Re: [FT] Multi-Vector Assault Mode

In message <20010516145146.63232.qmail@web9601.mail.yahoo.com>
	  David Griffin <carbon_dragon@yahoo.com> wrote:

> 
> --- Indy <kochte@stsci.edu> wrote:
> ...
> > > Just how wacky is this idea?
> > 
> > It's Star Trek(tm). I think no more need be said.
> > ;-)
> > 
> Meaning it's Star Trek, and hence poorly thought
> out in terms of plausibility, continuity, 
> and reasonableness? Well I'm a Star Trek fan
> and even I have some problems with the shows
> these days, but what about the idea of a 
> FT ship that starts out as one supership (say
> a Battlecruiser or Battledreadnough) and breaks
> apart into say 3 destroyers? Is that doable in
> the rules and does it make any sense?
> 
> I'm envisioning an alpha hit on the Battlecruiser
> resulting in a detach of two fresh DDs (one DD
> having been destroyed with the part of the BC
> which was hit).
> 
> __________________________________________________

Well, its not _just_ a star-trek idea - I've seen it several other
places as well :-)

In terms of doing such an effect in Full Thrust:

Without inventing anything new, such a ship can be built as follows (but
not very efficiently):

Build each component as a separate ship, however, all should have the
same Thrust rating (for simplicity), and only one (probably the largest)
should have an FTL drive - which is a 'tug' type FTL drive capable of
'pulling' the whole ensemble.

The combined ship will manoeuvre as a single ship (ie. use squadron
movement), however, attackers can select which component to target.
Separation is determined when orders are written - just write a
separate set of orders for each component.
To re-combine - all ships much match velocity and direction, and be with
(say) 1 mu of each other.

There you have it, all using published rules (IIRC squadron movement is
in More Thrust).

House Rules that could be applied (none have been tested):

When attacking the combined ship, each attacker rolls randomly (once) to
determine which component ship is hit. (advantage to the combined
ship).

If a component ship is destroyed while the ship is combined - the other
components are damaged (either use similar rules to the modular space
station in MT - which is nasty - or let any 'overkill' damage spill over
to one of the other component ships - less nasty). (disadvantage).

Allow different thrust ratings per component - thrust rating of the
whole is determined by summing the masses of the individual ships
drives, and calculating how much thrust this would give a ship of hull
mass equal to the total of the hull masses of the component ships.

When combined, a component ship has any fire arc that faces through any
other component ship blocked, also, a component ship _will_ block lines
of sight/fire through it to other component ships. (both an advantage
and a disadvantage).

Also check out any rules that have been posted on modular super-ships.