Escape pods

[Dan Ibekwe]

Something I'd like to see in the game; rather than everyone on board a ship dying (if they can't emergency transport off) when she goes down, a rule stating that all ships carry escape pods.

They're more practical in FC than SFB since ships don't explode.

These would be representd by an upturned counter in the hex the ship was destroyed in. Each crew unit rolls a D6, and abandons ship successfully on a 4+. The pods would then become a target for rescue or capture by either side.

More background fluff than anything else, though it does have precedent in Trek, in the First Contact film, and in the SFU, for fighter pilots at least, in POIS survival pods.

Any takers?

[DirkSJ]

Something I'd like to see in the game; rather than everyone on board a ship dying (if they can't emergency transport off) when she goes down, a rule stating that all ships carry escape pods.

They're more practical in FC than SFB since ships don't explode.

These would be representd by an upturned counter in the hex the ship was destroyed in. Each crew unit rolls a D6, and abandons ship successfully on a 4+. The pods would then become a target for rescue or capture by either side.

More background fluff than anything else, though it does have precedent in Trek, in the First Contact film, and in the SFU, for fighter pilots at least, in POIS survival pods.

Any takers?

By each crew do you mean each boarding party? FC has no ship crews...well at least none on the SSDs...one assumes the ship has crew .

[pinecone]

I'm for it. I'd say that they would be practical in SFB too, you'd just have to abandon ship more quickly.

They would be more useful in scenario building than in actual battles, though.

[Kang]

My problem with the idea is that they could 'unbalance' the rules on self-destruction.

However, Piney's right; you could use them in a special scenario rule.

[Bolo_MK_XL]

Been a long time since I played SFB -- but since you can do an emergency evacuation if the ship is hit by an extreme amount of damage -- no reason escape pods wouldn't work ---

[Steve Cole]

Ships have always had escape pods, and no reason for them to be in the game. After the battle, somebody picks them up. The crew is either rescued or captured. No more of a rule is needed. It's just "dirt" in the rules.

[Dan Ibekwe]

Do'H, forgot there are no 'crew units' in FC...