TrackAngel

TrackAngel
Ian Bates

Deduce the location of your opponent's secret submarine on a chessboard
:Players	Players:	2
:Time	Length:	Medium
:Complexity	Complexity:	Medium
Trios per color:		2
Number of colors:		1
Pyramid trios:
Monochr. stashes:		1
Five-color sets:		2
- - - - - - Other equipment - - - - - -
chessboard, paper
Setup time:		5 min
Playing time:
Strategy depth:		unknown
Random chance:		None
Game mechanics:
Theme:		The wikipage input value is empty (e.g. <code>SomeProperty::, [[]]</code>) and therefore it cannot be used as a name or as part of a query condition.
BGG Link:

Status: Initial design (v1.0), Year released: 2008

Under development

This game is currently under development, in the Initial Design stage. Feedback is strongly encouraged! Feel free to give comments on game design or structure on the talk page.

This Game is part of the Node Wars Trilogy )[edit | edit source]

(yep I know it's number four, blame Douglas Adams :)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2152/2398453057_4d1aed6253_m.jpg

Overview[edit | edit source]

A Track Angel was the gyroscopic setting that WWII submarines used to offset their torpedoes angel to the direction of travel of the submarine so as to obtain an optimum firing spread.
In TrackAngel you have to deduce the location of your 'unseen' opponent from the location and tracking of your own & their torpedoes. TrackAngel is a game which is played on a large board e.g. an 8x8 chess board or 9x9 martian coasters.
It is hoped that it can be incorporated into the Node Wars Familiy at some point in the future.

Equipment[edit | edit source]

A couple of small pyramids for each player, to represent torpedoes.
Log Book for programing, moving, firing and ploting possible enemy location consisting of:-
- Plain Lined Paper
- Small 8x8 or 9x9 Grid
- 8 Point Compase Rose. (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW,)
8x8 or 9x9 grid with sqaures approx 1" (25x25mm) as the board.

Set up[edit | edit source]

Player who has travelled furthest North will play facing North
Place The board between both players.
Each Player Should now select their Start Location & note it in their Log, use Chess Notation and Compass Heading e.g.
- Player One - B2,NE - North is facing away from this player
- Player Two - D8,S - South is facing away from this player
Note it is imperative that players do not reveal their start location.

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Programming, Moving, Firing[edit | edit source]

Programming[edit | edit source]

Each Player must Log their movements in their Log Book Simultaneously.
Each Submarine has only two movement or action counters available per round.
- Move.
- Rotate - Max 45 degrees.
- Ping.
- Fire.
Here are some exmaples based on the previous start Locations.
- C3,E - Move to C3 and rotate 45 to face East.
- F5,S- Move two squares, the south simply maintains heading.
- C3,Ping - See 'Ping' Later on.
- C3,T1A3 - See 'Firing' Later on.
- Note 'Ping' and 'Fire' Commands must be the last action for that program.
An agreed time period or method of ending programming time should be decided before the game commences.

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Moving[edit | edit source]

Note Neither Opponent will actually see any movement.

Ping[edit | edit source]

Active Sonar is a risky business and this is reflected in the fact that a player must reveal themselves in order to possibly catch their opponent.

If a Player Logs an action 'Ping' - a sonar ping is sent out.
The player that 'pings' must place a pyramid onto the board revealing their location & heading.
- Example - C2,Ping - Move one square and cary out a sonar scan on the same heading.
- Example - NW,Ping - Rotate 45 degrees and cary out a sonar scan on this heading.
If the opponents submarine is within the sonar scan they must also place a pyramid onto the board revealing their location & heading.
Image 1 - Player One is fortunate and reveals the location of their enemy.
Image 2 - Player Two is unlucky they have revealed their location and heading but Player One is not within the sonar scan.
Image 3 (to follow) - Shows a Sonar Scan where a submarine is at 45 degree angel.

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Firing[edit | edit source]

Firing Torpedoes is quite a complex activity.

Each submarine can use one of three tubes at any given time but only one per round and not again in the immediate subsequent round (reloading).
- Tube1 - Left of the boats Heading.
- Tube2 - Centre Line
- Tube3 - Right of the Boats Heading.
- These reflect 'Track Angels' for the torpedoes
A Torpedo must also have its arming distance set. This is the distance from the boat after which it becomes 'Armed' and also 'Active' as in scanning sonar.
- Example - C2,T1A3 - Move one square Fire Tube 1 which 'Arms' on its third square from the boat.
- Example - NW,T3A1- Rotate 45 degrees and Fire Tube 3 which 'Arms' on its first square from the boat.
A Torpedo has Three movement counters available per round either move forward or turn 45 degrees.
A Torpedo last for two rounds.
- You Control your Torpedo when it is launched and up until you reveal its location and heading when you place it in its 'Armed' Location this is the end of it's first turn, even if it has movements left.
- Your Opponent Controls the torpedo from now on.

Tube 1 Active on third square.
Tube 2 Active on third square.
Tube 3 Active on third square - note the yellow indicating the sonar scan.
- Torpedo Sonar Scan is limited to three direct lines diagonal or orthagonal from it's own square right across the board but it has blind areas.
- Note Some of the blind area is swept as the torpedo moves forward on its next turn.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/2399283244_626d296c41_m.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2117/2398452997_2f17fc6dfd_m.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2152/2398453057_4d1aed6253_m.jpg