===== INTRO: Hi! I'm Jeff Buchmiller, jlb@edsr.eds.com. I'm looking to play Star Fleet Battles by email. This is the Twirling Aces combat series of SFB PBEM games. Jim Mason's web site (http://www.pacificcoast.net/~jimbo/sfb.htm) has some reference sheets, rules, utilities, and at least one game going. Our game is email based, but we've got a web interface up & running, for our convenience in accessing game information. It is at (http://www.netcom.com/~dratliff/sfb.html). ===== LOGISTICS: I'm moderating a game now. All players send text-based forms to the moderator with orders. The moderator sends out results, positions, damage summaries, etc. Each segment of orders covers 8 impulses. Each segment of orders is due on the following Monday at 18:00 US Central time. Please include any ongoing orders in each segment's orders. It gets ambiguous when an old ongoing order doesn't really conflict with new orders, but also doesn't jive with them. We could use http://www.irony.com for die rolls. The results are email'd to whomever is specified. PGP tagged for authenticity, in case anyone is concerned. Nobody would be required to use PGP with those web dice rolls, but it's available if anyone cared to validate the emails. So far, nobody minds having the moderator roll dice, which is much more convenient. Rules, races, & ships are official Captain's edition, with ADB-published errata (see http://www.task-force-games.com/sfu/sfb/errata/erratoc.html and http://www.task-force-games.com/sfu/sfb/errata/Errata.txt). As standard gaming netiquette, please always include "SFB ACES #:" in your subject, so that people at work can prioritize answering emails. ...whichever way that is for you. ;^) "SFB ACES" to distinguish between this game and others that some of us are in. The # is the scenario number. Once most people are eliminated, we could get the next scenario going, depending on interest at that time. What normally happens in PBEM games is that some people drift off after a couple weeks. We should prepare for that to happen, but hope that it doesn't. If you just need help for a week somewhere down the road, let me know. If someone's ship is killed, you can pick up an abandoned ship, if you want. Otherwise, they'll sit for target practice. This is a combat sim game, but a little role playing flavoring can enhance the fun, and you're welcome to go by your Captain's name, name your ship, etc. You might be inclined to rationalize an alpha strike by relating the story about how that ship's captain hit on your niece, slaughtered an outpost, etc., but no such flavoring is required at all. If you disagree with an action or result, please bring the issue to the moderator's attention promptly. It is the moderator's responsibility to be reasonable, fair, and thorough, but also to keep the game fun and moving along. If a dispute over an interpretation of the rules and/or of orders arises, the moderator will make a decision as promptly and fairly as is possible, and play will continue with that precedent applied consistently for the remainder of the game. Transmissions from any captain to any or all others are freely allowed. Disinformation may or may not be present. Nobody is there to police, so why bother trying. Feel free to send in-character communications to all of us, especially including the moderator [hint, hint], even if in a "real" battle, not everyone could hear it. Some of you are good writers, role-players, etc., I'm sure. The moderator will NOT send you disinformation, unless completely accidental, in which case let him know ASAP for correction. The moderator will not forward transmissions to other captains, unless permission obtained for a specific purpose. ===== SCENARIO 1: Each player has one destroyer-size ship. Use the tournament map. Each ship starts along a wall evenly spaced around the perimeter (we'll figure out even spacing once # players is known). Note that there may not be much room to go & hide. The barrier that separates you from your freedom (around the edge of the map) will stop your ship and do 5 points of damage if you run into it. If you are tractored, the tractor link will be broken, also. If you are tractoring some other unit, that tractor link is not broken. Seeking weapons and shuttles take the 5 points of damage, but, if they