Line of Sight, or Screening Ships

[Toxic_Rat]

I am working on the scenario for this years GenCon event.  Currently, I'm planning on a scenario wherein one side must escort a number of cargo ships across the board.  In taking a look at the Line-of-Sight (LOS) rules, I've been pondering whether there is a different way to deal with LOS, and if it would be too much of a hassle.

Recognizing that the rulebook states that ships are tiny in real-scale on the board, and that ships do not block LOS, what if they did?  What if the LOS for an attack was drawn from center post to the target center post, but if it passes across an intervening ship, then LOS is either blocked or impeded?  This would give Escorts and Small craft something to actually escort.  This doesn't make a lot of sense when you consider that space is 3D, but until we all get holo-tables, we're stuck playing on a 2D surface. 

Maybe the level of impedance is based on ship size (Small, Medium, Large).  Or gives a +1 or +2 to the to-hit target.  Perhaps only Direct weapons are blocked, and Indirect weapons are not.

What do you think?

[Covertwalrus]

I am working on the scenario for this years GenCon event.  Currently, I'm planning on a scenario wherein one side must escort a number of cargo ships across the board.  In taking a look at the Line-of-Sight (LOS) rules, I've been pondering whether there is a different way to deal with LOS, and if it would be too much of a hassle.

Recognizing that the rulebook states that ships are tiny in real-scale on the board, and that ships do not block LOS, what if they did?  What if the LOS for an attack was drawn from center post to the target center post, but if it passes across an intervening ship, then LOS is either blocked or impeded?  This would give Escorts and Small craft something to actually escort.  This doesn't make a lot of sense when you consider that space is 3D, but until we all get holo-tables, we're stuck playing on a 2D surface. 

Maybe the level of impedance is based on ship size (Small, Medium, Large).  Or gives a +1 or +2 to the to-hit target.  Perhaps only Direct weapons are blocked, and Indirect weapons are not.

What do you think?

 It would be an interesting variant to try, and I can see it being a real thing in the case of ships traveling in convoy, and in very close proximity.

[Ruckdog]

I am working on the scenario for this years GenCon event.  Currently, I'm planning on a scenario wherein one side must escort a number of cargo ships across the board.  In taking a look at the Line-of-Sight (LOS) rules, I've been pondering whether there is a different way to deal with LOS, and if it would be too much of a hassle.

Recognizing that the rulebook states that ships are tiny in real-scale on the board, and that ships do not block LOS, what if they did?  What if the LOS for an attack was drawn from center post to the target center post, but if it passes across an intervening ship, then LOS is either blocked or impeded?  This would give Escorts and Small craft something to actually escort.  This doesn't make a lot of sense when you consider that space is 3D, but until we all get holo-tables, we're stuck playing on a 2D surface. 

Maybe the level of impedance is based on ship size (Small, Medium, Large).  Or gives a +1 or +2 to the to-hit target.  Perhaps only Direct weapons are blocked, and Indirect weapons are not.

What do you think?

I kind of like the method BFG uses; ships don’t block line of sight, but you have to target the nearest enemy vessel unless you pass a leadership check. In FSA, maybe this could be a disorder check? Or, perhaps it could be a single D6 check needing, say, a 5+ to pass, but you get to add your fleet tactics bonus to the roll.

[Fracas]

Allow a “convoy squadron “ of x# tier 3 models and y # of freighters
The squadron has the dr/cr of the tier 3
Attacks against the squadron applies each hits multiple above cr as freighters destroyed, as long as there are tier 3 left that is