I'm looking at starting a Rebels vs Imperials map-based campaign within my local group.

I was thinking along the lines of each player having a roster of multiple squadrons, from which they choose their game squads. These squadron rosters can include unique pilots, but once the pilot has been killed in combat, he's removed from the roster and can't be used for the rest of the campaign. Replacement pilots will be the lowest PS available for that type of ship.

I was also thinking of running an experience point system for each generic pilot, and after attaining X amount of experience points, they can gain a skill or something. For the skills I was thinking of using the Elite Talent upgrades as a basis. This will eventually create more "unique" pilots within the campaign.

So who else is running a campaign, and what sort of format are you using?

I would do a die roll for named pilots killed in a game. They may have ejected unharmed, they may be wounded and miss some number of games/campaign turns, they may get a reduction in pilot skill, they may actually be dead. Because it really sucks to have a star player actually get permanently killed in a campaign, especially if he used to be a random generic that you have carefully nurtured for a long time, slowly building him up.

Having the bottom rung generics automatically get bumped up the the more skilled generics after so many games also makes sense as a bare bones experience system. Then as they get more experience start giving them special abilities. If the ability gained is random, you can hand them out a bit more frequently by weighting the ability table toward PS bonuses so that you don't end up with a generic pilot with some super ability who is still PS 4.

I'm looking at starting a Rebels vs Imperials map-based campaign within my local group.

I was thinking along the lines of each player having a roster of multiple squadrons, from which they choose their game squads. These squadron rosters can include unique pilots, but once the pilot has been killed in combat, he's removed from the roster and can't be used for the rest of the campaign. Replacement pilots will be the lowest PS available for that type of ship.

I was also thinking of running an experience point system for each generic pilot, and after attaining X amount of experience points, they can gain a skill or something. For the skills I was thinking of using the Elite Talent upgrades as a basis. This will eventually create more "unique" pilots within the campaign.

So who else is running a campaign, and what sort of format are you using?

Check out DagobahDave's stuff, the latest campaign of whom you can find here.

I'm also working on an online campaign engine, but my work currently has the better of me, and I've not been pursuing it much, of late.

Yeah, I had a good look at DD's campaign system and I'm using some elements from that. I have played a lot of campaign Blood Bowl and the progression system there was really good. Some players got to be really good, usually just before they died.

I like Forgottenlore's idea of ejecting and 'possibly' surviving, so I'll build that into an end phase for the games.

Good suggestions.

I would do a die roll for named pilots killed in a game. They may have ejected unharmed, they may be wounded and miss some number of games/campaign turns, they may get a reduction in pilot skill, they may actually be dead. Because it really sucks to have a star player actually get permanently killed in a campaign, especially if he used to be a random generic that you have carefully nurtured for a long time, slowly building him up.

Having the bottom rung generics automatically get bumped up the the more skilled generics after so many games also makes sense as a bare bones experience system. Then as they get more experience start giving them special abilities. If the ability gained is random, you can hand them out a bit more frequently by weighting the ability table toward PS bonuses so that you don't end up with a generic pilot with some super ability who is still PS 4.

Here is a die generator roll.

opponent rolls an attack die for each ship he/she destroyed.

blank = ship salvaged, the pilot has escaped from the game and his ship has been recovered. no effect.

focus = pilot eject ship destroyed, if ship had a unique title that tile is removed from campaign, further more to play unique pilot again add 10 points to the cost to get a new ship next time pilot is used.

hit = pilot injured ship heavily damaged, the unique pilot and any unique titles cannot be used for the next 3 missions.

critical hit = pilot KIA. The unique pilot is removed for the rest of the game.

player rolls a defense die for each of his/her ships that moved off table.

blank= lost contact, unique pilot and unique title cannot be played next game. Roll again after next mission for ship.

focus= hyperdrive damaged, unique pilot and title cannot be used for the next two missions.

evade= hyperspace escape, ship has successfully made the jump to hyperspace and rendezvous with the nearest allied forces. no effect.

I don't really think it is necessary to create tables based on the x-wing specific dice. If a group us hard core enough to be doing a campaign in the first place they probably have a couple sets of regular polyhedral dice lying around so they can use D6s, D8s, D20s, whatever works.

I have played a lot of campaign Blood Bowl and the progression system there was really good.

Which version of BB? I always liked 2nd eds league system. 3rd ed made a bunch of changes to team format and progression that I really didn't like, even if the core game play was vastly improved.

