Re: strike the colors rule

That would be SMS Wiesbaden.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Bell" <rlbell@sympatico.ca>
To: <gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu>
Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2001 7:49 PM
Subject: Re: strike the colors rule

>
>
> "Robert W. Hofrichter" wrote:
>
> > Continuing this a little further--an extreme example:
> >
> > A German cruiser during Jutland (can't remember the name) was
basically
> > knocked out of action (severely reduced speed, most weapons not
functioning)
> > but even though it was passed (and shot at) by just about every Brit
ship,
> > it continued to fire when it could--and even ended up sinking a Brit
vessel
> > via torpedo--until it finally sank the next day.  Or something like
> > that--read about the incident in a 1980 book called "Cruisers."
> >
> > Either a perfect example of a vessel making all its morale rolls or
a
good
> > example of why not to use morale rules for "modern naval" combat.  I
prefer
> > the latter (and to write victory conditions that force players to
behave
> > wisely with regards to losses).
>
> That could be the Seydlitz.  It did not actually sink, it merely ran
aground
> some distance from port.  There was an impressive amount of water in
her,
as
> more had been let in to keep an even keel.  Her forecastle was awash. 
She
is a
> tribute to design and damage control.  I think she suffered 40 hits
from
15" AP
> shells.
>
> Although, it may not have "passed all of its morale rolls", it may
simply
have
> been leaving the batle as fast as it could, while being in the worst
possible
> location.  As for the torpedo launch, it may have been an opportune
thing
at the
> time.  However, it is an overpowering testament to the training of the
men
that
> they were able to continue fighting the flooding while the shells kept
crashing
> through the ship.
>
> Morale in a naval battle depends on the situation.  Under the Harpoon
system,
> there is little point in surrender rules, as anti-ship missiles don't
take
> prisoners and aircraft do not hang around long enough to check if the
colours
> are still flying.  Finally, turning tail and running only works
against
other
> ships, not missiles and planes.
>
> For morale rules to be useful in FT it should take into account the
damage
to
> the ship's side, and the apparent damage to the enemy, along with the
ships
> damage.
> Lastly, they should consider the ability to flee.  In vector, fleeing
is
> difficult and is simply a matter of not accelerating back to the
battle.
The
> only reason for an FT ship to surrender is if the vessel is dead in
space,
and
> the opponent is the same species.  The vessel will propably be
scuttled;
unless,
> starships are VERY expensive and every repairable FTL drive counts.
(much
like
> wooden ships when trees for masts were hard to find, and many ships of
the
line
> fought on both sides in the same war).
>
> So, a crew will surrender when the only way to get planetside is an
enemy
ship
> and they can reasonably expect the enemy to deliver them to a
habitable
world
> (if not actually repatriate them), but the vessel itself will only be
> surrendered if ships are very expensive to build and every space
worthy
vessel
> is a treasure.
>
> I suppose an interesting campaign idea would be to start with an
assortment of
> FTL drives parcelled amongst the players, and have them all lose if
too
many are
> destroyed, on the grounds that an interstellar civilization is no
longer
> viable.  Battles away from important planets would be very tentative,
and
ships
> would be surrendered to avoid destruction (and players would have to
make
> compromises between weapons and cargo space).
>
>