Federation Commander

[DKeith2011]

The Photons look great, but then they are probably the easiest Omega weapon to convert

The TMs look playable and distinct enough from drones to be interesting. My only complaint would be that the missile types seem very random.

Is something like this possible?

Standard: S24-A8-W8
Middle: S24-A12-W16
Transition: S24-A12-W24
Late: S32-A12-W30

[Nerroth]

[DKeith2011]

[Nerroth]

Well, I would still say that it might be safer to make the movement the only area of fudging - if it ever gets to the stage of trying to actually approve these weapons, it might be worth keeping the missile loadouts close to the SFB options.


So, is anyone able to try and get some playtesting in? It would be neat to get an idea for how well the ships actually fly in the game - but I don't have much in the way of opponents here in Toronto...

(On that note, I'll try to get the implosion torp rules looked at, but there are Imperial ships which use phasers and bolts in the interim.)


EDIT: Oh, and I can think of at least one of these I'd need to buy a few of!
_________________
FC Omega Discussion (v3)
FC LMC Discussion

[pauls]

Nerroth,

Like your work so far.

Interesting thought on BOM stuff.

In SFB we have fighters mainly, maulers, SFG, PFs, tractor over range 1, scout functions and EW. Mostly rules stuff rather than weapon systems.

Maulers and SFG are the only weapons "banned" (or should that be BOM'ed) so I would think the SRC should be included in mainline Omegan FC. The shuttle bomb is perhaps not worthwhile as it isn't much different from FC rules SS anyway.

BOM weapons from Omegan.. Probably the Drex supercomputer(ok its strictly a system), maybe the speed 64 acentuated HEAT, Fireshields might make the list. The advance version of the singers weapon I have forgotten

I don't have time for playtesting at the moment.

[Nerroth]

[Nerroth]

I got the SSDs on order for some of the currently-published Omega support units - although there's a bit of a snafu regarding what should have been the Mæsron light tug SSD.


Oh well.


(The SSDs are from Captain's Logs 20 and 21, and can be ordered separately. However, if you only order the SSDs by themselves, you'll need the R-section from the Omega Master Rulebook to put them into their proper context.)


-----------------------------------------------------------------


The civilian hulls - which are used by a range of powers, mainly in the central and western Octant, but at different times.


The largest of these is the FL - the equivalent of an Alpha large freighter. It's got 17+2 power, a MC which would be .75, and six phasers and two heavy weapons to play with.

It won't be going anywhere all that quickly, can at least defend itself relatively well.


The next ship down is the FS - the Omega small freighter. It's got 9+1 power, a MC of .5, with four phasers and one heavy weapon mount.

(On both this and the large freighter, a chart on the SSD lists which empire's transport uses which weapon types.)

Not a whole lot, but a convoy's worth of weapons would add up.


The next ship is the PL, which is close-ish to an Armed Priority Transport. Kind of. It's got 10+1 on a MC .25 hull, and only three phasers. Try to keep it out of trouble.


Smallest of all is the XB - which loses a bit of its purpose in the conversion to FC. With only 8+1 power, the relative edge it might have had with a 1/5 MC in SFB will evaporate in FC ,as it shifts to .25. It's only got one phaser, too. If I were on one, I'd probably wish I had been flown on a passenger liner, instead.


-----------------------------------------------------------------


The Mæsrons have a few unique support units, but I can only review two of them for now.


The TGH is the Alliance's heavy tug, which shows up after 2571. It can be given either one heavy pod or two light pods (or outpost bases - all boxes treated as cargo). Or no pods at all, of course.

The base hull has 34+4 power, but no heavy weapons (phasers only). Its MC is 1 with no pods, or 1.5 with a pod or pods.


Those pods are varied, but for FC purposes, I'd stick with the Heavy Battle and Cargo pods, and the Light Battle, Cargo, Defence, Shield, Survey, Power, Express and Missile pods. Still a lot of options, though - but ones which vary according to which era they are introduced in.

To give an example, a heavy battle pod jumps the heavy tug to 41+4 power, and adds eight PW-3s, and 4 ph-1s, and 4 tachyon guns, and 4 tachyon missile launchers, AND 4 more shields per facing! No wonder it costs 68 points by itself.

(The Mæsrons probably got the idea from the Bolosco...)


The FBS is essentially an armed auxiliary, with a light battle pod in place of its cargo pod.

It packs a somewhat healthier 13+1 power, and adds four more phasers, two tachyon guns and two tachyon missile launchers.

It's probably best used as a convoy escort, or maybe in a pinch for fixed defence. Don't bet the farm on it, though.
_________________
FC Omega Discussion (v3)
FC LMC Discussion

[Nerroth]

After getting a copy of the new Reference Rulebook, and in mind of the Mæsron miniature being worked on, I decided to have a go at cleaning up the three entries needed to get a Mæsron ship up and running - as well as that which the Aurorans might do with, too.


