likes to cuddle in bed with him. Grandma Carrie has given up trying to get her food and has turned her back on HM. There is an ambulance up the street. We often hear them and I don’t like their noise and ShooShoo hates the fire engines when they go past. We are near an intersection and they always put their sirens on really loud to warn people to keep out of the way so they can get to where they are going quickly. My sister runs under the big bed when she hears them coming. Oh well, maybe in our new home we won’t hear them so much.

Here is this week’s picture. It is my cat mum Lapper. She is pretty and loves to sleep on her back. HD and HM found her running around the streets when she was quite small. She had six babies and my sister and I are lucky to have her with us. She still gives us a lick or two even though we are now grown cats.

 

Meow to you and if you are able, adopt a cat from a shelter or the SPCA in your area. We cats, aim to please! Bye for now, Miss Ginny.

Fantasy Trek Summary of Events Stardate 0310.02

Quick Start Play:




If you'd like to be able to jump right in to see if you like this game, you might want to try a few rounds of Simple Combat. The Simple Combat Game is a way for you to quickly resolve combat between vessels, or fleets of vessels. This is useful if you are playing a scenario or campaign that involves more than a few ships. Otherwise a simple scenario could take weeks to play through.



It is useful to keep a copy of the Simple Combat Template. This makes it possible to copy and paste the basics of your bit of 'paperwork', add however many ships you may need to, and change or insert ship names. Here is a very basic template (there are more in the files):



IKS rolls: o/d

USS rolls: o/d

Result:

IKS damage /15

USS damage /15



The first section is for points rolled (1d6 result times the appropriate multiplier), and how the points are allocated (offense/defense). The second "Result" section shows the calculated damage. In the case of basic AI ships, the damage potential is 15.. so you would indicate 5 points damage with 5/15. Pretty simple.



If you are playing a single player game, roll a 1d6 to see who 'wins the toss'. If you roll a 1-3, you do. Then you roll the 1d6 for your opponent first. Allocate available points according to this multiplier chart:



2 (DS) Defense Sat/(FR)Freighter X1

3 (FF) Frigate X4

4 (DD) DestroyerX6

5 (CL) Light Cruiser X8

6 (CA) Heavy Cruiser X10

7 (CC) Command Cruiser X12

8 (BCH) Heavy Battlecruiser X15

9 (DN) Dreadnought X20

10 (BB) Battleship X22

11 (CV)Carrier X25

12 (STB ) Starbase/ (BS)Base Station X50/75 (reroll, 50/50)



Here is an example of simple combat between the Klingon heavy cruiser Perseus and the Sha'kurian heavy cruiser Count: In this case, I won the toss, playing as the Perseus. That meant that I had to roll and allocate for the Sha'kurian first. (The point of all this 'coin tossing' is to add randomness to the gameplay in the single player game. It puts the luxury of being able to react to your opponent's first move on a totally random footing. And of course, whoever rolled second first time rolls first the next. Compare it to the coin toss to determine who receives the kickoff in a football game ) That first roll was a 6 (on a 1d6), for 60 points. Acting for the Shakurian, I decided to play it safe, putting it all on defense. As it turned out, the caution was unnecesary. The Klingon only rolled a 1.



IKS Perseus rolls:10 0o/10d

SRS Count rolls:60 0o/60d

Result:

IKS Perseus damage 0/25

SRS Count damage 0/15



For the next volley, the Klingon ship took its turn rolling first. It rolled a "3", for 30 points, and put them all on defense. It didn't save him, because the Count rolled a 6.



IKS Perseus rolls:30 0o/30d

SRS Count rolls:60 60o/d

Result:

IKS Perseus destroyed

SRS Count damage 0/15



You'll note that the Perseus is able to take 25 points of damage. That is because all of my play has given me a "Elite" rating. The increased available points is one of the benefits of that. For details, see "Experience Points: How to Get Them and What They Get You". If you want to take it a step further, you can capture ships using Simple Combat. You have to cause 10 points of damage to lower the enemy shields, then transport over. Ah, but to so that you have to lower your own shields. Do that by giving yourself (just for the 'transport' volley) 10 points damage. A bit tricky, with careful timing involved, but a great tactic. And of course, as new races are added to Fantasy Trek, there will be a few necessary variations to these rules (i.e. Tholian Webs).



