RULES FOR SCENARIO #4
Having played three scenarios, you are now ready for two major steps. The first is playing against a ship as powerful as your own. This ship (possibly more than one) will be played by a set of automatic rules titled "The Robot Opponent" below. After you can beat this robot, you will be ready to fight a live opponent. The greatest challenge of this scenario is to learn the energy allocation rules. This is the heart of the game and the most important concept you must grasp. Each turn you must determine the energy produced by your engines, and then spend (allocate) this power to perform various functions. Until now, your Chief Engineer has done this for you. Now you must do it for yourself.
SCENARIO PREVIEW: You could skip these rules and simply play Scenario #4 with the rules you already know. You could use a live opponent or the robot. However, you cannot go on to Scenario #5 without mastering these rules. Whether you play Scenario #4 once (with the rules) or twice (once with, once without) is up to you. If you choose to play without reading the rules, continue using 8 impulses per turn, rather than the 16 impulses the scenario calls for. Set the robot ship's speed at 8.
(B3.0)
ENERGY ALLOCATION (Cadet Version)
In the energy allocation rules, players must determine how much power
(energy) is available and how to use it most wisely. Like your budget,
there will never be enough money (energy) to do everything that you want
to do. Unlike the Federal Government's Budget, deficit spending is not
allowed. You cannot spend energy that you do not have. You can, as we
shall see, use batteries to save some energy for later use. Energy is
calculated and allocated on an Energy Allocation Form. There are two of
these included with the game. One is the Cadet Energy Allocation Form,
which will be used in Scenarios #4, #5, and #6 (which comprise the "Cadet
Game" mentioned below). You will need about a dozen copies of this form to
play those scenarios. The other form is the standard Energy Allocation
Form. As you can see, it is somewhat more elaborate, with several
additional lines. You will need to make several copies of this form to
play Scenarios #7 though #12. You will need one or two copies each time
you play. Each turn during the Energy Allocation Phase, each player, for
every starship he controls, must fill out the next column of his Energy
Allocation Form. To save forms, you can begin the next game on the
leftover areas of the first form. If you win (or lose) after only four
turns, then you can use the remaining columns to play another scenario or
to play the first scenario over again.
Specific instructions for filling out the form are given on a line
by line basis, as follows:
1. WARP ENGINES: This is the amount of warp power available. Simply count
the undestroyed warp engine boxes on the ship's SSD. In the Cadet Game,
this will be 16 for the Federation and Klingon ships in Scenarios #4 and
#5 and 16 for the Romulan ship in Scenario #6. Some ships have 15.
2. IMPULSE POWER: This is the amount of power available from the impulse
engines. Simply count the number of undestroyed boxes. (The Cadet cruisers
each have two.)
3. REACTOR POWER: This is the amount of power from nuclear reactors. Most
Cadet cruisers have two reactor boxes (marked APR for Auxiliary Power
Reactor) on their SSD for example. The Romulan and Orion Cadet cruisers
have none.
4. TOTAL POWER: This is the total amount of power available from all
sources other than batteries. At the start of a scenario, an undamaged
Federation Cadet cruiser or Klingon Cadet battlecruiser will have 20 units
of power, and a Romulan cadet cruiser only 18. Assuming that the ship has
not been damaged, line 4 will have the same number each turn.
5. BATTERIES AVAILABLE: This is the number of batteries holding power
available for use. All Cadet ships have two batteries. These are "charged"
at the start of the scenario.
6. BATTERIES DISCHARGED: This is the number of batteries previously used.
The total of lines 5 and 6 will always equal the number of undestroyed
battery boxes on the SSD. At the beginning of a scenario, the batteries
will all be charged. Careful players save their batteries until the ship
is heavily damaged and use them to fill in, temporarily, for destroyed
engines. Skillful players, however, use their batteries constantly for
that one additional unit of power that can be critical. Batteries
destroyed in combat are presumed to have been those
previously discharged, if any such batteries are available.
7. LIFE SUPPORT: In the Cadet Game, your Chief Engineer has allocated
power for this function (outside of the 20 points you will have to work
with), so you need not worry about it.
8. FIRE CONTROL SCANNERS: As with Life Support, this is ignored in the
Cadet Game.
9. PHASERS: Energy for phasers is explained below.
10. TORPEDOES: This line is used for photon torpedoes, plasma torpedoes,
disruptor bolts, (and other heavy weapons). The allocation of energy for
each weapon (system box) is recorded separately on one line here. The
specific method of allocation for each weapon type is covered within the
rules on that weapon type (below).
