RE: FT : EW & Boarding Parties

One other question about Boarding Operations.  When during the turn do
you
resolve them?  Obviously after Movement, but exactly where?

Heres the Post-Movement turn sequence taken from the Fleet Book:

-Allocate Missiles and Fighters
-Point Defense Fire
-Missile and Fighter Attacks
-Ships Fire
-Turn End

Now, since I'm a proponent of some sort of useful boarding cutter (so
simplify hot-action boardings) It would seem to make sense that is
should
be handled as fighters - Allocate/PDS/Board.  But after that?  If I send
my
troops to board this turn and they successfully penetrate your defenses
and
take your ship this turn (or as MT suggests, always resolve boarding
actions in a single turn) did it occur before your ship's firing phase
came
up?  My reaction is no, but I wanted other's input.  If, as you suggest
and
I'm leaning towards, boarding operations can span multiple turns, the
contested ship would remain in the hands of the defenders and continue
to
move and fire normally until the defenders were defeated in the Turn End
phase, (actually I'm thinking of inserting a 'Resolve Boarding actions)
phase to the sequence - keeping Turn End phase for strictly clean-up
stuff).  Does that sound right?

Come to think of it, could PDS be used against your 'normal' boarding
actions? (guys jumping across in PA or whatever)  I don't think the PDS
should be as effective as it is vs fighters, but something seems in
order.
Count your Boarding force as Screen level 2 vs PDS - each hit destroys 1
BF?  (no they are not screened, but they are exceptionally small and
semi-dispersed).  BTW the entire complement of Boarding attack from a
particular ship would be considered a single target for the PDS.

One other thing. When a prize crew takes a ship, what can they do with
it?

Maneuver?
I think so

FTL?
I'd still say yes, but with some delay (I don't think it should work to
FTL
out in the midst of a battle...but I'm wavering on this one

Operate defensive systems?
I think PDS is OK (very highly automated), ADFC I'm doubtful about as it
relates to intra-ship communication -unless you commandeered 2 enemy
ships.
Screens just work.

Damage control?
Not with the prize crew, but maybe if you wanted to transfer some of
your
DCPs

Offensive weapons?
No, not in the course of a single game, and not with the prize crew.

Anything else?

Sean Bayan Schoonmaker <schoon@aimnet.com> on 11/06/98 05:58:17 AM

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

To:   FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
cc:    (bcc: Jared E Noble/AAI/ARCO)
Subject:  RE: FT : EW & Boarding Parties

>Using crew size as your boarding factors does work, but in FTFB you
have
>a LOT more boarding factors than MT, so the difference between a light
>cruiser & a heavy cruiser is usually overwhelming.  Law of averages
>kicks small ships in the teeth.

I drafted these alternate BP rules a while ago. They give the little guy
a
slightly bigger chance...

Alternate Boarding Rules

     Although the boarding rules from MT provide a simple and quick
method
of resolving such actions, I believe that an alternate set of rules can
do
so with no additional complexity, more "realism," and taking into
account
the new core systems rules.
     Using the old system, any BFs that were severely outnumbered could
not
possibly win, nor could they hope to inflict any casualties. Even a two
vs.
four situation was virtually hopeless for the defenders, contrary to the
example in MT.
Boarding actions take place after Step 9: Ships Fire in the sequence of
play. To be eligible for a boarding action, the ships in question must
be
within 6" and have a difference in velocity no greater than one. If
using
the Cinematic Movement System, the course may vary by no more than one
clock face than that of the target ship, or, if using the Vector
Movement
System, by no more than 30ø off that of the target vessel.
     Each BF is assigned to either offensive of defensive status.
Offensive
BFs are those that will assault the enemy ship, and defensive ones will
defend their own.
     Any ship assaulted by enemy BFs will have a boarding action. Both
offensive and defensive players roll one die for each BF, and score it
in
the same manner as a beam weapon, including re-rolls on a 6. The result
is
the number of casualties inflicted on the opposing force. For example,
if
two defensive BFs were assaulted by four offensive BFs, they would roll
two
and four dice respectively. If the rolls were 2 and 5 for the defenders,
and 1, 4, 3, and 6 (re-roll of 4), the casualties would be 1 and 4
respectively. The defenders have died gloriously, but at least they took
a
"bad guy" down with them.
     If, after casualties have been removed, there are still BFs on both
sides, another round of combat will ensue on the following turn. A ship
could potentially be in contest for some time, with both players making
an
effort to reinforce their side in the intervening turn.
     The defending player has the option of giving up a core system
instead
of a casualty. The effects of giving up the system are exactly the same
as
if it has failed a threshold check, with the exception of the power
core.
The power core will not explode (unless that is the assault team's
objective), but simply acts as if it had been dumped upon a roll of 5-6
(FB
pg. 5). For example, a defender with two BFs takes two casualties from
offensive forces. Confident that he can get reinforcements from friendly
ships next turn, he removes one BF and gives up life support. The other
player rolls one die (as if life support had failed) and gets a two.
Whatever happens, the defender had better hope that the action is
resolved
within the next two turns.
     Note that with this system, a ship can drop off an assault force
and
then thrust away to do other things. Likewise, a defender, who has any
capacity to do so, can limp closer to friendly forces in hopes of help.