So what to do with all of this? As I said, the Simple Combat Game is ideal for extended scenarios involving many ships in combat. For example, Head to Head Sector Assault was written with Simple Combat in mind:



Rules

The goal is to conquer and hold all 5 systems.



In order to do this, you must conquer (in order, 1 through 5), and sufficiently defend all systems while denying your enemy access to those same systems. Reduce the enemy fleet sufficiently to prevent them from building a shipyard, and stop/destroy enough enemy convoys to deny random reinforcements sufficient to threaten your shipyards. You must also attain a minimum of 13 points (see 'Victory Conditions' below)



System Conquest:

Regardless of whether a system has been taken by enemy forces, you will face a random-sized enemy fleet upon first arrival in a new system. Roll 1d6 for size of enemy fleet, then subtract any applicable random fleet disadvantage (see below). If the size of the enemy fleet is less than the random fleet disadvantage, then there is no contact. Then use appropriate simple combat template. All surviving ships retain damage but can move and fight until destroyed. They can only be repaired by remaining in place for two turns (subject to random enemy attack each turn-50% chance of random attack. 1d6:1-3=no contact. 4-6=attacked) or by docking at shipyard for one turn (subject to random enemy attack, same odds as above). The system remains yours once you've defeated the initial fleet, but if left undefended, any attempt to conquer it will only be countered by a randomly generated fleet. You can (and should) choose to leave any combination of ships and/or a shipyard to defend it.



Open Space:

Enemy convoys will only be encountered in open spaces. Roll for encounter (1d6:1-3=contact). Then roll 1d6 for enemy escorts. 1-3= 1 CA escort. 4-6= 2 CA escorts. The random fleet disadvantage does not affect this. Random enemy convoy(s) must be stopped=at least 3/5 freighters destroyed or captured (5/15 damage and successful boarding party action), escorts destroyed or disabled (10/15 damage) in 5 volleys or less. Every convoy that is stopped decreases random enemy fleet size by one. This is the random fleet disadvantage. For every three freighters captured, your random fleet disadvantage is reduced by one. You will not encounter convoys in open spaces when you have conquered both adjacent systems



Shipyard:

Shipyards are recommended. They can only be built in systems that you hold (by destroying an initial assault fleet). Three starships must remain in system or open space area for three turns to build shipyard. During each turn 50% chance of random attack. (1d6:1d6:1-3=no contact. 4-6=attack, then roll 1d6 for size of enemy fleet. If the size of the enemy fleet is less than the random fleet disadvantage, then there is no contact.) LOS (line of sight) must be maintained to use or attack shipyard. Shipyard has X75 multiplier. Shipyard can construct replacement ships in 3 turns. While your fleet can not exceed 6 ships, additional ships built at shipyards do not count against this total. They cannot fight with full-sized fleets, but can supplement diminished fleets. The same rule applies to surviving random reinforcements. Since you must have a minimum of three ships to build a shipyard, it is recommended that you build at least one shipyard and at least two reserve ships just in case of unforseen losses. A fleet reduced to two ships and no shipyard to fall back would have little chance of victory.



If you want to register as a player, notify me through a comment on the

blogsite. I recommend keeping a record of your games played, as they add up to experience points that enrich your gaming experience.



Victory Conditions/Points-

Shipyards 5 (max)

Fleet size 6 (max)

Reinforcement capacity 6 (max)



You must conquer 5 systems and attain 13+ VC points



Templates (it is recommended that you keep a master copy of these, making working copies to modify suit your needs):



Klingon fleet vs Federation Fleet

KCA IKS Kandido rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Kurry rolls: o/d

KCA IKS DuranQo rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Ok'ran rolls: o/d

KCA IKS D'Han rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Glommer rolls: o/d

FCA USS Washington rolls: o/d

FCA USS Roosevelt rolls: o/d

FCA USS Cleveland rolls: o/d

FCA USS Detroit rolls: o/d

FCA USS Abraham Lincoln rolls: o/d

FCA USS Guadalcanal rolls: o/d

results

KCA IKS Kandido damage: /15

KCA IKS Kurry damage: /15

KCA IKS DuranQo damage: /15

KCA IKS Ok'ran damage: /15

KCA IKS D'Han damage: /15

KCA IKS Glommer damage: /15

FCA USS Washington damage: /15

FCA USS Roosevelt damage: /15

FCA USS Cleveland damage: /15

FCA USS Detroit damage: /15

FCA USS Abraham damage: /15

FCA USS Guadalcanal damage: /15



Klingon fleet versus Federation convoy with two escorts



KCA IKS Etlh rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Dk'tagh rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Bertaa rolls: o/d

