Kirk's Idea of massing individual fighters as >1 mass can be done without any
rule changes (and in fact can make using fighter minis easier, since you can
put 1, 2, or 3 to a base and have it be 1:1 representational instead of
cramming 6). A given Fighter group can be PSB's as 6x1mass fighters, 3x2Mass,
2x3 mass or 1x6 mass "ultra heavy" fighter. The mechanics would be identical
to normal fighter combat, only
2 mass fighters require 2 hits to take out, 3 take 3 hits, etc, and each
hit damages a fighter's offensive capability (so that e.g. a Mass 2 fighter
with one hit attacks with only 1 die). There's no need for additional
bookkeeping either, until the game is over and you want to see how many
fighters made it through intact. Conversely, a fighter
could also be a half-mass Powersuit or Drone 12/group), where each pair
of fighters gets one die attack and each damage point knocks out two of
them. Or a 1/3 or 1/4-Mass space insect (where a swarm is 18 or 24
individuals, or a 1/10000 Mass Nannite as part of a Nannite Cloud....)
I tend to like this approach. It can make fighters feel more like space
systems (for those like Kirk who want them bigger), and open up the
mechanic for a variety of other flavors/genres. 3-fighter FG's feel like
"heavy fighters" - think Star Wars B-wings, or B5 Starfuries. the
2-fighter FG feels like a lead/wingman pair (Or B5 Minbari fighters).
The 1 fighter FG feels something like the "Last Starfighter" Gunstar
(not the death-blossom special edition). 6-fighter groups feel like
X-wings; 12-fighter groups like Tie Fighters (a la Dean, I think). You
can capture different genres without messing with the mechanics.
The only objection I can see to the proposal and it's PSB is that it's been
pointed out to me by authoritative sources that fighters are NOT currently 1
mass each (despite the 9 mass for them and their bay), but somewhat LESS
than 1 mass each. However, it is a place to start in working out some numbers.
One thing I've been working on is some conversion numbers that are background
specific. They assume the same mass rate as the Tuffleyverse, ie 1 mass = 100
metric tons. They then assume that 1 Dirtside size class, while more concerned
with volume than mass, is equal to roughly 12.5 metric
tons. This means that a fighter of ANY class 1-7 will not QUITE reach
the mass 1 benchmark.
3B^2
> From: Noam Izenberg <noam.izenberg@jhuapl.edu>
From: Brian Bilderback
> The only objection I can see to the proposal and it's PSB is that
What Noam is suggesting is more along the lines that a fighter squadron has
six damage boxes, which can represent whatever number of fighters the genre
calls for.
> From: "Laserlight" <laserlight@quixnet.net>
> What Noam is suggesting is more along the lines that a fighter
Yes, I got that. However, without the assumption that 1 fighter = 1 Mass, it
does not quite address my original question of how to simulate small craft of
greater mass that a fighter but less than the minimum mass for a
ship, ie craft in the range of 1-3 mass or so.
3B^2
Breakdown of some of my units:
Gunslinger Class 2 Interceptor: A combination of a heavy fighter with an
interceptor X 2
Tomahawk Class 4 Interceptor: Combo of a fast fighter with a heavy fighter x 4
StarStriker Class 6 Interceptor: Combo of long ranger fighter with a torp
fighter X 6
Duration for a class 2 would be by normal rules. Class 4 duration would be X 2
and Class 6 would be 3X.
Comments?
I have used the above designs except for the duration rules.
> Yes, I got that. However, without the assumption that 1 fighter = 1
> From: "Laserlight" <laserlight@quixnet.net>
> > Yes, I got that. However, without the assumption that 1 fighter = 1
That's a good question, and one I'mstill working on the anmswer to. I was just
curious if anyone else had come up with any parameters for their own use that
I could use as a starting point.
3B^2
> Well, what do you want them to do?
> That's a good question, and one I'mstill working on the anmswer to.
I was
> just curious if anyone else had come up with any parameters for
Well, for mass 2 ships, put a drive and a hull box and make them missile
goalies. That's about it.
I assume that a fighter is inherently short range, limited life support etc,
wheras a ship has effectively unlimited endurance. But
> From: "Laserlight" <laserlight@quixnet.net>
> Well, for mass 2 ships, put a drive and a hull box and make them
Ugh. that's exactly the all-or-nothing conundrum I was hoping to avoid.
> I assume that a fighter is inherently short range, limited life
True, but that leaves out a whole slew of different craft - light
interface
shuttles/landers, pleasure craft, landing craft, etc. I have definite
ideas
for how to create such ships for FT/DS interface, but pure FT
stats/rules
for them don't exist.
Kirk's ideas give me a start, but aren't translatable as is due to the mass
difference.
3B^2
In message <F32A2DreBBsQwY6YHki0000b593@hotmail.com>
> "Brian Bilderback" <bbilderback@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >From: "Laserlight" <laserlight@quixnet.net>
Given that such craft could well have limited endurance (like fighters, but
maybe longer), but may only be as manoeuvrable as ships. I also would like
such rules, but my own attempts have been less than
satisfactory up to now :-(
How about a Class-0.5 beam. Range 6" and rolls one die
> Brian Bilderback wrote:
> From: "Laserlight" <laserlight@quixnet.net>
Not looking for more weapon options, really. Just ways of simulating the
craft.
3B^2
"The Irish are the only race of people on Earth for which psychoanalysis is of
no use."
- S. Freud
> From: Michael Llaneza <maserati@earthlink.net>
On Sat, 25 May 2002 16:09:19 -0700 Michael Llaneza
> <maserati@earthlink.net> writes:
<snip>
Sounds a lot like a needle beam... or maybe a needle beam 'shotgun' -
you don't really aim it for a specific system you just point it at the hull
passing you and 'spray'!
Gracias,
> Glenn M Wilson wrote:
> >How about a Class-0.5 beam. Range 6" and rolls one die
Again, I'm not looking for more weapons systems. If that's atangent this
takes, cool, but IMHO, if a craft wants weapons more powerful than a
fighter's, it should be coinstructed as a ship. It's interim craft for other
roles I want to recreate.
3B^2
Use size 1 for small shuttles Size 2 for atmosphere capable shuttles or larger
orbital craft(small yahts<sp>,medivacs,police cruisers...) Size 3 can be
smaller interplanetary shuttles or couriers
Size 4 would be smaller IP transports ,long-range system scouts
I could keep on going with tugs, maintance craft, personal flitters, corporate
shuttles,etc...
I would make the smaller stuff the basic models. As you go with the larger
craft I would structure/propulsion/whatever a percentage of the crafts
mass or just say it is a size equal to 1 fighter. This way if you have a size
5
craft, 1 will go immediately to structure/engines/whatever and that
gives you 4 for cargo,passengers,fuel, etc...
Kirk