FT-Forts

I thought I`d share some ideas I`ve been using for forts, and see what
comments I would receve <G>.

Forts are built just like non-FTL spaceships, except they don`t have a
normal drive system. Instead, they have a station keeping drive at a
mass of
2%, which incudes poweerplants and allows the fort to change it`s facing
by
60 deg per 3 turns (ie-can change it`s facing very slowly). Forts can be
towed by tugs (note-more than 1 tug can be used, due to some forts being
BIG), in which case, the station keeping drive provides no bonus to
thrust
avalible, and no turning.

The second idea is a bit more difficult to balance (ok, it probably
doesn`t).

Asteroid forts, are built just like normal forts, except that you only
pay
the basic hull cost on the equipment added, and the armour comes for
free,
in the form of the asteroids massive body (can only be basic armour, as
used
by the human ships, no multi layer armour, like fitted to the PH). The
costs
of actually towing the asteroid to the initial position you wish is
payed
for by the material you mine out of the asteroid to construct the
fort/base.
The only difference from the normal construction rules would be that the
armour (which comes for free) is only 1 pt per 2 mass (it may be
massive,
but it`s not as good as a high tech laminate).

This is what we used.

First, decide the number of, and size of, asteroids used (and it is only
posible in a system with asteroids, of course).

Roll 1D6. A 1-3 is a small asteroid (mass=1D6x10), 4 and 5 is a medium
sized
asteroid (mass=1D6x100), and a 6 is a large asteroid (mass=1D6x1000). If
you
wish, if you roll a 6, roll 2 more die, and if you get a 6 on both, you
have
found a HUGE asteroid (like ceries (?), which is 400 miles in length!)
that
masses 2D6x10, 000 (?!?). Note- the hugh asteroid was only allowed in
the
home system of the player, and was used as the main base/shipyard of the
player. It was also posible to join several asteroids togeter, to make a
larger base/fort (upto 6). If several are joined together, use a D6 to
determine which is hit, and if you so want, only 1 part of the joined
base
has to mount the station keeping drive or sheild.

Example- we roll a 4, giving us a medium asteroid, and roll anoughter 4,
giving it a mass of 400.

Second- we need to decide how much of the asteroid we are going to
hollow/mine out to fit weapons/hangers/equipment. The remainder left is
the
armour (for free) of the asteroid divided by 2.

Example-We decide to hollw out 240 mass of our asteroid, which will be
the
basic hull cost, and gives us 80 pts of armour.

Third- THIS IS INPORTANT. The mass of the station keeping drive and
sheilds
(if fitted) is equal to the ORIGINAL mass of the asteroid, not the mass
of
the equipment added/space hollowed out.

Example- Our asteroid need a station keeping drive of 8 mass/16 cost,
and
has level 2 screens, of 40 mass/120 cost.

Then you continue as normal construction rules.

Example-Our asteroid will cost 376 plus weapons/equipment, and has a
mass of
196 left for weapons/equipment, with 80 pts of armour.

If you think these are too powerful, they are supposed to be HARD, and
they
also represent a lot of cost tied up in one object/unit (for the larger
ones
anyway). It also helps if you are playing some form of campain system,
that
you also include a time required to build these asteroid forts (which
cannot
be asembled in pieces, and have to be built in the system they are
defending).

BIF

Still thinking about this, and is open to changes from comments receved
<G>.