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Being the original referee's setup rules.. I have emphasized crucial rules that were continually being forgotten by the players.

Available Worlds

New Islands Subsector                                              PBG

  Zuflucht          0101 C445720-8 N                               800
  Wellington        0105 C8B0223-A                                 800
  Esperanza         0106 C6748BC-9 N                               303
  St. Hilaire       0110 B5797A3-A N                               500
  Nebelwelt         0210 C879425-5                                 612
  Gloire            0303 C764567-9      controlled by Serendip Belt924
  Serendip Belt     0503 A000959-C N                               502
  New Colchis       0507 A8959AA-C N                               920
  Herzenslust       0606 E995765-6      controlled by New Colchis  103
  Orphee            0609 X885600-0      interdicted                100
  Topas             0702 D120899-5                                 904
  Elysee            0705 B502532-9 N                               200
  Besancon          0706 C201341-9 N                               502
  Berlichingen      0801 D600437-7                                 700
  Joyeuse           0808 A7899B9-C N                               404


Old Islands Subsector                                              PBG

  Sturgeon's Law    0104 DAC1451-6                                 815
  Quichotte         0109 E576667-6 N    controlled by Joyeuse      413
  Neubayern         0202 A7889C9-C N                               610
  Schlesien Belt    0303 C000367-B N    controlled by Neubayern    111
  New Home          0305 A565857-D N                               704
  Colchis           0406 B676898-9 N                               911
  St. Genevieve     0503 C460100-A                                 404
  Acadie            0605 C868563-9      controlled by Amondiage    400
  Sansterre         0702 A87A943-C N                               222
  Achille           0704 E101335-9                                 100
  Amondiage         0705 A5629A9-C N                               102
  St. Denis         0803 D735764-7 N    controlled by Sansterre    803

PBG - Population multiplier, # planetoid belts, # gas giants

As you probably notice, Esperanza has been removed from the list of starfaring powers. The list of eligible worlds is limited to those with A starports, but if you really like a challenge, I have no objection to you playing St. Hilaire or Colchis. For purposes of this game, you will be the "High Command" of whichever world you get, and your location IS relevant. Any orders given will be from whatever point you are determined to be at when the order is given, and appropriate time delays till the order is received will be applied. You will be required to build a fleet using standard TCS guidelines for "peace". No meson technolgy is initially available. You must provide me with a complete fleet listing (in High Guard terms). 80% of that force, to include all the (TL-1) ships, will be included in initial information to all other players. 80% of their forces will be known to you. You may indicate WHICH ships are to included in that listing. Any further information must be acquired during play. Communication between players must go through me, and will be delivered at the appropriate time.

Each player should provide me a short (less than 1000 words) description of his Naval Doctrine (how do you want your fleets to behave in a fight?). Combats between forces you are not present at will be decided by me, and results will be sent to you at the appropriate time. You may change Naval Doctrine at any time, but the change will be disseminated to your forces at the appropriate times. They will continue to use old Doctrine until that time.

"Appropriate time" will be determined by time required to make jumps from the location an event occurs at to the relevant locations (you to your fleets, your fleets to you, other worlds to you, etc.).

There are no "bidding guidelines". Choose the three worlds you would most prefer to operate from. I will try to keep everyone as happy as possible. The sooner you get a request in, the more likely you are to get your first choice, though.

To answer questions already asked - 80% is by tonnage, not by cost. I am your comptroller. Any budgetary errors or overrruns will be reported at the "appropriate time". Deficit spending is disallowed, funds will awarded annually (every 50 turns). Worlds listed as having a Navy Base have planetary defenses in addition to fleets (this, of course, applies only to non-player worlds. Players can do what they like about planetary defenses). ANY world with sufficient resources may have a fleet (mostly quite small). These ships will be assumed to be produced at the tiny little local yards, or bought surplus from one of the great powers. This IS a method that can be used to dispose of obsolete ships you no longer wish to carry on the fleet list. 50% of funds so acquired will go to the Navy budget for the following year, the remainder to the General Fund (it pays the Comptroller's salary ;-)).

Later...

