CT Only: Destroyers and other escorts

[CliffBates]

That's true; all my gaming stuff is in storage (no space atm), but I have laid my mitts on the CT-CD-ROM; gave me a few things I didn't have, too

Next up, I think, will either be the JTAS or Challenge CD-ROMs; maybe the MT one too. Have to decide which I want first!

I view them as a two-part solution: First, a useful backup right at hand when I need it, and second, to fill any gaps in my Traveller library that I want filled

One thing I really would like to see at some point would be the entire DGP Traveller's Digest and MegaTraveller Journal archives; I've got most of them bar the first couple of TDs, but again, they're in storage

You can't get anything from Traveller's Digest Group anywhere legally as digital files on the web that I could find. The right's holder seems not to be putting it for sale at Drive Thru or anywhere I could find. I had both High Passage and Traveller's Digest up to 92.... when grad school (doctoral studies and ancient greek) sucked my soul out....

 

[Redcap]

There are words that I could say that would likely get me a warning on here, so I'll restrict myself to saying "Oh, pooh" in a slightly disgusted manner

 

[CliffBates]

Now returning us to topic

Does anyone know of any programs that will allow testing ship units within the framework of High Guard?

I lost what programming skills I did have when I started studying ancient Greek and Hebrew for doctoral studies. When I try messing with Access, I often lose my temper. I can crack codes more now than write them.

HGS offers both a ship building function and a Squadron function that I have yet to mess around with yet.

So you who are program capable.. there is a challenge for you.

I bring it up because I would like to try to test some of the claims both sides of our Destroyers and Escort debate have been taken.

I also re-read High Guard last night.. and it was silent about pooling fire of different ships... But the logic is that a given battery is pooling fire and will increase its weapon factor.... then given lets say a group of ships operating as a unit and having it's targeting and tactical controlled by the lead should function in the same way as a battery. The only limit would be the diminishing marginal utility limit of a factor 9 as is true with turrets and bay weapons.

 

[McPerth]

I disagree with your interpretation of the rules. The HQ vessel/carrier leading the Group controls and all ships computers are linked to the Main Air Group on the Carrier dealing with Air operations.

As for meson gun hits.. they must target individual ships as does the fighter units must as well. The individual fighters squadron will collectively target... where as a Meson gun cannot divide its targeting.

If you mean the leader skills (or even more, the squadron commodore's staff ones, even staying far behind, with even some time lag in sensors and communications) affect the whole squeadorn, they you're right, we disagree in our interpretation of the rules.

That does not mean their skills (the ones of the Flight control or aldmiral) do not have effedct, but, again, the skill they use is Fleet tactics, not Ship tactics, and Fleet tactics only affects in initiative.

HG, page 13:

Ship Tactics: <snip> is the skill used by individuals in command of individual ships in combat < snip>

HG page 10:

Fleet tactics: <snip> is the skill used by individuals in command of groups of two or more space or star ships in combat < snip>

HG page 44, under Indivisuals, skills:

Fleet Tactics: <snip> of the Fleet commander¹ is a modifier to initiative die roll<snip>

Ship Tactics: <snip> of a ship's (or small craft's) capitain¹ <snip> the resulting number is a + modifier to the ship's effective computer level <snip>

Pilot: <snip> of a ship's command pilot <snip> the resulting number is a + modifier to the ship's effective agility<snip>

The only rules I recall for those fighter squadrons acting as a single battery are in Challenge 27 (page 23) in the explanation about the Rampant fighters. There it talks about 4 fighters (not 10) flights and says the DMs are averaged when attacking as a single battery (so, you'd need all your pilots to have Ship Tactics 3 for it to have any effect in game, and all the fighters need a computer 9 for the computer DM be 9). See that if they have to be attacked individually, each fighter will use it's pilot ship's boat skill to modify its agility, not averaging them

See that those same fighters are only equiped eith computer R (so 1 fib, in the case of Rampant IV) and S (so 2 fib, in the case of Rampant V), making those fighters quite ineffective in fleet actions according HG, And waponry is 2 fusion guns (used as 2 factor 5 batteries¹, in Rampant IV) and one triple missile turret (used as a single gactor 3 battery in the Rampant V²).

By using the flight (4 fighters) as a whole, Rampant IV has 8 fusion guns (making it a factor 6 battery, though the article talks about a factor 7 one ); and Rampant V will have a factor 5 missile battery.

See that in any case, with computer 1 (2 in the case of Rampant V) they are fully ineffective. They won't hit any ship with a decent computer, they will not penetrate any decent damper and (in the case of the Rampant IV) they won't damage any decently armored ship.

Notes and asides:

1. When it talks about commander I asume commanding staff. If the ship's (fleet's) XO is the one who has the skill, I'd also allow it to be used (after all, mostly in the case of Fleet Tactics, it's a Staff, not command, skill)
2. The use of the two fusion gun, being a single turret (as a 20 dton fighter may only have one hardpoint), as two batteries is ilegal according the rules (HG, page 29: A battery may be as few as a turret or as many as ten). Only mixted weaponry turrets may be divided among several batteries (for obvious reasons).
3. The Rampant V is said to have 12 missiles, so 4 rounds of combat before runing out of ammunition, something (IMHO unfortunately) not featured in HG
4. EDIT: why to spend money in fib computers on fighters, when any hit is likelty to left it inoperative due to criticals? END EDIT

 

[Matt123]

The only rules I recall for those fighter squadrons acting as a single battery are in Challenge 27 (page 23) in the explanation about the Rampant fighters.

There is a JTAS article as well, which I think(?) pre-dated the Rampart fighters article and provided optional fighter squadron rules. But I posted the details recently and the OP may have already looked it up. JTAS #13 or #14 IIRC.

 

[McPerth]

There is a JTAS article as well, which I think(?) pre-dated the Rampart fighters article and provided optional fighter squadron rules. But I posted the details recently and the OP may have already looked it up. JTAS #13 or #14 IIRC.

JTAS 14, page 26 (I found it looking your indications, as I didn't recall it).

It talks about fighter squadrons and their various roles, but doesn't talk about they being used as a single battery, so, it does not talk about how to handle the numbers in such a case.

 

[aramis]

Treating a squadron of small craft (nominally fighters) as a single battery is an old house rule that evolved in dozens (or more) of campaigns independently...

It was, however, easier under HG-79 than HG-80