[DSII]When gravity fails

Thinking specifically about movement of wheeled vehicles and infantry, how
does lower gravity affect movement.

If gravity gets low enough (e.g. on the Moon or Mars) would infantry end up
with one movement rate - the controlled hop?
How does lower gravity affect wheeled vehicles? Lower gravity means lower
traction so do they actually get slower?

A lot depends on how much less gravity you are talking about.

On VERY low gravity surfaces, it would slow vehicles and infantry down. They
need to maintain contact with the surface for control. On very low gravity
surfaces, moving at high speed is likely to take you off the surface (driving
over bumps pushing too hard with your legs) and then you are stuck until
gravity pulls you back down.

For short movement the "hop" would be good. But it has several drawbacks: 1)
Humans are not built for the hop to be the main mode of transportation. People
will tire quicker taking hops than using an exagerated walk, skip or jog. 2) A
hop may put you above terrain features and expose you to enemy fire 3) See
above about control

I would think in a DS2 game, that it would average out (vehicles and
infantry on both sides gain/loose about the same amount) so it could be
ignored. If only _one_ side is experienced on the world, I would either
give a bonus to movement to one side or give a penalty to movement on the
other (probably the penalty as they keep making mistakes that the experience
troops do not).

How about normal movement, unless a unit wants to push it:

By Increasing Movement by 50%: Increase Target Die by 1

By Increasing Movement by 100%:
As above + Draw Damage Chits equal to Size, If Number of Valid Chits
exceeds Armour then treat as a Mobility Hit

Valid Chits: Grav Yellow Tracked Red & Yellow Wheeled Red

That's off the top of my head.

Hmmm - what about quality - should veterans be able to push it more than
Green's? Trouble is I want to add "flavour" so that the combat is not just
different scenery but I don't want to add to many extra chit pulls and die
rolls. Mind you this modification adds an extra die roll...

How about By Increasing Movement by 50%: Increase Target Die by 1 By
Increasing Movement by 100%:
 As above + make TL + 0 reaction test (+1 if under fire) if failed then
Draw Damage Chits equal to Size If Number of Valid Chits exceeds Armour then
treat as a Mobility Hit

Valid Chits: Grav Yellow Tracked Red & Yellow Wheeled Red

On the other hand I think I really agree with Brian (at least as far as
infantry are concerned) that it will probably all even out.

Next I have to think about weapon behaviour on Mars. (For HEL, DFFG, HKP, GMS.
Artillery and infantry weapons) Random thoughts: Closer horizon HKP and DFFG
has longer range (lower gravity, thinner attmosphere), DFFG possibly much
longer GMS have to be specially built but otherwise unchanged HEL might be
more effective (less thermal bloom) infantry weapons would have longer range
(lower gravity, thinner
attmosphere) but for non-PA the limit might well be the sensors not the
weapons.
Infantry will be more vulnerable - suit comprimise can kill

Chris D-W

> -----Original Message-----

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You can take what I did for the Moonbase Xi scenario set on the moon. Granted
there is a big difference between vacuum and low atmosphere.

http://www.cygnusx1.info/ds2/scenarios/moonbasexi.html

I had hits aginst infantry draw an extra chit and made boom chits count
against infantry. I also had one side using vehicles modified, not designed,
for a vacuum (seals were added, oxygen tanks were put in the vehicles, etc.
-- basically kitbashed to work temporarily in a vacuum) and had hits
against these also draw 1 extra chit.

---
Brian Bell bbell1@insight.rr.com ICQ: 12848051 AIM: Rlyehable YIM: Rlyehable
Cygnus X1.info
http://www.cygnusx1.info/
---

[quoted original message omitted]

For missiles in a low density atmosphere, you have a number of options:

Missiles designed for Low Density Atmosphere/Low Gravity:
 - Longer range (missiles are set to glide before terminal burn)

Missiles NOT designed for Low Density Atmosphere/Low Gravity:
 - Vectored Thrust Missiles
   - Extended Range?
   - Minimum range (can overshoot target).
 - Fin stablized/controlled missiles
   - Drop Guidance by 1 level (control surfaces are not as responsive)
   - Drop number of chits pulled by 1 (more likely to glance a target)

Of course is both sides have had time to update equipment (reprogram in some
cases, choose different ordinance in others), probably the normal stats should
be used.

