Crowdsourcing ITS2015 scenarios

[Section9]

OK, we all know that ITS has some limitations. Some of us don't mind them, some of us are really bothered by them.

So I'm going to call for new scenarios that could be used for Tournaments in this thread.

As a general rule, I'm going to ask for no more than 5-6 special markers/terrain pieces.

I'll start out with a High Value Target Extraction

[edit: updated to only have 2-3 Odalisque bodyguards and cleaned up language governing Bodyguard behavior]

The High Value Target is an individual with special skills and information that will be vital to further operations. You need to get him/her back to your deployment zone, and escort them off the battlefield.

Models/Markers needed: One civilian model (O12 High Commissioner, Tohaa Diplomat, or Dire Foes civilian suggested), 2-3 Odalisques to serve as bodyguards, and one 'briefcase' marker (briefcase or the Battlefoam Infinity bag on a 20mm plastic tiddlywink or Anima Tactics action point counter suggested).

Setup: The HVT and Briefcase marker start on the center of the table, HVT 'carrying' the Briefcase marker. The Bodyguards are arranged in a circle around the HVT. (I'm thinking one in B2B with the HVT and the other(s) 3" away from the HVT, also on the centerline of the table)

Victory Conditions/Points:
5VPs for getting a conscious, unwounded HVT to your board edge. (If your doctor heals the HVT, it counts as 'unwounded')
3VPs for getting an unconscious HVT to your board edge.
2VPs for getting the Briefcase marker to your board edge.

Game Length: The game will last 4 turns. If, at the end of 4 turns the HVT has not made it to a board edge, the player in control of a model sync'd with HVT will get 3VPs for a conscious HVT, 2VPs for an unconscious HVT, and 1VP for having the Briefcase marker but still on the table.

Special Rules:
Briefcase marker: The HVT starts the game carrying the Briefcase. The briefcase will be dropped if the HVT goes unconscious, and will take a Miscellaneous action to pick up. The Briefcase can also be handed off to another friendly model in B2B contact (say, the model sync'd with the HVT), taking a Short Move Skill to do so.

Bodyguards: Both players are trying to 'escort' the HVT back to their deployment zones after getting to base-to-base contact and synchronizing with the HVT (as per usual civilian rules). The HVT is a neutral civilian, but the Odalisques are hostile.

Treat the entire set of bodyguards and HVT as a link team for movement and AROs. The bodyguards will maintain their formation around the HVT, and will get AROs in both player's Active Turns. The Reactive Player will determine the bodyguards AROs.

[ToadChild]

I'll take this opportunity to link to the slight changes I made to the existing scenarios to try and use turn-by-turn scoring where possible. I don't like that different scenarios have very different points distributions, and in a format that focuses on OP instead of win/loss, I don't like the ones that are prone to last-turn points swing.

I haven't tested any of these changes; they are all completely hypothetical.


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WuC ... sp=sharing

[Guges]

I'm wondering how people think ITS 2014 missions would work without needing specialists. If any model could act as a specialist, would that make us people unhappy with the ITS missions happy again?

[macfergusson]

I'm wondering how people think ITS 2014 missions would work without needing specialists. If any model could act as a specialist, would that make us people unhappy with the ITS missions happy again?

That's a curious thought, and I kind of want to test it out.

[Hero of Man]

I'll start out with a High Value Target Extraction

I dunno about this one; having Five Odas seems a bit extreme, and I'm not a huge fan of them being anything but hostile. I've been tossing around a few versions of HVT/VIP style missions in my down time, and I really think two-three hostile bodyguards are optimal.

[Guges]

I'm wondering how people think ITS 2014 missions would work without needing specialists. If any model could act as a specialist, would that make us people unhappy with the ITS missions happy again?

That's a curious thought, and I kind of want to test it out.

This was probably the biggest reason why I quit ITS 2014. Some factions, like ISS the one I wanted to play, get screwed in multiple ways with available specialists. Other factions can put 35 specialists on the table. I think it would be interesting to see what balance issues pop up if you make every model a specialist. I didn't think that Lt specialists were a problem, but would things like TAGs taking objectives be a problem if anyone could? Armies would have a lot more firepower on the table to deal with problems like that.

[macfergusson]

I'm wondering how people think ITS 2014 missions would work without needing specialists. If any model could act as a specialist, would that make us people unhappy with the ITS missions happy again?

That's a curious thought, and I kind of want to test it out.

