Speed bands and 'To Hit'

[Richard Hawes]

Played my first game of Cruel Seas last night and enjoyed it greatly – it was easy to play, and had enough drama to keep my 13yr old son engaged. It did raise a couple of rules issues which sent me to the forum – my question has been raised but not definitively answered.

Problem: Why would the tanker doing full speed (15knts) get a -2 penalty to hit when the MTB doing combat speed (26knts) only get a -1 penalty when its actually going much faster?

Suggestion: Would it be OK to switch the penalties all to speed bands – slow +1, combat -1, full -2? Visually much easier to spot.
or switch all the penalties to knots <15knts +1, 16-30knts -1, >30knts -2?
What do people think – I just couldn’t understand why one would use a mixed criteria?

This was my only real quibble with the game – I expect there to be issues with rules – show me a rule set that does not have a forum discussing rules clarification, and reprints! Its easy to complain that the rule book was rushed – but then I guess otherwise we’d be all complaining that it wasn’t out before Christmas?

[Renko]

This is one of the questions we’re waiting for an answer from Warlord

[RichC]

Hi Richard

Glad you & your son enjoyed it – firstly, we have no problem with you changing it to work better for you. It’s great when we hear people are playing it and doing just that.

Secondly – the Vosper doing combat speed gets no penalty applied to it when it shoots at something whilst doing combat speed [26knts].

another scenario example might be:

An E-boat is the target from a big gun on a merchant – (assume it’s in normal range) 5 base to hit, -2 for inexperienced crew [3], -2 as merchant is at full speed [1], -1 as the e-boat is doing over 24cm = [0] i.e. the merchant cannot hit the E-boat.

The Merchant is now the target of the E-boat – (assume it’s in normal range) 5 base to hit, regular crew [5], -2 as E-boat is at full speed [3] plus a further -1 as it is travelling over 30cm [2], no modifier for target speed (merchant does 15knots) [2], +1 for target size (Large) = [3] i.e. the E-boat needs a 3 or less on the D10 to hit the Merchant

Hope that helps. RichC

[Bill McGill]

I would imagine that the -2 modifier for the shooter going at full speed would be as much for the excessive engine vibration and pitching of the vessel at full power as for the velocity itself. Similarly the +1 for going slow or stationary would be because there is not much vibration.
The -1 for target travelling 30cm or more is cumulative to this and is related to the absolute movement of the shooter.

[Author]

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