(D203) SUPER-AEGIS (Optional Rule)

This rule greatly simplifies SFB's firing declaration procedure, and cuts down on accounting. This rule, if used, gives every ship in the game Aegis fire control (D13.0) with an unlimited number of firings (not 4). Standard SFB tries to eliminate ``me too'' ship firings, this rule embraces it. After all, the captain of a vessel does have a little time to see the weapon discharge on the viewscreen and certainly can fire back as the weapons hit.

This rule also have the wonderful side effect of cooling angry heads, which is something greatly needed for SFB.

(D203.1) Any player can fire any weapon in any order. Weapons destroyed can still fire until the end of the impulse. If a ship is destroyed, it can still fire before the end of the impulse. Not only is the damage amount calculated but the damage allocation can be done for a weapon before deciding if more weapons are to be fired.

(D203.2) In order to eliminate the stalemate of two players looking at each other, neither willing to initiate the alpha strike, the following procedure is invoked. If there is a point at which no one seems to be willing to fire, any player can say ``pass''. The player on his left decides to fire, if he does, firings once again can proceed in any order. If the player on his left decides he doesn't want to fire either, he says ``pass'' and we continue to the next player on his left. If the word ``pass'' has gone once around the table without any firings being done, and the original person says ``pass'' a second time, the firing opportunities for the current impulse are over.

This entire procedure can be omitted if obviously no one is going to fire.

(D203.3) Ships equipped with Aegis/Limited Aegis now have no extra advantage over a ship without it, as this rule does everything that Aegis was designed for. One thing I was using as a replacement (so they get something for their 10 BPV or whatever Aegis is) is to remove small-target modifiers for Aegis equipped ships and whenever they fire at size class 5 or smaller targets, three dice (two for limited aegis) are rolled and the best result is taken.

Author's Note: It is important to allow the first person who says ``pass'' the opportunity to fire after going around the table, because he might be trying to get someone else to fire first (even though the effects of the fire are always simultaneous, sometimes people want to see if their opponent is going to fire so he can change his strategy). A little reflection on this system shows that it gives the advantage to no-one, and cuts down on a LOT of record keeping. For example, recording individual weapons damages in (D201.1) is no longer necessary, neither is ``Firing Cards'' kept face down or notes on firing plans.

John H. Kim <jhkim@fnal.gov>

Last modified: Mon Dec 18 15:53:18 CST 1995