Comments about the T4 Space Travel Rules
This entire two-page chapter looks like a copy-N-paste from CT-LBB2; nothing much new here, it seems.
Comments about the T4 Space Combat System
Range-band based combat; a good idea, one one hand far more manageable (from relatively new players' POV) than vector movement, and on the other hand, it is more detailed and varied than HG's two-range, two-line system.
Hmmm... So there *ARE* "battle lines" and "reserves", HG-style, in ths system.
I just LOVE the initiative system. Simple, takes both skill (why Leadership and no Fleet/Ship Tactics?) and manouver-Gs into account, and seems very quick to determine.
But what exactly is a "task force" in this system? A group of ships that moves togather through the range-bands?
The "Break Off" step looks like a nearly exact copy of the equivalent HG rule, sans HG's Agility...
The sensor rules are another great addition - they are simple, yet they allow for Babylon 5-style target-locking (and Minbari sensor-cloaks with good enough jammers/masking...). However, HG already has a simplified "equivalent" of this, by using the difference between the attacker and defender ships as a DM to hit; and as (according to my assumption) HG computers subsume the communications, sensors and jammers in them (how else would they be so big, expensive and power-consuming?), a missed shot due to the computer DM would be considered as a "sensor jam".
The boarding rule is also very elegant and simple.
Ships with higher G-ratings are harder to hit? Hmmm... Makes fighters quite viable (without resorting to "Agility"), doesn't it?
The hit and damage rules are also pretty elegant.
Now, where are the Damage Control rules?
The Bottom Line: Ironically, the T4 Space Combat system is lightyears better than the confused, confusing and obscure T4 ship-design system; in fact, it is one of the best ship combat systems I've ever seen, merging the advantages of LBB2 and HG with very little disadvantages. Nearly every part of this system, is a great source of inspiration; too bad T4 was marred with obscure ship design rules and even worse Task System...
This entire two-page chapter looks like a copy-N-paste from CT-LBB2; nothing much new here, it seems.
Comments about the T4 Space Combat System
Range-band based combat; a good idea, one one hand far more manageable (from relatively new players' POV) than vector movement, and on the other hand, it is more detailed and varied than HG's two-range, two-line system.
Hmmm... So there *ARE* "battle lines" and "reserves", HG-style, in ths system.
I just LOVE the initiative system. Simple, takes both skill (why Leadership and no Fleet/Ship Tactics?) and manouver-Gs into account, and seems very quick to determine.
But what exactly is a "task force" in this system? A group of ships that moves togather through the range-bands?
The "Break Off" step looks like a nearly exact copy of the equivalent HG rule, sans HG's Agility...
The sensor rules are another great addition - they are simple, yet they allow for Babylon 5-style target-locking (and Minbari sensor-cloaks with good enough jammers/masking...). However, HG already has a simplified "equivalent" of this, by using the difference between the attacker and defender ships as a DM to hit; and as (according to my assumption) HG computers subsume the communications, sensors and jammers in them (how else would they be so big, expensive and power-consuming?), a missed shot due to the computer DM would be considered as a "sensor jam".
The boarding rule is also very elegant and simple.
Ships with higher G-ratings are harder to hit? Hmmm... Makes fighters quite viable (without resorting to "Agility"), doesn't it?
The hit and damage rules are also pretty elegant.
Now, where are the Damage Control rules?
The Bottom Line: Ironically, the T4 Space Combat system is lightyears better than the confused, confusing and obscure T4 ship-design system; in fact, it is one of the best ship combat systems I've ever seen, merging the advantages of LBB2 and HG with very little disadvantages. Nearly every part of this system, is a great source of inspiration; too bad T4 was marred with obscure ship design rules and even worse Task System...