[Barnacle Bill]

Originally posted by klausD:
BB,

Your "impulse system" sounds clever but a little bit too complex for my personal taste.

I think it is more complex to explain than it would be to use. The key thing is that every impulse some of your ships would be highlighted, you would move each one square (or hex, which is better), then click "end movement". Then the screen would be redrawn showing the post movement situation and all of your units which can fire highlighted. You order fire for those you wish, then click "end fire orders" and both sides shoot. Then next impulse. Battles would take longer, but that's what "strategic" resolution is for.

Originally posted by klausD:

-advanced ground combat. But please no big planet surface a la fading suns. (none or just a small)

Never got around to buying Faded Suns (tend to dislike games in this genre with too fixed a backstory). My ideal would be ground combat like in the old GDW Traveller-universe game Invasion Earth. I'm OK with any number of systems, though.

Originally posted by klausD:

-4 different shooting angles (left, right, front, behind)

I take it by this you mean something like firing arcs as in Star Fleet Battles? It would be cool, but would complicate ship design. You'd need rules for the impact on cost/spaces used for a mount with a bigger firing arc. It also pretty much requires a SFB-style break-up of shields into separate for each hex side, another complication to ship design. I'm all for it, but it is a big change

Originally posted by klausD:

-turning and manoevre rules.

I gave that some thought after my Last post. Here is what I would propose:

In addition to stock formations, you should be able to customize a fleet's formation by assigning particular ships to particular position numbers in the formation.

Assuming a hex grid, turn modes, and impulse movement with simultaneous execution:

Formations have the turn mode and maximum speed of their least manueverable/slowest member.

There would be three types of formation turns could be ordered:

1) Leader make a facing change but stays in the same hex. Inside (relative to the turn) units do the same. Outside (relative to the turn) units move to gain their designated station relative to the leader. On subsequent impulses, outside units move at their individual maximum speeds/turn modes (if greater than formation speed/turn mode) to get on station ASAP, while the leader and inside units hold in place. Once all the outside units are on station, the leader can move again. Inside units move or hold in place as required, using their individual maximum speeds/turn modes (if greater than formation speed/turn mode) as applicable, to get to their station on the new heading ASAP.

2) Units all change facing together and their relative stations become their new formation stations - none moves except exactly as the leader moves.

3) As in SEIV today, where every unit just tries to get to its station, regarding in the outside units getting left behind until/unless the player moves leader manually at a slow rate for them to catch up.

I'd also like to see the ability to attach fleets to fleets, so they would move as one strategically. If that is used, at the biginning of combat you should be given a screen in which to set the fleets in relation to each other on the tactical map.