[FT] New Small Craft Rules (long)

> In message <20020605213308.GA1662@firedrake.org>
[snip]
> Looks good, but I have one big problem with this: you're ignoring

Ok, I've had a look at it, hows about this:

Small Craft come in three categories:

Agile Small Craft - this manoeuvre like fighters, and have limited
endurance (in fact, they _include_ fighters)

Standard Small Craft - these manoeuvre like ships, but have limited
endurance

Long-Range Small Craft - these function just like ships.

Small Craft are defined as having a hull size of less then 10.

Agile Small Craft
=================

The cost of an Agile Small Craft is determined using the following formula:

Cost = Attack Factor x (CEF/6 x Secondary Move/12 + Move Allowance/24 +
Defence Factor) + Hull Size.

2 points per hull size are already paid for in the hanger cost.

Where Fighters are assigned a hull size of 1 for convenience.

The Attack Factor is derived from the Small Craft's combat ability against
ships and fighters, thus:

Anti-Fighter and Anti-Ship capabilities have a class:

Class Effect 1 1 hit on roll of 6
2       1 hit on roll of 5+
3 1 hit on roll of 5, 2 hits on roll of 6 4 1 hit on roll of 4 or 5, 2 hits on
roll of 6 5 1 hit on roll of 3, 4 or 5, 2 hits on roll of 6
6       1 hit on roll of 3 or 4, 2 hits on roll of 5+

Where '1 hit' is 1 DP vs. ships, or 1 kill vs. fighters.

The Attack Factor is equal to (Anti-Fighter Class + 3x Anti-Ship
Class)/8

This assumes a 'range' of 6 mu, a size 2+ small craft can mount longer
ranged weapons: range 9 mu weapons are double the cost, and range 12 mu are 4x
the cost.

A small craft can by multiple attacks, just sum to total attack factors, and
see below. Each attack will consume 1 CEF.

Torpedoes add +3.33 to the Attack Factor.

The Defence Factor is 0 for a craft as vulnerable as a normal fighter,
1 for resistance as a heavy fighter, 3 for resistance as a 'super-heavy'
fighter (ignores rolls of 4, only suffers 1 kill on rolls of 6), and 9 for
resistance as a 1 hull box ship.

An Agile Small Craft has a cargo space equal to its hull size - 1 per
attack it can make.

Standard Small Craft
====================

These are built using the Fleet Book construction rules, with the following
amendments:

Fighter-level hull integrity consumes no MASS, and has a cost equal to
the Defence Factor given above.

The Main drive system requires no MASS and has a cost equal to:
Hull size x Maximum Thrust/12

The ship requires Endurance Factors (CEF): these consume 1 MASS and have a
cost equal to that of the Main Drive.

The Small Craft can mount a fighter-scale weapon suite, 1 6-arc fighter
weapons suite has a cost equal to its Attack Factor (q.v.), while a
3-arc version is half the cost. Each suite consumes 1 CEF when fired.

A Short-Range Fire Control may be added, this can target out to 12 mu,
requires 0 MASS, and costs 4 points.

Small Craft Weapons are equivalent to ship-mounted weapons, but consume
CEF when fired.

Small Craft B-1 Batteries: 1-arc costs 1 point, 3-arc costs 2 points,
6-arc costs 3 points -or- requires 1 MASS. Consumes 3 CEF per shot.

Small Craft K-1: requires 1 Mass, 1-arc costs 1 point, 3-arc costs 2,
and 6-arc costs 4. Consumes 4 CEF per shot.

Small Craft Pulsar: 1-arc requires 1 MASS and costs 5 points, Consumes
5 CEF per shot.

Long Range Small Craft
======================

Are built as standard Fleet Book ships, but may be fitted with a
Short-Range Fire Control (q.v.) to save space.

They must be fitted with standard weapons, not the unpowered Small Craft
versions above.

Small Craft Rules