Responce: [FT] Tug/Tender Rule Q/A

In a message dated 12/13/04 2:09:47 AM, 
owner-gzg-digest@lists.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU writes:

> Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 07:29:28 -0600
> From: Doug Evans <devans@nebraska.edu>
> Subject: Re: [FT] Tug/Tender Rule Question
> 
> I do know most of the cost analysis I've seen suggested you didn't
gain a 
> lot by using a battlerider scheme, and a strong argument could be made
to keep 
> the danger to the tender low.>>
> 
     This I have noticed already, but it an idea I'm working with, to
maybe 
give my homeground small power a favor all it own.

> <<Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 15:47:51 +0000
> From: Roger Burton West <roger@firedrake.org>
> Subject: Re: [FT] Tug/Tender Rule Question
> 
> On Sun, Dec 12, 2004 at 09:39:15AM -0600, Doug Evans wrote:
> 
> >Actually, it differentiates between tugs and tenders. Battle riders
are
> >normally thought to use tenders, and FB1 sez 'any ship can be made
into a
> >TENDER by having internal bay space allocated to carry other ships'.
On the
> >other hand, TUGS have to have hugely increased FTL systems.
> 
> The approach I have taken is that a tender is a ship with hangar bays;
the 
> hull is made larger to accommodate them, and the FTL drive is
correspondingly 
> larger to account for the increased ship mass.
> 
> A tug could either use a hard connection (as in Battletech) or "extend
the 
> jump field". My preference is for the former, since it tends to
downplay the 
> possibility of the jump field as a weapon; it also implies that a tug
could 
> move ships around in normal space if necessary, which seems to me a
good idea. 
> (Of course, one needs to recalculate available thrust on the basis of
the 
> extra mass being hauled.).>>
> 
>      So according to FT1 pg 8, a Tender needs to spend mass for Hanger
Bays, 
> but a Tug doesn't.   I'm with Roger that I think tugs need to have a
hard 
> contact, because I can see the use otherwise as weapon.   And using
this logic, 
> I beleive the Idea of Battleriders can use Tug rules, and be attached
by a 
> hardpoint.
> 
Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 16:42:05 -0800 (PST)
From: Thomas Westbrook <tom_westbrook@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [FT] Tug/Tender Rule Question

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based on real world examples as a basis, the tender is a ship that
carries 
extra supplies - generlly ammunition and repari parts, armour plating, 
structural rienforcment materials -and can do battle damage repair
(limitedly) on 
another ship and generally rearm them alas the missile using ships.

The tug generally tows other ships or in the FT example STL barges.  I
in 
fgact had most of my civilian commerce based on the use of STL barges
and used 
tugs to m ove them from system to system.  Considering the campiagn
used travel 
time from FTL 'jump points' to planetside was a matter of days, It was
more 
feasible to have barges waiting at the Jump point than for a FTL
freighter to go 
from planet to jump point to planetside.>>

     So basicly U are using the idea of Jumpships and Dropships used in 
Battletech.   Interesting, I had not really looked at this model in FT,
but for 
civilian commerce this could work well.   Would it be possible to see
example of 
1 of your Tugs and a Barge?

Thanks for answer and new thoughts given to me.

Have a Good One,
DOC Agren
     (Lurker on the Digest)