First few games played - Couple of questions...

[sanguisaevum]

Hi all.

Lurker for a while now.

We finaly played our first few games yesterday (My Romulans vs my friends Feds) and there were a couple of rules / situations that had us wondering if we were playing correctly...

I would like to ask here if thats ok?

1 - The "Reverse" movement mode.

Is it correct that a ship can simply use the "reverse" movement mode and move backwards 4" regardless of how fast it might have moved previous turn. (I had decloaked and lined up a perfect plasma shot at an enemy ship, expecting it to have to move at least several inches forwards before turning. However my oponent realised that the "reverse" move would simply slot his ship behind mine, even though he had moved at full speed the previous turn.

Additionally, can this "reverse" move (up to 4" straight back) be used whilst under movement penalties, or other movement restrictions... such as Option 1 (6" move max) from power drain?

Its worth noting that we did play it the way it is written (and as such my perfect plasma shot turned into a burning wreck ), but it may be because we are used to certain other space combat games rules, that simply switching between forward and reverse movement from turn to turn is a strange concept. (also... it seemed a bit "odd" that ships suffering movement penalties such as Power Drain whilst Reloading, and damaged engines from crits, could simple "reverse")

2 - Allow to fire only ONE weapon, and Defensive fire

One of the options for power drain is to choose "Only allowed to fire One weapon system while attacking" (Emphasis mine)

There are other situations (critical hits etc) that also allow only one weapon system to fire when attacking.

How does this affect a ships ability to perform defensive fire?

As the rules read, these limitations do NOT seem to prevent a ship for employing one system to attack. and them reserving all of its other systems for defense. Again, we played it exactly as the rules are written... which seems... wrong... A power drained ship that chooses "may only fire one weapon system when attacking" shouldnt be able to employ the unused weapons for defense... should it?

But the rules are worded to imply that is pefectly fine... as far as i can see.

any help would be great.

 

[Rambler]

Ask away that's why we are here. In answer to both of your yes, as well as seeming odd, it is the way the game is played. This is the same way I have been playing and teaching the game since November.

I have used the back straight up ploy numerous times and even after reminding people I can do it when they move into position it still comes as a suprise to a lot of my opponents. As well as explaining to new player that theycan still fire every weapon system they have in defence of their ship regardless how beat up it is.

 

[Da Boss]

Ask away that's why we are here. In answer to both of your yes, as well as seeming odd, it is the way the game is played. This is the same way I have been playing and teaching the game since November.

I have used the back straight up ploy numerous times and even after reminding people I can do it when they move into position it still comes as a suprise to a lot of my opponents. As well as explaining to new player that theycan still fire every weapon system they have in defence of their ship regardless how beat up it is.

Reverse movement is very Star Trek and also I believe in SFB and FC - although its much slower than int eh show when IIRC you can go full reverse. ACAT never botherered with inerta based movement - in the same way as virtually no game does proper 3D movement.

The ship can be beat up but if it suffers critical damage, this can effect weapons fire -as you would expect.

 

[Arch Lector Petrovski]

So movement wise think either the Dundiscovered Country when General Chang shots the Enterprise at Khitomer and Kirk backs off, or in DS9: Sons and Daughters (I think) when the IKS Rotarran being chased by Jem'Hadar raider and they put on the brakes thereby dropping in behind the Jem'Hadar; right?

 

[sanguisaevum]

Reversing, ok, we played it right then, despite it feeling... counter intuative. Good to know.


As for bieng restricted to one weapon only...

"The ship can be beat up but if it suffers critical damage, this can effect weapons fire -as you would expect."

Thats kinda my point though... if a ship is suffering from power drain (and chose the option to use only one weapon system), or has suffered criticals that apply the same effect... i would expect that it cannot use its other weapons at all... as it is restricted to just one.

However the rules suggest that the restriction only applies to ATTACKING, and that the remaining weapons can be fired defensivly, despite the "power drain" or critical effects.

 

[Captain Jonah]

Under power drain you can either fire All phasers OR a single weapon line on the stat chart. As only Phasers can be used defensively you can be under power drain and use all Phasers for either defence or offence.

However if you are using Phasers you cannot use any other weapons, this includes Drones which means for the Feds no G-Racks being used as ADDs since this is a special function of the Drones and if the Drones cannot be used nor can the ADDs. Kzinti and Klingon’s are fine as for them ADDs are a trait not a weapon system.

I very strongly doubt you can claim that Defensive fire is not covered by the power drain since that allows say the Kzinti to fire Drones or the Klingon’s Disruptors as the One offensive system then carry on using Phasers defensively.

Of course the poor old plasma races get it in the eye yet again as every plasma is a separate line so they get one whole plasma D if they are using it as an ADD under power drain :roll:

 

[Da Boss]

I think that the restriction is supposed to apply to both offensive and defensive fire but that is not spelled out.

 

[Nomad]

AFAIK crippled ships may still fire anything available in defensive fire (Probably only delaying the inevitable...)

The basis for reverse movement in the SFU is Kirk backing Enterprise away from a plasma torpedo in 'The Balance of Terror'. The SFU does not include the films or TNG/DS9/Voy.

 

[Rambler]

Took a moment to review and going to say I was mixing Power Drain and crippled up. Power Drain you can only fire Phasers or a single Weapon System offensively or defensely. Crippled you can only fire one weapon system offensively and any number defencively.

 

[scoutdad]

WE also play that if restricted ti one weapon system, then it's either one in defense or offense. The other way (oe weapon system in offense but all in defense), just doesn't feel right.

 

[sanguisaevum]

OK... I have Re-read the two rules again after getting home from work..

I concur with Rambler,

Power drain does not mention the word "attacking", it simply states the ship may only fire one weapon system that turn.

It is the crippled rule that staes only one weapon system when ttacking.

I too was confusing the two rules.

Thanks all.

 

[tneva82]

AFAIK crippled ships may still fire anything available in defensive fire (Probably only delaying the inevitable...)

The basis for reverse movement in the SFU is Kirk backing Enterprise away from a plasma torpedo in 'The Balance of Terror'. The SFU does not include the films or TNG/DS9/Voy.

Well reverse movement is pretty logical anyway. What is odds is that ship can be moving full speed ahead and immediately go on breaks. Must be some good inertial dampeners or whatnot Plus one heck of a thrusters

 

[Myrm]

We have ships ignoring relativity wholesale and people are worried about inertia? :mrgreen:

 

[Captain Jonah]

We have ships ignoring relativity wholesale and people are worried about inertia? :mrgreen:

Albert who?

I wave my hand at this silly thing called Inertia :lol:

 

[sanguisaevum]

We have ships ignoring relativity wholesale and people are worried about inertia? :mrgreen:

Albert who?

I wave my hand at this silly thing called Inertia :lol:

The general Theory as applies to ACTA:SF...

"20 AD of Kzinti Drones incomming is relativly bad"

 

[Captain Jonah]

We have ships ignoring relativity wholesale and people are worried about inertia? :mrgreen:

Albert who?

I wave my hand at this silly thing called Inertia :lol:

The general Theory as applies to ACTA:SF...

"20 AD of Kzinti Drones incomming is relativly bad"

The special theory as applies to ACTA:SF...

"30AD of Kzinti Drones incoming is specialy bad" :wink: :lol:

 

[Myrm]

..and the quantum theory is used to measure the hope of survival in either case.