[Twilight2k] Fixing Twilight 2K's Vehicle and Heavy Weapon Combat Rules.

[Lev Lafayette]

The rules as writ say that movement rates in metres per round (or per
phase in most cases), are given in summary form on p252. Moving double
this speed, which is also not unusual for a skilled driver, requires an
Average task test and three times the speed a Difficult task. Personal
fire from vehicles is treated at one range band greater than actual range
and cannot be aimed. If a target is moving more than 30m in a round, it is
treated as one range band further than its actual distance. A vehicle
which is penetrated by weapons fire may cause the occupants to panic and
attempt to bail-out; check 1d6 against their Initiative.

Depending on the type of vehicle use different hit location charts.
Different weapons have a different penetration of armour capability. For
small arms, divide the damage capability by the penetration value and
round down to determine final penetration value. For large calibre
penetrators, use the value assigned by range, and add 2D6 for the final
penetration value. For exploding rounds, add 2D6 to the C ("constant")
value to determine final penetration value. Determine hit location, and
subtract the appropriate Armour Value from the Final Penetration Value.
The result will determine the type and numbers of damage (minor, major).

The system is simple and with annoying effects. For example, as writ the
more powerful small arms have less chance to penetrate vehicular armour
than that their weaker brethren. An AK-47 with 3 damage and 1 penetration,
has a final penetration value of 3, whereas the tripod-mounted machine
gun, the AAT-52, with 4 damage and 3 penetration at medium range, would
have a final penetration of 1.3, which is quite clearly wrong. Rather what
it should do, as per other small arms fire, have the the damage value
reduced by the armour (the game system simply reduces entire dice, we
rolled in the past so that light weapons have a chance of penetrating
basic armour, but I suggest we drop this). I would also recommend dropping
the 2d6 additions, and just add 7 to large calibre and explosive weapons
to keep the system in balance.

The next issue is the damage system. As it stands, vehicular damage
depends on penetrative capacity, which can be quite distinct to the weapon
itself. When damage is determine, one must roll on appropriate location
charts to determine the extent and type of damage, thus creating a second
damage calculation system which is not exactly good design. A better
method would be to simply apply the normal damage, assuming that the
armour is penetrated (in most cases it's explosive, anyway), but reduce by
the degree of penetrative success.

For example, a Mk-19 with HVHEDP rounds has a damage of 4CB12, which is 4
concussion dice with a 12 meter blast radius. The weapon has a penetration
of 4C, which (whether rolled or static) would normally mean a result of
11, which could just penetrate the rear hull of a T-72. In the normal
rules, this would result one minor vehicle damage result. Instead, it
would do its a quarter of its normal damage to occupants (and blow a hole
in the hull).


-- 
Lev Lafayette, BA (Hons), MBA, GCertPM
mobile:  0432 255 208
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