Overview
This page contains additional rules designed to give more strategic and tactical options to players, laid on top of an otherwise fairly standard PBEM system. These rules are not intended to be used or understood by everybody. However, side officers and team leaders in particular are expected to know them.
Your Character
Special Unit Designations
Units in the game will have optional weapons and equipment, and are prioritized for certain climates and theatres. Your unit has a profile page, detailing its abilities in the game. However, certain units have special designations which give them exceptions to other rules. These are explained below.
Artillery Class (A)
These units have long range weaponry. They can participate in an attack from extreme range, only using their (A) class weaponry. If an (A) class unit does not make a Major Action in an update, it can assist a single battle in an adjacent sector from Artillery range. The Artillery unit will gain 1/2 the normal VP/CP in this case, but will likely take no damage. (A) units can also make bombardments during Sieges.
For example, an EF PC in West Australia ambushes a Zeon PC in West Australia. Any (A) class units in East Australia on both sides can provide artillery fire for the battle, provided that they did not make a Major Action that update.
Certain (A) class units can only count this class in certain theatres. These restrictions will be noted on a units profile page or shop entry.
Detector Class (D)
Detector units have advanced scouting and communications equipment. They improve your ability in Patrols, Blockades, Scouting and Detecting, increase the accuracy of Artillery units, and lessen the advantage given to enemy in Ambushes. Having multiples of one type of Detector does not increase their effectiveness, but having multiple different types of Detector can. Newtypes of NT7 or higher act as Detector units.
Certain (D) class units can only count this class in certain theatres. These restrictions will be noted on a units profile page or shop entry.
Large and Small Class Mobile Suits (L) and (l)
While not a Mobile Armor, some MS, such as the Perfect Zeong and Zock, are huge mobile suits. These units take up more space in a hangar. Alternatively, Riah and Lunar Union Dracken E's and Petites are small mobile suits. They take up less space in hangar slots.
Orbital Drop Class (O)
These units can make Orbital Drops, and can freely move from Orbit to a planet’s surface. (O) class ships are noted whether they can only drop their MS compliment, or can move to the planet themselves.
Repair Class (R)
These ships contain all the personnel, equipment and spare parts necessary to refuel, restock and repair other warships. (R) class ships can make Repair actions.
Stealth Class (S)
These units have an easier time slipping by Patrols and Blockades, are better at Scouting, and are harder to Detect. In addition, they are given more leeway when it comes to battle strategies, and are often allowed to start a battle very close to or inside of enemy positions, depending on context.
Certain (S) class units can only count this class in certain theatres. These restrictions will be noted on a units profile page or shop entry.
Transport Class (T)
A Squad in space cannot be maintained outside of a ships hangar unless it contains a (T) class unit. Each (T) unit can support a number of units in a Squad, for example a Shackles (T4) can support itself plus 3 more units.
Bases and Ships
Named NPCs
Some NPC bases and fleets can have special 'Named' NPCs from the show. In addition, sometimes players will be given a Named NPC as a roleplaying reward. Named NPC units are just like normal NPC units, with two exceptions.
First, Named NPCs can have a maximum level higher than 5. For example, a base entry may have an "lvl11 Gouf Custom (Norris Packard)". Newtype Named NPCs will have their NT rating listed after the N. For example, "lvl3N10 Elmeth (Lalah Sune)". Named NPCs do not gain VP benefits from specializations, but may be prerequisites for a PCs specialization, for example a PC and his Named NPC cohort gaining the Teamwork specialization.
Second, Named NPC units will be given more optional armament options than normal, with options more similar to PC units than NPC units.
Minor Faction Special Rules
The four Minor Factions in the game, CMC, Lunar Union, Republic of Riah and JDEG, each have a special rule that their NPC Units can take advantage of in battle. Rogue Mercernaries have a special rule as well.
• Lunar Union
Because of their focus towards training for Lunar combat, all Lunar Union units have the Moon Specialization. Furthermore, LU players do not need Transport class units for their Squads while on the Moon.
• Republic of Zeon
Many Republic of Zeon defense force soldiers have not quite gotten over the war. All Republic of Zeon pilots have the Vendetta (Earth Federation) Specialization.