I've always wanted to do a campaign based X-wing game. I'm a big advocate of DagobahDave's UXGC

Started Blood Bowl so far back I can't remember. Started League games with Living Rule Book 3, I think and we kept going through to the last one, which was LRB6 I think.

Anyone else got any good ideas for an ongoing adventure?

Anyone else got any good ideas for an ongoing adventure?

Theme or mechanics?

Anyone else got any good ideas for an ongoing adventure?

Theme or mechanics?

Mechanics. I think I've got the theme sorted.

You say its a Rebels vs Imperials map-based campaign. Does that mean that all the players will be on one of two teams, as opposed to each being their own side?

Correct. We've got 4-5 players and a couple of them only have one faction.

I'm also planning on making an online campaign tool however I'd like to make it less about stringing a series of battles together with progression and more of a game in itself, whilst also fixing the main problem with x-wing squad building at the same time.

So in its simplest form it would be a mix between battleships and risk. So a big map where rebels secretly place their forces. Imperials start on any edge of the map. Imperial numbers are higher and their objective is to remove all rebel forces from the sector of space. As the imperials search various sectors of space, battles are triggered when forces meet if neither side flees. The rebel objective is secretly chosen and can be anything from taking out a particular imperial leader before losing x amount of points worth of ships, to simply growing their forces to a certain size by recruiting from the systems within the map (by winning battles and saving neutral outposts to win favour and supplies).

The map grid would be generated as empty space, nebulas, star systems and debris fields. Each campaign round, ships may move at light speed in a straight line but must stop at any none empty space they attempt to move past. When forces meet in space, either side may chose to jump away. The chasing player may try to guess where they jumped. They may split their forces to track them or send probes out (at a small expense - we'll discuss resources later). Lastly a player may choose to leave a few ships behind to slow the chasing forces down while the rest escape.

Destroyed ships: pilots never die and always eject. If the opposing player wins the battle they take the pilot prisoner. If the player whose pilots ship was destroyed wins then the pilot returns but a new ship must be resourced.

For each turn a battle takes place either side may receive reinforcements from any other ships they have in neighbouring sectors of the map.

Facilities: each side may set up facilities in none empty sectors of space depending on the type of sector (star system, asteroid belt etc). Facilities cost resources to create but generate resources of certain types during the campaign. This coupled with rebels recruiting from planets and imperials receiving reinforcements as matter of course creates the resources you gain that allows you to build or buy more ships/probes and build more facilities.

Capital ships: 'gigantic' ships like star destroyers may travel with forces around the grid map but do not directly engage in combat, only shoot through the play area creating zones of denial. Before the planning phase any capital ship in the sector may place a firing template on the board. If during movement any ship ends up overlapping that template it is instantly destroyed. Also, some capital ships are necessary to transport ships without light speed.

Ok that's enough for now. Hopefully I'll get some time soon to develop these ideas and create a more detailed play guide. I realise this is creating a game on top of a game but I can imagine planning overarching strategies on the train on an iPad then when a battle will commence going and playing that battle with the outcome affecting the success of my larger plan. Perhaps I would send a small squad to flee from a enemy to draw them into a trap, or send probes to discover what forces my opponent has in a sector so I can build the perfect squad to attack them.

Sorry for the length of the post!

Awesome plan, Abraxsi. Like the effort you're going into. How would you handle prisoners? Could it turn into a rescue mission later?

I was thinking along similar lines with Star Destroyers, but not the area denial that you've come up with. I was going to give the Imperials an Imperial-II, as it carries about 6 squadrons (12 ships each) and that would be their roster. The Rebels would have Nebulon-Bs or MC80 Cruisers to give a similar number of squadrons. Trying to avoid any capital ship combat, but when Armada comes out, that may change.

I did think about resources and setting up bases and such, but I'd rather keep it simple, as it's all going to be manual and not an online campaign.

Great ideas though.

Had another thought. Retreat should be an option, especially if there is a chance of losing named pilots for the duration of the campaign (which I'm thinking of building in as an option). Exiting the board wouldn't count as destroyed, but would count towards the opponent's victory conditions.
The best way to disengage from combat is by jumping to hyperspace. The only drawback, is three of the Imperial ships (TIE Fighter, Bomber and Interceptor) don't have a hyperdrive as standard, although the Wookiepedia says they can be fitted as an upgrade. So, maybe a 1 point Modification for a Hyperdrive that's used as an Actrion.
So I thought about this: A ship wishing to disengage plans the fastest straight maneuver available on his dial and reveals and moves as normal, declares the Jump to Hyperspace as his Action, then fights in the Combat phase before he removes his ship at the end of the phase.