Re: [OFFICIAL] FMA range thoughts....

>G'day guys,
>
>Can't claim to have kept up with all this FMA stuff [OK I haven't read
it
>to be honest, so I'll just send this and wait for the excumincation
notice
>to arrive ;)  ], and I know zip about firearms (beyond using them
against
>snakes and stuff on the farm), but with regard to the mechanics of
ranges
>could you maybe combine the range bands and the firer's skill? For
instance:
>
>
>Shooter ----------------|--------------------|------------------|
>   Point	  Effective	 Ineffective
>   blank	    fire	       fire
>
>Where the end point of ineffective fire is the absolute max range of
the
>weapon and then the relative widths of each of the 3 bands depends on
the
>shooter's quality - so really good guy would have longer point
>blank/effective fire ranges whereas 'green' guys would have a much
longer
>ineffective fire band (as their point blank/effective fire ones had
been
>much contracted).
>
>That was probably absolutely no help, so I'll shut up now.

    Well, I have to agree and disagree at the same time.  Although to
keep
it simple, doing a combination is probably the better solution IMHO
since a
well trained soldier will be able to lay down more effective fire at
almost
all ranges.  But since the costing system that has been proposed in the
beta
rules depends on the range bands for it's costs, there may be a
significant
difference in 'price' for these experienced troops.

    I say this because I know many of the guys I pay against came from
the
Wh40K environment and want to bend the rules and costs as best they can
to
their advantage (IMHO in 40K this is a good thing, since the higher the
point values of each figure the less you will have to 1) paint & 2) buy
from
GW at their ridiculously high $/figure ratio).	Much of the
range/effectiveness is going to be applied based on the figure's
quality.
    I have included an example of both scenarios:

    Scenario 1: Not supporting the combination of skill and range:
    (Snipped from FMA Beta Rules)
    Assault rifle: Firepower total = 10+8+6 = 24, multiplied by Close
range
band (12) = 288. Divide by 10, = 29, then add Impact value (10) for
final
cost of 39 points.
    Elite Grenadier (D12) using 39 point assault rifle: Close = D12,
Medium
= D8, Long = D6
    Green Grenadier (D6) using same 39 point AR: Close = D6, Medium =
D4,
Long = Ineffective
    Untrained (D4) as above: Close = D4, Medium & Long = Ineffective

    Scenario 2: Supporting the combination of skill and range:
    Elite grenadier w/ Assault Rifle: Firepower total = 10+8+6 = 24,
multiplied by Close range band (12 + Quality D type (12) = 24) = 576.
Divide by 10 = 58.  Then add impact value of 10 for a final cost of 68
points.
    Now this increases the range bands by double, which is the same
effect
of aiming (in the non-combined version).  So now this elite trooper can
fire
24" in close range, 48" if aiming (on my table that is usually all the
way
across the board BTW) with a D12.  Medium range is then extended to 48"
(or
if you only apply the combination of skill and range to the close range
band
and keep the quality die type as the range band values then you would
then
have a 36" medium band) with a D8 to hit, and at long range at 48" with
a D6
die type.  That would make the elite trooper quite deadly.

    Now the supporting part.  I believe that an elite soldier would be
able
to perform so much better than any others, but would the effects of the
weapon change because of who is using it?  Probably not.  As has been
stated
in an other post, the weapon continues to have the same characteristics,
it's just the user who is making the difference(s) in effect of the
fire.
    How to accommodate this in the game?  Well, I think that the quality
dice are the appropriate factor to make the difference.  You already
apply a
higher range band based on the quality die type.  One house rule that we
use
to make this effect is a negative die shift for the oppress once the
dice
have reached the highest point.  For example:

    A soldier fires a medium range burst at a green figure who is in
position and in light cover.  So the soldier takes a die shift down for
range (regular = D8, medium range = D6, in position = D4), in position
would
shift one down again, hard cover would make an other negative die shift,
but
since there are no more negative shifts to be had, the defender's die
type
is shifted up to accommodate until there are no more shifts available.
    So the green trooper starts with the quality die type of D6, but the
cover modifiers that could not be applied to the fierier are then
shifted up
to the defender.  So the green trooper would move up one shift to D8.  I
know that shifting for cover is not covered in the skirmish version, so
don't nail me on it.  We had played where light cover shifted down one
die,
hard cover 2 shifts.  Easier to remember than the die type used.

Just some thoughts.

Scott Spieker