11. SHIELDS: Shields require energy, but your Chief Engineer has already
taken care of that.
12. GENERAL SHIELD REINFORCEMENT: Not used in the Cadet Game.
13. REINFORCE SHIELDS: Not used in Cadet Game.
14.MOVEMENT: Energy is required to move the ship. This energy can come
from either warp or impulse engines. No more than one unit of power can
come from impulse engines, and it will provide one movement point
regardless of the size of the ship. Warp energy provides movement at a
rate (for the three Cadet ships) of one point of energy to one hex of
movement. For example, to move at a speed of 8 would require one
point of impulse power and seven points of warp power or eight points of
warp power. There is a limitation on changing speed. You cannot (in
Scenarios #4 through #6) increase your speed by more than eight points
between one turn and another. (This assumes that you have power available
to accelerate by that much). You can slow down between turns as much as
you like. For example, the Constellation moves at speed 5 on the first
turn. On the second turn, it could select any speed between 13 (5+8=13)
and 0. There is no requirement in the rules that a ship has to move at its
top speed every turn. Note also that at higher speedsit is more difficult
to change directions. Most importantly, note that power for movement must
be paid EVERY turn.
15. DAMAGE CONTROL: Not used in the Cadet Game.
16. RECHARGE BATTERIES: Energy allocated on this line will recharge
previously discharged batteries. For example, on turn 1 you want to use 22
points of power, so you use the 20 from the engines and reactors and 2
points from the batteries. On turn 2, you can use no more than 20 points
of power (as the batteries are empty); you might spendtwo of those points
on this line to recharge the empty batteries.
17., 18., 19. These lines are not used in the Cadet Game.
20. TOTAL POWER USED: This line is used as a final mathematical check to
make sure that you have allocated the correct amount of power. This number
cannot be more than the total of line 4 (Total Power) and line 5
(Batteries Available). It also serves to determine if you have discharged
any batteries. A ship is never required to expend all of its energy, but
any unused energy on a given turn cannot be used later. (It was never
generated; your engineer reduced the output of the engines.)
21. BATTERIES DISCHARGED: This is a record of the number of batteries
which were discharged on the current turn. It is used to adjust lines 5
and 6 on the next turn. This number will be the difference between lines
20 and 4, if line 20 is larger. If line 20 is smaller than or equal to
line 4, this number will be zero. Keep in mind that each battery holds one
point of power. NOTE: Except when specifically stated to do so, energy
does NOT "carry over" from turn to turn. EXAMPLE: If power was allocated
to movement on a given turn, this power could not be used to move the ship
on a later turn. If five units of power were allocated to a ship on turn 5
and none on turn 6, the ship would move five hexes on turn 5 and would not
move at all on turn 6. If energy was allocated to disruptors on turn 5,
and not used, this power is lost and cannot be used to operate the
disruptors (or anything else) on any later turn. ONLY in the case of
phasers is power carried over from one turn to a later turn (due to the
capacitors). In some cases (e.g., photon torpedoes) energy must be
expended over a period of two or more turns. The energy expended on each
of those turns comes from power generated during each specific turn.
POWER
REQUIREMENT RULES FROM PREVIOUSLY LEARNED RULES SECTIONS
(E2.1) ENERGY FOR PHASERS
It costs one point of power to fire a phaser-1, or phaser-2 (or the
phaser-G in Graduate Training). The phaser-3 costs one-half point of power
for a ship to fire a phaser-3. Shuttlecraft do not use energy allocation;
they can fire their phaser-3 once each turn, fighters can fire all the
shots of their phaser-G each turn.
(H6.0)
PHASER CAPACITORS
All ships have a "phaser capacitor". This is a special storage battery
that is equal in capacity to the total amount of power required to fire
each of the ship's phasers one time. For example, the Federation Cadet
cruiser, with three phaser-1s, has a phaser capacitor rating of 3.
(H6.1) Energy can be held in the phaser capacitor from one turn to the
next and can be withdrawn during any impulse to fire the ship's phasers.
It can never be withdrawn for any other purpose. This energy can be
withdrawn for any phaser. It could be used over a period of three turns to
fire the same phaser three times. (H6.2) Energy can be added to the phaser
capacitor during the Energy Allocation Phase, but note that the total
energy in the capacitor cannot exceed the capacity of that capacitor.
