Communique #92 Stardate 2013.08
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COMMUNIQUE #92 STARDATE 2013.08 THE BIG NEWS NEWSflash #1: The big news this month is the completion of the FLAP LIST (Finish Like A Pro) for Captain’s Log #47. DISCUS STRIKES AGAIN Few people really understand this system or what it As happens every few years, our Discus BBS sys- means to them, so let us explain. tem suffered a nervous breakdown. This time it deleted When a new product is released, the work on that most of the user database. There were 1600 registered product is not quite over. We have to do no end of minor users when we left work on 10 July, and when we things (from putting it on the shopping cart to filing the checked the BBS from home at 10pm there were four. copyright forms), some of which are to your benefit and This is a known issue with Discus that nobody has ever should not be missed or ignored. Most of these involve been able to identify or fix, and the company that made updating reference documents on the website, e.g., it went out of business without attending to the problem. The FC Reference Ship Chart is available here: The solution, however, is easy. Just re-register with http://www.starfleetgames.com/federation/ your original screen name and password and it will sync Commanders%20Circle/shipcharts.shtml back up with your file (which is still on the server). The database of Fed Commander scenarios has Every day from that day to this, people have emailed been updated and three versions were uploaded: us asking “what did I do wrong to get kicked out?” and http://www.starfleetgames.com/federation/ the answer is that you did nothing wrong. The software Commanders%20Circle/databasescenarios.shtml is just stupid or maniacal or maybe just plain evil. You’d We updated the Index of Captain’s Log, which al- think they would remember that it happened before, but lows you to quickly find articles in older issues. really, it happens less frequently than issues with other http://www.starfleetgames.com/documents/ software and in this fast-paced world nobody remem- Captains%20Log%20Index/ bers what happened four years ago. INDEX_OF_CAPTAIN's_Log.pdf You might ask why we don’t replace the Discus BBS The medals, campaign ribbons, and honor bars from software with something new like PHP. There’s a reason the Captain’s Log #47 honors list were posted: for that: Discus does things no version of PHP can do http://www.starfleetgames.com/ArtGallery/ and those things are critical to the way the board oper- Wall%20of%20Honor.shtml ates. It would quadruple the workload (by overworked Recent issues of Captain’s Log have a Supplemen- primary designers) to change to PHP and we just can- tal File which is available free on the website: not afford the time. PHP boards don’t have our traffic. http://www.starfleetgames.com/documents/CL/ A better question would be why we didn’t have a CL%2047/CL47_Supplemental_File.pdf backup of the database. We used to back up the system We updated the Update List, listing all products and every week, but something happened two graphics di- what is the latest revision of each: rectors ago and that got left off of the “Master To Do List http://www.starfleetgames.com/prod_update.shtml For Graphics Directors.” It’s back on there now. Check What’s New for even more recent updates. PUBLISHER’S INFORMATION FEDERATION COMMANDER: COMMUNIQUE #92 is published and copyright © 2013 by Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc., www.StarFleetGames.com, PO Box 8759, Amarillo TX 79114. Elements of the Star Fleet Universe are the property of Paramount Pictures Corporation and are used with their per- mission. Communique #92; Copyright © 2013 Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc. Index FOR 2013 NEWSflash #2 • Communique #85: First in the new format. Sce- FEDERATION COMMANDER nario 8CM72 The Hunting of the Snark. New Frax DWE. TACTICS MANUAL • Communique #86: Scenario 8CM73 Training The most wanted new product for Federation Com- Days. New Romulan KF5RL (K5L). mander since we published it eight years ago, this tac- • Communique #87: Scenario 8CM74 Invincibility tics manual was compiled by Fleet Captain Patrick Doyle in the Defense; Victory in the Attack. New ISC destroyer (a four-time national champion) and covers everything! escort. Every (formally published) empire is included! From • Communique #88: Scenario 8CM75 You Spy. New the maneuverable Klingons to the stodgy Gorns, from Kzinti war destroyer escort. the plasma-slinging Romulans to the drone-slinging • Communique #89: Scenario 8CM76 The Hun in Kzintis, from the Hydrans with their fighters to the Ori- the Sun. New Kzinti war