dossamg@houxn.UUCP (A.GOPIN) (01/22/85)
I have just been handed 5 scenarios to playtest for the game StarFleet Battles (a game of ship to ship fighting in the Star Trek Universe). They are as follows: The Wreck Of The Rex: Gorn Command Cruiser goes to a truce talk with the Romulans in Y176 and is ambushed by a Sparrowhawk and 6 Snipe-A's. Supply Voyage: Klingon supply task force of a D-5H, D-5G (the above two are new ships), Tug-B and E-4 gets jumped by a Hydran force of a Lancer, Hunter, and Cuirassier in Y170. The Run For Home: A 3 scenario mini-campaign in which an Andromedan Dominator is abandoned by its crew in satellite ships who try to make rendezvous for pickup to return home. Intercept!: The Andromedans raid a small Federation colony for supplies and are pursued by a Fed task force - Fed DN+, CA+, FFG, and FFS vs. 3 Cobra, 1Courier, 1 Terminator. Rendezvous: Andromedan survivors of above attempt to buy supplies from an Orion Salvage Crusier but gets jumped by a Gorn Task Force - BC, HDD, PFT Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Surviving Andromedans make rendezvous point only to find a pitched battle going on between a Federation taskforce and a Romulan StarLegion - Fed - DN+, GSC(CVL), CA+, DD, 2xFFG, FFS Romulan - Superhawk, Sparrowhawk-E, Skyhawk-A, King Eagle, ChickenHawk, Skyhawk-F Andromedan - Survivors of above, Dominator arrives turn 2. If any experienced SFB players are interested in helping out with this playtest, please let me know by mail. I will send details. Before you ask, please note: I need reports by 21 February. Alan Gopin ihnp4!houxn!dossamg a.k.a. Cat Who Sleeps With Dogs Commanding, Third Kzinti Field Force
andrews@uiucdcs.UUCP (01/24/85)
I take it this is for the scenarios in the Third Commanders Rulebook? Brad
dossamg@houxn.UUCP (A.GOPIN) (01/25/85)
One of the five SFB playtest scenarios I am responsible for appears
below. If you wish to work on it please submit a report to me by
25 Feb. 1985. The report should include the following:
The names of all the people who participated
(so they can get listed in the credits).
The scenario number.
The number of times it was played.
The number of times it was completed.
Does the scenario "work?" Why or Why not?
Is the scenario balanced? If not, who does it favor and why?
Is there a "trick key" that can unlock this scenario and make it
fall apart (become dull or disappointing)? If so, what is it
and how can it be fixed?
Should any changes be made?
Any other useful comments.
Thanks for your help
Alan Gopin
ihnp4!houxn!dossamg
a.k.a. Cat Who Sleeps With Dogs
Commanding: 3rd Kzinti Field Force
PLAYTEST SCENARIO FOR SFB - COPYRIGHT 1985 (c) AMARILLO DESIGN BUREAU
(SP671.0) THE WRECK OF THE REX
In Y176 Admiral S'Trenk of the Gorn 3rd Fleet received a message
from Admiral Marcus Tiercellus. The Romulan Admiral stated that he was
personally tired of the war, and that his entire fleet was willing to
declare its own neutrality and the eutrality of its home province.
As this would cripple the Romulan forces on the Gorn border, the Romulan
Emperor would be forced to sue for peace, ending the war. Tiercellus
insisted on a personl meeting with S'Trenk to discuss terms.
S'Trenk had little choice but to accept the invitation; any chance
to end war and save countless lives was worth any risk. Even so, he was
wary of a Romulan Trap. Tiercellus agreed to meet him in open space,
each admiral in his own crusier and no other forces. To satisfy Gorn
fears, the Romulan Admiral transferred his flag to a Sparrowhawk, a
ship decidedly inferior to S'Trenk's Command Cruiser. Tiercellus even
offered to allow a Gorn destroyer to sweep the area ahead of time to
make sure no mines oe cloaked ships were present, an offer S'Trenk
accepted.
S'Trenk's Command Cruiser arrived and approached Tiercellus'
Sparrowhawk. S'Trenk's flag lieutenant was not convinced.
"I still think it's a trap," S'Toval warned. "There are probably a
dozen ships within range, all cloaked and waiting for the moment to
attack."
"Unlikely, lieutenant," the admiral responded. "they would have to
use small ships, and have them lying here cloaked for six months to
avoid our detection. Anything shorter than that, and the residual
effects of their arrival could be detected. And those tin cans don't
carry the food or air to stay in space that long."