• Riah Republic
While Riahs military is small, it is exceptionally organized and boasts an incredibly fast response time. Any time a battle occurs in Riah territory, a free Riah Flight Support service will automatically intervene. Furthermore, Riah players do not need Transport class units for their Squads while on Side 6.
• Anaheim Electronics
Anaheim Electronics are famous for housing the greatest mechanics and engineers in the entire Earth Sphere, and are amazing at repairing mobile suits. At the end of every battle, AE and any allied sides regain 10% of all destroyed units, rounded up.
• Non-Aligned Rogues
Only the best Rogues, Guerrillas and Terrorists are ever placed on the radar of government agencies. All Unaligned Rogue NPC units have the Operative Specialization.
Death and Dying
Damage Types
There are seven different types of damage one can incur from battle in the game, and while these all follow the same basic rules, they all have very minor differences. These differences are listed here.
All types of damage prevent the following actions: Battle, Orbital Drop, Scout & Detect.
Build actions are not allowed when damaged in enemy territory, unless the player is on a ship, fleet or base.
Repairing
A "repairing" character has a damaged mobile weapon that requires repair. 1-5 points.
• Additional Actions Prevented: Refit, Train unless on a Base or Ship
Injury
An injured character requires medical attention and cannot fight. 1-7 points.
• Additional Actions Prevented: Train, Forage, Infiltrate, Overwatch, Escape
• Notes: A 7 point Injury score, called a "Serious Injury", permanently reduces the characters VP and CP by 10%, rounded up.
Fatigue
A Fatigued character has been fighting too long without rest, and is unable to operate at their full potential. This affects the character and his Squad. 1-3 points.
• Additional Actions Prevented: Train, Overwatch, Escape
Jailed
A jailed character has broken some sort of rule or procedure and has been confined temporarily by his or her superiors as punishment. 1-6 points.
• Additional Actions Prevented: Move, Overwatch, Train, Forage
Destroyed
A Destroyed result occurs when the pilots mobile weapon is completely destroyed without the pilot dying. Always 6 points.
• Additional Actions Prevented: Refit, Train unless on a Base or Ship
• Notes: A player who receives a Destroyed result may change their mobile weapon if they wish. Whether or not they change units, they fight their first battle after returning to OK status at 1/2 VP, due to the trouble of getting used to a new machine.
Missing in Action
A character who has gone MIA is presumed dead, but will be found at a later time. 1-6 points.
• Notes: This type of damage acts exactly like death, except that the character is not actually dead. Use the Death rules on the Rules page.
Upgrading
A character who is Upgrading is having their mobile weapon overhauled and improved with new technology. 1-6 points.
• Additional Actions Prevented: Move
• Notes: A PC's Upgrading points will not tick down while they have any Repairing points, making it possible to delay an upgrade by attacking the ship or base housing the Upgrading player.
Actions
Minor Actions
Sub Areas & Relocation
In many Sectors, a players Position line on their Roster will read the Sector, as well as a sub area, for example "Position: Saharan Africa (Nile Delta)". The sub-area in parenthesis is chosen arbitrarily by myself when you move, and can have a few gameplay ramifications.
Some actions can move you to a new sub-area, case by case.
The sub-area shows the terrain and climate you fight in if ambushed.
You may make a minor action to Relocate to a new sub-area of your choice in the same Sector, as long as you do not make a major action that day, and are not on Overwatch or Blockading. Certain actions allow for a free Relocation, as specified in the Special Actions section.
Major Actions: Airborne Ships Double Moves
Forces consisting entirely of Airborne Ships and their Hangar compliment may make two Major Actions per day on Earth, as long as the first Major Action is a Move action. Everybody else may only make one Major Action per day.
When figuring out the order of the update, the initial Airborne Move action is done at the same "time" as all other units actions. The second action is done afterwards.
For example, a Zeon Jukon in East Indian Ocean moves to Central Indian Ocean on Monday. A Federation Medea in West Australia emails to move to East Indian Ocean and then paradrop the Jukon in Central Indian Ocean. The Medea moves to East Indian Ocean at the same time as the Jukon moves to Central Indian Ocean, and the paradrop is successful.
If the Medea in our example had chosen to ambush the Jukon in East Indian Ocean, or paradrop him in Davis Sea, the battle would not have happened. This means to some extent airborne units must predict enemy movements when doing double moves.