survive, do not stop moving, just remain in their current hex, similar to being stuck in a web. Plasma torps take this damage as phaser damage. A unit displaced by a Displacement Device would simply end displacement in the last hex possible, not taking any damage. On impulse 16 of each turn, a speed 20 standard drone is launched from two random corners, and a plasma S-torp is launched from a random one of the two remaining corners. Note that being on impulse 16 means that orders for the third segment of the turn can take these house weapons into account. These house weapons move towards the nearest _ship_ each impulse of movement; they are able to change targets if someone else becomes closest. They seek under the rules, except to remove conscious control by a player, they slip, move forward, then turn, in that precedence, without creating a disadvantage for themselves, whenever a choice is available. Whenever two targets are equally close (including at impact), a random target is selected. At HET or initial placement, if 2 headings are otherwise equal, head to lead the target. If all ships are destroyed and the battle continues with only shuttles, the house weapons seek shuttles. > Has the plasma torp [& drones] already moved one hex when it appears? No. The generators/launchers are not behind the wall; they're in the corner hexes on very small indestructible (within the span of a scenario) asteroid- like platforms. Victory goes to the last ship or shuttle surviving (or not conceding). Why a shuttle?... In orders, a player may specify that the ship is being abandoned. For those 8 impulses, the only activity allowed other than life support, shields, fire control, seeking weapon control, & straight movement (if not at speed 0) is to get into a shuttle. A legal transporter activity on any impulse is ok, or you can climb into a shuttle in a bay on your ship, launching on the 8th impulse of the segment. A fighter is a shuttle, too. The ship self destructs on the _following_ turn, if it is not otherwise destroyed first. Weapon Status III: * Phaser capacitors energized & charged. * Energy stored in systems designed for it (ESG, DisDev, etc.). * All fighters armed. * Fighters may be deployed within 2 hexes of ship with same facing as ship, then ship's "Turn 0" speed <= max fighter speed (for acceleration purposes). * One drone (medium only, not slow) per rack may have been launched on Impulse 28 of "Turn 0". Place them within 4 hexes of your ship, not within 3 hexes of any enemy unit. * 2 shuttles may be prepared for special roles (SS, WW, SP). * Multi-turn arming weapons (note: not disruptors, not fusion beams) may be ready & held, except non-holdable weapons (such as plasma-R) still need their last turn of arming. All commander's options & option mounts are public information from the start. It is suggested that TacIntel level K be used when full TacIntel rules are not in use, for future scenarios. Crew and boarding party losses will be public information, since original numbers were known. In other scenarios, with TacIntel level K, you wouldn't be able to track them on enemy ships. ===== SCHEDULE Select a ship by MON Jun 02. The moderator will send out starting positions (randomized via dice, evenly spaced) WED Jun 04. By FRI Jun 06, please send in commander's options, option mount weapons, locations of drones and fighters you want to launch on "Turn 0," and your ship's heading, then the moderator will forward them all at once. You'll then know the combatants & positions for first turn EA and first segment orders, which are due MON Jun 09. You may wait until first turn EA to declare special role shuttles (SS, WW, SP) prepared and weapons & systems charged, but DO NOT FORGET! Default heading is towards the center of the map, default deployment of drones/fighters is none. Default Commander's Options selection is T-bomb (if possible), then extra BP until 96 is reached. ===== RACES & SHIPS: Pick a race & ship you'd like to twirl. Select from the list below or make a proposal (the next thing to do for you). Let the moderator know, and he'll forward to all respondents at once. The moderator will also send human names with ship selections. If you prefer to have a captain name and/or ship name, let him know. Y175, with Y175 refits generally available subject to BPV. BPV limit 96 (except for the poor crewed-Romulan, pun intended). 