This was probably the biggest reason why I quit ITS 2014. Some factions, like ISS the one I wanted to play, get screwed in multiple ways with available specialists. Other factions can put 35 specialists on the table. I think it would be interesting to see what balance issues pop up if you make every model a specialist. I didn't think that Lt specialists were a problem, but would things like TAGs taking objectives be a problem if anyone could? Armies would have a lot more firepower on the table to deal with problems like that.

It would probably encourage more high power single combat group lists, maybe more HI links...

I can imagine a Sogarat Link moving up field to sit on a beacon for Antenna Field, that would be brutal. But, also susceptible to hacking...

[Guges]

It would probably encourage more high power single combat group lists, maybe more HI links...

I can imagine a Sogarat Link moving up field to sit on a beacon for Antenna Field, that would be brutal. But, also susceptible to hacking...

Oh you mean 15 model lists wouldn't dominate everyone's meta? Sounds a lot more fun to me. Sounds like what happened on the table would totally trump list building again. Would be nice if people would adopt it...

[ToadChild]

It would probably encourage more high power single combat group lists, maybe more HI links...

I can imagine a Sogarat Link moving up field to sit on a beacon for Antenna Field, that would be brutal. But, also susceptible to hacking...

One of the things I'm sad about in ITS 2014 is the lack of HI links (aside from Magisters, Haramaki, and Riot Grrls). My Sogarat and Suryat teams have seen very little table-time due to mostly playing ITS scenarios. I don't want to play such a list every time, but I do want every type of list to be playable. Otherwise why include rules for them?

[FatherKnowsBest]

I'm wondering how people think ITS 2014 missions would work without needing specialists. If any model could act as a specialist, would that make us people unhappy with the ITS missions happy again?

I've been saying that for a long time now.

Make Specialists achieve missions at straight WIP, make non specialists take a penalty or even be forced to use PH on things like Lifeblood.

I hate being forced to include specialists in lists and give up things I actually want. OR even worse, actually taking specialists, and then getting gimped on a hidden objective because I don't have the right kind of specialist.

[macfergusson]

Discussing this with another local player.

We started thinking about how to balance scoring, and the idea came up of letting anyone trigger scenario objectives, but specialists are required for their related Classified Objectives. This allows someone to choose between gearing a list for full offense and give up a couple points, or spread points around to "guarantee" a couple points from Classifieds but have potentially less firepower on the field.

Of course this still leaves some faction balance issues, example being Ariadna rolling up Data Scan and Test Run as classifieds. Lame.

Maybe Classifieds randomly assigned are problematic as well. Would it be better to have them able to be chosen by the player, or some other method of assignment? Or perhaps scrap entirely...

[Guges]

Discussing this with another local player.

We started thinking about how to balance scoring, and the idea came up of letting anyone trigger scenario objectives, but specialists are required for their related Classified Objectives. This allows someone to choose between gearing a list for full offense and give up a couple points, or spread points around to "guarantee" a couple points from Classifieds but have potentially less firepower on the field.

Of course this still leaves some faction balance issues, example being Ariadna rolling up Data Scan and Test Run as classifieds. Lame.

Maybe Classifieds randomly assigned are problematic as well. Would it be better to have them able to be chosen by the player, or some other method of assignment? Or perhaps scrap entirely...

These problems are all solved with spec ops...

[macfergusson]

These problems are all solved with spec ops...

Eh, I'm not a big fan of spec ops. They seem to break the uniqueness of different factions, and turn into a monkey wrench that is thrown into any list to plug a gap. On top of that, being optional, there's no guarantee that relying on a spec ops unit is even a possibility...

[MarcoSkoll]

I'm wondering how people think ITS 2014 missions would work without needing specialists.

I think the balancing act between moving up combat models and moving up specialists is more interesting. As it is, there's currently a strategical choice between having a specialist try and take the objective themselves (for few orders) or sending in a badass first (for more orders); What would inevitably happen in the absence of a specialist rule is that players just throw their biggest badasses at the problem.

I'd be more interested in seeing what happened if non-specialists could interact with objectives at a disadvantage; perhaps something like an additional -3 to their WIP roll.
Possibly disallow TAGs and (most) non-servant REMs by default too, as I can't see them having the dexterity for many of these tasks. (Still, pilots could dismount).

