Looking for volunteers for a WCTO test game

You know...an idea just struck me...and it's still rough, but I'd like to get some thoughts...

Are there any provisions in the rules for flight group discipline?

Here's what I'm thinking:

If we get into battles where there are several groups of fighters, it's natural to assume that they'd be grouped into wings and flights...

You'd have a flight leader, whose job it is to coordinate the flight...and wingmen.

The flight leader, in tacops, would be able to put a "flag" in a hex and tell the flight to go to the flag. If the whole flight makes it to within "X" number of hexes of the flag at the end of the movement phase (that is, they remain in formation), then each fighter gets a +1 bonus to any attribute the pilot chooses (attack damage, shields, speed, etc.). If the flight doesn't make it, then no bonus...

Hey..you could also have a "maniac" or "off I GO! Watch my smoke!" option, where an individual pilot opts to go off alone...they'd get a +1 to speed and +1 to attack damage, but 1 point penalty to their shields and/or roll to hit. If someone elects to do this, then it is impossible for the rest of the flight to get the "formation" bonus until the rogue pilot returns to formation.

This could be applied to just fighters or to fighters and bombers...you could even apply it to cap ships and give a ship squadron a AAA flak bonus for holding formation and having coordinated fire...

As I said, just a rough thought!
 
In the last game, we found that formation flying is already rewarded very well by the current rules for two reasons. First, you get a greater probability of someone in your flight having a line of fire to the target. Second, you can opportunity fire against missiles targeting your wingmen. I think part of the reason the Confed side won is that we were able to coordinate well. That was enough to offset our colossal bad luck with chaff pods early in the game...

You know...an idea just struck me...and it's still rough, but I'd like to get some thoughts...

Are there any provisions in the rules for flight group discipline?

Here's what I'm thinking:

If we get into battles where there are several groups of fighters, it's natural to assume that they'd be grouped into wings and flights...

You'd have a flight leader, whose job it is to coordinate the flight...and wingmen.

The flight leader, in tacops, would be able to put a "flag" in a hex and tell the flight to go to the flag. If the whole flight makes it to within "X" number of hexes of the flag at the end of the movement phase (that is, they remain in formation), then each fighter gets a +1 bonus to any attribute the pilot chooses (attack damage, shields, speed, etc.). If the flight doesn't make it, then no bonus...



Hey..you could also have a "maniac" or "off I GO! Watch my smoke!" option, where an individual pilot opts to go off alone...they'd get a +1 to speed and +1 to attack damage, but 1 point penalty to their shields and/or roll to hit. If someone elects to do this, then it is impossible for the rest of the flight to get the "formation" bonus until the rogue pilot returns to formation.

This could be applied to just fighters or to fighters and bombers...you could even apply it to cap ships and give a ship squadron a AAA flak bonus for holding formation and having coordinated fire...

As I said, just a rough thought!
 
A few days before you get going, you might send us your specific dates, ground rules and so on so we can post something in the news to get more players involved.
Thanks, I'll certainly do that!

@floundericiousMI: I don't think I have anything valuable to add to what Panda said. :) It's exactly the same impression I got: The Confeds won mainly due to their working well together as a team.

Oh, and by the way: I'm still planning to do a "mini campaign" after the next battle(s) - like three or four coherent scenario missions with character development.
 
Player Roster

A quick summary of who's going to be in the next game in alphabetic order:

- Avacar (PBM)
- floundericiousMI (PBM, possibly IRC)
- Guilherme (PBM)
- Mekt-Hakkikt (PBM, but basically away from March 20-31)
- Panda (PBM, possibly IRC, away from March 14-22)
- QuailPilot (PBM)
- snip63 (PBM)

That's a total of 7 PBM players right now, which makes me think of a game of 3 Confed vs. 4 Kilrathi players (due to the underpowered Kilrathi fighters).

I'll start to host the new game on March 17. If you're new to the game, please be sure to send me your email address (preferably via the board's private messaging system)!

I also need to know on which side you'd like to play in the upcoming game (Terran/Kilrathi). And last, but not least, here's a selection of scenarios that came to my mind or have been proposed. Please choose the one you like best!

  • Asteroid Ambush: A Kilrathi and a Terran fighter patrol clash in the middle of an asteroid field. Restricted to light and medium fighters only.
  • Capship Arena: This is a pure fun game: One cruiser in the top left edge of the map, the other one in the bottom right edge. Free choice of any fighter or bomber, as long as it belongs to your faction. If you're destroyed, you get to choose a new fighter. The team destroying the enemy cruiser first wins. Since this is of course an allusion to the "Capship" mode of the great Wing Commander: Arena, be warned that random upgrades might pop up... ;)
  • Destroyer Battle: A Confed and a Kilrathi destroyer engage each other, while their fighter escorts battle it out. This game requires one team leader per faction who takes direct control over the capship. No torpedo-carrying fighters allowed.

I'll probably announce the IRC game(s) one or two days ahead. I'd suggest simple dogfights with no more than 4-5 light or 2-3 medium fighters involved. Could be difficult, since I'm not in the US time zone, but we'll see if it's working out nonetheless.
 
I forgot to mention that I changed the rules (0.14) slightly: Torpedoes now have a speed of 5 instead of just 4, and flak cannons have a new firing range of a whopping 10 hexes instead of 3. I'm uploading the new rulebook as I speak, though I don't think you need to redownload if you have the "old" version 0.14.
 
Avacar, Snip63, and I would like to stick together on a team if possible. We wouldn't mind playing as Kilrathi though.

I vote for the asteroid ambush scenario.
 
I vote for Asteroid Ambusch or Destroyer Battle. I think these are best suited to uncover gameplay issues.

What happened to the idea to replay the last scenario?

But I really don't know if it sensible to include me for the next game: I will have no time at hand the 17th and 18th and very little time the 19th, will then be mostly gone until the 31st and will have my hands full on April the 1st.

I mean, I will gladly jump in after that. I just wanted to make sure nobody expects me in the first half of the game.
 
Don't forget to tell me if you want to play a hairless ape or a feline purrball! (Oh boy, what a pun - I'll better go to bed now...)
I'll be away over the weekend, but I'll return in time to start the new game on Monday. :)
 
Just to confirm, I'm definitely in, and preferably with Panda and snip63 again.

Although panda has voted for the asteroid scenario, I'm personally more interested in one of the larger battles (with the capship or the destroyers). i'd be curious to try controlling a larger ship or a bomber this time.

(note to self: add qualifications to my signature for surviving my first scenario in a rapier, and a shared kill.

how many players are you planning to support? I might be able to call in more wingmen...
 
I forgot to mention that I changed the rules (0.14) slightly: Torpedoes now have a speed of 5 instead of just 4, and flak cannons have a new firing range of a whopping 10 hexes instead of 3. I'm uploading the new rulebook as I speak, though I don't think you need to redownload if you have the "old" version 0.14.

May I also suggest we make some of the updates we discussed about the chaffs; specifically go back and look at our proposed changes to have no front-arc affects, a reduced side-arc affect for 'smart' weapons that have guidance, and have dumb fires only affected in the rear arc.
 
Well, I'm looking forward to being an observer this time out, I do believe -- though if there's space for another I'd be more than happy to give it a go.
 
Ironduke, I also say for the fun of it, make small character sheets for the people who playing the game via IRC and PBM quite a lot.
 
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