ACTA for 2300AD Star Cruiser

[Blackhawk33]

Been working for a while on an adaption of the 2300AD Star Cruiser rules for ATCA. What are the appropriate extensions for files attachment that are allowed? No luck with .doc, .docx, or .pdf?? Please provide feedback. Thx!!

Design Notes
The intent was to combine what I loved about the GWD 2300AD Star Cruiser game and ACTA: Star Trek by Mongoose publishing. This is not intended to be a perfect translation from one to the other, but is instead a sincere attempt to bring the flavor of the 2300AD universe to the ACTA game. The most significant change is the introduction of a Detection Phase, where player’s ships must make crucial efforts to obtain target locks on the enemy, all the while doing everything they can to prevent the enemy from doing the same to them. Unless you are playing the Kafers. In that case, illuminate the active array, hunt down the enemy, and kill them!!
In translating 2300AD into the ACTA-system, I used the 2300AD Star Cruiser ship stats, largely copying signature and profile ratings. For most other stats (Armor, Screens, Sensors, etc..) I created modified values: 1 to 3 = +1, 4 to 6 = +2, 7+ = +3. Hull values came from finding their equivalent values from ACTA and then taking a best guess. Beam weapons were a 2-for-1 basis, while missiles required a whole additional rules-set to account for their interplay. At this time, I have not worked on adding fighters into the game.

Missiles: They were something of an issue. Do I use the Seeking trait and leave them as an exchange od die rolls, or do I have them become like fighters with their own markers moving across the game board? I decided to go with the die roll option. Mostly to keep the total rule set smaller and maintain the Squadron-level feel that the ACTA system provides. Currently, a Kennedy-class Cruiser launching a full salvo of SIM-14 missiles would result in a player having to make up to five attack rolls against a single enemy target. 5d10 AD + 5d6 for Detonation warheads. But the interception efforts of the target’s defenses quickly whittle down missile AD, so I am comfortable with this for now.

Crew Quality: I want to include this as a more crucial value than it is currently used in ACTA incarnations. With a lower level of automation and greater direct human involvement in warship operations, a vessels CQ will make a more direct contribution to its combat effectiveness.

 

[Bellicose]

Since i am very curious about a ship design system for ACTA (even if it is just a fan brewed one), I am also interested in this project. I really enjoyed Noble Armada and have been working on homebrewed League and Minor house fleets. I wish good luck to anyone who would like to add to a fun game.

 

[AdrianH]

Been working for a while on an adaption of the 2300AD Star Cruiser rules for ATCA. What are the appropriate extensions for files attachment that are allowed? No luck with .doc, .docx, or .pdf?? Please provide feedback. Thx!!

I'm not sure that we are allowed attachments any more. .jpg used to be allowed so people could post images of nicely painted ships, but last time I tried that I was told "Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached". I tried deleting a few outdated image files I'd posted a long time ago to get back some quota, tried attaching the image again, and got the same message.

The most significant change is the introduction of a Detection Phase, where player’s ships must make crucial efforts to obtain target locks on the enemy, all the while doing everything they can to prevent the enemy from doing the same to them. Unless you are playing the Kafers. In that case, illuminate the active array, hunt down the enemy, and kill them!!

If that means that a ship must obtain a weapons lock on an enemy ship before it can fire anything, it sounds like the "Stealth" trait as used in every version of ACTA before SF. The attacking ship has to declare what it's firing at the target, then roll 1D to match or beat the target's Stealth value, if successful then it can fire, if unsuccessful then it can't use those weapons against another target. There are various ways to reduce (or increase) the Stealth value, and I'd imagine 2300AD Star Cruiser has a few more. (ACTA:SF treats Stealth pretty much the same way other variants treat Dodge; the target rolls against its own value to try to avoid each hit.)

Missiles: They were something of an issue. Do I use the Seeking trait and leave them as an exchange od die rolls, or do I have them become like fighters with their own markers moving across the game board? I decided to go with the die roll option.