-----------------------------------------------------------------


(2O1BW) WIDE ANGLE PHASERS

The primary weapon system of the Mæsron Alliance, Iridani Questers, as well as a number of space-faring races within the Omega Octant of the Milky Way Galaxy, wide angle phasers operate in a similar manner to the Phaser systems seen in the Alpha Octant. However, while Alpha Octant phasers concentrate energy at a single location, wide-angle phasers tend to spread energy outwards as it reaches its target. While this diminishes the weapon strength slightly, it does provide for a more stable and predictable amount of damage.

(2O1BW1) GENERAL RULE
(2O1BW1a) Ship Card: Each ‘PW’ box on the Ship Card (often marked PW-1 or PW-3) represents one wide angle phaser. It is disabled by a single point of damage, counts as a ‘phaser’ when using the Damage Allocation Table, and is repaired by four repair points.
(2O1BWb) Firing Rate: Each wide angle phaser can fire once (and only once) during any given turn. As with an Alpha Octant phaser, one can fire a wide-angle phaser on the last Impulse of a given turn and again on the first Impulse of the subsequent turn.
(2O1BWc) Ammunition: There is no need to keep track of “wide angle phaser ammunition” since these weapons are armed directly from the engine power grid.
(2O1BWd) Range: Phaser-Ws have a range of 25 hexes.

(2O1BW2) TYPES OF PHASER-Ws
There are two types of wide angle phasers seen on Mæsron, Iridani and other vessels in Federation Commander, as follows:
(2O1BW2a) Phaser-W1: The wide-angle equivalent to the Phaser-1 seen in the Alpha Octant, these cost one Energy Point to fire. It is marked PW-1 on the Ship Cards.
(2O1BW2b) Phaser-W3: Akin to the Alpha Phaser-3, and similarly used as a short-range defense and attack weapon. This costs ½ of an Energy Point to fire, and is marked PW-3 on the Ship Cards.
(2O1BW2c) Tables: Each of these wide angle phasers has a specific Wide Angle Phaser Combat Table, presented in SFB Module Omega 1 and the Omega Master Rulebook. However, as the ranges of direct-fire weapons in Federation Commander are restricted to a maximum range of 25 hexes, ignore the entries which go beyond this.

(2O1BW3) FIRING PROCEDURE
Wide angle phasers may be fired during the Defensive Fire Phase (1E2c) (only against seeking weapons which have impacted on the ship) or during the Offensive Fire Phase (1E2d) (against any target) of the Sequence of Play. In either case, use the following procedure:
(2O1BW3a) Step 1: Determine the Range (3A5) to the Target. (In the case of Defensive Fire, this is always 1.)
(2O1BW3b) Step 2: Select a wide angle phaser you wish to fire. The weapon must be able to fire in the direction of the target, that is, the target must be within its firing arc (3B) of the wide-angle phaser and within range.
(2O1BW3c) Step 3: Pay the cost of firing the wide-angle phaser (one, or one-half Energy Points depending on what phaser type you are firing); see (4B2).
(2O1BW3d) Step 4: Roll one six-sided die. Use the result of this die roll and the range to Cross-Index on the Wide-Angle Phaser Table for the type of wide angle phaser you fired and determine the damage. The result is the number of Damage Points scored. This might be adjusted (4A) by various considerations including Evasive Maneuvering (2D4) by the target or by (5L2) Orion Stealth coatings.
Example: An Iridani clipper wants to fire two phaser-W1s at a Trobrin cruiser. It determines that the chosen phaser-W1s are within arc and not damaged. Two energy points are paid, one for each weapon, and the phaser-W1s are fired. Count the range (let us say three hexes for this example). Comparing the range to die rolls of “5” and "3" mean that a total of seven (4+3) damage points were scored on the target vessel.


-----------------------------------------------------------------


(2O1D) TACHYON GUNS

The Tachyon Gun is the standard heavy weapon of the Mæsron Alliance. It operates by using a helical tachyonic matrix, which guides a stream of heavy elements through subspace, then translates them back into realspace at relativistic speeds in order to impact the target. The conduit can be widened, which reduces the weapon's range, but increases the damage inflicted. Regardless of the range or power used, the Tachyon Gun is a very accurate weapon, albeit one which requires careful use by any would-be Mæsron captain.

(2O1D1) GENERAL RULE
(2O1D1a) Ship Card: Each ‘TG’ box on the Ship Card represents one tachyon gun. Each is armed and fired independently of the others; energy costs given are for each tachyon gun, not the ship's entire arsenal. Each tachyon gun is disabled by a single point of damage, counts as a ‘torpedo’ when using the Damage Allocation Table, and is repaired by four repair points.
(2O1D1b) Firing Rate: Each tachyon gun can fire once (and only once) every second turn.
(2O1D1c) Ammunition: There is no need to keep track of “tachyon gun ammunition” since despite the name and description of the weapon, it is armed directly from the engine power grid.
(2O1D1d) Range: Tachyon guns have a range of 25 hexes, which is reduced at a level dependent on the amount of power allocated to the weapon.

