Federation Commander

Re: Primarily directed to the Rules Master, MJWest, but posted for anyone to consider, here are some questions about cargo transfer between a ship and a planet.

Suppose a ship is landed on a planet and is going to transfer cargo from the planet into its cargo hold. To land on a planet, the ship has to be stopped and adjacent to the planet at the end of a game turn. During energy allocation of the next turn, the player has to announce that the ship is landing. On the first sub-pulse of the first impulse, the ship is moved to the planet hex and has "landed". In order to take off from a planet, the "landed" ship does so during the End of Turn procedure.

1. Is it safe to assume that a landed ship can transfer cargo from a planet at a rate of 1/2 cargo box per turn (the same rate that cargo is transferred while docked)?

2. Can a ship transfer cargo on the turn that it first lands on the planet OR would it have to wait until the next turn?

3. Can a ship land and take off in the same turn (since landing is done during the first impulse and take off is done during the End of Turn procedure)?

4. If a ship can transfer cargo during the same turn that it initially lands on a planet, can it land on the planet, transfer cargo, and take off all in the same turn?

5. One other unrelated question. Can a ship that is landed on a planet also use its transporters to transport cargo (at 1/5 cargo box per transporter operation) in addition to transferring 1/2 cargo box because it is landed?

I'm trying to develop another scenario that involves landing on a planet and transferring cargo, so I need to know the answers to these questions.

Mike wrote:1. Is it safe to assume that a landed ship can transfer cargo from a planet at a rate of 1/2 cargo box per turn (the same rate that cargo is transferred while docked)?

Yes, that works. (And it matches how (5F2a) works for marines.) This will be a line item for the CRUL.

2. Can a ship transfer cargo on the turn that it first lands on the planet OR would it have to wait until the next turn?

Since you land at the very beginning of the turn, you should have enough time to make the transfer in the turn of landing/docking.

3. Can a ship land and take off in the same turn (since landing is done during the first impulse and take off is done during the End of Turn procedure)?

Since the activities are so far apart in the sequence of play, I cannot see a reason to prohibit this. Unlike a shuttle landing and taking off in the same point of an impulse, this is widely spread across a turn. (As far as can be done within a single turn, actually.)

4. If a ship can transfer cargo during the same turn that it initially lands on a planet, can it land on the planet, transfer cargo, and take off all in the same turn?

Well, since the turn is structured so, I have to say yes.

5. One other unrelated question. Can a ship that is landed on a planet also use its transporters to transport cargo (at 1/5 cargo box per transporter operation) in addition to transferring 1/2 cargo box because it is landed?

Most definitely yes. You could even throw stuff into a shuttle and use that, too, if you want.

In addition, docked/landed transfers take place during the (1E3c) Marine Combat Phase. (Yet another line item for the CRUL.)

MJ, thanks for the replies.