Everything about the Tholian Web device is meant to represent traditional spider webs. There is, however, a branch of the spiders who make use of their web in a different way. The way they do so has given them the name of the Bola Spiders.

What they do is run a single horizontal line that they hang behind, holding a single short line of web on one of their legs. This held line has a drop of glue at the end and the spider swings it around to try and actively catch their prey.

In some ways, it works like a chemical lasso.

Anyway, one idea I've had for a couple years now, but have never managed to work out anything worthwhile for it, is to try and figure a way to duplicate this with the Tholians. At first, I tried doing it as a modification to the Web Caster, but my attempts to do so have been somewhere between awful and offal.

Still, I'd like to share it with you.

Current thoughts are for it to be a heavy weapon with a two turn arming procedure. It can be armed with either one or two points of power each turn for a total amount of arming power ranging from two to four points.

Once armed, it is fired as a short ranged, hit-or-miss weapon.

(current thoughts are to use the hit chart for the Axion Torpedo)

IF the weapon hits the target, it does no damage (DAC); its effect is to put a degree of subspace drag on the target. This is represented by the target suffering an immediate deceleration equal to the total amount of power in the Web Bola (from two to four points of power) for sixteen impulses, after which time its effect goes away.

While under this impeded movement, the turn mode of the target is the same as if it were moving at its original speed, based on its energy allocation.

Like the Axion Torpedo, the Web Bola suffers a "To-Hit" penalty when fired at size class 5 units (I'm guessing that the effects of these things would be crippling to flotillas of gunboats) and is unable to hit size class 6 or smaller units.

The loss of speed to large ships, while annoying, is deliberately minimal, but to freighters it can still be crippling. This is meant to make it a (potentially) useful weapon in the classic Home Galaxy Tholian mission of apprehending recalcitrant freighters, but also to make it a weapon that would be almost laughable in the face of REAL warships.


On a personal note, this weapon, in my opinion, DOES violate the rules on proposing weapons that deliberately attack engines, crew units, weapon systems, or other specific items on a ship, but because it looks to be even less impactful than the Heel Nipper, I thought it might at least be thrown out there...

By Mark Steven Hoyle (Markshoyle) on Friday, February 22, 2019 - 08:54 pm: Edit

Sounds like something that would cover/inhibit the warp emitters, limiting the amount of energy getting into the warp bubble.
Like ice on your headlights, it gets burned off.

By Jeffrey George Anderson (Jeff) on Saturday, February 23, 2019 - 11:27 am: Edit

(Actually, Mark, I've always had the image in mind of a ship having messy glowing filaments dragging from it, almost like the outrageous image of someone trying to swim in a Ghillie Suit.)

By Mark Steven Hoyle (Markshoyle) on Saturday, February 23, 2019 - 02:45 pm: Edit

Burning off the goo, probably would look like that to a sensor.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Saturday, February 23, 2019 - 03:38 pm: Edit

Maybe I am misreading this, but this seems to already be effectively what web casters and snares essentially are.

By Jeffrey George Anderson (Jeff) on Saturday, February 23, 2019 - 04:12 pm: Edit

This is very different from Snares and Web Casters. The only real similarity is that this also uses a type of web.

This stuff is a direct fire weapon that instead of doing damage, it attaches glops that interfere with movement.

Here are some of the differences...

... Normal Web is laid.
... Web Bola is not laid.
... Normal Web, once laid, is a terrain feature, complete with counters.
... Web Bola is never a terrain feature and is never represented by a counter
... Normal Web blocks weapon fire.
... Web Bola has no effect on any type of weapons fire; it just glops on and impedes movement.
... Normal Web does not move; once laid, its location is fixed.
... Web Bola is never fixed; the only time it's stationary is if the ship hit by it is stopped.
... Normal Web almost always stops its targets completely.
... Web Bolas only stop targets that are already moving slowly.

As I said in the original post, Web Bolas are based on the techniques for using sticky silk that Bolas Spiders use, with conventional Webs being more analagous to how normal spiders spin webs.

I hope this clears things up a little...

By Michael Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Sunday, February 24, 2019 - 03:28 am: Edit

I think the Bola is a neat idea. Even if it has to be reserved for "other places Tholians" rather than the Alpha ones we all know and love.

That said. I think the Bola has to have more effect than your (rough) proposal. Losing 2 to 4 speed for 16 impulses isn't that big a deal.

