Booster 90: convoy

[Steve Cole]

It has been suggested that we create a booster pack containing only existing civilian freighter cards, so you can have targets.

If we assume eight, I need help picking them....

Ore carrier
large freighter
small freighter
armed priority transport
free trader

[Carthaginian]

As 'bonus cards,' perhaps a Q-ship or Armed Cutter to provide 'anti-piracy defense?' These are preexisting and wouldn't add any more production cost (right?). If the Large and Small Armed Freighters from Communique 32 are going to be printed, they would be perfect as well.

[mjwest]

Well, part of the problem is that, if we only use existing cards, there are only really six cards to consider, and they are a bit jumbled:
15 - Small Freighter(S), Large Freighter(S/F), Ore Carrier(F)
31 - Free and Prime Traders(S/F)
45 - Small Freighter(F), Armed Cutter/APT(S)
51 - Ore Carrier(S), Armed Cutter/APT(F)
121 - Large Q-ship(S/F)
122 - Small Q-ship(S/F)

Those are the printed, existing laminated ship cards. Assuming no new cards will be printed (which rules out the Armed Freighters), then the Q-ships might as well be included. There should probably be two copies of card 15, which leaves one more card. I dunno ... say 45?

[Goonius]

If new cards were to be added, the armed freighters from Com-32 could be two cards. Annother card could be an armed or q-ship ore carrier. This batch would have the initial five cards from Mhwest plus three new ones.

Are Hydran attack and other special boosters are coming out soonish? If they are, putting in new cards would not be a problem. An other option is to double up on one or two of the existing freighters in order to have larger convoys, but that does not stand true to the tradition of having at least one new card per booster.

Now come the silly options. Perhaps a generic tug with cargo pod? Ground bases? A sinlge 8.5x11 page with a list of things that and rules that the cargo could be (hospital, barracks, fuel, non-explosive cargo, explosive cargo, unstable cargo, passengers, large biological organisms, quick growing flora, small giant space ameba, training facilities, tribbles...)

[djdood]

Personally, I vastly prefer the
45 - Small Freighter(F), Armed Cutter/APT(S)
card for small freighters in fleet scale (since it has two per card). It makes managing a convoy that much easier. Granted, I pretty much only play at Fleet Scale and this wouldn't do much for Squadron Scale, but there it is.

[Scoutdad]

Well, part of the problem is that, if we only use existing cards, there are only really six cards to consider, and they are a bit jumbled:
15 - Small Freighter(S), Large Freighter(S/F), Ore Carrier(F)
31 - Free and Prime Traders(S/F)
45 - Small Freighter(F), Armed Cutter/APT(S)
51 - Ore Carrier(S), Armed Cutter/APT(F)
121 - Large Q-ship(S/F)
122 - Small Q-ship(S/F)

Those are the printed, existing laminated ship cards. Assuming no new cards will be printed (which rules out the Armed Freighters), then the Q-ships might as well be included. There should probably be two copies of card 15, which leaves one more card. I dunno ... say 45?

Actually, Mike that's only six cards... plus on extra copy of card 45 for a total of seven.

I like your selection, but if Steve elects to do an eight card booster, I'd just as soon see 2 copies of 15 and 45 with one copy of the other 6. That would give a nice selection of targets in both scales.

All of this of course is pre-supposing it would include existing cards only. With Hydran Attack coming out soon and the other 3 boosters (91, 92, 93, or whatever their numbers are...) there might be potental for a laminated, Armed freighter card in the mix. If so, I'd rather see it than another Q-ship card...

My two Quatloos worth, YMMV.

[mjwest]

Well, part of the problem is that, if we only use existing cards, there are only really six cards to consider, and they are a bit jumbled:
15 - Small Freighter(S), Large Freighter(S/F), Ore Carrier(F)
31 - Free and Prime Traders(S/F)
45 - Small Freighter(F), Armed Cutter/APT(S)
51 - Ore Carrier(S), Armed Cutter/APT(F)
121 - Large Q-ship(S/F)
122 - Small Q-ship(S/F)

Those are the printed, existing laminated ship cards. Assuming no new cards will be printed (which rules out the Armed Freighters), then the Q-ships might as well be included. There should probably be two copies of card 15, which leaves one more card. I dunno ... say 45?

Actually, Mike that's only six cards... plus on extra copy of card 45 for a total of seven.

Uh, please check the bolded portion of my original quote. I had the six cards listed, plus another card 15. That is seven cards. For the eighth, I suggested card 45.

So, I did list a total of eight cards. Which were exactly the same as what you suggested.

[Scoutdad]

D'oh! I missed the part about 2 copies of 15... mea culpa.

Never mind me, folks... I'm just stopping by on my way to the old folks home. Now if someone could just point me in the direction of... ummm, where was I headed to again?

[Kang]

FWIW, I think that there are enough Q-ships in the OA package. Including the Armed Freighters from Communique would be an idea; however I would suspect that these will be in one of Boosters 91-94, since the Communique ships are going to be in those. So this posting is probably defunct before it starts.

[Steve Cole]

I don't have any laminated "armed freighter from communique cards" (we never printed any) and the next time we will print cards is months away.

[Davec_24]

I think that given the "low cost" nature of the product due to a potential lack of sales, only inclusing ships which are already released (and so can be added from stocks of cards without the need to print more) is a good idea.

For the lineup of the booster, I second MJW's idea as this gives a decent amount of freighters as well as duplicating the other convoy-related ships in the game.

[djdood]

"Convoy"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdc0Oq1VwH4

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

[asguard101]

its just a thought, and I din't know the legal side of it, but wouldn't it be easier to just give permission to make a limited amount of copies of the "convoy" ships (like is done for the Comm ships), than make new product that may or may not get enough volume to make it worth while? I mean unless you are adding new cards that people would want, it would seem to be a simple option, but like I said I don't know the legal side of it.

[pinecone]

If it were possible, I'd like to see Small, Large, and Heavy freighters and Armed prority transporst on cards that have the front and back fleet/squad. Whenever I play a convoy scenario I can never find the right freighter.

More Free traders would be awsome too

[Scoutdad]

If it were possible, I'd like to see Small, Large, and Heavy freighters and Armed prority transporst on cards that have the front and back fleet/squad. Whenever I play a convoy scenario I can never find the right freighter.

More Free traders would be awsome too

I bet Steve would be willing to run them off (that is if you're willing to write the check )

Seriously though, I don't think we'll see those reprinted in that order... at least not in the forseeable future.

To help you find the correct one, I can offer a couple of suggestions:
1) Use the FC:MSC (Federation Commander: Master Ship Chart). It's a free download in the Commanders Circle section of the board. It lists all of the ships, Alphabetically... by Empire. [Jean: note correct useage of Empire!] Then, the data boxes include the ship card number (you do have your cards sorted by number, don't you?) for each ship card.
2) Try the method I use. I took a fine-point Sharpie brand marker, adn wrote the corresponding ship card number on each card.
i.e., The Fleet Scale small freighter (card 45) has the number "15" written on it. This let's me know (in case I happen to find the fleet scale version first...) that I can find the Squadron Scale version on card 15. And so on...