(2O1D2) ARMING TACHYON GUNS
Tachyon guns must be armed over the course of two subsequent turns. However, unlike other two-turn weapons such as photon torpedoes, the amount of energy which may be allocated to tachyon gun arming can vary according to the arming player's discretion, and may vary from as few as two to as many as eight Energy Points over the course of two turns.
(2O1D2a) Arming: Tachyon guns can only be armed during Energy Allocation. During Energy Allocation of the first turn, you may pay a minimum as one and a maximum of seven Energy Points per tachyon gun you wish to load and mark the “P” (Preload) box on the relevant level on the Tachyon Gun Arming track (matching the number of Energy Points applied) for that specific tachyon gun. During Energy Allocation of the second turn, you pay as many additional Energy Points as you may wish to commit to the weapon and mark the “L” (Loaded) box on the relevant level on the Tachyon Gun Arming track (matching the current total of Energy Points applied) for that specific tachyon gun. (If you do not pay a minimum of one Energy Point to complete the loading cycle, the Pre-Load mark is erased.) You can then fire the tachyon gun during any Direct-Fire Weapons phase of the turn.
Example: A Mæsron destroyer allocates one Energy Point to one of its tachyon guns in the Energy Allocation phase of Turn 2, and marks a "P" at the point along the Tachyon Gun Arming track indicating a total of one Energy Point is allocated to the weapon. At the beginning of Turn 3, the same tachyon gun is allocated two further Energy Points. Since this leaves a total of three Energy Points' worth of power in the tachyon gun, the player also marks an "L" at the point along the Tachyon Gun Arming track indicating a total of three Energy Points allocated to the weapon. Thus, the Mæsron player may fire the tachyon gun, after which he must mark the "F" (fired) box for that tachyon gun, or choose to hold it for use in a subsequent turn, as detailed below.
(2O1D2b) Holding: If you have not fired the tachyon gun by the end of the second arming turn, you will have to pay half of the amount of Energy Points already loaded into the weapon (in the Energy Allocation Phase of the subsequent turn) to “hold” the tachyon gun. You can do this for as many turns as you wish, and may choose to add further Energy Tokens in order to increase the weapon strength. The total amount of Energy Points in the tachyon gun may not exceed eight, and this increased level of arming increases the cost of holding the weapon on subsequent turns.
(2O1D2c) Pre-Game Arming: At the start of each scenario, the Mæsron player (or the player controlling any ship with a tachyon gun) has the option to have a Pre-Load mark for each tachyon gun on the ship, reflecting loading of that weapon on the previous turn. (Each gun may have one or two Energy Points' worth of power so pre-allocated.) This would allow him to pay Energy Points on the first turn to complete the arming of tachyon guns (otherwise he would have no tachyon guns to fire on the first turn). Special scenario rules might prohibit this if the Mæsron ship did not have time or energy to pre-load the tachyon guns. Note that if the player takes this option, he cannot count the ship's batteries in determining his starting energy.
*The number of batteries left empty will not exceed the amount of power it would take to pre-load the weapons. (E.g. if a ship has six batteries, but only two tachyon guns, choosing to pre-load both tachyon guns will leave between two and four batteries empty, but not all six.)

(2O1D3) FIRING TACHYON GUNS
Tachyon guns may be fired during the Offensive Fire Phase (1E2d) of the Sequence of Play. The player who owns the ship firing the tachyon gun uses the following procedure.
(2O1D3a) Step 1: He announces which tachyon gun he is firing (which must not be disabled) and the target (which must be within range of the tachyon gun at its given arming level). Other players can confirm the data, or show it not to be true, and point out any rule or condition which would prevent firing.
(2O1D3b) Step 2: The range (3A5) is calculated. If the target is out of range of the tachyon gun at its current arming level, the weapon cannot be fired.
(2O1D3c) Step 3: One die is rolled for each tachyon gun. The result of the die roll may be modified (4A4) by various considerations including Evasive Maneuvering (2D4) by the target or by Orion Stealth coatings (5L2). Cross-reference the result with the Range on the Tachyon Gun Table to determine if the tachyon gun hit or missed. If it hit, score the appropriate damage (based on the Range and Arming Level of the tachyon gun) on the facing shield of the target unit. If this penetrates the shields, use the (3D) Damage Allocation Procedure (for all the damage of a given volley).
Example: A Mæsron light cruiser fires a tachyon gun at a Vulpa blockade runner. The Mæsron rolls a ‘3’ to hit, at range 5 with six Energy Points' worth of power in the gun, and scores ten damage points.