"Then they've been eating moonbeams, Admiral, because they just
uncloaked!"
(SP671.1) NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2; the Gorn player and the Romulan player
(SP671.2) INITIAL SET UP
GORN: Command Cruiser Rex in 3515, facing C, speed 0, WS-III
ROMULAN: Sparrowhawk Avenger in 4218, facing F, speed 0, WS-III.
Six Snipe-A cloaked anywhere on the board not within 10 hexes
of the Rex and not within 10 hexes of each other, facing at the
option of the Romulan player, speed 0, WS-III.
(SP671.3) LENGTH OF SCENARIO: The scenario continues until the Rex has
been captured or destroyed or has disengaged.
(SP671.4) SPECIAL RULES
(SP671.41) The map is fixed; it does not "float." Romulan ships cannot
cannot leave the map.
(SP671.42) The Gorn ship can only leave the map between hexes 0110 and
0120 inclusive. This is the only means by which it can disengage.
(SP671.43) Because they have been cloaded for several months, the six
Romulan Snipe-A firgates have only one crew unit each. They are
considered undermanned (G9.42). The have no boarding parties, shuttles,
or PPTs. The can uncloak (using fade-in) at any point, but cannot move
on the turn that they complete fade-in.
(SP671.5) VICTORY CONDITIONS:
If the Rex is captured, the Romulans win an astounding victory.
If the Rex is destroyed, the Romulans win a decisive victory.
If the Rex is crippled, the Romulans win a marginal victory.
If the Rex escapes uncrippled, the Gorns win a decisive victory.
If the Avenger is destroyed and the Rex is crippled, the result is a
Gorn decisive victory. If the Avenger is destroyed and the Rex is not
crippled, the result is a Gorn astounding victoy.
Destruction or capture of all seven Roumlan ships and escape by the
Rex (regardless of its condition, so long as it is undestroyed and has
working warp engines) would surely mark S'Trenk as a legendary captain.
Notes: The Snipes are old ships and considered expendable, and so do
not figure int the victory conditions. However, several months have been
spent laying this trap, and a failure to destroy the Rex will probably
cost Marcus Tiercellus his command (if not his life).
(SP671.6) VARIATIONS: the following variations can be used by the
players to provide different challenges within the general conditions
of this scenario.
(SP671.61) Replace the Rex with a Federation Command Cruiser or
Battlecruiser.
(SP671.62) Add a DD (3316) and HDD (3513) to the Gorn forces (or a DDL
and FFG to the Federation forces). Replace two Snipe-A with Snipe-Bs;
add two Warbirds to the cloaked forces.
(SP671.7) BALANCE: This scenario can be balanced to suit players of
different levels of skill or experience by deleting a Snipe-A or
replacing it with a Snipe-B.
(SP671.8) TACTICS
(SP671.81) ROMULAN: The trap must be carefully laid. Two ships must be
deployed as goalkeepers astride the Gorn exit point. The others should
be set up to provide interlocking fields of fire. Don't fire all of the
torpedoes at once, as this would simply encourage the Rex to use a wild
weasel. Remeber, the Rex can destroy the Avenger before the Snipes can
reload. One possible tactic: have your ships grab the Rex with tractor
beams to slow it down.
(SP671.82) Gorn: Discretion is the better part of valor, and it is not
going to be very wise to stay and fight seven ships. As such, your first
duty is to escapt. Even using a HET on the first turn and maximum
acceleration, it will be sometime during turn 3 before you can leave the
board. That being the case, the most direct route is not strictly
necessary. Indeed, a route along the edge of the map could put many of
the Snipes out of range. Whatever you chose, don't be predictable. You
might even roll a die to pick a course so that you can't be outguessed.
Save your own phasers to blast plasma torpedoes. Since you will
start with torpedoes armed, use them to pin down key Romulan ships,
but don't reload them as you won't be on the board long enough. Save
the power for shields and negative tractor. Your probably won't have
time for wild weasels (although one or two should be ready, just in
case), but the rest can be used for suicide attacks.
Those seeking legendary status should be warned that no mere mortal
can succeed. If you try, take out the Sparrowhawk first as it is the
most dangerous opponent, then go Snipe hunting. You might even manage to
capture a Snipe by boarding, if you want to add to your legend.
(SP671.9)PLAYTESTER'S COMMENTS: A fast-pased scenario; it's all over in
three turns.