'n' on size class means nimble. These stats need to be verified on the ship before they're official. If you need the SSD of any of these, let me know. Don't forget to start thinking about drone upgrades, commander's options, option mounts. > Was 96 BPV the hard ceiling, or is that a "before 10% commander's > options" limit? Hard ceiling. If you have a 96 BPV ship, you won't have commander's option points to spend. Note that there won't be many T-bombs in this scenario. > Do we get the T-bombs on the SSD? No T-bombs unless purchased, as per the rules. > Do I get 20% commander's options? No. > How about ship X?... No experimental ships, simulator races, or unofficial races/ships. A note on the scanned SSD's: My scanner is one of the 1/2-page wide variety, we'll be sending & storing these often, and the weapons charts are the same over & over, so I arranged the ship-specific diagrams & charts in a smaller format. A ship fits on even a small screen ok, now. The full-page high-speed (and high-quality) scanner is currently unavailable. ===== RACE & SHIP MENU: Here's the proposed ships menu: #1/#4 race ship sz BPV shields weapons, notes ---- ---- -- --- ------- ------------------------------------------------------- Fed DD 4 94 20/16 4 PHOT, 6 PH-1, no refit Fed FFB 4 92 20/20 3 PHOT, 4 PH-1, 2 PH-3, DRN(G-rack) >> another alternative, from Captain's Log #8 (ok since ADB & Capt. Edition) Klin F5C 4 94 26/16 2 DISR, 2 DRN, 2 PH-1, 3 PH-2, no refit, 1 UIM >> drop UIM, pay for Med drones, BPV = 93 Klin F5D 4 93 21/16 5 DRN, 5 PH-2, 2x drone reloads, no UIM, B refit >> pay for 2 racks of Med drones, others remain Slow, no B refit, BPV = 96 Klin 2xE3D 4n 84 15/9 2x(2 DRN, 4 PH-3), Y175 refit, module R3 >> never mind this pair of E3D's Rom SPA 3 100 30/20 PL-G, 2 PL-F, 5 PH-1, 4 PH-3, cloak, poor crew Rom SNB 4n 90 20/20 PL-G, 2 PL-F, 2 PH-1, 2 PH-3, cloak, NSM, lg wp ofcr Kzin CL+ 3 96 18/16 4 DISR, 4 DRN, 2 PH-1, 4 PH-3 >> no C-12 "+" refit (only 2 DISR, 2 DRN), add Y175 refit, Med drones, BPV = 96 Kzin DW 4 90 24/16 2 DISR, 4 DRN, 3 PH-1, 2 PH-3, module R2, Y175 refit >> no Y175 refit, Med drones, BPV = 94 Gorn CL 3 92 24/16 2 PL-S, 4 PH-1, no refit, 6 shuttles Gorn BDD 4 96 20/20 PL-G, 2 PL-F, 4 PH-1, no refit Thol ? - make a proposal Orio CR 3n 92 18/12 3 OPT, 4 PH-1, 2 PH-3, stealth, no refit, no cloak Orio DW 4n 94 18/18 3 OPT, 3 PH-1, 4 PH-3, stealth, cloak, mod. R2 Lyra CL 3 92 24/11 2 DISR, 2 ESG, 4 PH-1, 2 PH-3, refits available Lyra DW 4 89 24/16 3 DISR, 2 ESG, 2 PH-1, 2 PH-3, refit available Lyra DND 4 90 20/20 2 DISR, 2 ESG, 6 PH-1, 4 PH-3, module R5 LDR DD 4 96 22/12 2 DISR, 1 ESG, 4 PH-1, 4 PH-G, UIM refit >> another alternative, from Module C4, an altered Lyran ship Hydr RN 3 93 33/15 4 FUS, 6 PH-2, 2 PH-G, no refit, ftrs previously lost Hydr L-Q 4 95 20/20 4 FUS, PH-2, PH-G, 4 Sting2 (choose) Hydr 2xHN 4 96 17/11 2x(2 FUS, 3 PH-2, PH-G) Hydr LN 4 95 24/12(18) 3 FUS, 3 PH-2, 2 PH-G, Sting1+Sting2+(Sting2|refit) Hydr ERL 4 96 28/20 2 HB, 2 FUS, 3 PH-1, 2 PH-G, module R5 Wyn AxCV 4 50+ 10/10 4 OPT, PH-1, <=6 Basic Ftrs (F18, Z*, *AAS, Sting*) Wyn ODB 4n 93 24/20 5 OPT, 3 PH-1, 4 PH-3, stealth, no 2xEngine, mod. R3 ISC DD 4 92 20/20 4 PL-F, 4 PH-1, 4 PH-3 ISC 2xPOL 4 88 14/10 2x(PL-F, 2 PH-1, 2 PH-3) Andr COB 4 83 4P/3P 2 TRL, 4 PH-2, extra Tbombs?, legendary navig/science? Andr VIP 4 90 4P/3P TRL, 4 PH-2, outstanding crew ===== RULES: The intent is to keep the rules as open as possible, in order to enable each of you to utilize your strengths. However, many rules listed as applicable for this scenario simply won't be utilized (terrain, minesweeping, etc.) Instead of listing only those rules likely to be utilized, I'm focussing on what is not allowed. This scenario, as many do, has many optional rules excluded. Once discussion of a future scenario rolls around, bring up any ideas. Because of the varied backgrounds, it is difficult to provide everyone with the exact set of rules they prefer. If this stretches you a little, then it's probably helping you to be a better player. If you genuinely have a hard time with something, let me know. Generally, the rules are in the Basic Rulebook, Advanced Rulebook, Module C1, Module C2, and the R Modules. Rules in modules