"Seeking" in SF is similar to "Slow" in NA, i.e. the weapon ignores shields. Is that what missiles do in 2300AD Star Cruiser? (B5 missiles don't ignore shields, mainly because hardly anybody has shields!) Otherwise simply give them the "Accurate" trait from SF or NA (+1 to AD roll), and possibly the "Precise" trait (+1 to Attack table, so critical hits are more likely and bulkhead hits can't happen). That's how B5 handles missiles, though it calls the +1 to AD roll "Armour Piercing". There's also Super Armour Piercing, +2 to AD roll. And then there's Multi-hit as used in NA and SF, meaning that a missile which gets through the defences and explodes does several hits' worth of damage.

Crew Quality: I want to include this as a more crucial value than it is currently used in ACTA incarnations. With a lower level of automation and greater direct human involvement in warship operations, a vessels CQ will make a more direct contribution to its combat effectiveness.

The main use of CQ in other versions of ACTA has been for special actions, either a pass/fail roll to make the special action happen or an opposed roll against the target ship for some actions. If you want CQ to be more significant, have more special actions. (B5 has lots!) Depending on how target locks and countermeasures work in 2300AD Star Cruiser, you could perhaps also add a ship's CQ roll, so that the difference in CQ between the attacker and target becomes a modifier to the attacker's Stealth roll.

 

[Rick]

Funnily enough, I could see this working, but I would use mechanisms from VAS and ACTA:NA rather than Star Fleet - reason being that Star Fleet went down a very specific path that was not necessarily the best path for Star Cruiser. I remember it dimly; the feel was more surface action with enhanced sensors which might work best if you take a look at some of the other ACTA products.

 

[Blackhawk33]

Because I can't seem to upload my variant rules here, I've posted them at Board Game Geek as a single doc. I'll try to post them in parts here are individual post as well.

http://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/106486/acta-2300ad-draft-rules

 

[Blackhawk33]

The Initiative, Movement, and Detection Phases

Initiative Phase
Each side rolls 1d6, winner picks who moves first.
Movement Phase
• Ship’s move a max of 6”, and may make a single 45 degree turn at the mid-point.
o Flank Speed action move max of 9”
o Silent Running action move max 3”
Detection Phase
• Player vessels automatically detect an enemy ship w/n range using Passive Sensors rating.
Range = CQ + Enemy’s Radiated Signature (RAD).
+2 is using Advanced Array
-# if enemy under “Silent Running”

• Player’s may utilize a ship’s Active Sensors for detecting enemy vessels at greater range.
Range = 6 +2” per Active # + Enemy’s Reflective Signature (RFL).
-1 if facing enemy’s Fore/Aft arc

Ships are Automatically detected by ALL enemy vessels if:
• Active sensors are utilized.
• Ship makes a Beam attack on an enemy ship.

Once a vessel has been detected, it will remain so unless the following occurs:
• Leave detection range.
• Vessel goes under “Silent Running”
• Vessel shuts down Active Sensors
• (-3) detection range verses vessels that were the targets of Detonation warheads or Submunitions during the previous turn.

 

[Blackhawk33]

Attack Phase

A ship may only attack enemy ships if they are detected with Passive or Active sensors.

1. Beam attacks: Attacker rolls weapons AD x (d10), a successful attack hit on 5+.
a. -1 per Hex vs. non-adjacent targets
b. +/- # Target’s Profile, and also -1 if attacking target’s Fwd/Aft arc
c. -# Target’s Screens
d. + Active sensors (only if Active sensors are being used)
e. + Crew Quality
** roll of 10 always hits, but suffers -1 on the Hit Table.

2. Missile attacks: Each AD rolls (d10), Hit on 8+.
a. -1 to Hit per Msl “speed” in distance from attacker to the target.
(Msl speed 6” = -1 to Hit vs Target at 7” to 12”, -2 to Hit @ 13”, etc.)
b. +/- # Target’s Profile
c. -# Target’s Screens
d. -1 per Target Beam AD used for defense.
e. + Active sensors (only for Hunter Msl)
f. +2 vs Detected Targets
** roll of 10 always hits, but suffers -1 on Hit Table. A roll of (1) means this Missile AD has been depleted.

