Concentrate all firepower Question

[herdleader]

We play boresight as, point to point, and the player will line up on a ship so you can draw a line between the two points. if the opposing ship moves then then boresight is lost. The only true way to get boresight on a ship with CAF is to blow the ships engines, or stay in the same spot uing All Stop!

Another way of doing it, is by making a marker for each ship with boresight, and place it on the board where the ship is exactly boresighted up to. then you can draw a straight line from the stem to the marker for boresight.

If you use "All Stop" then you can't CaF because they are both special actions and you only get one! :wink: CaF with boresight takes a great deal of luck.

 

[lastbesthope]

As we play the game, you HAVE TO make a turn to use your boresight weapons.

Actually there are other ways, the obvious ones are firing on immobilised or stationary targets, firing on ships which don't turn when you were lined up along his axis last turn (the straight-line tailing situation), and using the gravity well of a planet to gain a free turn (specifically mentioned in the description in Book 1). I've yet to manage the gravity well solution, myself...

However, I have more than once managed a CAF! with a Boresight by pure coincidence. My opponent stopped a ship accidentally right in front of my ship, and I declared CAF!

Wulf

Well you can also orbit a planet to get a CAF boresight without technically turning.

And i would have disallowed the 'accidental' boresight

LBH

 

[Wulf Corbett]

And i would have disallowed the 'accidental' boresight

I don't see why, really. If a ship was moved so it stopped in the best fire arc of another ship that had already moved, would you disallow fire on that ship?

It's simply a matter of coincidence. You are far, far less likely to move a ship precisely onto a Boresight, but it's bound to happen eventually.

Wulf

 

[lastbesthope]

I just play that way to prevent any and all arghuements of, he's moved into my boresight, type.

Less stressful in the end :lol:

LBH

 

[Wulf Corbett]

I just play that way to prevent any and all arghuements of, he's moved into my boresight, type.

So what do you do about arguments over which arc a ship is in if it's on the line? That dividing line is exactly as fine as a Boresight.

Wulf

 

[Estalies]

why not add the crew check if you want to turn and CAF?

 

[Chernobyl]

In practice, I think its better to disallow another ship accidentlly lining up in a boresight. after all, if the player had been paying more attention moving the ship a fraction of an inch less would make the difference. It just keeps the game more gentalmanly. better sportsmanship to say "you realize you're in my boresight" if the other player truly doesn't understand it. If he agree's that he's moved into your boresight, and doesn't want to move, then OK.
I think it follows with declaring boresights. less trouble than lining up the ships to the nth precision and then the table gets bumped. Don't want to ruffle any feathers in a friendly game.

Chern

 

[Wulf Corbett]

It just keeps the game more gentalmanly. better sportsmanship to say "you realize you're in my boresight" if the other player truly doesn't understand it. If he agree's that he's moved into your boresight, and doesn't want to move, then OK.

Actually, what we do is say "You realise you're in my Boresight?", and if he agrees, he don't get to move! If he disagrees, we measure more carefully, and then it's no more difficult than if it's a matter of range. We've had some occasions where a micrometer could come in handy for range...

Wulf

 

[Balance]

My friends and I also 'declare' boresights, so there's no confusion and it's easier to recreate setups in case of counter disruption or giant SpaceCat intruding on the fight.

 

[lastbesthope]

I just play that way to prevent any and all arghuements of, he's moved into my boresight, type.

So what do you do about arguments over which arc a ship is in if it's on the line? That dividing line is exactly as fine as a Boresight.

Wulf

The rules cover that Wulf, the attacker decides which of the two arcs the target ship is in.

Would give you a page reference but I am away from my books till tomorrow.

LBH

 

[Wulf Corbett]

The rules cover that Wulf, the attacker decides which of the two arcs the target ship is in.

Yes, but does your opponent always agree that he's on that line, and that the attacker has that choice? That line between arcs is just as narrow as a Boresight. And as a Whitestar jockey, you should know that that line can be between everything and nothing.

Wulf

 

[lastbesthope]

Well I've never played a game where an agreement wasn't arrived at.

If I turn my ship onto his already moved ship, I say I'm turning it so that their in such an arc, or vice versa, when moving, if it's even close, I ask him to clarify which arc we think he's in.

It's always worked out

LBH

 

[demonllamma]

Same deal for me. I usually ask when I finish moving a piece and find that i have a questionable arc I ask my opponent. We usually look at it and if it is too close to call, we roll. I have had a situation where I was arguing for a relatively poor arc while my opponent was arguing for the better one. I ended up winning that argument, although it wasn't entirely a win... Anyhow, if you find something that is close, ask the other guy. If you can't decide and there are another set of eyes around, use them. Declaring these things can also clear up alot of problems, much like boresighting, although we haven't had much problem with these.

 

[Scimitar]

I think my feeling about CAF is why is it automatic when scramble scramble & come about! and all hands! are not. These would be drilled to the same level by an officer I would think. I also wonder why APtE is auto when Come About isn't. a 50% boost in engines would be harder to get from engineering than the extra manueverability.

End Rant...

 

[Wulf Corbett]

I think my feeling about CAF is why is it automatic when scramble scramble & come about! and all hands! are not.

I would say SS! would require the maximum performance from a great number of individuals, pilots, hangar crew, 'ground' control, etc. CAF! would probably be automated. Now, Come About, I'm not so sure of. maybe the difficulty reflects the accurate timing and risk in over-straining the directional thrusters and main engines to effect a hard turn. That, however, assumes a very 'hands-on' sort of navigation which is highly unrealistic in a spacecraft (but therefore in keeping with a drama-over realism show and game).

I also wonder why APtE is auto when Come About isn't. a 50% boost in engines would be harder to get from engineering than the extra manueverability.

APtE! is more about control than power. The difficulty is in maintaining that control above a safe upper limit. There is no theoretical maximum velocity, but there IS a maximum controllable momentum for every ship...

I still find it more irritating that it's so difficult (and contrived) to use CAF! with a Boresight, when there is no maneouvre more concentrated than slaving the entire ship to weapons control...

Wulf

 

[Pirate PB]

I wouldn't change how it is activated but I would give it some options in useage, specifically as an alternative to countering stealth for example:

nominate whether you want to:

1. re-roll misses
2. re-roll stealth check

this would represent a ship with a good lock choosing to direct its fire at one location with the aim of achieving more hits or firing across a wider area in an effort to hit a target with only a partial lock.

 

[Elessar]

I agree with lastbesthope

"Well I've never played a game where an agreement wasn't arrived at.

If I turn my ship onto his already moved ship, I say I'm turning it so that their in such an arc, or vice versa, when moving, if it's even close, I ask him to clarify which arc we think he's in.

It's always worked out "

We do exactly the same and never found any problem

In fact Narn player always wait to see enemy ships moving and move his own to target it, telling others "I use B arc weapon on this target"
Everyone agree to this gentleman way of playing