Now, if the Bola INCREASED your movement cost by something for a while, say:

For 8 impulses Movement cost is doubled
For 4 impulses Movement cost is increased by 50%
For 4 impulses Movement cost is increased by 25%

That would be a significant thing.

And since the Tholians don't have tons of seekers, it shouldn't be too unbalancing.

Thus, you are zipping along at Speed 24 in your MC 1/3 frigate (spending 8 warp to do so) and take a bola hit.

For the next 8 impulses you are effectively speed 12.
Then 4 impulses at speed 16
Then 4 impulses at speed 20 (round up).

This actually would be AMAZING when combined with a webcaster.

the Big question is can it be shot from a web, or just a web caster, mount.

By Jeffrey George Anderson (Jeff) on Sunday, February 24, 2019 - 03:33 pm: Edit

Michael, I hadn't considered the angle you presented and think it'd be quite the hit (pun intended).

However, my initial FEELING on it is that it would disproportionately affect larger ships; something I wish to avoid with the Bola.

(On the other hand, my gut feeling is that what you suggested may have a lot in common with a potential offensive mode for the Bolosco Ship Stabilizers, and I think that might be an angle to have some fun with it. )

With the Bola, I actually intended for it to disproportionally affect SMALLER ships. The effect I want for it isn't to eliminate a small, fixed number of movement points, it's to effectively cancel a number of ENERGY points allocated to movement.

Your reference to a MC 1/3 frigate spending 8 warp to fly at speed 24? It WOULD find its speed cut in half IF hit by a four point Bola. On the other hand, a MC 1/2 DW that had allocated 12 points of warp power to move at speed 24 would be slowed by only 8 (to speed 16) if hit by the same four point Bola.

As far as whether it's a separate weapon or an optional firing mode for the Web Caster, I had originally intended for it to be the latter. This is mostly due to me personally finding the Web Fist to just not be what I think of when I think of spiders and their webs. I thought, "What if, instead, the Tholians were able to use Cast Web in a manner analagous to how some OTHER spiders use web?"

To me, the Bola Spiders were a natural solution.

Also, given that the Bola Spiders use their bolas to catch prey, I thought it downright poetic for larger Neo-Tholian ships to use this thing to catch "Prey" (namely the renegade freighters that really aren't a threat to the absolute dominion of The Will).

How much Warp energy can a renegade freighter put into movement, and how badly impeded would it be from a Bola (or two)?

Another thought I had with it; freighters, even the renegade ones, have maneuver restrictions on their acceleration. If severely slowed down by a Bola hit, will they be able to build up enough speed to make an escape (if that's what they're trying to do) before getting hit with another one, putting their escape attempt right back at zero?

By Michael Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Monday, February 25, 2019 - 03:33 am: Edit

I can see what you are saying.

I was trying to incorporate that "burning off the filaments" imagery.

I still think changing a targets Movement Cost is the way to go. It allows so many complex interactions to be accounted for (tractors between your target and someone else for instance).

By the way, the NEXT thought is "can a tholian fire at himself/ allies?" It would be an amusing way to let your (or comrades) ship make a very fast "downshift" in speed while not dropping their base speed.

The bola can:
1) be shot at the enemy and slows them down for a certain period. Allowing my alpha strike/ fighter squadron to get into perfect position

2) I can shoot it at my squadron mate "Mesh Weaver" and give him a nice downshift. Mesh Weaver can turn on his web pass thingamabob and cancel the effect whenever he wants.

3) I can fire it at a ship being towed. The Bola breaks tractor links?

4) I can fire it at myself. Which allows me to perform unplotted decellerations at will. And ALSO can be turned back off by using my web pass thingy.

5) Finally, it would be amusing to fire it at the enemy just to cause them to miss the ability to turn for an impulse or two. The Bola can reset your turn mode? Or perhaps whilst in effect it prevents/ makes breakdowns more likely for HETs?


I have always thought that the Tholians really need to have a breakthrough in Web/ Caster/ Snare/ Fist tech so they can replace all those photons and disruptors. Not least because in many situations the ability to lay web is useless and the snare nearly so.

Maybe this is a "late X" ability that was phased into X fairly rapidly once discovered and universally with X2...

Alternately, this was discovered during the X period. It let the Web/ Snare fire at range 1 or 0 and the Caster at long range. Cost per mount would be???

By Jeffrey George Anderson (Jeff) on Monday, February 25, 2019 - 02:07 pm: Edit

Mike:

"Adds to the Movement Cost..."

I LIKE THAT IDEA!!

The question, though, is "How Much?"

