-Reserved for later maybe-

On 2/4/2017 at 1:52 PM, Hawkstrike said:

Here's something I've created based on the approach Armada uses:

Objectives in Play . Each player selects three objective cards to be part of his or her squad list. When play begins, the player with initiative is the first player, and selects an objective from the list of the player without initiative (the second player). That objective becomes the objective for the game and its conditions apply. Points scored as a result of objective play are added to the points scored by destroying opposing ships (and in tournament play are applied toward Margin of Victory just as in standard 100-point dogfight tournaments).

Objective Cards

Bounty Hunter . Each player designates a ship on his squad to be the Bounty and informs the opponent, marking the ship with an objective token; the opposing player scores +10 points for destroying that ship.

Minefield . All obstacles work as proximity mines -- if a ship overlaps the obstacle, the opposing player rolls three dice and the ship takes any damage indicated. The obstacle is then removed from play.

Graveyard . When a ship is destroyed, a debris field is placed in its last location.

Death Star Plans . Once obstacles are placed, the second player places an objective token face down on each obstacle, marking one as the location of the Death Star plans. Whenever the first player flies a ship which overlaps an obstacle, the objective token is flipped face up. When the Death Star plans are discovered, they are assigned to the discovering ship for the remainder of the game. Discovering the Death Star plans gains +5 points; retaining them on a ship which survives to the end of the game nets another +5 points. If the game concludes and the first player has not located the Death Star plans, the second player gains +10 points. If the game concludes and the ship carrying the Death Star plans has been destroyed, the second player gains +5 points.

Recon Mission . Once obstacles are placed, place an objective token on each obstacle to simulate a reconnaissance objective. Whenever a ship flies within range 1 of an obstacle and can fire on the obstacle, it may attack the objective, which has Agility 3, Hull 1. If the objective is destroyed, the player collects the corresponding token. At the end of the game, each objective token collected gains the player +2 points.

Station Defense . The second player selects one obstacle to represent a space station and places an objective token on it. The station has Agility 2, Hull 10. If the first player destroys the station, that player gains +12 points; if the station is not destroyed by the end of the game, the second player gains +12 points.

Hidden Jedi . Each player selects a ship on his or her squad to carry a hidden Jedi pilot, and secretly marks which ship it is. The opposing player gains +5 points if that ship is destroyed.

Capture the Flag . Each player selects a ship on his or her squad to be the flagship, and identifies it with an objective marker. The opposing player gains +20 points if the flagship exits the play area (simulating capture).

Bombing Run . All damage inflicted by bombs or mines during the game is doubled.

Torpedo Run . Missiles and torpedoes fired by either squad are not expended after firing.

Spice Run . Place two objective markers on each obstacle, one for each player. Each player selects one ship in his or her squad to be the spice runner. When the spice runner overlaps an obstacle, the player collects the allocated token from that obstacle. The spice runner does not suffer damage effects the first time it overlaps each obstacle. At the end of the game, each player receives +2 points for each objective token collected by the spice runner.

Rescue Mission . The first player selects a ship on his or her squad to be a prisoner transport. The second player's goal is to make contact with (via bumping or overlapping) the prisoner transport, rescuing the prisoners, for which the second player receives 5 points. If the prisoner transport is destroyed before the prisoners are rescued, the second player instead receives -5 points. If the game ends without the prisoners being rescued, the first player receives 5 points.

Escort Mission . The second player places a small base (or the shuttle token from the core set) flush with the edge of his or her side of the board. The shuttle has Agility 2, Hull 6. Each turn, the shuttle moves 1 straight or 1 bank (left or right) at Pilot Skill Zero. If the first player destroys the shuttle, he or she gains +10 points; if the shuttle exits from the opposing player's side of the board before the game ends, the second player gains +10 points.

Homing Beacon . Each player's goal is to place a homing beacon on each of the opposing ships. To place a homing beacon, the player must make a range 1 attack that results in at least 1 hit on the opponent's ship; cancel all hits to apply a homing beacon to that ship. Each ship marked with a homing beacon nets the opposing player +3 points.

Hyperspace Assault . After obstacles have been placed, the second player places three objective tokens in the play area no closer than range 2 to any edge; these are hyperspace assault points. The second player then selects one or more ships (totaling fewer than 50 points in value) to serve as the hyperspace assault force. On any turn after the first, the second player may introduce the hyperspace assault force by placing all ships within range 1 of a single assault point, placing them during the planning phase and moving them as normal during the activation phase. If all of the second player's ships on the board are destroyed before the hyperspace assault force is deployed, the first player wins and gains the value of the hyperspace assault force as if it had been destroyed.

