Extrordinary/incredible Officers
Star Fleet Universe Discussion Board: Star Fleet Battles: SFB Proposals Board:
New Rules:
Extrordinary/incredible Officers
I would like to see some Officers in between Legendary and normal. Sooo....
extraordinary enginneer: He has 1 ability of a legenedary engineer but the abilities effect is either cut in half or some disadvantage is added.
Increadible Science officer: has 1 ability of a legendary science officer or two abilties with half effects.
Actually the Drone Officer in CL 24 ( I think ) was WAY to weak for 15% or 15 whichever is greater.
So maybe some L.O. types should be 1% or even 1 BPV.
That isn't what I meant. What I want is different degrees of my officers. So I could pay the full blown price for a legendary, or I could get the "economy" package. So I pay for something much cheaper but with the effect I want. This also allows for officers in campaigns to get better at their job. Perhaps while doing some repairs, the chief engineer discovers an easy way to repair a limited amount of systems on the ship. Presto, the engineer is extraordinary. He can repair two system boxes over the course of a senario
Spencer: I'm not going to knock your idea and I'm not the one to say how things are but I've had many conversations on this board and via e-mail that have given me, I believe, some understanding of how the LO thing works. So I'd like to share with you this thought on the matter.
Generally the abilities of a LO are not generated entirely by himself but by his team (btw:His/him includes her/she as always). Take a Legendary Weapons Officer. While his hands on skills are indeed important he is not the one that actually fires the phaser or the torpedo. There are many involved that can either inprover or ruin that odds of hitting the target. So, much of the abilities of the LWO come from his status that inspires the rest of the team involved; whith out which the -1 to the die roll would not occure.
So you see, it is a line that the Officer crosses over at some point (probably fairly finite, one or two missions perhaps) that gains him those abilities. In part the bonuses come from how his ship mates see him and his skill in inspiring great performances from them. This can be applied to any LO.
So, as I see it, there is no point between good (which in Star Fleet is extraordanary by default) and Legendary.
I get the desire to purchase a particular ability instead of the whole package, though, for less BPV but you enter a realm of adding rules to an already complex set for what gain. SFB isn't really that refined a representation to cover all the levels at which members can affect ship operations. Beyond LO and crew status (poor, good, and Outstanding) you really have to go to GPD.
Just so thoughts to consider. I don't mean to step on any ideas. Carry on.
I don't mind Loren. Just kicking something around. However, if a legendary officer does his stuff partly by how his underlings see him, then what about officers who inspire but not to the level of legendary? That is my point. Maybe it isn't a good idea I don't know but I would like to see many more things that the crew does. I have some partially thought out ideas for that. I see it as a difference between crew A and crew B. Crew A have figured out ways of completing extra repair, either by reading their manuals or because the repair chief is very good. But crew B have several guys who are intuative at aiming phasers. Both crews operate the same ships but they aren't identical or legendary.
Maybe I just like to much complexity. Ah well I can still fiddle with it.
Spencer: The problem in game terms with a more limited legendary officer is point cost. Often, when one purchases a legendary officer, only some of the abilities are used. A reduced legendary officer would almost have to cost the same as the full version because the abilities stripped off were abilities the purchasing player expected not to use.
S.R.:
I was thinking that maybe it would be better to have a lighter bunch of L.O.s rather than a watered down set of L.O.s to keep the confusion down.
If a Legendary Flight Deck officer was a special form of Legendary Engine that could only perform his activities in a shuttle bay box and he came in at a BPV of say 3% of the ships BPV then that would be way cool to have on a CVA ( or even a GSX ).
A Legendary Communication Officer could be light weight in BPV but have some cool abilitites...like adds 1 to D9.76 due to prompt and focused application of DamCon teams and add 1 to one D7.421 die roll per scenario through effective martialing.
Everybody likes the idea of a Legendary Cook.
But I think five more types of Legendary Officers would be more cool that five half strength L.O.s!
"He's the Diet Coke of Legenedary Officers, just one die roll, not nearly enough."
Quote:The problem in game terms with a more limited legendary officer is point cost. Often, when one purchases a legendary officer, only some of the abilities are used. A reduced legendary officer would almost have to cost the same as the full version because the abilities stripped off were abilities the purchasing player expected not to use.
A Legendary Weapons Officer cost 15% of the ships BPV ( or 15 which ever is greater ) and has the ability to capitalise on a -1 die roll shift.
