So far I haven't seen anything written I would use for sensor rules. I think
the ranges are too short and I haven't seen any variable stealth factors or
benefits. Stealth benefits should be massive (to cut down on the number of
weapons and large drives) and costly in points. This way a very stealthy ship
("cloaked"; btw, I hate the FT cloak rules) may get to a very close range but
its firepower will be limited.
I'm basing my opinion on TV shows and movies (yeah, I know, "very realistic");
sensors detect ships long before ships are in weapons' range. There are
exceptions (for plot reasons <g>), but that is what they should be: exceptions
or ships designed for stealth.
> So far I haven't seen anything written I would use
Personally, I like the Mimbari ECM (from the EFSB) as a fine stealth system.
Just declare that it cannot be used if the ship fires or spends more than one
(maybe two or three, for higher levels of Stealth) point of thrust.
Better sensors would just give a bonus on the roll to "lock on".
I've also toyed with the idea of allowing a ship with Stealth to have TWO
miniatures on the table -- only one is real; the other is simply a
representation of the ship's attempt to spoof the enemy's sensors. Any
successful fire at the false ship will expose its unreality, and on the next
turn the Stealth ship may again move two ships, both starting from the
position of the "real" ship. The false ship could never be more than six or
nine inches away from the real one, and any enemy that is less than a foot
away can automatically determine the true position of the ship. And of course
Stealth II would allow you to put three ships on the table, and Stealth III
would let you place four....
Interesting though this idea may be, however, I doubt that I will use for
anything other than an occasional scenario. I wouldn't want to have to deal
with moving all those fake ships; it would slow down play waaay too much. I
think that it would be fun for a change of pace, though. Maybe I could use it
for Alien tech one of these days.
> Glen Bailey wrote:
...Snip...JTL
> [quoted text omitted]
...Snip...JTL
but that is what they should be:
> exceptions or ships designed for stealth.
Glen, To resurrect the Campaign 98 sensor rules once again:
Sensors Range
Normal 60
Enhanced 120
Superior 240
X-Sensors 480
Comments: 1) Ships do not give away 'ship class' information when using
sensors. 2) A lower grade sensor cannot detect a higher grade sensor.
Stealth/ECM
Stealth is a function of the materials and design of
the ship. Stealth in the game, functions to reduce the
effective range of the seeking ship by 50%. (or by one
sensor grade if that sounds better.) In the campaign,
only an alien enemy of the Kra'vak was able to use
stealth construction/materials.
ECM is an active system that uses electronics to
confuse/mislead the enemy with false information from his
oun sensors. (A kind of 'wild weasel' in space.) The effect in the game is to
reduce the effective range of the enemy sensors by 50%. A ship equipped with
the ECM option, can see thru the jamming it created (single ship or area).
Ships in the area effect jamming cannot see thru the friendly jamming.
The object of the rule changes was to allow the current systems to really do
something without making massive changes to the rules or complexity.
Bye for now,
> John C wrote:
> I've also toyed with the idea of allowing a ship with Stealth to have