Space Stations

[Madadh]

Something little quibbles that have come up in the campaign we're running now that some of us have purchased space stations:

1) The P&P station goes out of its way to point out that the 5 RR and players being unable to modify the point value of the fight have been removed. Does this mean that the rule that a strategic target cannot be taken unless the station is involved is still in?

2) Taking another races station. Rules state that you replace any fighters with your races fighters, I'd assume this means with the fighters from your races equivalent hanger module, but a strict reading might mean that a Minbari taking a raider base would get ten Nial flights?

2a) It says that race modules you cannot use (which seems redundant since I'd guess if its race specific you can't use any of them) are lost and replaced by stuff of your race at the cost of 2 RR per hardpoint. 2 RR? It is almost always going to cost as much, and often more than the station was originally worth to do this. Is this really correct?

 

[Madadh]

Seriously? Nobody?

 

[Da Boss]

They are actually very good questions

my thoughts (not official obviously)

1) RAW seem to suggest that if the target is captured you loose the station , whether or not it was involved. This is IMHO a bit crap, I'd house rule this to something like scenarios involving the target must be at the PL of the Station or higher and it cna only be lost if it was involved. We are presently working on revising the Campaign rules for our next campaign and this is an area we need to look at.

2) Again yes RAW - but I would go with your more sensible assumption.

2 a) Ah now here I would think that most modules (like weapons) would be usable ? Only a few would not be usable and these should really be noted prior to the campaign start - eg Narn should not be able to use a Battle Teeps module but they are few others. Personally I would have gone with you can use the bases fighters but can't repalce them once lost?

Perhaps the easiest thing to do is to give the player taking control the ability to make his or her own station up at the same PL but using his racial rules (and retaining any damage).

not sure if this helps?

 

[Madadh]

The first one is my largest concern. Why spend so much money on a space station if my opponent can simply always claim -3 as his modifier to cancel out my +3 and then in 60% of the games a large station is unusable but still loseable.

 

[Da Boss]

agreed - House Rule time !?

 

[Triggy]

agreed - House Rule time !?

Something like if you attack a planet with a space station, the station is automatically the focus of the scenario and must be present. The PL of the game is equal to the PL of the station, with a random number of FAPs.

The scenario could be a standard scenario using the station but would be much more fun if it was one of the dedicated space station scenarios. Whichever way, the scenario can be randomly generated from a list the GM/gaming group agree on before the campaign (or if both players agree to it they can play a specific type of scenario).

As for the rules:

1) Yes the rule is still in effect.

2) Hangars should get replaced with the corresponding hangar/heavy hangar/advanced hangar/launch bay from your own fleet. If you don't have a matching option then you get to replace the module(s) as normal.

2a) Unusable modules (excluding any damage bonuses except for the hardened module) are actually pretty limited - the only one I can find is the Gaim royal module. The Psi Corps battle teeps module would be a case of agreeing before/during the campaign. With the current rules you would assume that the telepaths are captured and forced to work for you.

 

[Madadh]

Okay, that was my confuse. What does it consider 'unusable' modules? This is a problem I've had with a different parts of the ACTA books, Mongoose uses a term and doesn't bother to define exactly what they mean.

We originally thought unusable meant anything not of your race or the generic module list. If we take it literally (IE your fleet cannot benifit from it) then I need to go try to steal the nearest Minbari station cause its damn better than my raider one *laughs*

1) Yes the rule is still in effect.

Which rule are you refering to? The 'can't lose the Target unless the station is involved' or the 'if you lose the scenario your opponent gains control of the station?

 

[Da Boss]

agreed - House Rule time !?

Something like if you attack a planet with a space station, the station is automatically the focus of the scenario and must be present. The PL of the game is equal to the PL of the station, with a random number of FAPs.

The scenario could be a standard scenario using the station but would be much more fun if it was one of the dedicated space station scenarios. Whichever way, the scenario can be randomly generated from a list the GM/gaming group agree on before the campaign (or if both players agree to it they can play a specific type of scenario).

sounds good

 

[Triggy]

1) Yes the rule is still in effect.

Which rule are you refering to? The 'can't lose the Target unless the station is involved' or the 'if you lose the scenario your opponent gains control of the station?

The latter, "If you lose the scenario then your opponent gains control of the station."

 

[Madadh]

Thats what I figured

Oh well, I bought a nice star fortress in our campaign anyways, we'll see how that works out.

Though it seems buying alot of little stations is gonna be better than one big one.

 

[Triggy]

If you play them in a campaign like the way I suggest in my above post then larger stations would be immensely fun Both as a tempting target and as a useful entity in a game.