From: "MR BRIAN G MCCUE" Subject: Triplanetary Game Two nights ago we played Triplanetary. We had been planning on playing Close Action, but Chris had been looking over my essay on "The Physics of Triplanetary" and discovered during the pregame dinner that Sean had never played Triplanetary. Also, we were missing Dean, who doesn't like Triplanetary all that much and who does figure prominently in our plans for our next Close Action game. So, as usual, we played the race scenario, in which one must pass through at least one gravity arrow of the bodies that have solid black gravity arrows. The ships were frigates, carrying 40 tonnes of cargo, i.e., four mines, two torpedoes, or two mines and one torpedo. Refuelings were available at Earth, Mars, Venus, and Callisto. The scenario has rules meant to limit, but not eliminate, combat: of these, we retained only the one barring shots from within the sensor coverage zones of planets. Normally we play the hollow gravity arrows using the "Brian Rule," according to which one must take gravity from alternate arrows, and the only player choice is whether to be influenced by the first (and 3rd, 5th, etc.) arrow or the 2nd (and succeeding even-numbered) arrow. As a result of writing my essay, however, I have become disenchanted with the "Brian Rule, " and advocate reversion to the rules as written, which specify that one can take or ignore hollow gravity arrows at will, with the only constraint being that one cannot ignore two in a row. A point left unresolved by the rules is whether one is influenced by the gravity of an arrow if one passes along one of its outer hexsides. So as to allow people to fake the "slingshot maneuver," I favor giving people the option of taking or ignoring these arrows. Wade pointed out that the two different kinds of ignoring described in the preceding two paragraphs can allow a player to ignore up to three hollow arrows in a row, if he passes along an outer hexside of one (and ignores it according to the second paragraph), through the second (ignoring it according to the first paragraph), and passes along the outer edge of the third (and ignores it according to the second paragraph). Wade thought this was unreasonable; I thought it was fine. Having been impressed by Chris's hyping of my ability to milk a lot of maneuver out of a little fuel, especially at the beginning of the game, Vik followed me out from Earth. I grumbled some about this mentioned dropping a mine, which wouldn' t really have worked because 1) I didn't have any mines. Normally I take one torpedo and two mines, but in this game for some reason I tried two torpedoes. 2) I would have to maneuver away from the mine; Vik would do the same, staying in trail and avoiding the mine. Because I was moving first, I was torpedoable by Vik. So he torpedoed me, putting me out of the game early. I have to admit to having payed only partial attention thereafter, but I do recall somebody getting torpedoed and being disabled for a few turns while drifting through the Jupiter system, but--amazingly--not really suffering all that much. Sean and Wade had a scrape near the edge of the board, where Sean had to go to great lengths to stay on the board while staying out of where Wade could torpedo him. Another ship wound up out of fuel, coasting off the board. A splendid time was had by most, with a Good Sport award going to Wade, who had brought the beer but didn't really want to play Triplanetary. Brian From: "Sean Barnett" Subject: Re: Triplanetary Game Brian McCue wrote: >Two nights ago we played Triplanetary. > [snip] Sean and Wade >had a scrape near the edge of the board, where Sean had to go to great >lengths to stay on the board while staying out of where Wade could torpedo >him. Another ship wound up out of fuel, coasting off the board. Indeed, I did have to go to great lengths to stay on the board. However, while doing so, my momentum, after shooting through the Jupiter system, carried me just astern of Wade and, realizing that he had about a three turn advantage on me in the race back to Earth, I torpedoed him. (Somewhat unsportingly, I admit, as he could probably have torpedoed me earlier in the game as we were both rounding the sun, but he did not). A note about the torpedo rules--my shot that killed Wade was legal but non-physical. I moved before Wade but started behind him as we were both coming around to head back to Earth. Wade was headed directly back toward Earth at low speed. I was passing close across his stern at high speed. My momentum vector plus the two-hex vector of the torpedo just barely carried it into the hex that Wade occupied at the beginning of the turn. In reality, my torpedo would not have reached Wade under power. He would have moved forward during the turn such that it would have been just out of its powered range. I had a thought that might fix that problem--move all torpedoes at the end of the turn (i.e., after all ships have moved). With some accounting for head to head shots (I haven't thought of a rule yet), I think that will solve the problem we had. That would also allow the torpoedo to lead a target, which it should be able to do if it computes that it does not have the range to hit the target on its first turn. The target will probably be able to dodge, but if it is disabled maybe not. Alternatively, pro-rated movement for ships and torpedoes that have gone "ballistic" (if you want to get that involved) would give a fast-moving ballistic torpedo a chance to hit a dodging ship at slow speed. If the torpedo started its move close to the target, it could possibly enter the target's hex before the target could move out. Alternatively, and I think this would produce a better game, play without torpedoes. I think they're too deadly for the race game--if you really expect everyone to be a potential killer you will take all sorts of pains to avoid getting shot. The resulting race will look very bizarre, with players gaming the turn sequence and the no-fire zones to "do unto others and split." Guns and mines might still be ok, however, because they're harder to use. >A splendid time was had by most, with a Good Sport award going to Wade, who >had brought the beer but didn't really want to play Triplanetary. I was intrigued by the game. I would like to play again, although I will concede a veto to Wade, who didn't want to play and then wound up getting shot in the back while he had the lead near the end. >Sean Barnett Sean_Barnett@msn.com