Federation Commander

Mike · Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:59 pm Post subject:

So, if two friendlies with the same speed and same baseline cost tractor each other, their speed is reduced to 0 as long as they remain tractored?

That still costs each ship only 1 energy point. If they were moving at 24, it would cost them 3 points apiece to decel and not move at all during an Impulse.

mjwest · Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:25 am Post subject:

Mike · Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 2:44 am Post subject:

I didn't take your explanation as any kind of insult. Perhaps you were joking about that.

As a matter of fact, I appreciated your clear explanation of the entire concept.

If you want to write a tactics note about using mutual tractors to force a speed 0 situation for two friendly ships until whenever they want to resume normal movement during a Turn, go right ahead. I'm not interested in writing such a thing. My main interest is in writing scenarios and perhaps a little fiction that goes with THE GAME.

Which reminds me, I hope the pieces I submitted didn't get lost during the ADB move to the new building...

mjwest · Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:46 pm Post subject:

Kang · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:37 pm Post subject:

mjwest · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 3:09 pm Post subject:

Correct. The only restrictions are the movement related ones given in (5D6b).
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junior · Captain Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 803

You can't go into Evasive Maneuvers if you've got a tractor beam attached to your ship (and similarly you can't be tractored if you're using EM).

iirc, that's probably the most important restriction.

Kang · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 7:13 pm Post subject:

Good point, Junior; I'd forgotten about that. Thanks Smile

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Kang · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:08 am Post subject:

A few new tractor questions, if I may.

1) Ship A is Speed 24, Ship B is Speed 16. They are both move cost 1.

Ship A tractors Ship B and, because it spent 24 points on movement, controls the movement of the linked pair. So far, so good.

Ship A now performs an emergency decel, for whatever reason.

Who now controls the movement? Ship A did spend more points on movement, even though he later got some of it back [for shield reinforcement only], through ED. And if Ship B controls the movement, speed will be 8, yes? because his baseline speed is reduced one level...

2) What is the upper and lower limit for tractoring terrain features? You cannot tractor planets or moons (5D3a), but you can tractor asteroids (6B5e) to tow them. I take it that asteroid hexes in and of themselves cannot be tractored; they're just dust and pebbles. So tractoring an asteroid hex would not slow your ship down, whereas tractoring a medium asteroid like in The Coming of the Meteor or like the Tholians do, will indeed slow the ship. Am I right here?

3) When tractoring a medium asteroid as in (6B5e), I assume that the 8 points has to be applied over the entire turn? Or can I apply the 8 points in one impulse and move the rock and thereby have done with it?

4) If I'm being tractored early in the turn, and use negative tractor, does that negative tractor power stay with me for the rest of the turn even if I lost the auction? And can I add more power to the negative tractor later?

For example, Ship A tractors Ship B, and there is an auction. Ship A spends three points on tractor, Ship B spends 2. Result: Ship B is tractored. Ship A then releases Ship B, who is then subject to a tractor attempt later in the turn by Ship C. As I understand things, Ship C needs to apply three points of tractor energy to establish a tractor beam at that point. Now let's say Ship B wants to avoid that tractor; can he now apply an extra point of neg tractor to his already existing two points, meaning that Ship C now has to apply four points to establish the tractor?

5) Can you 'switch off' negative tractor power? For example, in the example above, the unfortunate Ship B suffered a lot of damage at the hands of Ship A, and an allied ship, Ship D, wants to tractor Ship B away and out of danger. Does Ship D have to apply more tractor power than Ship B's neg tractor power, or can Ship B 'switch off' [and thereby lose] his negative tractor power?
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Kang · Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:16 pm Post subject:

Please can I 'ping' this thread and read what the answers are for my questions above? Smile

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mjwest · Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:44 pm Post subject:

Sorry, missed these after getting work under control.

Kang · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:06 am Post subject:

Kang · Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 11:22 am Post subject:

Ok, another question if I may.

A ship is under tractor from an enemy ship. Can the tractored ship, at some point later in the turn [or even next turn], attempt a counter-tractor, the winning of which auction would then give him the control of the beam?

In other words, does a counter-tractor attempt have to happen when the enemy's beam is first attached, or can it be initiated later?
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mjwest · Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 1:51 pm Post subject:

Before answering your question, I want to point out that "counter-tractor" only applies when two ships are trying to tractor the same thing. When a given ship is fighting off a tractor attempt on itself, it uses negative tractor. (Of course, once it wins with negative tractor, it can turn around and establish a tractor of its own for what would be the same power cost.)

To actually answer your question, yes, negative tractor can be used at any time, not just when the tractor is established (or over the turn break).
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