Double Moves are not possible through sectors experiencing the Severe Storms weather condition.
Major Actions: Battles
Damaged PCs Fighting
Damaged PCs fight at reduced effectiveness as follows. All of these reductions are cumulative and round up. If the reductions drop their VP below 1, they may not fight.
• If Repairing: -20% VP per point. Unit will not repair that update.
• If Injured: -20% VP, -20% CP per point. Player will not heal that update.
• If Fatigued: 1/2 VP, 1/2 CP, multiplicative with the above. Player will not heal that update.
• If Destroyed or Upgrading: Destroyed or Upgrading PCs will fight in an NPC unit if available at 1/2 VP. This is multiplicative with the above, so a Destroyed and Injured 2 player fights at 30% VP.
• If Jailed: Jailed PCs will fight at full VP, but will only be sent out if the ship/base commander decides it is necessary to take them out of the brig in order to win the battle.
Damaged Ships Fighting
Damaged ships fight with 10% less VP per damage point, rounding up. Disabled ships fight at 25% VP. Ships may also become Fatigued. Fatigued ships and the units on them fight with ½ VP and CP, rounding up. These effects are multiplicative, for example, a Damaged 2 and Fatigued ship fights with 40% VP. Ships are only ever Fatigued for 1 update.
Not Participating in Battles
It is possible for a character to be present on a battle but not fight. PCs in these circumstances are written into the battle, gain 1 VP/CP, and receive no damage. They do not count as having been in a battle for any other rules, such as Recently Sparred status or Refits being cancelled, etc.
PCs on a ship or base may opt to not sortie in battle, for example to protect themselves if their damage numbers are too high.
Long Events
Sometimes an event will be so large and complicated that it needs to be split into smaller portions. These events are rare, and generally part of special storyline events. The normal RPG will be paused while a Long Event occurs, and the event will be played out piece by piece. Specifics on the Long Event rules are found on the Appendix Pages.
Plans and Organizations
Night Battles
Players may elect to attack a target at night. This confers certain advantages and disadvantages similar to a Weather effect. However, the Attackers in a Night battle automatically take 1 point of Fatigue damage. Night Battles are only allowed on Earth, inside Space Colonies or Lunar Cities, and in Orbits. They are not allowed in open space, on Lunar surfaces or colony exteriors.
If multiple units attack each other in the same update, the battle will occur at daytime unless ALL parties specified a Night battle.
Tactical Advantages
While a sides VP and unit composition is important, things like plans, weather, terrain, territory control and battle context are also important. We consider all of these things when determining a battle outcome. The following is a brief explanation of the methodology used for things that cannot be measured by statistics.
• Unexpected Complications
In every battle, each side involved makes a roll, with a 5% chance of having an Unexpected Complication. Possibilities might be a critical unit having an equipment failure, or a commanding officer getting sick or injured in an accident, reinforcements failing to arrive on time, troops getting lost in bad weather, or miscommunication causing orders to be followed incorrectly. If a side has an Unexpected Complication it will take more damage to NPC forces than normal, even if it wins the battle.
Weather can increase the likelihood of Unexpected Complications. Furthermore, some player errors, such as the enemy receiving your battle plan or friendlies sending in action emails with big errors in them can automatically cause this effect.
• Terrain
All battles take place in some sort of terrain type, even those not on a base with a specific terrain type. It is possible through Overwatch actions and relocation to dictate what terrain type a battle takes place in. Terrain can provide cover from long ranged fire, interfere with aircraft or naval units, inhibit fast attack units maximum speed, and/or provide excellent ambush opportunities. Specific effects of each terrain type are found on the Appendix Pages.
• Weather
Weather conditions can affect a battle, reducing the accuracy of long range weapons, reducing visibility, movement, etc. Night battles on land will have similar effects to weather, and a player can elect to attack a target at night. Specific effects of each weather type are found on the Appendix Pages.
• Territory Grade
Territory grade can affect how easy it is for the losing side to retreat. This makes the potential of a very bad outcome higher if fighting in Enemy Territory, and lower if fighting in Friendly Territory.
