RE: re-fighter details

> -----Original Message-----
> From: bif smith [SMTP:bif@bifsmith.fsnet.co.uk]
> Sent: Monday, October 30, 2000 7:09 AM
> To:	full thrust
> Subject:	re-fighter details
> 
> morgan vening wrote
> 
> >OK, some questions for the rules monkeys. *smile* these
> >questions came up in a game I played yesterday. We'll all ignore
> >me chosing to shoot at the long range Fighters instead of the
> >Torpedo fighters (I'm dumb. I know).
> 
> Don`t worry, we have all done worse.
> 
> >1) Torpedo Fighters
> >Torpedo Fighters only get one 'volley' before needing rearming.
> >How, if any, are they affected by CEF. We found it kind of well
> >dumb that they are effectively 'Fast' Fighters, because they get 5
> >turns of being able to move at 36".
> 
> That`s the way it works for me, because the torpedo fighters are a one
> shot
> weapon and the primary target for your interceptors.
> 
[Bri] And don't forget all other fighters have the same ability if they 
want to use it that way. Any fighter may burn endurance to make
extra moves 5 turns in a row if it does not get into combat.
"Possible, but not recommended"

> >2) Launch/Recovery
> >It's hard to figure out the rules for Fighter Launch/Recovery. The
> >way we did it, was that Fighters were launched in the Move Ships
> >(5) Phase, at the midpoint of the ship's move. This meant that
> >apparently, they only get to secondary move that turn. Which
> >seems contradictory to what is said in the Turn Sequence in Fleet
> >Book 2, which says they are moved before those already in flight.
> >Which means that if the ship is moving fairly fast, the fighters seem
> >to get left behind. And we had absolutely no idea where to have
> >Fighters 'recover'. Or how it was handled. Several questions.
> >-How close do Fighters have to be placed at the point of launch?
> >We said 2mu(inches), but we had no idea.
> >-How close do Fighters have to be placed to land?
> >-Which phase do Fighters dock in?
> >-It seems that dogfights seem to favour the loser of the Initiative,
if
> >the capacity to tie up Fighters is still in place. Is it?
> 
> MT & FB1 state that the fighter movement is now before the ships
movement,
> whereas the fighters are launched halfway through the ships movement.
> Because the fighter phase is now before the ship movement, I assume
the
> fighters are launched at the start of the fighter phase (instead of
half
> way
> through the ships movement), with the ship still having to write
orders
> for
> fighter launch and no thrust. Yes, a fast moving ship will leave
behind
> any
> fighters it launchers, so don`t use fighters in high speed hit and run
> maneuvers. I measure the fighters from the ship launching them (before
it
> moves), then move them first (as stated, before other fighters). I
work
> with
> the asumption that the fighters have to be touching the recovering
ship at
> the end of it`s movement, and are recovered in the fighter attack
phase
> (and
> can be shot at by other fighters before docking, but not return fire).
> 
[Bri] FB2 states that fighter launches occur in the 'Move Fighter' phase
prior to any other fighter movement (FB2 p.5). Yes, if you strictly
interpert
the rules, fighters get left behind at this point. We usually use a
house
rule that fighters may move 1/2 their normal movement on launch. While
it is not stated, it makes sense that fighers are recovered during the 
fighter movement phase. Again, no specific range is stated for
recovering
fighters. We use a house rule that if fighters start thier turn within
3mu
(using screening range seems to make sense) of the ship that will
recover them; recovery is done just after fighter launches -- This house
rule means that fighters must usually screen a ship before they can
be recovered (or be very accurate on where a ship will end its flight). 

> >3) Screening with Fighters.
> >Fighters move in Phase 3, and then again in Phase 5, correct? Isn't
> >it a little confusing using the term 'screen' when that is already a
> >defensive system?
> 
> It states in FB1 that "screening fighters move in turn 5 at the same
time
> as
> the ship they`re screening".
> 
[Bri] True, but it depends on how you interpret the rules.
Unfortunately,
the rules do not state when a fighter group is assigned to screening. 
If it is at the begining of fighter movement, then the fighter group
must
already be within 3mu of the ship in order to screen. If it is at the
end
of fighter movement, then a fighter group may move in phase 3 to within
3mu of the ship and then also move within phase 5 with the ship and 
then if it wishes use secondary movement in phase 6. If you choose
the first, then fighters may not launch and screen as it used fighter
movement to launch. If you choose the second, fighters can greatly 
increase thier range in very specific circumstances. 

[snip]

> >Morgan Vening
> >Cabin Boy
> >VFE Kallon, Suffren LCC
> 
> BIF
> "yorkshire born, yorkshire bred
> strong in arms, thick in head"
-------End Original Message---------

My comments marked by [Bri]

-----
Brian Bell
bkb@beol.net
http://www.ftsr.org/   
-----