Re: Fire Control lock-on (was: Re: [FT] squadron suggestions)

It doesn't look bad, although I'd make the close roll be 1+. Unless the 
target has some form
of ECM it would be auotomatic lock on. Also, I'd give evasion +1 per 2 
thrust.

Roger Books

On 6/22/05, Ground Zero Games <jon@gzg.com> wrote:
> 
> >We normally play with a fairly small number of ships (I think) 6 or
so a
> >side and I would not object to a fairly simple "lock-on" roll
especially
> >if it made modeling ECM/ECCM easier, on the other hand I don't want
to
> >end up beaten to death with modifiers while trying to figure the
roll.
> >
> >In my own mental model of space combat ECM and EW are very important
but
> >don't seem to be modeled very well in FT.
> >
> >Chris D-W
> 
> 
> Well, just to give you some idea of the lines along which I'm
> thinking, here are a few rough ideas of how the simple lock-on rules
> could work....... note that these are NOT anything more than
> off-the-cuff ideas for discussion at this stage, so don't take them
> as gospel! ;-)
> 
> If anyone out there actually wants to put some toys on the table and
> give these a spin (even if just the basic lock-on idea, ignoring
> stuff like ECM and Stealth for the moment) to see how they feel, then
> I'd be very interested in seeing the AAR....
> 
> Jon (GZG)
> 
> .............................
> 
> 
> 
> FIRE CONTROL LOCK-ON ROLLS:
> When a ship is selected to perform its fire resolution, the first
> step is for the owning player to nominate which target(s) the ship is
> attempting to acquire firing solutions on (or "lock-on" to). Each
> functioning Fire Control system on the ship may be used to make ONE
> lock-on attempt on one target per turn. Two or more FCs may be
> allocated to a single target if desired, but all FCs that are to be
> used must be allocated before any rolls are attempted. All that
> ship's lock-on attempts are then rolled, one die per FC; regardless
> of how many FCs were allocated against a single target, only one
> success is required to allow the ship to lock-on to that target and
> engage it with direct fire. Multiple successes against the same
> target have no additional effect, the use of multiple FCs simply
> increases the chance of getting a successful lock-on.
> 
> Once a successful lock-on is achieved against a given target, that
> target may be fired at by any desired mix of direct-fire weapons on
> the firing ship subject to the usual range limitations of the
> individual weapons.
> 
> The lock-on roll is dependant on the quality of FC system and the
> range to the target, modified by any countermeasures used by the
> target. It is completely independant of whatever kind of weapon
> systems are fitted to the ship, or the effective ranges of those
> weapons - though of course it is recommended that any given ship is
> fitted with sensors that have at least the same maximum range as the
> ship's weapon systems!
> 
> The basic roll needed for success is: 2+ at CLOSE sensor range, 3 +
> at MEDIUM sensor range and 4+ at LONG sensor range.
> 
> Fire Control sensor system ranges:
> 
> BASIC FC system (old or low-grade system found on civilian ships and
> obsolete warships): CLOSE 12mu, MEDIUM 24mu, LONG 36mu.
> 
> STANDARD FC system (average system found on most typical warships):
> CLOSE 18mu, MEDIUM 36mu, LONG 54mu.
> 
> ADVANCED FC system (state-of-the-art system on latest warships and
> specialized sensor boats): CLOSE 24mu, MEDIUM 48mu, LONG 72mu.
> 
> Each level of ECM and/or STEALTH carried by the target adds ONE to
> the required score; if target is EVADING (see optional rule below)
> then add evasion thrust level to required score.
> 
> Note: regardless of modifiers, a lock-on roll score of 6 is ALWAYS a
> success (even if the combined applicable modifiers push the required
> number over 6).
> 
> 
> 
> Example: A Battleship with 3 x standard FC systems is ready to fire;
> the player decides to allocate one FC to an enemy Destroyer at 15mu
> range, and the other two to a Heavy Cruiser at 28mu range. The DD is
> applying 2 thrust points to evading in this turn, while the CH has
> level-1 ECM capability.
> 
> One die is rolled against the DD - the needed score is 2+ for the
> range (Close for standard FCs), plus the DD's evasion thrust of 2, =
> 4+. The BB's player rolls a 5, and gets a successful lock-on to the
> DD.
> 
> Now he rolls two dice for the other FCs against the CH; as all FCs
> have to be allocated before rolling, he may roll both dice together.
> The player needs to roll at least one 4+ here too, 3+ for Medium
> sensor range plus one for the CH's ECM. He scores a 2 and a 6,
> getting the required one success - and thus a firing solution on the
> CH too.
> 
> The BB player may now decide how to split the fire of his various
> weapons between the two locked-up targets.
> 
> 
> EVASION:
> [Optional rule for settings where this sort of thing is considered a
> valid tactic!]
> 
> Evasion consists of a ship using its drives to perform brief, random
> shifts in position and course (minor jinks, side-slips etc) in an
> attempt to prevent enemy sensors acquiring an accurate firing
> solution on the ship. These evasive maneuvers are considered too
> small to actually affect the physical position or course of the
> miniature on the table, but they apply modifiers to the enemy's
> lock-on attempts against the evading ship.
> Evasion comes from the same "pool" of thrust points as course changes
> - ie: up to HALF (rounded up) of the ship's main drive thrust. Note
> that this is the SAME half as used for course changes, so a ship may
> be declared to be evading by any "left over" thrust after course
> changes, up to a total of half the available thrust rating.
> 
> Example: a thrust-6 ship has up to 3 thrust points available for
> course changes; if it performs a 1-point course change then it may,
> if desired, use the remaining 2 points for evasion. If it uses 2
> points to change course, it may only use the remaining one to evade,
> and if it makes a 3-point course change then it may not evade at all.
> Of course, if it does not change course at all then it may allocate
> the full 3 thrust points to evasion, making it a very difficult
> target for direct-fire weapons - at the cost of being unable to
> maneuver that turn.
> 
> [OPTION/Question: should an evading ship suffer penalties to its OWN
> FC lock-on attempts that turn, or not?]
> 
> Thrust allocated to Evasion must be specified in the order writing
> phase, as an E and the amount of thrust allocated - thus E2 means two
> thrust points are being used for evasion that turn.
> 
> ..................................
> 
>