As far as it being a separate weapon type, I agree that it has potential as well, but I was hoping that, if accepted, this new weapon wouldn't trigger a whole new slew of SSDs. As such, I had always figured it as being an alternate firing mode for the Web Caster, and I'd still like to try and work it from that angle.

(Of course, a snare firing as a range 1 Bola with one point of energy would likely not be quite as useful as the low strength cast web.)

Working from the angle of the Web Caster, it makes sense (to me) to have the Bola have a fixed strength based on the energy in it, much like the strength of normal cast web is fixed. As such, the only real variable would be as to whether it hits or not...

... And it literally just hit me (pun intended) to have "Full Hit" and "Partial Hit."

What if a "Full Hit" were to add 1/5 of a point to the movement cost of a target for every point of power in it, while a "Partial Hit" were to add 1/10 of a point to the movement cost?

Although thinking of the Web Caster chart, I think it appropriate if the Bola loses one energy point worth of strength at range ten and another at range twenty, just to keep it consistent with the Web Caster.

As far as a "To Hit" chart goes, I'm going to pull something out of clear air right now, so PLEASE don't take this as anything formal...

Roll two dice and add the results...

Range 0: "Full Hit" on a 10 or less, "Partial Hit" on an 11 or 12
Range 1-2: "Full Hit" on a 9 or less, "Partial Hit" on a 10 or 11
Range 3-4: "Full Hit" on an 8 or less, "Partial Hit" on a 9 or 10
Range 5-8: "Full Hit" on a 7 or less, "Partial Hit" on an 8 or 9
Range 9-12: "Full Hit" on a 6 or less, "Partial Hit" on a 7 or 8
Range 13-18: "Full Hit" on a 5 or less, "Partial Hit" on a 6 or 7
Range 19-24: "Full Hit" on a 4 or less, "Partial Hit" on a 5 or 6
Range 25-30: "Full Hit" on a 3 or less, "Partial Hit" on a 4 or 5

"To Hit" roles may be modified by the size class of the target as follows...

Size Class 1: -1 to Die rolls
Size class 2 or 3: no modifiers
Size Class 4: +1 to Die rolls
Size Class 5: +3 to Die rolls
Size Class 6 or smaller: Cannot be targeted.

(By the way, I can't remember if Hive Ships are Size Class 2, or if they're about the only things that can move that are size class 1; otherwise I wouldn't put that size one modifier in there...)

On the subject of Seltorians, I couldn't help but think when I was reading your last post, Mike, that I think ADB has rules against firing on yourself. However, I do think that it would be wonderfully sadistic to suggest that Seltorians could use their Web Breakers to eliminate the Bolas, but ONLY if the ship cleared off in that manner accepted the hit from the Shield Cracker. Sure, it ain't much, but it does seem a delightful irony to me.

The "Web Pass Thingamabob..."

As a SoCal resident, I'm more inclined to use the term "Chingadera," which essentially is Spanish for "Thingamabob..."

(grin)

I'd have to REALLY think about the whole web pass interaction, but with what you brought up about resetting the turn mode (something else that made my mouth water), my gut feeling is that it would be too much of an impediment for such a use to happen. Still, it is something that might occur.

Next: Breaking tractor links. Normal cast web puts terrain in the way of tractor links. Web Bolas, as I see them, ain't terrain. As such, I don't see them breaking tractor links. I also don't see them as something adding to the size of ships, so the only interaction I see between Web Bolas and tractors at all would be that they'd add to the total movement cost of tractor linked units trying to move.

And finally, firing the Web Bola at yourself. IIRC, ADB has a rule against firing anything at yourself. Sure, one ship can fire a Bola at a friendly ship, but firing at yourself? I don't see an exception being made for this, even if it can be tactically useful.

By Michael Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 - 03:57 am: Edit

Alternatly,

It could be "range of effect" depending on the energy

You have a "to hit chart". Full, partial or miss

Then you have a chart with effects of a hit/ partial at each range.

As for YIS. I can be a partial X refit in the mid X era, and universal for all X2.

Firing at yourself? Visualize that the web gen/ caster just trails web filaments from the emitter, which induce "warp drag." Kind of like a sea anchor.

As for revised SSds. I think that at some point that the Tholians, during the X era would have introduced some refits of partial X tech into their older, but still good hulls.

By Jeffrey George Anderson (Jeff) on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 - 01:02 pm: Edit

As much fun as it might be to do a "range of effect" chart with movement costs, I think it might end up looking just a little too weird. Also, the insane math that it might introduce (a movement cost of 7/8?!?) could also really detract from it being a fun addition.

