Dogpile
4+ players
Y???

The Masters have instituted a contest for starships based on a game commonly seen in the schoolyard. The object of the game is to hold onto the ball as long as possible, or, depending on your perspective, to inflict as much punishment as possible on the holder of the ball.

(SG_.1) NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 or more. This scenario is best with 6-8 players.

(SG_.2) INITIAL SETUP
Ball: Place a planet or other convenient counter in hex 2215.
Players: Each player selects a tournament cruiser. All players secretly and simultaneously record their starting hex and facing. Ships may begin in any hex 5 or more hexes from hex 2215.

(SG_.3) LENGTH OF SCENARIO: The scenario lasts for 4 turns, at which point recess is over.

(SG_.4) SPECIAL RULES
(SG_.41) MAP: The map is fixed; it does not float. The edge of the map is tournament barrier (P17.0). No unit can disengage by any means.
(SG_.42) SHUTTLES AND PFs: No shuttles have warp booster packs available.
(SG_.421) No MRS shuttles are available for purchase.
(SG_.422) No EW fighters are available in this scenario.
(SG_.423) There are no PFs in this scenario.
(SG_.43) COMMANDER'S OPTION ITEMS
(SG_.431) No Commander's Option items can be purchased. All ships will have the equipment defined under tournament rules. In a variant where non-tournament ships are used, each ship can purchase Commander's Option items up to 20% of its BPV, at the cost of victory points.
(SG_.432) Drone speeds are defined under the tournament rules. In a variant where non-tournament ships are used, drone speeds will be defined by the year selected.
(SG_.433) Prime teams (G32.0) are not used.
(SG_.44) REFITS: Tournament ships do not have refits, per se. In a variant where non-tournament ships are used, the available refits will be defined by the year selected.
(SG_.45) TOURNAMENT RULES: This scenario uses the tournament rule set from module T2000 for combat, unless otherwise indicated.
(SG_.46) BALL: This special unit is the focus of the scenario.
(SG_.461) The ball is immune to damage from all sources. It cannot be boarded, placed in stasis, affected by Web, displaced, etc. It is size class-6 and can set off mines, although it will not be damaged by them.
(SG_.462) The ball can be tractored. Once tractored, it can be rotated toward the tractoring ship at a rate of one hex per impulse, similar to the special shuttle landing procedure of (J1.621), except that it cannot be "landed".
(SG_.463) A ship that tractors the ball cannot voluntarily release the tractor beam before a minimum of 8 impulses have elapsed. Exception: Over a turn break, a ship can choose not to maintain the tractor beam.
(SG_.464) If the ship holding the ball sustains 20 or more points of damage in a single impulse, it will "drop the ball" and the ball will be displaced several hexes. This will occur at the point in the sequence of play where the damage occurs. Determine the new location of the ball as follows: Roll one die for direction and one for distance. Move the ball to this new location, then repeat this procedure a second time. (Note that the ball could end up in the original hex.) If the ball hits the tournament barrier, it will bounce off it, continuing in the reflected direction.
(SG_.465) A ship that has held the ball for at least 8 impulses and has the ball in its hex can "punt" the ball. This is accomplished by firing one or more direct-fire weapons at it. The ball will move one hex for every two points of damage scored on it (drop odd points), in a direction directly away from the shield facing it is on. As in (SG_.464), above, it will reflect off the tournament barrier if it hits it. Punting the ball will break the tractor link; the punt is unaffected by the strength of the tractor beam.
(SG_.466) If the ball is voluntarily dropped, it remains in the hex where it was dropped.
(SG_.467) All ships in the scenario are equipped with a special grappling hook that is capable of carrying the ball. This is treated as a tractor beam, except that it can only be used on the ball, requires no power, can be used any number of times in a turn, is limited to range 0, and cannot be destroyed by damage. The linkage can be broken by any regular tractor beam of strength 1 or more. A ship can transfer the ball from a regular tractor beam to the grappling hook, and vice versa.
(SG_.47) FIRING RESTRICTION: No ship can fire weapons at another ship, unless either the firing ship or the target has the ball.
(SG_.471) Seeking weapons can only be launched if either the launching ship has the ball or the target of the seeking weapon has the ball. Once launched, there is no restriction on guiding a seeking weapon toward another unit, regardless of ball possession. There is no restriction on firing at seeking weapons; any unit can fire on any seeking weapon at any time.
(SG_.472) A web caster or snare can only be fired by a ship that has the ball. A web caster could be fired as a web fist if either the firing ship or the target has the ball. There is no restriction on firing a web breaker at a cast web. Note that cast web has no effect on the ball.
(SG_.473) ESG activation can only be announced by a ship that has the ball. Once activation has been announced, the ESG can still be raised, regardless of whether the ship maintains possession of the ball. There is no restriction on hitting other units with the ESG. Note that the ball is unaffected by ESGs and has no effect on them.
(SG_.474) Mines can only be laid (either dropped out the shuttle bay or transported) by a ship that has the ball.
(SG_.475) In a variation where non-tournament ships are used, other weapons and systems may be available that are not regular direct-fire or seeking types. These should be handled in a similar fashion as ESGs, mines and web casters.
(SG_.476) Transporters, when used for hit-and-run raids, are treated as direct-fire weapons for purposes of rule (SG_.47).
(SG_.477) Tractor beams can only be used on other ships if either the tractoring ship or the tractored ship has the ball. If the ball is dropped, the tractor beam is immediately released. Seeking weapons can be tractored without restriction.
(SG_.478) Shuttles and fighters are under the same restrictions as their ship. A shuttle can only be tractored if its ship is eligible to be tractored. Seeking shuttles are treated as seeking weapons (SG_.471). A shuttle may be fired on or tractored without restriction if it has been identified as seeking.

