Sapphire Star III R1 (Romulan KR vs Hydran TLM)

Brian Evans (Romwe) vs Wayne Power (Zero-G) starts on this Saturday 7pm EST.

By wayne douglas power (Wayne) on Sunday, February 16, 2020 - 01:01 am: Edit

Sapphire Star 3 R1:

Romulan KR (Romwe) vs Hydran TLM (Zero-G)

Hydran starts in hex 1701D speed 20 the whole turn, Romulan starts in hex 2530A speed 26/21/26 change on impulse 9 and 26, we close the range.

Hydran fighters are launched on impulse 7 speed 15 direction D, at range 15 Romulan launches plasma enveloper S, both ships still closing. Impulse 20 at range 9 (10 fighters) 6x fusions fired (two from ship) on the Romulan #6 shield for 8.

Plasma about 3/4 hexes away, fighters are put in tractor, and pulled into Hydran ship hex for Gatling fire into plasma at range 2 on impulse 22 (fighters land next impulse).
Plasma hit for 43 around after fire from LS gat, Romulan turns in, a Plasma F is launched.

Hydran fires 2x standard helbore, 3x ph-1s knocking down Romulan shield #6 after reinforcement, a fighter is launched and destroyed by 3 ph-1s. At the end of the turn Hydran is in hex 1516E, Romulan in hex 1915E, an SS shuttle in hex 1815B.

Tournament battle will continue tomorrow at 7pm EST. (good fun game)

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Monday, February 17, 2020 - 02:25 pm: Edit

Four of the first round matches have been scheduled (including the one between Wayne Douglas Power and Brian Evans already in play).

The players of the other four games have all been requested to advise on their scheduling.

By Paul Franz (Andromedan) on Monday, February 17, 2020 - 05:33 pm: Edit

Tree is now put up.

By wayne douglas power (Wayne) on Monday, February 17, 2020 - 06:14 pm: Edit

Sapphire Star 3 R1:

Hydran (Zero-G) vs Romulan KR (Romwe)

We got to the end of turn three (scheduled to continue play on 22/23 February).
I was going to do the write up, however, I have noticed I have done some action (on turn one) that are not allowed by the rules.

(J1.6215) I could only rotate the fighters once a turn.
(J1.52) can only launch and land once a turn.

Both fighters have been destroyed in the game. The results may of varied a bit here and there if I had realised the rules in question.

This is a good fun game with Brian Evans Romulan KR (I believe he is in the winning seat at the start of turn 4, I think it would be best to concede the game to him).

By Bill Schoeller (Bills) on Monday, February 17, 2020 - 06:38 pm: Edit

Seth and I are scheduled to play tonight at 7 Central, 8 Eastern.

By Seth Shimansky (Kingzila) on Tuesday, February 18, 2020 - 06:28 pm: Edit

BS (Kli) vs Kingzila (Hyd)
Most tournament BS & I face off but its normally in much later rounds, not round one. My record has not been the best vs BS in the past so I new I had to pull out the Felix the cat bag of tricks with added luck. The Klingon did the standard turn one routine of launch the scatter pack early and 4 overloads and 19 to movement. The Hydran started the turn one with 2 overloaded Hells and fusion C & D loaded with the fighter out early. The Hydran started speed 14 with a speed change for 27 to 27. I planned on trying to have the 1st fight close to the end of the turn and run from the scatter pack with the fighters giving extra damage support. Impulse 29 we exchanged fire at range 4 with Klingon taking 18 internals and the Hydran taking 14. We both lost 2 power some phasers. The Klingon was tad bit more damaged. Klingon did not shoot at the fighters which where at range 5 at during the exchange. End of turn one both ships and fighters turned off and 6 drones in pursuit.

Turn two the Hydran wanted to keep distance and reload while kill the drones with the fighters. The Klingon went slow (speed 10) for ½ the turn with the intent of turning around to kill the fighters. The Hydrans was doing a slow speed 14 turn around trying to meet up with the fighters after slaughtered the drones. The fighters had a hard time getting away from the Klingon and it took most of his weapons to take out one fighters. After killing the one fighter the Klingon turned off and the Hydran followed. We ended turn two about 12 hexes apart. With the other fighter landed on the Hydran.

