[FT] Command and Control

Has anyone had any ideas about handling fleet command networks in Full
Thrust?

The basic idea I've had (and this ties in with my crew quality rules
posted previously:

Basic Command Rules:

Hierarchical Command Structure
============================

Ships are grouped into squadrons which are grouped into fleets (large
fleets may add additional layers of command.

Each ship in a squadron reports to the squadron command ship, by
default, this is an ordinary ship of its type - see Command Ratings
(q.v.)

Each Squadron Command ship reports to the fleet flagship (or the next
tier of the hierarchy).

Effects of the Command Structure.

(If using these, use the crew quality rules previously posted, but
reduce crew quality values by 1)

The Command Staff of each squadron will have a quality, (like those of
ships officers), this can apply a modifier to the crew quality of ships
in the squadron that is the same for the equivalent quality of ships
officers.

The points cost of a Command Staff is determined like that for a ships
officers, but based on the total cost of the squadron.

If ships go out of command, they lose any benefits of the Command Staff,
and suffer an additional -1 quality penalty as long as they are out of
command. In addition, they are activated (fired) last of the ships in
their current quality bracket.

Ships that are out of command can only target the nearest hostile ship
(maybe some exceptions ?)

Ships are out of command if one of the following occurs:

+ They move out of range of their command ship (say 12 mu for basic
command comms)
+ They lose communications (using the alternative core systems rules,
or as a consequence of EW jamming)
+ The squadron command ship suffers a bridge core system threshold, or
is destroyed.

The last effect persists until a new ship takes over as a squadron
command ship (this takes at least a turn, and may require a die roll ?)

Other effects persist until rectified (ship moves back into command
range, comms are fixed, etc.)

The effects of the overall Flagship of a fleet are noticed usually in
its absence - squadrons that are out of command suffer an overall -1 to
quality.

Command Rating of a Ship
========================

This is the maximum tonnage of ships that a given ship has the
facilities to command, given a command staff (who are assumed to be on
the bridge for the sake of core threshold checks). The command rating of
a ship equals 5% of its TMF. Each ship 'uses up' and amount of command
rating equal to 1% of its TMF, including the command ship (i.e. any ship
may command a total of 5 ships of itself - itself plus 4 others).

For the case of squadrons under the command of a flagship, only count
the TMF of the squadron command ships for the purposes of command
rating.

Specialist Systems
==================

Control Centre
--------------

This system enhances the Command, Control & Communications facilities of
the ship it is mounted on: It increases the Command Rating of the ship.

It has a separate icon (like the bridge core system, but with a higher
rank badge) - it is classed as a core system.

MASS required: 10 per extra Command Rating
Points Cost: 4 times MASS requirement?? (maybe should be higher?)

Enhanced Comms
--------------

This increases the command communications range to 18 mu.
It is NOT classed as a core system.

To gain the benefits, both the command ship and the subsidiary ship
require this system.

MASS required = command rating (on command ship)
= 1% TMF (on subsidiary ship)
Cost = 4 times MASS

Superior Comms
---------------

as above, but command comms range is 24 mu.

MASS required = twice that of Enhanced Comms

Area Defence Interlink (ADI)
----------------------------

A specialised form of ADFC - any ship in the squadron equipped with
ADI may use its PDS to defend any other ship in the squadron with ADI
that is within 6 mu.

MASS = 1, Cost = 4.

Optional Rules
==============
(Mostly to speed up battles)

Squadron Movement - as in More Thrust (p.8)
-------------------------------------------

Only write movement orders of the Squadron Command ship. Other ships in
squadron move in formation.

Squadron Co-ordinated Firing
----------------------------

Every ship in a squadron fires at the same time - the initiative of the
squadron is based on the worst crew quality of any ship in the squadron.

Area ECM vs. comms
------------------

This has the range of the area ECM (12 mu), the jamming player rolls
1D6, counted as a beam dice (with re-rolls), the level of the jammed
ships comms is reduced by each 'DP' generated by the ECM dice (i.e.
roll of 1-3 is no effect, 4-5 reduces the comms by 1 grade, 6 followed
by 1-3 reduced by 2 grades, etc.) This effect only applies for the turn
it is rolled, and it is rolled in Phase 8?
Flavour to taste if using your own EW rules.

Charles