M, J, K, C3, C4, & others are generally excluded, with the exception being that the LDR is an available race. The map comes from the Tournament module. All sub-rules of stated rules are implied. A Intro B How to Play C Movement excluding C1.32-C1.33 Pre-Plotted Movement excluding C2.3 Deceleration Due to Damage excluding C3.8 Directed Turn Modes note: including C12.0 Mid Turn Speed Changes D Combat excluding D3.6 Leaky Shields excluding D6.3 Electronic Warfare (but natural sources DO apply) excluding D8.0 Critical Hits excluding D17.0 Tactical Intelligence excluding D20.0 Hidden Deployment excluding D21.0 Catastrophic Damage excluding D22.0 Energy Balance Due to Damage E Direct Fire Weapons F Seeking Weapons note: F3.6 Secret Targeting means that you won't know if those SW's are coming for you or someone else. Labs are important in this scenario. Make sure to declare any special intentions for the use of labs. If you want to tell someone else acquired targeting information in exchange for other information or not firing on you, feel free. (Just remember: the only enforcement of agreements is the weapons & systems on your ship & shuttles!) It's a little more work for me, but I hope that not knowing whether those drones, plasma torps, and shuttles coming at you are targeted at you or the ship behind you will add to this scenario. FD Drones excluding FD9.0 ECM Drones FP Plasma G Ship Systems excluding G13.6 Hidden Cloaked Units excluding G24.0 Scout Functions excluding G27.0 Romulan Cloak Decoy H Power J Shuttles excluding J4.9 Fighter EW M Mines P Terrain R Races, Units (see list of modules above) S Scenarios (some special scenario rules used) X X Technology these rules are excluded Natural sources of EW (non-generated/non-loaned) still count, so you can have a die roll shift. Erratic Maneuvers, small target modifiers, etc. Commando BP's are avaiable as Commander's Options, but their only effects are improved results on the BP tables in the Basic Rulebook. No Warp Booster Packs, MRS, or Andromedan shuttles. GAS specified on ships are present as on SSD with increased damage capacity, but function as admin shuttles except may not be used as Suicide Shuttle. If you purchase one T-bomb, you get one Dummy T-bomb with it. Don't forget to declare triggering parameters when placing a T-bomb, or the defaults will be used (no count, all size classes). Sorry if it is annoying, but please use fractional accounting. With smaller ships like these, it matters. Let's stay consistent, and I'm used to fractions, so it'll be easier on me, too. Leftover fractions can be stored in batteries, capacitors, or applied to almost anything as contingent allocation (thus requiring less battery to complete, leaving some battery for next turn). If you don't want to deal with fractions, round all costs up to the nearest whole point (except Andros are required to use fractional accounting, to avoid abuses). Note that you are technically friendly with nobody else; everyone else is enemy. This matters for certain rules, such as friendly fire limitations, shuttles landing/crashing/being dragged aboard ships, etc. We are not using Catastrophic Damage (D21.3) this scenario, because of the special Captain Evacuation rule. However, see G8.33. Because "emergency situation" is discussed in this rule, with just a reference to D21.3 (which I believe is due to the fact that this rule is in the Basic Rulebook and D21.3 is in the Advanced Rulebook), we'll allow the 4 crew/tran rate (instead of 2). However, this activity does cost normally and restrictions on frequency of use of transporters remain in effect. (These are relaxed in D21.3, but we're not playing with that rule.) ===== EA, ORDERS, & RESULTS FORMS: Declare your speed(s) for the turn along with EA. Default is a constant speed for the turn. You can make conditional orders for movement, systems, and weapons. You'll notice that if someone wanted to get crazy, they could. As long as it's clear, that's fine. Use pseudo-code, if you prefer. But if it's not clear, the moderator no choice but to try to match the orders as closely as he can, maybe not achieving optimal results for you. This is a big difference (can be considered good or bad, depending on what you like) between face-to-face and PBEM. Giving concise and clear orders is