Turn three looked like the Klingon would try to keep his distance so the Hydran went 14/27 with the speed change at impulse 17 and the hellbores set for standard. The Hydran was surprised the Klingon went slow (speed 10) and was turning around for a fight then speed changed to 20 at mid turn. When we got to range 4 the Hydran had a shot at the Klingon with the dizzy’s out of arc so the Hydran fired a standard & overload hells to hope to knock off some weapons before the big exchange. The Hellbores did 15 internals taking out a dizzy, 2 p2 and a drone. Over the next few impulse the Klingon turned in and we got to range 2. The Hydran launch the Lone Ranger super fighter with 1 fusion loaded hoping the fighter draws some of the Klingons fire. Call for Fire and the Klingon unloads on the Hydran, 3 OL, 4 p1 and 2 p2. The Hydran fires 2 p1, gat & 2 fusions. The fighter most of hit the stealth button because no fire at it. When the smoke cleared the Hydran took 14 internals and is only down 2 p1 and 2 fusions and has all remaining weapons. The Klingon took 11 more internals and is down 3 drone racks,2 p3, 4 p2, a dizzy and 2 p1. Both ships have no 2 and 6 shields. The next impulse we both turn off and the fighter is like a pit bull chasing down the Klingon. The fighter was launched on impulse 22 and needs to keep close to the Klingon before it can fire on impulse 30. Impulse 30 comes and the fighter is range one on the Klingons weaken number 3. The fighter fires the gat and a fusion and does 4 more internals taking another p1 and dizzy. The Klingon throws in the towel before the fighter can land and capture the remaining Klingon crew.
Great fun game.

By wayne douglas power (Wayne) on Tuesday, February 18, 2020 - 07:31 pm: Edit

Hydran (Zero-G) VS Romulan KR (Romwe) will be continuing on the 22/23 February 7pm EST.
(we have decided to play it out)

By Jack Taylor (Jtaylor) on Tuesday, February 18, 2020 - 08:12 pm: Edit

MadJack (Gorn) vs David (Klingon)
is scheduled for 4p eastern Monday the 24th.

By Norman Dizon (Ichaborn) on Tuesday, February 18, 2020 - 11:13 pm: Edit

Seth, love the detailed and very entertaining write-up of your game!

By Jack Taylor (Jtaylor) on Thursday, February 20, 2020 - 08:02 pm: Edit

MadJack (Gorn) vs David (Klingon)
is re-scheduled for 3p eastern Sunday the 23rd.

By Dana Madsen (Madman) on Saturday, February 22, 2020 - 01:21 pm: Edit

Game 1 - CrashandBurn(Fed) vs Madman(Lyr) - ESG's win, photons 0/4.

So I haven't played as a Lyran in about 20 years but decided to try a new ship this time for fun. I was reading all the ESG rules last night trying to remember how they work.

T1 - Crash plots 16, turns right to the corner and completes OL's. He turns out to me on imp 28?. I move 20/27 for 22 MP total. On imp 31 I shoot 4 std disr at range 18 on his #1 hitting with 3 for 6 points with no rein. I have 2 SS held, I think he had 1. We end at range 16.

T2 - I think briefly about trying to shoot 4 disr into his front shield and running for the far board edge, but figure he is going to hold photons and go a fairly high speed for the turn. I'm not sure that would get me anything but pinned against the far wall for T3 trying to turn around, although if it worked he could be down half his front shield.

So I decide to run him over, which was my general plan anyways. I figure if he hits 4/4 I'm in trouble, if he's 3/4 and I can hit him with an ESG we're close, and if he misses twice I'm in good shape. So I plot 16(6)/ 31(15)/ 19(23?)/ 10 to the end (20 MP I think), overload 2 disr planning on lose 1 before it shoots, 6 rein on the #1, 2 SS. Crash comes at me at speed 24. I wasn't sure how fast he was going to move but I decided that when it mattered I wanted to move second so I went 31 for what I figured would be the important 6 impulses.

On imp 5 I announce ESGs (range 2). About 5 he turns in towards me and I turn into him so we're both on our #1, one hex of of center line. About imp 7 he drops speed to 12 and launches a shuttle and tractors it. I look to see if I can shoot at range 8 and turn out going faster than him but it won't work so I keep coming. I decide to slip onto the center line, I figure I want all my phasers and I care less if he has all his as he'll need some for my shuttles.

