Re: Full Thrust : Electronic Warfare & Boarding Parties

Coincidentally, I have thrown a few cards together over the last several
days.  They are 4"x6", but It is amazing how few it takes to describe
FT.
I started this in frustration of chasing rules among 3 rulebooks and the
FTFB errata sheet.  Basically what I have is this:

1) Quick reference play sheet  -
Complete, annotated turn sequence / weapons summary (including Fighters,
Missiles, PDS and options like PDS vs. Ships, C-beams vs.
Fighters/missiles.)

2) Complete fighter rules summary.
(movement/endurance/morale/Pilot quiality/screening/missile
interception/attacking ships/dogfighting/carrier ops& scrambling and
advanced fighter abilities)

3-4) Summary of Rules for Playing with ships.

So far they do not include Terrain details, sensors, mines (never been
happy with them), Genre-specific weapons, Ground-combat integration,
Kra'vak or Sa'Vasku, Boarding actions, fleet rules, Vector Movement, or
Design Rules (that's what my spreadsheet is for.)

Essentially, they are the basic rules to sit down with someone, say
'read
these 2 cards, take a fleet of ships I have made, and let's play'.  Then
we
could sit down and play with all basic FB rules.  I still have room to
include sensor rules, and probably boarding actions.  At some point I
will
probably customize them with house rules, but not yet.	It's amazing how
well the FT rules distill down.

Anyway, let me say this, for Jon's benefit if nothing else.  Card #1
might
be considered OK, but under no circumstances will I distribute cards
2-4,
as having them is treading close to the point of not needing the
rulebook
to play - which is a definate no-go.  If I do let someone read the rules
from a card so we can play a quick game, but you can be sure that I
won't
be sending people home with them.  On the flip side, the cards are not
very
useful without ship designs to fight with, and don't tell you how to
design
them.  I guess the idea is a little like the FT-lite discussed
previously.

On a tangent, has there been any change to boarding actions in relation
to
FTFB?  Old rules were essentially Damage Points/4 Boarding Factors.  I
would imagine that the new rules should tie boarding Factor to crew
size.
Is there a recommendation for what level of Boarding Factors I should
have?
Right now DCP is the same as crew units - would it be reasonable to
assume
the same level? though from the DCP desctiption that would place half
the
crew on DCP/BP work.  Has anyone else worked this?

Jared Noble

laserlight <laserlight@mci2000.com> on 11/04/98 02:01:25 PM

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

To:   FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
cc:    (bcc: Jared E Noble/AAI/ARCO)
Subject:  Re: Full Thrust : Electronic Warfare

> >> too late! doesn't MT use FMA rules somewhere?
> >
> >No. Nor does the FB. MT uses basic, enhanced and superior sensors,
but
> >there's no FMA mechanics (opposed die rolls, die type shifts etc)
> >involved - just D6.rolls with or without modifiers.

Jon-GZG warbled:
> I've stated on this list before, that FT will NOT be moving to the FMA
> system, in FT 3rd edition or any other subsequent version. FT will
remain
a
> strictly d6 based system.
> There is always the possibility that we MAY do an FMA-system-based
starship
> and/or starfighter game at sometime in the future, but it would be a
> completely new game - NOT any version of FT.

Good.  I play FT because it's quick and easy.  I don't play DS2, because
it
isn't.
(Steve Jackson's "GEV", with some extra units, is about the level I'm
looking for, although I may have to do some rules bashing to get the
flavor
right).

I do want a sensor system, as I feel that that's likely to be one of the
most important parts of space combat.  I also want it to be something I
can
put on a 3x5 card and not have to refer back to the rulebook to figure
it
out.

(Chorus: "so what's *your* bright idea?"--okay, I'm working on it. 
Filing
serial numbers off takes a while).