Play-By-Email Freedom in the Galaxy, using Dale Larson's Cyberboard. Gamebox created by Thom Denholm (thomcat@blarg.net) with help from Rob McDougal (rmcdougalists@home.com) and playtested with Mike Cousins, Walter O'Hara, and Allan Bell. >>>>Cyberboard Layout There are four different "gameboards" in this game box. - Galaxy Board : this is the main galactic layout board from the game. It doesn't have circular planets and does have a lot more color. These enhancements were made per suggestions by Dave Townsend. http://patriot.net/~townsend/fitg.html It also doesn't hurt that the linear planets are much easier for Cyberboard use... - Status Board : this board is used for game status updates, including Resource Points (or Victory Points), Current Game Turn and Phase, Sovereigns wound status, possible locations of the Rebel Secret Base, etc. - Character Board : this represents the space next to the board where the players stack their Character cards and is very free-form. I also use this area to keep track of wounds to characters, by using the "damage" status marker. There is a space on this board for a "Rebel Camp" mission, and there is also a space to put the current strength and endurance of the Irate Locals/Creatures/Enemy Squads in character combat. - Action Cards : this board is used for random selection of action cards (at least until Cyberboard adds random card selection). See 13.3 for how to properly use this board. >>>>Before you begin... The Imperial Player creates a list of secrets and numbers, in any order. (Names of all the secrets are listed in the file SECRETS.TXT) The Imperial Player creates a "Strategic Movement" text, in whatever order he/she desires. (The text of all 16 cards is in IMPSMOVE.TXT) The Imperial Player creates a list of mobile units, in any order. (Initial mobile unit designations and units are in MOBILE.TXT) These files are compiled in a "Password Protected" archive and emailed to the Rebel Player. The Rebel Player selects one of the 16 planets listed in the file REBSBASE.TXT as his/her "rebel secret base" and stores that information. This file is compiled in a "Password Protected" archive and emailed to the Imperial Player. >>>>Rules Commentary, in numerical order: 1.0 - The introductory scenario is provided as an example of play. 2.1 - The game map is "enhanced" with ideas from Dave Townsend's article - The Loyalty and PDB "tracks" have been replaced with status boxes. - Colors have been selected for each starfaring "race" to ease calculation of Domino Effects. 2.3 - Additional status markers have been added for - det : detected characters - dmg : damaged spaceships and down PDBs - combat declaration (placed by either player) - capture (Cap) or firefight (FF) declaration markers - current game turn circle and current phase and/or segment pointer - numbers : used for character combats 2.4 - This Cyberboard Game is designed to require only the use of the Rules Book, Galactic Guide and the charts & tables insert. 4.0 - The turn order is presented on the "status" board, use the arrow marker to indicate current phase or segment. I suggest - Phasing player handles their own detection routine automatically. - Non-phasing player does their reaction move and declaration of combats and also declares all Searches at the same time. - Phasing player resolves all combats, followed by declaration and resolution of missions. 6.1 - When receiving character cards, count the remaining cards (there are 20 Rebels and 12 Imperials) and roll that sized die. 6.2 - Character counters do not have "det" on flip side, use "det" status marker instead. 7.2 - Imperial military units are replaced by Mobile units containing a unique number on the flipside to simulate hidden movement. (these will not need to be used in a future version of Cyberboard!) 8.1 - Instead of placing the PDB on a track, use the appropriate counter. 8.3 - PDBs do not have "down" on the flip side, use "dmg" marker instead. 9.1 - An interrupt can be used to give the Non-Phasing player the option of a PDB attack, although both players may agree beforehand to make all of these attacks. 9.3 - Phasing player should run detection routine for all moves first, then interrupt the turn so the Non-Phasing player may make all appropriate Reaction moves. 9.6 - Non-Phasing player should declare any "military leaders" during their reaction moves. 10.1 - Either player may declare combat (the non-Phasing player during reaction move) but all combat should be resolved by the Phasing player. 10.3 - If the choice of Non-Phasing unit to be eliminated is obvious the turn should not be interrupted. 