Re: Of Sensors and Needles - Some Questions and Suggestions

Allan Goodall wrote:
> 
...Snip...(JTL)

> By "FCS" you mean fire control systems? What do you do with ships that
> buy extra fire cons?
> 
...Snip(JTL)

> Hmm, this is an interesting idea. Make the 1d6 roll and if it hits let
> the firing player choose the system.	This could work, particularly in
> face-to-face games. It might be a pain for e-mail games, though I
> suppose needle firing players could make a list of different systems
> to fire at in order of priority. For example, "Fire at 1) Fire Cons,
> or 2) A Beams, or 3) B Beams, or..." etc.
> 
> I'll have to think about this but it seems like an easy to use idea.
> 

> >Area ECM	    minus 1
> >Ship ECM	    minus 2
> 
> This has some merit, as I find the sensors are a bit too short in
> range. However I'd prefer to stick to the rules as written for my PBEM
> program.
> 

Allen,
     You have surprised me, I did expect some return comments but
"sensor range to short" was not one of them.
 
     I imagine that for the visual sensors the 'gumball' machine on
the top of the FCS (Fire Control System) and the arrow that says
"SHOOT HERE FOR FCS' would be enough.  (This is a feature provided
at no additional cost by the builder for every FCS on the ship.)

Comment: I have presumed that if the detection roll is made then 
the needle will always hit the selected target.

     For one of my aliens I use the concept of the priority list for
needle fire.   Two lists really, one for offensive mode and one for 
defensive mode.   I think this would work for E-mail.

     I changed the ECM to give ECM some value, as it stands in the 
rules I gain the same value from ECM that the other guy does, and 
I would much rather have him pay the mass and point costs involved.

     I try to keep things simple, interesting but simple.   I do not
want to make a 'Star Fleet Battles' out of this game.	I will
without guilt bend or break the design rules for an alien, but 
at the same time my aliens have a lot of limitations built in to 
maintain play balance.	 It seems to have gotten late and I am 
starting to wander totally off topic.

Bye for now,
John L.