Excelsior Entertainment Forums

Warzone => Events, Army Ideas, Battle Reports => Topic started by: masherking on October 31, 2005, 10:30:54 AM

Title: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: masherking on October 31, 2005, 10:30:54 AM
Ok I've had this idea for a UMZ scenario for sometime now.
I got it from reading peoples post for the other siege game (the one with blood berets I believe.)

***Now note I never played that game so dont know how it works

So far the scenario is a hostage one.
the cartel agents have a prisoner in the sub basement of the  J. Edgar Hoover building on luna.
The prisoner is being interrogated.
the goal is to battle though several floors of agents and save the prisoner before he cracks.

I ask you my fellow UMZ players how would you design this scenario.
Would you use turn limits, any special rules, points used, etc etc etc....

on side note, I think this would be a great  scenario for Dark Legion players.
They get to be ones that break into the building this time around.

So in closeing how would you play.....

                        SIEGE OF THE  J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING

-Steve
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: kwegibu on October 31, 2005, 07:34:31 PM
I don't think it makes very much since. It's kind of like the UN holding someone hostage. The only people they would hold hostage would I guess be a heretic, and even then that would probably be brotherhood territory.

Maybe if it was imperial holding a cybertronic, or mishima was holding an imperial.....or something like that.
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: Veez on October 31, 2005, 08:47:24 PM
I have to disagree.  The Cartel for all it's "Let's stand up against the darkness" has all sorts of "one solar system corporate government" all over it.  Sure the doomtroopers are squeaky clean but there are plenty of sinister overtones.  You can take it a step further and say that the squad attacking is doing it against orders since their teammate was captured on an unofficial mission to investigate the dissapearance of corporate funds or materiel.
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: masherking on November 01, 2005, 11:49:58 AM
if you need a fluff reason for the scenario. (i rarely do)

Every one has secerts to keep, from dark legion to the brotherhood. Its the cartels job to find those secerts and use it to keep this crazy universe of theirs going for another day.

so yeah, they take anyone who is holding out on good info. Be it captiol, brotherhood, dark legion or who ever.

at least thats how I read it. ;)

But now back to the my post.
What elements would one add to this scenario to make it kool

1. I'm thinking a turn limit ( though have no idea how many)
2. 3 to 4 floors: roof, loby, inner building, sub basement.
3. the opposing player can chose points to break in. ex: break right though skylight, go though the air ducts, sewers etc. etc.
4. a new enviromental hazard table where instead of falling rocks it'll be pop up gun security system, stun gas etc etc.
5. and since this is all indoor, ignore the squad has to be with in x amount of inches of each other rule. (I really hate changeing game rules).

these are some of my ideas I'm tossing about I have no idea what would work and wouldnt. Some ideas sound good on paper but in play really blows.

-steve


 
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: Dragon62 on November 01, 2005, 12:21:04 PM
Steve if you want to have multible floors you'll need to have elevators. Also you may find you'll need to go with a time limit not turn limit since you'll have 3 or 4 floors to deal with.
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: masherking on November 01, 2005, 12:27:50 PM
yeah you might be right.
I was going to add in stairs.  ;)
Elevator shafts hmmmm....good reason to bring climing rope and use the climbing rules.

I was thinking keeping the map at a  small enough size to keep the game moving.
But a time limit is not a bad idea  it will keep the pressure up as players race though their turn.

thanks for the input dragon62.

-steve
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: Topkick on November 01, 2005, 09:29:29 PM

1. I'm thinking a turn limit ( though have no idea how many)
2. 3 to 4 floors: roof, loby, inner building, sub basement.
3. the opposing player can chose points to break in. ex: break right though skylight, go though the air ducts, sewers etc. etc.
4. a new enviromental hazard table where instead of falling rocks it'll be pop up gun security system, stun gas etc etc.
5. and since this is all indoor, ignore the squad has to be with in x amount of inches of each other rule. (I really hate changeing game rules).

