New Rules for Full Thrust

 

 

Emergency Thrust
These rules allow ships to use up to 150% of their Main Drive's current rating, and/or use more Thrust Points for turning than would normally be allowed. However, these bonuses come with the risk of damaging the Main Drive.  These Emergency Thrust rules can be used for either Cinematic or Vector movement systems.

Emergency Thrust (ET) may be used for any of the following:
          1) Gaining additional Thrust Points equal to 50% of the drive's current rating, rounded down. Thus, a ship with a Main Drive of 4 could use up to 6, or a ship with a Main Drive of 3 use up to 4.
          2) Using Thrust Points over half the drive's current rating for turning. Thus, a ship with a Main Drive of 6, which would normally be allowed only 3 Thrust Points for turning, could then use 6.

Immediately after Step 1 - Write Orders for All Ships, dice are rolled for any ship using ET to determine if it was successful and/or the ship's Main Drive was damaged. Roll the number of dice as indicated below:
                    Thrust Points over rating - Plus 1 die
                    Thrust Points to turn over 1/2 rating - Plus 1 die
                    Each prior use of ET during the current scenario - Plus 1 die

These dice are scored as Beam dice (i.e. 1-3 results in 0, 4-5 results in 1, and 6 results in 2 but with NO re-roll). Compare the results with the following chart:

                    0 - ET is completely successful with no damage to the Main Drive.
                    1 - ET is successful, but Main Drive takes damage as if it had failed a threshold roll.
                    2-3 - ET fails, and Main Drive takes damage as if it had failed a threshold roll.
                    4+ - ET fails, and Main Drive takes damage as if it had failed TWO threshold rolls.

A ship that fails in its attempt to use ET must immediately re-plot its movement using standard thrust limitations. Damage to the Main Drive from ET may be repaired normally by Damage Control Teams.

Example: an undamaged Heavy Cruiser with a Main Drive of 4, using Cinematic Movement, plots "P3+3," using 6 Thrust Points. The ship has used more Thrust Points than its rating (+1 die), and has applied more than 1/2 of its rating to turn (+1 die). Thus, the ship rolls 2 dice.
          If the rolls resulted in 2 (giving 0) and 3 (giving 0), the ship would move as plotted with no damage.
          If the rolls resulted in 1 (giving 0) and 5 (giving 1), the ship would move as plotted, but would also halve its Main Drive rating as if it had failed a threshold.
          If the rolls are a 4 (giving 1) and 5 (giving 1), then the ship must re-plot its movement, adhering to normal thrust limitations, and it takes threshold damage as above.
          If the roll is 6 (giving 2) and 6, (giving another 2, 4 total), then the ship must re-plot, and it takes damage as if it had failed TWO thresholds (essentially destroying the Main Drive).

If, on the following turn, the same ship plotted "S3+1," using its regular limit of 4 Thrust Points, but using more than half for turning (+1 die), it would again roll 2 dice because it is the ship's second attempt at using ET (+1 die) in the scenario.

Thanks to Schoon for re-writing my long-winded rules in a shorter and easier to read format
 
Light Fighters
As an option, possibly for some space power or alien race, they might have what I call Light Fighters.

Each group of Light Fighters consists of 8 fighters instead of the normal 6.  Light Fighters move and attack just like normal fighters, so a full strength group of Light Fighters can roll 8 attack dice.  A group of 8 Light Fighters costs the same as a group of 6 regular fighters

The disadvantage of Light Fighters is that they are easy to kill and they only have 4 turns of endurance.  Any attack at a group of Light Fighters gets a +1 bonus so normal fighters attack Light Fighters like Interceptors attack normal fighters (1-2, no kills; 3-4, 1 kill; 5, 2 kills; 6, 2 kills and a re-roll).  Interceptors are very deadly against Light Fighters.  PDS systems, Class 1  Beam Batteries, Class 1 K-guns, spicules, and Pulsers in point defense mode all get the +1 modifier.  Scatterguns and Interceptor Pods kill d6+1 Light Fighters.

Light fighters may get Fast, Interceptor, or Attack modifications.  Heavy, Torpedo, and Long Range options are not available for Light Fighters.