Re: [FT-AAR] comment NAC/NI AAR

Oerjan Ohlson wrote:
> 
> John Leary wrote:
> 
> > Oerjan Ohlson wrote:
> 
...Snip...JTL
> >	 Well, I guess the primary objection to the device is partly in
the
> > name (Since it will cause confusion with the concept of Stealth.)
> 
> OK, I'll bite. What would "stealth" mean for you? Obviously something
> else than making the ship harder to aquire (which is what this stealth
> version represents, with a very simple mechanic), but I can't figure
out
> what...?
XXX
     Stealth is an attempt to reduce of eliminate the return from the
target (the stealth ship) so that the enemy cannot find the stealth
ship or prevent the enemy from acquiring a target lock for thier fire
control.   In FT/MT/FB terms, stealth reduces the sensor range on the 
ship so that it cannot acquire and therefore cannot fire.   
     In the game the stealth appears to have blocked all effective 
sensors on the affected ships and placed the weapons systems in 
a 'local'  fire control mode as all beam weapons were reduced by
the same percentage.   (I am fully aware that PSB may be used to 
justify a great deal, but lets try for a reasonable extension of
reality.  (Well, Mostly!)  JTL
XXX
a target 
> 
> > Second objection: This systems primary function is to reduce the
> > range of weapons on ALL enemy ships. This is accomplished without
> > a 'to hit' of any kind.  This is an area effect system that does not
> > have any effect on friendly ships.
> 
> Screens affects all enemy beam fire directed at the screened ship.
This
> is accomplished without a 'to hit' for the ship using screens. Armour
> affects all enemy weapon fire except needles directed at the ship.
This,
> too, is accomplished without a 'to hit' for the armoured ship.
XXX
     Nobody bothers to roll the 'to hit' for screens and armor on thier
own ship because to miss you need a zero on 1D6.  :-)  JTL
XXX 
> Thus, according to your logic, screens and armour are area effect
> systems; they tend not to have any effect on friendly ships since you
> usually don't fire at friendly ships.
XXX
     You are correct, USUALLY I don't fire at friendly ships.

     'Area affect systems', I can accept that.	 If you fire at one 
of my ships that has a screen and roll a four, did you fail to hit?
or did you hit and fail to damage?   In either case the screen did
not affect your weapons or you ability to fire them.   The stealth
actually changes the performance of the weapons on all enemy ships.
JTL
XXX
> Do you think that screens and armour also should have a 'to hit' roll
of
> their own and be limited to the number of targets it can affect?

> The problem with this type of stealth is that it eats hull space
*fast*.
> In addition, unlike screens, you need powerful engines to benefit from
> the stealth (because if you have lower thrust than your enemy, he'll
> close the range and you don't benefit from your stealth hulls).
XXX
     I am looking forward to the next edition of stealth ships, the
thrust 6, 2 stealth, 2 screen and all weapons in the AS or AP area.
These should be lots of fun.   JTL
XXX
 These two
> combined mean that a stealth ship either has a low number of hull
boxes
> for its size, or few weapons, or both.
> 
> I don't know if this stealth variant is balanced. Unfortunately the
> NAC/NI battle doesn't say very much about that - the main conclusion
you
> can draw from it is that if you consistently roll low to-hit dice and
> high treshold dice, you'll probably lose :-/
> 
XXX
    Agreed.  After all it was Indy rolling the dice!  :-) JTL
XXX
> Regards,
> 
> Oerjan Ohlson
> oerjan.ohlson@telia.com

Bye for now,
John L.