Submunition Mines

A different type of mine...

It works just like standard mines, except it does 2d6 of submunition damage
(not as accurate as regular submunitions) instead of beam
damage.  It penetrates screens, but does not get re-rolls on 6's...

Any thoughts...

> It works just like standard mines, except it does 2d6 of submunition

Why not make it "sizable:" small, medium, and large. Each do 1, 2 and 3d6 of
submunitions damage respectively. Otherwise they act exactly as a submunitions
pack.

I think that if you alter the basic mechanic (no re-rolls) then it makes
them too complex. KISS.

For that matter, we could even do a mine design system, so you could load your
small, medium, or large mines with whatever weapons load you wanted.
Hmmmmm, I think I see a project coming in the distance ;-)

> Sean Bayan Schoonmaker wrote:

I've played a little with mine variants, not real happy with the lethalness
of the original FT mine rules. I've played with using class-1 batts (the
old C-batteries) as one-shot minds (or as command-controlled weapons
platforms), and with 'salvo missile' mines (see also a scenario I ran a

> I think that if you alter the basic mechanic (no re-rolls) then it

I disagree.  Existing mines are bomb pumped beams, and get a re-roll,
but are
affected by screens.  SBM mines would not get a re-roll, but would not
be affected by screens. I think the KISS approach would better be spent by
keeping mines all the same 1-mass size.  To get the effect of larger
mines, just use more of them...

Has anyone used mines a lot? The engagement range seem very short. Would 6"
work better or be too much?

At a convention game I ran two years ago, I allowed the submunition mines to
be set to activate at either 18, 12, or 6" and the target size for which the
mines would activate, either escort, cruiser, or capital classes. Thus, a side
could adjust the minefield depending on the purpose of of the barrier.

Jon

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> Imre A. Szabo wrote:

> > I think that if you alter the basic mechanic (no re-rolls) then it

SubMunition Packs get re-rolls (see FB1 page 12) <shrug>

Regards,

G'day,

> Has anyone used mines a lot? The engagement range seem very short.
Would 6"
> work better or be too much?

I've used standard MT mines abit, but more as annoyance factors (dropped
mid-battle) or to find cloaked ships ("ohh there you are!"). For what I
used them for the current engagement range was fine, bit light on damage but I
wasn't really after taht anyway;)

Beth

We've upgraded Mines in out games. Created a "Mine caster" system that permits
deployment over a 6" radius from the host ship. Next turn the mine becomes
active with a detection range of 6".

Light mines do 1d6 damage (screens do not protect). Heavy mines do 2d6.

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> Sean Bayan Schoonmaker wrote:

> Why not make it "sizable:" small, medium, and large. Each do 1, 2 and

Question: How does it make the game mechanic more complex by dropping the
rerolls? IMHO it should make it simpler...just roll the dice(s) once, and read
off the result...

> For that matter, we could even do a mine design system, so you could

Ooo! A cool new weapon! (Might get into fractional numbers though...)

How about the laying ship's velocity? Would layed mines drift following the
laying ship's vector? Or would they "stay put". Or should the laying ship come
to a stop to keep the mines from drifting?

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Bleagh! Mines...

The only thing that looks good to me is Peter Caron's Cast mines (a short
step from B5-like Energy mines) and Beth's dropped mines. Otherwise
minefields take unreasonable and unrealistic advantage of the FT 3D to 2D
abstraction. But that road's been travelled/trampled before.

> Ooo! A cool new weapon! (Might get into fractional numbers though...)

Fractions BAD !!  ;-)

> How about the laying ship's velocity? Would layed mines drift following

I would say that the mines would "stay put" to keep things from getting out of
hand. Generally you'd want a field to stay put anyway to keep it from
scattering. I'd guess that mines would have somew minimal station keeping
thrusters.