-steve

Try this one out. The turn limit can be adjusted if needed. I would recommend not creating a new environmental hazard table for this scenario. If you want static defenses it would probably be better to work out a cost for area of effect systems like gas(similar to the system for foxholes and wire) or by using the cost of a grunt trooper and appropriate weapon system (to reperesent a static gun emplacement)

Siege of the J. Edgar Hoover Building
 
Set Up: The game is set up on a 3x3 multi-layer table. Each layer represents a level of the Cartel Security Center on Luna known as the J. Edgar Hoover Building. Tile floorplans are commercially available or you could create your own. I recommend using the floor tiles from Legions of Steel. Excelsior used to have some surplus tile packs - give Thom a call.

Deployment: The defender deploys his forces throughout the building. The defender may not deploy outside the building or on the roof. The attacker then chooses his point(s) of entry and deploys his forces.

Special Rules: The following special rules are used for this scenario -
1) The attacker scores 50 points if he has control of the target at the end of the game.
2) The defender scores 50 points if he has control of the target at the end of the game.
3) The game runs for 10 turns.
4) All forces are considered to have radio comms and have double cohesion distance as long as they are on the same floor.

VC: If the attacker escapes the building with the target then he wins the game. If the defender mangages to hold the target for the duration of the game then the defender wins. If neither player wins a clear cut victory then the winner is determined by victory points.

VP: Standard VP’s apply. You score points for each enemy model killed equal to it’s cost and you lose points for each of your models killed equal to it’s cost. In addition you score VP’s as outlined in the Special Rules.

Points:  Any as long as they are equal

Scenario Synopsis: The Cartel has issued a summons to each of the 5 major corporations for a high level briefing at the Cartel Security Center on Luna known as the J. Edgar Hoover Building. A Brotherhood defector has promised to reveal the identities of several undercover Brotherhood operatives within the corporations. Each of the Coprorate representatives are to bring untraceable currency to compensate the defector. A force of mercenaries and Mortificators have been sent to assault the building and silence the traitor. The Cartel Security Forces must prevent the Brotherhood assault force from capturing the defector and removing him from the building.

Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: Coil on November 02, 2005, 12:05:41 AM
Very good scenario Topkick. You are the scenario king. :)

The only thing I would consider changing is increasing the number of VPs for the target. In my experience the objective has to be worth quite a lot otherwise the players will tend to just kill eachother instead.

/Andreas
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: Anomander_Rake on November 02, 2005, 02:28:03 AM
As I've never played Warzone I don't know if my idea's will help to bring fun into the game or not, but I think after having played one or two TableTopGames and RPGs it should work.

First of all I wouldn't go for equal points, like Topkick suggested. Why? If you're trying to get one of your men free from prison/interogation/etc. you wouldn't bring an force that big into game. I would see this game like some kind of shadowrun. Get in silent and without getting seen or the bad boys will get you...and they will bring there big brothers as well. There should be the possibiliy to be outnumbered... Off course there will be more lions than sheep in the lions den, right?

When you play on a map or something alike, map out some patrolled areas or ways throughout the building various patrols would walk. Perhaps the defender could take on on random account, so the attacker wouldn't know which way to avoid being seen.

After there has been contact with the attacker, the defender should be able to set alarm and bring in reinforcements, perhaps a light-squad in the beginning and after more and more defenders are killed the cavalry should arrive...it shouldn't be an easy game getting to the hostage/contact/prisoner, free him, and bringing him back to the endzone...

I know, it will be very hard to play and will take a long time to prepare the game with terrain, patrolzones, etc. but I think it would be worth it.

As Coil said, there are many players who would ruin a game like this by transforming it into a kind of a shoot-out.

just my two cents...

greetz,

Anomander Rake

Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: Topkick on November 02, 2005, 07:51:41 AM
Thanks for the compliment Coil. You are too kind.

The reason I kept the VP of the target at 50 was to avoid an infiltrating individual or special power fig from appearing in the cell and then just holding on. By allowing the successful escape to be the game winner it encourages the player to go for broke rather than point snatching.

As for equal points, I agree it would be exciting to take a small team in and adjust the game for the defender to have hidden deployment. However I was submitting a basic scenario for everyone from first timers to old pros to enjoy. I encourage peole to make this their own. I have ideas on how to do this, and if The Old Trolls (my gaming group) will help me we might have a battle report on it in a few weeks.

