Re: Carrier status, was Re: More Fleet Book questions

oerjan.ohlson@nacka.mail.telia.com on 06/01/98 07:34:38 AM

Please respond to FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk

To:   FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
cc:    (bcc: Jared E Noble/AAI/ARCO)
Subject:  Control Systems, was Carrier Status

Mike Elliott wrote:
> >>How many fighters can be launched/recovered in a turn?
>
> >At present, same as FTII.
> >
> Yes, but now that we have removed the major ship categories, are we
> back to the "when is a carrier not a carrier" question?
<SNIP>

>So, all in all, I'd use the definition:
>
>"If more than 50% of the Mass not used for hull, engines, armour or
>screens is devoted to fighter bays, the ship is a Carrier (and thus
able
>to launch 2 fighter squadrons at a time)."
>
>On a second thought, I'd prefer to drop the carrier/non-carrier
>distinction entirely and add in launch bays from EFSB - with the
>difference that each launch bay can only launch one single fighter
group
>per turn, and a ship can have more than one. Not sure about what Mass
it
>should have, though... and of course it'll make the FB designs
incorrect
>:-/
>
>Later,
>
>Oerjan Ohlson
>

I've never even read the EFSB rules, but I still think the most elegant
solution to this was posted by Brian Cantwell back in April '97 - and
that
was to make a new system - 'Flight Control' <my name-he called it launch
control>.  Same mass and cost as fire control. You could replace your
'free' firecons with flightcons - so your capital sized cruiser may have
drastically reduced firecon (maybe only 1) and 2 flightcon - which seems
reasonable considering the fact that most carriers are weak on the
offense
anyway, and *DAF (their main 'weapons') needed no firecon.

As I have done some thinking, I expanded this idea - I'm sure I nicked
the
ideas of others, as well, but it seems to me that there are 4 useful
'control' systems - all the same mass, capabilities and (perhaps) cost.
-

1) FireCon - the standard we all know and love

2) FlightCon - Any ship with fighters (or landing craft) may launch
    OR recover 1 group per turn (and I would have restrictions on
    the carrier's allowed actions that turn - only half-thrust or
    something like that). With FlightCon you have no carrier move
    restrictions and 2 simultaneous activities. Each additional
    FlightCon provides 2 more simultaneous activities (maybe only 1)
    So really big carriers can do a lot at once (by sacrificing
    mass for FlightCon)
     <Brian's rules were a bit different - each Launch control
      allowed 1 extra launch per turn, and a ship could land half
      that many (round down) - I don't distinguish which activties
      can be performed, only how many>

3) FleetCon (or Flag) - Here we start into fleet coordination.	I
    haven't worked out the specifics, but I'm thinking about
    bringing chain-of-command and morale type rules to FT - ships
    with FleetCon enable a small squadron to share targets with
    a bonus - A squadron is the flagship +1 ship per flag in the
    group. All ships may share data,engaging at the range of the
    closest ship in the group.	No real ideas on the morale
    structure, but flag should weigh heavily.
    Maybe Flagships could activate other ships out of Sequence?
    (I'll activate my Flagship, then use it to activate my heavy
     cruiser using my flag abilities - 2 ships in a row -)
    Note: I'm not thinking DSII style 're-activation' here - And
    Flag cannot replace 'free' firecons - Extra installation only!

4) New ADS control system from Fleet Book - I have absolutely no
   idea how this works in replacing *DAF, but from the posts I've
   read it seems to be a control system. Can anyone enlighten me?

So, what do you think? (puts on flame-retardant clothing)

Jared