a great leadership skill. I hope we're all accidentally improving ourselves as we play. :^) Whenever a choice that the player would normally make is not specified in orders, it's the moderator's responsibility to achieve favorable results within the rules and considering information normally available to the player. For example, if a drone rack is destroyed as an internal hit, he'll choose the one that has fired all its drones already over the one that hasn't. Whenever there is no obvious reason to choose one over another, he'll determine randomly. Within a class of Phasers (PH-1, PH-2, etc.), he'll determine randomly, unless you specify otherwise. "Better" firing arc all depends on what you're planning to do, is the reason for this one. Decide your priorities on boxes for damage. You can give deterministic orders per impulse, which would ensure you get done what you order. You can say things like "Fire all overloaded photons as soon as I'm in range 8." Then, if you don't make it there by Impulse #8, you'll not have fired them, and you can decide what to do with them for the next segment. You can say, "If any drone gets within lab range, try to identify, and if targeted on me, use minimal phasers to guarantee a kill." As we go, I'm assuming some simple strategies that are in your best interest, such as firing ADD's at drones instead of phasers, when possible, and identifying with labs a solitary seeking weapon coming at you. I hope you agree that to maintain complete neutrality and fairness, the moderator has to go by what the orders are, not by what the moderator thinks the intent behind them was. There's got to be a line, or else the moderator would end up sitting down to play the battle out alone for all the ships. There are normally missed opportunities and goofs, in almost every segment. You are not alone when you have one. This is the nature of 8-impulse segments and not being present every step of every impulse, to provide an explicit context for orders, in a game of endless potential combinations of interdependent events and restrictions. Be as clear and concise in orders as possible. "If someone like the Kzinti gets within range 8," is different than, "if the Kzinti gets within range 8." "Like the Kzinti" sounds like a guess as to who it will be, but anybody will qualify. Starting out with a description of your intent can be very helpful. If you say, "I am doing whatever I can to kill the Fed F," then that can take care of which ship to fire at, in case of ambiguity (such as "like the Kzinti" when both reach range 8 at the same time). "Protecting my shield #1 from damage is more important than any offensive action," is helpful in certain situations, as another example. It is usually a good idea to include "safety net" clauses, such as, "Fire any photon at X if on the next impulse, X can leave its firing arc or the range to X will increase beyond 8." Using an impulse-by-impulse format is not required for orders, but it may make it more difficult for you to overlook opportunities and dangers. You don't need to write a dissertation, listing every possible combination of events. You'll likely miss some possibilities, if you try that approach. We're all improving by experience. If you come up with any suggestions to improve how we play, please speak up. If you think I misinterpreted your orders, you are welcome to point it out and state your case as to why the orders indicate otherwise. There has to be a limitation, though, and revisions can be made only for true misinterpretations of, not for amendments to, orders. I'm doing my best, spending the time with each of your orders, to try to avoid ever going back and redoing segments. Let's keep cross-checking each other's info. If I see any ambiguous situation coming up, I'll remind everyone generically to give specific orders about ADD vs. phaser, or deciding which seeking weapons to identify. > Are we allowed to just say "Pursuit"/"Evasion"/"Station > Keeping"/"Ballistic" etc., with relation to *one* other unit? Yes. See the "plotted movement" rules for definitions of those terms. Even though the rules are not in effect, you can communicate movement orders with them. If you don't turn in an EA, you get a default EA for that turn. If you don't turn in battle orders for a segment, you get