New Forum Game: Wolfpack

[EPW]

This is a submarine hunting game. There are two teams, or nations, who are fighting for supremacy over a key stretch of ocean. Both nations have a sizable submarine fleet, and are not willing to risk their capitol and merchants ships until they know the waters are safe. Both sides have sent in their top submarine pack to clear out the area.

Game play

Submarines can either travel on the surface or underwater. You typically will use your diesel engines while traveling on the surface on your electric engines while traveling underwater. There are three speeds you can travel at: slow, standard, or flank. The speeds correspond to the number of squares you travel per turn. Speed also depends on the engine you are using and the damage you have taken. There are certain rules dictated how you can travel: (1)You cannot travel diagonally(2)You can only travel at one 'speed' in a turn(3)You can only move Forward, right, or left, you can not travel backwards. Obviously you cannot move over land, though you can enter your home base for repairs and upgrades.You use fuel when you use your engine, the amount depends on your speed and your engine type.

You can only change your depth by one level a turn(unless you have bought relavent upgrades). Ocean depth is divided into levels, and there are three types of ocean. Shallow water(light blue) only has 2 levels: Surfaced and depth 1. Standard
ocean(blue) has 5 levels: surfaced, and depth 1-4. Treches(dark blue) have 8 levels: surfaced: and depth 1-8. Water pressure is not a concern. When underwater you must follow the same travel restrictions as when on land, with one addition: You cannot move from one type of ocean to another when you are exceding the maximum depth of the ocean type you are moving into. You also have limited battery life and oxygen when underwater, forcing you to surface periodically. Batteries are recharged by running your diesel engines when surfaced.

Detecting Friend and Foe

There are a number of ways to detect other submarines: Visually, active and passive sonar, and radar. In addition, certain events such as a torpedo launch or a hitting a mine are revealed to all.

Note: Sonar cannot detect subs in shallow water or when they are surfaced(except when they are at flank). Furthermore, you cannot use sonar when you are in shallow water or when surfaced.

Passive Sonar is the primary method of detection. You can only detect(without upgrades) targets that are moving faster than you are, and only within a limited range and depth. When you are not moving, your sonar range is extended by 1 over the normal maximum. For game play reasons, you cannot detect surfaced subs with passive sonar unless they are moving at flank speed. Also, unless you have a towed array or are at dead stop, you cannot detect anything behind your sub!

Active Sonar is a far more effective method of detection, but at the cost of revealing your own position. Using active sonar reveals yourself and anyone within range, to everyone!

Visual recognition is only used when you are surfaced and normally 3 squares.(upgradeable) You can see other submarines just below the surface(depth 1) as well as other surfaced ships. Subs at depth 1 can see surfaced subs with their periscope as well.

Radar is a special form of detection. Each side has radar coverage which expands outward by one square every two turns, until the two screens meet in the middle of the map. All surfaced subs within these screens are revealed to everyone! In addition, you may equip your sub with radar. You can only use it while surfaced or at depth 1, but it has a far greater range than visual contact. Your personal radar findings are only revealed to yourself.

Note on Landmasses: Landmasses block sonar and visual detection. Radar is unaffected.
Additional Note: You cannot tell friend from foe with sonar, unless you have upgraded your sonar resolution.

Battle

Since this is a turn based game, torpedoes have range but not speed. Your job is to guess the location and depth of your target, after everyone has moved. You can have up to 4 torpedo tubes: 2 in the front and 2 in the back. Torpedoes cannot turn
more than ninty degrees, have the same movement restrictions as your sub, but have no restriction on depth. The amount of damage and the radius of damage depend on the type of torpedo you are using. Damage is reduced the farther away you are from
the explosion.

Each sub starts with 100 hp(can be increased). No ill effects are felt for the first 10 damage(90-100hp+). 75-89hp reduce your maximum depth to 3. Having between 60-75hp reduces your speed by 1. 50-60hp reduces your maximum depth to 1. 25-49 hp means moderate flooding, you have 3 turns to surface or you will perish. 1-24hp means heavy flooding and you have 1 turn to surface. Damage can be repaired by a repair man, or by returning to base.

