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Thread: Starship Maneuvers

  1. #1
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    Starship Maneuvers

    Can a Starship take more then two manuvers a turn? I'm asking because the helm officer proffesional ability tier three says may perform an extra manuver without suffering multiple action penalties.

    Does this mean:

    a) Ships can only normally do two manuvers - with this ability thjey ship can do three, and the HELM officer suffers no multpile action penalty if he does more then two actions.

    or

    b) Ships can perform more manuvers, at standard action penalties.

    or

    c) None of the above

    Thanks,

    Mark
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  2. #2
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    As I understand it (and Don will correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure), a ship only gets two maneuvers. What Combat piloting does is allows both maneuvers to be Helm Maneuvers without the helmsman incurring a multiple action penalty.
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  3. #3
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    Thanks for the reply, but.... (as always,another question)

    If a ship can do two manuvers, the helm officer wouldn't recieve the action penalty unless he was doing a thrid action anyway.

    So, does that mean the tier 3 ability is only for hot shot pilots who need the extra action to chat up girls while piloting a ship?


    thanks,

    Mark
    'Wish I could Help you....Wish I could tell you,
    That I am real, I'm not something you invented,
    That I'm not everything you want me to be.'

    'And I am...Ageless. And I am....Invincible.'

  4. #4
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    Personnally, I had thought that would give a third maneuver to the ship, being a helm one. Otherwise I don't see any benefit in the ability, since the PCs have 2 actions per round anyway and are not likely to do anything but man their console while in combat...

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  5. #5
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    Well, my recommedation is based off the text in the ability and the text of the Starship Combat chapter of the NG.

    There can be no multiple action penalty for more than two maneuvers, because there can be no more than two maneuvers. Therefore, it follows that to waive the Multiple Action Penalty, this must apply to the character's actions.
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  6. #6
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    OK... But then I don't see the point of the professional ability. It turns out frequently in our games that the PCs do one tactical then one helm maneuver, being an effective combination (and often seen onscreen). But even without that, if the ship takes two helm maneuvers, the PC has no Multiple Action Penalty, since he's entitled to two actions per round...

    What then is the use of this additional maneuver he can perform if:
    - The ship is always limited to two maneuvers per round
    - The PC has nothing else to do than man his console (I really don't see him try and do something else, as doing repairs or rerouting power; that would be completely unrealistic). So anyway his two actions are accounted for...

    I may be a little dense, but I don't get it...

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  7. #7
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    Unhappy

    What then is the use of this additional maneuver he can perform if:
    The ship is always limited to two maneuvers per round
    - The PC has nothing else to do than man his console (I really don't see him try and do something else, as doing repairs or rerouting power; that would be completely unrealistic). So anyway his two actions are accounted for...
    I have to agree will Killer Whale here.

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  8. #8
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    I'm not sure what would happen, but I'd say, give the ship an extra maneuver. Sounds good to me, and I wrote the damn starship combat stuff. Worst case scenario, suddenly ships with bad-ass helmsmen are getting three maneuvers per round. (shrug) doesn't sound like the end of the world.

    Basically, I can't remember why the Helmsman dude is getting an extra maneuver. The classes were all done way before we had the Starship Combat section done, but it may be a case of, at the last minute, we added that so the PG would reference the NG. Perhaps I was consulted. Maybe someone came to me and said "Hey Matt, can I give the Helmsman a professional ability that gives them an extra maneuver in starship combat?" and I thought about it and said "Yeah, sounds good." And simply can't remember it now. This seems a likely scenario.
    Game On!

  9. #9
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    Well, Matt correcting me is just as good as Don doing it, folks! There's your official answer.
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  10. #10
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    OT: ENGAGE!

    I have read the posts in your updates about Engage (by the way, they are monitored by individuals with a real fetish for starship combat games, check this website out (Starship COmbat News):

    http://www.star-ranger.com/Home.htm

    Have you considered (in your role of being Starship Combat designer) the possibility of Trek starship combat based on either the WizKids click model (i.e. MageKnight or Mechwarriorark Age as examples) or the modular Fleet Action 2 combat system by Agents of Gaming?
    While I know these are proprietary systems from other companies, but does Decipher have leeway with this (from Paramount), provided you have interest?
    The WizKids adaptation has that collectible intangible going for it. The FA2 concept has the benefit of readily playable large unit actions. I believe the designer for FA2 lurks on the TrekRPGnet boards and created designs for the original FA of over 40 TNG era canon vessels (including Prometheus, the Polarity Timeship, Species 8472).
    In any event, Iam simply offering two cents... or inspiration. I want Engage to do well.

    Charles
    "Everything happens for a reason..."

  11. #11
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    As Matt pointed out, ships only get two maneuvers during starship combat. A character with the professional ability in question can elect to take a third maneuver, provided it is a Helm maneuver.

    That's it.

    Oh, and I'm pretty sure I wrote that ability along with the Tactics skill.
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  12. #12
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    OK thanks!

    Indeed Don, I was also thinking of the Professional Ability of the Tactical Officer (can't remember which) which allows for an additional tactical maneuver.

    So if you have excellent helmsman and tactician, the number of maneuvers would be 2 + 1 helm + 1 tactics (if personal actions of PCs allow). Good combo!

    That's neat!! and would explain some of the desperate combats in the shows.

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  13. #13
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    if i remember well there's no professionnal ability for tactical officer that gives him one extra tactical maneuver in starship combat and if my dear killer_whale remembers i was very angry about this

    according the player guide the tier 3 professionnal ability for tactical officer "only" gives him one extra action in "combat" and we both supposed that was only for ground combat

    i'd be really happy if this great ability also was for the starship combat

    but...
    captain loryk
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  14. #14
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    Hey my friend, back on the boards?

    True, what you say. I didn't look into my PG.

    Hadn't we agreed (as a home rule) that you could choose, either starship combat, either melee combat?

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  15. #15
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    no we agreed that was only for melee combat because without a such limitation the ability was too "powerful"

    but as in some case we can take two times the same ability with different parameters i suggest (but i m not a GM) that the tactical officer have to take two times the ability to enjoy the extra action
    in both melee and starship combat

    what do you think ??
    captain loryk
    commanding officer
    uss ascendant ncc 76620


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