KCA IKS BortaS rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Chang rolls: o/d

KCA IKS tIQ'etlh rolls: o/d

FCA USS Komack rolls: o/d

FCA USS Nogura rolls: o/d

Fr rolls: o/d

Fr2 rolls: o/d

Fr3 rolls: o/d

Fr4 rolls: o/d

Fr5 rolls: o/d

results

KCA IKS Etlh damage: /15

KCA IKS Dk'tagh damage: /15

KCA IKS Bertaa damage: /15

KCA IKS BortaS damage: /15

KCA IKS Chang damage: /15

KCA IKS tIQ'etlh damage: /15

FCA USS Komack damage: /15

FCA USS Nogura damage: /15

Fr1 damage: /15

Fr2 damage: /15

Fr3 damage: /15

Fr4 damage: /15

Fr5 damage: /15



Sample First Turn:



Turn 1)

(1209.13)

System 1: FCA USS Essex FCA USS Challenger FCA USS Tahir FCA USS Robau FCA USS Abrahms FCA USS Orci form Fed 1st Fleet (FF1). Contact: 4 KCA's *won toss. (1209.13) FCA USS Essex FCA USS Challenger FCA USS Tahir FCA USS Robau FCA USS Abrahms FCA USS Orci vs KCA IKS D'Qu KCA IKS NaQjej KCA IKS Ej'QuD KCA IKS Qaw'lu: Klingons destroyed. No damage to FF1.

System 5: KCA IKS Kandido KCA IKS Kurry KCA IKS DuranQo KCA IKS Ok'ran KCA IKS D'Han KCA IKS Glommer form Klingon 1st Fleet (KF1). Contact: 4 FCA's *won toss. (1209.13) KCA IKS Kandido KCA IKS Kurry KCA IKS DuranQo KCA IKS Ok'ran KCA IKS D'Han KCA IKS Glommer vs FCA USS Washington FCA USS Roosevelt FCA USS Cleveland FCA USS Detroit: Feds destroyed. No damage to KF1.





Games in Play:



"Fifty Points" (see Dev notes for rules)

Turns 1 through 38.



The opening of Fifty Points hasn't been really really exciting. That is just because the fleets had to move through the corridor, move by move, turn by turn. The trip through the corridor was boring this time, but in the future, convoys will no doubt come under attack. Anyway, the Federation fleet encountered a Kabul.Class Federation-derived pirate heavy battlecruiser, (read the log entry after the turn logs), but the Klingons and Romulans didn't. They moved in and started installing shipyards, while Admiral April on the Fed DN USS Tiberius opened scanned for duranium/dilithium resources and opened negotiations to install a shipyard.



Turn 1)

0210.18

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) launches (z,39)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet launches (z,42)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) launches (ae,41)



Turn 2)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) moves to (aa,39)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet moves to (aa,42)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) moves to (ad,41)



Turn 3)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) enters neutral entrance (ab,39)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet enters neutral entrance (ab,42)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) enters neutral entrance (ac,41)



Turn 4)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,38)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in neutral entrance (ab,41)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in neutral entrance (ac,40)



Turn 5)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,37)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in neutral entrance (ab,40)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in neutral entrance (ab,40)



Turn 6)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,36)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in neutral entrance (ab,39)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in neutral entrance (ab,39)



Turn 7)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,35)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,38)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,38)



Turn 8)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,34)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,37)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,37)



Turn 9)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,33)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,36)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,36)



Turn 10)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,32)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,35)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,35)



Turn 11)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,31)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,34)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,34)



Turn 12)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,30)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,33)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,33)



Turn 13)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,29)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,32)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,32)



Turn 14)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,28)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,31)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,31)



Turn 15)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,27)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,30)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,30)



Turn 16)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,26)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,29)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,29)



Turn 17)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,25)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,28)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,28)



Turn 18)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,24)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,27)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,27)



Turn 19)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,23)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,26)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,26)



Turn 20)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,22)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,25)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,25)



Turn 21)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,21)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,24)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,24)



Turn 22)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,20)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,23)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,23)



Turn 23)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,19)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,22)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,22)