As far as its YIS, my original idea behind it was it serving as a tool to help recapture recalcitrant freighters in "The Old Galaxy." As such, one of the biggest arenas and uses I've imagined for it would be taken away if it were to be part of X-tech (which I don't think will ever be a part of the Old Galaxy).

HOWEVER, that is NOT my decision. Should this ever become a part of the Canon SFU, all decisions as to how it works, when it's available, revising the SSDs, and everything else will be decided by SVC and SPP.

Thinking of the Sea Anchor angle, I can almost see something like that being done with conventional Web generators, but the rules are already pretty specific about that NOT being allowed; ships spinning web need something to anchor it on.

The only way I can ever see anything like that would be as part of a scenario specific rule for a Britanian ship in a scenario trying to recreate a fight scene in the first Pirates of the Carribean movie...

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 - 01:15 pm: Edit

Jeffrey,

---

Quote:

...my original idea behind it was it serving as a tool to help recapture recalcitrant freighters in "The Old Galaxy." As such, one of the biggest arenas and uses I've imagined for it would be taken away if it were to be part of X-tech (which I don't think will ever be a part of the Old Galaxy).

---

By Jon Murdock (Xenocide) on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 - 01:58 pm: Edit

Yeah, the Tholians are the power least likely to be involved in commerce raiding in the Milky Way.

The anti-recalcitrant freighter weapon of the Old Galaxy was the Seltorian shield breaker.

The problem I see is what ships are carrying this weapon. Does it replace disruptors/particle cannons? Or does it replace web casters in which case it is probably a bad trade. I could see this being very useful in a fleet or squadron engagement where you could use it to try to split the group. It could also be used in conjunction with web casters. Slow a ship and throw up web it now cannot fly through.

One option might be to make it a separate function of a web caster in addition to laying web and the web fist but that might be too much for one weapon.

By Jeffrey George Anderson (Jeff) on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 - 03:12 pm: Edit

Alan, please think of it as a tool that's ill-suited to the job, but pragmatism would dictate that it can still be useful. If the Milky Way Tholians never use it this way, then it won't change anything that's been written over the past forty years of the SFU. On the other hand, so little has been done/written on their old Home Galaxy that it (at least to me) seems an open book for us to help write.

Jon, I would personally prefer to see it as an alternate firing mode for the Web Caster, but that's because of a peculiar fixation I have; I've never liked the Web Fist.

To try and explain, I have to use the old spider reference. Many, if not most spiders use their webs to trap prey; we've all seen those kinds of spider webs. There are also some spiders who use their webs as nets; grabbing prey that wanders across their path. On the other hand, NO spider ever uses its web to crack open the carapace of its prey.

(If anything, we humans have used silk to make bulletproof vests, but never to make silk bullets, have we?)

Anyway, I just wanted to present another way to have webs used by Tholians recreate one more way spiders use their silk to trap prey.

Getting to your point about the shield cracker, who says they can't have both? I mean, if a Tholian and a Seltorian ship (a pair of destroyers?) are in the same area, why not have them work together to apprehend a recalcitrant freighter.

Also, using a shield cracker on a freighter impeded by a Web Bola, only to accidentally discover the web prematurely sluffing off may be an explaination for the rather unimaginative Seltorians accidentally discovering the Web Breaker.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 - 03:13 pm: Edit

Understand, I think the caster and snare already do this because they are thrown, as opposed to laid. And already slow a ship or seeking weapon or fighter or etc. (not some monsters) caught in them.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 - 05:03 pm: Edit

Jeffrey,

If it's "... ill-suited to the job" but could "... still be useful", the question naturally arises "Useful - compared to what?" If the bola is an additional capability added to the webcaster, Tholian ships don't lose any functionality. But the cost would still increase. So could the Tholians have found something better to do with those resources? If it replaces something - disruptors, for example - then it only makes sense if the resulting ship is better than the disruptor-armed version.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 - 05:24 pm: Edit

I should add that I see a use for an "oddball" system that is inferior to a standard warship in most situations but better at some specific task. Such a system might make sense in limited numbers depending on how common that specific task was, how important it was, and how much better the specialized oddball was at that task.

By Jim Davies (Mudfoot) on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 - 05:58 pm: Edit

This is a lot like the Drag Projector I proposed back in...2001. It's not on this site any more. I suggested it as a toy for X-Gorns based on what they'd learned while operating with the Tholians. As it's not much use for non-seeker races, I don't think the Tholians would want it themselves.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 - 06:28 pm: Edit

SOME THOLIAN BOLA thoughts.

