Re: [GZG] FT Dice Roller

My own experience is kind of varied on this.  New players seem to
overthink things and need a bit of time each turn to have the rules
explained to them.  After they figure it out (and this is partly
paraphrasing and partly adding to what was said) the only times it
really matters are when plotting for placed ordnance, plotting to be
able to fire on a fly-by, planning for the (re)appearance of a cloaked
force, and planning coordinated strikes between placed ordnance and
fighters.  There's usually not a great deal of reason to divide your
fleet into individual ships, because they tend to get annihilated if you
do, so in my craziest battles I'm never likely to have more than one or
two ship elements and one or two fighter wings (not groups, I mean wings
of several dozen groups usually) to keep track of.

E

-----Original Message-----
>From: Michael Brown <mwsaber6@msn.com>
>Sent: Dec 16, 2009 2:34 PM
>To: gzg-l@mail.csua.berkeley.edu
>Subject: Re: [GZG] FT Dice Roller
>
>This gets back to one premise I find in all miniatures games.	Most
players 
>can't keep track of more the 12 "things".  Now  a "Thing" could be a
squad 
>in SG, a Brigade in Fire and Fury or a ship or Fighter Sqdn in FT. 
Once you 
>reach that point the game really slows down.  In FT you could probably
add 
>half of your opponents ships as part of that threshold.  More "things"
= 
>more time and more "oh I forgot that one".
>
>
>
>Michael Brown
>mwsaber6@msn.com
>
>--------------------------------------------------
>From: "Tom B" <kaladorn@gmail.com>
>Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2009 3:12 PM
>To: <gzg-l@mail.csua.berkeley.edu>
>Subject: Re: [GZG] FT Dice Roller
>
>> Damond,
>>
>> I've noticed at convention games what you say is true. The average
>> group must be quite pokey at entering orders. With our group in
>> Ottawa, I found that there was a 'morale penalty' for being the last
>> one done orders (the others all made remarks about your lackadaisical
>> pace) so one learned to be fast. We don't allow pre-measuring, so
>> there was no 'measure, think, more measure, more think' in the orders
>> phase.
>>
>> Usually when I'm at ECC, unless I'm the last one firing in the round,
>> my orders for the new turn are written before the current turn ends.
I
>> always find it funny when the GM (used to dealing with folks who take
>> more time) points out 'people have started writing orders now'
because
>> I look like I'm sitting wool-gathering and I get to reply 'Mine have
>> been written for several minutes now'.
>>
>> I don't think an electronic tool will do anything to solve this. If
>> you can't write 'PP1, MD1, RP1, Fire SM 1' or something like that in
>> negligible time, the problem is you need a stenographer or else the
>> time is NOT being consumed in transcription but in decision making.
No
>> tool will speed that up.
>>
>> If you have a specific idea about how a tool could speed that up,
>> other than the ubiquitous kitchen timer sound alarm (which still
won't
>> speed people up unless you inflict a big penalty if they don't get
>> them done and even then this may ruin their enjoyment of the game),
>> I'd be glad to hear it.
>>
>> People just need to learn that most of the time, the minute details
of
>> your planning don't make that much difference. At times, yes, but
>> mostly not.
>>
>> The only time it matters much is if you are trying to dodge template
>> weapons (then being as unpredictable as possible is the way to go,
>> assuming you've got enough thrust to dodge them at all.... often not
>> the case in vector...) and the turn where your fleets interpenetrate.
>> Then you just try to arrange to be somewhere your main batteries can
>> shoot at something. In vector, this is fairly easy, in cinematic
>> harder but still not that hard.
>>
>> 10-15 minute order phases will tend to eat 45-60 minutes or more in a
>> 4 hour slot. Counting pips will probably eat the same if it's a big
>> engagement. At least that seems to be what I see at ECC.
>>
>> Tom
>>
>> -- 
>> http://ante-aurorum-tenebrae.blogspot.com/
>> http://www.stargrunt.ca
>>
>> "He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy
>> from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a
>> precedent that will reach to himself." -- Thomas Paine
>>
>> "When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of
>> liberty quits the horizon." -- Thomas Paine
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