Help With Campaign Idea

[AdmiralQuarren]

Hi Guys, long time lurker first time poster here.

Anyway, me and my gaming group are looking to start a campaign incorporating bfg and 40k with the possibility of expanding to include epic as the campaign progresses. The idea we've come up with so far is to have a number of star systems with a random number of habitable planets within it. The campaign will have 3 levels of engagement. The first being 40k battles for control of each individual planet, these battles can be influenced by the second level which are low/planetary orbit bfg battles (not sure whether to actually use the low orbit rules though). These in turn will be affected by star system bfg battles.

Obviously you've all had more experience with this game than me, especially concerning campaigns. So I was looking for you're insight into our ideas. Particularly what effects controlling the star system would have on battles fought in low/planetary orbit and what effects orbital control would have on planetary battles (also whether destruction of planets should be allowed). Also, if this idea actually takes root, how many systems should be involved?

Thanks in advance for any help.

P.S. also as an aside my regular opponent really wants to use a ship design he's made in our battles.

Oppressor class - Battlecruiser
Hits - 8
Shields - 2
Speed - 20cm
Turrets - 2
Port WB 12@30cm
Starboard WB 12@30cm
Dorsal Lances 2@60cm
Prow Nova Cannon
Cost:215pts

So basically a dominator class with 2 lances @60cm tacked on to make it a battlecruiser, my worry is that it's slightly undercosted. Essentially it's just a variant of an NC Armageddon which costs 255pts is the range deduction on the one set of WB's worth 40pts?

[afterimagedan]

I have a campaign setting my game group and I made called Solar Empires where it is system and planet based. It is designed to be a multiple system sized mighty empires type campaign. It has worked well for incorporating multiple game systems. If you check out my Blog link in my signature, you should find it there. Hope you like it!

[horizon]

Ship should be 220-225pts.

[Sigoroth]

Oppressor class - Battlecruiser
Hits - 8
Shields - 2
Speed - 20cm
Turrets - 2
Port WB 12@30cm
Starboard WB 12@30cm
Dorsal Lances 2@60cm
Prow Nova Cannon
Cost:215pts

So basically a dominator class with 2 lances @60cm tacked on to make it a battlecruiser, my worry is that it's slightly undercosted. Essentially it's just a variant of an NC Armageddon which costs 255pts is the range deduction on the one set of WB's worth 40pts?

This ship is worth 220 pts at least. The dorsal lance/CB classification upgrade is worth +30 pts. The Armageddon is a little pricey at 235 pts. If the Armageddon was 30cm range at 210 pts with range upgrade options for the WBs (10 pts) and lances (15 pts) then it would be fine. That would give the same price for the same ship, but you'd at least have the option of not taking the range. Compulsory upgrades should get a price break compared to optional upgrades but it was hard enough getting the Armageddon back down to its original price in the first place.

The Dominator is an example of such a price break for a compulsory upgrade. For a Lunar or Armageddon or Tyrant to switch their torpedoes for a Nova Cannon it costs 20 pts. The Dominator however doesn't have the option. It has to have a Nova Cannon. This only costs 10 pts. So if you were to apply the same logic to the Oppressor then that explains 10 pts of the disparity when compared to the NC Armageddon. Another 25 pts is explained by the range difference. This just leaves the 5 pts that your friend has underpriced the ship by.

A note: I do believe that compulsory upgrades are not worth as much as optional ones, but 10 pts is a fair whack. A 5 pt discount would normally suffice for such an upgrade. However, the NC isn't worth more than 10 pts over the 6 torps of a cruiser. Therefore the option to swap the torps for a NC should cost no more than 15 pts, not 20.

So, according to my reasoning the Armageddon should cost 230 pts with the option to upgrade to a NC for 15 pts making the total cost 245 pts, only 25 pts more than the proposed battlecruiser when it's priced at 220 pts. Which, for the range upgrades and the option to have torpedoes instead, isn't too bad.