3. Hit Table: Each Hit rolls (1d6) on the Hit Table. A (6) roll is always a Critical Hit. Armor adds to the Hit Table’s Bulkhead values, Particle Beams & Detonation warheads add to an attackers die roll.
1d6 Effect
1 Bulkhead (no damage)
2-5 Hull damage (1 point per hit)
6+ Critical Hit (and 1 point damage)
Hull damage: 2nd # = Crippled Ship (Lose Masking, AR-1, Screens = 0, suffer a Critical Hit)

4. Critical Hits Tables (1d6)

(roll 4-6)Power Plant
Critical Lvl 1 Xtra Dmg 0 Turn +2
2 1 Single Lzr/Bm -1AD
3 2 -1 Trait, Max Speed 3
4 3 No Special Actions, Max Speed 2
5 1d6 No Wpns/Sensors, Screens
6 1d6 Adrift, Crew Quality vs. EXPLODE!!

(roll 3) Weapons > Pwr Plant
Critical Lvl 1 Xtra Dmg 0 Single Lsr/Bm -1AD
2 1 Single Lsr/Bm -2AD
3 2 Msl -1AD, Escalate Pwr Plant
4 3 All wpns -1AD
5 1d6 All wpns -2AD, No Msl
6 1d6 No Wpns

(roll 2) Crew > Surface Features
Critical Lvl 1 Xtra Dmg 0 Dam Cntrl -1
2 1 Crew Quality -1
3 1 Escalate Surface Features
4 2 No Special Actions
5 3 Escalate WPNS, Crew Quality -2
6 1d6 -1 Trait, No Dam Cntrl

(roll 1) Surface Feature > Crew > Wpns
Critical Lvl 1 Xtra Dmg 0 Scrn -1
2 1 Msl -1AD, Beam -1 to Attack roll
3 2 AS down, Scrn -2
4 3 PS down, Scrn down, Beams -2 to Attack roll
5 1d6 -1 Trait, Escalate CREW
6 1d6 -2 Traits, Escalate WPN

End Phase
• Damage Control roll (1d6 + CQ)
o on 6+ a single Critical Score to be reduced by 1 Level.

 

[Blackhawk33]

Special Actions, Traits, and additional rules

SPECIAL ACTIONS
All Hands on Deck +2 Damage Control, NO Missile attacks & only single Beam attack allowed
Crazy Ivan Speed 1, Pivot w/ successful CQ Check.
Flank Speed Max move 9”/ no turn allowed, Sig +2, all Beams gain WEAK trait.
Goalkeeper Enemy Missile attacks against a Friendly ship w/n 6”suffer additional (-1) to Attack roll. But this ship’s Beam attacks suffer -1 AD.
Run Silent w/ CQ Check, the ship’s RAD @ ½ (min RAD 1). SLOW trait & no Attacks, Screens, or Active sensors allowed.
Rapid Fire Against one Target, Beams gain +1 Atk roll, but gain WEAK trait.
Reload Missiles may be launched again.
Salvo Fire Against one Target, Beams suffer -1 Atk roll, but gain MULTI (AD).

Ship Traits
SCN Screens: Enemy Attack roll suffer -#
MSK Masking: Ship’s Radiated SIG is lowered, SIG +2 vs. Active sensors or if Masking is lost
KFR Kafer
CIV Civilian Array: All Sensor ranges @ -3, Beam suffers -1 to Attack roll, vessel may not use Beams to defend verses missiles.
CMD Command: +1 to Initiative roll
ADV Advanced Array: Passive sensor range = (CQ x2)
DRN Drones: Ship may make a single attempt during the Detection phase to detect an enemy vessel in play. Roll 1d10 > (10 – # Attacker’s CQ & -# Tgt’s Profile), success means the target is detected for this turn. A roll of (1) means this ship’s drones have been exhausted.
MAS Massive: Ship’s Signature is doubled verse Active Sensors.
FAS Fast: Ship max move 9”, Flank speed move 12”, Msl defense +1
SLW Slow: Ship max move 4”, no Flank Speed action, Msl defense -1
DCY Decoy: attacks by Missiles suffer (– CQ) on Atk roll, lose this trait with first Critical hit.
PDF Point Defense: attacks by Missiles suffer (___) on Atk roll, Tgt Beams can’t be used to defend against Missile attacks.