INSTRUCTIONS TO PLAYTESTERS: Note Snipe-A in Starletter #23; note that
Snipe-A has six warp engine boxes, not eight.andrews@uiucdcs.UUCP (01/26/85)
So we have to know what a snipe-A is, sigh, I was thinking about trying it out tommorrow night. Brad
overlord@nmtvax.UUCP (02/01/85)
In article <> andrews@uiucdcs.UUCP writes: >I take it this is for the scenarios in the Third Commanders Rulebook? > > Brad ......No, these are the scenarios for Captain's Log #4 Alan Kerr Socorro, NM Playtest Group New Mexico Tech
dossamg@mtuxn.UUCP (A.GOPIN) (07/30/85)
If there are any Star Fleet Battles players out there who would
like to help me out in testing the following new rule, please
use it and send a report to me by 31 August.
Thanks
Alan Gopin
ihnp4!mtuxn!dossamg
a.k.a. Cat Who Steals The Stars
STAR FLEET BATTLES
------------------
(FP90.0) USE OF PLASMA TORPEDOES AS DIRECT-FIRE WEAPONS
(Provisional Rule for Playtest Purposes Only)
Copyright (c) 1985 Amarillo Design Bureau Revised 29 July 1985
========================================================================
Plasma torpedo launchers can be fired, within certain restrictions,
as direct fire weapons, rather than as launchers for seeking weapons.
This procedure is less efficient, but has certain tactical advantages.
The method of firing in this mode is to modify the energy field
holding the torpedo in the launcher in such a way that the matter-energy
conversion will begin in the tube, rather than upon impact with the
target. The torpedo energy is then released as a directed stream,
in effect lasing.
(FP90.1) AVAILABILITY
All plasma torpedo launchers except those noted in (FP90.2),
during all time periods, can be used in this mode. Using a given
launcher in either mode does not restrict its future use
(even within the same scenario) in the other mode.
(FP90.2) RESTRICTIONS
Certain types of plasma torpedoes cannot be used in direct-fire
mode due to the nature of their operations.
(FP90.21) Pseudo-plasma torpedoes cannot be used in direct-fire mode
because they are not energy based weapons, but fixed-rounds stored in
advance. Besides which, as no deception is possible, there would be no
benefit to doing so.
(FP90.22) Enveloping plasma torpedoes cannot be used in direct-fire mode
due to the nature of their detonation, which surrounds the enemy ship
before implosion.
(FP90.23) Type-F plarma torpedoes are too small to be operated in this
manner.
(FP90.24) Plasma shotguns cannot be fired in this mode. The individual
elements are to small to lase, and all will fuse into a single
detonation.
(FP90.3) OPERATION
(FP90.31) The direct-fire mode of the plasma torpedo operates as any
other direct-fire weapon. It is declared and resolved in the direct fire
weapons phase, cannot be diverted as seeking weapons can, and cannot be
intercepted or reduced by weapon's fire on the torpedo/beam itself.
(FP90.32) The effect of electronic warfare on the fire of a plasma
torpedo in direct-fire mode is resolved by (D6.36). While that is the
chart for seeking weapons, its use does not indicate that the
direct-fire mode of the plasma torpedo operates for any ther purpose as
a seeking weapon. Torpedoes fired in direct mode do not have the
built-in ECCM of seeking weapons.
(FP90.33) To be fired as a direct-fire weapon, the plasma torpedo
launcher must be fully charged and ready to fire. The decision to fire a
plasma torpedo in either seeking or direct mode is made only at the
instant of launch/firing.
(FP90.34) There is no overload function for a direct-fire plasma torpedo.
(FP90.4) COMBAT RESOLUTION
The effect of a direct-Fire plasma torpedo is resolved as follows:
A. The owning player indicates his intention to fire a plasma torpedo as
a direct-fire weapon. As in all such cases, he designates the firing
ship and the target.
B. The probability of a hit is based on the effective range to the
target and is given here.
------------------------------------------------
RANGE 0-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-31
HIT 1-5 1-4 1-3 1-2 1
MISS 6 5-6 4-6 3-6 2-6
------------------------------------------------
C. The amount of damage scored is equal to one-half of the warhead
strength at the true range to the target. Note that this can be reduced
by the effects of ECM (which accounts for terrain and a host of other
factors), the cloaking device, and other condiions. Retain fractions
throughout the calculation, then drop all remaining fractions at the end.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Designer's Notes
The concept of a direct-fire function for plasma torpedo launchers
is not new, and has long been requested by the Gorns and Romulans alike.
At one point, we had planned on adding a capability to fire photon
torpedoes from the plasma launchers (when we switched to the Commander's
Edition), but this proved impractical and the idea was dropped.