Re: Galaxy intercept question

From: bampton@cs.utk.edu (Howard the Energizer)

Date: Thu, 07 Nov 1996 00:00:00 +0000

In article <cebra.141.0036882C@ids2.idsonline.com> cebra@ids2.idsonline.com (Jonathan Cebra) writes:

>>One other case:

>>The enemy fleet is sent to planet A, but it will take 2 turns to get there.
>>What happens if I send an Intercept C order ? Will my ships stay on planet A (
>>because the enemy fleet is heading towards planet A ), or will it be sent to
>>planet C ? ( Now we have another 2 cross point )
>>1 - My ships on planet A can reach C in one turn
>>2 - My ships on planet A can only reach planet C in 2 turns

>It doesn't matter how long it will take the enemy ships to reach A.  The
>important point is how long it will take your ships to arrive. (Interceptors
>can arrive before the fleet they are intercepting.)

>>I believe that Intercept order is one of the most complicated ones to understand from the manual. And one can't waste many turns trying.
>
>This is true.  Interception is a valuable tactic, but as one of the other
>posts following this thread pointed out, you can get yourself into trouble
>using intercept orders.
>If you suspect your opponent is using intercepts you can:
>1) send a single probe to pull the opponent out of position while your fleet
>sits. (Preferably leaving the opponents fleets in hyperspace or arriving en
>masse at the planet of a neutral third party.)

Variations:

Send the probe, retreat your fleet back to a system out of his
interecept range. This way you win either way- his interceptors go off
into la-la land, or his direct attack hits nothing. This assumes that
you've got longer ranged ships, however, and probably a major numerical
superiority (why else could you afford to pull a attack force out of
use for an entire turn???).

Counters:

Blind Galaxy has a "shortint" option, which modifies the intercept
range of a group to a single turn's travel, which prevents you from
loosing the use of your intercepting fleet for 2 turns (due to be
stuck in hyperspace).

>2) retreat 51% of your mass towards the rear to a planet that is between one
>and two turns distance from your opponents heavy ships.
>This leaves 49% of your ships free to raid and gives you the option of
>reinforcing the rendevous point (especially if your opponents deflectors
>arrive before the heavy ships) or abandoning it.

Anyone performing an intercept with mixed speed groups instead of a
fleet deserves what happens. Again, for Blind Galaxy players, shortint
can reduce the pain you suffer if the interceptee does this.

>Now if anyone understands the codes (not just the rulebook) here's my question:
>what if the ships on planet A have an intercept C order
>and the ships on planet C have an intercept A order?
>Would it matter who came first in the player list?

Yes. It makes a difference.

Intercepts are resolved in player order. I.e. If the player whoose
forces are at A is before the owner of the forces at C, the battle
will occur over system C. This is a known defect in the implementation
of the intercept code. Several other occurances of this "race" condition
exist. [Yes, Blind galaxy has this problem too, although if memory
serves, at least one of them can be avoided by the GM running orders
in a manner other than Alphabetical or player order.]

Howard

--
$1000 plus $1 per byte fee for proofing commercial mail sent to me.
Howard Bampton   bampton@cs.utk.edu     http://www.cs.utk.edu/~bampton/
System Administrator, Stibo Datagraphics

References

re: Galaxy intercept question
cebra@ids2.idsonline.com (Jonathan Cebra)
Tue, 05 Nov 1996 00:00:00 +0000