Weapon Traits
ACC Accurate: Beam weapons gain +1 to Attack rolls
DET Detonation: Roll 1d6 for each AD making an attack, the result is the Attack roll bonus. Also, ½ of the d6 roll is a bonus to Hit Table and bonus to weapon damage.
TWN Twin: Single AD which misses the target may be re-rolled once
MUL# Multihit: Each hit deals damage equal to #
PAR Particle: -1 to Attack rolls but +1 to Hit Table
WEK Weak: Each hit suffers -1 on Hit Table
SUB Submunition: Treat as Detonation warhead. Makes Attack roll as Beam weapon and as Msl AD to defend against enemy missiles.

Missile Traits
BAL Ballistic: Targets Beams (x2) vs. Msl attacks
SAH Semi-active Homing: may not attack non-detected targets
SOL Solid fuel rockets: -2 to attack vessels without the SLOW trait
PEN Penaids: +1 Atk roll, gain WEAK
NUK Nuclear warhead: as DET but without bonus to Atk roll.
HNT Hunter: Missile gains ships Active # on Attack to Hit roll.

Kafer Rules
• Begins battle with CQ-2. Once the Kafer ship suffer a Beam/Missile attacks OR makes a successful attack, the Kafer CQ raise by 1 each turn. (Max CQ 2)
• Always uses Active sensors.

Missile Rules
• Max missile range = Speed # x (3 + CQ).
• Msl AD may be split between multiple targets in a single turn.

Crew Quality
+3 Elite
+2 Veteran
+1 Professional
+0 Trained
-1 Civilian
-2 Kafer

 

[Blackhawk33]

Ship Examples:

Kennedy (DRN, ADV)
Turn 3 (FAST) Hull-20/7 AR 0 Screen 0
Profile +1 / Sig 4 (Mask) Active +3 RAD 4 RFL 7
Laser: Accurate FPA) 2AD FSA) 2AD F) 1AD
SIM-14: Msl (7”, Det+2, HNT) 4AD x5

Kiev
Turn 4 Hull-12/4 AR +2 Screen +1
Profile +0 / Sig 3 (Mask) Active +2 RAD 4 RFL 5
Beam: Acc, Multi 2 FPS) 2AD APS) 1AD
Glowworm: Msl (6”) 3AD

BETA (KFR)
Turn 3 Hull-30/10 AR +3 Screen +2
Profile +3 / SIG 7 Active +3 RAD 9 RFL 16
Beam: Multi 3 FPA)1AD FSA)1AD
Beam: Acc FPA) 2AD FSA) 2AD
Msl: Whisky (5”, Det+1, SAH) 2AD

 

[Rick]

I would suggest that only active sensors would give the kind of precision necessary for a beam attack. Passive sensors will only detect other ships that have active sensors on but at a longer range and can give enough info for a missile launch.

Rather than the Sig/Sensor roll, wouldn't using the Stealth rules work just as well?

Also - by adding a ships profile you are re-inventing the wheel. Go back to a previous version of ACTA and look at the variable hull values. By using a different hull value ('to hit' number), you differentiate between ships that are easier to target and those which are more difficult, without having to use 2 separate values. To a small extent, this is what I meant when I said that perhaps ACTA:SF might not be the best basis for Star Cruiser.

 

[Maelmordha]

Bear in mind that the earth nations in SC used modern naval tactics to find and kill at a distance. Effectively using maximum hide whilst launching sensor drones and setting missiles up ready for the ambush. When detonation missiles go off they leave a cloud of radioactive debris that extends the effective distance to target if you are scanning through it.

It was about getting in that first hit and forcing your opponent to illuminate first so you could blow the heebijeebis out of him before he could do the same to you. Stay passive as long as possible listening for that 'dropped spanner' and getting your sensor drones as close as you can without risking them against fighters.

Shields were just clouds of chaff held in a magnetic field and weren't that effective. Ship defence was more focused on point defence weapons rather than shields.

Having said all of that Kafer tactics were 'full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes'. But their ships were BIG.

My point is that it may be difficult to convert to ACTA since the detection mechanics were so important and the game was based around 'strike from a distance' more often than not. ACTA does not really have an equivalent apart from the stealth/dodge traits which would need some serious work to effectively mirror the original rules on detection.

I like the original SC ruleset although the ship stats were a bit skewed in places. I still play 2300AD with a selection of bespoke additions to the rules so I'm watching with interest to see where this goes......