Unofficial TGOD Handbook

The Unoffical TGOD Handbook is a resource for TGOD games containing mechanics, conflict resolution advice, and notes about implimenting these resources. These mechanics are generalized, so are usable by any kind of TGOD game, and were developed for STGOD 2k7. These rules and mechanics are unoffical, and many elements are still not completely agreed upon. Keep discussion of the TGOD mechanics and rules to the appropriate board thread, and leave the discussion section here for wiki related matters.

Rule of the 'Rule of Thumb'

The only rule for TGOD games is that the mechanics are a 'rule of thumb' used for ballparking figures rather than enforcing them. Even when the numbers are extremely specific, these are only guidelines for interpertation. Most commonly they will be used by the Moderators as a battle starts to give the players an idea of what the damage on each side would be, but so long as players agree to a result, that result need have nothing to do with the numbers the mechanics suggest. Never consider the mechanics and rules in this document as a dogma that must be followed, except this one.

Deciding What Happens

Simply put, if all participants agree to a result, these results enter into play. The reality of a TGOD is agreed-upon rather than rule-enforced. This applies to every aspect of the game, so an entire STGOD can be played without a single rule or reference being needed, so long as the players all agree to act with maturity and write a good story rather than write a good story about themselves winning. This is the most obvious in combat, where debates about losses on both sides are bound to cause heated debate, especially in extreme cases or when asking to leverage a subjective roleplay element into an objective unit loss. While combat may have many guidelines for determining theoretical losses on both sides, players can make their own decisions without regard to those guidelines, so long as they reach an agreement with everyone involved. Bartering and attempting to trade something each side wants ("my battleship dies if I kill 3 of your cruisers," "you can have the planet if you let my fleet escape") is a good way of helping to reach a conclusion all parties can agree upon. If players cannot come to an agreement, they may need to rely on the mechanics for a strict impartial result, or request a moderator decision. This is considered poor form, and players are encouraged to find ways of finding Roleplay solutions.

Resolving Disagreements

It's bound to happen. Back when you played superhero games and one kid kept saying 'ting' to every superpower you shot at him, the only way to resolve a conflict was calling a parent. Sometimes people with different ideas or interpertations are going to refuse to agree on certain things, especially if they have very extreme opinions of how a specific situation should play out, or have an awful lot on the line. Now that you're older, you have a chance to resolve some of these problems before busting out the mechanics. Failure to work out problems and relying too much on Moderator assistance will undoubtably cause Death By Falling Rocks. Here's a good process to go through when resolving a heated dispute.

• Try to meet them halfway. Maybe if you give a little, you'll find they're more willing to barter.
• Get your Alliances involved. More points of view are helpful, and neither team will want relations to sour so much that all conflicts would be Moderated.
• Ask for an exit strategy. Instead of risking moderators siding with your foe, or both of you taking heavy losses, consider a mutual retreat. It's a safe solution.
• Propose using the Mechanics. If the dispute is over numbers, agree to use the literal result of the mechanics as an impartial result.
• Request a Moderator jointly. If the disptue is deadlocked over interpertation, the two of you should request a Moderator.

Results of Moderation

When a situation gets so out of control, or so complex, or about a vague enough element of the theme or rules that there's no clear solution, a Moderator is often the only way to dig yourself out of a hole. Rarely do they make interpertations, as Moderators are not judges seeking to refine the law. If a moderator does make an interpertation, do not assume this interpertation of the rules will persist past this one single instance. Moderators rarely even rule in favor of one or the other, they merely state what they've decided has happened. These are to be considered final estimations.

This is because moderators resolve problems, not questions or disputes. This is an important distinction, as oftentimes a moderator will seek the simplest and most direct route for removing an issue that's slowing the game. If this issue is a type of special system, expect galaxy-wide spatial anomolies to render them inert. If the issue happens to be a player, expect rocks to fall on their head. This is just one more incentive to come up with a consensus.

Combat Mechanics Guidelines

Information about losses per turn and such. This can basically just be the 10% of unit size per turn damage mechanic. I'm putting this first so people can read it and understand it and then go onto the unit creation section with those ideas in mind.

Battle Damage

Describe combat fatigue, wounding, or degradation here. Controvesial mechanics ahoy, so this will probably be a WIP with no text for a while. Less controversially, re-iterate that defenders assign damage points as they choose.

Designing a Unit

A unit can be a tank, dragon, space whale or whatever else suits the setting you're in. For an STGOD, units will generally be your spaceforce, while for an FTGOD they may be a steampunk navy or an army. Units are basically the smallest things in the game you care about paying for, so in many settings fightercraft and ground units are not even considered units, they're just ammunition. Units are also generally the focus of an OOB (Order of Battle) and often the only thing you can purchase with your production points. The way a unit functions is defined by it's attributes, and can be roleplayed in generally any format you wish.

Basic Abilities

Describe the basic stuff a unit can do. Shoot, fly, fight, invade, has +1Stealth and +1Hyper normally too. Explain cost and size as these relate to basic function.

Special Attributes

Describe the idea of special abilities, and why you'd want to add them to a unit. Each of these needs a description of what it does in raw mechanical terms that are easy to read and also a fluff definition.

Stealth

Describe the odd way of doing the stealth ratings. 1+(+stealth/(Total Non-Stealth Cost/10))=Stealth Rating. I have this listed on the last page, and can do this myself.

Hyperdrives

Put this next to stealth as they both use the same funky mechanic.

Active Defenses

Describe how these work. I think we settled on .25 soak per point.

Improved Offensives

Same as above. I think we decided on these being only snipe, dropping the higher damage rating. Ignores Defenses, hits specific targets. Mention how that's unusual.

Sensors and Comms

These have some RP value, I dunno what. They also spot stealth.

Interdiction

These stop people from hypering. The bubbles they make are relatively tiny, for balance. Is it possible nobody can hyper while they're up, forcing an ambushed defender to destroy the enemy interdictor first? Or does it just slow them down?

Running an Empire

Talk a bout how you need to manage production, move fleets, invade worlds, etc. So people know they actually have some work to do between posts.

Time Management

Write down what the turns are, combat and production at least, and what those mean. If possible delve a little into the concepts of distance and travel within the amorphous setting of our month/production turn dynamic.

Production Management

Explain how it is that you allocate points to buy ships. This isn't complex either, but you can go into production more here. Trade fleets here too perhaps?

Fleet Management

Make it clear that ships have upkeep, how you can repair ships, and how you move them around. Not complicated, just a newbie-friendly statement about how you handle your ship piles.

Seige and Invasion Guidelines

Ugh, ground combat stuff goes here.

Laying a Siege

Generalized rules about catapults and orbital bombs. Basically the same for either.

Taking Territory

Total controversy, not sure what to put here yet.

Population Assimilation

Same as above. Nobody seems to agree yet, hard to put anything here.

FAQ

Resummarize the header. None of this stuff is important so long as people have fun and work together. However, rules are useful and make things easier for everyone to understand quickly. Consider putting a few sample thingies down here. Basically use this space to clear up specific questions.