-----------------------------------------------------------------


(2O1Y) ALTERED-SCALE PHOTON TORPEDOES

When the Auroran Navy was founded in the 2530s, the issue of how to make the most out of the heavy weapon options they inherited from the Star Fleet and Police (and, in one case, Orion!) ships in the Aurora system at the time of 'transferrance'.

A group of engineers worked out a means of altering the scale of the photon torpedo launchers and warheads they could construct, and subsequently field on Auroran units.

Rather than retain the rigid doctrine of photon torpedo usage maintained back in the Federation, the Republic embraced the concept of altered-scale torpedoes, and began introducing these alongside standard photon torpedo launchers aboard the new-construction vessels of the Auroran Navy.

(2O1Y1) GENERAL RULE
Unless noted below, altered-scale photon torpedoes work in exactly the same fashion as standard photon torpedoes, as detailed in (4C).

(2O1Y2) TYPES OF ALTERED-SCALE PHOTON TORPEDOES
There are two types of altered-scale photon torpedoes in Federation Commander, as follows:
(2O1Y2a) Light Photon Torpedoes: Most commonly used on smaller hull types, but often used alongside standard photons on cruisers to enhance tactical flexibility. These are marked as LPHT on the Ship Cards.
(2O1Y2b) Heavy Photon Torpedoes: Only seen deployed on the largest ships and bases, these torpedoes offer an increased degree of punch compared to standard torpedoes. These are marked as HPHT on the Ship Cards.

(2O1Y3) ARMING
The most important note in this section is the amount of Energy Tokens required to arm, or overload, each type of torpedo. With the exceptions noted below, the actual procedure of arming (4C2) overloading (4C3) and firing (4C4) each variant is the same as with a standard photon torpedo.
(2O1Y3a) Light Photon Arming: Light photon torpedoes require 2 Energy Point's worth of arming over the course of two subsequent turns (1 per turn). The resultant torpedo does four damage points.
(2O1Y3b) Light Photon Holding: Light photon torpedoes require ½ of an Energy Point's worth to hold. Overloaded (4C3) light photon torpedoes may be held for one Energy Point per turn. In both cases, the weapons may be held indefinitely.
(2O1Y3c) Light Photon Overloads: Light photon torpedoes may be overloaded by an additional one or two Energy Points' worth of power. Each increment increases the warhead by two damage points, to a maximum of 8.
(2O1Y3d) Heavy Photon Arming: Heavy photon torpedoes require six Energy Points' worth of arming over the course of two subsequent turns (3 per turn). The resultant torpedo does twelve damage points.
(2O1Y3e) Heavy Photon Holding: heavy photon torpedoes require 1½ Energy Points' worth to hold. Overloaded (4C3) heavy photon torpedoes may be held for three Energy Points per turn. In both cases, the weapons may be held indefinitely.
(2O1Y3f) Heavy Photon Overloads: Heavy photon torpedoes may be overloaded by an additional three or six Energy Points' worth of power. Each increment increases the warhead by six damage points, to a maximum of 24.


-----------------------------------------------------------------


(202A) TACHYON MISSILES

Arguably the most prominent seeking weapon type in the Omega Octant, the tachyon missile rose to prominence as part of the arsenal of the ascendant Mæsron Alliance. These huge weapons are larger than any Alpha Octant drone, and are more variable in their design, but have a slower launch rate than the norm for drone-like weapons.

Over time, the range of powers using tachyon missile technology expanded. This would include the Bolosco (who had a long-term contract with the Mæsrons concerning missile shipments) the Federal Republic of Aurora (who eventually built their own stocks of missiles under licence) and the Zosman Marauders (the Omega equivalent of the Orion Cartels, who stole the technology required to operate them). Also, the Vulpa, who broke from the Alliance and more than once fought to establish themselves as a separate power (eventually succeeding as the Vulpa Confederacy, which rose to prominence in the 2600s) and made the most of this inherited technology in the process.

