It been use it or lose it.
I know that john has in the past disallowed CVA conv when you lay one down on T1 a second on T2 and the third on T3 when finishing the first one in a BSSY

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Thursday, October 08, 2009 - 07:46 pm: Edit

Rob- the current rule is conversions are used on the turn the hull is completed. You can thus have 3 CVAs in production at one time as long as they complete on three different turns. While we might want to take the "long view" and have them be used on any turn the hull is being built, the rules do not work that way.

IMO, conversions should work like shipyards (to follow the KISS concept)- SC2 can be "downgraded" to SC3 or SC4, SC3 down to SC4; CW only CW; DW only DW. The rare empire with SC1 ships would follow the pattern as well. No "bonus" for "wasting" a SC2 conversion on on SC4 hull. No upward swapping (SC4+SC3==SC2) either (except as already in the rules for X base production in C19.20).

The "downgrade" is already effectively in the empire special rules for some empires- I have seen conversion limit rates listed that lack a size class restriction.

If the GMs are happy with this, I'll add it to the infamous "next time through the rulebook" punch list.

By Alex Aminoff (Aaminoff) on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 - 08:35 pm: Edit

I got caught by this one in U4. Apparently a conversion of a given size class is exactly that and nothing else - if you have no SC2 variants to convert to, your SC2 conversion is unused, it can not be used for an SC3 or SC4 conversion.

By Alex Aminoff (Aaminoff) on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 - 08:38 pm: Edit

I developed some software that prints out maps based on the turn results you get in GC. It is available here:

http://eyesofthefleet.basespace.net/gcdraw.cgi

If U3 and U5 use very different formats from what Mike Incavo does then it won't work. Also, note that the map is rotated 90 degrees for arcane reasons.

By Alex Aminoff (Aaminoff) on Sunday, October 18, 2009 - 09:14 pm: Edit

I know I have seen this in the rulebook before, but try as I might I can not find it. How many ground bases can be built on a planet?

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Sunday, October 18, 2009 - 09:26 pm: Edit

C3.20- 24, 48 if it is a homeworld.

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Sunday, October 18, 2009 - 09:28 pm: Edit

Tangential question- Is there anything in G3A (not G3- I know that is useful) that would help with playing GC?

By William Gary Glattli II (Wglattli) on Sunday, October 18, 2009 - 09:29 pm: Edit

(C3.20) The maximum number of bases in orbit is six; the maximum number of facilities (small/medium
ground bases) on the surface of systems or colonies is 24. Homeworlds can double the number of facilities
(48). The maximum number of DefSats around any system is ten.

Gary

By Christopher Braun (Beancounter) on Monday, October 19, 2009 - 06:19 pm: Edit

I've got a few questions pertaining to combat:

1) Capturing vessels - if they are successfully captured, do they become part of your forces? If so, do they suffer from the 25% penalty for foreign hulls?

2) 5+ ship bonus - do attrition units, star bases, civilian units, ground bases, etc. count towards the bonus? If so, especially for attrition units and ground bases, what's the minimum needed to constitute a "ship"?

3) Tholian bases - Any thoughts/suggestions on how to account for 'wedding cake' or 'buzzsaw' webs around bases? Extra AF/DF? Cost?

4) Hellbores and ESGs - one of my players noted that there are SFB rules for them. I've been trying to think about how to cover this one - thinking along the lines of in a combat between Lyran/Hydran forces, either give them a +10%AF/-10%DF modifier, or maybe alter the way I allocate damage to the Lyrans (right now it's a blanket concept of 50% dmg to all attrition units, then cripple them, then evenly spread damage among capital ships to 50%, then destroy attrition craft, then cripple individual ships, then destroy individual ships, barring directed damage).

Thanks,
-Christopher

By ROBERT l cALLAWAY (Callaway) on Monday, October 19, 2009 - 11:51 pm: Edit

Captured: Full value as far as I know
+ 5 ships, fighters, PFs
a tought one should be BVPx.143 J&M will need to answer this one I stay away from those webs
H&E straight AF/DF GM alots damage

By Jean Sexton (Jsexton) on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 - 09:53 am: Edit

Chris, as far as I know, foreign hulls are foreign hulls whether bought, given, or captured. While it is a bummer that they aren't as good as they were, they are free.