Turn 24)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,18)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,21)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,21)



Turn 25)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,17)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,20)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,20)



Turn 26)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,16)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,19)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,19)



Turn 27)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,15)

Klingons: IKF1 (Imperial Klingon Fleet) Black Fleet in corridor (ab,18)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,18)



Turn 28)

0210.19

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in corridor (ab,14)

Klingons: KBF (Klingon Black Fleet) in corridor (ab,17)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,17)



Turn 29)

0210.20

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in neutral exit (ab,13)

Klingons: KBF (Klingon Black Fleet) in corridor (ab,16)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan Imperial First Fleet) in corridor (ab,16)



Turn 30)

0210.20

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in neutral exit (ab,12)

Klingons: KBF (Klingon Black Fleet) in corridor (ab,15)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan First Imperial Fleet) in corridor (ab,15)



Turn 31)

0210.20

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in neutral exit (ab,11)

Klingons: KBF (Klingon Black Fleet) in corridor (ab,14)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan First Imperial Fleet) in corridor (ab,14)



Turn 32)

0210.20

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in neutral exit (ab,10)

Klingons: KBF (Klingon Black Fleet) in neutral exit (ab,13)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan First Imperial Fleet) in neutral exit (ac,14)



Turn 33)

0210.20

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in open space (aa,10)

Klingons: KBF (Klingon Black Fleet) in open space (aa,13)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan First Imperial Fleet) in open space (ad,14)



Turn 34)

0210.20

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in open space (z,10)

Klingons: KBF (Klingon Black Fleet) in open space (z,13)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan First Imperial Fleet) in open space (ae,14)



Turn 35)

0210.20

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in Federation zone (y,10)

Klingons: KBF (Klingon Black Fleet) in Klingon zone (y,13)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan First Imperial Fleet) in Romulan zone (af,14)



Turn 36)

0210.20

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in Federation zone (x,10)

Klingons: KBF (Klingon Black Fleet) begins construct KSY1. No pirate activity (y,13)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan First Imperial Fleet) begins construct RSY1. Pirate activity reported. No contact. (af,14)



Turn 37)

0210.21

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) in Federation zone (w,10)

Klingons: KBF (Klingon Black Fleet) Construct KSY1 turn 1/3. (y,13)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan First Imperial Fleet) Construct RSY1 turn 1/3. Contact? No contact (af,14)



Turn 38)

0210.21

Federation: FF1 (Federation First Fleet) arrives Planet Blue.17 Pirate activity. Contact? Federation based- 1 vessel BCH Kabul Class ISC (Independent Star Cruiser) Maddoff. ISC Maddoff appears and retreats.Begin survey of system. (see log entry) (v,10)

Klingons: KBF (Klingon Black Fleet) Construct KSY1 turn 2/3. (y,13)

Romulans: RIF1 (Romulan First Imperial Fleet) Construct RSY1 turn 2/3. Contact? No contact (af,14)



Fifty Points Log Entries:



FDN USS Tiberius Admiral April



Stardate 0210.21 Arrival

System designated Blue 17 in Federation Control Zone of Triangle region. As we dropped out of warp at the edge of the system, a Federation Kabul Class Heavy Battlecruiser appeared on short range sensors. Detailed scans showed that it was not the standard heavy battlecruiser load out. The forward sensor dish had been fitted with a plasma torpedo emitter, and the photon torpedo launchers had been replaced with packet disruptor emitters. There was also structural changes to the aft quarter, suggesting that special weapons had been installed there. As soon as the ship, designated ISC Maddoff, according to hull markings, detected us, it warped out of the system. It is interesting to note that the Maddoff's warp trail dissipated unusually quickly. We were unable to track it. We can only assume it is a pirate craft. At that point, we conducted a scan of the system, looking for duranium and dilithium, but found none. Our next move here is to contact the local population and negotiate for permission to build a shipyard here.



Fifty Points Updates:



Stardate 0310.01

Klingon Black Fleet reports Federation civilian distress signal from neutral corridor exit. Retransmitted to Federation fleet at coordinates (v,10).

Klingon ambassador Khemara protests presence of civilian Federation craft in area.