(2O2A1) GENERAL RULES
While a tachyon missile is a type of seeking weapon (4F) which operates similarly to a drone (4G) in many respects, it is a very different type of weapon. Some of the rules will be familiar to drone users, but take care to note what makes tachyon missiles unique.
(2O2A1a) Ship Card: Each ‘TM’ box on the Ship Card represents one tachyon missile launcher. It is disabled by a single point of damage, counts as a ‘drone’ when using the Damage Allocation Table, and is repaired by four repair points.
(2O2A1b) Carriage: Tachyon missiles are carried in 'racks', which carry three such missiles ready to launch. Since each tachyon missile is pre-prepared for use, no energy points need be expended to carry, arm or fire tachyon missiles. Each tachyon missile rack may only fire once every second turn. In addition, if racks are shown as being 'paired' (such as pairing racks 1 and 2, then 3 and 4, on a given ship, for example) only one missile may be fired from that pair in any given turn. One may launch a missile from one rack in the pair on the last Impulse of a given turn, and from the second rack in the first Impulse of the subsequent turn.
(2O2A2c) Movement: Tachyon missiles move in the same manner as drones (4G) do.
(2O2A2d) Endurance: Tachyon missiles run out of fuel at the end of the third turn after launch, the way a drone does.
(2O2A2e) Reloading: Tachyon missile racks may not be reloaded during the course of a scenario. A ship may be assumed to carry spare missiles in the cargo bay, but the time taken to reload the racks is beyond the scope of a given scenario. However, one may assume that the racks would be re-filled in the interim between two subsequent scenarios.
(2O2A2f) Anti-drones: Tachyon missiles are too large to be affected by the low-yield warhead of an anti-drone (4E). (It was this problem which led the FRA to develop alternate methods of countering such weapons. However, no current Omega empire operates anti-drones in any event.)
(2O2A2g) Anti-Tractor: Each type of tachyon missile has a special pod built into the weapon, which makes it more costly to lock on to it via a Tractor Beam (5D). A tachyon missile requires two Energy Points' worth of power to be caught in a tractor beam under (5D5), rather than just the one required for drones.
(2O2A2h) Rack Disabling: If a tachyon missile rack is disabled, one of the remaining missiles is also destroyed. However, any remaining missiles may be launched once the launcher box is repaired.
(2O2A2j) Control: Tachyon missiles require double the amount of seeking weapon control that drones do. Thus, a ship capable of controlling six drones may only control three tachyon missiles at a given time. Certain ships may be noted as being able to control more seeking weapons than this, but the reduced ratio remains. (A ship which could control 12 drones can control only 6 tachyon missiles, for example.)


(2O2A2) TYPES OF TACHYON MISSILES
There are four kinds of tachyon missiles provisionally listed for use in the Federation Commander game system. (While there is a wide variety of modularisation in Star Fleet Battles for this weapon, this has been narrowed down for the time being, for the purposes of Federation Commander.)
(2o2A2a) Standard Missile: This is the 'default' missile, which remained in production throughout the operational service life of the design. It travels at speed 24, takes eight points of damage to destroy, and causes eight points of damage on impact. Unless noted otherwise, all missiles on a given ship will be of this type, and are 'free' (cost no points to purchase).
(2o2A2b) Middle Era Missile: This missile represents the kind of missile upgrade which was possible in the 'M', or 'Middle Years' era of the Omega Octant. (This broadly covers the First through Third Cycles, and runs from the mid-2440s until 2561.) It travels at speed 24, takes fourteen points of damage to destroy, and causes twenty points of damage on impact. Each costs 3.25 points apiece to purchase, and is available from the M-era and onwards. Note an 'M' in the box, or boxes, of the rack (or racks) you have purchased such missiles for, in order to facilitate record-keeping.
(2o2A2c) Transition Era Missile: This missile is made possible by missile upgrades made possible in the 'T', or 'Transition Era' of the Omega Octant. (This broadly covers the Fourth through Fifth Cycles, and runs from 2562 to 2591.) It travels at speed 24, takes twelve points of damage to destroy, and causes twenty-four points of damage on impact. Each costs 4.5 points apiece to purchase, and is available from the T-era onwards. Note an 'T' in the box, or boxes, of the rack (or racks) you have purchased such missiles for, in order to facilitate record-keeping.
(2o2A2d) Late Era Missile: The culmination of over a century's worth of design evolution, the missiles available in the 'L', or 'Late Era' of the Omega Octant, represent the upper tier of size, speed and capability yet known for this kind of weapon system. (This broadly covers the Sixth and Seventh Cycles, running from 2592 until well into the twenty-seventh century.) It travels at speed 32, takes ten points of damage to destroy, and causes twenty-eight points of damage on impact. Each costs 5.75 points apiece to purchase, and is available in the L-era. Note an 'L' in the box, or boxes, of the rack (or racks) you have purchased such missiles for, in order to facilitate record-keeping.

(2O2A3) COMBAT
Tachyon missiles can be destroyed either in flight through direct fire or damage from a seeking weapon launched against it, or in the Defensive Fire phase.
(2O2A3a) Counter-weapon Note: Note that tachyon missiles impacting each other will not mutually annihilate each other, as drones would. Also, drones and tachyon missiles do not mutually annihilate each other, either. In both cases, work out the damage inflicted on each seeking weapon normally, under (4F5c).
(2O2A3b) Life of a Tachyon Missile: Tachyon missiles are fired in the Launch Step of the Sequence of Play, as drones are. It tracks its target and impacts in the same manner as a drone, with the below exception.
(2O2A3b) Myopic Zone: Each tachyon missile requires time to "lock on" to its target for a proper detonation. A missile may not impact upon a target until at least the first Impulse after launch. If the missile enters the hex of the target before this 'myopic' period has elapsed, the missile will evade the target by moving into an adjacent hex, before resuming its normal seeking pattern. (This reduces the short-range effectiveness of tachyon missiles, in comparison to drones.)