You don't want to change too many things; players won't remember to use the
modified rules. I had enough trouble getting players to remember to draw 1
extra chit!

---

> Of course is both sides have had time to update equipment
The scenario background has both sides using custom designed kit (some for the
first time) so I might just stick to a closer horizon and making infantry more
vunerable.

Chris

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Chris DW said:
> Thinking specifically about movement of wheeled vehicles and infantry,

Maybe instead of combat moves of 2d6 or whatever (based on weight of gear),
they should be 2d4 for troops inexperienced at 0g, 2d8 for regulars who've
been trained, and 2d12 for troops who've lived in 0g all
their lives (eg Alarishi--although they're all in Fast PA anyway).
Disallow "normal" moves.
(if you want to be cruel, drop it by a couple of dice shifts--eg
inexperienced troops flip a coin, heads=move 2", tails =0").

If you have microgravity, then probably no vehicle. However, IIRC it turns out
that gecko feet can stick to surfaces even in vacuum, so if you have mechs or
armor with "geckofoot galoshes" so to speak, you might
still be able to walk in zero gee--although I imagine it's a bit
different motion and would take some getting used to.

> From: "laserlight@quixnet.net" <laserlight@quixnet.net>

> Maybe instead of combat moves of 2d6 or whatever (based on weight of

2d6? 2d4? Are those SG movement terms? DS doesn't CURRENTLY use die for

movement.

3B^2

> Date: Wed, 1 May 2002 11:54:15 +0100

Marine 2002 has multiple different movement rates based on how high up your
troops are willing to bounce as they move. And thus how easy it is to get line
of sight on them. Speed making you vulnerable to poping up over other peoples
horizon so they could shoot you.

> >Maybe instead of combat moves of 2d6 or whatever (based on weight

Brian said
> 2d6? 2d4? Are those SG movement terms? DS doesn't CURRENTLY use die

The Computer is your friend. You are in possession of classified information.
Please report to the disintegration chamber immediately. Have a nice day.

(Yes, they're SG2 movement).

> From: "Laserlight" <laserlight@quixnet.net>

> The Computer is your friend. You are in possession of classified

I.... will..... comply....

> (Yes, they're SG2 movement).

Thanks.

3B^2

G'day,

Don't know enough about vehicles, though I'm guessing that the thinner
atmosphere on lower gravity worlds would make GEV/VTOLs hard to use
<that's where airships could come in handy.....;)>. As for people I'd think
about using something like:

If "suited" for the environment use DS as is (but suit breaches are deadly,
either due to higher lethality of hits if in really thin atmosphere or because
you drop down to "unsuited" rates... representing gravity compensators being
knocked out even if you keep enough atmospheric integrity to be OK).

If "unsuited" for the environment treat movement classes as they currently are
(normal, poor) etc as they represent physical obstacles to traverse (its hard
to move between trees regardless of the gravity), but drop the rate of
movement. On low gravity worlds say use half normal movement rates, on
worlds like Mars use 3/4. Then (thinking of Red Mars etc), people who
are native to the area (e.g. children of colonists etc) may be able to use
slightly higher movement rates as they've developed an efficient gate.

So for example...

PA on moon move 6" (normal rate) if PA has been gravity corrected, 3" if it
hasn't been corrected. IF you (and you're forebears) have been kicking around
in these conditions for ages (Alarish born and bred) then they get to use 4".

In really micrograv situations you may want to start using 3D movement for
everybody and anyone who gets to "high mode" (or x" off the service runs the
risk of flying off;)

Cheers