Re: FMA Thrust v0.5

In message <002b01c32a4f$1c91b540$a69ec943@pavilion>
	  "Laserlight" <laserlight@quixnet.net> wrote:

> (That's "0.5" as in "half-baked")
> 
> FMA Thrust is a way to resolve large battles quickly, while still
> claiming something marginally related to a semblance of the results
> that a FT battle might  give.  Mechanics, such as they are, are lifted
> from StarGrunt.  Comments welcome.
> 
> Ships have hull blocks based on Mass/40.

Just a suggestion - wouldn't it be better to have hull blocks based on
some proportion of hull integrity (say hull blocks = [hull boxes +
armour boxes]/10 ?)

> Add up the mass of all weapons, divide by the number of blocks to get
> Firepower.

Might be better to base firepower on the total _cost_ of weapons, say
FP = total cost of weapons/(# hull blocks x 3) - otherwise the KV and
Phalons are getting a slight downgrade here :-)

> Quality die is 2 x (Turning ability + 1/2 Thrust)--shift up or down if
> crack or green crew.

Hmm... reminds me of my old crew quality rules, I'll dig them out and
see if I can get them to fit.

> Armor die is based on the percentage of hull+armor--10% is d4, 20% is
> d6 and so on.

With my suggestion of basing hull blocks on hull boxes + armour, you
could base this on shields (it becomes a 'shield die'):
No shields: d4, 1 shield: d6, 2 shields or vapour shroud: d8
against shield ignoring weapons always use the d4.

> 
> Example: battleship Nasr ed Din is mass 120 so has 3 hull blocks.  It
> as 30 Mass of weapons so firepower is 3d10.  Main Drive 4 and a normal
> Human drive so turning ability is 2, which gives a QD of 2 x (2+2) =
> d8.  30 Hull + 7 armor divided by 120 mass is about 30% so d8 Armor
> die.
> 
> Combat resolution similar to the Quick and Dirty SG rules.  Roll QD
> and FP dice vs defender's range die [and/or quality die?  insert
> Handwave here].  If minor hit, a hull block is out of action.  If
> major hit, sum the FP dice, subtract range [handwave, handwave],
> divide by Armor die type and get the number of hull blocks destroyed.
> 
> Ships can fire on multiple targets but your chances of getting a major
> hit go up substantially with each extra FP die.
> 
> At some point I'll separate out placed ordnance (SMR, PBL) and
> fighters and do something like StarGrunt's missile-vs-ECM roll; and
> we'll account for Ptorps vs screens, and non-human weapons, and so
> forth.  Meanwhile, 'm awaiting your input...
> 
Interesting idea, I look forward to seeing more :-)

Charles