(H6.3) If a phaser is destroyed, an equivalent portion of the phaser capacitor is also destroyed. Naturally, players may consider the uncharged elements to be destroyed first. EXAMPLE: The Federation Cadet cruiser has a capacitor of 3. The player allocates three units of power to the capacitor at the start of the first turn. During that turn, two phasers are fired, so there is still one unit of power in the capacitors. On turn 2, only two units can be added to the capacitor as it can only hold three and already has one. During turn 2, only one phaser is fired. On turn 3, the player allocates no energy to the phasers, but could still fire two of them because there are two points remaining in the capacitors. If a phaser is destroyed, the "empty" capacitor is destroyed with it.
(E3.2) ENERGY FOR DISRUPTOR BOLTS
Disruptor bolts are fired as follows. Two units of energy are allocated
for each bolt which is to be fired. The bolts are an energy discharge and
as such cannot be held from one turn to the next. Any bolts for which
energy has been allocated, but which have not been fired by the end of the
turn, are lost.
(E3.21) Energy to fire disruptors can be from any power source.
(E3.22) Disruptors are fired during the Fire Direct-Fire Weapons Step of any impulse. There is no counter for a disruptor bolt; their effect is determined by die roll and recorded immediately. (E3.23) A given disruptor may not fire more than once per turn.
(E4.21)ARMING PHOTON TORPEDOES: To arm a photon torpedo, two points of warp energy must be allocated to a specific photon torpedo tube on each of two consecutive turns. The second turn may be the turn of firing. The Federation Cadet cruiser, which has two photon tubes, would have to expend four units of warp energy on each of two consecutive turns to fire a full spread of two torpedoes. Note that since APR power cannot be used for movement, and since only one unit of impulse power can be used for movement, a Federation ship arming photon torpedoes would be limited to a maximum speed of 13 because 4 of its 16 points of warp power are going to the torpedoes. The remaining 12 points, plus 1 point of impulse power, give a top speed of 13.
(E4.22) HOLDING ARMED PHOTON TORPEDOES: If the arming of a photon torpedo has been completed on a given turn, and the torpedo is not fired on that turn, then the ship must allocate one unit of energy for that tube for each turn until the torpedo is fired. If this "holding energy" is not paid, the torpedo crew will eject the torpedo harmlessly into space. The holding energy can be from any source (on your own ship). EXAMPLE: On turn 5, two units of energy are allocated to photon tube A. On turn 6, two more units are allocated, and torpedo A is armed. If two units of energy had NOT been allocated on turn 6, the incomplete torpedo would have been expended automatically, and arming would have to begin again later. Assuming that arming was completed on turn 6, the torpedo could have been fired on any impulse of turn 6. If not, then on turn 7 the ship must either expend one unit of energy to hold the torpedo in the tube or eject the torpedo harmlessly into space. If not fired on turn 7, another unit of energy must be allocated on turn 8 to hold the torpedo in the tube, or again the torpedo would have to be ejected. An armed torpedo can be held indefinitely (well, perhaps not forever, but longer than any one scenario would last), assuming that the power cost is paid each turn.
(E4.23) ENERGY REQUIREMENT: The 4 points of energy to arm a photon torpedo MUST all come from the warp engines. The one unit of power to hold it may come from any source.
COMMENT: At this point you have learned only the basic principles of firing weapons and moving the ship. Later in Cadet Training Handbook, and afterwards in the Captain's Edition, you will find many more things to do with energy, including tractor beams, transporters, reinforcing shields, jamming enemy scanners, and so on. Do not worry about these things now, but by learning good energy management in the next few scenarios, you will be establishing the basis for a successful command later.
DAMAGE ALLOCATION; SCENARIO #4
Count all damage that penetrates a single shield on one step of a single
impulse as one volley. Note that damage from drones (and/or plasma
torpedoes) and damage from direct-fire weapons is resolved separately
because it happens at different points in the impulse. Each time internal
damage is scored, the first point must be scored on a weapon (if one is
left), the second point must be scored on a warp engine box (if one is
left), and the remaining points can be scored on any internal boxes (not
other
shield boxes and not the drone rack ammunition track). The bridge cannot
be destroyed. When there are no boxes (including Excess Damage boxes)
remaining except the bridge, the ship is destroyed by one more damage
point. For a robot ship, do not score the "extra" damage on warp engines
or weapons unless there are no other boxes remaining. Then score them on
warp engine boxes first. Each damage point scored on a warp engine reduces
the speed of the ship by one point for the rest of the scenario beginning
at the start of the next turn; 12 damage points scored on warp engines
will bring the ship to a halt. (This approximates the energy allocation
process.