If the weapon is supposed to help subdue fleeing freighters, how does it do so?

A small freighter typically has a top speed of 13, and that for only a single turn if it burns its battery for life support and shields, two turns if it does not raise shields and uses the battery for life support on both turns. So typically only Speed 12. Slowing the freighter is not going to make it surrender undamaged if the player running it does not wish to do so, and overhauling it with a Speed 31 capable frigate threatening to blow down a shield is quite adequate to that task. Especially as small freighters can only disengage by distance or by sublight, not by acceleration. So there is no value in using the system against such a freighter.

A large, Jumbo, or Heavy freighter typically has a top speed of 17. Slowing the freighter is not going to make it surrender undamaged if the player running it does not wish to do so, and overhauling it with a Speed 31 capable frigate threatening to blow down a shield is quite adequate to that task. Especially as large freighters can only disengage by distance or by sublight, not by acceleration. So there is no value in using the system against such a freighter.

So I literally do not see any value in this proposed weapon (sorry) as either a primary weapon or an auxiliary weapon for recovering freighters as it stands.

You can make an argument that it will slow a Free Trader, or Armed Priority Transport, or Federation Express, or large armed freighter which can all make Speed 31 and disengage by acceleration. At that point your Bola range is so short that if you do not disable the ship with your heavy weapons it will simply keep away from you anyway. So you are better off carrying longer-range weapons such as particle cannons and phaser-1s, and using "non violent combat" to disable the ship than you are hoping the fleeing merchant vessel will let you get close enough to use the weapon. (Yes, you can set up scenarios where you begin in range to use the weapon, but the more likely circumstance is that these units will be far enough away to run if you do not disable them.)

Note that under (C7.125) the effect of the bola would need to be defined for disengagement by acceleration. That is to say that if my D7 is caught in a normal or cast web, and I declare my intent to disengage, then if by the end of the turn I have exited the web and all other disengagement conditions are met, I am gone. So what happens if I am hit by a Bola on Impulse #32 (or earlier)? EDIT: Comment, if you allow this weapon to block disengagement by acceleration, it will probably be seen as too powerful.

You are going to have to define if a ship can be under the effect of more than one Bola at a time, i.e., that you hit my ship with two or three bolas on the same or consecutive, or on the last impulse a previous bola was in effect.

As to "friendly fire," that pretty much only applies if the "friendly fire" can damage the ship, otherwise Andromedans would not be able to displace other Andromedan motherships or satellite ships.

You will also need to define the effects of the Bola on a ship that uses a High Energy Turn while under Bola effects, like does it affect the breakdown rating, but also does it affect the energy cost.

You will also need to define the effects of the Bola on a ship that wants to Tac, sublight Tac, or Zero Energy Turn.

You will also need to define its effect on a ship or other unit docking, and whether or not a shuttle or PF can dock to a ship under the effects of a bola.

What happens when the ship hit was doing erratic maneuvers?

You are going to have to consider the effect of the Bola on various monsters (obviously Starswarms are relatively immune since you are using the Axion table making them hard to hit with the weapon, and monsters that ignore webs will ignore Bolas, but monsters that are affected by web will need to have the Bola effect defined, and not all of them use energy allocation to determine movement).

Consider also the effect on "directed turn modes" (C3.8).

Can a Bola (or multiple bolas) cause a fast moving ship to break down?

What effect does the bola have on the unit’s ability to launch weapons (drones, plasmas, warp-augmented rail guns shots, shuttles, PFs, anti-drones), or recover shuttles and PFs?

The interaction with power absorber panels (I would say none, as normal web does not get sucked into a panel, but a web fist does, so maybe this does).

Can Bolas be tied into Aegis systems (might be useful if you desperately need to hit that approaching small unit with something before it reaches your ship or base)?

What happens if the ship is able to separate sections (e.g., neo-Tholian destroyer, but also any tug trying to drop a pod) and is under Bola effects?

What is the interaction between a ship under bola effect and an ESG generated by that ship, or a ship under bola effect entering an ESG hex of another ship?

What happens when you hit a unit in a Temporal Elevator with a Bola (no effect, or does it fall slower)?

Does the Speed Reduction caused by a Bola allow the ship to use a wild weasel (I would say no, but you can make an argument that the Bola has reduced the glow of the engines and thus enabled a wild weasel)?

