Re[2]: Beam Weapons

James Butler wrote:
>At 05:47 PM 11/28/96 +0000, you wrote:
>>One could consider energy requirements versus 3 power plant sizes
(escort, 
>>cruiser, capitol) in terms of power output, capicitors, weapons
recharge, 
>>etc.	Using this, it would be easy to come up with some REASONABLE
design 
>>rules.  However, such an addition to the rules would be like adding a
fifth 
>>limb, an useful but unneccessary complication.
>
	>I don't know about this being unnecessary. If we combine this
idea
>with Robin Paul's idea of extra mass for "inappropriate" sized weapons,
for 
>one thing, it explains where that extra mass is going (larger
powerplant, 
>larger capacitors to hold the charge for the weapon, etc.) but it also
opens 
>up the possibility of including enough extra mass to fire the weapon
but not 
>as often so you could install a large battery like an A-bat on a
smaller 
>ship but only fire it every other turn. Frankly, I think a powerplant 
>size/capacitor/weapon recharge design system would be utterly cool. It
would 
>certainly open the options up a little and further distinquish players'

>designs from each other.

>>Mike, when is GZG gonna make the A batteries mass 4 ?!?

>This is certainly something I agree with. With all the talk about 
>balancing A-bats it certainly would be very reassuring to get an
OFFICIAL 
>solution so that we can all be using the same fix. 

Funny you should say that....

Jon and I were chatting the other day and one of the things that came up

was this beam weapon thing for FTIII (as you may know, we are thinking 
about producing a new version of FT). Jon is quite keen on the idea of 
getting rid of the points system (shock, horror!, what will the tabloids

say?) in favour of a single parameter for ship design, i.e. MASS.

Secondly, we have recognised the problem with beam weapons inbalance and

the latest idea is to distinguish between "casemate" weapons (i.e.
single 
arc) and "turreted" (i.e. 2 or 3 arc):

			       MASS
C battery (turretted only)	1
B battery (casemate)		2
B battery (turret)		4
A battery (casemate)		4
A battery (turret)		8

What do you all think??

As fas a "fix" for FT II is concerned, I think the simplicity of the A 
battery is MASS 4 is fine, and would recommend its adoption as a house 
rule. That's probably as "official" as you're going to get.

Mike Elliott, GZG