Re: FTIII Rules Tryout

Excerpts from FT: 10-Feb-98 Re: FTIII Rules Tryout by Allan
Goodall@sympatico. 
> >IMO, because the math could get pretty horrendous.  How would you
> >correlate 60 and 90 degree arcs? =20
>  
> I'm not sure why you'd need to correlate firing arcs. 

Call me tired.	I meant, as you basically surmised, "how would you
equate, points-wise, 60 and 90 degree firing arcs."

>I suppose that
> hip building requires calculations based on arcs. A cost per firing
> arc type might be justified. For instance X cost for a firing arc of
> 30 degrees or less, Y cost for a firing arc of 60 degrees, etc. I
> don't think the math would be a problem.

The trouble is, you either get into fractional mass, or increase the
mass of the ships and batteries tremendously.  While that probably
doesn't sound like much to you (or, for that matter, to me) we're both
familiar with the game... I've heard of people getting scared off from
the game by just the *FTII* ship construction rules!  I don't think
they'd deal too well with fractions of mass....

> >Or the EFSB front/rear 60, sides 120?=20
> >(Though that's essentially 60 degree arcs....)=20
>  
> Again, I'm not sure what you mean by correlating the firing arcs.

Still talking about points cost. ^_^;;

> Simply use a protractor. For that matter, you could make up custom
> firing arc displays to put on top of/under the model. Simple light
> card stock or photocopy transparencies should work fine. The cardboard
> counters for the EFSB have the firing arcs printed on them.

Actually, as I said below, I find it easiest to slap down the 'clock'
that comes with FTII (well, a photocopy) with '12' fixed ahead, and
figure the arcs from the numbers.  But your method works too.

> Jon could also make this simply an optional rule for people who have a
> need for weird firing arcs on their ships.

<grin>	I like it, but again, it can't provide any more advantage than
the main system.  (Well, points-wise, at least... you get what you pay
for, and all that.)

> > You could center an arc around a
> >'time' (i.e., arc 12 is 15 degrees to either side of dead ahead), but
> >you'd lose the simplicity of the symbols on the ship status sheet....
>  
> That is true, about the symbols.=20

		    Aaron Teske
		    Mithramuse+@cmu.edu