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guide:military_buildup_limitations

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Military Buildup Limitations

In the interest of fairness in faction versus faction roleplay and to keep military forces proportional to their nations, the Star Army setting has limits on military buildups. These limits are based on the number of industrialized star systems controlled by a particular faction.

The following limitations were created to:

  • Strictly manage the amount of vessels and military might of nations to a realistic degree.
  • Make sure nations don't become carried away.
  • Replace and update older warship limitations.

The buildup limitations are intended for nation states, not for their subordinate organizations such as corporations. Corporate and civilian ships not involved in national defense are not limited.

Reasoning

Many individuals hate being the little person or the weak guy in a setting. This comes from the subconscious desire to keep one's creation safe from those who would cause it harm. But we must also remember that in roleplay, weakness is also necessary for both realism and, in most cases, having fun overcoming obstacles. Logistically, each solar system has its own limitations when it comes to resources. These resources are considered by the number of planets (both habitable and desolate), the number of asteroid fields, etc. The limitation system takes these into consideration, but simplifies them by setting a standard value per system.

Limitations

For each system controlled, which also has an established industrial base, a faction can support the following:

Item Maximum Number
Huge Space Stations 1
Shipyards 10
System Defense Platforms 25
Capital Ships 100
Other Warships 150 (or 250 minus the number of capital ships)
Military Support Ships 250
Additional Fighters/Bombers 25,000

Mothballed ships still count against this limit. Factions over the limit will need to scrap the excess.

The combined total number of “extra” shuttles and fighters a faction can operate is equal to 100 times their maximum number of ships. This should be plenty since very few ships carry more than 100 shuttles and fighters each.

Military ground installations on planets are not restricted.

Definitions

Star Systems

To count towards a faction's total:

  • The faction must be the controlling faction in a mostly non-contested system for a full OOC month or more.
  • The system should have a decent amount of inhabitants and some industrial facilities listed on its wiki page.
  • Systems without wiki pages can not count toward a faction's resources.
  • Ships and space stations may not count as star systems (at least for now).

If the number of active factional players is less than the number of star systems controlled by that faction, the faction is unable to expand. For example, a faction with four active members would only be able to colonize new worlds if they had three or less. This is to prevent small players from having a disproportionate influence on the SARP universe and to keep factions from sending a ship to every planet on the map at once.

Note: The above paragraph is a general guideline, and does not need to be tracked or adhered to in an “exact” fashion. It should only be invoked in the face of an unjustified factional mass-expansion, particularly one that is not done through plot-based roleplaying.

Military Object Types

  • Huge Space Stations: A star fortress and/or shipbuilding station like the Iori-class Star Fortress or the Zodiac-class Star Fortress.
  • Shipyards: Shipbuilding facilities that can build capital ships.
  • System Defense Platforms: Mostly immobile stations typically armed to the teeth which defend a system.
  • Capital Ships: Large and powerful starships such as cruisers, battleships, and carriers.
  • Other Warships: Starships 200 meters (656.2 feet) or larger like escorts, gunships, and scouts.
  • Military Support Ships: Logistical starships such as freighters, repair ships, troop transports, etc.
  • Additional Fighters/Bombers: Small craft that are not based on a carrier or other starship or station.

Civilian orbital stations (such as agricultural facilities, solar power collectors, trade hubs, and so forth) are not counted as system defense platforms.

What Is Considered a Warship?

A starship is considered a warship if it meets two or more of the following criteria:

  • The starship is owned and/or operated by a military or paramilitary organization
  • The starship is primarily designed for combat
  • The starship has:
    • More than 4 weapons or offensive systems rated SDR 3/Tier 11 or above.
    • More than 2 weapons or offensive systems rated SDR 4/Tier 12 or above.
    • A SDR 5/Tier 13+ weapon.
    • A “main gun” that takes up a significant portion of the starship.
What is Considered a Capital Warship?

Capital ships also meet two or more of the following conditions:

  • Ships which have more than one SDR 5/Tier 13+ weapon.
  • Ships which have more than 500 small craft.
  • Ships which have a crew larger than 500 active individuals.
  • Ships which have an SP value of 30+ or a Tier of 12 or greater.
What is Not Considered a Warship?

Certain starships are exempt from the count. These are:

  • Civilian freighters and transports not in the exclusive employ of the military.
  • Unique personal starships owned and operated by one or more player characters.

Building Times

Ships and stations take two OOC days for every 5 base SP they possess.

Class Description Base SP Base Tier Build Time
Very Light Small Escorts and Patrol Craft 10 10 4 days
Light Destroyers and Gunships 20 11 8 days
Medium Cruisers 30 12 12 days
Heavy Carriers, Heavy Cruisers 40 13 16 days
Very Heavy Battleships 50 14 20 days
Massive Dreadnoughts 50 15 24 days
Shipyards ~150 14/15 30 days
Star Fortresses ~300 15 60 days

These build times override any previously listed build times on starship stat pages.

Newly approved factions start out with one shipyard.

Additional Notes

  • Small craft that are part of a ship's complement do not count towards this limit.
  • Mecha over 5 meters (16.4 feet) in height are counted as “fighters” for this count UNLESS they are ground-only.

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guide/military_buildup_limitations.1515265804.txt.gz · Last modified: 2023/12/20 15:52 (external edit)