Re: New systems - toying around

On Fri, 21 May 1999, Tom McCarthy wrote:

> I'm toying around with a BFG->FTFB conversion.  What do you think of
the
> following ?

i've had a few thoughts (well, two, anyway) on bfg2ft myself, so here
goes.

> Armoured hull (level - 1) - This functions like an FTFB screen but
without
> the possibility of loss due to a threshold check.  MASS 3 or 5% of the
> ship's MASS, which ever is greater.  Points 4xMASS

sounds alright. i don't know about a minimum mass, though - we can just
round up to 1 for small ships. the problem is, how does it affect
non-beam
weapons? maybe we should use the kra'vak armour rules. was there ever an
official unoffical ft2.5 version of those?

> Extra armoured hull - This functions like an FTFB screen but without
the
> possibility of loss due to a threshold check.  It is also purchased
per arc.
> MASS 1 or 1% of the ship's MASS, which ever is greater.  Points 4xMASS

i can't quite get my head round this for some reason, but it sounds ok.

> Energy shields - These are a top row of boxes, like FTFB armour, but
they
> regenerate each turn unless lost to threshold checks.  They also block
> teleport attacks (see below, maybe).	MASS 3 per box/diamond,  points
4x
> MASS.

sounds fine. hmph - we map bfg shields to ft armour, and bfg armour to
ft
shields. just goes to show that gw has everything backwards.

> Torpedo Chamber - This is a very large chamber full of very weak, very
> stupid torpedoes.  It has a potentially unlimited load of torpedoes. 
A
> torpedo wave has a strength (normally starting at 6).  The torpedoes
move
> forward 24" each turn and attack any ship they come in contact/close
> proximity to.  Roll a D6 for each point of torpedo strength (ignoring
energy
> shields, but not screens or armoured hull).  Hits do the appropriate
damage.
> Reduce the strength of the torpedo wave by the number of hits and let
the
> remainder continue.  PDS reduces the wave strength by 1 on a 4 or 5, 2
on a
> 6.  To reload, the firer must make a crew quality test (usually 7 or
less or
> 8 or less on 2D6).  If successful, the torpedoes are reloaded.  If
doubles,
> no more reload tests are possible.
> MASS 1 per point of torpedo strength, points 3x MASS.

i'm not altogether happy with introducing a new system - your
suggestions
so far are essentially renamings or slight modifications of existing
systems, which is good.

i think that bfg torpedoes can be mapped to modified ft SMs. it's not
quite exact - the torps don't keep on heading into space until they hit
something - but it avoids needing a new system. basically, they would be
SMs which could only fire in the front arc. alternatively, they could
only
fire dead ahead, but would lock on to and attack the closest thing
within
6 mu of the centreline of the firing ship.

i appreciate that the persistence of torpedoes is one of their main
features - it adds tactical complexity. thus, i'm not entirely happy
with
my suggestion.

thus, as an alternative, make torpedoes essentially torpedo fighters
with
no pilots. they keep on heading at full speed in one direction, after
ships have moved (in the missile move phase?) until they run up against
a
ship (ie get within 6 mu) at which point they attack it. you'd have to
make them smaller and cheaper to compensate, or allow one bay (ie
hangar)
to fire unlimited times. this isquite similar to what you suggest,
really..

i'm not sure about crew quality. just taking the rules from bfg, as you
have done, is probably simplest.

> Launch Bay - A big bay with a potentially unlimited number of small
fighter
> squadrons.  As a torpedo chamber above, a crew quality test reloads
the bays
> and doubles prevents further tests.  The ship may maneouvre while
launching.
> MASS 4, Points 3xMASS

i don't see why ordinary ft hangars couldn't be used. perhaps with
unlimited fighters, though. in that case, fighters would need to be made
weaker.

> Bomber squadron - For Launch Bay.  3 FTFB Attack Fighters, 1 CE
> Fighter squadron - For Launch Bay. 3 FTFB Interceptors, 1 CE

CE? i hope you're not suggesting bomber squadrons include an escort
cruiser :-). i don't see why we should use smaller squadrons. why not
just
stay with 6 per group? otherwise it messes up morale rules, etc.

> Assault boat squadron - For Launch Bay.  3 Boarding craft.  make hit
and
> run, like teleport attack, see below.

i would do assault boats like ordinary fighters, but when they attack,
rather than doing damage, the score is a number of boarding factors
which
try to board the target ship. several squadrons can gang up on one ship
at
once. i don't remember the scale for boarding factors, so if this
provides
too few, attack as torpedo fighters. boarding shuttles would be one-shot
anyway.

> Teleport Boarding Attack - Only available to ships of MASS 100 or
greater.

i dislike the arbitrary limit. how about saying one attack per firecon
dedicated to the attack? justify it as that firecon controlling the
simultaneous teleport of the attack squads. or have a dedicated
teleporter
system which only bigger ships will bother taking.

> May only attack ships with no screens or Energy shields active.

agreed.

> Hit and run
> attack: Roll 1D6+2.  If equals or exceeds threshold number of next
check,
> ship takes a threshold check.

personally, i'd handle it as a boarding attempt. it would be nice to see
those rules finally get used! also, you don't mention a range.

> Lance - Ignores all armoured hull or screens.  Rolls one die at all
range
> bands, 1 damage on 4, 5, 2 with reroll on 6.	Points is 3xMASS.
> 
> Lance Class 1 is range 12", MASS 2 + 1 MASS/ 2 (or fewer) arcs.
> Lance Class 2 is range 24", MASS 3 + 1 MASS/ arc, +2/3arcs.
> Lance Class 3 is range 36", MASS 5 + 1 MASS/ arc.
> Lance Class 4 is range 48", MASS 7 + 2 MASS/ arc, +3/2 arcs.

i suggest using pulse torpedoes for lances, with heavier lances having
extended range bands (ie bump them all up by 6 mu each per level, with a
stretched short range band).

> Gothic Nova Cannon - Uses GW hardware (21/2" radius blast template, 1"
> diameter hole in middle).  Nominate a target point and guess a range
between
> 24" and 120".  Place the template that distance toward the target
point.
> Ships touched by the template take D6 damage split between the armour
and
> hull.  Ships touched by the hole take 3D6 damage split between the
hull and
> armour.  MASS 6, 30 points.

i'd say gothic nova cannon -> ft nova cannon. it's not the same, but it
should add even more pulling power in the quest to suck in the munchkins
:-). alternatively, use the ft wave gun.

tom