[GZG] FT:XD changes, part 1

I'm updating Full Thrust: Cross Dimensions to revision 1.1 and am 
asking for feedback.

On my list are some new rules and systems, some my idea, some from 
others. I'll post these in the next few weeks, but I want to start 
with a bunch of smaller changes. Mostly these are aimed at making 
FT:XD closer to the "2.5" version (FT 2, modified by Fleet Books 1 & 
2) which I assume is the mostly widely played.

First, if you know of any misspellings, bad grammar, wrongly used 
apostrophes, etc; please let me know.

* Turns in cinematic: half drive rounded UP or DOWN?
In FT 2, it was rounded up so a ship with drive 3 could turn 2 
points. In 2.5, it was rounded down so drive 3 could only turn 1. In 
FT Lite, it's back to rounding up which I copied for FT:XD. So, do 
you play round down or up?

* Point defence
In FT:XD I allowed ships with ADFCs to fire at fighter groups 
loitering nearby and not actually attacking. In 1.1 I'm planning to 
take this out. Will anyone notice?

Scatterguns in FT:XD roll 3 PDS dice instead of 1D6 casualties as in 
FB 2.5. (This gives a wider range of results and in particular allows 
them to miss completely.) For 1.1 I'm planning to increase this to 
4D6, as 3D6 reduce the average effect too much for a one-shot weapon.

I'm also thinking about restoring point defence fire (both PDS and 
scatterguns) against ships, but I'd like to see screens and armour 
having some effect. It could be 5,6 = 1 hit against unprotected (no 
re-rolls), 6 = 1 hit against screen or armour. Or 6 = 1 hit only if 
the target currently has neither screens nor armour. Or just go back 
to the original 6 = 1 hit?

* Multi-stage missiles
Doubling the mass for one extra stage seems right, but keeping on 
doubling makes it really difficult to carry lots of long range 
missiles Honor Harrington style. So I'm planning to make the first 
extra stage double the mass, each extra stage beyond that just 
doubles the points cost.

* Fighters
Planning to drop the rule about fighters only moving half distance on 
the launch turn. It's an unnecessary complication.

Planning to add that fighters with a higher move can break off from 
dogfights without opponents getting a free shot. This is mostly to 
provide a reason for using the fast fighter type.

* Ship fire phase: before or after fighters/missiles?

This is another that keeps changing. In FT 2 ships fired before 
missile and fighter attacks, after in 2.5, before in the beta fighter 
rules (copied for FT:XD), and FT Lite doesn't say.

I'm thinking about going back to the 2.5 order.

There are people who've played alpha versions of FT 3. Without having 
to reveal how FT 3 actually works, would anyone with such knowledge 
be able to say whether changing the order back to fighters/missiles 
before ship fire would be A) good preparation for FT 3, B) a 
backwards step, or possibly C) doesn't matter?

If you haven't played FT 3, do you prefer the 2.5 order?

* Graser-2 mass reduced to 8

This one is tricky. I think the graser-2 is slightly overpriced at 
mass 9. (Regardless of whether grasers re-roll or not - that's 
another discussion.) But I've tried to keep FT:XD "compatible" with 
FT 2.5 so people can mix and match as they please. Changing the G2 
mass means actual changes to SSDs, not just "we don't play that rule."

FT:XD grasers are already not completely compatible with some of the 
beta fleets around, so perhaps it's not worth worrying about.

Possible rules for switching: if you take mass 8 G2s into a UNSC beta 
rules battle, your opponent gets to cross off one hull box, armour 
box, PDS, or Beam-1 for each G2 on the ship. If you bring mass 9 G2s 
into an FT:XD battle, you get a free armour box for each G2.

Comment away!
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