• Registered: 2008-06-03
  • Posts: 9

Topic: Damage Control Question

I was using the DC rules today (E.1) and had a question regarding the number of dice rolled.

E.1 states "roll a number of repair dice depending on its hull size."  Thus, our intrepid VICTORY-class Heavy Cruiser from SAE, with a Hull of 10, rolls 3 dice and thus can repair up to three systems per turn.

But what happens after the ship has taken damage?  How many dice are rolled when there are only 3 hull left?  A strict reading of the rules would say that 3 dice are rolled (based in the Hull 10) but....

It seems to me that the number of repair die should be based on the hull factor at the beginning of the End of Turn Phase.  As more hull is damaged, less DC teams are still alive.  Thus, a heavily damaged ship has a reduced ability to repair itself.

What say you?

  • Registered: 2006-07-24
  • Posts: 158

Re: Damage Control Question

It counts the original hull size.

  • Registered: 2007-12-17
  • Posts: 331

Re: Damage Control Question

As written, Psyco is right.

But it's a nice variation to reduce the ability to repair itself as a ship's hull degrades (representing crew loss, as you say). Playtest it!

I've always thought there should be two die rolls, anyway. A sort of to-hit roll for repairs -- roll 3 die. Those that come up 4+ get rerolled to see if they repair anything. Something like that.

  • Registered: 2008-12-22
  • Posts: 654

Re: Damage Control Question

MadSeason wrote:

As written, Psyco is right.

But it's a nice variation to reduce the ability to repair itself as a ship's hull degrades (representing crew loss, as you say). Playtest it!

I've always thought there should be two die rolls, anyway. A sort of to-hit roll for repairs -- roll 3 die. Those that come up 4+ get rerolled to see if they repair anything. Something like that.

In a way there way the mechanics of the roll cause the DC to fix stuff that isn't broken that is your to-hit roll, and that means lesser rolls. Given the sheer number of times my stupid DC teams have fixed perfect Engines when I really needed them to fix shields or guns, I've missed quite a few of those attempts  wink I think this would be even more pronounced if coupled with the critical hit rules.
Erik

  • From: Denver, CO
  • Registered: 2005-03-27
  • Posts: 3,578

Re: Damage Control Question

RockyMountainNavy wrote:

E.1 states "roll a number of repair dice depending on its hull size."

Yup. And rule 1.0 states: "Note that a starship's hull size is not reduced by hull hits—e.g. a hull size 6 ship is always considered hull size 6, regardless of the number of hull hits taken."

So, PSYCO829 is correct.

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

mj12games's Website

  • Registered: 2008-01-09
  • Posts: 110

Re: Damage Control Question

We played it as "Current" hull size at MCon and I liked the feel better. It simulated the fact that as the Ship takes a pounding it's ability to repair was degraded (Teams killed, Power out in sections, Sections depressurized and inaccessible easily, etc.

  • Registered: 2006-07-24
  • Posts: 158

Re: Damage Control Question

cricket wrote:

So, PSYCO829 is correct.

Wait what? :?

  • Registered: 2008-06-03
  • Posts: 9

Re: Damage Control Question

Thank you all for the comments!  Although I recognize the official ruling, my gut tells me to houserule this one.

  • Registered: 2022-11-16
  • Posts: 516

Re: Damage Control Question

RockyMountainNavy wrote:

Thank you all for the comments!  Although I recognize the official ruling, my gut tells me to houserule this one.

You may end up paying more points for the DC parties than what they're actually worth if you cut down their effectivity by reducing their numbers as the ship takes damage. Don't know how much that would reduce the overall cost of the ship, but it seems like it would a little bit.
Kevin

  • Registered: 2006-07-24
  • Posts: 158

Re: Damage Control Question

Blacklancer99 wrote:

In a way there way the mechanics of the roll cause the DC to fix stuff that isn't broken that is your to-hit roll, and that means lesser rolls. Given the sheer number of times my stupid DC teams have fixed perfect Engines when I really needed them to fix shields or guns, I've missed quite a few of those attempts  wink I think this would be even more pronounced if coupled with the critical hit rules.
Erik

I've always found this to be a bit odd, why is it every single one of my repair men are absolutely adamant about fixing my engines when my shields are knocked down?
I'm tempted to try having the repair teams work like Regeneration, where you roll your damaged hull (or in this case, maximum hull), and assign repair teams like that. With weapons, once you assign crew to weapons you roll based on the number of crew you assign.
Hmmm....

  • From: Denver, CO
  • Registered: 2005-03-27
  • Posts: 3,578

Re: Damage Control Question

PSYCO829 wrote:

I'm tempted to try having the repair teams work like Regeneration, where you roll your damaged hull (or in this case, maximum hull), and assign repair teams like that. With weapons, once you assign crew to weapons you roll based on the number of crew you assign.
Hmmm....

And thus the modular nature of Starmada -- if you want to substitute your own damage control rules, you can do so without changing anything else in the game.

Brilliant, no? smile

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

mj12games's Website

  • Registered: 2006-07-24
  • Posts: 158

Re: Damage Control Question

cricket wrote:

And thus the modular nature of Starmada -- if you want to substitute your own damage control rules, you can do so without changing anything else in the game.

Brilliant, no? smile

One of the things that I love most about the game, with flexible rules and the ability to design virtually anything, it can be used to simulate almost any game, any book, movie, tv show, etc.  big_smile

  • Registered: 2008-12-22
  • Posts: 654

Re: Damage Control Question

PSYCO829 wrote:
Blacklancer99 wrote:

In a way there way the mechanics of the roll cause the DC to fix stuff that isn't broken that is your to-hit roll, and that means lesser rolls. Given the sheer number of times my stupid DC teams have fixed perfect Engines when I really needed them to fix shields or guns, I've missed quite a few of those attempts  wink I think this would be even more pronounced if coupled with the critical hit rules.
Erik

I've always found this to be a bit odd, why is it every single one of my repair men are absolutely adamant about fixing my engines when my shields are knocked down?
I'm tempted to try having the repair teams work like Regeneration, where you roll your damaged hull (or in this case, maximum hull), and assign repair teams like that. With weapons, once you assign crew to weapons you roll based on the number of crew you assign.
Hmmm....

I dunno, I kind of like the mechanic as it stands. It seems to keep with the simple but not too simple nature of Starmada. From experience I would say that DC certainly keeps ships fighting when they would otherwise be toothless, or mobile when they should be drifting, and I don't have to spare it much thought at all. I think people get hung up on the "it tries to fix what ain't broken" aspect of the rule (which I was making light of in my earlier post). I just look at those rolls as if they DC teams weren't able to accomplish what the commander hoped to get accomplished. I personally wouldn't want to roll and then assign repairs, it would just be another step which draws out the activity. There may be merit in whittling down the DC teams as the ship takes damage, but then again if you are taking that much Hull damage, there is likely a lot that needs fixing, and most ships just don't have enough DC to remedy all of the ills, so the repairs can be watered down to a degree. Just my two cents.
Erik