(SG_.5) VICTORY CONDITIONS: One victory point is scored at the end of each impulse a ship holds the ball. This award is multiplied by the turn number; i.e., on two points per impulse are awarded on turn two, three points per impulse on turn three, and four points per impulse on turn four. The player with the most victory points wins; the final condition of his ship is irrelevant. Note that even a destroyed ship could win.

(SG_.6) VARIATIONS: The scenario can be played again under different conditions by making any of the following changes:
(SG_.61) Use non-tournament ships. Select a BPV level and a year (Y175 is assumed if no other year is selected).
(SG_.62) Add terrain to the map - asteroids, a dust cloud, heat zone, etc.
(SG_.63) Remove all the (SG_.477) restrictions on the use of tractor beams on other units.
(SG_.64) Increase the number of turns for the scenario and/or change the point multipliers for each turn.

(SG_.7) BALANCE: This scenario can be balanced between players of different skill levels by:
(SG_.71) Substitute a larger or smaller ship for one of the ships on any of the teams.
(SG_.72) Increase or decrease the number of victory points per impulse a player receives.

(SG_.8) TACTICS: If another player has the ball, coordinate with the remaining players to mass fire on that player in a single impulse, forcing him to drop the ball and inflicting more than the minimum 20 points of damage. If you have the ball, give careful consideration to when you will release it. Consider punting it before you get it knocked away. Regardless of whether or not you have the ball, be careful not to use too many weapons too early in the turn. And remember, if you can inflict sufficient damage on an opponent, they will have difficulty scoring any points.

(SG_.X) DESIGNER'S NOTES: This scenario puts some twists into the common tactics seen in free-for-all scenarios. Even with a large number of players, the action moves quickly.

By Andy Vancil (Andy) on Saturday, May 13, 2006 - 02:19 am: Edit

The above scenario is based on a game I played at lunch in junior high school. It had the less-than-politically-correct name "Smear the Queer".

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Saturday, May 13, 2006 - 11:37 pm: Edit

Funny, we played the same game at my elementary schoolback in the early 1970's.

As I recall, I dont think I ever carried the ball...I didnt like the odds. (there were 2 classes in the same grade at the recess period, call it 35 or 38 boys).

however, catching the person with the ball had a certain fascination... in our school yard, a careful study of the topography easily revealed a number of common "choke points" where it was very common for the person carrying the ball had to come near (the school yard was fenced in, and shaped on a "L" pattern. they either had to run by the slide, the teeter-totter or the sand box).

Got to practice full body tackling skills long before I was able to join a regular football team.