I Think this would add a whole new dimension to GSB, as a slow cruiser will be vulnerable to a frigate that sneak under it’s minimum range, sinks boarding parties into it, and runs off. Boarding parties are a one shot weapon aimed at disabling and CAPTURING a enemy vessel. It works something like this:
1: frigate with boarding pods get close enough to launch them (say about 10/20), and launches them at enemy cruiser.
2:weapons try to blow up the pods, (PD does not have enough strength to destroy)
3:Pods reach Hull, passing through shield bubble (like fighters) and start cutting away at hull (on board lasers start picking of repair drones).
4:after say, 10 seconds( depends on the armour rating), in which other ships can destroy pods. they breach, and boarding start proper.
5: Battle commences inside the ship. If attackers win, ship changes side and starts firing on it’s former allies.
6: If the defenders win, pods are turned into mines and ejected, detonating near the attackers ships.
7: each ship has a certain number of ‘standard’ security troopers, and more can be added by adding crew bays etc. It goes without saying that the more pods that breach, the bigger chance the attackers have of winning!
Surely this is not the way to treat our glorious leader.
But in reality, this boarding party stuff does sound pretty interesting. Some refinement is obviously needed but this could indeed be very interesting.
Concerns about who wants to ride in a spacegoing explosive shell are easily solved. With alcohol. Drunken boarding parties work better anyway, ask any pirate. Arrr.
So what kind of orders would captured ships get? Maybe you set orders for all captured ships (two sets, one for frigates, for cruisers), that default to the standard orders that pop up when you deploy a ship of that class?
I like this idea. Maybe boarding ships could have their own special module types to hold different types of troops. The cruisers could buy security stations that would contain soldiers of their own or something to defend against enemy boarding parties. Hybrid crew/security modules could also be implemented. A communications module could let you call for reinforcements from a troop heavy cruiser via fighter-size transports if necessary. We’d need a universal holo-link with the intergalactic Orkin man for those pesky alliance boarding fleets!