We get to range 4 and he has launched another shuttle and they are set that they will both move next with him. I launch a pair of shuttles inside the bubble but they'll move once and stay inside the field and won't get hit before I ram the Fed & his shuttles. At range 3 he launches a 3rd shuttle, next imp I move and he doesn't so ESG's will get split among 3 shuttles and the Fed. He then surprises me by firing 2 OL's and 4 ph-1's. I didn't think he'd risk splitting his fire and I was getting closer. But in retrospect, I had no option to change facing next impulse, only thing I could do if I got hit bad was slip to the side and we're still on each others # 1's and I get mizzed. He rolls a pair of 5's for the photon's and average phasers so I take 11 pts of damage after 6 reinforcement. Best case I was hoping for was his missing with 2 photons and that just happened. I'm feeling pretty good. If he'd hit with both photons he would have done between 8 and 13 internals depending on how I used batteries. Could have been enough to get an ESG and a couple ph-3 but wouldn't have hurt my disr shot.

Next imp, I move forward to range 2, kill his shuttles with the ESG, damage his number 1 and
we shoot. He shoots 4 ph-1 and 2 OL phot. I OL a 3rd disr from batt and shoot 4 ph-1 (LS & RS) and 3 disr at him plus 2 ph-3. I miss with 1 disr and end up doing 30 internals. I have 4 ph-1 left and unless he can HET I'm guaranteed to get to range 0 on the down shield in the next 2 imp and launch 2 SS. He shoots at me and gets decent ph-1 rolls but rolls 2 6's for his photons. So I take 2 internals and we decide to call the game. With 4 ph-1 left I would have done at least 20 more internals to him, it would have been a question on how or where the SS would have hit.

I'm really happy that he missed twice, but four times, I don't feel like I did anything to deserve moving on.

Dana

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandar) on Saturday, February 22, 2020 - 05:02 pm: Edit

That is why I call it Photon Roulette. If he had hit with all four the write up would be far different

By wayne douglas power (Wayne) on Saturday, February 22, 2020 - 07:32 pm: Edit

Sapphire Star 3 Tournament R1:

Romulan KR (Romwe) has the win over Hydran TLM (Zero-G)

Turn 4, the hydran knows her ship is doomed, and is taken down with a second enveloper S and phaser damage, with more plasma launched from the KR.

Thanks for the good game Brian, I learnt a lot in that encounter.

By Jack Taylor (Jtaylor) on Saturday, February 22, 2020 - 09:01 pm: Edit

Sapphire Star Tournament R1:

MadJack (Gorn) over David (Klingon)

Thanks for the game David!!

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Sunday, February 23, 2020 - 08:55 am: Edit

1.06

bakija (GRN) vs Grim (ZIN).

We got through about 1.5 turns, and then we ran out of time, hopefully to continue in the near future.

T1: I move 17/24 with an enveloper, the Kzinti moves 26/20/27 or something like that. At about R14, I launch the enveloper out of my B tube on the other side of my ship before it falls out of arc. The Kzinti closes a little bit, shoots 3 standard disruptors (hitting with all 3) at my #6 shield at R10, finds 9 reinforcement, and turns off. I turn and follow. Impulse 31, he launches 4 drones.

T2: I move 17/26 for the turn that we get through. The Kzinti moves 27/20/31 that I have seen so far. The ZIN runs from the enveloper, gets near the wall (my left side of map, moving south), the plasma catches up and hits for 10 damage spread around his ship. He launches a shuttle (probably a SP, or at the very least, a fake SP). I manage to get slightly in front of his 4 drones on the map, so I can continue moving towards him without shooting the drones, but they'll certainly be a problem at some point. He turns in my direction and speeds up to 31. I launch 50 plasma that will either hit him inside 10 hexes or make him stop somewhere. We close to R5, nothing happens yet. On an impulse (19, IIRC) when I move and the drones don't, I abruptly HET in the opposite direction. Kzinti moves 1 more hex and we end up at R4, my #4 on his #6. We have to pause here (reminder note: I did not move my plasma yet on impulse 19).

The game holds here. We'll find some time to continue in the future.

By Seth Shimansky (Kingzila) on Sunday, February 23, 2020 - 10:00 am: Edit

What are the rules on the length of time for a player per impulse, energy allocation, IA and reading the rule book during game play? How can the stated rules be enforced?

