Invincible Destroyers!

[DM]

I really think hard core history types would be better served by just finding another ruleset. VaS is just supposed to be a fun naval wargame based on WWII. It is NOT supposed to be a recreation of WWII naval combat.

I've said it before, I'll (probably) say it again. I see absolutely no reason whatsoever why a set of rules can't be fun AND historically accurate.

 

[E Nicely]

Right. There's WWII land warfare rules that will center on tanks a lot more than infantry or vice versa. VaS is about the ships. I see it as the air combat as being something you'll need in historical scenarios.

 

[Chernobyl]

I've found spotters somewhat cumbersome - moreso when there's spotters from 3 or 4 different ships all trying to spot on the same ship and you forget which is which...
a pain since the spotter benefit only goes to the ship that launched the spotter.

Chern

 

[Jammybee]

We use the GW method (7+ is a 6 then a 4+) And give secondary weapons the twin linked attribute. Means those Cruisers with triple gun turrets have their own niche of DD control.

 

[Chernobyl]

Fitzwalrus, who's to say that flank speed doesn't represent the maximum speed of ship? so "speed" would be "ahead standard" and on "ahead flank" orders the ship could be going "ahead full" or "ahead flank" speeds depending on what they want. in this case, 1 inch is closer to 3 knots (rather than 5, not sure where you got that, but ok...)
in that case the 8" speed destroyer can go up to 12 inches, or about 36 knots - a much more realistic number. Its all in how you look at it.
Anyway - its just a game. Don't get bent out of shape over it - if you want historical accuracy / more detailed play, the ACTA/VAS game systems probably aren't for you...

Chern

 

[Soulmage]

We're going with a house rule on spotters that a spotter plane provides the targeting benefit to all allied ships that carry spotter planes.

That way you don't have to keep track of which plane belongs to which ship. Also makes the people who bring carriers a lot happier that their fighters can zip around zapping spotter planes and therby negating a significant tactical advantage.

 

[Fitzwalrus]

Fitzwalrus, who's to say that flank speed doesn't represent the maximum speed of ship? so "speed" would be "ahead standard" and on "ahead flank" orders the ship could be going "ahead full" or "ahead flank" speeds depending on what they want. in this case, 1 inch is closer to 3 knots (rather than 5, not sure where you got that, but ok...)

Crunch the numbers in the VaS lists: if you divide the given speed in knots at the bottom of the stat blocks by the Speed (in inches) it usually works out to five knots per inch. Or do it the other way: divide the speed in knots by five and you get the stat Speed in inches, usually rounded up in favor of the ship's Speed. The listed Speed in the stat blocks is the ships' recorded maximum speed: "Flank Speed" adds 50% to the fastest speed a given ship was capable of historically.

VaS uses a number of simple formulas like this to get their numbers. Mongoose said the Crew stat figure was the historic crew number divided by 25; dividing a carrier's historic complement by six gives you the number of VaS Flights carried, the Crippled and Skeleton Crew numbers are usually 1/3 of the respective undamaged stats, etc.

 

[Chernobyl]

my point is, the ships maximum speed IS flank speed...
"flank speed" doesn't miraculously allow the ship to go even faster.
The mechanic of VAS simply states that its a special order.
Trust me, a destroyer (even one with a 1200psi steam system) is going flank speed when its doing 32 or whatever knots.
You're assuming that the listed speed trait IS the maximum speed, when in reality the thirty+ knot figure is traveling at flank speed.

Chern

 

[Soulmage]

That would make each inch of move very close to Pi. . . . 3.14285 knots. I'm sure that was their intention! LOL!!