Subtopic	Posts		Updated
	Archive through June 01, 2005	38		06/01 11:11am
	Archive through August 28, 2019	25		08/29 03:09am
	Archive through September 01, 2019	25		09/06 10:05pm

No I'm supporting your idea John. I think it makes carrier groups way to vulnerable.

First Standard ships have many of the same weapons as escorts, Feds excluded due to the use of PH-G on all escorts, but the NAC and DE both retained some Photon Torpedoes as heavy weapons.

The elimination of the out of phase retrogrades and escort replacements from CEDS did the desired job of weakening carrier groups.

The choice now is build extra escorts to have on hand for replacements, overstuff carrier groups with either an extra light escort or ad-hoc escort, or use ad-hoc light escorts almost exclusively.

From what I've read of Peter's games since 2010, he uses ad-hoc light escorts almost exclusively. My choice is something of a combination of building extra escorts to overstuff groups with, and overstuffing groups with a FF as an ad-hoc outer escort. Note this is a very small sample group of options as compared to the whole of the F&E community who actively play F&E.

For me the current rules of GEDS require some more creative thinking as to how to use your carriers not just when you are the phasing player, but also when you are not the phasing player and in a way that allows you to use them when you become the phasing player again.

I personally don't like to use ad-hocs. Sure the Kzinti FF becomes 1-4 vs the EFF 2-4 and isn't that much different in compot. However, when you have three CVS groups on a battle line, those 3 points generally produce 1 extra damage point. Those 3 points of compot and/or 1 damage point can be a very big difference what happens. Specifically if those 3 points put you over the 100 point mark for the autokill rule. That extra damage point can be real helpful there in making sure the enemy has to kill and F5L instead of an F5, or just ignoring it altogether.

By Jon Murdock (Xenocide) on Tuesday, September 03, 2019 - 12:21 pm: Edit

I do not think you want to make carriers much more vulnerable unless you cut down the cost of building them (primarily the fighter cost).

By John Christiansen (Roscoehatfield) on Tuesday, September 03, 2019 - 04:46 pm: Edit

Thomas, all of the above is accepted. I got mentally stuck on a tangent (I usually call it "stuck on stupid").

My question about my original idea is the one I posted 8/27. I've always been unable to see the logic in being able to direct on a single ship in a group or an entire group, but nothing in between. I'm suggesting it's always the group which is targeted; it's just the limit of the damage inflicted which determines how many ships of a group which may be targeted.

In SFB, crippled ships are ones which have reduced weapons and/or power, among other requirements. These shortages are what make sense to me to allow the crippled escorts to be bypassed to target the next escort in line.

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat2) on Friday, September 06, 2019 - 07:17 pm: Edit

John I had a similar proposal earlier. It was to allow players to direct on multiple escorts in a group, starting with the outermost. The response was along the lines of "we might consider it". I still think something like this would be a good idea. It's just too annoying to do 30-odd damage have have it cost your opponent next to nothing, EP-wise.

As an alternative, I wonder if carrier ComPot is too high in the case where the carrier is being protected? Surely that means it's not quite on the front line, which would mean its weapons have to shoot further?

By John Christiansen (Roscoehatfield) on Friday, September 06, 2019 - 10:05 pm: Edit

William, thanks for telling me that a proposal like mine or yours might be considered. It was somewhat satisfying to read.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Sunday, September 08, 2019 - 12:38 pm: Edit

To be fair - I don't think any proposal would be considered as SVC is now happy with carriers as they are