Cloaks and asteroids

[Kang]

Rule (5P3d) says that '...entering a dust cloud or asteroid hex...' will void a cloak.

Rule (6B2e) [final paragraph] says that 'If a cloaked ship takes asteroid damage, it loses (for the next impulse) all benefits of being cloaked...'

Which is correct, please? It is sufficient simply to enter a hex to void a cloak or do you have to take damage to do so? And I note that the 'voiding' period is different too, 1 impulse for taking damage, four impulses for a 'proper' voiding.

[Mike]

I always took that to mean that while a cloaked ship was in an asteroid hex or dust cloud hex that its cloak was voided. As soon as the ship left the hex, its cloak would be fully operational.

[DNordeen]

I do the same as Mike.

If your in an asteriod/dust cloud hex you're voided until you leave

If you took damage, you're voided for 1 impulse, even if you leave the hex.

Although the more I think about it, the more I believe that's not the interpretation SVC planned.

[Kang]

I do the same as Mike.

If your in an asteriod/dust cloud hex you're voided until you leave

If you took damage, you're voided for 1 impulse, even if you leave the hex.

Although the more I think about it, the more I believe that's not the interpretation SVC planned.

Maybe, but it's a good interpretation. I like it. But let's also wait and see what Mike has to say.

[Mike]

I agree with DNordeen.

If the cloaked ship manages to get through the asteroid hex(es) without taking damage, then the cloak is not voided. If it takes damage, the cloak is voided for the following impulse.

That seems to be the intent of the way the rule was printed, which is what we have to go by.

[Kang]

But still I'd reiterate that Rule (5P3d) says that '...entering a dust cloud or asteroid hex...' will void a cloak. We can't ignore that, and it seems pretty all-encompassing. Enter that hex, and your cloak is voided - which means for four impulses. Ouch.

[OGOPTIMUS]

But still I'd reiterate that Rule (5P3d) says that '...entering a dust cloud or asteroid hex...' will void a cloak. We can't ignore that, and it seems pretty all-encompassing. Enter that hex, and your cloak is voided - which means for four impulses. Ouch.

That also goes along with what Kirk was expecting to happen in TOS 'Balance of Terror' with the comet tail that the Warbird went through.

[DNordeen]

My problem with that is, that the warbird gets hit by the comet tail; its not just hanging out next to it. There's enough room in a hex to share with other ships. Surely there's enough room to share with a comet or asteriod.

The way my group made sense of it was that getting hit by an asteriod has to be a bigger event than just hanging out with them, therefore, if getting hit "voids the cloak for 1 impulse" than hanging out with them should only void it while your in the hex.

To be honest, I really don't understand how sharing a few 100K miles of space with an asteriod or two voids your cloak. If anything, I'd expect the cloak to work better since the asteriod would cause some false readings or make it that much harder to find the little traces of the cloaked ship. It'd be kind of like trying to find a needle on a sidewalk while standing up. That's hard to do, but now let me throw in a bunch of finishing nails...now it's even harder to find.

Now if you hit an asteriod, we get a nice explosion or flare or aura of some type that say HERE I AM. Which is basically the warbird flying through the comet tail.

I guess to sum up, if I was king for a day...
1) Being in asteriods would not void a cloak
2) Taking damage from an asteroid would void the cloak.

Getting back to the actual rules though, I now see that the rules are more vague and contradictory than I thought. I'll wait for MJWest to give us a ruling on it.

[Kahuna]

I've noticed that MJ has so far avoided weighing in on this one. It might be a bit more muddled than we thought. I've been waiting to hear this, though I'm thinking I won't often have to worry about it.

[mjwest]

I've noticed that MJ has so far avoided weighing in on this one. It might be a bit more muddled than we thought. I've been waiting to hear this, though I'm thinking I won't often have to worry about it.

Actually, I have been enjoying the conversation, and I didn't want to kill it off.

(Yes, and RL has been keeping me from the hour or so I need to dedicate to answer the three questions.)

[mjwest]

I looked through it (finally!) and Kang is right. It is completely muddled. So, I am gonna have to email Steve about it.

EDIT:

Wow! Steve was quick for me on this one.

The answer is this: (6B2e) is correct. That means (5P3d) will need to be modified to agree with this.

Note that this means NOTHING happens to a cloaked ship upon entering a dust or asteroid hex. The cloaked ship must take damage for the cloak to be voided. In such case, the voiding only lasts for a single impulse.

[Kang]

Crumbs! Makes the cloak better, I think - and properly so - but still makes it worth while to be hanging around near the cloaked ship with a ready tractor beam....

Thanks for your help on this one, folks.

[Kahuna]

I've noticed that MJ has so far avoided weighing in on this one. It might be a bit more muddled than we thought. I've been waiting to hear this, though I'm thinking I won't often have to worry about it.

Actually, I have been enjoying the conversation, and I didn't want to kill it off.

(Yes, and RL has been keeping me from the hour or so I need to dedicate to answer the three questions.)

Thanks for posting on this one MJ. I'm also happy to see the answer. I find cloaking to be a lot of fun so this helps out.