RE: strike the colors rule

No, mass 20 would do a morale check at the 2nd threshold, but 
not again (as it would be destroyed -- automatic failure). It 
would be the same with all ships under 45mass (3 crew), as the 
first crew factor would always be before the 2nd threshold.

If you go just by damage (i.e. roll under # of hull boxes left),
the large capitals would be immune until they are down to 
about 7% hull integrity (checks should start at 50%, IMHO).

I don't want to do a check based on percentage (i.e. have to 
figure up what percentage is left in the fly) of hull left, or
a check every turn, but do want some additional checks as the 
ship takes further damage (more than just at the 3rd threshold
check).

That's why I turned to crew factors. They are already on the 
SDD. They decrease with damage (no extra bookkeeping). And
the number of them in the last 2 rows is enough to roll under
on 1d6. 

In some ways, I think that the captains of larger (and more
expensive) ships would be somewhat quicker to withdraw to fight
another day than the smaller, "expendable" ships (I said ships,
not crew).

I guess that we could keep it really simple and make a morale
check at each threshold and then each turn a ship takes 
damage to the 4th damage row (roll under 2 + number of damage 
rows left or must attempt to withdraw).

I am open to other suggestions.

And as Tony Francis stated, it would be nice if a modifier
could be added for specific scenarios (fighting the Sisters of
Wrath [No one expects the Spanish inquisition!]). Perhaps
assign a Mission Priority to each side (1-6; 6 high) and roll
under the mission priority to continue the battle. Add the
number of threshold checks a ship has made to the die roll.
Check at each threshold check and each time damaged in the
last row. 

Also, a fleet (ships 1 player controls) check should be made 
each time a ship is lost or leaves the battle. Add a modifier
if 25% of the fleet points are lost to destroyed ships or
ships that have left. Fleet morale is much more tricky, as
it can end a game and ruin the fun. Fleet morale should be
a lot more fuzzy. Perhaps roll the test, but leave it up to
the player whether to leave immediately or make one last
play to "change the odds". Also, losses to the enemy play 
a greater role in fleet morale. If you are damaged, but 
the enemy is decimated, you should not have to retire your
fleet because of a bad morale roll.
Mission priority could be different for different ships within
a fleet (must get the vaccine through). And may change 
during a game (mission priority drops when the ship carrying
the vaccine is destroyed).

-----
Brian Bell
bkb@beol.net	  
-----

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sean Bayan Schoonmaker [SMTP:s_schoon@pacbell.net]
> Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2001 11:03 AM
> To:	gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu
> Subject:	RE: strike the colors rule
> 
> >And this kinda sorta fits with the houserules I developed and posted
> >yesterday, too (eg, you start rolling to see if your ship is going
> >to beat feet when you start taking damage to your 3rd hull row; I
> >may amend this to 'starting with the 2nd threshold check', however).
> 
> That's why I think that Morale linked to damage or thesholds 
> (preferred) works better than links to crew. Crew is too "granular," 
> with only one or two on smaller ships.
> 
> A MASS 20 ship is immune to "bug out" when it's linked to crew, a 
> MASS 21 ship is not.
>