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Hockey Scenario?

 
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tfarley
Ensign


Joined: 03 Jul 2013
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:16 am    Post subject: Hockey Scenario? Reply with quote

Is there a FC conversion of the hockey scenario from the SFB tournament rulebook? I have the tournament book, but I wasn't sure if there were any recommended rules tweaks for playing in FC. Has anyone tried it with FC? What changes did you make?

Also, are there any other silly fun event sort of scenarios like this? King of the mountain, perhaps?

I'm looking for high octane fun/chaos types of scenarios that will also play well with varied numbers of players. Maybe something where you earn points by tractoring an object, but become the target of everyone? Anything like that?

I am *cursed* with having a wonderfully large game group. It's great, but it means that I may find myself teaching the game and picking up unanticipated players. Sometimes after you've selected a scenario and picked your ships, someone will ask to join. I'd like to find a good go-to scenario where a lot of people can just go at it!

Thanks.
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mjwest
Commodore


Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Posts: 4069
Location: Dallas, Texas

PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:25 pm    Post subject: Re: Hockey Scenario? Reply with quote

tfarley wrote:
Maybe something where you earn points by tractoring an object, but become the target of everyone?


Grif Ball!! Whoo!!

The general idea translated to Federation Commander:

    - Set a time limit (e.g. 10 turns).
    - Pick a map size. There is a "wall" around the map; no ship can leave the map.
    - All players start equidistant from each other around the map rim. Each player must remember their starting hex.
    - Toss a counter on the map (literally toss it on the map from a distance). This is the "Ball".
    - The Ball is indestructible and can only be moved by being tractored.
    - Anyone who tractors the Ball becomes the "Grif". (The Ball must be tractored at a range of zero.)
    - The following changes happen to the Grif:
      - The Grif turns orange (irrelevant to game play, but I can't resist pointing it out).
      - The Grif must discharge all heavy weapons immediately. (They aren't needed.)
      - The Grif may only use its remaining weapons in the Defensive Fire Phase.
      - The Grif may not release the Ball once tractored.
      - The Grif may never release the ball. The Grif must pay 1 point of energy to maintain the tractor hold each turn, even if it is the last point of power they have. If the Grif has no power, they still hold the ball until destroyed.
    - Count each impulse the Grif is holding the ball.
    - When the Grif is blown up, the Ball remains in the explosion hex. The only way to make the Grif release the ball is to blow the Grif up. The former-Grif is placed back into their starting hex fully restored.
    - Any ship may fire on any other ship. (With the exception that the Grif cannot fire outside Defensive Fire.)
    - The winner is the one who was the Grif for the most impulses.


This is kind of like capture the flag, but there is no base to return to. The Grif is supposed to get blown up. A lot. And, since whoever is the Grif gets put right back in, no one is ever really knocked out of the game. Also, if it takes too long to blow up the Grif, don't be afraid to double the damage (or whatever) as needed. One variation to do this is to have everyone play with squadron scale ships, but when a ship becomes the Grif, they must immediately flip their ship over and use the fleet scale side.
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Steve Cole
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Joined: 11 Oct 2006
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 3:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mike West, write that up for CapLog and send it to me.
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Last edited by Steve Cole on Tue Apr 22, 2014 3:21 pm; edited 1 time in total
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ncrcalamine
Lieutenant Commander


Joined: 23 Feb 2010
Posts: 272

PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Having played 2 or 3 hockey games in Fed Com; here are some observations'.

1) Scoring is hard, Make Big goals

2) simultaneous shooting makes Moving the puck problematic. It moves a long way on an unexpected vector if two or more ships shoot at it at the same time

3) shooting before tractoring makes same hex tractor very hard. You just nudge the puck out the hex before opponent tractors it.


we were never able to get space hockey to work. The games were usually 1 zip after 3 or 4 hours of play

Nicole
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Mike
Fleet Captain


Joined: 07 May 2007
Posts: 1675
Location: South Carolina

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 1:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is a version I converted awhile back. You can playtest it to see how it works.

(8MB) SPACE HOCKEY
An enterprising young cadet from an ice planet came up with an idea of a challenging game in the early days of the Academy. He wrote a program and somehow was able to install it in the starship combat simulator. It became an instant hit. In the game, players score points by shooting an object (the puck) into a zone (goal) rather than just destroying their opponents. Of course, sometimes they destroy them anyway to allow an unobstructed shot at the zone.

(8MBa) NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 teams: Green and Gold. The game is well suited for teams of two or more players.