Consider various terrain effects.

Note, the above queries are neither complete or exhaustive.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 - 06:55 pm: Edit

Three things.

The comments about range are based on the original proposal to use the Axion torpedo table (maximum range of 12) and that while there has been some mention of using the longer range of the web caster, the "short range" of the system was mentioned again.

Second, as an example that the list above was neither complete or exhaustive, consider that it did not mention the effect of a bola on an orbiting ship, or a ship that is taking off or landing. Also no effort was made to consider Omega or Magellanic, or Module C4 rules.

Third, do not simply give opinions, you should actually review the rules for webs and the interactions of the various rules with webs as it stands.

As an example of why you need to actually look at the rules, remember that a ship can do erratic maneuvers by allocating warp power for six (three if the ship is nimble) hexes of movement, or by allocating up to six points of impulse power, so you would need to consider in the review the possible combinations [ship using six (three) movement points of warp, ship using three movement points of warp and three points of impulse power (as an example), and a ship using six points of impulse].

And, yes, obviously this does mean that you need to have a specific rule covering impulse used for movement at all by the ship you fire the bola at, that is to say if it only affects warp powered movement, and the ship used a point of impulse, how is that apportioned?

I am (honestly) not trying to be a pain, but the game is very big with a lot of rules that can interact.

For another example, if a Bola could affect an orbiting ship using no energy for movement, could it affect a base's orbit? Also, if it can affect an orbiting ship using no power for movement, you get into the argument that it can affect "clearing a path through asteroids," i.e., it blocked that tumbling Mount Everest long enough for my ship to move past, since the tumbling space rock is essentially "in orbit" within the stellar system and not using any power to move just like that orbiting ship.

Again, I am not trying to be a pain, but there is a lot in this.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 - 08:59 pm: Edit

Please also note that for the most part I have avoided TELLING you what I think the answers should be. I am not trying to make you do this my way, but I do want you guys to really think about this.

By Jeffrey George Anderson (Jeff) on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 - 12:19 am: Edit

SPP

Thank you; if nothing else, this does help give us some insight into what it takes to be a professional gaming engineer. I will try to rally, even if I really ought to go back and study bugs. ()

But first, a disclaimer. Any and all ideas I'm putting forth are just simple proposals. To be honest, having these discussions are what I really thought these boards were for. As an example, I put forth the simplest idea of it just operating by blocking some degree of power for movement, even though there's no real science (or even pseudo-scientific BS) behind such an idea, only to throw that idea out when Mike suggested adding to the movement cost of the target.

Likewise, I originally presented the idea as something impossibly weak and short ranged because I saw it at full power as a history breaker. Maybe that was wise of me, more likely it was danged foolish, but whichever was the case, the chart I word-chunga'd later on is again, just a "What do y'all think?" idea.

If we never manage to work out anything worthwhile for this idea, well, maybe we can have some fun with the chat line.

That all said, I have thought about one of the big things you brought up (that I'm personally surprised had totally slipped my mind); HETs and Erratic Maneuvers.

First (Gut) thoughts say that having some Web Bola attached should... "Discourage" HETs. If we go with the additional movement cost, then there should be an additional cost to do the HET. I also think that ships encumbered by the Bola should lose Nimble benefits (including the additional bonus to the HET die roll to avoid breakdown) and perhaps should have an additional +1 penalty to the die roll for ever point of power in the Bola

For Erratic Maneuvers, the idea of starting from a loss of nimble status brings to mind the thought of conducting EM costing twice the normal amount, again, based on the increased movement cost of having the Bola attached.

Again, these are just quick thoughts that may be lousy ideas.

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandor) on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 - 05:14 am: Edit

As a Plasma user I have always wished for somthing i could hit a ship with that turns away from my plasma and runs at 31. That would slow it down are stop the ship. Mind you it would be so unfair for me .

By Jeffrey George Anderson (Jeff) on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 - 02:31 pm: Edit

You ain't the only one, Vandor. I've never managed a plasma strike either...

Nevertheless, your comment points out another of the great problems with this sort of system; in a multiracial fleet engagement (Gorn in support of Tholian rights to exist?), if the Tholians have only one web caster, they can't effectvely build the cast web firewalls that would significantly affect the Klingon/Seltorian/Romulan ability to maneuver, but if it were posssible to use it as a Web Bola, they could slow a key ship, magnifying the effects of a plasma strike.

Sheesh! I'm getting cold feet over this idea...