RE: troopships in a campaign, ground combat

If you're only wanting abstract out ground combat, how about a variation
of
the boarding rules?
If you use 1 mass = 1 combat factor then you don't need to worry about
individual points/modifiers etc.
Charge a fixed amount (say 5 FT points) per factor to take into account
economics.  This still gives the opportunity to choose forces for either
DS
or SG from just the mass available if you want extra detail or just
allocate
a fixed rating to the planet (say about 30 for a colony planet, 100 for
an
industrial centre).

Simply add up the combat factors, roll that many die & read as for beam
die
(including re-rolls).
If you want to differentiate, then give armoured units screen-1 &
aerospace
screen-2 to represent the increased survivability.

With regard to opposed landings, give the planet an orbital defence
rating.
Each point gives 1 die of unopposed PDS fire against the landing troops.
Each kill removes 1 combat factor before the troops even hit the
surface.
This would give a good reason to apply orbital bombardment before
sending in
the troops.

With regard to orbital bombardment, you should only allow beams &
ortillery,
as everything is inaccurate or has nasty side effects (radiation for
starters).  Ships with any amount beams add one combat factor, while
each
separate ortillery system adds 1 combat factor.   This should really be
limited to taking out the orbital defences to allow surface landings, as
once ground forces engage, this sort of fire support would be rarely
used.

'Neath Southern Skies - http://users.mcmedia.com.au/~denian/

> -----Original Message-----
> From: GBailey@aol.com [SMTP:GBailey@aol.com]
> Sent: Sunday, September 26, 1999 2:50 AM
> 
> Roll a die for each non-neutralized (a ground unit can be neutralized
by
> bombardment) and add its combat factor.  Units that controlled the
planet
> (defenders) get an additional +1.  For each roll of 7 or higher one
enemy 
> unit is destroyed (owner of units chooses).
> 
> ground unit type	    points     combat factor
> milita troops 		6		 1
> regular troops	      12	       3
> drop troops		       15		3
> armor troops		      15	       4
> air squadron		       12	      5-6 craft = 2, 3-4 craft =
1
> I'm not sure about using air squadrons, but they are like a standard
> fighter squadron except limited to planetside.  They can dogfight
> income fighter squadrons before ground combat.
> 
> Should I worry about landings in a strategic scale?	 
>    If no, just let everyone land (as long as there are no enemy FT
forces,
> 
> such as ships or bases).   Should I require that any transports have a
> certain amount of landers or streamlining?  
>    If yes, then should every unit (drop troops) or lander undergo some

> sort of fire from the ground forces and how should this be done?
> 
> About bombardment, so far I have: Roll a die for every weapon system
> (once per Movement phase, before ground combat) - 1-7  = no affect,
> 8-9  = a ground unit is neutralized, 10+ = a ground unit is destroyed
> (owning player's choice).  DMs:
> Beam weapons add their class,
> pulse torpedoes +3,
> SML +2  with +1 per salvo,
> SMR +3,
> ortillery +5,
> I don't know how Ortillery is supposed  to work in FTFB.  Currently
I'm
> thinking of it as its own weapons system and not attached or helping
> any other weapons. 
> 
> 
> Any suggestions are welcome.
> 
> Glen