Ships and ships alone make up the five things you have to have. Not ground bases, not fighters, not PFs, not DefSats. The five ships can be local defense ships, but they must be ships, not attrition units, bases, or satellites.

Your last two questions are GM things -- you might try emailing John or Mike as I am very sure they will not give up secrets to the players.

Jean

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 - 07:38 pm: Edit

Freighters would also count in the 5+ ship bonus (yes this gives one a reason to station spares on border systems...).

I doubt Hellbores or ESGs have any effect in GC. GC follows F&E more than SFB (squadron makeup is the one exception I can think of where SFB is followed). There are no rules (that I've seen) that cover "these empire's weapons do better against these ships". For example, if you model Hellbores, you should give them a larger bonus against Klingon ships that lack B refits. Fast Drone (or seeking Plasma) armed ships would get a bonus against ships with tactical speeds of 24 or less. Any seeking weapon armed ships would get a bonus against non tactical warp ships (or most freighters for that matter). Hmmm, any speed differential in tactical speeds would net some sort of bonus. Federation escorts would get modifiers for their AF/DF based upon their border assignment (G racks are less effective against plasma torps). Gorn ships tend to have extra shuttles which makes them better able to use wild weasels to avoid seeking weapons...

Tholian webs would be an exception. As Jean noted, they would be something that Mike and John would generally put in the empire special rules section. Speaking as a player- some sort of an ongoing EP cost for permanent webs is in order. My SFB skills are too rusty to suggest reasonable AF/DF mods (you might give capture bonuses against ships which are damaged too [hard for them to escape webs]).

Foreign hulls are foreign no matter how you get them. Frankly a captured ship would be harder to bring up to spec- it isn't like the original empire is going to give you the owners manual, spare parts, engineering specs, and tech support. Put them at the front of the line for scrapping.

C2.42 & C2.40 imply pretty heavily that you have to convert the ship before you can use it with "full" effectiveness (hint- poor crew on top of the 25% modifier hurts).

By Christopher Braun (Beancounter) on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - 11:52 am: Edit

Howard and Jean - Thanks for the input.

Next questions:

1) Convoy Defense/Advanced Convoy Defense - I'm confused here. B2.65 (ACD) mentions increasing the available ships on CD from 1/2 to 3/4, however, B2.60 says that the number of available ships equals # of raids + 1.

2) The Klingon mutiny rules in the sample combat provided don't make any sense. I'm assuming that the '-' to the rolls should be a '+' instead. Also, the first line indicates 2d10 is rolled, the last line 1d10. I assume that it's 2d10 all the way?

3) Supply (C13.xxx) It makes sense that the best way to supply a fleet is with freighters. However, do these freighters need to be 'fresh' every turn (move into fleet's hex, stay X amount of time, return to controlled space) or do they just need to be present with the fleet, using up CAN slots, and in effect making them very likely targets for directed damage?

Howard - in response to your query on G3A, likely not. Having perused it at my local gaming store, it seems geared more towards the SFB crowd than the GC/F&E/FC crowds.

Thanks,
-Christopher

By ROBERT l cALLAWAY (Callaway) on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - 02:32 pm: Edit

For ships to be in supply you must have enough MM to support your TRH and any free standing bases,within the borders of your empire you are in supply. units out side of the empire carry enough cargo to last three turns at full speed then one turn at speed one then your dead in space these must resupplied by tugs or freighters.
Can in sq are normaly warships, MRR sq do need slots for Fol,fop, Fpl, Fps and are consider in supply if within one hex of the border.

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - 09:15 pm: Edit

It looks like B2.60/B2.65 didn't stay in sync when we adjusted B2.60. We'll have to figure out what the correct ACD bonus is.

Rule number near the Klingon mutiny example please?

The freighters (or tugs, or whatever) have a certain number of cargo boxes. Those boxes are used up as detailed under C13. The freighters are only reloaded when they themselves are in supply. A unit needs only to be back in supply (reloading consumables like fighters) for a single segment to "reset" the clock. A speed 2+ ship could move from being out of supply, to a supplied hex, and then back to an unsupplied hex. Their out of supply count would then be 1 (since they were out of supply at the end of the turn).

