Re: [FT] Sensors

Denny Graver wrote:
> Option 2
> Treat sensors as weapons.  All ships now add basic sensors on the SSD
and
> add two boxes to the icon just like mines in FT or energy mines in
EFSB.
> When using sensors to scan other ships, roll dice according to type of
> sensors:
> 
>			  18"	     36"	72"	   104"
> Basic sensors 	  2d6	     1d6
> Enhanced sensors	  3d6	     2d6	1d6
> Superior Sensors	  4d6	     3d6	2d6	   1d6
> 
> "Damage" scored against a ship is compared to the DP of the ship
scanned.
> This is compared to the following chart. All damage is cumulative
(perhaps
> erased if the ship suffers a threshold roll critical), The targeted
ship
> counts as screened if only one sensor box is active (one crossed off
per
> hit) and effect is shifted up a level if the defending ship has ECM.
> 
> Less than 1/2    No information
> up to x1	   Mass/TMF only and whether Mil or Civilian
> up to x2	   Mass, Drives, Screens,  Structure
> up to x3	   Data on all onboard systems (Show your opponent an
> undamaged SSD)
>	x4	   As above but all ship details including damage (the
actual
> SSD), plus reveal details of cargo if appropriate, ie.
> "Captain I'm picking up at least 200 separate life form readings", or
> "The ship is carrying a large quantity of Denundium.", etc.

You have some good ideas and the mechanism for scanning is identical
for the standard beam rolls, so you're not having to look up for 
table results.

A few comments:  

The range bands are not even.  Standard sensor rules have a range of 
54" for basic sensors.

Sensor "hits" need to be resolved in a single turn without having to 
record the level of "sensor" damage to the opposing ship.  (Yet 
another "damage" track?) Plus, to get any kind of sensor reading on 
an ESU superdreadnought would take a vast number of turns to obtain.

If you rolled for sensors as beam weapons with rerolls added and 
ECM acts as level-1 (basic), level-2 (enhanced), level-3 (superior) 
screens,

0 hits	 No information
1 hit	 Mass/TMF only and whether Mil or Civilian
2 hits	 Mass, Drives, Screens,  Structure
3 hits	 Data on all onboard systems as undamaged
4+ hits  As above but all ship details including damage

This way the sensor resolution is conducting without any bookkeeping 
from turn-to-turn.

Jon