Sensor Rules

Sensor Rules
I have been thinking about sensor use and though I am impressed with 
what SBS and Philip have written I had to try it myself. Philip is 
especially hard to ignore as he does this for a living!
The result has been influenced heavily by:
  * Larry Bond's Harpoon modern naval rules.
  * Star Cruiser.
  * Various Salamander books on modern warfare.

Sensors
You cannot fire on a ship until you have a firm sensor contact on it and

the sensors can hand this over to the fire control system. Missile 
systems may be launced at a proble target (ie. a bogie) but I am less 
certain about beams. The missiles can find their own targets if you put 
them in the right area but beams need to be aimed precisely.

Roll 1d and apply modifiers. 
The roll should be made by the referee of opposing player, the scanning 
player should have no idea how well ne has rolled.
Each player must write orders for their ships before the comencement of 
the action. Only when conditions specified in the orders are met or a 
bogie is detected can a player start writing his orders on a normal 
basis.
Orders will be something like "head toward the planet at velocity 12, 
use pasive sensors only. New orders when a bogy is detected or you reach

20 MU from the planet".

Sensor		   Range (MU)
      0-12  12-24  24-36  36-48  48-60	60-72  72-84  84-96  96-108  
108-120
Modifier  +3	 +2	+1	0     -1     -2     -3	   -4	   -5	
   
-6

Active sensors	If the modifiers result is 6 or more the target has been

firmly located and a firing solution has been achieved. The amount by 
which the die roll exceeds 6 improves the quality of information 
obtained.
Passive Sensors  Though a roll of 6+ provides some information a roll of

12+ is required for a firing solution.

Modifiers (Apply to both active and passive sensors)
Situation		       Modifier     Reasoning or comments
Target Mass			    Target Mass/50   Use apparent mass 
for weasel and stealthed* ships.
Target is damaged		+1/Damage row lost
Target is stealthed*		    -Stealth level
Cluttered environment (belt, nebula...) -2 or more
Basic Sensors					 -
Enhanced Sensors				+1
Superior Sensors				+2
Crack crew					+1
Passive sensor modifiers
Target is running quiet 			-2   Reduces targets 
signature
Target is using Active Sensors			+3   Increases targets 
signature
Target is using ECM				+2   Ditto
Target is using Area ECM			+4   Ditto
Target is firing energy weapons 		+1   Ditto
Target is screened		+ Level of screens   Ditto
Target is firing Nova Cannon or Wave Gun	+2   Ditto in spades!
Active Sensor Modifiers
Target is using ECM				-4   Active 
countermeasures
Target is using Area ECM			-4   Ditto
Target is semi-streamlined			-1   Less angular hull 
reduces apparent area.
Target is fully streamlined			-2   Less angular hull 
reduces apparent area.
Target has been located by passive sensors	+2   You know where to 
look
Maintaining fix 				+3   Ditto

Passive Sensor Results
Die Roll Results
<=0    False Contact. Place a bogie marker on the table.
6+     Recognise existence of bogies. May react to them.
8+     Number of targets.
10+	
12+    Firing Solution. Target may be fired upon.

Active Sensor Results Table
Die Roll Results
<=0    False Contact. Place a bogie marker on the table.
6+     Firing Solution. Target may be fired upon.
7+     Apparent mass of target.
8+     Apparent mass and thrust of target.
9+     Reveal true mass of target.
10+    Data on actual MASS, Propulsion and Screening systems (original, 
undamaged, values).
11+    Data on all onboard systems (original, undamaged, values).
13+    As above plus current damage status and systems functional. - all

data about the ship.

Notes
Stealth. I am assuming that some sort of stealth or masking is 
available. It may function in one of two ways:
1.     Reduce apparent mass of ship, like an inverted weasel system.
2.     A straight modifier to enemy sensor rolls.
Though the modifier list includes both only one is possible and the 
other should be deleted from the list.

I am assuming that better sensors are 'smarter' rather than more 
powerful. If they are more powerful they should be easier to detect, 
conversely they may become harder to detect as the sensor improves.

Running Quiet. Target ship is not manoeuvring, using active sensors, 
launching fighters or firing. The target is unscreened.

		 Michael R. Blair
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