Heavy Combat Games Played: (see Dev notes)

0210.20 KCA IKS Etlh (A) vs FCA USS Constitution (B) (Advanced Test)(2nd test)

0210.21 KCA IKS Etlh (A) vs FCA USS Constitution (B) (Advanced Test)(3rd test)

0210.23 KCA IKS Etlh (A) vs FCA USS Constitution (B) (Advanced Test)(4th test)



"What Are Your Orders, Captain?"



(TNG Era) "Troubled Waters"



Captain Ritchie of the Galaxy Class USS Andromeda discovers a refugee Suliban community living inside of an abandoned colony ship of unknown origin. Standard orders regarding Suliban refugees dictate that they be protected but kept hands-off. No starfleet officer has met a Suliban face to face in more than a hundred years because of a catastrophe involving the crew of the USS April. The problem is that the colony ship is approaching a region of space heavily populated by space-borne life forms that are attracted by impulse emissions.



----------------



Despite his curiosity about the Suliban, Captain Ritchie follows the regulations concerning Suliban. He closes with the colony ship, and rather than attach a tractor to the fragile craft, Ritchie encases the ship in a warp bubble and pulls it out of the area. Then he turns it loose at half impulse in a 'star desert', a large area of space devoid of star systems.



For next time...



(Ent Era) "Edge of Empire"



Challenger NX-07, on a mission to circumnavigate the Romulan Star Empire, encounters a world that threatens to expose its covert mission. Odinas IV is a world rich in natural resources that could give the Romulans an edge in the war, but doing anything to stop the Romulans could bring the weight of the Romulan war machine down on the.lone ship. What should Captain Sam Carpenter do?



Post your solution here for a Command College Point. Feel free to discuss this with the 'comment' feature



"Captain's Log"





"...out of character..."



16) The landing party discovers someone who desperately wants to be taken off the planet.



Class G Geocrystalline

Age: 3-4 billion years

Diameter: 10,000-15,000 km

Location: Ecosphere

Surface: Still crytallizing

Atmosphere: Carbon dioxide, some toxic gases

Evolution: Cools to become Class K,L, M, N, O or P

Life forms: Primitive single-celled organism

Example: Delta Vega



(TNG Era)

Captain April Townsend

USS Nyota

Yeager Class Patrol Ship



Few understand the potential for conflict between the Federation and the Klingons more than my crew. While the rest of the quadrant enjoys the so-called peace of the twenty-fourth century, we patrol the dangerous border of the Triangle Zone where battlecruisers never seem to stop crossing the border. They might have pirate house insignias painted on the hull, or claim allegiance to Korgath the pirate rather than the High Council, but they are still Klingons, and they still enjoy targeting saucer sections. That may not be the politically correct thing to say, especially in these days of glowing friendship between our two peoples following the defeat of the Dominion, and I believe that the Defense Force battlecruisers that fought alongside our ships did so with honor, but the Klingons in the Triangle Zone are completely different. The Korgath captain whose ship I scuttled yesterday would not have been out of character engaging the Enterprise over Organia a century ago.



But then there is D'kerr.



D'kerr was born to a warrior on a battlecruiser at the heighth of the 23rd Century conflict between the Federation and the Empire. According to our records, the warship Qui'tu was one of three battlecruisers attempting an end run around a Federation task force in this sector. The task force caught the Klingon wolf pack in orbit of this uncharted world and opened up with everything they had. D'kerr's mother put him in an escape pod and sent him down before the ship was destroyed. There D'kerr lived, alone on a barely habitable Class G geocrystalline planet. How exactly he survived, with no plant or animal life is beyond me, but he did survive. And with only a few memory banks to draw on for cultural knowledge, all D'kerr knew was the war. And for a hundred years, it's all he ever thought about. Until another ship crashed on his world. The Korgath cruiser that we brought down hit the thin atmosphere in large pieces, and mostly survived the descent. Exploring the wreckage, D'kerr found bodies of Klingons kept in shackles or physically brutalized. And since there were no non-Klingons on board, there was no question of who did it. That cut the slender thread that had been D'kerr's faith in his people (strained over a century with no reinforcement or companionship), and left him with nothing but a desire to leave what now seemed to be a hostile, solitary prison. After we convinced him that the war was indeed over, we offered him a ride. And as we traveled to Qo'noS, I found myself teaching and learning things like tolerance and acceptance from this rough-hewn but surprisingly vulnerable warrior.





For next week. write a 100+ word log entry including the phrase "...recorded message...". Post it in the yahoo group or on the blogsite's "comment" feature for a Command College Point.



