Remember that wierd Voyager episode with the ST ship that broke apart into
three pieces to attack the Romulans? Does that idea have any relevance for FT?
Obviously since ships only have 1 structure block and 1 shield and so on,
getting onto more than one side has no effect. However, it does require the
enemy have 3 firecons to shot at all three pieces and that could have *some*
effect.
If you did it as a "supership" that is multiple sections, would the attacker
have to specify which piece he was shooting at when he shot at the combined
ship? Would only 1 have a stardrive? Would an engine on one piece which gave 2
thrust to the whole ship (because it was more massive) give more thrust when
broken apart? When could the ship break apart (what part of the turn segment)?
Just how wacky is this idea?
> David Griffin wrote:
[...FT postulated ideas for this here...]
> Just how wacky is this idea?
It's Star Trek(tm). I think no more need be said. ;-)
> --- Indy <kochte@stsci.edu> wrote:
...
> > Just how wacky is this idea?
Meaning it's Star Trek, and hence poorly thought out in terms of plausibility,
continuity, and reasonableness? Well I'm a Star Trek fan and even I have some
problems with the shows these days, but what about the idea of a FT ship that
starts out as one supership (say a Battlecruiser or Battledreadnough) and
breaks apart into say 3 destroyers? Is that doable in the rules and does it
make any sense?
I'm envisioning an alpha hit on the Battlecruiser resulting in a detach of two
fresh DDs (one DD having been destroyed with the part of the BC which was
hit).
Probably the easiest ways to do it within the FT rules are:
1. Build a supership with Bays that could hold the Destoyers. The Destroyers
would not have FTL engines, but the supership would. You would still need to
pay for regular engines on each one under the current rules.
2. Build a supership with a tug FTL. The DDs do not have to have FTL, but the
supership would. Treat all 3 ships as individual ships flying in extrememly
close formation. If onoe of the ships MD is damaged, tho others would have to
reduce MD output to stay in formation. While attached (if your group agrees),
roll a die to determine which ship it hit.
If you wanted to have damage from one ship effect the others when they
reassemble, you would have to use house rules.
---
Brian Bell bbell1@insight.rr.com
http://www.ftsr.org/
---
[quoted original message omitted]
In message <20010516145146.63232.qmail@web9601.mail.yahoo.com>
> David Griffin <carbon_dragon@yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- Indy <kochte@stsci.edu> wrote:
Well, its not _just_ a star-trek idea - I've seen it several other
places as well :-)
In terms of doing such an effect in Full Thrust:
Without inventing anything new, such a ship can be built as follows (but not
very efficiently):
Build each component as a separate ship, however, all should have the same
Thrust rating (for simplicity), and only one (probably the largest)
should have an FTL drive - which is a 'tug' type FTL drive capable of
'pulling' the whole ensemble.
The combined ship will manoeuvre as a single ship (ie. use squadron movement),
however, attackers can select which component to target.
Separation is determined when orders are written - just write a
separate set of orders for each component.
To re-combine - all ships much match velocity and direction, and be with
(say) 1 mu of each other.
There you have it, all using published rules (IIRC squadron movement is in
More Thrust).
House Rules that could be applied (none have been tested):
When attacking the combined ship, each attacker rolls randomly (once) to
determine which component ship is hit. (advantage to the combined ship).
If a component ship is destroyed while the ship is combined - the other
components are damaged (either use similar rules to the modular space
station in MT - which is nasty - or let any 'overkill' damage spill over
to one of the other component ships - less nasty). (disadvantage).
Allow different thrust ratings per component - thrust rating of the
whole is determined by summing the masses of the individual ships drives, and
calculating how much thrust this would give a ship of hull mass equal to the
total of the hull masses of the component ships.
When combined, a component ship has any fire arc that faces through any
other component ship blocked, also, a component ship _will_ block lines
of sight/fire through it to other component ships. (both an advantage
and a disadvantage).
Also check out any rules that have been posted on modular super-ships.
> At 10:41 16/05/01 -0400, you wrote:
Babylon 5 also once suffered from this 'silliness' too, The ship belonging to
the aliens who turned up to claim the great machine if memory serves.
> On Thu, 17 May 2001, Derek Fulton wrote:
> Babylon 5 also once suffered from this 'silliness' too, The ship
<Ed McMan Voice> You are correct sir! </Voice>
Voice in the Wilderness Part 2 from the first season. Not incredibly effective
in the episode too.
The episode's best lesson: Never mess with an armed planet that's bigger than
you are.