-----------------------------------------------------------------


I'm wondering if leaving the three era-specific missiles aside for now might not be an idea - the standard missile might be the most straightforward to playtest for now.

I'd still like the three other missile types to be used, of course, but their usability would be predicated on how well, or not, the standard works.

So, I could add some kind of 'mutual consent' or 'scenario-based' rule for those missiles, similar to the rules for slow and fast drones.

Thoughts?
_________________
FC Omega Discussion (v3)
FC LMC Discussion

[Nerroth]

Some Iridani fixes, plus details for the modules.


-----------------------------------------------------------------



(2O1S) FOCUSED ENERGY BEAMS

The sole heavy weapon of Iridani ships of the line, this weapon focuses energy from the ship’s power grid and releases it into a powerful energy beam.

(2O1S1) GENERAL RULE
(2O1S1a) Ship Card: Each ‘FEB’ box on the Ship Card represents one focused energy beam. It is disabled by a single point of damage, counts as a ‘torpedo’ when using the Damage Allocation Table, and is repaired by four repair points.
(2O1S1b) Firing Rate: Each focused energy beam can fire once (and only once) during any given turn, and may not be fired within 4 impulses of firing in a previous turn.
(2O1S1c) Ammunition: There is no need to keep track of “focused energy beam ammunition” since these weapons are armed directly from the engine power grid.
(2O1S1d) Range: Focused Energy Beams have a range of 25 hexes.

(2O1S2) FIRING PROCEDURE
Focused energy beams may be fired during the Offensive Fire Phase (1E2d) of the Sequence of Play. Use the following procedure:
(2O1S2a) Step 1: The player owning and firing the beam announces which weapon is firing (which must not be Disabled) at which target (which must be between zero and twenty-five hexes away).
(2O1S2b) Step 2: The player owning and firing the energy beam pays three Energy Points to fire the weapon.
(2O1S2c) Step 3: The range is calculated (3A5). If the target is out of range, the weapon cannot be fired.
(2O1S2d) Step 4: Two dice are rolled for each focused energy beam. Add the total number rolled and cross-index the result to the range on the Focused Energy Beam Table to determine the impact of the weapons fire. This might be adjusted (4A) by various considerations including Evasive Maneuvering (2D4) by the target or by (5L2) Orion Stealth coatings.
Example: An Iridani galleon fires a focused energy beam at a space dragon. The Iridani rolls a ‘1’ and a ‘2’ to hit (giving a total of 3) at range 7 and scores seven damage points.


-----------------------------------------------------------------


(3ON) TARGET ILLUMINATORS

A system operated by the vessels of the Iridani Kingdom, the target illuminator was designed as a means of maximising the effectiveness of a Quest ship's direct-fire weaponry. It does this by focusing a beam of low-intensity radiation upon a target unit, which allows the targeting vessel to increase its weapons' accuracy for that impulse (and that impulse only).

(3ON1) DESIGNATION
Each target illuminator is marked as ‘TI’ on the Ship Card. Each target illuminator is disabled by a single point of damage, counts as a ‘drone’ when using the Damage Allocation Table, and is repaired by four repair points.

(3ON2) OPERATIONS
(3ON2a) Activation: TIs are activated in the Offensive Direct-Fire Phase phase of any Impulse, but must be activated before the Iridani vessel uses any of its direct-fire weapons, or it may not be used in that Impulse at all. The arming player may nominate one target unit per target illuminator module within firing range of the arming vessel to be subject to "marking" for that Impulse.
(3ON2b) Energy Cost: The energy cost of operation is one Energy Point per target illuminator.
(3ON2b) Operation: When a target illuminator is active, any wide-angle phasers or focused energy beams fired at the target unit from the "marking" vessel subtract one from the die roll to hit. Die rolls of 1 from wide-angle phaser hits are considered to be 1, while die rolls of 2 from focused energy beam hits are considered to be 2. Allied ships receive no benefit from marking. Note that multiple target illuminator locks are not cumulative; no more than one target illuminator may be locked onto a given target ship in any given Impulse. Further, note that the result might still be adjusted (4A) by various considerations, including Evasive Maneuvering (2D4) by the target or by (5L2) Orion Stealth coatings.
(3ON2c) Duration: A target illuminator will only remain active for the remainder of the Impulse it is activated. Target illuminators may be used only once per turn, and may not be used within 2 Impulses of a previous activation.


-----------------------------------------------------------------


(3OV) IRIDANI MODULES

Most Iridani starships are designed with the application of one or more modules in mind. (Indeed, the relevant ships cannot operate without all of their module slots filled.) The modular system is at the very core of the operation of Iridani Quests, since the variety of modules available allow an Iridani vessel to perform a wide range of tasks, in order to fulfil the terms of the Quest the commanding officer may be placed under.