A -1 Die Roll Shift changes the game by 16.6% so the L.W.O. Doesn't need anything to aid him so long as he gets that 1 ECCM more than the enemy ECM, hence a Ship ( say a Fed DD+ ) with an Oustanding crew and thus the ability to fire with a negative -1 shift and a max of 10 ECCM if they picked up a "Remarkable" W.O. at say 5% BPV ( total shop cost 155 BPV ) would be able to easily ( save full ECM and an ECM drone on the target ships ) get a -2 shift and capitalise on it ( the O.C. getting it without the ability to capitalise ) and a DD+ that inflicts a full set of Proxies at R12 for 1-6 to hit and 2 points of damage per Ph-1 is just going to be hell for any NCA it meets ( although statistically it'll do more damage firing standards ). Take said ship up to 167 BPV where it should be and you get to fight CCHs that might actually stand a chance.
After reading your posts, I realized what I want is the ability for your officers to "gain experience" like the crew. Thus a weapons officer can get better at firing phasers until he is legendary. The other thing I wanted was someone who isn't as good as a legendary, but he has some of the aspects. Thus I have, say, 20 leftover points in a bpv battle. I can get a legendary officer, or I can get several officers that have the aspects I need. However, if I want the full L.O. ability like a -1 shift for a weapons officer, I have to have a negative aspect. Perhaps his affect only kicks in if the ship hasn't turned for 10 hexs because he needs a stable firing platform. Or I need a higher repair capability. I could get a L.E. but perhaps I don't have the points or don't need the other effects. But for the full repair capability I have to say, put four power into damage control.
I also wanted this to recreate all of the guys who don't have legendary status, yet do great things. Read a book on great scientists. You will find guys like Thomas Edison who was "legendary". But you will also find guys like Robert Koch. He wasn't brilliant like Einstien or Edison. But he did some very very important work by discovering how to fight and destroy anthrax a deadly disease. He did this through just working and working. Then there is the run of the mill guys.
Maybe nobody likes this, I don't know. I sure would like something like this, but I haven't been playing as long as you guys. So I shall gravely drop the topic if you think it isn't really good.
S.R. are you trying to add Gurps Prime Directive skills to Star Fleet Battles?
Well, with as many planets as there is in the Federation with multi-billion being populations you have to be extraordanary to begin with.
It's the CLICK over to becoming Legedary that inspires others beyond normal. Most everyone on a Starship is hand picked out of thousands and trained to exceptional levels.
Regualar starfleet is legendary level skilled compare to the average Fed Citizen. So to be Legendary among Starfleet personel is truely a feat of feats.
I do not expect to see anything from GPD that is related to experience or skill levels creeping into SFB. SFB is a board game, not an RPG -- the existing good/poor crew rules and Legendary Officers is about all the game will take.
SVC has said as much, in print, and I doubt he will ever change his mind. I wouldn't even ask him about it!
All of the best Sci-Fi RPGs have a method of translating RPG skills into board game (e.g., larger scale) action. FASA's Legionaire is a prime example.
Bridge crew, etc. may be more difficult to manage, but Fighter pilots would definately qualify as would likely PF crews.
There are some guidelines to using your GURPS characters skills to modify SFB rules when using SFB to resolve your RPG starship combat. It is in the core Prime Directive book in section [8.3] starting on page 130.
I don't have GURPS. But I did come across something while perusing module J. In the pilot quality section it says that the levels of pilot quality are green, then good, then ace, then legendary ace. The thing I want is to have "ace" officers instead of having officers either normal or legendary.
Something to the effect that you can have an officer better than normal but at a definate cost. An example:
I want to have the repair capabilities of a legendary engineer in an upcoming patrol scenario and for whatever reason we are buying the officers with bpv. But I see that I only have say ten bpv points left. I can't buy a legendary engineer even if I wanted his other capabilities. So I opt for this guy.
Incredible engineer
Can repair one box per turn and must roll a die and get a 1 for success. He can only repair up to the original damage control rating. (same as legendary so far)
He cannot repair shields. And for his repairs to work he must have 4 power allocated to damage control and the ship cannot move faster than a speed of 6 due to his need to shut down equipment, reroute power through axuilary conduits etc.
Cost of this officer is ten.
That is the thinking behind these officers. Don't blow me out of the water. 
Quote:I don't have GURPS. But I did come across something while perusing module J. In the pilot quality section it says that the levels of pilot quality are green, then good, then ace, then legendary ace. The thing I want is to have "ace" officers instead of having officers either normal or legendary.
There is nothing ( bar a few rules about scenario set up ) to stop a Legendary Officer being on a vessel that has an outstanding crew...that equates to a Legendary Ace...that's why legendary Aces exist ( IMHO ).
MJC. A LO on a ship with Oust. Crew is NOT that same as a Legendary Ace. The former has no increased abilities; he is merely more effective due to the quality of the crew. The Leg.Ace has abilities beyond those of an Ace.