(8MBb) INITIAL SET-UP
Map: Set up the map with 3 panels across and 2 panels high if using small hexes (4 wide and 3 high with large hexes). Place the puck in the center of the map. The map is a variation of a fixed map. No ship or object may leave the map.
Each player must construct his force from ships belonging to a single empire. There can be no more than four and no fewer than three ships in the squadron, and no more than two of a given type. The total value of all ships in the squadron must be equal to or between 425 and 450 points. Players may agree to use different parameters for their teams.
All the ships of a team must be placed in their goal area. One goal is located in the upper left corner of the upper left map panel and the other goal is in the lower right corner of the lower right map panel. If using small hexes, the upper left goal would be hexes 0103, 0202, 0302, 0401, and 0501. The lower right goal would be hexes 1015, 1115, 1214, 1314, and 1413. If using large hexes, the upper left goal would be hexes 13, 22, 32, 41, and 51. The lower right goal would be hexes 49, 59, 68, 78, and 87.

(8MBc) OBJECTIVE
Mission-Both Teams: Force the puck into the goal of the other team more times than the opposing team forces it into your goal within the time limit of the game.
Time Limit: This can be any number of turns mutually agreed upon by the players before the start of the game, but 4 turns is recommended.
Victory: Each goal scored is worth 1 victory point. Score more goals than the opposing team by the end of the game. If a game ends in a tie, reset the puck in the center of the map. The side that scores the first goal wins the game.

(8MBd) SPECIAL RULES
1. Effects of map barrier: Any ship that runs into the outer boundary of the map stops for the remainder of the Turn. Any seeking weapon that hits the boundary of the map explodes harmlessly. If the puck hits the outer boundary, it will rebound at the same angle with which it hit the map edge.
2. The puck: Use any convenient counter. The puck moves in reaction to weapons fire and cannot be destroyed. The hex grid has three separate direction pairs defined as A/D, B/E, and C/F. Damage applied to the puck through hexsides of any direction pair (e.g. A/D) is resolved by subtracting the smaller damage value from the larger to determine a net damage and direction. The net damage is how many hexes the puck will move in a particular direction. If damage is applied to the puck in the same phase from different direction pairs, roll two dice (2d12) for each direction pair with the lowest direction roll moving first. All movement in one direction is done before starting the movement in the next direction. Fire through a split shield (i.e. along the hex spine) must be declared on one of the shield facings by the firing player before rolling for damage. Once damage is resolved for the puck, it moves immediately.
3. Tractoring the puck: The puck can be tractored and pulled into the goal by tractor. The ship tractoring the puck has its baseline speed reduced by one level as long as it is tractoring the puck. The puck can be blasted free from a tractor beam with each damage point counting as negative tractor for that impulse only. If the damage exceeds the amount of tractoring energy being used, the puck is blasted free and the remaining damage (over and above the amount it took to break the tractor beam) will move the puck normally. Transporters do not work on the puck.
4. Scoring: If the puck enters the goal of the other team, your team scores one victory point. The puck is immediately placed back in the center of the map and the Turn continues.

(8MBe) FORCE DYNAMICS
There are several possible variations that can make Space Hockey more challenging. Terrain such as asteroids, nebula, or planets can be used. A non-contact game can be played in which teams are not allowed to damage other ships. The length of the game can be extended beyond four turns to help plasma-using empires. Instead of ships continuing where they are after each goal, one ship from each team that is closest to the center of the map can be positioned opposite each other two hexes away from the puck for a faceoff.

(8MBf) DESIGNER NOTES
This scenario requires finesse. Remember that scoring goals is the only way to win. Pick empires carefully; weapon and ship types can make or break your team.
Space Hockey was originally written for SFB as SL107 by Bill Neumann and the Tinton Falls Task Force. It was adapted for Federation Commander by Michael Bennett.
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tfarley
Ensign


Joined: 03 Jul 2013
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 7:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks all. Last night we ended up playing a modified version of scenario 8CM65 "Pimp My Ride".

I posted a session report over at boardgamegeek: http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1159904/stop-hitting-yourself-session-report.

A good time was had by (almost) all.

I definitely look forward up trying hockey next time!
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m1a1dat
Lieutenant JG


Joined: 17 Dec 2008
Posts: 99
Location: 91320

PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, ncrcalamine and i tried space hockey a couple times. It does not work very well in Fed Com as in SFB. With only 1/4 of the firing opportunities it is harder to get a good shot, and with me too firing it is easy to mess up your opponents shot and messy about figuring out where the puck goes. The rules i came up with were pretty similar the the one above, but i remember that we did split shield damage as having the puck side slip in the opposite direction.
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Steve Cole
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Joined: 11 Oct 2006
Posts: 3828

PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 6:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Based on the conversations here I have dropped any interest in printing an FC version. Feel free to use whatever version works for you.
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