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[GZG] FT:XD changes, part 2/2

From: Hugh Fisher <laranzu@o...>
Date: Wed, 12 May 2010 22:25:54 +1000
Subject: [GZG] FT:XD changes, part 2/2


Here's the second and last set of ideas for FT:XD revision 1.1. In 
the interest of finishing this revision no more than two months later 
than I'd planned, I'm going to leave out the new "cinematic vector" 
movement system and Yet Another rewrite of the fighter & point 
defence system.

* Kinetic fighters.
These are a variation of attack fighters that use missiles or other 
kinetic projectile weapons instead of beams, so ignore standard 
screens. Like attack fighters, they don't do well in dogfights but 
get +1 attacking ships.

Projectile weapons in FT don't re-roll when attacking ships, and 
neither do the Kra'Vak fighters with kinetic weapons in FB2. I'm 
inclined to think that ignoring screens is more valuable than not 
re-rolling, so the points cost should be 5 per fighter rather than 4.

* Shell armour. (OK, not a new idea at all.)
AKA layered armour, as used by Phalons in FB2, that absorbs half 
damage per layer until you get to the hull.

Unlike some of the alien systems, it's a simple extension of the 
existing armour rules. It could be useful for modelling any other 
race/fleet that relies on multiple layers of armour or force fields, 
not just Phalons. Heck, I wouldn't be upset if some of the NSL ships 
in FB1 were redesigned with shell armour.

* Precision fire controls (optional)
A PFC is a fire control that allows standard ship to ship weapons to 
target specific systems on an enemy ship, similar to needle beams. 
Mass 2, points cost 8.

Each PFC carried allows one ship weapon to be fired at a nominated 
system on an enemy ship within range and firing arc. Instead of 
normal damage, roll a single D6. On a 6 the system is knocked out as 
if hit by a needle weapon.

Precision fire is carried out AFTER all other weapons fire by the 
same ship: ie you can't knock out a screen first and then fire the 
rest of your weaponry on an unscreened target. Of course, your other 
ships can...

* Engine overloading (optional)
After writing orders, placing missiles, and moving fighters, but 
before ships are moved, player has option to order an engine overload.

Roll a D6. The result is used for two outcomes.

First, it is the number of extra thrust points available for this 
turn only, up to the maximum of the current main drive. (ie a ship 
with main drive 2 can never add more than 2 thrust points by 
overloading.) In cinematic movement this extra thrust can only be 
used to increase or decrease velocity, not to turn more than normal.

Second, is is a threshold check for the main drive, taking into 
account any current hull damage. If the roll equals or exceeds the 
threshold point, the main drive is damaged at the end of the movement 
phase. Yes, ships with main drive 6 or more can simultaneously gain 6 
thrust points for the turn and burn out their engine in doing so.

This represents the ability of exceptional captains and crew to 
perform miraculous-seeming manoeuvres, so is definitely optional.

If you decide to allow engine overloads in one-off battles rather 
than campaigns or roleplaying scenarios, engine overloads should be 
allowed no more than once per player.

OR, each attempt after the first by any ship belonging to the same 
player reduces the threshold check by an extra 1, so the second 
undamaged ship fails on 5+, the third on 4+, and so on. No ship can 
attempt an engine overload if failure would be automatic.

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