This gives an advantage to bringing specialists, but doesn't need players to bring along as many (or, indeed, any at all)... and, to an extent, balances out some of the meaner specialists currently in existence.
Things like the Asura Hacker and Asawira Doctor, while expensive, don't really have to compromise, being both BS14 with two-plus wounds, yet also WIP 15 specialists. At times, it's felt almost rude to use units like this; while they're not on the same level of the TAG Lts from last season, I've seen such specialists single-handedly punch through 120+ pts of models.

[IJW Wartrader]

I'm still dubious about having non-Specialists being able to do the missions.

If there's no penalty then the factions with camo infiltrators instantly swap all the FOs for Minelayers and gain even more compared to the other factions than they do now. If you think MRRF with four FO Chasseurs is bad now, just picture how terrifying it'd be with eight camo markers in the mid-field and you know four of them are Mines.

If it's a substantial penalty like -6 then lists will look the same as they do now because players hate trying to achieve objectives if there's a penalty.

If it's -3 then you might see a change, with 'normal' units being used as a backup once the Specialists are dead or in the wrong place.

[FatherKnowsBest]

I'm still dubious about having non-Specialists being able to do the missions.

If there's no penalty then the factions with camo infiltrators instantly swap all the FOs for Minelayers and gain even more compared to the other factions than they do now. If you think MRRF with four FO Chasseurs is bad now, just picture how terrifying it'd be with eight camo markers in the mid-field and you know four of them are Mines.

If it's a substantial penalty like -6 then lists will look the same as they do now because players hate trying to achieve objectives if there's a penalty.

If it's -3 then you might see a change, with 'normal' units being used as a backup once the Specialists are dead or in the wrong place.

Which is why I suggested the -3.

[Kestril]

Could we get back to cool ITS scenarios and not a balance discussion?

I present to you my spy-thriller scenario: DOUBLE CROSS!

------------------Double-Cross------------------

Our agent has just stolen some priority-1 information, and has almost managed to slip away undetected using his civilian cover. It's your mission to locate your spy and recover the information. However, we've had spies among us as well. An enemy agent is using this momentary chaos to rendezvous with the enemy forces with information that could compromise our entire operation! Our friendly spy must be recovered, and the enemy's: eliminated.


Objectives
Identify the enemy spy - 1VP
Retrieve your intel- 1VP
Secure your intel -1VP
Retrieve the enemy intel - 2VP
Secure the enemy intel -2VP

Kill no civilians SUBTRACT 1 VP for every civilian your models kill.

Cause an opponent to end his turn early with a Double agent -1Vp



Rules

After both sides deploy, five [civilian] markers are placed on the board, all with different numbers on the different tokens. One [civilian] marker is placed dead-center, and the other tokens scatter using normal scatter rules. After the markers are deployed, each player secretly writes down which token corresponds to their agent.

(for example, we deploy, then the civilian markers scatter. I choose which one I like best, and write down the number that corresponds to that marker. So if I liked civilian marker 1 the best (say it's closer to my deployment zone, for instance), I'd write down a "1", meaning that the [civilian-1] marker is actually my spy. My opponent does the same. I know which one mine is, but I don't know which one his is. )

Civilian Markers.
A civilian is considered to have an ARM value of 0, and has one wound.

Run for your lives!: Civilians are scared of gunfire. If a civilian marker can draw line-of site to a model which declares a shoot action (either in the active turn or in ARO, they will move 2" away from that model as they flee in terror!

To see if a civilian marker is actually a spy, a WIP roll is made as a short skill. The model making the roll must have line-of-site to the civilian model they wish to observe. Forward observer(F.O.) specialists make this roll with a +3 bonus to willpower, specialist troops that are not forward observers (doctors, engineers, hackers, ect. . .) make this roll at their normal willpower, and non-specialist models make this roll with a -3 modifier to willpower.

If the roll is successful, then both players reveal if that [civilian] marker was actually their spy, a yes-or-no will do. If yes, then the spy is revealed, and the [civilian] maker is replaced by a [spy] marker. If not, then the civilian marker remains on-table.

Note that Your spy is a professional, and will not reveal themselves under any circumstances, even in the seeming "safety" of friendly units. Yourspy must be revealed before you can retrieve the Intel from your spy.


Double agent! -- If both players say "yes" when a civilian marker is discovered, the active player immediately ends their turn. It was one spy all along! A double agent! The twist causes massive confusion among the ranks, and a complete communication breakdown!

