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Re: [SG] - Turn Sequence Idea

From: Thomas Barclay <Thomas.Barclay@s...>
Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1998 13:28:44 -0500
Subject: Re: [SG] - Turn Sequence Idea

Allan spake thusly upon matters weighty: 

> >OVERWATCH FIRE is similar to Reaction Fire, in that it allows an
immediate
> >shot against a target that is currently being activated. However,
Overwatch
> >Fire may ONLY be performed by a character who currently has a
OVERWATCH
> >marker, which must have been placed by the character as an action
during
> >their last activation. 
> 
> Wow, Jon, Great Minds Think Alike and all that... I just came up with
a house
> rule I was planning to try this weekend, and it looks VERY much like
this.

Apparently, as I had been thinking about what Jon said and had some 
ideas for SG2. 
 
> I came up with a second form of Reaction Fire. I called it Advanced
Reaction
> Fire. It allowed a unit to conduct Reaction Fire at any time an
opponent moved
> provided that the unit make a Reaction Test at TL0. I also increased
the range
> band by one. This could even occur in the middle of a unit's movement.

Snap Fire. Range Band +1 would work. So would shifting the FP or 
quality die down. 
 
> I then came up with Overwatch, which allowed a unit to place an
Overwatch
> Counter at the cost of both activations. The Overwatch counter allowed
either
> form of Reaction Fire, however the unit STILL had to make a Reaction
Test if
> it wanted to conduct Advanced Reaction Fire. The advantage of the
Overwatch
> Counter is that it didn't add any modifiers to the range die.
> 
> I guess another way of handling this is to allow the Overwatch counter
to NOT
> require a Reaction Test for firing at a unit that crosses its path.
This makes
> Overwatch much more powerful. 

I think it should be - you've kissed off two actions for it. Besides, 
turns are 2-5 minutes and your targets are moving tens of meters in 
sight potentially. I think no test should be required.	

Of course, my solution was to make you mark some target points so 
that you weren't watching anywhere and everywhere. A reaction roll is 
a good substitute, but lacks the flexibility - that is to say you 
can't concentrate your attention. 

Maybe in my variant, I'll allow the reaction test to see if you can 
snap fire at something not near your overwatch targets. Thus you 
could react.... but I would reduce the effectiveness too (as you did 
above). 

> 2) Snapshot Fire is a version of reaction fire. It may be used at any
time in
> an enemy unit's activation, but the firing unit MUST perform a
Reaction Test
> at TL0 in order to do it, the range is increased by one range band,
and it
> counts as the unit's next activation.

Here is a question: If you snap fire, and you have yet to activate, 
do you lose your activation? Do you lose 1 action? Can you fire again 
during your activation?
 
> 3) Overwatch Fire allows a unit to conduct either Reaction Fire or
Snapshot
> Fire.

Wherein lies the benefit re: Reaction Fire from the rulebook?

 It costs one action to perform, but the unit could not have 
performed a
> Move or Fire action that turn.

I thought you thought it should be two actions? That was what you 
said above. But one action is fine too - going IP is only 1 action, 
as is a move or fire - so an action is something significant. 

Plus I can move and fire at full effect. Why can't I move to a 
position and enter overwatch? I can see a fire restriction. Can I use 
two overwatch actions on a unit (one for rifles, one for SAW)?

 When using Overwatch Fire to do a Snapshot, a
> Reaction Test is NOT needed and the range band is NOT modified.
 
> I'll let everyone know how this goes... Meanwhile, any comments?

With the exception of not placing overwatch targets (thus allowing 
apparently a 360 reaction to anything in any range bands) you've 
defined my overwatch rules more or less..... :)

Tom.  
/************************************************
Thomas Barclay		     
Voice: (613) 831-2018 x 4009
Fax: (613) 831-8255

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