Re: Fighters and all...

On Sat, 20 Jul 1996, JAMES BUTLER wrote:

> Fighter questions...
> 
> 1. Can fighters reload "endurance"? If so, how long does it take?

Yes, at one turn to reload a normal fighter squadron.

> 
> 2. Can torpedo fighters reload torpedoes? If so, how long does it 
take?
> 
Yes, at the rate of 1 torpedo per turn, fighters can be re-launched with

fewer than a full load.

> 3. Do screen effect torpedoes?
> 
Nope, just as pulse torpedoes.

> 4. If you aren't playing with sensors, is your opponent obligated to
tell
> you what type of specialty fighters he's playing with until they
attack?

We play with a "visual range rule" where ships and fighters can identify

class if the opponent in within 6".  This leads to some intersting use
of 
fighters as scouts to either identify enemy ships or cause them to move 
away to avoid identification. 

> > 5. If you are playing with sensors, can you scan a fighter squadron
to
> see what type of fighters they are?

Yes, see above.

> 
> 6. If you can reload torpedoes onto torpedo planes and the fighter bay
> holding the torpedo planes is hit, does the ship carrying them take
> extra damage?

>From the description of the pulse torpedo I've assumed that the damaged

caused by the tropedo is caused by the concentration of the force into a

tight beam that's practically unstoppable.  If an unarmed torpedo was
hit 
and exploded the force would be diffuse compared that of an active 
torpedo and could be considered small in game terms.  Throw in
technology 
like blow-out panels or exhaust vents and the damage (other than losing 
the bay) could be considered negligible.

> 
> 7. Okay--it's happened more than a few times that enemy fighters wound
up on
> top of hostile ships (we're playing with counters right now instead of
> miniatures). And PDAF not being able to fire on fighters right on top
of you
> is very frustrating. Does it not make sense that PDAF should be able
to fire
> offensively on fighters within 2 inches, or even within one? I can
> understand that letting them fire at 6" would be disbalancing but even
PDAF
> should be able to fire against enemy fighters when they're right
outside the
> window!!

We currently allow "flak" ships that are dedicated anti-fighters to use 
PDAF's offensively.  However, the ship can not mount any anti-ship 
weapons and must have 2 fire controls dedicated to the task.  If the
ship 
does not have 2 active fire controls, it can only fire at fighters 
defensively (i.e. when the ship is attacked or another ship is 
attacked).  This is costly enough that only one person has done it, 
although it was a horrible surprise to the 6 attacking fighter
squadrons...

--Binhan Lin