Lifepods in ACTA

[Sulfurdown]

Since I don't have my books here I can't be certain but the SFoS Quick Ref (by Jon O.) lists the damage results as
1-5: Running Adrift
6-9: Ship Destroyed (stationary)
10+: Ship Explodes.

 

[Commador Q]

Leaving the table is better of course, you get to keep the ship and all the crew. Problem is you need to be able to reach a friendly table edge. But if you can't reach an edge and your ship is on only a few damage points left and the enemy is very likely to destroy it this turn, it is worth doing. It is too late to open a jump point because you won't get to use it until next turn, by which time you'll be dead.

Yes, but first, something doesn't have to be usless to not be an abuse, just not the best option in all cases, and second, i was speeking exclusively about white stars on the outbound phase of a battle pass. it's much easier to "all power to the enginse", then "open jump point" or even just manuver out of range uner normal speed then jump out than it is, to manuver out of range, scuttle your ship, and keep the drifting hulk on the table but out of range untill the end of the battle.

since scuttling you ship to save the crew is less usefull than a tactical withdraw (you oponent gets full VP), it would only be used in situations where you can't withdraw the ship (as it should be).

 

[Iain McGhee]

I'd consider a simpler house rule for this: any ship that goes down to 0 damage but still has crew left automatically counts as having launched life pods and if their side wins half of the remaining crew may be recovered (to account for injuries, not getting out on time etc.).

 

[Burger]

Yes, but first, something doesn't have to be usless to not be an abuse, just not the best option in all cases, and second, i was speeking exclusively about white stars on the outbound phase of a battle pass. it's much easier to "all power to the enginse", then "open jump point" or even just manuver out of range uner normal speed then jump out than it is, to manuver out of range, scuttle your ship, and keep the drifting hulk on the table but out of range untill the end of the battle.

Sorry I'm not following you. How is my proposal open to abuse even to White Stars? When it reaches 0 damage or below (either by getting shot or by the proposed SA), the ship is dead and cannot be recovered.

 

[Banichi]

I'd consider a simpler house rule for this: any ship that goes down to 0 damage but still has crew left automatically counts as having launched life pods and if their side wins half of the remaining crew may be recovered (to account for injuries, not getting out on time etc.).

This is pretty close to my original idea, except crew survive on the d6 roll of 4+ (I also like rolling lots of dice). I'd originally cooked up the idea to use as postbattle book keeping for a campaign, but some of the ideas that people have put forward on this thread are cool.

 

[Commador Q]

Yes, but first, something doesn't have to be usless to not be an abuse, just not the best option in all cases, and second, i was speeking exclusively about white stars on the outbound phase of a battle pass. it's much easier to "all power to the enginse", then "open jump point" or even just manuver out of range uner normal speed then jump out than it is, to manuver out of range, scuttle your ship, and keep the drifting hulk on the table but out of range untill the end of the battle.

Sorry I'm not following you. How is my proposal open to abuse even to White Stars? When it reaches 0 damage or below (either by getting shot or by the proposed SA), the ship is dead and cannot be recovered.

you seem to have mis understood that post. i've changed my opinion in light of the information you brought up. i DON'T think it's abusable (at least not in the way i had originally thought) because it's not universally better solution to simply withdrawing. i just wanted to point out that your dismissal of the possibility of opening a jump point to escape, doesn't as unervarsally apply to the insanely fast white stars, and to qualify my change of opinion in case i come up with a different way of abusing it that doesn't involve white stars on the outbowned phase of a battle pass.

 

[CZuschlag]

This hurts the Shadows and the Vorlons in a campaign. Part of the reason those ships are double the price is that any Vorlon or Shadow that survives a fight will never have to pay for repair. Now, you create the possibility that other races get some similar sort of benefit without having to pay for it (with the 200% cost clause) that the Shadows and Vorlons eat. If you consider such a thing, you may want to give your local Vorlon or Shadow a campaign-level (not tactical over the board!) free benefit that they need.

 

[Banichi]

This hurts the Shadows and the Vorlons in a campaign. Part of the reason those ships are double the price is that any Vorlon or Shadow that survives a fight will never have to pay for repair. Now, you create the possibility that other races get some similar sort of benefit without having to pay for it.

Hmmm, you raise a good point. I hadn't really thought of this as nobody is playing ancients in the campaign my friends and I want to start. I don't think that the amount of crew saved would make a huge difference to your RR point spending. But my friend has got my rule book, so It makes doing the maths hard. Maybe if this rule is in play in a campaign the shadows and vorlons would need a slight reduction in point cost to offset the advantage that lifepods bring other players. How much is hard to tell, until we have played a few games and seen how many crew servive battles on average. Maybe the shadows could get a bonus for enemy crew captured after a victorious fight. All those free central processing units floating around the battlefield. I can't think of anything for the vorlons off the top of my head, it's been a long day.

 

[Commador Q]

i don't know how much this would hurt the vorlon or shadow players, as they would be able to ransome the crew that escaped in any battle they win.

though if there is an unbalance it could probably be undone with a couple simple rules. the shadows for example need people to turjn into the controle mechanisams of their ships so perhaps they can buy a number of ships at normal price equal to the number of captured enemy crew. or alternatively they gain bonus RRs for using captured crew for their own gains rather than ransoming them back.

The vorlons micgt be a bit trickier in that regard, but what if they could trade some number fo troops in for the telepaths pther duties benefit (thyefine the one in a hundred that is a latenjt telepath and enhance him/her to be usefull)

 

[Da Boss]

Maybe the Vorlons and/or Shadows can use any captured crew in their own nerefous schemes after sending them back "changed" perhaps a way of them getting flavourfull other duties as they have no access to them now :roll: (despite being the most manipulative races in the galaxy!!)