Dev Notes:

There was, finally, lots of work done in Heavy Combat. Weapons have been dialed down and defenses dialed up. All that I think needs thought is maybe adjust packet (Klingon) disruptors up a bit, to make up for the three turn turnaround, and balance for the lack of phasers. But basically the heavy combat engine is a go.



I've done the March calender image. It is a conceptual, 'project' drawing of the Ab'Qaff class Heavy Command Carrier. It hasn't been scanned yet. Look for that no later than Friday.



As always, rules tend to change as a game plays out. It has in this case (hardly surprising, considering the complexity of Fifty Points. Changes mainly focus on resource management and diplomacy. Here are the revised rules:



Objectives:



Diplomatic agreement to settle unclaimed zone. Fifty-one planets in three sectors. Seventeen systems each. Each sector= 10x25 spaces.



Three powers must establish economic/material support locally.



After initial battle group (One dreadnought, three heavy cruisers, two destroyers), all ships must be built locally.



Each power must successfully transport twelve convoys to unclaimed zone and then back to friendly space.



Winning power must unite at least two sectors in order to win.



Winning power must achieve 17 experience points.



Winning power must win at least 5 heavy combat engagements



Sector Victory Conditions:



Military: 2/3 (12/17) systems conquered-see rules below.

Diplomatic/Subterfuge/Economic: 2/3 (12/17) systems cleared of pirate threat.



At least ten 100+ word logs required from each power.



Rules



Shipyards:

Initial battle group carries enough duranium and dilithium to build three shipyards. After that, shipyards require five freighters of refined duranium and dilithium. Three heavy cruisers take three turns to build a shipyard (subject to random pirate attack (each turn, 2/6 chance of attack) in systems where pirates are active).



Shipyards require one freighter shipment of duranium and one freighter shipment of dilithium to build one carrier, three heavy cruisers or five destroyers.



Shipyards build at this rate:

1 carrier= 6 turns

1 heavy cruiser=3 turns

1 destroyer= 1 turn

1 freighter= 1 turn

1 construction ship= 1 turn



Construction ships build at this rate:

1 defsat= 1 turn

1 dilithium refinery= 2 turns

1 duranium refinery= 2 turns



Each zone contains only four systems capable of supplying duranium and dilithium (for each survey, roll 1d6, 1,2= positive result, until four are catalogued)



Aside from the twelve convoys that must be transported from friendly space to unclaimed zone and then back to friendly space, convoys are required to transport refined dilithium and duranium from refineries to shipyards in order to build/maintain fleets. Powers can hijack enemy convoys, but after each such incident, the odds of it being subject to pirate attack increase. (see ROE)



ROE (Rules of Engagement)



Three powers must turn local populations to their sides. Each power will have advantages:

Federation: Diplomacy/Economic strength

Klingons: Military

Romulans: Subterfuge



Three powers can use any means, but will face disadvantages when going against their strength. (i e: Federation using military strength will weaken diplomatic standing. Klingon using diplomacy will embolden local military resistance. Romulans using diplomacy will have less chance of success)



During every turn, there is a 1/6 chance of random calamity (convoy lost, contact lost with colony)

Use the following table:

1d6 roll=result

1= convoy closest to destination lost

2= contact with random colony lost

3= power lost to all shipyards for one turn

4= pirate appears from warp and attacks random colony

5= population stages violent revolt on random colony

6= defsats malfunction, destroy random orbiting ship in random system



Every system has 1/5 chance of being dominated by pirate activity upon first contact. (1d6= '1'= pirate activity. '2-5=no pirate activity. '6'=reroll)



Each time a power hijacks convoy, there is a 1/6 (1d6) chance that one of its systems will fall under pirate attack.



Despite ROE, each power will have to use disadvantage to gain access to system at least twice



Pirate Attack:

Pirate attacks consist of attacks on planets, installations and starships. Use simple combat tables to determine number and types of craft.

Default pirate craft will be determined by 1d6 roll:



Klingons:

1-2= Klingon ship

3-4= Romulan ship

5-6= Federation ship



Federation:

1-2= Federation ship

3-4= Klingon ship

5-6= Romulan ship



Romulans

1-2= Romulan ship

3-4= Federation ship

5-6= Klingon ship



Klingons and Romulans can employ privateers that can be customized.



