> On Jun 26, aebrain@austarmetro.com.au wrote:
They do indeed look easy enough for play. I don't like the passive detection
rules for 'accuracy reasons' (they seem to presume sensors will get worse by
2183, although that may be a result of different scales). I would probably use
the identification rules (although I'd include the "maximum weapons range"
modification suggested), but not the passive detection. I would also add mass
to detection if it gives acceleration, but that's a quibble.
> Brain's Basic Sensors - an immodest proposal.
I would also screw around a bit with these categories (maybe one or two orders
of magnitude), but not much else.
Good rules.
These rules are simpler to play with than they are to describe. Which is good,
because they're pretty long.
Brain's Basic Sensors - an immodest proposal.
Rationale: Why do we want sensor rules?
======================================
I see the primary purpose is to allow "ambushes" and the "fog of war" to
intrude, to add to the gaming experience. The Tuffleyverse background already
mentions at least one "ambush", so it would be nice if we could come up with
some rules that would allow this, while retaining the usual simplicity of
everything on the table being visible. A secondary purpose would be to allow
some "rigidly defined degree of uncertainty" when setting up a
tactical game - what can be seen within a star system
for example.
To this end, I propose the following rules:
Universal Modifiers:
===================
Double Distances below for each of: * Improved Sensors on locator. * Target
identified in the previous turn. * Target is Civilian or Natural Feature.
Halve Distances below for each of: * Target Stealthed * In Cover (ie amongst
asteroids, nebulae etc) * Obscured (ie behind a planet, moored to an asteroid
and camauflage netting over it etc) * Using Civilian Sensors or those on board
a fighter
This is cumulative, so if a target is moored to an asteroid, camauflaged, and
in cover in an asteroid field, distance would be quartered.
In addition, targets may increase their signature so they can be detected at a
longer range, but never decrease it.
DETECTION:
Detection gives the following information about the target: Position,
Direction of movement, and acceleration.
("Thrust 2", or "Fighter Move 18" for example - if fighters
are escorting or moving in close formation (1") with ships, the detector
receives the ship's acceleration not the fighters.)
Once detected, a FC can be allocated to the target. FCs have an effective
range of 200*, and any target within this range will be continuously detected
provided an FC is devoted to it.
A ship, asteroid or other object that has been detected but
not identified is represented by a "blip" counter - traditionally
a ping-pong ball on a stand. Additional information - "Military",
"ADAF" "Thrust 4" etc is best represented by counters.
Any number of Ships, Fighters etc that are within 1" of each other are
represented by 1 Blip, providing all are within 2" of each other, and they all
have the same course, speed and acceleration.
A ship is detected if it is Identified (see below), but the converse is not
neccessarily true.
Passive Detection:
=================
Any target that Operates Civilian Active Search sensors, Military Active
Search Sensors, or ADAF is detected at a range of 1000** by passive sensors.
The opponent must be told which of the sensor types above is operating. Note
that a target using Military Active Search sensors may deliberately use them
at low power, in which case
they are detected (and detect - see below) as if they were
Civilian Active Search sensors. FCs that are allocated against the detecting
vessel are themselves detected at a range of 2000***.
Weapons are detected at a range of ( their Max Range x 10). The opponent must
be told exactly which weapon type is
operating, and which mode ( for example, Pulsar-C not
just Pulsar). PDS's are therefore detectable at 60", but note that if an ADAF
is operating, that will be detectable a lot further!
Weapons and FCs that cause detection reveal the nationality of the ship's
builder (not neccessarily the owner...)
A ship jumping or emerging from jump is detectable at a range of Mass x
100,000****
Active Detection:
================
A ship using active search sensors can detect targets at up to 3x the
identification distance (see below).
IDENTIFICATION:
Passive Identification:
======================
On the first turn of identification, put on the models for the ships that have
been identified. If there are no ships left in the blip that are unidentified,
remove the blip (if any).
On the second turn, the ship's general class (military, civilian, asteroid,
Space Dragon) is revealed. So if using models that are not representative of
the actual ship, you must declare with accuracy what class the ship is, it's
role (Battlecruiser etc) and nationality.
On the third and following turns, the ship's SSD is revealed.
A target ship is Identified by passive means within the following distance:
Mass x (0.001 + (Warp Core On board) x 1 + (Thrust Used) x 1)
So a 54 mass ship will be identified at 54.054" if not thrusting, unless it
has dumped its core.
Fighters and Missiles are identified at three times their
move - so a normal fighter would be ID'd at 72" (3 x 24)
Asteroids etc have masses in the thousands to Billions, so are identified from
20" (for an asteroid about the size of a small house) to much further.
Otherwise the 0.001 factor can safely be ignored.
Active Identification:
=====================
A ship using active search sensors will identify a target at a range of 36".
EXAMPLE:
A Heavy Cruiser of mass 80 is sitting amongst some asteroids,
in "Silent Running" mode - with nothing but passive sensors.
It is attached to one asteroid, of about the same size (a small one) and has
had lightweight
covers erected by vac-suited crew to camauflage it. It is
not stealthed.
A Battlecruiser of mass 100 enters the area at thrust-2 with
its active sensors on in reduced-power mode (pretending to be
a merchantman). It too is not stealthed.
The BC is detectable at: Base 1000 because it is using civilian active sensors
(or the equivalent) Halved because the CA is amongst asteroids, so the BC is
in cover.
So the BC appears on the CAs screens as a "Possible Merchantman" at range 500.
Had it not been operating its active sensors, it would have been
detectable at its identification distance -
(1 (for warp core aboard) + 2 (thrust-2) ) x 100 (Mass 100),
halved because it's in cover, or 150.
The CA identifies the BC at 150 range. No merchantmen, this...
The BC detects some of the asteroids at a long distance, but
the 80-mass one that the CA is hiding alongside only at 54".
This is calculated as follows:
Basic range of Active Sensors - 3 x 36".
Halved because of operating in low-power mode
Halved again because the asteroid is amongst other asteroids, ie in cover.
Doubled because the asteroid is a civilian target or natural feature.
The CA itself would normally be detected at 27" by active sensors. The wiley
captain, however, will be hiding within the blip of the asteroid.
The CA would be identified at 20", and the game would be up. However, as the
BC gets within 30", the CA activates his FC and lets fly with his entire
weaponload...
PS: * indicates a "rubbery figure" whose meaning is given below.
* - A long way in any event, from a tactical viewpoint - greater
than any weapon range.
** - A very long way - effectively infinite from a tactical
viewpoint, but not so when setting up a battle.
*** - A very, very, very long way indeed. But not interplanetary.
**** - Interplanetary distances - Light minutes. The idea
is that a big ship jumping in anywhere with Jupiter's orbit should be detected
from Earth, but a small one near Pluto not.
PPS: Cost of Improved Sensors: 8 mass at 4 pts per mass = 24. Cost of Stealth:
10% of ships mass at 3 pts per mass. Minimum 1 mass.
PPPS:
Summary:
halve for civilian/fighter sensors, stealth, cover, obscurity,
double for civilian target, detected before, improved sensors Active ID = 36",
Active Detection 3x this (108") Passive detection essentially automatic if
target using weapons, FCs or active sensors.
Passive ID = Mass * (Thust+1) or 3x move for Fighters.