Borders of Madness: Scout Rules questions.

[jmt]

1/ In the current communique are the updated scout rules. One of the options for sensor is to control up to 6 additional drones. Given that the two scout ships out so far (Klingon and Federation) can't launch enough to need the sensor channel control, is this to be used by later ships or can scouts take over drone control from other ships?

2/ Can bases be upgraded to include sensor channels instead of some heavy weapons? If so, what is the resulting point value?

[SylvrDragon]

If you ask me that particular function is pretty much useless. I say this because any ship that could launch enough drones to make use of this will most likely have the ability to control 12 drones, such as the E7D, and such ships are not given access to this function. So basically, only ships that can launch 7+ drones in a single turn and that does not possess the ability to control 12 drones and it would of course have to be equipped with a special sensor.

[djdood]

It's not really there for us FedCom'ers SylvrDragon. It's there for the SFB people who want to use FedCom rules for major fleet battles - and in SFB you can transfer drone-control between ships.

[Scoutdad]

JMT:
Regarding question 1 - I asked SVC that question when we first saw the first draft version of the scout rules. His response was similar to Will's summation.

Transfer of drone control between ships is not allowed in Federation Commander. So I'm guessing it's included only for those SFB players that desire a chance to fight out large battles using the Fed Comm rules.

Regarding question 2: Hmmm... good question, but this will have to wait for SVC to determine. I wouldn't even begin to guess at the actual answer.

[GDA Iaidoka]

There is one situation where it might be useful. There is a scatterpack special league card. So get all 6 drones in the air, transfer them to a scout channel, then drop a scatterpack. Great for base busting.

[jmt]

It's not really there for us FedCom'ers SylvrDragon. It's there for the SFB people who want to use FedCom rules for major fleet battles - and in SFB you can transfer drone-control between ships.

But if there are no rules for transfering drone control in FC how can they be used for SFB?

Now that I think about it, the "fleet scale SFB" would use just the ship cards and not the rules - but then, you need to figure out what the missing stats (crew, tbombs, sensor rating, damage control, etc) would be for a fleet-scale ship.

Hrm.

[GDA Iaidoka]

Take all the usual numbers and divide them by 2?

[junior]

It's not really there for us FedCom'ers SylvrDragon. It's there for the SFB people who want to use FedCom rules for major fleet battles - and in SFB you can transfer drone-control between ships.

But if there are no rules for transfering drone control in FC how can they be used for SFB?

Presumeably the scout is launching the scatter-pack, which means that it has to control the drones.

I remember puzzling over this same issue (i.e. scout channel drone control) earlier, and iirc there is a ship in that issue of Captain's Log (the same one that has the special sensors) that can take advantage of the drone control - but only at Squadron Scale, iirc. I'd have to doublecheck the ship displays in that issue to confirm, however.

I'm guessing it's the drone version of the E7, but as I said I'd need to double-check.

[mjwest]

2/ Can bases be upgraded to include sensor channels instead of some heavy weapons? If so, what is the resulting point value?

You wouldn't have to replace heavy weapons (or any weapons for that matter). Special Sensors would just be outright added to the bases.

Mobile Base: Add two sensors, one per main "pod".
Base Station: Add two sensors to center of main body.
Battle Station: Add one sensor per pod, and another to the main body (total 4).
Star Base: Add one sensor per pod, and two to the main body (total .

That is for squadron scale. Fleet scale would obviously have half as many.

[Magnum357]

Jmt, I was wondering the same thing for question #1 aswell. So far, none of the Ships with Sensors really have much use for the ability.

But perhaps its there for Tenders and Bases? Bases can theroetically (for the Kzinti for example) launch a lot of Drones during a battle. This ability might also be useful for Tenders. If Gunboats are ever added (along with there Tenders) a SCS's Sensors could come in handy for extra Drone support. Maybe ADB is planning ahead to inlcude this function just for this reason alone... to make the Tender somewhat useful in Fed Commander. Just a guess.

[markgeorgetwo]

I thought that the klingon D6s scout has not being done yet so far it has the federation loilpop scout and the galactic survey ship also federation when are we going to see the klingons?.

[terryoc]

Is it 6 additional DRONES or six additional SEEKING WEAPONS that the scout can control?

Suicide Shuttles also require control IIRC. So you could have a full spread of drones plus a SS or two in flight at once.

[terryoc]

Also, can a cloaked ship benefit from Jamming?

I assume not, because:

1. Orions in FC don't get the stealth benefit while cloaked, and
2. They don't in SFB IIRC.

[junior]

I finally dug out my relevant issue of Captain's Log.

1/ In the current communique are the updated scout rules. One of the options for sensor is to control up to 6 additional drones. Given that the two scout ships out so far (Klingon and Federation) can't launch enough to need the sensor channel control, is this to be used by later ships or can scouts take over drone control from other ships?

The E7D, published in Captain's Log #35, has six drone racks and two sensors, and can control up to twelve seeking weapons at once. Since it can launch six drones per turn, after two turns it will be controlling its full compliment of seeking weapons. If it launches another six drones on the third turn, it can use a sensor to control those drones.

Fleet Scale reduces all of those numbers by half, including drone control, meaning that the sensor is still needed to control three turns worth of drones at the same time.

[kdrushal]

Where did you find that the seeking weapon control rate is halved at Fleet Scale? Rules (1C) and (4F2e) don't indicate that.