Capturing enemy ships:

Capture attempts/hit and run attacks can only be used during heavy combat.



System Conquest:

To conquer a system, you must conquer one controlling planet, including any defense.



System Defense:

Systems have defense ratings of 1 through 10.



1= No installations

No ships permanently assigned

2= No installations

Less than six ships (Destroyer class) permanently assigned

3= Less than six defsats in orbit

Less than six ships (Destroyer class), or one to three ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned

4= Six defsats in orbit

Less than six ships (Destroyer class), or one to three ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned

5= Six defsats in orbit

Six ships (Destroyer class), or one to three ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned

6= Eight defsats in orbit

Six ships (Destroyer class), or one to three ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned

7= Eight defsats in orbit

One to three ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned

8= Nine or ten defsats in orbit

One to three ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned

9= Shipyard assigned

Four to six ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned

10= Starbase assigned

Four to six ships (heavy cruiser class), or any number of carriers permanently assigned



Planets have natural simple combat multiplier of x100 without any added defense, as well as 100 defenders. To conquer a planet, you must defeat it in simple combat and boarding party action.



System Negotiation:

On first turn, 2/6 chance (1d6, 1-2 required). On second turn, 4/6 chance (1d6, 1-4 required). On third turn, 5/6 chance (1d6, 1-5 required). if you do not succeed at that point, negotiations fail. You have to vacate system and wait three turns, then you can return try again. If you fight off pirates in system, you automatically have 5/6 chance of success. If you attack system and fail to conquer it, system is closed to negotiation.

Miss Ginny's Diary March 1st 2010

Meow to you all – it seems a long time since I talked to you. We have had a few family hiccups as HM likes to say. My human mum got sick. HD had not been well with a virus bug that was going around the valley and when everyone was well, they went and had their H1N1 flu shots and within a week HM had come down with a very bad cold that sent her to bed for over a week. This is so unusual for her as she rarely gets sick and as she told a friend, she had not had a cold for 12 years. Everybody is better now and so HM can type for me. We have all behaved ourselves recently except I guess, for a couple of fights I had with my sister ShooShoo. I like to sit on top of the microwave and have a kip or two (a short sleep) as it is in a good position to see what is going on around the apartment. My sister likes to go there to and she keeps on trying to knock me off the microwave so we do battle. However, HM does not like fighting of any kind and we have gotten ourselves into a little trouble. When HM was in bed with her cold we all piled in and kept her company and she wondered what part of the bed she could have and when HD came home we all had to move around the big bed. It was kind of fun but you have to feel sorry for HD because HM says he is like a big hot water bottle and we all like to pile in next to him cause it is nice and warm. But you know, he loves us and all cats so we get away with a lot. We are careful with him as he is very big on good behaviour. He was not pleased with GC (Grandma Carrie) earlier as she tried to sneak out the door and he ran after her and they got into it quite loudly. This of course, brought HM onto the scene as she does not like the loud noise and neither do I. GC is very belligerent and if you don’t know what that big word means, well it means that GC doesn’t like being told off and thinks she can do anything she wants. I guess when you are nearly 18 cat years of age (162 human years) you can hiss at who you want to, which she does but it is probably not wise to hiss at HD. Oh well they are friends again. HD is at work and GC is sound asleep. Let us hope that ShooShoo leaves her alone. My sister is rather fond of returning hisses at her. HD says my sister is eating too much as she is getting large. This is quite true. I keep my slim line figure by watching what I eat but I am cute and I like the way I am. HM just told me that I am ‘full of it tonight’. I am staring her out for that comment, so she just poked her tongue out at me. That’s not fair- well I don’t think so anyway. We truly like each other and I like to follow her around when she does the housekeeping and keep her company when she is writing. She told me that it may be that we wont shift to the northern prairies. I think she is sad about this but things change and it all depends on HD’s work. It may be that we will go back to California, to Los Angeles. I don’t know this place very well but HM likes it well enough and as long as she is there then that’s fine with me. We shall see.

Each week I am going to include a picture of one of my family. I thought this would be fun. This week it is a picture of GAD (great aunt Daisy) – she plays with us and HM calls her a lovable giant. She is a big cat and has been lonely since she lost her mate couple of years ago. It took her a long time to get over losing our Percy cat. We all miss him very much.

Well it is time to go. A lot of meow’s to you out there. Until next time.

Miss Ginny.