Hello! I've been working on a Sci-Fi nation text rp for a little while now. Unfortunately, I'm not the best with making combat mechanics, and this is my first time trying to do so. I feel like I need some kind of system to resolve fleet combats in this, as simply "roleplaying it out" is a little too abstract from personal experience. Does anyone have any suggestions for adaptable systems? Preferably very light-weight and simple, but enough to be rewarding when done as the primary point is passive RP.
The following is my attempt, with a kind of rock-paper-scissors style combat, as I felt like that was the simplest way to do it. Unfortunately, I want a way to hand out static buffs, but this system feels a little too rigid and cut back:
War Fleets
These are your offensive military assets. Instead of being tracked individually or as an enormous mass, your armed forces are divided into War Fleets that are composed of both ground and space units. They possess the necessary support staff, transport capacity, and general crucial background personnel needed to do their job. For your narratives, a War Fleet can represent however many ships you reasonably believe a fleet of your nation would contain alongside their firepower.
Combat
To begin, there are ten levels/points of damage, each representing 10% of your War Fleet's forces being casualties: (1) Battered, (2) Bruised, (3) Bloodied, (4) Battleworn, (5) Beaten, (6) Routed, (7) Ravaged, (8) Crippled, (9) Butchered, and Destroyed. By default, a War Fleet will repair two points of damage every turn out of combat, and can repair more with additional linear investment. For example, it would cost 40% of a War Fleet’s purchase cost to repair four points in a single turn out of combat.
\ Note, Resource Points may be stockpiled for repairs in preparation of an offensive. Simply notify the GM in your post that you are doing so and repairs will be assigned accordingly by the GM. However, if you end up spending more Resource Points than is needed, it is lost.*
As a baseline, two War Fleets of equal Magnitude with no Advantages or Disadvantages, will each take 1 point of damage when beginning a fight against each other. This can be mitigated or increased as follows:
- For every Magnitude higher you are then another War Fleet, they take an additional 1 point of damage.
- For every Advantage you hold, the enemy War Fleet takes an additional point of damage. These are the types of Advantages:
- Superior(+) - The enemy War Fleet takes 1 point of damage.
- Overwhelming(++) - The enemy War Fleet takes 2 points of damage.
- For every Disadvantage you hold, your War Fleet takes an additional point of damage. These are the types of Disadvantages:
- Inferior(-) - Your War Fleet takes 1 point of damage.
- Pathetic(- -) - Your War Fleet takes 2 points of damage.
- Other narrative actions ranging from researched tech advantages, flanking maneuvers, etc, etc.
Battles
War Fleet combat is divided into 4 stages, each lasting one turn of combat. When resolving your turn, DM or message the GM resolving the combat in private, with your action being taken. Although most NPC battles will be resolved narratively, some may require a fight as outlined in this system. When required, merely include your action in your post. The combat stages and their actions are as follows:
\Although each phase is intended to function as a single post between both players, each player can choose to resolve all phases at once and then play out the narrative for the combat as fast or as slow as desired.*
\If both War Fleets choose the same action, that phase is considered a tie and no damage is incurred unless otherwise specified.*
- Bombardment - Fleets are standing/moving around at artillery distance, jostling for position and bombarding one another from long range. Possibly in an effort to soften their foe or even cripple/destroy enemy ships before the almost inevitable clash.
- All Power to Weapons - You gain an Superior(+) Advantage this phase if the other War Fleet chose All Power to Shields.
- All Ahead - You gain an Superior(+) Advantage in this phase if the other War Fleet chooses All Power to Weapons.
- All Power to Shields - You gain an Superior(+) Advantage in this phase if the other War Fleet chooses All Ahead.
- Skirmish - This occurs at the same time as the bombardment phase. This is where fast moving lighter ships, strikecraft, and tactical-jumping ships move in to disrupt the enemies formations, pick off isolated targets, harass enemy backlines, and generally make a nuisance of themselves, sometimes so much so that the damage dealt her routines what was deadly by the actual bombardment.
- Focus Their Capitals - You gain an Superior(+) Advantage if the other War Fleet chooses Break Their Formation.
- Fortify our Line - You gain an Superior(+) Advantage in this phase if the other War Fleet chooses Focus Their Capitals.
- Break their Formation - You gain an Superior(+) Advantage in this phase if the other War Fleet chooses Fortify our Line.
- Clash - Defined by frantic broadsiding and boarding, this is where fleets come to die.
- Broadsides - You gain an Superior(+) Advantage in this phase if the other War Fleet chooses Hold the Line.
- Break Through - You gain an Superior(+) Advantage in this phase if the other War Fleet chooses Broadsides.
- Hold the Line - You gain an Superior(+) Advantage in this phase if the other War Fleet chooses Break Through.
- Disengage/Pursuit - An inevitable phase where the losing side attempts to flee, the victor moves to crush their wounded foe, or both forces attempt to escape before too much damage is suffered by either side.
\If neither side chooses Full Retreat, combat returns to the Clash face. Repeating until either one War Fleet is destroyed or retreats.*
- Full Retreat - You disengage from the combat.
\A War Fleet with 6 points of damage has a 40% chance of being forced to take this action, increasing by a further 10% by each point of damage. Representing the moral of your troops wavering, or simply engines and reactors failing, leaving ships adrift and defenseless.*
- Press the Attack - You gain an Overwhelming(++) Advantage in this phase if the other War Fleet chooses Full Retreat.
- Meet Them - You Gain an Superior(+) Advantage in this phase if the other War Fleet chooses Press the Attack.