More answers to more questions:

Serendip Belt is not listed as having asteroid belts because (1) I do not count "main worlds" in the PBG listing, and (2) I overlooked the typo:-)

As to acquisition of higher tech ships or components: that is between you and the source. If New Home wants to sell you TL13 ships/computers/weapons then they can. They must be installed in New Home's yards, and so will affect the New Home production for their own use. Whoever decides to play New Home should sell whatever anyone else wants, at a HORRENDOUS markup. If no-one wants to play New Home, it will be run that way by me, as a neutral power. YOU MAY NOT ASSUME ANY SUCH IN YOUR INITIAL FLEETS.

Couriers: If you don't buy them, courier service will be provided by the merchant marine, at a fairly significant speed penalty.

Planetary defenses: If you don't build them, you won't have them. I am not using much abstraction for the planetary assault parts of the game. It will be abstract as far as you are concerned, since it will be handled at the field level, as opposed to High Command. Army type units are not your concern, as their budget comes from other sources, but transport for ground units IS within your zone of interest. Merchant Marine transport will be available in nearly limitless quantities, AFTER the war zone ceases to be a war zone.

Doctrine: Make it as long as necessary. Keep in mind that you can issue special orders to individual fleets/squadrons/ships, so your doctrine need not cover EVERY situation imaginable. Just most of them ;-)

SO far, everyone can have their first choice (you know who you are, and what the choices are. I need a few more players before we can get started, since I don't want to inflict MY idea of future war by neutrals on you.

Oh, yeah. IN this campaign, B starports have yard capacities 50% of an A starport, but they can build only non-Jump capable stuff, or Jump capable ships under 5000 tons (to a limit of 10% of their yard capacity).

Keep in mind that fleets acting independently are being run by high-grade morons. They can make tactical decisions, but no strategic decisions not based in their orders.

And one more thing: I'm doing an extended system writeup for all systems (I've needed one for these systems in our own game). You'll have to defend (and attack) complete solar systems, not just one gas giant and your main world. System writeups for your systems will be provided in a few days, system writeups for any other systems will be provided on request (probably pkzipped, and UUencoded, so if you can't handle that, let me know).

Later...

Still more information about this TCS game.

(1) Before the turns actually begin, I'll give everyone time to work out relations with the other worlds of the Islands.

(2) In this game, 'war' is an economic term. You must declare (to me) that you are 'at war'. At that time, your budget will be adjusted to the wartime levels from TCS. At that time, word of this will spread to all other worlds, to be delivered at the 'appropriate time'. You do NOT have to be 'at war' to fight, just to get the budget.

(3) R&D - you throw money at a problem, and I'll tell you when you get any meaningful results. Classes of problem - specific system that you have seen, improvement on existing system, totally new research. Guess which one Meson technology comes under? Guess which one costs the most, and takes the longest?

(4) I'll be ready to start when I get six major powers ready to play. The seventh will be neutral unless there are that many interested, and will be available for late-comers if not.

Later...

Still more TCS.

I'm still shy a player, but I intend to go ahead and start. The "political pregame" starts as of receipt of this notice in the TML. It will continue till Sunday, when the shooting can start. Messages can be private, or public. Private means to only specified worlds, public means to all players. Unless otherwise noted, public will be assumed. The net results of all the messages (alliances, public works, whatever) will be summarized to all players Saturday. Anything you do NOT want included in that summary MUST be marked "SECRET".

Hopefully you all can get me at least the first 80% of your fleets to me by Saturday. Anything not in by Saturday cannot be used for two turns after it is turned in, since I need to be able to inform everyone of the contents of "Jane's Fighting Starships 5626". Initial deployments are expected by Saturday, as well. Anything not mentioned will be assumed to be in orbit about your homeworld. The High Command will be assumed to be in a large Pentagonal building in your capitol. If you want to be with the fleet, be sure and let me know.

I will issue you your first budgets Saturday, and will send along a balance sheet with each turn showing your funds expended, and funds remaining. Please TRY to avoid running out of money before the end of the year.

If ANYONE just cannot get ready by the weekend, PLEASE tell me ASAP, so I can retract this.