• Element of Surprise
Element of Surprise gives an edge to the attacking side in an ambush. The severity of this advantage will be based on a lot of factors. For example, a GM attacking a Zaku on Overwatch in the desert will not be given much of a bonus, but (S) class infantry attacking a coastal target amphibiously from a submarine might be given a great amount of leeway.
• Minovsky Particle Interference
Minovsky Particle Interference alters the shape of battles significantly. Certain units can broadcast M Particles, which hamper most kinds of communication, weapon guidance and sensors. Whether or not M Particle fields are present in the battle can dramatically change how effective certain units and weapons are in relation to each other.
For example, in a low particle environment it would perhaps be twice as easy for a mobile suit to target a ships bridge, but ten times as easy for the ships guided missiles to target the mobile suit.
Usually particle interference is low in small skirmishes, and high in fleet battles or base assaults.
• Fuel and Ammunition
Fuel and Ammunition supply can reduce a units effectiveness over the duration of a long battle. Fuel and Ammunition do not matter much for small skirmishes, but become extremely important in Long Events.
Special Actions
In addition to move actions and battle actions, players, ships, and fleets have special actions they can make. These are organized in lists below. Ships can use both the Ship and Player lists, and Fleets can use the Fleet, Ships and Player lists.
All of these actions count as Major Actions.
Please do not be daunted by the complexity of some of these actions. The game has been designed so new players can ignore these rules when starting out, and learn how they work over time.
Players
• Orbital Drop
Some ships and MS are capable of making Orbital Drops. This action can only be made from the Earth Orbit Sector. Units making orbital drops are allowed to assault any Base on Earth/Mars from its Orbit. Only Bases may be the targets of Orbital Drops. Squads may not Orbital Drop while Repairing.
Patrols in orbit can intercept Orbital Drops, but Outposts in the location being moved through cannot.
• Overwatch
An Overwatch action consists of advanced preparation for an attack, digging in and making use of nearby terrain. You will have an advantage if attacked while on Overwatch. Once a unit makes an Overwatch action, they remain on Overwatch until they Patrol, Blockade, Move or Attack something, and may then make other actions while remaining on Overwatch. Entering Overwatch allows a free Relocation. In order for a ship or fleet to enter Overwatch, the entire ship/fleet must do so.
Players inside a ship/fleet cannot enter Overwatch without the ship/fleet doing do, but they can if on a Base. Players in Overwatch on a base will pre-emptively attack Sieging fleets. See the Appendixes for details.
• Refit
Some ships and mobile suits can make Refit actions. Specific rules on this are listed on the Refits sections of the side shops. If a ship in a fleet makes a Refit action, other ships in the fleet can only make Refit, Repair or Emergency Repair actions. Being attacked cancels Refitting. Repairing or Destroyed mobile suits/ships cannot be refitted.
• Scout
A player can make a Scouting action to attempt to scout the defenses of any base at their position. A roll will be made on the Scouting table, and if successful a scouting report will be posted on that sides pass worded message board. Each base only needs to be scouted once, and a scouting report will assist planning of assaults on that base. Ships, Fleets and Squads supporting Ships may not make Scouting actions. Being attacked cancels a Scouting action.
The Kimberlite and Garden of Thorns bases begin the game "hidden". They cannot be attacked until they have been successfully scouted.
• Hide
Submarines and Rogue Squads may Hide. After making a Hide action, your position is listed on the website as "Hidden", and your movement becomes secret. Hidden targets may only be attacked by Patrols and Blockades, which unhide them. Any action other than Moving unhides you. Being attacked cancels Hiding. Hiding allows a free Relocation.
Contrary to the above Hide rules, Delaz Fleet units and ships are always Hidden. If they are unhidden by a Detect action or a battle, they are only unhidden for 1 update, and automatically rehide with no need to make a Hide action.
• Detect
A Detect action is used to search for Hidden units at your position. A roll will be made on the Detecting table, and if successful you may unhide or even attack hidden enemy units. Being attacked cancels a Detect action. Single ships may make Detect actions but Fleets cannot.
Ships
• Emergency Repair
A Disabled ship may make an Emergency Repair action, changing its status to Damaged 5. If a ship in a fleet makes an Emergency Repair action, other ships in the fleet can only make Refit, Repair or Emergency Repair actions. Being attacked does NOT cancel Emergency Repairs.
