Re: [FT] Re: Curing the fighter blues and Warpwar(Metagaming)

On Sat, 16 Jan 1999 devans@uneb.edu wrote:
> The discussion concerning Warpwar for campaigns is getting cooler by
the
> minute. I still think, though, that the table for determining if a
battle
> takes place is an idea of merit. Could even try using the
non-defensive
> escorts for their proper role: probing. ;->=

how about using an opposed die roll based on thrust? here are a few
suggestions (all independent):

- the dice should be based on the highest thrust in the fleet, as the
fastest ships would be used as scouts.

- each player rolls to scout out the enemy; make an opposed die roll
based
on the highest thrust in the scouter's fleet (the fastest ships would be
used for scouting) and the lowes thrust in the	scoutee's fleet (as the
thrust of the whole fleet is given by the thrust of the slowest ship).

- to engage an enemy, you make an opposed roll based on the lowest
thrust
in your fleet

- each player may scout out the enemy; pick your scouting group. the
thrust of the group is the the same as that of the slowest ship in the
group. the defender then picks a screening group. roll against the
screening group; if you succeed, you evade it (and scout it - you find
out its rough composition). if you fail, it intercepts you and forces an

engagement (this means screens and scouts will want to take at least
some 
firepower). if not, roll again against the main fleet to see if you can
get close enough to observe it. thus, your results are intercepted,
failed
and succeeded. success gives you the number of ships of escort, cruiser,
capital and merchant types. if using ft2.5, well ... i dunno. you'd then
have to make an opposed roll to actually engage the enemy (if he wants
to
evade), based on the thrust of the ships you send.

so, if i have a fleet with 2 thrust-4 BBs, 4 thrust-6 CEs and 6 thrust-8
DDs, i would probably use the DDs as scouts and the CEs as a screen. or
i
might commit most of my DDs as a screen, as they would have a better
chance of intercepting. if my enemy turned out to be a cruiser
detachment,
i would send in my cruisers without the BBs, to maximise the chance of
catching him.

anyway, just some thoughts.

> It would complicate the system a bit,

just a tad. a few rolls per potential engagement isn't that bad, is it?

> but you could allow screening/probing
> units, and the main fleets could stay or bail based on new intel. I
keep
> thinking of the opening to Jutland.

right. the system must allow probing, screening and evasion of attempts
to
engage. it should do this fairly simply, if possible. if you say that
probing and screening are done by the same ships, it might be simpler.

Tom