defaults for the segment. You can miss here & there will no ill effects, but not always. If you'll be out of town, busy, etc., you can send in orders ahead of time, simply taking a little more risk that conditions won't change by unanticipated events. I catch several problems, and hopefully resolve them without messing up anybody's plans. I also cause a couple problems here & there. Whenever I do that, I'll try to work out a resolution that meets as closely as possible the intent of your orders and the rules. If you see something, let me know asap, and we'll work on it. I'm reasonable, but have to make sure the correction doesn't make anything worse. For example, correcting a record of an isolated ship's position is an easy fix. ===== PLANNING STRATEGY & TACTICS Because you submit orders for 8 impulses at a time, there will be many situations in which an opportunity slides right by, you're surprised by a Suicide Shuttle, etc. It's the same for everyone. Not only does grouping 8 impulses together speed up the game, but it also allows each of us to put whatever amount of effort each of us enjoys into playing this game. And I'm sure there will be at least one week for each of us where there's only time to submit obvious orders and let all the little possibilities play themselves out. If someone has the ability to analyze all the little possibilities, they'll be able to utilize that skill, but lots of detail is not required in order to play & enjoy it. ===== GAMEPLAY NOTES Instead of holding Tractor Auctions, state how much power you are willing to spend (for positive or negative tractor in each circumstance), then you'll actually spend the minimum required to win (or you'll spend it all and lose). All reserve power is assumed to be available to place or to resist a tractor beam, unless declared otherwise. For Tractor Auctions during EA, you'll have to indicate where unused power you were willing to spend in a Tractor Auction should go. Please note what weapons (if any) are not to be used in defense. Default fire order is: ADD, PH-G, PH-3, PH-2, PH-1. You might want to declare where in that list defensive drones and torps fall; otherwise, they will be saved for offensive purposes. You'll have to declare if you'd fire PH-2 as PH-3 to save power, also. Declare (to the moderator) the target of a SW (drone, plasma torpedo, seeking shuttle) when it is launched. You may share this information with whomever else you choose. The default damage trigger for a Scatter Pack is 1. Please note that the Energy Allocation Form has a few extra line items for ease of accounting. At the end of each turn, Twirling Aces Battle Points may be awarded, based on participation (1 point for actually playing in a game) and damage inflicted (by numbers of internals inflicted). Special achievements (capturing an enemy ship, defeating monsters, winning a scenario, etc.) can earn bonus points. Twirling Aces Battle Points are valid for your career, and will sometimes be used to seed players and for some scenarios to determine order of side/ship selection. ===== FORMS ENERGY ALLOCATION FORM SEGMENT BATTLE ORDERS SEGMENT RESULTS ===== SCENARIO 1 OPENING ANNOUNCEMENT 9 blips have appeared on the long-range sensor scans. Or is that 8, 10, or 11? How curious to find so many warships in one place at one time! Attempting to hail unidentified vessels... Some are fading off the screen. Several are growing brighter and warp signatures are being identified... Red Alert! You have just been trapped within a subspace anomaly as you were focussing sensors on several blips that suddenly appeared on your screen. Attempts to scan beyond the anomaly's rectangular (how odd!) border prove futile. As you were drawn to this point in space, so were several other ships from all ends of the known portions of the Milky Way and even from another galaxy. Ship/Captain List: MODERATOR: Jeff Buchmiller jlb@edsr.eds.com code ship player start hex/head F Fed FFB David Ratliff 3230/A Marko Ramius, Capt. D.R.At opt: IVm drone, Im drone, upgr 2 DRN, 2 DRN -> VI, extra CMDO R Gor BDD Mike 2701/D Adjudicator, Capt. Gwendarian opt: none old: Michael Dunington G Gor CL Gordon Fraser 1601/D Capt. Gordon opt: none H Hyd LN+ Brian Newman 0123/A GloriousFire, Capt. Lraxxayn opt: +-refit, Sting-1, Sting-2, 2*BP, 2*ftr @0121/A I ISC DD Travis Boelter 4223/F Subjugator, Capt. Thavik opt: T-bomb A And VIP Jim Meier 1030/A Capt. Teneel opt: T-bomb, 2*extra CMDO Q Hyd LQ Wayne Bell 0501/D HiddenMeaning, Capt. Bell opt: 4*Sting-H, 3*ftr @0501/D K Kli F5C Les Hostetler 2130/A Havoc, Uncle opt: UIM, one rack drone upgrade D LDR DD Tattoo Luck 4212/E Deception, Capt. Kreshk opt: none E Fed DD Eric Stilleon 3801/E USS Patton, Capt. Stilleon orig: Justin Miller opt: none O Ori CR Lysander Lysandrou 0112/C Capt. Lysander opt: Stardust Cartel, PHOT FA, PL-F LP, PL-F RP Z Kzi CL 1516/C orig: Eric Stilleon opt: none L Lyr DND Zephyr Q 2816/F Mokatar Zeph'Qo tar ('He who speaks no poison') opt: none ===== TIPS Don't forget to plot speed, post guards, plan repairs, and initiate reloading activities during EA. No HET on Impulse 1 (except by seeking weapons) of any Turn. Your maximum speed is limited by the lowest speed you traveled in the last 32 impulses... +10 (only +5 for some) or *2, whichever is higher, is your maximum. No speed changes before impulse 4 or after impulse 28, or within 8 impulses of another speed change. The energy allocated for movement during the turn must generate movement points equal to the number of hexes moved, however many different speeds that spans. If you are new to mid-turn speed changes, then just plot a single speed for the entire turn, then watch what everyone else is doing. It's not tough, just another level of planning tactics on top of all the others. Decide whether to arm a photon torpedo with a proximity fuse during energy allocation of the second (or subsequent, if held) turn of arming. Don't forget to hold (with 1 point of energy) an armed SS or to roll (with one point of energy) a charged WW. Erratic Maneuvering increases Turn Mode by one, unless the unit is nimble. Shuttles are nimble. A seeking weapon must move straight forward on its first movement after launch, unless it is able to HET by the seeking rules. Don't forget that your maximum speed in any impulse is limited by acceleration based on your slowest speed during the previous 32 impulses. You may change speed under the normal between-turn limitations between turns. Don't forget that most weapons and systems have an 8 impulse delay before next use, even across turn boundaries. Unused shield reinforcement, tractor, transporter, HET, etc. energy is lost and does NOT carry over to turn 2. Capacitors, batteries, or a weapon arming cycle of some kind is required to carry over energy. It is important to list all ranges (a range of ranges is ok) at which weapons/defenses will be fired, if any ranges are given. It is important to list all hexes (a span of hexes is ok) at which weapons/defenses will be fired, if any hexes are given. It is important to list all conditions under which weapons/defenses will be fired. It can be very useful to specify alternate targets for weapons/defenses, in case the primary targets are for some reason destroyed/avoided by other means. There were some orders in turn 1 that weren't as solid as the captain hoped they'd be. The only ways to tell a real vs. pseudo plasma torp: * let it impact * persuade the launching captain to tell you Effects of being crippled (50% of internals destroyed): can fire probe as weapon, can use emer life support, lose nimble status, loss of HET bonus (Ref S2.4) Effects of being uncontrolled (no control spaces undestroyed): turn mode class one higher, no HET, no Quick Reverse, no mid-turn speed changes, no EM, no Emer Decel, impulse 1-16 tacs lost, fire/launch at only one target in one impulse per turn, half drone control ability, no tractor, no lab id, no ECCM, no WW launch, no scout functions, no mine functions, no aegis, no UIM, no DERFACS, no SFG, no DisDev, no flywheel The maximum speed of a ship at any point in a turn is determined by its available warp engine and impulse engine energy at the start of a turn (unless using D22.0 Energy Balance Due to Damage). A mid-turn speed change cannot enable a ship to exceed its maximum speed even during part of a turn. If a ship's maximum speed is 17 because it has 8 warp and 1 impulse, it cannot move faster than 17 during any portion of the turn (such as 19 for a while then 15 for a while). While a unit is EM'ing, it cannot launch anything and it cannot guide seeking weapons.