(3OV1) GENERAL RULE
Except for the smallest craft available to the Kingdom's Questers, Iridani ships may (or rather, must) be equipped with one or more modules. The Ship Cards for such ships list the Point Value of the base hull, as well as indicating how many modules the ship must be outfitted with (which may vary from one to four, depending on the class of the ship in question). Each module has a Point Value, which must be added to the overall Point Value of the ship they are being attached to. Once equipped to the ship, the module is considered part of the ship in question for all purposes.

(3OV2) TYPES OF MODULES
There are a number of types of modules available for Iridani ships in Federation Commander, as noted below.
(3OV2a) Weapons Module: By far the most common module used by Iridani Quest ships. This module provides additional wide-angle phaser firepower, as well as additional power. Each such module adds 10 points to the Point Value of the equipped ship.
(3OV2b) Shipping Module: Essentially a giant cargo hold, this was used for Quests which required the extra storage space. Each such module adds 5 points to the Point Value of the equipped ship.
(3OV2c) VIP Module: The module of choice when transporting Iridani or foreign dignitaries. Each such module adds 8 points to the Point Value of the equipped ship.
(3OV2d) Hospital Module: For Knights tasked with rescue missions, this module provided the ability to offer succour to whoever might require it. Each such module adds 6 points to the Point Value of the equipped ship.
(3OV2e) Defense Module: A good means of boosting the defensive capabilities of an Iridani ship, this module was rarely chosen voluntarily (that is, in a position where the terms of the Quest did not insist upon its use) due to the implication of cowardice regarding its use. Each such module adds 8 points to the Point Value of the equipped ship.
(3OV2f) Power Module: A module originally intended for use on Brigantines, but available for other ships also. This module is a great boon, when it keeps working that is.
If the Iridani player chooses to use any of the power available from this kind of module in the Energy Allocation Phase of a given turn, he must roll two dice for each such module used. If two 1s are rolled, the module breaks down, and none of its power-producing systems may function until the two Batteries are 'repaired' (any power stored within them is lost). No dice roll is required for a module not used in a given turn.
Each such module adds 12 points to the Point Value of the equipped ship.
(3OV2g) Command Module: Used for fleet admirals leading larger Quests. Each such module adds 16 points to the Point Value of the equipped ship.
(3OV2c) Shield Module: Another module with the stigma of cowardice, it was used when the Quest insisted upon its use (either to teach the Knight a lesson in humility, or to facilitate the use of a hospital module, or for some other reason).
While at least one of the module's Hull boxes is not disabled, the module provides an additional six shield boxes for all six shield facings. THe owning player may allocate power between these boxes and the ship's regular shields as he deems fit. However, if all of the Hull boxes on the module are disabled, the shield boxes provided by the module are lost at the end of the Turn. However, the repair of even one of the module's Hull boxes will permit the shield boxes to be available at the start of the subsequent Turn.
Each such module adds 8 points to the Point Value of the equipped ship.


-----------------------------------------------------------------


Sorry if the modules seem a bit clunky right now, but is it still enough to make do?
_________________
FC Omega Discussion (v3)
FC LMC Discussion

[Nerroth]

I got the Light Tug issue sorted, so here goes.


-----------------------------------------------------------------


The Mæsron TGL is the earliest tug the Alliance brings into service. (Notably, both the light and heavy tugs have a different design layout than other Mæsron starships.)

On the main hull, the ship has 24+2 power, on what would be a MC .75 hull (the Alliance would use some of the same slipways to build light cruisers later on). Its MC goes to 1 if it has a pod attached, and it can only carry one light pod, or one deactivated outpost base (which would treat all boxes as cargo).

If the TGL were allowed to take a light battle pod, that would increase the power level to 28+2, but bear in mind how much of that might be swallowed up by the higher movement cost. It would give it a helpful mix of phasers, TGs and TMs, though - since like the heavy tug, the base hull has phasers only.


This unit is fairly workmanlike, but that's about it. Unlike the heavy tug, this unit won't give any Bolosco captain of the same displacement class any reasons to feel concerned in terms of competition...
_________________
FC Omega Discussion (v3)
FC LMC Discussion

[aresian]

I've been working on a Fed Com Ship Card for the Iridani Yawl-B. I think I've pretty much got it. But with there were a couple of things I've changed that I'm wondering about. First I changed the movement from 1/3 to 1/4 as FC doesn't do 1/3 movement. Also I don't believe there are APRs in FC so I changed those to Reactors. Does that sound about right?

