Re: [FT] Questions from a new Full Thrust player

Brian Thomas wrote:

>1) Where exactly are the advanced fighter rules?  (ie, torpedo,
>interceptors)	Are they in FB2, or is More Thrust still in production?
 (I
>have FT and FB1)

The advanced fighter rules have been updated/reprinted in FB2. The
other advanced fighter rules - particularly the fighter morale rules -
have only been published in MT so far.
 
>2) What sort of size fleet are people normally playing?  We've played
a
>2000 and 3000 pts per side (2 players per side) game, and are leaning
>towards 2000 each person.  What has people's experience been for
>'ideal' size fleets?

Depends entirely on how many players you have, how much space you have,
and how much time you have. Most of our games are in the 1500-3000
points range.

>5) What sort of success have people had with the NAC?	(my most
>likely fleet choice, using Superior minis)

We've had no success at all with them, except against other
specially-designed "dog" fleets :-/ The light units - up to CL size -
are good, but with the speeds we usually fly at we've found it too easy
to dodge single-arc P-torps mounted on thrust-4 ships for the larger
units to be very useful.

>6) Just how unbalancing, if at all, have people found DIY fleets from
>FT1?

You mean F*B*1, I hope? FT1 is the first, long-since out-of-print
edition of Full Thrust. Published in 1991, IIRC A5 format, yellow
cover.

IMO there are two areas which can cause imbalances (which can't be
overcome by using appropriate tactics and fleet mixes, that is). 

The first one is the "genre-specific" systems (cloak from Star Trek
etc., Wave Guns and Nova Cannon from Anime, reflex fields from God
knows where) since they were pretty much ignored when the rest of the
design rules were remade from the bottom up in FB1 and weren't really
designed to be combined in the first place.

The second, and more important, are massed fighters. The fighter costs
in FB1 were set and playtested assuming that the fighter morale rules
are in use, so when the fighter morale rules *aren't* used the fighters
are underpriced by about 2 points each (10-12 points per squadron). If
you don't use massed fighters this difference is usually too small to
notice, though - eg., in a 1500-pt fleet built around one FB1 light
carrier, the 40-50 points "underpricing" would only buy you an extra
corvette anyway... it's when you load up on soap-bubble carriers
(fragile hulls, minimal engines, fighter bays and nothing else) it
matters.

Greg Wong wrote:

>Hello.  I have a few questions regarding the More Thrust fighter
rules.
> 
>1.  I have read some opinions on this list that the Fighter Group
Morale
>rules are essential.  Do you consider the other More Thrust fighter
>rules to be essential?  I'm talking about the Scrambling Fighter
Groups
>rule and the Fighter Pilot Quality rule.

The fighter morale rules are essential when you use massed fighters.
The others aren't; FB2 allows you to launch all your fighters at once
which cuts down the number of scrambles anyway, and the 

>2.  Under the Fighter Group Morale rule, you roll a die to determine
if
>a fighter group has the nerve to press home their attack.  Do you make
>this die roll when attacking Salvo Missiles?  Do you make this die
>roll when attacking other fighter groups?

No and no.

>3.  Under the Scrambling Fighter Group rule, if a carrier has plotted
to
>launch 2 fighter groups, and the carrier comes under attack, can that
>carrier attempt to scramble additional groups?  Or does this rule
>only apply if the carrier didn't plot to launch any fighters?

FB2 removed the limit on how many fighters a ship can launch, so this
question is irrelevant nowadays.

>4.  Can a carrier use the Scrambler Fighter Group rule even if
>it changed its heading or velocity this turn?

Yes.

Regards,

Oerjan Ohlson
oerjan.ohlson@telia.com

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
- Hen3ry