(Example: I think I have this game in the bag. My number 1 marker is really close, so all I have to do is reveal it, walk over, and retrieve the intelligence. I declare my first short skill to be to discover the number 1 marker, which I think is my spy. I succeed in my WIP roll, and so I say, "That's my spy!" to my shock, my opponent says, "yep, and it's mine too!" My turn immediately ends as my units try to deal with the sudden twist. )


Spy marker
Spy markers represent a spy who has been discovered, and is now on the run! [Spys] are considered irregular troops with a profile of:

Irregular.
BS 11, PH 11, 0ARM, -3BTS, 1 W.
Pistol.

Spies may only use orders out of their own order pool, and do not share orders with any friendly forces, even when revealed.

Double agents are spy markers that are always considered friendly models in the active turn, and enemy model in the reactive turn.

Retrieving the Intel
A friendly model must be within base to base of the spy model in order to retrieve the intel. Retrieving the intel is a short skill that succeeds on a willpower roll (rolled not by the spy, but by the model retrieving the intel) that may only be attempted when the model is in base-to-base contact with the spy. Friendly models may also retrieve the intel by using a long skill that does not require a roll, however, they still must be within base-to-base of the spy. After the intel has been retrieved, place an [intel] marker next to the model which was in base to base with the spy.

The intel is considered secured if a specialist model has the intel marker. The intel marker may be transfered from freindly model to freindly model by using the [secure the intel] action, as stated above.

(Example: I've gotten the intel from the spy, however, the model that has the intel marker isn't a specialist. So, I declare a short order of [move + secure intel] on a specialist model. The specialist model walks over, and then makes a WIP roll. If the specialist passes the WIP test, then the intel marker moves to the specialist, and the intel is considered secured. If that specialist dies, then it is not secured, and the intel model is dropped.)

If a model (including the spy) with the [intel] marker dies or is knocked unconscious before a friendly unit has retrieved the intel, place an [intel] marker in base-to-base of the dead spy. This marker may be picked up using a retrieve the intel, as described above.

If a [double agent] dies or is knocked unconscious before a friendly unit has retrieved the intel, then place two [intel] markers in base-to-base with the dead double agent. If one side has retrieved the intel from a double agent, and the other side hasn't, then only one [intel] marker is dropped. Note that one side cannot retrieve the intel twice from a double agent-- the second intel is the enemy's, and the double agent will not give it up.

---------------


I would be super excited to play that scenario. I fact, I may try running it.

[Scorch]

I'm wondering how people think ITS 2014 missions would work without needing specialists. If any model could act as a specialist, would that make us people unhappy with the ITS missions happy again?

I'd consider restricting TAG Lts as specialists (Avatar/Achilles specialist just isn't fun if they go first turn, also LOS is almost unavailable in that case, which is already a big strength and not accessible to every army), and perhaps restricting certain objectives to certain specialists or make them better at it (why should a doctor slice a console? Get a hacker to do that! I feel it's a lore-thingy. -3/-6 on WIP could work as well. )
Otherwise I wouldn't mind at all, and would really like to see more variation in lists and units on the table. HI-links? Cool! Order Spam? Cool! Lots of TO-tactics? Neat! It all becomes more valuable or equal when these restrictions fall away.

[Certs]

There was a thought here for a mission system being worked on by a couple of the guys that everyone could do objectives at WiP-3, Specialists did it at WiP, and you could have one Specialist count as being Authorized who would auto-pass any objective activations. May have helped that they were playing the Dire Foe scenarios just before starting work on this one.

Semi-related, for ITS, I had previously thought about making it so that all Specialists could just long skill to activate objectives without the need for a WIP roll. With the news that Climb may be a long skill that doesn't require a roll to perform, I'm sorta anxious to see if they'll have anything like that carry over to all the various skills that currently require rolls in order to perform, and not just objectives, but maybe even things like Doctor and Engineer.

In general, that'd make specialists a lot more worthwhile to have on hand and not just because it lessens the situationalness of being able to complete their respective secret objectives. Would definitely make things like Shock and Shock Immunity much more worthwhile as well.

[vorthain]

Yes, sounds familiar.

[Section9]

I'll start out with a High Value Target Extraction

I dunno about this one; having Five Odas seems a bit extreme, and I'm not a huge fan of them being anything but hostile. I've been tossing around a few versions of HVT/VIP style missions in my down time, and I really think two-three hostile bodyguards are optimal.

Fair enough, I was just spitballing a scenario anyway. Two or three hostile Odalisques would remove a decent bit of rules-space, too.