Supplying units can be in a different squadron than the one being supplied.

By Christopher Braun (Beancounter) on Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 01:45 am: Edit

Howard - the mutiny example was posted in the sample combat report by John Berg on 15-June-09.

Supply - so, I pop in the necessary freighters, that fleet's supply clock is reset, and pop the freighters back into friendly territory so that the freighters are resupplied, lather, rinse, and repeat as necessary.

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 08:15 pm: Edit

---

Quote:

Mutiny- Before each battle every non diplomatic ships rolls 2d10. On a 2,3, or 4, a mutiny has occurred. Roll 1d6 for each mutinous ship, 1-3 mutiny put down, 4-5 ships joins the other side, 6 self destructs. Command ships get a -1 to the roll, DNs, BBs, X/2X, and penal ships get a -2 to the roll. Ships with outstanding crew cannot mutiny, ships with poor crew mutiny on a 2,3,4, or 5 on a d10.

---

By Christopher Braun (Beancounter) on Friday, October 23, 2009 - 01:39 am: Edit

Much appreciated good sir.

One more question, regarding fleets/squadrons. Given that the amount of "lettered" fleets are limited by E4.60, but there seems to be no limit on the amount of squadrons in a fleet, what is the point in having more than one fleet? Just buy the one F-RL for the SR and have the rest running around doing repairs, rather than tying up several in SR?

Or, have I stumbled onto one of the Deep Dark Secrets(tm) that mortals are just not meant to know?

Thanks,
--Christopher

By John Stiff (Tarkin22180) on Friday, October 23, 2009 - 11:22 am: Edit

It has been my experience that when multiple players play one empire each player gets to command its own fleet, hence the different letter.

This not a hard and fast rule. Sometimes, the Prime Admiral decides to run only the economy and give general suggestions while the other players run the various fleets.

With small empires, one player usually runs everything.

So, I would conclude the reason for lettered fleets is based solely on the number of players in the empire.

By ROBERT l cALLAWAY (Callaway) on Friday, October 23, 2009 - 02:04 pm: Edit

the letter fleets are= to the nuber of players the GMs will allow into the games. The Deltion as a small empire have one player I run both the Deltion A fleet all sq 1-90 and the econ in U4.
In U1 I ran both A&B fleet while Pat Mitchell ran C Fleet( We never could keep a B fleet player) The determining factors are size of empire and the number of players they believe they can handle

By Howard Bampton (Bampton) on Friday, October 23, 2009 - 09:21 pm: Edit

At times the GM has forced an empire to have extra fleets when their navy got to certain thresholds.

As each fleet (at game start) contains a Legendary Admiral (i.e. the player), there is a bonus of sorts for empires which have extra fleets. The LA is EPwise worth about the same as the repair ship. The LA abilities are generally far more useful over time (and one can always buy more repair ships...).

Repair ships are not too likely to be "running around doing repairs"- they are too slow.

By John Stiff (Tarkin22180) on Saturday, October 24, 2009 - 07:42 pm: Edit

Not a bad guess. I think I was pretty close.

By Jean Sexton (Jsexton) on Friday, November 27, 2009 - 10:58 am: Edit

The question was asked if a person could use a conversion slot meant for a larger ship to build a conversion of a smaller ship. For example, if I had a one conversion slot for a SC 2 ship, could I build a SC 4 scout in its place.

The answer to that is no.

The explanation for that decision is from a game point of view, conversions are supposed to be relatively rare, not the norm in a navy. If down-size conversions were allowed, more specialized navies would be built. It's bad enough as it is in mid to late game with specialty squadrons roaming about. We don't need to enable more of them!

We're sorry for the delay, but somehow it was thought the decision had been formalized and everyone was waiting for the "other person" to post it when somehow I missed the email that the final decision had been made.

By John Stiff (Tarkin22180) on Friday, November 27, 2009 - 03:14 pm: Edit

Any official news on the other pending questions?

By ROBERT l cALLAWAY (Callaway) on Friday, November 27, 2009 - 03:38 pm: Edit

Like when 5 due out