Re: Hardened Systems

Arrowsmith:

> Heres our House Rule coving Hardened Systems;

> Heavy Armour 
> Mass: 3	   Points 15 
> absorbs 3 criticals 

> Just Draw three boxes on you SDD, and start checking off treshold
rolls..

The only problem I have with this is that no one defines the order in
which you roll threshold checks. With 3 criticals, I'd make sure my most
vital systems were checked first. This is a minor point, but increases
the effectiveness of the system.

As for the other hardening issues, I certainly agree that it is a matter
of perspective and choice. I can also see that for critical systems -
like launchers on carriers - hardening might be a preferred option. But
tha actual game effect of hardening is marginal, IMHO, with the systems
you have to sacrifice to harden the ones you want to protect. 

Listen to me - I hate random effects (If I knew of a diceless space
combat game, I'd be all over it), and here I am arguing against a system
that reduces randomness in FT. Go figure.

Re: Jared Noble's 'Hardened Block' of systems - that makes more sense to
me as far as logic and cost-benefit.

Since I'm most familiar with the term Hardening with respect to
radiation and EMP's, I have a weapon to balance this new protection
system: The EMP cannon.

Mass 3, Cost 9 for 1 arc Mass 1, Cost 3 for each additional 2 arcs
Works like a modified EMP missile.
1) Roll beam dice - 1 at range 9-18" 2 at range 0-9" Reroll on 6
2) Total from beam dice is total number of systems that _may_ go down.
3) Roll thresholds on target ship, stopping when all systems have been
checked _or_ a number of systems equalling the total from step 2 have
failed. (Player of target ship choses order of threshold rolls).
	-All threshold rolls from EMP Cannon are fail on 6.
	-Hardened systems protect from EMP attack without destroying the
hardening.

Speedier play version - EMP Cannon hits once on a 5 twice on a 6, target
player choses non-hardened systems to be damaged.

Noam

Noam R. Izenberg		noam.izenberg@jhuapl.edu