Re: Fleet Control System - Back on track (Was: Re: What the hell is this?)

Kelvin Henderson <kx.henderson@qut.edu.au> wrote:

[snip]

>Game Use:  Any vessel with a Fleet Con rolls a D6 at the start of each
turn
>and halves the result (round up).  The resultant number is the rating
of
>the Fleet Con for that turn.  Ratings do not carry over from turn to
turn
>so that a Fleet Con can only have a rating of 1-3 each turn.

I like this bit, though I would consider making it one or two dice which
are scored as beam batteries, giving a range of (1 die) 0-3 or (2 dice)
0-6

>The Fleet Con can be used to either predict enemy movements or to
>co-ordinate friendly vessel attacks.  The predict enemy movements, a
player
>with a Fleet Con can force their opponent to show them the movement
orders
>for one of the enemy vessels for each rating of the Fleet Con (1-3). 
The
>Friendly player may alter any movement orders after seeing this
>information, but the enemy player MAY NOT.  Any Fleet Con ratings used
to
>predict enemy movements CANNOT be used to co-ordinate friendly vessels
as
>stated below and vice versa.

I find this rule problematic. Any time you allow a player to modify his
orders after all other orders have been written, you're asking for
trouble.
It invites one player to spend his points to peek and modify, and then
have
the other player do the same... It adds alot of time.

As an alternative, particularly in larger engagements where seeing that
one
order might cause the rewrite of the entire fleet (!), just the
knowledge
of the orders can be particularly powerful when fighters and/or SMLs are
involved. I don't like the peek/modification idea. A peek only system
might
be better.

>Fleet Cons may also be used to co-ordinate friendly attacks.  When a
>friendly ship activates to fire, if the friendly player has Fleet Cons
in
>their force, they may use them to activate other, friendly vessels for
>simultaneous fire.  ONE extra vessel may be activated per rating of
Fleet
>Con used.  The other friendly vessels then activate at the same time as
the
>original choice and carry out all firing simulatneously.  Previously
>activated vessels MAY NOT activate again in the same turn and vessels
>activated in this way MAY NOT activate again later in the same turn.

I like it. I would limit it to ONE point allowed for any activation,
essentially limiting this to two ships acting at the same time without
the
other player getting a word in edgewise. He could then only spend
another
point on his next activation.

>Opposing Fleet Cons may try to block any Fleet Con action by expending
>ratings to do so.  A blocking player may only attempt to block a single
>communication or prediction, not multiple ones (ie-only blocking comm
to a
>single ship, even if two or more are being additionally activated in a
>co-ordinated fire attempt).  By expending a single rating, the blocking
>player rolls a D6.  The player being blocked also rolls a D6 for the
>original rating used.	These rolls can be augmented by spending
additional
>ratings, each additional rating expended adding +1 to the roll.  The
player
>who rolls highest wins the the attempt, either blocking the attempt or
>getting it through.  You only get one chance to block a Fleet Con use.

I don't like the idea of a point war and blocking, much less one that
involves extra dice rolling. I say give them the points and allow them
to
creatively use them to improve their tactical situation. With this rule,
you make it likely that "he with the most points will get his action" as
opposed to "he who uses the points he has most creatively will get the
upper hand."

Schoon