RE: FT : EW & Boarding Parties

Jared E Noble" <JNOBLE2@mail.aai.arco.com> wrote:

>First question - what have you done about BP Factors under the Fleet
Book?

One BPF per crew factor, just like one DCP per crew factor.

>Second, how do transported Marine forces translate into Defensive
factors.

This problem is little more dicey. Obviously, the entire carried force
connot possibly react to the boarders. In fact, it's likely that very
few
will be able to get ready in time. I would put an upper limit of 1 BPF
per
1 mass of troop space, but even that seems a bit high.

>Fifth, (third sir!) uhhh, third - How about that 'prize crew' thing? 
Does
>it reduce my BP Factors, how about my ship's crew factors.  How do BP
>casualties tie in to crew casualties.

Like DCPs, each BPF only represents a few memebers of each CF, so when
the
BPF dies, it doesn't inhibit the "ship operation" part of that CF; you
just
can't use it as a BPF any more.

...and yes, if you were to put a prize crew on a captured ship, those
CFs
and their respective BPFs would be removed from the parent ship. If some
of
the CFs moved had their corresponding BPFs killed earlier, then they are
still gone.

>Hit-and Run Raids and Targeting.

[snipped "hit and run" stuff]

I don't think that hit and run raids against FT ships would be that
effective. It's not like you can "transport" your BPFs where ever they
need
to go within a ship. They have to enter at a point on the hull, and the
defenders will have a pretty good idea where that will be. Getting from
the
breach point to a specific objective is going to be a nightmare on a
defended ship with all its compartmental pressure doors sealed.

>Now we just need a way to board the ship when things are still hot. 
How
>about boarding cutter?  Basically a missile with guys in it.  Launch
it,
>move it (haven't decided on speed), if you end within 6", regardless of
>speed or facing, you close and board (much like the missile on terminal
>attack run).  Of course you are still subject to PDS fire, and if you
miss
>you are hanging out in open space just waiting to blasted to pieces,
and
>any old class-1 beam is probably up to the job, but that's why you are
>careful and plan ahead.

This is good, but I suspect that it's a little too specific in its use
to
be terribly usefull on a warship that wasn't specifically designed for
boarding actions. Given the number of boarding actions that I've
actually
seen in games, I'm not sure if anyone would bother. Most engagements
I've
seen end in destruction rather than capture.

Schoon