[Space] Emergency Drills

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

Is there any benefit to performing these drills? If no, why are they performed?

Probably for the same reasons that you do emergency drills in any other workplace - not only is it likely to be a legal requirement, but it helps give people some idea what to do if the emergency happens for real, may reveal any problems with the emergency plans and, hopefully, allows people to get their panicking done during the simulation rather than the real thing.

[SpaceGurper]

Sorry haven't checked the forums in a couple days. (Computer games and power supply failure)

You guys are awesome. thanks Nolinquisitor for that detailed reply. Thanks everyone else as well, so many idea's flowing now.

Peter Knutsen: The drills are pretty much for character building and readiness so the players (and myself) have everything ready to go if it actually turns into a REAL emergency. Reduces rule foraging and increases fun especially if you're dealing with a relatively long trip.

The Colonel: I love the interrupting one drill with another idea. I'll probably do that down the line

RyanW: Lights going out. Emergency lights are good but don't offer as much illumination as the standard lights on board sot aht'd be a good -1 to -2 penalty.

gjc8: Chain reactions. I really didn't think about that (smacks forehead). Awesome.

[congo]

Shooting drills, terrorist attack drill, depressurization of cabin, sos from another ship (a shuttle can simulate a vessel that sent an sos signal). various medical drills, gas leakage (different gases may require different procedures), Anoxia - Shortage of Oxygen.

In spaceships, under reactors, engines etc., each entry has a skill required for maintenance of that module.

[SpaceGurper]

Thanks all once more, and thanks congo for those additional idea's. Sunday is coming up pretty fast. Our first RP of the year.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Probably for the same reasons that you do emergency drills in any other workplace - not only is it likely to be a legal requirement, but it helps give people some idea what to do if the emergency happens for real, may reveal any problems with the emergency plans and, hopefully, allows people to get their panicking done during the simulation rather than the real thing.

How is this benefit expressed in the game-mechanics?

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

How is this benefit expressed in the game-mechanics?

I have no idea. Fewer fright checks at the immenence of death? Some kind of removal of an unfamiliarity penalty for those that do well in the drills? Easter eggs? Give the PCs a chance to spot a serious flaw in the existing drill ("But you can't deal with a fire in that compartment by decompressing! You'd expose the oxygen regenerators to hard vacuum and shut down life support for the whole ship!"), which may stand them in good stead later. Or maybe it gives you a chance to tell your players "you remember X from the drill, which might be of use in this context". Use them to foreshadow things you plan to happen :"isn't the result of this torpedo hit a lot like that debris collision scenario we worked through?" ... that sort of thing.

[SpaceGurper]

there's always things you can learn from emergency drills. Unfamiliarity would be removed after they drill a few times. And giving them benefits from doing drills. of course the reduced fright checks and maybe a slight bonus since they've already encountered the situation before.

Without the drilling. there would be the unfamiliarity penalty (-2) additional penalties because they're stressed (probably another -2) and a possible fright check penalty.

At least under drilling pressure there not total losses since it's controlled and not chaotic and life threatening. So we have after the drills base will for fright and they wouldn't be under the unfamiliarity penalty and probably not as stressed if at all.

It makes sense.

[isf]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

How is this benefit expressed in the game-mechanics?

I'd give them better TDM's for tasks that they have drilled on.

[SpaceGurper]

hehe had to look up TDM (Thank you Forum mods for that wonderful sticky thread).

Ya I'd be giving them better TDM's (Task Difficulty Modifier's) for successfull drills on the subject.

So it's beneficial to do drills well and often of course not too often since it'll get dull and too easy. Toss a couple wrenches in and a variation. Eventually they'll learn and get a CP in particular skills. I'm planning on using the Learning over time rules.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

I have no idea. Fewer fright checks at the immenence of death? Some kind of removal of an unfamiliarity penalty for those that do well in the drills? Easter eggs? Give the PCs a chance to spot a serious flaw in the existing drill ("But you can't deal with a fire in that compartment by decompressing! You'd expose the oxygen regenerators to hard vacuum and shut down life support for the whole ship!"), which may stand them in good stead later. Or maybe it gives you a chance to tell your players "you remember X from the drill, which might be of use in this context". Use them to foreshadow things you plan to happen :"isn't the result of this torpedo hit a lot like that debris collision scenario we worked through?" ... that sort of thing.

One solution is to start with a Perk that gives a +1 bonus based on the most recent drill, only for that specific ship (not for other ships, not even of the same model), so if the most recent drill was fire-fighting Damage Control, then the character with the Perk gets a +1 bonus on fire-fighting.

Upgrading with more CPs can either be more Perks, so that with two Perks the bonus applies bot to the most recent drill and the drill before that, and with three Perks the three most recent drills count, or it can be changed into more of a modular ability, still only affecting that one ship (spaceships are complex enough that there will always be differences even between ships of the same model, and still with the drill-master, not the character, deciding on what drills to carry out.