RE: Fleet Control System

Well, that makes sense in one form, but what has happened is the FCS has
mutated from the form originally proposed.

In the initial version, with first revisions, the peeking ability gave
information about selective enemy targets and made it universally
available
to your friendly fleet (I know you orders, even if I can't rewrite my
own.)

The latest version is just the opposite - Only select vessels on my side
get to 'know' information which is revealed about a majority of the
enemy
vessels (everyone moves except those specifically designated, who then
plan
their moves based on that information.	In this situation I agree that
it
makes no sense for the ship with the FCS system to not use the
information
while allowing others to use it.

However, if you split the peeking (as I have mentioned in other posts)
to
consists of some level of Enhanced Sensors working in combo with CIC/FCS
to
analyze the information, and the two systems are on different vessels,
then
there is no reason that the vessel with the sensors will automatically
benefit from the information gathered, though the FCS-equipped ship
should.

As far as the ability of FCS to activate a second ship in a given
activation, I see no reason in any case that this should have to be the
FCS
(I don't think this is what you meant, just covering bases).  The
Admiral
in FCS makes decisions and parcels out commands based on what is most
tactically important at a given moment, and it may be of much more use
to
activate the CA on the left flank of the formation rather just getting
the
Flag Captain to act from the middle of formation.  I see the variable
number of FCS ratings as a representation of limited opportunities to
react
to various threats and just plain old time constraints.  You prioritize.

Of course I also don't see FCS as being in charge of the operation of
the
flagship.  I see it as a fleet or squadron-level resource that happens
to
be mounted on a particular ship.  The flag captain (captain of the
flagship) is in charge of the normal operation of the ship, and an
attempt
of CIC/FCS to 'override' the ship with new priorities is not
fundamentally
different to 'overriding' a different ship in the formation.  IMO
anyway.

Jared Noble

"Dean Gundberg" <dean.gundberg@noridian.com> on 11/02/98 10:10:03 AM

Please respond to FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk

To:   FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
cc:    (bcc: Jared E Noble/AAI/ARCO)
Subject:  RE: Fleet Control System

> BTW, this also requires another step
> in the play sequence - the pre-orders planning phase, in which you
> determine FCS ratings available, so you know how many ships you can
keep
> back!

In watching this thread, there is one thing I haven't seen said but I
think
it should work that way. If any ships get the benefit if the FCS and get
the
reactive plot phase, the ship with the FCS must be one of them.  I don't
think it makes sense that all the info would pass through the FCS ship
but
it would not get benefit of it.  The FCS system would be on the fleet's
flagship or a group's flagship and I think they should get the benefit
before other ships are allowed to.

Just my opinion, feel free to disagree.

Dean