First this started in the Scary Ships thread and I thought I'd just start a proposal rather than discuss it in the wrong thread.
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By Loren Knight (Loren) on Sunday, October 31, 2004 - 05:30 pm: Edit

I do wish SFB probes were longer ranged or able to launch probe drones. LRP-Long Ranged probe: Moves speed 64 and gathers information as a normal probe once it reaches it's destination hex (cannot follow targets).
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By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Sunday, October 31, 2004 - 06:09 pm: Edit


Loren, is the LRP targetable (like a drone would be) or since it (guessing here) doesnt cause damage, is for some reason immune to phaser or add fire?
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Yes it should be. Of course there would be a small target modifier. It's not a weapon (won't do damage) and would not be "armored" so the damage it would take would be minimal...say two points. It would have object avoidance abilities so you would only roll on the 1-10 speed column when going through an asteriod field (indeed a regular probe would likely go deeper). Other terrains would damage it like a drone.

The effect is tempered by being able to guess where the object you want information on is. The target hex (can only target hexes or stellar objects) is written down and place on the table when launched. The LRP is then guided there at speed 64 (two hexes per impulse). Max range is 64 although special extended range probes might be available.

Tell you what, I'll write up a full rule maybe tonight or a little later this week. It should be a short one.

Meanwhile, any thoughts are welcome.

By John Erwin Hacker (Godzillaking) on Monday, November 01, 2004 - 02:36 am: Edit

LOREN:

In a campaign that I was in at the time, I used a Type-IIIXX Long-Lance Drone with a Probe Module in the front part of it. The campaign rules allowed it and I haven't found anywhere in the mainline rules where you can't use it. If someone can correct me, i'll appreciate it. I also used a Type-IV drone frame with a Probe Module in the front and a 1 space explosive module in the back. That was a rude wake-up call for the intended race.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Monday, November 01, 2004 - 10:33 am: Edit

Would its energy cost to arm the 'LRP' vary with the range to target?

if the speed of the thingee is 2 hexes per impulse, and it has an endurance of 1 turn( call it 32 impulses) then (again, another guess here!) would the max range of 64 hexes (approximately 10 times the max range of the standard probe) mean the arming cost of the LRP be up to 10 times the per turn arming cost of the regular (standard) probe?

I could see instances where a ship might want to pay the added cost in energy if it could get the information from the probe without having to close to the target hex (say to avoid taking damage from something).

I could really see this as a justification for carrying more than one probe launcher on specialist ships such as GSC or survey cruisers.