Re: Optional Core Systems Hits (was: Re: FB designs and SLMs)

On Thu, 10 Sep 1998 09:19:51 -0500 (EST), Off the beaten path I reign
<KOCHTE@stsci.edu> wrote:

>I usually don't play with the Core Systems in the FleetBook because I
feel
>they take ships out a bit way too harshly. 

That was my thought from playing a game using them. Especially since I
was the
only one losing core systems. :-)

I like the idea, but think that they should be pared down, both in time
and
effect. A bridge hit should be at least half the time, or maybe just two
turns. A major pain, but not a ship destroyer. Likewise, the warp core
breach
should be reduced to a "power system down" result. Maybe split the
effects
between bridge and power system hits. Losing the bridge means you can't
maneouvre for a couple of turns; losing power systems means you can't
fight
for a couple of turns. Losing life support... hmmm, have to think about
this
one... 

>Also, we found that rolling for *each* Core System gave there being a
higher
>chance of any one of them going on the first threshold run (the odds of
rolling
>a 6 with three die are significantly higher than with just one). So
typically
>when we do use them we only roll once for the Core Systems, and if a
Threshold
>Check fails, roll to see which *one* of the Core Systems bit it.

I like this. I'm going to adopt this as a house rule. I'll go one
better: roll
1d6. On a 1-4 the bridge is hit; on a 5, life support is down; on a 6,
the
warp core goes critical. Tie this into my idea of halving the time lost
for a
bridge loss (but maybe making the time cumulative each time the bridge
is
lost) and you've got a more manageable critical system. A 1 in 36 chance
of
losing the ship to a core breach, a 1 in 36 chance of having to abandon
the
ship, and a 1 in 9 chance of having the bridge go on you. This is
opposed to a
1 in 6 chance for each of these systems, as it occurs right now (and
your
house rule makes it impossible to lose all three at once!)

Allan Goodall	       agoodall@sympatico.ca

"We come into the world and take our chances
 Fate is just the weight of circumstances
 That's the way that Lady Luck dances
 Roll the bones." - N. Peart