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BoM question - rule (5QM3c)

 
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Nerroth
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 1:45 pm    Post subject: BoM question - rule (5QM3c) Reply with quote

Hi.


The regular drones in FC are closer to being 'medium' (SFB speed 20, rounded up to speed 24 in FC) as opposed to 'fast' (speed 32, the same as non-sabot plasma torpedoes).

However, the rules in (5QM3c) seem to give the drones fired in the alternate manner a greater distance they can travel per impulse than they could if one used the regular FC drone rules.

In that case, would said rule not more closely match the regular seeking drone if its range per turn was limited to three or fewer hexes from the target (or four-to-six in a subsequent impulse, or if the target unit is 4+ hexes from the launch hex) instead of 4 and 5-8 (or 5+ hexes from the launch hex)?
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Mike
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 11:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Perhaps these are special drones that can be launched only by fighters? It says, "When a fighter launches a drone..."

Rule (5QM3c) seems to apply only to drones launched by fighters. It does not seem to apply to drones launched by regular ships. I'm assuming that drones launched by regular ships would still be placed on the map and be played normally.

Like you, I had to scratch my head about those fighter-launched drones getting to their target that quickly. The first thing I thought of was, "What if the target is moving at speed 24 and spends the power to accelerate to evade the drones every Impulse?" Even if fighter-launched drones were special (i.e. effectively speed 32), they still might not be able to hit their target in a case like that.

I got the impression that those rules were the best they could put in print at the time and after much consideration, but that there could be some major tweaking if players actually tried using them and sent in reports.

I plan on trying out the direct-fire drone option in our next game to see how it works.
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Nerroth
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

But the rules covering the regular seeking drones in that article do not say the fighter-launched drones are speed-32 - which implies that they are the same speed as regular ship-mounted drones (of the early General War period, at least).
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Mike
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Right. All I'm saying is that when the direct-fire fighter-launched drone rule is used, they behave like they are about speed 32.

This may have been done for play balance. The target ship has the chance to change its shield facing and other ships allied with it have the opportunity to shoot at the fighter-launched drones after they impact. Those are two advantages to the defense.

I could see the faster hitting drones being included for two reasons:
1. To give the fighters a better chance of getting their drones to hit.
2. To keep the bookkeeping from becoming a nightmare. Can you imagine trying to track drone explosions 3 Impulses afterwards?
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Nerroth
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If fighters are supposed to have better drones, they should have them in the seeking mode (ie to fire at speed 32) - or, instead, should go down to 3 hexes per impulse.

Otherwise, the alternate weapon option is simply not a fair alternative to using seeking weapons.


Alternatively, do the opposite of the 'slow' (speed-Cool drones seen in Four Powers War scearnios, and have any scenarios featuring carriers set in the late-war era, and thus with 'fast' (speed-32) drones all round.
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DrFaustus
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 6:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think it was simply an attempt to keep book keeping down. Maybe if some playtest reports are done it can be tweaked up or down?
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Mike
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like keeping seeking drones at speed 24 for Federation Commander. Speed 32 drones are too much like plasmas.
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Nerroth
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, bear in mind that in SFB, when speed 32 plamsas are introduced, so are speed-48 plasma sabots...


...but I'd rather not have that can of worms opened just yet, and just limit the direct-fire drones to three hexes an impulse.
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Mike
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My initial response to the DF drone rule was similar to Nerroth's. I've gone back and reread the rule and Nerroth's suggestion and would have to agree with Nerroth. That makes sense and is an easy way to fix it. Just change the ranges by 1.
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