Re: LotGH to FT ideas?

At 09:58 PM 8/17/97 -0500, you wrote:
>R. Souza wrote:
>> Mark A. Siefert wrote:
>> > Hello:
>> >	     It's late my time and I am working on what will eventually
>> > become my
>> > Legends of the Galactic Heroes rules for Full Thrust.  I was
wondering
SNIP
>> > Mark s.
>> 
>> No prob....here's some ideas which I've come up with on the
conversions-
>> 
>> *There are LOTS of ships ina LoGH battle!  The average fleet consists
of
>> something along the lines of 60,000 ships.  Sixty THOUSAND!	It might
be
>> worth building most of the smaller ships as pseudo-fighter groups. 
You
>> do this by noting that counter X is a Frigate Group of ten ships with
>> 10xA batteries, 20xC batteries, total thrust 6, and about 12-18
points
>> of damage plus level 1 screens.  For every two points of damage, you
>> lose a ship and a A battery and 2 C batteries.  Individual ships
should
>> be confined to cruisers, battleships, and command ships(aka "named"
>> ships).
>
>	I do like this idea.  The question is how can it be used and not
>abused.

SNIP

>> *LoGH works on firepower, but also the will of the commanders and
>> overall fleet cohesiveness.	A number of episodes have Yang Wendi
>> defeating superior fleets because he's got both better strategy and a
>> willigness to think on his feet and change plans when the previous
plan
>> is useless.	Rules for commanders might be in order here.
>
>	I like this idea.  Of course the we have to differenicate
between good
>commanders and those who are REALLY GOOD.  Adm. Mittenmeyer (aka The
>Gale Wolf) maybe a good tactican, but he's no Rhinehardt Von
>Lonhengramm.
>  
>> More ideas when I come up with them.
>
>Later,
>Mark S.
>> 
>> Jon Souza
>> NoDUI@worldnet.att.net

There is a SERIOUS problem here!!!
	In the above example, you're looking at throwing up to 50 dice
for a
group representing LESS than 1/6000th part of the power of an average
fleet!!!  You're also looking at several thousand maneuvre units, and
it's
not really on, is it?  A parallel would be Napoleonic land warfare
(similar
numbers)- you don't give a damn about individual files of men, or even
companies and batallions; to fight Waterloo you deal with brigades,
divisions and corps.  

	General Quarters Pt.2 (WW1) uses the ship-combining trick to
deal
with light cruisers and destroyers in big actions like Jutland- CLs are
paired, and DDs\TBDs grouped in 4s.  GQ forbids such groups to make gun
attacks on heavier units.  I think (speaking from the purity of my
ignorance
of LotGH (annoyingly, 'cos it sounds good and the ships are attractive))
that you might want to consider  taking the line Wesencraft did in land
games donkeys years ago:  decide how many maneuvre units you want, and
adjust the game to give you that number.  So in this case, say you feel
20
units a side is workable.  Each unit will represent an average of about
3000
ships (!).  Let the figure scale be a bit variable, so a single model is
eg
1000 capital, 3000 cruisers or 6000 escorts (or 3000 fighters). 
Represent
each unit with a single model,	with _single ship_ stats, or perhaps 2
or 3,
if you keep them on the small side and run them as squadrons.  It sounds
as
if LotGH ships are 1) very directional and 2) a bit fragile.  As a
suggestion, how about giving them damage boxes as for merchants.  Permit
screens, confined to the front 180 degree arc.	That'll make them worry
about the enemy getting past their line.  

For commanders:  Give each fleet an overall commander, and perhaps a
sub-commander.	Give each a single rating representing his tactical
ability,
willpower etc.	Each turn, roll a d6 and add his rating to give the
number
of "special command functions" he can perform in that turn (Aye, it's a
DBA
rip-off!).  SCFs would include:  boosting a squadron's thrust
(forethought!), adding beam dice (targeting advice/formation) and
absorbing
enemy fire (tactical maneuvring) by placing "evade" markers on a
squadron
(Mecha Carnage rip-off!).

cheers,
Rob Paul

PS:  I apologize if I sounded overly critical at the start there, I had
a
crap weekend :-)
(Women!  Can't live with them, can't beat their worthless creep
boyfriends
to death)

"
Rob Paul
Dept. of Zoology
University of Oxford
South Parks Road
Oxford
(01865) 271124

rpaul@worf.molbiol.ox.ac.uk

Once again, villainy is rotting meat before the maggots of justice!
"