The_Rock wrote:My thoughts are that while I agree there should be no speed restrictions, I am not really fussed about it. Let me go to SFB functionality to explain why.
Why does a Cloaked ship need to be able to move fast while under cloak? To prevent an enemy from just sitting on him.
Does this work in SFB? Yes, but not just because the cloaked ship can go fast. SFB has two distinctions that are relevant to cloaked speed.
1. Paying to cloak for 1 impulse costs the same as paying for 32. In this way, the cost of cloaking is a significant driver on maximum speed. Fed Com's two rules (once the ridiculous voiding rules are changed): Base Speed 16 and pay for 4 impulses at minimum, help simulate these restrictions in SFB. Remember, you can go 16+1, you just void the cloak that impulse (under Mike's changes).
2. Everyone is less flexible in their movement options. What allows a Fed Com opponent to just sit on a cloaked target is the general movement rules. This would be true at any allowed cloak speed (except, yes, 16+1 not voiding would allow escape from Hydran fighters). If you and your opponent are both base 16, and he is sitting on you, there is really nothing you can do to change that. The ability for every ship to go +1 as me too and to pay for unlimited deceleration means you are going to be stuck. Changing the rule to allow 16+1 to not void would not change that situation. So there is really no point in fighting it.
If you want to escape, your key in Fed Com is having a better turn mode. Unfortunately, all the good Romulan Ships (there are only two) are TM D. So I think that is a situation you will just needs to live with.
I've included The Rock's original quote to provide a context for my idea. It's a simple but novel idea that might well have the effect that he's looking for.
Speed considerations aside, may I suggest that a cloaked ship moves last in any given movement sub-pulse.
This can be techno-babble explained by saying that the enemy ship cannot see which way the cloaked ship's bows are swinging or whatever; remember that cloaking allows the general position of the ship to be known but not an awful lot of detail.
Letting the cloaked ship move after all other ships in its sub-pulse would simulate this uncertainty rather nicely, as well as allowing the cloaked ship a chance to escape from directly 'under' a pursuer due to the change of initiative.
You could also allow a cloaked ship to choose its accelerations secretly and have a simultaneous reveal on accelerations - perhaps using the cards in
Orion Attack - like we already do during the Baseline Speed phase at the start of the turn.
This would also tie in rather well, technologically speaking, with my earlier idea about not allowing targeted damage on a cloaked ship.
How does all that sound?
