RE: [FT] Simple cloaking system proposal

A further idea - 

A cloaked ship can be deteced based on the amount of thrust it uses -
PSB is simliar to the new radar that tracks aircraft by the turbulence
they generate in the air they pass through or perhaps passive
IR/radiation sensors that look for "holes" in the background radiation
or sensors that can detect exhaust or reaction mass used as fuel.  

So the cloaked player announces how much thrust was used to maneuver
this turn and must roll higher on 2d6 than the thrust number to remain
"cloaked" otherwise his position is given away and may be fired at as if
he were one range band further away to simulate the partial cloak.  This
roll is for each turn, so a cloaked ship can fade in and out of cloak if
it uses too much thrust.

This allows the players full freedom of movement, with a possible
penalty for lots of maneuvers or acceleration.	It emphasizes good early
placement and "doggo" or "ballistic" type ambushes, which seems more
inline with modern type engagements (i.e. Stealth aircraft (most are
sub-sonic), attack and missile subs (most are practically undetectable
at rest, but at full speed are very obvious from propeller noise), etc.)

--Binhan

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Grant A. Ladue [mailto:ladue@cse.Buffalo.EDU]
> Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2004 9:29 AM
> To: gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu
> Subject: Re: [FT] Simple cloaking system proposal
> 
> 
> > 
> >  Grant wrote:
> > 
> > >Hmm, interesting.	Basically, it's a "super" shield that 
> you can't fire 
> >  >through.	Initially I'd be concerned that it would make 
> it too easy for these
> >  >ships to maneuver under the cloak into a perfect firing 
> position and then
> >  >drop the cloak and whack the opponent.  A cloak+wave 
> motion gun combo would be
> >  >devastating.  
> > 
> > I see your point there...
> >
>    I've been thinking about this some more.  One possibility 
> would be to
>  require the cloaked ship to plot one additional turn in 
> advance.  This would
>  further restrict it's maneuvering with regards to other 
> ships without making
>  it completely out of touch.	The PSB would be that the cloak 
> reduces the 
>  incoming navigation data and makes the ship slower to 
> respond to outside
>  activity.
> 
>  
> > >Some possibilities:
> > 
> >	>Make the cloak *very* energy intensive.  The cloaked 
> ship can only use
> >	>half it's current thrust when cloaked.
> > 
> > Hm, not a bad suggestion at all. Adds a little tactical 
> inflexibility that would make 
> > players a little more cautious in using the cloak. 
> Actually, that idea is growing on me,
> > nice balancing mechinism, and simple at that. 
> > 
>    Thanks.
> 
> >	>Allow missiles/salvo missiles/amt's to attack it 
> normally.  Apply the
> >	>-3 to the die roll to see how many missiles go in from 
> each salvo.  
> >	>Subtract one "range band" from the AMT's that attack.	
> Cut any heavy 
> >	>missile damage in half.  These would all represent the 
> explosions being
> >	>nearby to the ship, but not actually *on* it (as well 
> as the damping
> >	    >effect of the cloak).
> > 
> > Cool, that all seem's straight forward enough.
> > 
>     Fair warning, I don't have all the mechanisms memorized 
> yet, neither do I
>   have the rules in front of me, so I would take the 
> specifics with a grain of
>   salt.  The basic idea would be to reduce the effect of 
> missiles by about 
>   half.  Area effect weapons should be slightly more 
> effective, since they 
>   don't need to directly hit anyways.  The PSB would be that 
> the cloak absorbs
>   energy as part of the cloaking mechanism.  I'd reduce the 
> impact of Nova
>   cannon and Wave Motion Guns similiarly.  Interestingly 
> enough, you could 
>   set it up where one race develops the cloak specifically as 
> a counteract to
>   another race with Nova Cannon/Wave Motion Guns.
> 
> 
> 
> > Cheers Grant, some good suggestions there!
> > 
> > Regards,
> > 
> > Matt Tope
> > 
> 
>    Thanks. 
> 
>   grant
>