Thank you
Seth

By Dana Madsen (Madman) on Sunday, February 23, 2020 - 12:24 pm: Edit

Well my Module T copy (1993) has the following under General Conditions on pg 2. I'm quoting 1 paragraph from the rules. This may be updated or superseded in a newer version of Module T but I'd guess it's unmodified.

"Players will have a maximum of five minutes (or one minute longer than your opponent, whichever is more) to complete their Energy Allocation Form each turn. Opponents are responsible for timing each other. If the form is not completed within the time limit, any unallocated energy is lost. Players will have a maximum of 30 seconds each impulse to make movement decisions and 60 seconds to make fire and other decisions. Players are responsible to time each other; this provision will only be required in the case of obvious stalling. Some judges might specify longer time limits."

So it states the above provision should only be used in cases of obvious stalling. I don't know what advantage their is to purposely stalling in our online tournaments. I know for myself, I'm slower playing online than I am face to face. I can scribble a note on the back page of my ship "2-6 launch spd 6 manned sh" and drop a counter on the board a lot quicker than I can select the launch shuttle of the Activity window, click on the shuttle I want, select it's facing and speed, then wait for my opponent to finish his selection in the Impulse Activity window because he's thinking I might be shooting and he's deciding whether to shoot.

There is nothing on reading rule books, my personal opinion is if a person isn't sure of the rules and as we don't have a tournament judge on call during the game you might need to make an allowance of 5 to 10 min a couple times a game to check things. For myself, I play on my laptop and have purchased an electronic copy of the rules. But that means if I need to check the rules during the game I have to minimize the sfbonline program to bring the rules up to the front, I just don't have enough screen space to see both at the same time. So if my opponent finds the relevant rule first and types it in I won't even notice he's typed anything until I bring the program back to the front.

How can the rules be enforced? Time your opponent and have actual numbers. If first EA takes 7 min, second take 8, then maybe give them a gentle reminder asking if they can get the next EA completed a little quicker? Lets face it, we have trouble getting to 16 players for tournaments. If we make each other mad and a person quits playing it's just harder to get the next tree filled out.

As well, if they are continually taking more than 30 sec to move, time it, and after a turn or two of it always happening make a polite comment.

Taking more than 60 seconds on the Impulse Activity window is tougher, I think that format is just doomed to be a little slow at times. Certainly slower than face to face.

I know for myself I play slower than I would like, and slower than I'd play face to face. Unfortunately I only play 6 games or so a year. Depends on how quickly I get knocked out of the current tournament and how long I have to wait for the next one. So I at times have to remember how to do things with the interface, or just take an extra minute or two thinking about whether I'm about to make a mistake that loses me the game.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Monday, February 24, 2020 - 03:02 pm: Edit

From the Announcement of this tournament series:

There will be strict deadlines: three weeks for round one and two weeks for the later rounds. When matched with an opponent you have 72 hours to agree to a time to play. If the game cannot be completed, you must agree to a schedule to resume the game at the time the session ends, and must finish within the deadline. Any game not completed on time (or if both players request it) will be adjudicated and, if the game is inconclusive, the judge reserves the right to declare both players lost and fill the spot with a wild card. If someone drops out, disappears, or just won't schedule his game and there is time to put a wild card player into his place, we will do this if we can find one. If not, it will count as a forfeit and the other player will win and advance. There will be no forfeits in the final game, even if we have to find a wild card player (or have two players fight for the wild card spot) and start the two-week clock over again. Wild cards for the second and third rounds (and possibly the first round) will come from those who did not advance from those rounds.

Obviously I do not want to find myself adjudicating games if I can avoid it. I prefer they be resolved where they belong; on the gameboard. But there is a fixed tournament schedule, and I made certain to list the targeted date when games are to be completed when the Tree was sent out:

Round #1 is to be completed by 6 March 20
Round #2 is to be completed by 20 March 20
Round #3 is to be completed by 3 April 20
Round #4 is to be completed by 17 April 20.