It is a little too generous for the robot ship, but this offsets some of
the limited aspects of the robot ship system.)
RULES FROM
PREVIOUS SCENARIOS
Scenarios #4 to #6 use the movement, turning, combat, and phaser rules
from Scenario #1; the shield, seeking weapon, and photon torpedo rules
from Scenario #2; the impulse, shield, drone, and disruptor rules from
Scenario #3; and the rules for this scenario given above. Do not use the
damage allocation rules from Scenario #2.
THE ROBOT
OPPONENT
Star Fleet Battles was designed and intended as a two-player game. The
Cadet Training Handbook includes some scenarios that require only one
player. (You have just played three of them. The other is #11.) In the
Captain's Edition there are scenarios for 1, 2, 3, and more players,
although most are intended for two players. To get the most out of Star
Fleet Battles, you will need to find one or more regular opponents. For
those times that you do not have an opponent available (or simply don't
feel like company), we have provided a "robot"
opponent. He isn't very smart, but he's always available. (Anyway, who
would want to be beaten by a robot?) This robot player is used in Scenario
#4. To use the robot, have him take the role of your opponent.
Assign him to play one of the ships (or one side) in the scenario.
You will move his ship and fire his weapons for him, but YOU MUST DO SO
EXACTLY AS THESE RULES DIRECT YOU.
1. The robot ship moves at a speed of 12 every turn. The robot ship will
try to fire every weapon every turn. The robot ship will obey the rule
prohibiting the firing of a single given weapon twice on two consecutive
turns within 1/4-turn (4 impulses on a 16-impulse system).
2. The robot ship will follow your ship (as a seeking weapon) until the
first impulse of the turn in which the robot ship is within four hexes of
your ship. At that point, the robot ship will fire every weapon that will
bear on (can be pointed at) your ship. This is known as the Primary Fire
Point and will (theoretically) happen once every turn. If this point has
not been reached by the end of the turn, the robot ship will fire all
weapons that can bear on the last impulse of the turn.
3. After the Primary Fire Point, the robot ship will cease following your
ship and will turn 60degrees (as soon as his turn mode allows) toward a
direction that will allow him to fire any weapons which have not fired yet
on that turn. Additional requirements: If there are no unfired weapons, do
not turn the ship. See 4A below. If there are unfired weapons available in
both directions, or if a ship could turn either way to bring a given
weapon to bear, turn in the direction of the larger number of weapons. If
there are an equal number of unfired weapons in both directions (or the
same distance to a single weapon), toss a coin to decide. During this part
of each turn, the robot ship will fire every unfired weapon as
soon as it can be pointed at your ship. (For example, if the only unfired
weapons are on the right side and your ship is to the left, the robot will
turn left until that weapon can fire.) These are known as Secondary Fire
Points. Regardless of any instructions, the robot ship will not leave the
map and will not turn to a course that would take it off the map before it
can turn again. Regardless of any instructions, if the non-robot ship is
in a map edge hex and MUST leave the map on the next impulse, the robot
ship will fire all weapons which can be fired at the target (within the
various rules on firing rates and firing arcs).
4. Instruction #3 will be repeated every time the robot ship fires, until
one of two things happens:
A. If the robot ship has no more weapons
that have not fired, it will continue moving in the same direction until
the end of the turn.
B. If the end of the turn arrives and there
are still unfired weapons available, they do not fire.
5. If the robot ship is armed with drones, it will launch one of them
targeted on your ship on the first impulse of every turn.
6. At the end of each turn, all weapons on the robot ship (except drones)
are reloaded and the robot ship will repeat instruction #2 through #5.
These instructions are repeated every turn until the scenario is over.
7. If the Federation ship is used as a robot ship, it will fire one (and
only one) photon torpedo each turn (since they require two turns to arm).
8. If the Romulan KR (see Scenario #6) is used as a robot ship, it will
launch its torpedo A on the first impulse (that the target is in the
acceptable arc) of the 1st, 4th, 7th, (etc.) turns.
9. After you complete the first six scenarios and leave the Cadet ships
for the standard ships, the robot ship rules can be adapted for those
standard ships. For example, the Federation heavy cruiser has four photon
torpedoes, so two would fire every turn.