[terryoc]

Aresian: yes. You might want to check out Mike West's articles on converting SFB SSDs to FC Ship Cards in Captain's Log, if you can get your hands on them. Those articles address these issues.
_________________
"Captain" Terry O'Carroll, fourteen papers published including six best of issue
"Man, Terry, you are like a loophole seeking missle!" - Mike West

[aresian]

Thanks for the heads up. I really do need to fill in my collection of CLs. Especially with that info. Even though I'm just having fun with these Ship Cards I might as well get them right.

[Nerroth]

With the advent of escorts set for Booster #92, as well as rules for Aegis (for BoM, at least), the door is potentially open for having something similar pop up in Omega - not least since Omega escorts are noted to be less likely to be wedded to a carrier group than in the Alpha Octant.


So, I was going to check a few of the potential candidates out, but I might need to post them up a few at a time rather than the all-in-one posts I preferred to do earlier.



-----------------------------------------------------------------



So, starting with two of the usual suspects - the Mæsron CLE and FRA DDE, both from SFB Module Omega 5.


The CLE has 24+4 power, the same as the standard CL. It has only one TG, replacing the other two with cargo boxes - but at least has Aegis rules with which it can use its phaser suite (that, surprisingly, is no better than that of the vanilla light cruiser).

I suppose you could say that, considering the role it is supposed to serve, it's just as well those TGs are gone - removing the temptation to use up power reserves this vessel really should try to retain for other use. (Given the shift to 3/4 from 2/3 for move cost, squeezing as much use out of the ship's remaining power is a good thing.) Plus, it retains its TMs, adding to the long-range options of the fleet it serves alongside.


It says something about the effectiveness of Auroran ingenuity when you see what their DDE can do - especially when you note that it's more expensive a ship than the CLE. (That said, the Mæsron player may want to buy some better missiles, which may help level the playing field somewhat.)

This ship has 20+2 power, six more phasers than the standard DD, two ESGs, and Aegis to boot. A very useful addition to the Auroran fleet, though I might suggest avoiding the urge to take those ESGs and go a-ramming... although, if an opponent forces the issue range-wise, it's nice to have them there if needs be.
_________________
FC Omega Discussion (v3)
FC LMC Discussion

[Nerroth]

I did another bit of number-crunching - this time for the ships of the arachnid Vari Combine.


-----------------------------------------------------------------


The Vari have the rather troubling habit of eating warm-blooded prisoners, which has kicked off more than a few wars over time. This hasn't been helped by the often-fractious nature of Vari society, in which many rival cells compete for power. Only the Vriss cell, near the Drex border, managed to unify the Combine under one rule... until they ran afoul of the Vulpa Confederacy in the Seventh Cycle.

The Vari fleet comes with particle phasers, as well as particle beams (somewhat like particle cannons) and particle probes (a military application of the standard probe launcher). There are also a number of ships seen in Captain's Log #23 which use the particle splitter torpedo, a vaguely plasma-ey seeking weapon which other Vari ships aren't equipped with - though I don't have those SSDs as of yet. So, this overview will (for now) stick to ships from the first, second and fifth modules.


The largest known Vari ship is the BW. It's essentially a heavy battlecruiser, since no Vari cell has been shown to construct a true dreadnought as of yet. With 42+6 power, it's got a good degree of options in terms of how fast you want to fly it, and how many of its weapons you want to lash out with.


There are a few heavy cruiser variants, though the only two I have to hand right now are the vanilla CA and CAP. Both have the same power output - 34+4 - which might not be enough to make the most of their firepower options if you try to run at speed 24.


The Vari made much use of the light cruiser hull, notably with the CLC. This command variant has 27+4 power, on a ship which is already MC .75 as it stands. (like the Aurorans, the Vari fielded slightly larger than average CL designs.)


The standard CL is at 25+3, again at MC .75 - and again, with not quite enough power to go around.


The Vari dragged their whatever-giant-spiders-have-instead-of-heels over fielding a true destroyer design, but eventually built the FH as a rough equivalent. It's got 22+2 power on a MC .5 hull, which isn't bad.


Like with the CL, the Vari built a number of variations of their frigate designs, such as the FFL. This leader variant has 16+2 power on a ship which goes to MC .25, which gives it more options at speed than the vanilla hull.


Speaking of which, the standard FF has 13+1 and the same MC. Hooray?



There are a couple of ships the Vari have if one wanted to go the Booster #92 route with Omega.


The larger of the two, the CLE, has 23+3 power, somewhat less than the standard version. To compensate, it has more shuttles and particle phasers, plus the limited aegis targeting system (translating to Aegis in FC). Might be useful when keeping tachyon missiles away from a fleet.


The smaller FFE has the same power as the FF, 13+1, but has no aegis. It's not exactly as effective a fleet escort, but it's not supposed to be.


-----------------------------------------------------------------


The R-section in the Omega Master Rulebook talks up a couple of the CL23 designs, but I won't be able to say more until I get those SSDs...
_________________
FC Omega Discussion (v3)
FC LMC Discussion