Re: New on the list

Alan Brain wrote in reply to Lee Fent:

>FB1 should be enough, but FT itself wouldn't hurt if you're teaching
>yourself.

FB1 is *almost* enough, but some details are missing. The two most
important omissions are:
- the Cinematic (basic) movement system (FB1 describes the optional
Vector movement system though)
- the explanation of how Fire Control Systems work and what they're
used for.

There are also a bunch of less-used rules which are only found in FT2:
- Several of the fighter rules, including launch restrictions and the
range and damage of *standard* fighter weapons (the advanced types are
in both MT and FB2)
- full description of Sub-Munition Packs (FB1 gives their range and
damage, but not their other characteristics)
- FTL
- ...and a bunch of other rules like ramming, asteroid fields etc.

...and some of the concepts and rules which *are* reiterated in FB1 are
done very summarily, because they assume that the reader already knows
FT2 where they were described in greater detail.

All in all, I wouldn't begin directly with FB1 - not without an
experienced player to fill in the gaps during the first few games,
anyway.

KH Ranitzsch wrote:

>The ship design rules and weapon arc rules from FB2
...
>Which of the two movement type options, 'cinematic' as in FT or 
>'vector' as in FB2 is entirely up to you. 
...
>The ship designs in FB2 should give you ideas on what ships work 

In all these cases, he means "FB1" rather than "FB2". Yes, FB2 has a
couple of small modifications to both the ship design rules and the
Vector movement rules, but the bulk of these rules are in FB1 - and the
ship designs in FB*2* aren't exactly standard ones, either :-/

Good hunting,

Oerjan Ohlson
oerjan.ohlson@telia.com

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