• Paradrop
Entirely Airborne class ships and fleets are capable of making Paradrop actions. The paradropping ship/fleet moves and then immediately engages in a battle on the same update day. For example, Aleksander Dolvich is on a Medea, an Airborne ship, in the Central Indian Ocean. Alek makes a Paradrop action, and is allowed to move from Central Indian Ocean to West Indian Ocean, immediately Ambushing Berthold Stulinger the same day. If a Paradropping ship is attacked only the movement part of the action is made.
• Repair
Some types of ship can make Repair actions. This action repairs a damaged ship one point of damage. If a ship in a fleet makes a Repair action, other ships in the fleet can only make Refit, Repair or Emergency Repair actions. A ship may not Repair itself. Being attacked cancels Repairs.
Fleets
• Blockade
Fleets can Blockade their current position. Enemies wishing to move from that position have a chance of being attacked by the Blockade. Units engaged by the Blockade that lose do not complete their movement action. Damaged Squads cannot be engaged by a Blockade, but if they are intercepted they do not move. A Blockading fleet can also engage someone making an Assault action, nullifying the Assault action. Being attacked stops the Blockade for 1 update.
• Patrol
Fleets on Patrol work like Blockades, but instead of engaging enemy moving out of their position, Patrols engage enemy moving into their position. Patrols can also engage players making Build actions. Being attacked stops the Patrol for 1 update. Patroling allows a free Relocation each update.
Fleets may make Repair or Emergency Repair actions while Blockading/Patrolling without stopping the Patrol/Blockade. However, the ships repairing/being repaired will not be present in a battle resulting from the Patrol/Blockade that update.
• Siege
Sieges are a blockade on a Base. The fleet must be at the bases Sector, and this moves the Sieging fleet to the Base. There are a few unique rules governing sieges listed on the Appendix Pages. Being attacked does not stop a Siege.
Politics and Territory
Sectors in the game can become controlled by either side, something players have a direct hand in doing. The rules for capturing and losing Sectors, as well as the benefits of owning Sectors, are listed below.
Territory Grades
There are four different types of territory; Friendly, Contested, Enemy territory and Neutral. Territory changes are only made during weekend updates. Purchase rules are slightly different in different types of Territory, and this is explained on the Shop pages.
Friendly Territory
Sectors that your Faction controls. Sectors controlled by Allied groups count as Friendly territory.
Contested Territory
Sectors that no Faction controls. Sectors controlled by Friendly, Neutral or Unfriendly Rogue teams count as Contested Territory.
Enemy Territory
Sectors that your enemy controls. Sectors controlled by Hostile groups count as Enemy territory, as do any enemy bases at any time.
Neutral Territory
Positions controlled by a Neutral Faction. Ships do not repair in neutral territory, and players cannot make purchases other than pilots from the shops. PC mobile suits repair as normal. Fighting is prohibited in neutral territory by the Antarctic Treaty, but not by the RPG rules - although attacking somebody in neutral territory may alter your side's Diplomacy with that faction.
Base Patrols
Every base has a listed number of units acting as patrols. These units can intercept enemy forces moving into the bases sector in the same way as a patroling fleet. However, the majority of the bases defenses will only engage if the base itself is attacked.
NPC Reinforcements
Every weekend, NPC fleets and bases on both sides will receive reinforcements chosen by myself. For the Delaz Fleet these reinforcements will be purchased from a limited SP reinforcement pool shown only to Delaz Fleet members. The Earth Federation and minor Factions are assumed to have infinite reinforcement SP. However, an exceptionally damaging attack may take multiple weeks to replenish completely.
Diplomacy
Each Faction has a Diplomacy rating with each of the four Neutral factions in the game, the Republic of Zeon (Zeon), Lunar Union (LU), Anaheim Electronics (AE), and Riah Republic of Side 6 (Riah). Actions made by characters may raise or lower these ratings. There are five possible diplomacy ratings; Allied, Friendly, Neutral, Unfriendly and Hostile. Bonuses and penalties to each rating for each neutral faction are found on the Diplomacy pages.
Other
Aside from these rules, some further, more specific rules are listed in the Appendix pages, such as capture and siege rules and die roll modifiers.
You are not expected to memorize those pages. They are more supposed to be reference materials to check up on things as they occur.
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