destroyer leader. ons with their cloaks and optional weapons. • Communique #90: Scenario 8CM77 Maintenance Every weapon and system is included, from phasers Duty, Klingon F5E escort frigate. to photons, from tractors to transporters, from webs to • Communique #91: Scenario 8CM78 Holdfast displacement devices. Harassment, Romulan SKE destroyer escort. SKU 4009, Retail price $19.95 RULES QUESTIONS UPC: 6-78554-04009-6 Release in Fall 2013. Q: If a Vudar ship is displaced by the Andromedans’ displacement device, can the IPG still be used for de- fensive jamming during the impulse that the Vudar ship is disrupted? I would argue that since it is used in the Defensive Fire Phase it is a weapon requiring the ship’s fire controls to be working. A. Yes, it can be used. It’s a “field around the ship” and doesn’t have to be aimed. Q. Does that mean ESGs can be used since they don’t have to be aimed either? A. ESGs in offensive mode are specifically identi- fied as being a direct-fire weapon in (5N2d), so the of- fensive mode of the ESG cannot be used while disrupted. However, the defensive and anti-hellbore modes can be used while disrupted. Those modes are, like the IPG, purely defensive systems and not affected by being dis- rupted. The ESG defensive mode is explicitly exempted by (5U4b3) anyway. The longer explanation is that displacement only dis- rupts the “fire control” of a ship (something that was ab- stracted out in Federation Commander). That means anything that needs the ship to be able to “see” and “aim” to use (firing or launching weapons; tractors, transport- ers, labs) can’t be used. Defensive fire is allowed as it is all so close, but anything that doesn’t need to “see” (i.e. doesn’t need fire control) isn’t affected by being disrupted. IPGs and the non-offensive modes of ESGs don’t need to be able to “see” to work, and so aren’t affected by being disrupted. WANTED: CAFFEINE-FREE DIET DEW Q. Does a phaser have to be in the arc appropriate Leanna wants very much to enjoy Diet Mountain Dew to the shield a seeking weapon hits? late in the evening, but cannot as the caffeine keeps her A. Yes. So if a drone impacts the #4 shield, for a awake. There is caffeine-free diet Mountain Dew in a phaser to fire at that drone, it must be able to fire into the few states, such as Ohio. (We bring back a hundred cans LR or RR arcs. If a drone impacts the #2 shield, the or more from Origins.) It’s too heavy to ship, but if any- phaser must be able to fire into the RF or R arcs. one is travelling and plans to stop by ADB for the office Thanks to Mike West, our FC Division Commander, tour, Leanna will gladly swap you products for any caf- for keeping up with the rules questions. feine-free diet Mountain Dew you happen to bring along. Communique #92; Copyright © 2013 Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc. Universe News Federation Commander is only one of the games in the Star Fleet Universe. All of our games use a common historical background and technological database. This part of Communique will have news on our other games. Our opt-in email newsletter Hailing Frequencies goes to fans of all our games; each issue includes links to information for each game. The lastest news is printed in red for quick access. Repeated earlier news is in black for context. CAPTAIN’S LOG Work on Captain’s Log #48 has begun, with articles about Starlist, why the Fralli are the best zombie hunt- ers, and Ten Things the Klingons Won’t Tell You. STARMADA Kzinti BC (2400) by Dan Ibekwe Battleship Armada Nova is in stores; Battleship Ar- mada Admiral is available by mail. Both are on e23. Starmada is a fast-paced game system playable on hexes or without them. ISC rules and ships were in STAR FLEET MARINES Captain’s Log #47. Star Fleet Marines: Last Stand has been released. New units include outposts, heavy-weapons vehicles, Federation & Empire and heavy shuttles. New terrain types include three-level In the works: Minor Empires, including the Vudar, hills, cliffs, and depressions. Eleven scenarios include a Seltorians, and LDR. Countersheets for Tactical Ops and number of “last stand” situations such as the Dragon’s a revised Fighter Ops are in development on the BBS. Den, Relief of Nucklow, the Zien-Kien route, and two solitaire scenarios. Star Fleet Battles Steven P. Petrick is hard at work on Module C6 Lost PRIME DIRECTIVE Empires, including the Paravians and Carnivons for re- We’re urging our artists to complete deck plans so lease this fall. He is also hard at work on the Federation we can release the first Traveller book. We’re also mov- Master Starship Book. ing forward with Mike West’s Traveller-based space com- bat system.