All players (and very many of you fit this general description) need to be courteous and deal with the fact that opponents have their own issues making themselves available. Remembering that both of you are taking time from the other's life that could be spent with family, or other "real world issues." That means that when you both agree to a time to play, you should both go into with the intent to try to finish the game, even if that means you need to set a stopwatch on your own play to force yourself to make decisions faster. Remember that while you are ruminating on a move or where to apply that last point of unallocated power in your Energy Allocation, your opponent may need that extra time you are taking to do so to be solicitous of his/her significant other and does not have an extra hour or two.

Two weeks can seem like a long time and taking your time to make decisions pretty meaningless, but that two weeks often devolves down to just a total of three or four hours when you can both get together, even on line, to play, and it is thus critical to make the most of those few actual hours and be frivolous with them.

So be courteous to your opponent and perhaps use a stop watch on your own play.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 - 01:42 pm: Edit

If anyone has any means of contacting Justin Royter, please do so and ask him to e-mail me. He is apparently not getting my e-mails for reasons unknown.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 - 06:54 pm: Edit

I have contacted Justin Royter, so all should be well.

By Andy Koch (Droid) on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 - 10:43 pm: Edit

Paul(Selt) and I (Lyran) tussled and I came out on top.
Will do a write-up tomorrow if I get a chance what with work and all...

By Andy Koch (Droid) on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 - 10:45 pm: Edit

not sure how to report results. There used to be a link for that sort of thing...
And my Tree Link is dead. Someone killed my tree link...

By Peter Bakija (Bakija) on Wednesday, February 26, 2020 - 06:47 pm: Edit

Hmm. Yes. Confirmed. The tree link has died.

By Andy Koch (Droid) on Thursday, February 27, 2020 - 05:23 pm: Edit

Rundown of 2.8 between Andromedan (Selt) and Droid Lyran

Turn 1

I topped of ESG caps, held 2 suis, armed standards and moved 21 hexes 20/26 split
Paul put some power in his PC caps and moved 28 hexes 30/25 split.
I corner dodged a bit and he closed the distance at high speed.
I plinked his #1 with 4 standards on 1.25..
1.31 Paul fired 3 SC for 0 damage and 4ol pcs for 24 damage to my #2. No Phaser fire from Paul... I announced ESGs because the Lyran has ESGS right on the ship.
Impulse 1.32 I turned facing D and fired 6x P-1s at his #2 doing 9 points...Paul maintained facing F right in front of me at R7 or so...

Turn 2

I placed the ESG counters at R3 5 power, rearmed phasers, held the suicides, and plotted 26 (26 all turn) moves.
Paul held his suicides, put 6 in his PC caps, plotted 28 moves with a 28/25 split...
I chased Paul all turn. I felt it necessary to accelerate to 30 off Battery in order to get the ram, as he seemed as if he wasn't slowing down...
He chucked his manned shuttles out along the way. I fired a couple of p-1s about to go out of arc along the way...

2.28 I got an 18 pint ram on his 4 and fired 4 p-1s and 2 standards for 22 in. Paul did not reinforce... so yeah.
2.29 Paul HETS and I am forced to slip to CL or give him my 6 point #2... I trac him with a batt (1 res left) because that sometimes works, and launch 2 shuttles 1 manned and 1 suicide, Just to soak up his phasers. I fire 2 p-3s I think I'm about to lose on his #1... He fires and AKs my shuttles, and blast fires 2 ol PCs and remaining phasers down my gullet. I end up relatively unscathed with 8 internals as his fire is weak...
2.32 I can turn, so I rotate my #6 to him.. I fire 2 p-1s and launch a shuttle because I had another one. Significantly his front shield is down like 20 points from my phaser fire...
I do not maintain trac..

Turn 3 I plot 0 with tacs up to speed 9 later on.. I rearm 5 phasers, two standards and two OLs, 3 in trac, hold the suicides...
Paul Pots 0 with a tac and speed up to 8 later He massively reinforced his #1 to mitigate my 3.1 fire... But he forgot I had squat to fire because of the pesky weapons cycling rules.
He tacs to dir A and accelerates to speed 8. On 1.4 most of my stuff can fire and my last sui can hit as he had no power for weapons... he throws in the towel..
Good quick game for us, and if not for the gaffe with his reinforcement otherwise it would have been closer for sure...
I do feel that the Selt is weaker than the Lyran as its weapons are bad so probably uphill for Paul anyway....but in any case I now get to fight Seth in a Hydran, whose weapons are good.