Re: [FT] Defending with SMLs

At 06:08 PM 1/1/01 -0000, you wrote:
>From: John Crimmins <johncrim@voicenet.com>
>To: gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu <gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu>
>Date: Monday, January 01, 2001 04:30
>Subject: [FT] Defending with SMLs
>
>
>> I'm preparing a big FT scenario to run with my gaming group -- the
first
>> time we'll have used the Fleet Book rules -- and I need some input.
>>
>> The attackers are stock NSL ships -- my largest fleet.
>>  The defenders are a mixture of NAC, ESU <edit> and FSE
>
>> Basically, the defenders are going to need to get some refugee ships
>> off the attacker's board edge, and the attackers need to prevent
this.
>
>
>> I've been considering replacing the SML launchers with a class
>> one battery and three class twos (three arcs each).
>
>> Are the (inexperienced) defenders likely to have a problem?
>
>Make the change. Missiles require practice to to be handled properly
>at the both the sending and receiving ends, and you will get erratic
>results until your (inexperienced) players get some practice.

Okay, I'm sold.  I think that I will leave them in place on a few ships,
just to give them some exposure to the SML, and make sure that those
ships
are assigned to people who know what they are doing.

I've got one guy who is uncanny at estimating distance on the tabletop;
I'm
morbidly curious to see how well he's going to do when there's no
Geo-Hex
to assist him in his estimations.

>> (ESU) maybe armed with a Heavy Beam Weapon or two.
>
>Ditto the Heavy Beam. Unless it is very simple, leave it out until they
>can handle the basic kit well.

I have some big B5 fans in the group, so the HBW -- I still think of it
as
the BREW, from the early discussions on this list -- would be very
popular.
 If I do include it, it will be mounted on two, maybe three, ships.  No
more.

>> My players DO prefer relatively slow velocities -- 12" is considered
>> to be dangerously fast in one of our games and I'll be using
asteroids
>> to encourage this, so the SMLs should have a good chance of hitting.
>
>With SMs in play, slow-moving NSL will be target drones. Asteriods
>don't "encourage" low speeds amongst novice players; they enforce
>them, brutally. Consider using a debris field instead.

They have played FT -- although it's been a while, and a refresher game
or
two before the big one is definately called for -- so I'm not too
concerned
about their manuvering skills.	But this "debris field" intrigues me --
what is it (well, a field of debris, obviously), and how does it work in
play?

But I've definately decided to run a smaller scenario or two before the
big
one.  A free for all, or the Babylon 5000 racing variant, would be fun.

John X Crimmins
johncrim@voicenet.com
  "...is one of the secret masters of the world: a librarian.
They control information.  Don't ever piss one off."
  --Spider Robinson, The Callahan Touch.