10.4 - If the Non-Phasing player declares a leader during reaction move but that Leader is not used in any way, they are available for Missions later on. 11.1 - If the military units in an environ are revealed and the search is deemed impossible, the Phasing player should make a note of it in the turn log and continue to later phases. Conversely, if there are characters in the environ the Phasing player should always interrupt to allow a Search. 12.3 - If characters or an enemy squad is the opposing force, the turn must be interrupted to determine hand-to-hand/firefight and capture/kill. If characters are the opposing force, the non-phasing player should also declare which characters are active or inactive, then the phasing player fights a round of combat (rolling dice for both sides). Then the phasing player declares which characters are active or inactive and hands the game move over to the non-phasing player to declare active/inactive and then fight a round of combat. Finally the non-phasing player declares active/inactive for the next round and the process repeats for as long as combat goes on. Allan Bell has suggested that combat could be handled by a referee, or perhaps by declaring guidelines to the other player. This will probably be the slowest part of a PBEM FITG game, so good luck! 12.7 - Allocation of wounds to Non-Phasing characters in the final round of a combat can be delayed until the next interrupt, just make a note of it in the turn log. 13.3 - Each of the "published" scenarios has a set of 30 "cards" lying on top of the "Action Cards" board. To determine which card to pull, roll a d3 and d10 -- the first is the column, the second the row. Select the target card and then "flip card over". The "backside" is invisible, so you may now read the results. When you are finished with all missions and bonus draws in that environ, merely "flip" all the invisible cards back to their number side. 14.1 - Acquiring possessions is much like acquiring new characters (6.1), merely count the remaining items and roll that side of die. 14.5 - Spaceships are stacked at the top of the possessions card list, therefore a random "spaceship" can be determined with a 1-n die roll. 16.1 - Use the "Resource Track" and any appropriate counter to count Victory Points acquired during the game. 16.3 - Armageddon loyalty levels have not been placed on the Cybermap, but are available in the various armageddon "scenarios" included. 20.6 - An interrupt can be used to give the Non-Phasing player the option of a raking attack, although both players may agree beforehand to make all of these attacks. 31.0 - The rebel places all "Planet Secret" number counters as part of the initial setup. 31.1 - Planet secret number counters are placed and when they are revealed by the Rebel player they are replaced with names. 32.0 - There are 29 "Galactic Event Card" counters. To determine which one for the first four turns, roll a d3 and a d10 (which is similar to the "Action Cards"). If the d3 is a 1, don't add anything, if a 2 then add 10, and if a 3 then add 20. After the first four turns, it would probably be best to roll a "die" of the same number as remaining cards and count through them. 33.1 - The tax value and half-tax value of each planet are listed in the Loyalty box for that planet (e.g. 10/5). The starting loyalty value (lack of taxes may not increase loyalty past this point) is also listed in the loyalty box (e.g. S:+2) 35.4 - If necessary, the Imperial Player should create a new "Strategic Assignment" list immediately following turn 14 and send it (encrypted) to the Rebel player. 36.2 - This action event MUST trigger an interrupt in the turn sequence. >>>>Scenario Setup Notes: The Imperial Player (and in the galactic game, the Rebel Player also) should mail their encoded files (.ZIP) to the opponent first. Then the Imperial Player should create a game file (.GAM) and completely setup their forces. The setup of the Rebel Forces is done using the same .GAM file and essentially becomes the first move (.GMV), which is then mailed back to the Imperial Player. In general, the first few characters of the move file should encode the game name (X), the current game turn (##), and probably the player turn (A-B, or A-D for galactic game). A sample move file for the second rebel turn of the 12th game turn of the game MIKE3.GAM might look like this: or this: M12CSrch.GMV M12C-Imperial Search Phase.GMV This will allos an easy sort of .GMV files for "importing" into the game. >>>>General Notes: - The Phasing player is responsible for cleaning up after themselves. This includes returning the character "mission" cards and re-flipping the Action Cards. - Don't forget to update the "status board" markers for each player and game turn. - I suggest you size Tray Palette A for the Cards, then Tray Palette B should be sized for units, one counter width wide.