Re: FT III

From: "CGS" <michael@carrickfergus.schoolzone.co.uk>

> The biggest, most important and hardest to write addition for the
third
> edition is going to be the section on detection, EW, and targeting.

Good point. Let's see, we have:

Sensors (normal)
Sensors (civilian)
Sensors (advanced)
ECM
Stealth
Cloak

For Cloak rules, the ones I really like involve removing the model
(leaving
a "datum" marker) and pre-plotting its movement while under cloak. It
can't
see anything else. One problem is that with area effect weapons - Plasma
balls - they should both make it visible and affect the model. Bummer.

Small vessels should always be fitted with "blip enhancers" so can
appear as
larger ones, but then have the consequent disadvantage of detection at
greater range.

There should also be an option of "running silent" at minimum power (no
thrust, no FC, nothing apart from life support). As all sensors, not
just
active ones, would be inoperative, this means plotting in advance again
-
the surpriser could be surprised.

Effects of nearby gas, asteroids etc should be shown. ie a ship can
"dock"
with an asteroid, and effectively gain some ECM from it. If it's docked
for
a long time (ie starts a scenario docked) it could have cammo nets etc
installed making it even more difficult to detect.

Probably the best way to simulate this is to have "detection points" or
"detets" (with a nod to Doc Smith). Add or subtract detets accordingly.

For example:
Number of Detets = X1 + log(size) + X2 * thrust used by target + X3 *
WeaponsNumber Fired by target + X4 * FC used by target + X5 * FC used by
firer - ECM of Target + A D6 (say) - Range/X6.