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Tactics Manual Errors

 
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storeylf
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 11:15 pm    Post subject: Tactics Manual Errors Reply with quote

NB - this isn't meant to be a put down of that product, just a thread to note any factual errors (be it rules/ships/missing diagrams or whatever).


This applies to the PDF copy that I just bought on e23 (Can't comment on the hard copy).

The oblique attack p14/15
Quote:
2. Any fire conducted at this point would strike the #6
(or #2) shield, rather than the important #1 shield. In fact,
assuming equal speed and no turns, the ships were unable
to bring weapons to bear on the enemy ships #1 shield
after reaching the two hexes marked with an X in the illustration.


Yet the illustration shows no 'X'.

Quote:
If the Federation ship
had sideslipped into the hex marked A on the illustration,


There is no hex marked 'A'

Quote:
In Figure 2-2, note the hex
marked B and the shaded line.


No, no 'B'.


Last edited by storeylf on Fri Sep 12, 2014 1:20 am; edited 3 times in total
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Steve Cole
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 11:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am trying to figure this out but need page numbers as otherwise I am not sure where you are in the text.
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storeylf
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 11:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Directed Targeting p28

Quote:
Once you have decided to use directed targeting, you
must decide whether to target engines or weapons. Either
choice will have its advantages and disadvantages. Targeting
power means you always use the #1 row of the Damage
Allocation Chart; targeting weapons means always
using the #6 row. (Normal targeting uses a die roll to pick
the row for each group of 10 damage points.)


Unless there is a rule change I missed this is wrong.

Directed targeting gives you a 50% chance of hitting the chosen row instead of a 16% chance. If targeting weapons any rolls of 1/2 become 6 when rolling for which DAC row. If targeting engines and roll of 5/6 becomes a 1.

I couldn't see any other part of that section referring to the way the dice roll works (yet anyway).


[edit] Aha - right at the end of that section,

Quote:
In reality you only have a 50-50 chance of
hitting the desired system with each 10-point block of damage.


probably a bit of bad ordering, given what was said in the first bit above that last bit is a little confusing. If you are familiar with the rules then the first part makes you wonder whether the author knew the rules, if you are not so hot on the rules then it is a bit misleading, and then at the end confusing.


Last edited by storeylf on Thu Sep 11, 2014 11:50 pm; edited 4 times in total
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storeylf
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oblique attack is page 14/15

Directed targeting is page 28
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storeylf
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 12:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

special sensors p45

Quote:
Offensive and defensive jamming can be combined to
produce a +2 die roll modifier.


Again unless there has been a rule change this is wrong. You cannot gain a +2 from sensors via the 2 types of jamming.

This has been covered in a previous post in the rule forum
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Nerroth
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 1:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Re-posting this errata note from the BBS thread for completeness' sake:

Vudar Tactics, Pages 91-93, PDF edition. The writeup for the Vudar Ion Cannon includes an entry on the "proximity fuse" option which was once presented as a playtest rule for this weapon. However, since the publication of formal Vudar rules and Ship Cards in War and Peace (and subsequent revisions to the Reference Rulebook accounting for the same), this weapon no longer has the proximity fuse option in FC. It may fire a standard load or an overloaded shot, but no more.
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storeylf
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 1:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Andromedans p94

Quote:
Only one Andromedan ship, the Cobra,
can move at Baseline Speed 24 while powering heavy
weapons and panels on purely generated power, but even
it will not have any power remaining to fire phasers.


Vipers can as well.


I suppose this is one of those comments which is bound to be inaccurate eventually - but at the point of publishing both Cobra and Viper hulls can do this. Ironically I think that comment was almost word for word from something I wrote a few years ago, but it was true at that point (in FC).
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storeylf
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 1:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Firing arc p23

Quote:
Those ships with forward-centerline firepower can only
achieve the maximum damage potential if they can line up
the forward hexrow (the one extending directly in front of
the ship) on the target. An example here is the Gorn BC
(with its LP/RP arcs)


Is that meant to say with its LS/RS arcs? Whilst it does have LP/RP plasma S, they can launch at targets across the centerline, so seem a little out of place in that example.
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storeylf
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 1:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Command notes p134

Quote:
One solution is to declare directed targeting with the
phasers. Hellbores cannot use directed targeting, and so
are resolved as a separate volley. Since you choose which
order the volleys are resolved in, you can resolve the
phasers first (dinging the shield to make it the weakest)
and then the hellbores.




Not legal, weakest shield is determined at point of each ship firing, not per volley from the same ship. See here and here. The second link actually discusses this command note, though points back at the first link.
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Kang
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 4:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I guess that what's happened there is that a Command Note was published, but a later clarification/ruling made it illegal.

But Pat has included all Command Notes, from all Captains Logs, so there may be more than one Note in there that was legal at the time of publication of the original Note, but which is now illegal at the time of publication of the Tactics Manual. So the collection is complete, but not necessarily accurate in our ability to apply all these tricks in the present day.

Such is progress. And interestingly, it also underscores one of Pat's main points in the Tactics Manual, which is that a thorough knowledge of the rules is essential when thinking tactics. A knowledge which you clearly have, Lee! Very Happy
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storeylf
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It could be that all of them were just published whether still legal or not, I couldn't say, although that would feel a bit odd. I didn't read all of them, I was just quickly scanning down them and spotted that one.
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Patrick Doyle
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 3:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lee, Thanks for pointing these out. First, Pg.14 The Oblique Attack.

The picture in the book is missing points referenced in the text.

Regarding the Illustration: We had some problems converting the pictures and diagrams to ADB's computer (I wrote it on a PC and ADB uses MACs) and they had to do many of the illustrations over. If you happen to have an old SFB Tactics Manual, you can see an earlier version of this article with the correct diagram.

Diagram 2-2 (on page 14, bottom left) is missing some points referenced in the text.
Also, for clarity, since there are 2 pictures shown for each ship, I will refer to the ship at the "edge" of the map as the "First Fed Ship", or the "First Klingon Ship". The ship that has moved forward 3 hexes will be the "Second" ship.

Point A: The letter A should have been located 1 hex away from the Second Federation Ship in the direction of its #5 Shield. (You could also say 1 hex to the North East if you prefer).
Point B: Is located in the same hex as the First Federation Ship. The indicted course would have been a turn to port at the hex of the First Federation Ship. Instead of moving forward 3 hexes (to the position of the Second Federation Ship) it would have turned left and then moved forward 3 hexes (In direction C from the First Federation Ship).
Point X: This is 1 hex behind both the First Federation ship and the First Klingon Ship, so its technically "off the map" that is in this diagram.

SO to explain the confusing text in the paragraph marked with a #2:
(Below is closer to what I wish I had wrote, hopefully its more clear).

2. Any fire conducted at the Oblique Option Point would strike the #6 shield (or #2), rather than the important #1 shield. In fact, the last opportunity to strike the opposing ship's #1 shield was prior to Point X (i.e. 1 hex behind the ship at the map edge), assuming equal speeds and no turns by either ship. Players will note that at point X, each ship was facing his opponent's shield border between his #6 and #1 shields. At Point X, players receiving damage would be able to choose whether to apply damage to the #1 or #6 shield.

I hope this helps clear this one up.
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Patrick Doyle
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 3:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lee is correct. I misread the 5S4 where it said...
(A given ship cannot get a shift of two by
using two channels, but you could use two or more
channels on different impulses to get a shift of one
each time.)

Thanks.
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