Fleet Control System - Back on track (Was: Re: What the hell is this?)

> At 04:28 AM 10/29/98 -0500, you wrote:

Alright then. I've been thinking about some way to represent a fleet
command vessel on the table and to give it some way of co-ordinating
fleet activities. So I have come up with the Fleet Control System.

Fleet Cons-
Similar to a FireCon but much, much larger the Fleet Con is a sophisticated
sensor and communication array used to co-ordinate fleet movements and
observe/predict enemy fleet movements.  It is often only found on larger
vessels due to its size, complexity and crew requirements. Communications in
battle is often tenuous at best and as a result the effectiveness of the
device can vary greatly.

Game Use: Any vessel with a Fleet Con rolls a D6 at the start of each turn and
halves the result (round up). The resultant number is the rating of the Fleet
Con for that turn. Ratings do not carry over from turn to turn
so that a Fleet Con can only have a rating of 1-3 each turn.

The Fleet Con can be used to either predict enemy movements or to
co-ordinate friendly vessel attacks.  The predict enemy movements, a
player with a Fleet Con can force their opponent to show them the movement
orders
for one of the enemy vessels for each rating of the Fleet Con (1-3).
The Friendly player may alter any movement orders after seeing this
information, but the enemy player MAY NOT. Any Fleet Con ratings used to
predict enemy movements CANNOT be used to co-ordinate friendly vessels
as stated below and vice versa.

Fleet Cons may also be used to co-ordinate friendly attacks.  When a
friendly ship activates to fire, if the friendly player has Fleet Cons in
their force, they may use them to activate other, friendly vessels for
simultaneous fire. ONE extra vessel may be activated per rating of Fleet Con
used. The other friendly vessels then activate at the same time as the
original choice and carry out all firing simulatneously. Previously activated
vessels MAY NOT activate again in the same turn and vessels activated in this
way MAY NOT activate again later in the same turn.

Opposing Fleet Cons may try to block any Fleet Con action by expending ratings
to do so. A blocking player may only attempt to block a single
communication or prediction, not multiple ones (ie-only blocking comm to
a single ship, even if two or more are being additionally activated in a
co-ordinated fire attempt).  By expending a single rating, the blocking
player rolls a D6. The player being blocked also rolls a D6 for the original
rating used. These rolls can be augmented by spending additional
ratings, each additional rating expended adding +1 to the roll.  The
player who rolls highest wins the the attempt, either blocking the attempt or
getting it through. You only get one chance to block a Fleet Con use.

Mass of system=12      Costs=36 points.

Whew! Sounds more complex than it really is, but I thought it would make for a
fun and interesting way of representing Fleet Control vessels on the table. I
made it a large system to stop it from being put on smaller vessels, but not
too large to preclude its use. Comments please?

> Kelvin Henderson <kx.henderson@qut.edu.au> wrote:

[snip]

> Game Use: Any vessel with a Fleet Con rolls a D6 at the start of each

I like this bit, though I would consider making it one or two dice which
are scored as beam batteries, giving a range of (1 die) 0-3 or (2 dice)
0-6

> The Fleet Con can be used to either predict enemy movements or to
The
> Friendly player may alter any movement orders after seeing this

I find this rule problematic. Any time you allow a player to modify his orders
after all other orders have been written, you're asking for trouble. It
invites one player to spend his points to peek and modify, and then have the
other player do the same... It adds alot of time.

As an alternative, particularly in larger engagements where seeing that one
order might cause the rewrite of the entire fleet (!), just the knowledge
of the orders can be particularly powerful when fighters and/or SMLs are
involved. I don't like the peek/modification idea. A peek only system
might be better.

> Fleet Cons may also be used to co-ordinate friendly attacks. When a

I like it. I would limit it to ONE point allowed for any activation,
essentially limiting this to two ships acting at the same time without the
other player getting a word in edgewise. He could then only spend another
point on his next activation.

> Opposing Fleet Cons may try to block any Fleet Con action by expending

I don't like the idea of a point war and blocking, much less one that involves
extra dice rolling. I say give them the points and allow them to creatively
use them to improve their tactical situation. With this rule, you make it
likely that "he with the most points will get his action" as opposed to "he
who uses the points he has most creatively will get the upper hand."