Middle years question

Inari7 · Post by **Inari7** » Sat May 30, 2009 8:18 pm

I think I played the ships wrong in the Communique #41

I played the fleet scale D-7 vs. Fed. CA

the CA overloaded the torps for 16 dam each

pretty much blowing my D-7 away in one alpah strike at 5 hexes.

So did we play with the trops wrong in the middle years, are they able to be overloaded?

I think for the next game maybe no overloading would that unbalance the game?

Thanks in advance.

..................Doug

Requete · Post by **Requete** » Sat May 30, 2009 9:22 pm

I think you played wrong by letting the Fed that close to you.

I don't own Briefing 2 yet, but I'd be shocked if you couldn't overload the torps.

Overloaded torps are the Fed's "thing". They should scare the heck out of you... they're a wonder weapon.

Also, if he hit with all his torps at range 5 he was lucky.

Inari7 · Post by **Inari7** » Sat May 30, 2009 11:06 pm

Yea with 27 internals on my fleet scale D-7 it wiped out all my weapons hull and half of my power, we surrendered.

....................DOug

DorianGray · Post by **DorianGray** » Sun May 31, 2009 12:31 am

In a game I played yesterday I had 2 Kzinti FFs and 1 Kzinti CA against 2 Fed. NCL

I approached him from the front at speed 24 with flanking Frigates, his ships did a inside turn then with overloaded photons shot and blew away my 2 FFs from range 2-4.

I was originally intending to get as close as possible to shoot all my drones, but closing head on to Feds I found out was ALWAYs a terrible idea.

You'd figure it would be the Klingon's who can go in head to head and blow ships away at close range...

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Sun May 31, 2009 2:50 am

Inari7 -

That's a common lesson with SFU Klingons (which are nothing like Trek TNG/DS9 Klingons). I goofed and let it happen to me this afternoon. I usually play Feds, but today I was in a D-7 vs a Fed CA. I lost my focus, played "his" game and let myself get opened-up.

Any empire's ships are considerably more dangerous up-close, but with Feds (and Hydrans and Lyrans) their "gimmicks" makes them extra deadly when in kissing range.

SFU Klingons (especially the more fragile Middle Years ships) have to be kept at range, until the enemy has been worn down. Then you can either keep doing the "wear 'em down" thing, or close for a risky coup de grace. Your disruptors work pretty decently all the way out to range 15. Most Fed's are very reluctant to fire their photons at ranges above 8 (it's likely to miss and they spent a lot of time and energy to load it). That range 8-15 band is your sweet spot where you can do more to him than he can to you (especially since you can out turn him).

It's not easy (what is?), but be patient, keep him at arm's length and keep scrubbing his shields away (especially his forward shield, if you can arrange the shots). Once his forward hemisphere shields are shot-up, he is at risk if he tries to make an attack run at you. The key is to use your superior turning ability (and more flexible power curve) to deny him the close-up fight he is going to want. You won't win a D-7 vs Fed CA duel in 2 turns. It takes some time; it's a lot more like a submarine battle (think "Hunt for Red October") than it is a boxing match (like Mike Tyson's one-round knockout wins).

Nerroth · Post by **Nerroth** » Sun May 31, 2009 5:26 pm

Only in the Early Years (W/Y era) are (most) Alpha Octant empires unable to overload their heavy weapons - the few Tholian ships with particle cannons can, and some of the era-specific weapons work a bit differently anyway.

Middle Years photons, disruptors and fusion beams can be overloaded just fine.

The CAR might make things a little easier for the Middle Years Feds, once it's released in Booster 91 - but bear in mind that in Briefing 2, the OCA has LS/RS side phaser arcs, and the GSC has 4 360-degree phaser-3s...

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:37 pm

I do not remember there being a Kzinti CA or a Fed NCL in the Middle Years era. There is a Kzinti CS and BC, but not a CA.

Unless the illustration was simply about letting the Feds charge straight at you...

mjwest · Post by **mjwest** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:40 pm

Another thing to consider is that, at range 5, there was only a 25% chance that would happen. More likely, he should have only hit with a single photon, which would have made the damage exchange much more equitable.

In a way, I have to complement the Fed player. Many Fed players would be unwilling to take that shot, and would have wanted to wait for range 4 (or less). The fact that he took the shot available to him, even when sub-optimal, is to his credit. Then he just got lucky and you didn't.

It happens.

Keep in mind that there was an equal chance he could have completely wiffed on his photons, and then where would he be?

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:54 pm

Was there ever an option in SFB to elect to roll all weapons in a volley on one die roll?

Wolverin61 · Post by **Wolverin61** » Sun May 31, 2009 7:58 pm

Mike wrote:Was there ever an option in SFB to elect to roll all weapons in a volley on one die roll?

The 'Narrow Salvo' rule let you fire all direct-fire weapons of a single type (e.g. phasers) in a single impulse at a single target and just roll one die to determine hits.

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Sun May 31, 2009 8:01 pm

Mike wrote:Was there ever an option in SFB to elect to roll all weapons in a volley on one die roll?

You could narrow salvo the Photons... one roll.. all hit (for half damage), or all missed...

It led to a lot of long range narrow salvos, followed by a running reload battle if they missed.

mjwest · Post by **mjwest** » Sun May 31, 2009 8:07 pm

'dad is correct. It was the "narrow salvo" rule. The problem with the narrow salvo (as 'dad mentions) is that it leads to some nasty tactics for low-hit weapons (e.g. the photon). So, for example, a Fed CA can take two range eight passes against a D7 with little chance for effective retribution. If either hits, he has a big advantage. If both miss, he just leaves. Leads to some very frustrating battles and loads of complaints.

So, the narrow salvo rule was intentionally not included in Federation Commander.

Wolverin61 · Post by **Wolverin61** » Sun May 31, 2009 8:18 pm

Scoutdad wrote:You could narrow salvo the Photons... one roll.. all hit (for half damage), or all missed...

It led to a lot of long range narrow salvos, followed by a running reload battle if they missed.

I don't remember the half damage thing.

mjwest · Post by **mjwest** » Sun May 31, 2009 8:23 pm

Sorry, I missed that. Narrow salvo damage was NOT halved. It was the entire volley resolved in a single die roll, applying the full damage implied. So, if you had four fully overloaded photons and fired them in a narrow salvo at range eight, you had a 50% chance to hit with 64 points of damage, and a 50% chance of doing nothing.

But, again, none of this matters in Federation Commander, as the narrow salvo rule was intentionally not included.

Wolverin61 · Post by **Wolverin61** » Sun May 31, 2009 8:32 pm

mjwest wrote:But, again, none of this matters in Federation Commander, as the narrow salvo rule was intentionally not included.

Thanks for keeping us straight. I still have the problem of when I'm playing FC remembering stuff that was in SFB, and getting them confused.