If the game degenerates into a shoot-fest then the defender has won. All he has to do is go slow and drag out the game. The attacker must force the pace and be inventive in how they proceed thru the building. If you get bottlenecked then have a demo spec in your force blow a hole in the floor to proceed to the next level, etc. This issue is more a tactical issue than a design issue on my opinion.

I invite everyone to playtest this scenario and continue to give feedback. It is only by playing them that we can improve scenarios so feel free to critic to your hearts content. The result will be a better scenario.
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: masherking on November 02, 2005, 11:16:05 AM
Thanks toppick
Your ideas is what I was looking for.
It so happens I have a few boxes of Legions of steel so yeah I got tiles. ;)

too add to the list of thoughts:

cartel sets up first then you opponent chooses point of entry.

1. Roof top: gives quick access to elevator shafts (climbing rolls needed to bypass the lobby but you could use it to escape)
2. though the front door: walk in guns blazeing right into the lobby (if your afraid of climbing rolls or your guns are just that big)
3. though the maintance tunnel: this is only for infiltrating individual or special power models.
this is the sneaky route it leads to the floor below the lobby (no rolls needed but it only works one way)

Also I can  see this being a crazy four way scenario.
one guy plays cartel, each other guy picks a point of entry.
It just so happens everyone decide that this would be the day to get the rouge brotherhood prisoner.
if you do it this way you would have to up the VP value of getting rouge out to make people go for it.
hmmmmm....maybe it would be little too crazy. ;)

I'm almost half tempted to try may hand at terrain making.
hmmm...maybe something horseshoe shape like with each side a different floor.
man I think I need more table space.

thanks for all your input
this idea is really growing on me
and please post a battle report I would love to see how this scenario plays out.

-steve

Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: Dragon62 on November 03, 2005, 12:10:26 PM
Steve anytime you want to test this scenario out let me know i'd be up for the game.
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: masherking on November 03, 2005, 07:35:52 PM
Dragon62
when ready you'll be the first I call  ;)

I'm thinking if I get things done in time might run this at the Con.

-Steve
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: Topkick on November 04, 2005, 05:55:32 AM
Which Con?
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: masherking on November 04, 2005, 06:22:22 AM
DREAMATION  in east brunswick nj
its coming in january.
http://www.dexposure.com/home.html
lots of warzone and chronopia players showed up last time and we all had a blast.

I would love to make a big 3d board for the con but sadly I'm soooo damn lazy. :P
Plus I never did anything like this before (good god were will I find the space in my tiny condo for it).
I got couple months we see.

-Steve

Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: Daikoku on November 07, 2005, 05:17:02 AM
Steve,

I used to run a tri-level space hulk event at conventions, and here's how I did it.  Simply divide your table into 3 or 4 battle areas with points of entry corresponding to where they would be on the other areas.  Not only that, but you could have one player play each area's defending force if you wanted to increase the number of players for the event.  Although a huge 3d board is great for the WOW factor and would bring the gawkers and generate interest in UWZ as a byproduct, the other way is FAR more playable IMHO.



Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: Veez on November 07, 2005, 08:10:45 AM
In ages past I saw a multi-level Space Hulk game where each set of tiles was placed on a level of cheap vinyl shelves.  It looked multi-level and yet you could maipulate the pieces with relative ease.  The downside is that I rarely see those kinds of shelves sold anymore but it's worth at try.
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: Topkick on November 07, 2005, 06:34:59 PM
I plan on using angle iron uprights from a metal shelf to hold plywood tiers and build each tier as a seperate floor.
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: Jibbajabbawocky on December 05, 2005, 08:09:11 AM
Steve roughly sketched what he envisioned for this board yesterday at Maplewood Hobby, and it looks like it'll be pretty spectacular when it comes together. :)
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: masherking on December 05, 2005, 09:35:48 AM
Thank you, Thank you
Fear that my vision might be too Grand for the world  ;)

it would be way kool if john cuts the wood and makes the spinning base.
I could do the stair cases, the puting together and detail work form there.

-steve
Title: Re: SIEGE OF THE J. Edgar Hoover BUILDING
Post by: Jibbajabbawocky on December 05, 2005, 04:00:13 PM
I'm sure he'll do it, he loves workin' on stuff like that.  Next time I'm there, I want to work on that bookcase thing, or maybe find another one, and get like 5-8 platforms. :)