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Re: [SG2] Vehicle Questions...

From: Thomas Barclay <Thomas.Barclay@s...>
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 15:45:07 -0500
Subject: Re: [SG2] Vehicle Questions...

Jared spake thusly upon matters weighty: 

> >You see, my squads of 4 PA guys consist--essentially--of 4 guys
carrying
> >support weapons. Each guy is capable of firing upon, and penetrating,
a
> >vehicle. The problem is that the SG2 rules don't actually handle
multiple
> >support weapons against vehicles. (Imagine a WW2 scenario with three
or
> four
> >guys firing panzerfausts at a single tank, and you have similar
problems.)

They don't handle mass SW well, but they handle it as far as I can 
see. What if you were to fire ten IAVRs from a squad? That is covered 
by the rules. (Maybe not pleasantly). 

> >1) Fire the weapons like a small arms unit. The four guys would roll
a
> quality
> >die plus 4D6 against the vehicle. On a major hit, the dice are
divided by
> the
> >range die to get the number of weapons that hit. These are then
rolled for
> >penetration. (I tried this, but the weapons seemed unduly bloody,
with
> almost
> >every vehicle brewing up...)
> 
> Lots of easy, very deadly hits - It sounds withering-just as you say.

OTOH, They ARE plasma guns. Part of your problem here is you are 
using Traveller force mixes with SG2 combat rules. In traveller, the 
PGMPs would threaten few if any APCs given they'd have armour ratings 
between 30 and 75 and the PGMPs or FGMPs would have penetrations in 
the 18-21 range... but in SG2 the plasma gun is relatively deadly to 
vehicles. Plus the tendency to roll a single dice for vehicle armour 
means EVERY vehicle has an achilles heel. Try instead of multiplying 
vehicle armour dice, try rolling all of them. (ie armour 3 is roll 3d 
12s). This helps make heavy armour far better at averaging out and 
stopping shots from smaller weapons. You only get a 5 on a roll for a 
5 armour vehicle now with a (1/12)^5 probability. Instead of a 1/12 
probability. This helps vehicles armour act more like armour and less 
like a "one minute its concrete, the next its glass" shield. 
 
> >3) Allow all four guys to roll as individuals. That is, they each
roll a
> >quality die plus a D6, and roll for penetration individually.
> 
> By itself this seems to be the best option, but then squads can easily
not
> be squads again, and it slows play to some degree (and from what I
have
> heard, SG2 can be slow enough at times)

Well, with this much support FP on the board, I'd expect it to be a 
bit slow, although rolling a handful of dice can be done as fast as 
rolling one. 

> How about a modified #2 - Fire like a small arms unit (lots of easy
hits),
> and then roll a single penetration, but with modifiers for each
additional
> hit (+1 or whatever).  It seems like it is partway between 2 & 4, and
the
> mechanism is extensible to any number of guys (even odd numbers) in a
> non-arbitrary way.  It is partway crap-shoot, but better odds the more
guys
> are firing.  Justification seems easier than #4. Never having played
SG, I
> don't know how the modifier would skew the result, but it is a
thought...

It seems reasonable, but isn't applies in small arms combat against a 
single figure.... so it would be a 'unique' resolution to handle the 
fact Brian has a support heavy unit.
 
/************************************************
Thomas Barclay		     
Voice: (613) 831-2018 x 4009
Fax: (613) 831-8255

 "C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot.  C++ makes
 it harder, but when you do, it blows away your whole leg."
 -Bjarne Stroustrup
**************************************************/


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