You guys realize that the confusing "move action where no move takes place" wording exists for the use of powers, like Force Blast or Regeneration. Since the use of those powers is considered a move action, they didn't want people to have to roll breakaway to Force Blast someone. So that's what they're really saying, I don't think the the actual "move zero spaces" move action is what they intended.

I think maybe they should hire a rules arbitrator that knows the game backwards and forwards, believes that logic should play a part in the rules, and has an English major or minor degree so that they could convey those ideas without making it worse.

In defense of Dr. G... He DOES know the rules back and forth. What you see in the FAQs though, does NOT come directly from him. He is not responsible for FAQ updates. The designers take the updates from Dr. Gandalf on the Judge's Forum, boil them down and put them into the FAQ. If something was missed or misinterpreted when they did their update, he tries to get the details of it cleaned up in future releases of the FAQs.

This problem is one of those that the designers interpreted differently that was stated. And it will be fixed. There have been plenty more before that, and plenty more before Dr. G's tenure. It is not the Arbitrator's doing, it was the people that typed the Update for the FAQs.

I haven't read all the posts, but I just want to say this; hopefully it will help.

It may seem that a taxi in this situation isn't moving, since she will be in the same square she started. But, in fact, she has to move in order to carry another figure. She has to actually start moving in order to pick up an adjacent friendly figure.

Care to back that statement up with some rules?

From the carrying figures rules: "Flying figures may carry other friendly figures. There is no cost for picking up a figure, though a flying figure must be in hover mode in order to pick up a figure. To be carried, a friendly figure must be adjacent to the flying figure at the beginning of the flying figure's move. During the move action, count the flier's movement squares as normal, including flight mode changes. At the end of the move, the flying figure must be in hover mode, and must place the carried figure in an adjacent open square."

There's also a FAQ entry about not having to move to soaring to carry a figure. I see no mention there of having to move any spaces at all. And there's no minimum set in the regular movement rules either, just a maximum. I'm not saying this should be allowed; I'm just looking for actual rules justifications to deny or allow it.

It says "at the begining of the flying figures move". That seems really simple.

I mean, really, if they spelled it out any more, it would be like those obnoxious illustrated directions on the back of Alka Seltzer boxes showing you the proper way to drop the tablets into a glass of water.

Or like a CD player instructions saying
1. turn on your CD player
2. Place your finger on the open/close button and press it (but not too hard!)
2a. If you press the button, and it doesnt work perhaps there is something wrong with your CD player
2b. When cleaning the open/close button make sure not to press to hard or else the CD holder will open.

Etc.. hehe

...but where does it say you have to move the carrying figure? It doesn't. It just says the carried figure has to be adjacent at the beginning of the move, be adjacent at the end of the move, and you can move up to your speed value in squares. It never says you have to move a single square to move, ever.

I agree, it seems really simple, but when you actually read the rules, it's not so simple. The rules never say you have to move your figure at all when you give them a move action. It just says you can, and there's a wide gulf between the two.

Reading the rules. Why is everyone having such a hard time with this? #7 answers this question nice and simple.

Carrying Other Figures: Flying figures may carry other friendly figures. There is no cost for picking up a figure, though a flying figure must be in hover mode in order to pick up a figure. To be carried, a friendly figure must be adjacent to the flying figure at the beginning of the flying figure's move. During the move action, count the flier's movement squares as normal, including flight mode changes. At the end of the move, the flying figure must be in hover mode, and must place the carried figure in an adjacent open square. Flying figures can carry other flight-capable figures. A carrying figure cannot carry a figure that is carrying someone else or holding an object. The flying figure receives an action token, but the carried figure does not. The carried figure may still be assigned any type of action after being set down.
1. If a flier is hovering adjacent to an opposing figure, it must successfully break away before it can pick up friendly figures or soar. Carried figures, however, do not need to break away because being carried does not require a move action.
2. A flying figure that is carrying a friendly figure must begin and end its move in hovering mode with the carried figure in an adjacent square. Figures at different terrain elevations are not adjacent.
3. During this movement, the flyer does not have to go to soaring mode.
4. A flier with the Phasing power can phase and carry a friendly figure at the same time.
5. Fliers can carry friendly figures with them while performing a Charge or a Running Shot. They must, however, drop the friendly figure off before attacking.
6. "At the end of the move, the flying figure must be in hover mode, and must place the carried figure in an adjacent open square." An "open square" for this purpose is any unoccupied square that the carried figure could legally occupy.
7. If a flying figure begins its turn adjacent to an opposing figure, it must break away before carrying a friendly figure. [FAQ]

Prize to Manchine!

all right has nothing to do with breakaways but if we are all about literal readings of the rules and everything, how bout this:

"Flying figures may carry other friendly figures. There is no cost for picking up a figure, though a flying figure must be in hover mode in order to pick up a figure."

so if i don't physically move my taxi that IS NOT next to any opposing figure but adjacent to my other figure, does this mean that i can effectively have my taxi rotate my other figure around the surrounding 8 squares without really taking an action since there is no cost for picking up a figure?

No. Whether the figure actually changes squares or not, carrying must take place during a move and a move action.

hey herocomplex,

i asked this the very first post of this thread... no one answered, can you give it a stab?

can you soar and stealth at the same time?

No cost in terms of movement, but it still requires a move action. Nice try, though.

(grumble, grumble, won't let me delete message, took too long to edit, grumble grumble)

Can a soaring figure be stealthed? I don't see anything in the soaring, LoF, or Stealth rules to prevent it. It shouldn't be possible, and yet I have a funny feeling...

Manchine, everyone is having a problem because they read the highlighted red text for this last update and it makes it sound like if your figure does a move action and doesn't move then they don't have to break away. I thought that sounded pretty cool. I now find out that I need to go read the FAQ on taxiing, running shot, and charge to learn that those things don't work with this new ruling. Which has to make me wonder why this new ruling was made. It only does one small thing but leads people to believe it changes much more.

Funky Jett, if DrGandalf is not in charge of the FAQ and any FAQ updates then why even have a rules arbitrator? Someone is obviously messing up in their interpretations of his rulings and making things unclear. If he just updated the FAQ himself then there would be no question.