[Diaspora] Platoon Combat Confusion

[Sam Friedman]

First:  I love the concept of the game.  It's really cool.  Cluster
generation is fun even as a solo mini-game.  I already adapted it to help me
create a setting for a Vampire: the Masquerade game.  Technology
became Territory - area of control, sphere and strength of influence,
ability to gain more territory or keep what they've got.  Environment
became Herd - food source, ability to sustain their population, to spread or
grow or support new vampires.  Resources became Numbers - body count, but
also number of power players, could have a small group of really powerful
members, or a large group/swarm of peons.

Second: I have questions about the Platoon Mini-game rules.  I believe it
was said once before, by one of the authors, but this chapter is the most
confusing of the bunch.  It sounds like it should be a great mini-game, but
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around a few things (Some may seem
straightforward to others):

1.  Unit v team v platoon
- representation on the map: If I am fielding the sample t3 Marine Platoon
(p. 196), how many markers do I need?  One for the whole platoon?  One per
team?  One per unit on each team?
- action: Each unit takes an action, right?  So a single marine (unit) could
split off from his pals (team) to engage his arch rival (unit) one-on-one.
 A team could move away from the other teams in its platoon to execute a
pincer maneuver.  Right?  As long as they're within range of their Platoon
Leader's communication, they'd be able to use any of the available actions?

3.  Movement
- "If your movement places you in (or passes through) the same zone as an
enemy unit ... the moving unit ceases movement."  This is different than the
every zone you move through has the potential for a compel, right?

4.  Platoon consequences
-  Typical Unit Stress Tracks, p.187, says "All units have a single stress
track, Morale.  A platoon may expend consequences to mitigate hits ... A
platoon has three Consequences to allocate and each can mitigate two
shifts."
-  But in Damage on p. 192, "A platoon can have a maximum of three
consequences ..." mild [reduce by 1], medium [reduce by 2], and sever
[reduce by 4].
-  So if a unit in a platoon would take that deadly hit, its owning platoon
can "give" one of its consequences to that unit?  Is this consequence
free-taggable on the unit or the platoon?  Does it "occupy" one of the
platoon's otherwise-available consequences?

5.  Artillery
- Any suggestions on how to narrate the fact that my artillery card is off
the map?  I have a sinking feeling my war-gaming friends would say "well
hey, that should be somewhere on the map.  I'd like to capture your
artillery cannons and use them against you."  Is there a way to model this
(I'm thinking a small-scale concession of some sort?).

Any help is appreciated.

-Sam
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