Re: [FTFB] More on Fighter Bays and Hangers . . .

In a message dated 99-01-11 19:16:50 EST, you write:

<< It's nice to see the list discussing the possibility of separating
the
Launch
 Bays from the Fighter Hangers, as this has been one of the more
disappointing
 aspects of the FT & FB rules for me.  Most fiction - and starfighter
computer
 games (Wing Commander, anyone? <G>) - that deals with the subject of
 starfighters and carrier ships have 'catapult damage' as a pivotable
part of
 the storyline.  Currently, there is no game mechanism in FT that can
properly
 simulate this.
 
 What I'd like to see is fighter hangers and launch bays designed around
the
 launcher/magazine idea that the SMLs currently use - every hanger has a
 specific launch bay that it is connected to, and this launch bay is
subject
to
 threshold checks and needle beam attacks in the standard manner.
 
 Proposal: 
 *  Fighter hangers and launch bays are included in the standard costs
on a
3:1
    basis (1->3 hangers = 1 free launch bay, 4->6 hangers = 2 free
launch
bays,
    etc.).
 *  Fighter hangers must dedicated to specific launch bays.
 *  Extra launch bays can be bought for 5 mass & 15 pts each.  
 *  Each launch bay can launch 1 fighter group per turn, and can handle
a
    maximum of 3 fighter hangers.  
 *  A fighter hanger cannot be serviced by more than one launch bay
(same
    restriction as SML launchers & magazines - in reverse <g>).  
 *  A ship can recover 1 fighter group per turn for every 2 launch bays
(or
    fraction thereof), this restriction is more a function of 'traffic
control'
    and logistics (it always takes more time to recover fighters than it
does
    to launch them).
 
 These rules would allow all of the current FTFB ships - with the
exception of
 the FSE's Jeanne D'Arc - to function as is without change.  These rules
do
 allow the Jeanne D'Arc to launch 3 fighter groups per turn and recover
2 per
 turn, but this increase in functionality is more than offset by the
launch
 bay's vulnerability to threshold checks IMO.
 
 Comments? >>
I like it, it works like the rules from Renegade Legion: Leviathan, I
thought
that those rules were great.  One point is having external fighter
groups, in
the Wing Commander Book (is anyone seeing a trend? First we have the
Behemoth
from WC3 and then the launch damage from all Wing Commanders, most
importantly
WC2, were is plays a pivital part in the plot) End Run, in that book
they talk
about the difultys of using them.  I would treat them as a per above,
but like
a SM rack, it the ship could not maneuver for three turns, on the third
turn
it could launch any number of external fighter groups, any comments?
-Stephen