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[OFFICIAL] Missile Ideas

From: jon@g... (Ground Zero Games)
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 09:10:17 -0500
Subject: [OFFICIAL] Missile Ideas

Following all the talk about missiles, here are some (very rough) ideas
that we've been kicking around for FTIII - note these are not rules,
just
concepts at this stage - what I'd be interested in is opinions on the
ideas
and whether you think they'd add or detract from the game. ( I do have
some
draft rules for these, but I'm not going to post them quite yet).

FTIII Missile Ideas:

We DROP the existing multi-turn duration missiles from the game,
replacing
them with one or both of the following ideas:
SALVO MISSILE BATTERIES: like oversized submunition packs, with a
launcher
system and one or more "salvo" loads (expendable). Fires a group of
hypervelocity missiles (probably 6 missiles per salvo) with only one
turn
duration, moderate range (24-36"??); fired after order writing, but
before
ships moved, salvo target position indicated by marker. If salvo is
within
attack range (6"?) of an enemy after movement, missiles will attack;
target
must allocate and use defences (PDAFs etc.?) against missiles BEFORE
firer
rolls to see how many of salvo are on target (so could waste several
defences shooting at 6 missiles when 5 of them are going to miss
anyway...); each missile in salvo that is on-target AND gets through
defences then rolls for damage (possibly high damage potential, as not
that
many will get through?).

JUMP TORPEDOES: BIG, expensive missiles that either have their own
(small,
one-shot) Jump engines OR are "fired" into jump by ship's FTL drives
(perhaps with suitable disadvantages for firing ship on turn of firing);
range is infinite in game terms (ie: anywhere on table), but deviation
rolls are applied when missile pops out of jump (firer places "aim"
marker
on intended spot, then roll to see how accurate missile is). When it
pops
out (on same turn as launched), missile goes off immediately with a big
(ish?) area effect - perhaps damage to all ships within 6", lessening
with
actual distance?
This would be big and nasty, but countered by several disadvantages -
expensive, mass-heavy, unreliable (apart from deviation, may not come
out
of jump at all, or (on really bad score) might even go off when
fired!?).
I've used this sort of weapon in pre-FT games many years ago, and it is
fun
because of its unpredicatbility - it is potentially dangerous to both
sides...:)

THESE ARE ONLY IDEAS (sorry to shout...), and may go no further, but who
would miss the "old" FT missiles if we replaced them with something like
these?
Let me know!

Jon (GZG).

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