This style of simple objectives seems like the most effective way to do it.

On 2/4/2017 at 1:52 PM, Hawkstrike said:

Double posting on mobile is way too easy. Sorry.

Here are some "enviornment"/Map ideas we used for a tourney. Everyone enjoyed the change of pace from the standard dogfight scenario. Link is to a pdf on dropbox.

https://db.tt/drHETp6E6K

I'm all for objective based missions, but you have to be really careful in designing these missions so that you actually have to do something different than just out-DM the other guy again. If you can win the mission just by doing what you do in 100/6, well then it turns out to be another 100/6 game because people will just go for eliminate the others before they start to go after mission objectives. So for people to actually change the squad and adjust it, the objectives have to be clearly different and not achieveable with simple deathmatch.

On 4/2/2017 at 9:52 PM, Hawkstrike said:

Here's something I've created based on the approach Armada uses:

Objectives in Play . Each player selects three objective cards to be part of his or her squad list. When play begins, the player with initiative is the first player, and selects an objective from the list of the player without initiative (the second player). That objective becomes the objective for the game and its conditions apply. Points scored as a result of objective play are added to the points scored by destroying opposing ships (and in tournament play are applied toward Margin of Victory just as in standard 100-point dogfight tournaments).

Objective Cards

Bounty Hunter . Each player designates a ship on his squad to be the Bounty and informs the opponent, marking the ship with an objective token; the opposing player scores +10 points for destroying that ship.

Minefield . All obstacles work as proximity mines -- if a ship overlaps the obstacle, the opposing player rolls three dice and the ship takes any damage indicated. The obstacle is then removed from play.

Graveyard . When a ship is destroyed, a debris field is placed in its last location.

Death Star Plans . Once obstacles are placed, the second player places an objective token face down on each obstacle, marking one as the location of the Death Star plans. Whenever the first player flies a ship which overlaps an obstacle, the objective token is flipped face up. When the Death Star plans are discovered, they are assigned to the discovering ship for the remainder of the game. Discovering the Death Star plans gains +5 points; retaining them on a ship which survives to the end of the game nets another +5 points. If the game concludes and the first player has not located the Death Star plans, the second player gains +10 points. If the game concludes and the ship carrying the Death Star plans has been destroyed, the second player gains +5 points.

Recon Mission . Once obstacles are placed, place an objective token on each obstacle to simulate a reconnaissance objective. Whenever a ship flies within range 1 of an obstacle and can fire on the obstacle, it may attack the objective, which has Agility 3, Hull 1. If the objective is destroyed, the player collects the corresponding token. At the end of the game, each objective token collected gains the player +2 points.

Station Defense . The second player selects one obstacle to represent a space station and places an objective token on it. The station has Agility 2, Hull 10. If the first player destroys the station, that player gains +12 points; if the station is not destroyed by the end of the game, the second player gains +12 points.

Hidden Jedi . Each player selects a ship on his or her squad to carry a hidden Jedi pilot, and secretly marks which ship it is. The opposing player gains +5 points if that ship is destroyed.

Capture the Flag . Each player selects a ship on his or her squad to be the flagship, and identifies it with an objective marker. The opposing player gains +20 points if the flagship exits the play area (simulating capture).

Bombing Run . All damage inflicted by bombs or mines during the game is doubled.

Torpedo Run . Missiles and torpedoes fired by either squad are not expended after firing.

Spice Run . Place two objective markers on each obstacle, one for each player. Each player selects one ship in his or her squad to be the spice runner. When the spice runner overlaps an obstacle, the player collects the allocated token from that obstacle. The spice runner does not suffer damage effects the first time it overlaps each obstacle. At the end of the game, each player receives +2 points for each objective token collected by the spice runner.

Rescue Mission . The first player selects a ship on his or her squad to be a prisoner transport. The second player's goal is to make contact with (via bumping or overlapping) the prisoner transport, rescuing the prisoners, for which the second player receives 5 points. If the prisoner transport is destroyed before the prisoners are rescued, the second player instead receives -5 points. If the game ends without the prisoners being rescued, the first player receives 5 points.

Escort Mission . The second player places a small base (or the shuttle token from the core set) flush with the edge of his or her side of the board. The shuttle has Agility 2, Hull 6. Each turn, the shuttle moves 1 straight or 1 bank (left or right) at Pilot Skill Zero. If the first player destroys the shuttle, he or she gains +10 points; if the shuttle exits from the opposing player's side of the board before the game ends, the second player gains +10 points.

