Re: [FT] Replacement Boarding Rules v1.0b

Thomas spake thusly upon matters weighty: 
> > Also, when I referred to the BPs as Marines, I meant specially
trained and
> > equipped CQB teams with the interface equipment to cross the space
between ships
> > and breach during hostile actions.	Whether Marine or Naval makes no
big
> > difference to me.
> 
> understood; i wasn't happy with not having a no-mass boarding option.
> without it, i have to design ships specifically with boarding in mind.
> with it, i can just stump up the extra points and buy some boarding
> parties for some ships on some missions, just as i would extra DCPs.

Makes standard designs still viable for boarding parties which is a 
good thing.  

> > I cannot see any warship
> > that does not have Damage control teams as an integral part of the
crew.  I do
> > not envision _every_ warship in the future carrying specialized
boarding
> > parties, though.
> 
> i agree completely - this is just what i was thinking. all ships get
> built-in DCPs, and can have extras. no ships get built-in BPs, but all
can 
> buy extras.

Or, contrariwise, there is a logic that suggests that, based on the 
few ships out there and the massive area of space they must control, 
patrol, and govern, most ships crews would have BP training and some 
basic equipment (if they can't board by PA and breaching charges, at 
least they can board by shuttle and have enough equipment to be 
credible). If your nearest backup is LY away, and if you have to 
tackle ANY mission conceivable (seems likely to me given the scope of 
the FT universe), then you have a need to have a part of each crew 
trained in boarding actions. 

> of course, if you're playing Klingons or some such, perhaps your ships
do
> get built-in BPs.

Or Pirates!
 
> > When I refer to 'Boarding
> > Parties' per se, I mean the guys that can pull on the specialty PA,
fire off
> > thier boosters to cross the space inbetween the ships, set thier
hull breaching
> > explosives, enter and engage in CQB with the defenders.
> 
> ahh, good point. i imagine this type of boarding as being carried out
by
> small craft, such as shuttles, carrying boarding teams. thus, my
proposed
> BPs can do it, even though marines can do it much better. the DPs
can't,
> because they lack the training.

So, if we have DPs, BPs, and MBPs (Marine Boarding Parties), then you 
have a range of capability: 
1) The Defense Party can only board another ship by sealed means - 
sealed catwalk used after dock, or shuttle or some such. No hull 
breaching. They are 'armed crew' who hopefully have at least an idea 
of where to point the sharp end of the laser carbine. But they do not 
have grenades, body armour, or heavier support weapons, nor the 
specialized training nor penetration aids like things to deal with 
computers and locks. 
2) The Boarding Party can board another ship by sealed or unsealed 
means - but in this case we're only talking about vacc suits. A short 
walk across space to enter is fine, but no hull breaching assaults. 
They are 'armed crew' also, but they are trained and equipped for the 
job. They know how to use most small arms, and have a good mix of 
these and light support weapons. They may have grenades. They will 
probably know rappelling (a point for our RAN informer - the hold on 
an FT freighter probably has a lot in common with that on a 
supertanker), languages, legal things about boarding actions, 
engineering, and the like. They may well have systems to compromise 
electronics or locking mechanisms. They may well have good body 
armour (unpowered) (perhaps as part of the vacc suit). 
3) The Marine Boarding Party - These are your classic Marine Assault 
Troops - probably the same type of laddies and lasses that would do 
orbital assaults in dropcaps. They'll be PA'd to the max, with muscle 
amps, targeting, comms, and jamming gear. They'll have systems that 
help them track their location vs diagrams of the ship. They'll have 
gear to bollix enemy ship computers, compromise security systems, and 
open doors. They'll have explosives and the like for hull and hatch 
breaching. They'll be armed six ways from sunday - hand grenades, 
GLs, Plasma Guns, Rapid Fire Flechette Guns, Vomit and Nerve gases 
(great aboard ship!), Close Combat gear. These guys can assault a 
hostile ship (maybe even one with a little bit of manouvre left in it 
- enough to frustrate a docking attempt) from space using either a 
trip partway in assault shuttles then an EVA or a longer EVA from 
ship to ship. They can penetrate outer hull locks, breach the hull, 
damage exterior systems,etc. They are not only trained in things like 
protecting their Navy customs inspectors or technical experts, but in 
sabotage, counter-boarding actions (for defending their own ships or 
for knowing how a boarded enemy will respond) and in knowing what 
systems must be disabled quickly to bring an enemy ship under control 
(core systems!). 

Nice work so far :) 
/************************************************
Thomas Barclay		     
Voice: (613) 831-2018 x 4009
Fax: (613) 831-8255

 "C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot.  C++ makes
 it harder, but when you do, it blows away your whole leg."
 -Bjarne Stroustrup
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