Ship-to-Ship communication

You'll need a radio to communicate with your teammates. Communications can be intercepted by the enemy. (all classified communications are done through the GM after the game begins)

Submarine Customization

Every commander gets to customize his submarine before the game starts. He will have 100 points which to buy equipment and weaponry. Points can also be earned through various feats of glory. Some items have a turn requirement before you can buy them.

[b]Diesel Engines[/b]

Name	Cost	Slow/Fuel	Standard/Fuel	Flank/Fuel
Type I: 4 Cylinder Engine	10	1/3	2/9	3/27
Type II: 8 Cylinder Engine	25	1/4	3/12	4/36
Type III: 12 Cylinder Engine	40	2/5	4/15	6/45
Addon: Turbocharger	30	--	+1/+5	+2/+10
Addon: Snorkel*	45	--	--	--

*Allows you to use your diesel engines at depth 1

[b]Fuel Tank[/b]

Name	Cost	Capacity
Type I: Small	5	30
Type II: Medium	15	50
Type III: Large	30	100

[b]Electric Motor[/b]

Name	Cost	Slow/Charge	Standard/Charge	Flank/Charge
Type I: 500 Horsepower Motor	10	1/5	--	2/15
Type II:750 Horsepower Motor	30	1/4	2/12	3/24
Type III: 1000 Horsepower Motor	50	1/3	3/18	5/32
Addon: Extra Propeller	30	--	+1/+5	+2/+10
Addon: Caterpillar Drive*	50	--/+3	-1/+6	-2/+9

*Lowers sound output by one level. IE you can detect other subs traveling at your speed, and other subs(without teh Cat) will have to be traveling 2 speeds slower than a sub with the drive to detect it.

[b]Batteries[/b]

Name	Cost	Capacity
Type I: 50 Cell	5	20
Type II: 100 Cell	15	35
Type III: 150 Cell	30	50

[b]Hull[/b]

Name	Cost	Damage Reduction
Type I: 2 Inch	10	0
Type II: 5 Inches	25	5
Type III: 8 Inches	40	10
Type IV: Double Hulled*	65	20

*-1 speed

[b]Passive Sonar[/b]

Horizontal Range is the number of cells away from the sub that the sonar can detect. In the case of sonar, a square diagonal to the sub is considered one space away. Vertical Range is the depth above and below you that you can detect. A vertical range of 0 would mean you can only detect subs at the your own depth.

Name	Cost	Vertical Range	Horizontal Range
Type I:	5	0	1
Type II:	25	1	2
Type III:	50	2	3
Addon: High Resolution Hydrophone	20	Allows you to distinguish between friend and foe
Addon: Towed Array	35	Allows you to detect the area behind your sub while moving

[b]Active Sonar[/b]

Name	Cost	Vertical Range	Horizontal Range
Type I:	5	1	2
Type II:	15	2	4
Type III:	30	3	6

Personnel

You can hire personnel to perform certain useful functions.

I will fill in this section if there is enough interest in the game


Sample map:

[Krill]

I'll play this

[snoopy369]

Hmmmm, a bit too complicated probably, but interesting. Communications in particular is probably something better not limited in that manner, makes the FG less fun.

[DarkCloud]

Looks pretty neat.

Sadly, with running Society, I won't have time to participate in this, but I wish you luck!

~DC.

PS: I think you might want to limit the levels to only 3 or 4 at maximum... otherwise as snoopy said- this might turn into a very long and very complicated game.

[EPW]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Hmmmm, a bit too complicated probably, but interesting. Communications in particular is probably something better not limited in that manner, makes the FG less fun.

Yeah, you are probably right about the communications. I wanted the enemy to have the ability to intercept tranmitions, but it would probably undermine the team play aspect.

I'm working on the sub parts now.

[EPW]

I have not given up on this. There are a few more items I need to add: torpedos, tubes, escape rafts, radar, mines. As for communications, I would like an honor system rule that you only communicate tactical info when you are surfaced.
I would like 6-10 players to try it out, any less would be pretty dull.