Here's a thought that occured to me on the way home tonight, whilst I was
dozing on the train.... When a Ship takes damage equal to or grather than it's
hull points, it is considered disabled. It is, for all intents and purposes,
out of the game, but it is not actually destroyed. It continues moving at the
same speed and heading that it had when it was disabled (or, alternatively,
continues making the same manuever that it made in its last turn, over and
over. +2p1, again and again, spiraling off the board....) until it
leaves the board. If a ship takes damage equal to double its hull points, it
blows up. Real good. Here's the relevant bits: this allow captains to "Play
'Possum", claiming that his ship is disabled, drifting away from the battle,
until someone passes into his port arc, where that last remaining submunition
is waiting, patiently.... And, in a campaign game, disabled ships may be able
to be recovered and repaired, while destroyed ships are so much random debris.
As another idea, if a ship takes damage *exactly* equal to its hull points, it
is close enough to functional that it might actually be
jury-rigged back into service. All of the ship's damage control teams
must be assigned to the job, and a six must be rolled for EACH of them on the
same turn (this obviously makes it more difficult to bring the huge ships
back on-line). If this occurs, then the ship is considered to have one
hull point and whatever systems were working when the ship was disabled. I
don't know how this would work out on the gaming table, but I suspect that it
would not make TOO much difference in a game. After the first captain
successfully fakes his opponent out, disabled ships would almost certainly
take a major pounding just in case. Still, the idea appeals to me. What does
everyone think?
> John Crimmins writes:
@:) When a Ship takes damage equal to or grather than it's @:) hull points, it
is considered disabled.... It continues moving at @:) the same speed and
heading that it had when it was disabled (or, @:) alternatively, continues
making the same manuever that it made in
@:) its last turn, over and over. +2p1, again and again, spiraling
@:) off the board....) until it leaves the board. If a ship takes @:) damage
equal to double its hull points, it blows up.
This is good but I think double damage is way too much. This is especially
true in campaign games where repair and capture is allowed. I would suggest
something more along the lines of an extra damage row equal in size to the
(former) last damage row. If that gets wiped out, the ship is destroyed.
@:) As another idea, if a ship takes damage *exactly* equal to @:) its hull
points, it is close enough to functional that it might
@:) actually be jury-rigged back into service.
Perhaps better would be to have the captain roll a d6 when the ship becomes
disabled. After that many turns, the ship may attempt to become functional
again and damage control parties may begin bringing systems on line. Perhaps
on a 6 the ship is permanently disabled.
@:) I don't know how this would work out on the gaming table, @:) but I
suspect that it would not make TOO much difference in a @:) game. After the
first captain successfully fakes his opponent @:) out, disabled ships would
almost certainly take a major pounding @:) just in case. Still, the idea
appeals to me. What does everyone
@:) think?
I like it too (generally) but I think it could have a fairly important effect.
It would force captains to decide whether to leave a probably harmless ship
alone and concentrate fire on more dangerous targets, or whether to attack the
wounded ships to make sure they don't get stabbed in the back. Again, in a
campaign situation this would make a big difference since normally ships would
be disabled and captured later. Now the captain will have to think a lot
harder about whether the ship is worth more dead or alive.
John wrote,
> When a Ship takes damage equal to or grather than it's hull
I like the idea that ships do not immediately explode into a cloud of debris
as soon as they reach 0 damage points, particularly for a campaign game or if
one side's objectives include capturing an enemy ship.
But I'm not sure about the "playing possum" idea. I would think that even a
cursory scan would tell the difference between a ship with total systems
failure and one that's faking it. Of course, it all depends on the background
and PSBs you use. (Doesn't everything?)