THE INTERGALACTIC ASSEMBLAGE OF SYSTEMS
DESIGNER NOTES ADDENDUM
The Intergalactic Assemblage of Systems has been defined as a space a million times larger than the Federation with Member Galaxies instead of Member Worlds. From a Designer point of view, the Intergalactic Assemblage of Systems was created as a place for the High Guard (who use Z-Technology) to oversee, protect, and interact with. It is a massive region that features ships with technology ranging from Early Years to General War to X-Technology to Z-Technology (and not just the High Guard). The Intergalactic Assemblage of Systems is simply the next incarnation of the Celestial Fellowship of Galaxies (which was the same thing on a smaller scale).
The problem arises in the vastness of technology present in the Intergalactic Assemblage of Systems. if you have a galaxy with only Early Years technology, everything plays fine. If you have a galaxy with only General War technology, everything plays fine. If you have a galaxy with only X-Technology, everything plays fine. If you have a galaxy with only Z-Technology, everything plays fine. But when you mix the range of technologies together, you have a great probability of Unbalancing the Game. Unbalanced Games lead to Frustrated Players who won’t be playing very long (which is why the SFU is so great, precisely because it HAS Balance – most of the time).
Remember there are different types of Balance. There is Balance between Weapons and Devices. There is Balance between Ships. There is Balance between Fleets. There is Balance within a Scenario. There is Economic Balance. There is Balance in the Technological Race. There is Balance within a Campaign. There is Balance within a Tournament. There is Balance between Rules. There is the Overall Balance to the Entire Game. The BPV System is good, but, in my opinion, not perfect. Whenever you take Complicated Factors and Reduce Them to a Single Number (Credit Score, IQ, etc.), that Single Number never tells the Complete Story.
What I Don’t want is for the Intergalactic Assemblage of Systems to become a Wild, Chaotic Place full of Extremely Different Ships of Crazy Potential. A place where a Heavy Weapon can generate 100 points of damage in a single direct-fire blast. A place where a Device can Warp Reality, killing Whole Fleets at a time. A place where a Low Technology ship might be armed with Phasers that cause 1 point of damage and be protected by only 1 point of Armor. A place where starships can move Speed 3200 during a turn. Clearly, this Region of Space would be Very Imbalanced (in many ways). Therefore, it would be Very Frustrating to play in.
On the other hand, if the Intergalactic Assemblage of Systems is Perfectly Balanced (as much as possible, in All Things), it runs the risk of becoming like a Cookie Cutter. Everything is The Same, Everything is Homogenized, Everything is a Copy of Everything Else, Nothing is Unique, Nothing is Different, Nothing Stands Out. The More you Balance Things, the More the Game moves toward this Boring, Stale State of Affairs.
And having the Intergalactic Assemblage of Systems be Perfectly Balanced also Defies Logic and Rational Thought. In a place So Large, So Vast, with So Many Empires, Galaxies, and Ships, does it really Make Sense for Everything to be Perfectly Balanced? No, it does not. Such a place MUST be Imbalanced simply due to its Definition and Sheer Size.
So what is the best way to handle the Intergalactic Assemblage of Systems, a massive region of space with a wide range of technologies? I’ve decided that the best path is somewhere in the Middle of Variation and Balance. There should be Variation in the Design Stage, but always with an eye toward Balance. There needs to be some sort of Balance, whether it be in Heavy Weapons, Devices, Ships, or Scenarios. And there needs to be Variation and Creativity to keep ships from becoming Cookie Cutter, Duplicates of One Another with Minor Changes, Everything the Same. A healthy mix combines both Variation and Balance, not just one or the other.
Onward then, toward the Intergalactic Assemblage of Systems, and to all the Galaxies and Ships it contains. But onward with this Specific Mindset in mind, so that it does not become a dumping place of strange ships, an entangled mess of technologies and weapons, a mismatch of extreme power level differences. The High Guard oversees this immense place, trying their best to maintain peace and stability, and many scenarios will involve the High Guard in particular.
Lastly, it should be noted that Z-Technology is far from the pinnacle of technology in the Intergalactic Assemblage of Systems, and there exists things far worse and more powerful than a High Guard starship…
