> >As an alternative, particularly in larger engagements where seeing
Even a peek can be an overwhelming advantage and unbalancing. It would have to
stand the scrutiny of a couple of play test sessions.
I like the ideas of the firing advantage and the initiative. The system could
be used to bid on getting the initiative for the combat round. Each point from
the fleet control system could add one to the initiative die roll.
> >I like it. I would limit it to ONE point allowed for any activation,
I like this idea too. If the "blocking" action is dropped, the Fleet Control
system can be concisely defined in a simple set of rules.
a. Roll for Fleet Control points (with basic, enhanced, and superior systems)
b. Uses
- Die roll modifier for initiative
- "Predict" a ship's movement
- Activation and "firing link" between two friendly ships
Just a few thoughts how a Fleet Control System might give an advantage:
Each point gained from a FCS allows you to hold back movement of one ship.
Movement for all other ships is plotted for both players, and these ships then
move. Then, both players get to plot and move ships designated by the FCS.
This allows you to see how most of the enemies ships are moving, but only
allows a rewrite (effectively) of a few orders. Of course, this gives an
advantage to the player with a small number of expensive ships, since you may
be able to hold off moving your entire fleet to the second movement phase.
Samuel spake thusly upon matters weighty:
Maybe that is the high-tech advantage. :)
> Just a few thoughts how a Fleet Control System might give an
/************************************************
I like the idea of some vessels holding back their movement;
You could try and use the system as in the WWI board game Aces High where the
better pilots can hold back a part of their move depending on how good they
are.
In my campaign system, where ship crews develop skills and experiance, the top
ships could become Ace vessels. I will have to work on this but it may be that
they move the first part of their move up to half way and can then write the
second part of their move, (which must comply with the normal restrictions)
once all other vessels have completed their moves.
This would simulate the tactically aware captain being able to stay on the six
of an enemy vessel!
[quoted original message omitted]
> Thomas Barclay <Thomas.Barclay@sofkin.ca> wrote:
[snip]
> Each point gained from a FCS allows you to hold back movement
I like this idea much more than the rewrite idea. Instead of allowing a player
to peek, they simple wait until after all the other ships have moved before
writing their orders.
This makes a player have to guess which of his ships he thinks are going to be
in the thick of it, and hold their movement accordingly.
> Sean Bayan Schoonmaker wrote:
Save some time for both sides, just have the ships use a 'free form' movement
after all ploted ships have moved. (But I suggest that the lower thrust ships
move first.)
Bye for now,
I thought of giving "advanced" ships or ship with "Kaptain Kirks" the
ability to adjust their position or speed up to 2"-3" after ships had
completed to simiuate their superoity manoverable. I think, something like
this could work for FCS.
> ---John Bennett <johnbenn@globalnet.co.uk> wrote:
John and Roxanne Leary <realjtl@sj.bigger.net> wrote:
[snip]
> >> Each point gained from a FCS allows you to hold back movement
[snippage]
> Save some time for both sides, just have the ships use a 'free
Yes, this does make things much more easy. Any ship which has delayed its
movement moves after all plotted ships, and then in order of thrust (low to
high), dicing out any ties. However, fighters and SMLs are still moved during
their normal phase, eliminating to potentially devastating advantage they
might have.
> BTW, this also requires another step
In watching this thread, there is one thing I haven't seen said but I think it
should work that way. If any ships get the benefit if the FCS and get the
reactive plot phase, the ship with the FCS must be one of them. I don't think
it makes sense that all the info would pass through the FCS ship but it would
not get benefit of it. The FCS system would be on the fleet's flagship or a
group's flagship and I think they should get the benefit before other ships
are allowed to.
Just my opinion, feel free to disagree.
I would be against a 'free-form' style movement, except in very small
engagements, or if there were only 1 or 2 ships held back. I realize not
many ships would be able to benefit from the FCS hold-back, but I just
see
free-form as more open to abuse. Just holding a second orders phase for
these ships would work fairly well. BTW, this also requires another step
in the play sequence - the pre-orders planning phase, in which you
determine FCS ratings available, so you know how many ships you can keep
back! I also think that's a good time to do sensor-work, but that's a
different post I already made.
Jared Noble
John and Roxanne Leary <realjtl@sj.bigger.net> on 11/01/98 07:13:49 AM
Please respond to FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
To: FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
cc: (bcc: Jared E Noble/AAI/ARCO)
Subject: Re: Fleet Control System
> Sean Bayan Schoonmaker wrote:
Save some time for both sides, just have the ships use a 'free form' movement
after all ploted ships have moved. (But I suggest that the lower thrust ships
move first.)
Bye for now, John L.
Well, that makes sense in one form, but what has happened is the FCS has
mutated from the form originally proposed.
In the initial version, with first revisions, the peeking ability gave
information about selective enemy targets and made it universally available to
your friendly fleet (I know you orders, even if I can't rewrite my
own.)
The latest version is just the opposite - Only select vessels on my side
get to 'know' information which is revealed about a majority of the enemy
vessels (everyone moves except those specifically designated, who then plan
their moves based on that information. In this situation I agree that it makes
no sense for the ship with the FCS system to not use the information while
allowing others to use it.
However, if you split the peeking (as I have mentioned in other posts) to
consists of some level of Enhanced Sensors working in combo with CIC/FCS
to analyze the information, and the two systems are on different vessels, then
there is no reason that the vessel with the sensors will automatically
benefit from the information gathered, though the FCS-equipped ship
should.
As far as the ability of FCS to activate a second ship in a given activation,
I see no reason in any case that this should have to be the FCS (I don't think
this is what you meant, just covering bases). The Admiral in FCS makes
decisions and parcels out commands based on what is most tactically important
at a given moment, and it may be of much more use to activate the CA on the
left flank of the formation rather just getting the Flag Captain to act from
the middle of formation. I see the variable number of FCS ratings as a
representation of limited opportunities to react to various threats and just
plain old time constraints. You prioritize.
Of course I also don't see FCS as being in charge of the operation of the
flagship. I see it as a fleet or squadron-level resource that happens
to be mounted on a particular ship. The flag captain (captain of the flagship)
is in charge of the normal operation of the ship, and an attempt
of CIC/FCS to 'override' the ship with new priorities is not
fundamentally different to 'overriding' a different ship in the formation. IMO
anyway.
Jared Noble
"Dean Gundberg" <dean.gundberg@noridian.com> on 11/02/98 10:10:03 AM
Please respond to FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
To: FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
cc: (bcc: Jared E Noble/AAI/ARCO)
Subject: RE: Fleet Control System
> BTW, this also requires another step
In watching this thread, there is one thing I haven't seen said but I think it
should work that way. If any ships get the benefit if the FCS and get the
reactive plot phase, the ship with the FCS must be one of them. I don't think
it makes sense that all the info would pass through the FCS ship but it would
not get benefit of it. The FCS system would be on the fleet's flagship or a
group's flagship and I think they should get the benefit before other ships
are allowed to.
Just my opinion, feel free to disagree.
Dean
> Samuel Penn wrote:
This also forces you to choose which ships to hold back and which to move
normally... i like it
later
[quoted original message omitted]