Homing Beacon . Each player's goal is to place a homing beacon on each of the opposing ships. To place a homing beacon, the player must make a range 1 attack that results in at least 1 hit on the opponent's ship; cancel all hits to apply a homing beacon to that ship. Each ship marked with a homing beacon nets the opposing player +3 points.

Hyperspace Assault . After obstacles have been placed, the second player places three objective tokens in the play area no closer than range 2 to any edge; these are hyperspace assault points. The second player then selects one or more ships (totaling fewer than 50 points in value) to serve as the hyperspace assault force. On any turn after the first, the second player may introduce the hyperspace assault force by placing all ships within range 1 of a single assault point, placing them during the planning phase and moving them as normal during the activation phase. If all of the second player's ships on the board are destroyed before the hyperspace assault force is deployed, the first player wins and gains the value of the hyperspace assault force as if it had been destroyed.

It works so flawless in Armada and you can really make some wonderfull synergies between your fleet and the objectives you have chosen. Station Assault for example favours those with large ships with staying power while intel Sweep favours the side with many zippy Corvettes over afew lumbering start destroyers. Note that each player will have to select 3 objectives - one from each "suit" Navigation, Assault, Defence

For me the lack of variety in Standart keeps me away from playing X-wing tournaments - i only play casual scenario based games - But it seems that FFG have come to the same conclusion when looking at later games such as Imperial Assault, Armada and now Runewars.

For those who do not know Armadas objectives you can see them here: http://armadawarlords.hivelabs.solutions/objectives_database.php

I think had X-wing been designed later it probably would have had some kind of missions as part of its design and uprades/ships that interacted with them but it's really too late now.

36 minutes ago, Panzeh said:

I think had X-wing been designed later it probably would have had some kind of missions as part of its design and uprades/ships that interacted with them but it's really too late now.

I don't believe it's too late - though I would say it's created a very limited playing field. Not everything that was done for objectives in the later games will work on this structure.

I'm willing to test a few things on casual nights and see how stuff works. Mission 4: Den of Thieves, which comes with the original Falcon, seems to hold up and offers a fun alternative to a standard dogfight. I've heard the political escort one holds up. They gives two variants of the escort mission type - one destroy/one capture. The Den of Thieves one being the furthest from the standard dogfight. There simply isn't enough time to get tangled in a dogfight in that one and speedy ships are very helpful.

On February 2, 2017 at 6:25 PM, Babaganoosh said:

There are some fan-made objective-based tournament-style missions out there.

Here's a forum thread that touches on the topic: Collected Tournament Formats

It's got some objective based missions for tournaments:

Missions by J Rhea:

• Bombing Run
• Squad Leader
• Minefield
• Divide and Conquer
• Escort Duty
• Recon Patrol
• Asteroid Belt
• Bombing Run
• Bounty Hunt
• Debris Field
• Divide and Conquer
• Escort Duty
• Minefield
• Recon Patrol
• Reinforcements
• Squad Leader

Missions by Babaganoosh:

• Satellite Control
• The Jump Point
• Dogfight
• Junkyard
• Fleet Engagement
• Vendetta

Mission control is back up and these should be viewable now

3 hours ago, Babaganoosh said:

Mission control is back up and these should be viewable now

Wow... That Dogfight mission you wrote looks just brutal and mean.

Fleet Engagement looks interesting... I may have to try that one.

35 minutes ago, LagJanson said:

Wow... That Dogfight mission you wrote looks just brutal and mean.

Fleet Engagement looks interesting... I may have to try that one.

Haha, yes - dogfight is very... interesting. It really really punishes builds that are predicated on small numbers of ships, and/or builds that rely on very calculated early game maneuvers. It really throws everyone into the mix right away. I wrote that one probably 1.5 years ago (?). I wonder how it would play out in today's metagame - I haven't given it much attention since I wrote it.

3 minutes ago, Babaganoosh said:

Haha, yes - dogfight is very... interesting. It really really punishes builds that are predicated on small numbers of ships, and/or builds that rely on very calculated early game maneuvers. It really throws everyone into the mix right away. I wrote that one probably 1.5 years ago (?). I wonder how it would play out in today's metagame - I haven't given it much attention since I wrote it.

The way I deploy my u-wing certainly wouldn't like That mission