[Spambot]

Real simple suggestion re; specialists and non-specialists: why not simply make non-SWC models (and hackers) able to score? (perhaps at a penalty... and if so, screw -3, make it -6)

Gives us a reason to take that Combi HI, prevents minelayer infiltrators or HMG toting motherfuckers that also score and all that shit, no TAGs that take objectives... seems to patch a lot of holes with a simple rule.

A big WIP penalty also makes actual specialists worthwhile too. -3 just isn't enough IMO

So I'm going to call for new scenarios that could be used for Tournaments in this thread.

I'd be keen to see the Karikuri as a bodyguard. Makes me think of that bodyguard android from GiTS. We've also got that Corporate Security model coming out w/ Icestorm...

Very keen on the 4 turn format btw. 3 turns puts such a huge premium on fast or infil units and leaves very little possibility for maneuver.

Maybe Classifieds randomly assigned are problematic as well. Would it be better to have them able to be chosen by the player, or some other method of assignment? Or perhaps scrap entirely...

Good riddance. I'd prefer classifieds to be replaced with far less specialist orientated missions, such as this for example;

The Tongue
We need information on the enemy, take one of them prisoner... then leave the rest to me

Objective: Have a model in base to base contact with an unconscious enemy model (that does not have a STR value) inside your deployment zone at the end of the game.

Combined with the ability to Casevac unconscious enemy models, could be a lot of fun. It also helps to punish overzealous AD/Infiltrator use.

Also a big fan of the idea of ITS Mains, YAMS secondaries, using the "2 public 2 private" system.[/quote]

[Morze]

I'd like to have more reasonable secret objectives, more stuff like sabotage and less like Test run.

How about:

Bio-analyze:
Have doctor or paramedic analyze unconscious enemy model. Analyzing is short skill and doesn't require any roll. This objective can be accomplished by troops with g: synchronized.

Protect the base:
Have at least one suppression fire corridor layed every reactive turn.

King of the hill:
At the end of the game, Occupy the highest point of the table with conscious model. To avoid disagreement, write down this point to your roster before game starts.

[Spears]

Test run and experimental drug would make more sense if they didnt need to succeed. Its a test, a failure should be fine you just need the results.

[MarcoSkoll]

Don't mix up game mechanics and fluff.

In any case, I don't really see a failed Doctor roll as the doctor killing the patient, I see it often being the patient being too far gone to be saved.
Similarly, an Engineering roll that "kills" the model may represent the Engineer getting over there and deciding it's beyond repair. It's only really TAGs* where an Engineer actually really has to count as making anything worse, and really... those cannot be easy to fix in the field.

*The only other things I recall have more than one STR are Su Jian and Karakuri. The latter of which is logically a risky prospect to try and fix (boom).

[IJW Wartrader]

Yeah, I always think of Doctor or Paramedic rolls as being triage as much as actual healing.

[Spears]

To clarify I think those two could do with some work mechanic wise. Also justified by fluff.
Making it a dud roll like data scan might work.

[Poseidal]

What about having a blast door with an objective behind it that anyone can 'claim', but to get through the door you need to:

L3: Hacker can long skill (if it is in the ZC of him or an eligible repeater) to make the door open for models on his side. If an enemy hacker does the same, 'ownership' transfers to the enemy team and it counts as closed again for the other side.

L2: Engineer or model with D-Charges can permanently open the door for both friendly and unfriendly models. (short skill to place D-charge and short skill to detonate as normal - but door is automatically opened when detonated without any rolls required for damage)

L1: 2 or more models must make a coordinated long skill, requiring two or more passing a PH roll to prize open the door when they are in base contact with it. If only one passes, it does not open and both must pass the same coordinated order at the same time to open it.

L1 and L2 run the risk of an enemy getting in to 'claim' the objective after you open it, so Hacker is the preferred and most straightforward way, then Engineer but when neither is available you can brute-force it, which the most order, and model intensive method.

(the door doesn't necessarily have to lead to a room, it could be a safe for example)

[Section9]

Yeah, I always think of Doctor or Paramedic rolls as being triage as much as actual healing.

Yeah, the 'Dead' state would be someone hit so hard that they're incapable of further action. Not necessarily dead-dead (look at what people are surviving in Iraq/Afghanistan), but hors d'combat.

[Icchan]

Yeah, I always think of Doctor or Paramedic rolls as being triage as much as actual healing.

I always thought the unconscious state as a sort of quantum state, both dead and alive but we won't know until the state is checked. The doctor's wip roll would then represent his/her skill level to determine whether or not the patient can be saved and what treatment can be applied.