Alt. Advanced Rule for Torps?

[Kadorak]

Just curious if VaS will include any sort of optional rule remotely approximating the 'original' torpedo rules presented in the earlier S&P previews. I'm not a historical realism fanatic in any way, and I'm not looking for Command at Sea series style complexity, but I would really have to be persuaded the new torpedo rules have ANYTHING to do with the way those weapon systems worked. I don't think I can really imagine playing this game with the 'new' torpedo rules if they work the way I imagine they do; it would be like playing even a very historically loose Napoleonics game where the regiments had modern machine guns. These aren't torpedoes, they're cruise missiles!

Similarly, I know the game will include carriers and aircraft - are those going to actually be on-map always (the actual carriers) within gun range of the battleships? Will 'Midway' be fought with carriers launching just out of gun range? This just seems really silly to me, though I can excuse it a bit more than torps actually because I can't think of a really good model for long range aircraft ops interacting with surface ops in a very easy, simple way.

Sorry to rant, but it just seems silly to stray so far from the very, very basics of historical operation... I guess maybe if I don't like it I just shouldn't play it and go bugger off, but I really enjoy ACTA, love WW2 naval history & want to enjoy VaS. It just seems even the most basic fundamentals of historical accuracy have been sacrificed on the altar of simplicity, with only very marginal gains.

 

[Soulmage]

These aren't torpedoes, they're cruise missiles!

Not really, they're just abstracted out a little more.

Under the old rules, it was the player's responsibility to serve as the torpedo "gunner" and his ability to "aim" determined whether they hit or not.

In no other weapon system on the ship is that true. The dice are used to represent the gunners on the ships. Now torpedoes (presumably) work in the same way. A torpedo spread is fired at "that ship over there." The dice determine how on target the torpedoes were, rather than the player, just like all other weapon systems.

Greater internal consistency and eliminates the problem of "guess range" weapons that GW struggles with too.

Will 'Midway' be fought with carriers launching just out of gun range?

I have a feeling this will be the case, but its one of those sacrifices of realism for game play that has to be made I think

 

[Kadorak]

But with torps a very big component is the enemy's reaction - break formation to evade the spread etc. Is there any attempt to simulate that?

 

[Soulmage]

You've got me. Perhaps like ACTA there are special actions you can take. . in this case like zig-zagging or whatnot that apply a modifier to the torpedo dice?

 

[DM]

I have a feeling this will be the case, but its one of those sacrifices of realism for game play that has to be made I think

It will, but I'm working on a couple of variants to address this.