Re: [FT] Logical weapons extensions.
From: Alan E & Carmel J Brain <aebrain@d...>
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 23:26:43 +1000
Subject: Re: [FT] Logical weapons extensions.
In order to "properly" do some SFB ships, some new weapons are needed.
Yes, I know, yet more rules. Bleah.
But at least these proposed ones are just logical extensions of existing
ones. Please provide feedback on them.
a) Modelling the SFB "Gatling Phaser". I want something that's a bear at
short range, but whose range drops off markedly.
Answer: A re-useable Submunitions Pack. Cost etc as per a 2-Beam, ie 3 x
that of a Submunitions Pack of the same arc. Should it always be a 360
arc? Dunno. What do you think?
Justification of cost etc: A Beam-2 does 1 die at 18-24" vs 0, it does 1
die at 12-18" vs 1, it does 2 at 6-12" vs 2, and 2 at 0-6" vs 3. So cost
should be about the same.
Symbol - a Submunitions pack in a 6-arc circle.
b) Modelling the dreaded SDB G/R Plasma Torpedo.
Answer: Either a re-useable MT Missile, or better still, a launcher +
magazine arrangement, as per Salvo Missiles.
Cost of Launcher : Mass 2, 6 pts. Cost of Magazine: 1 per missile, Cost
3x Mass.
Justification: a single MT Missile (rack) costs Mass2/6, vs a single SML
rack at Mass4/12. So an MT Missile is costed at 1/2 that of an SML.
Cost of SML Launcher is 3Mass/9 plus 2Mass/x3 per shot in the magazine.
So halving both, we get 2/6 and 1/3 per shot.
Symbol - a forward-arc circle with a solid dot in it connected to a box
full of missile symbols.
Should the "re-useable submunitions pack" bit be extended into a general
principle, ie infinite shots at 3x the cost?
Let's have a look at the weapon with most potential for abuse: the SML.
A device capable of launching 1 SML/turn for the foreseeable future
would be Mass 12, Cost 36 ( or Mass 15, cost 45 for ER ). A comparable
system of a single launcher and SMLs in the magazines would have 4.5
Missiles in it ( Mass 3 for launcher + 4.5 x 2Mass per shot ).
Not too many games have missile ships lasting this long while in range
to shoot at anything. Trouble is, that the SML+Magazine is 2 locations,
either or which will snafu the whole system if hit. So maybe we should
keep the launcher "as is" and just have an "infinite Magazine" (only
capable of feeding one launcher, naturally....). Said Infinite Magazine
should cost, say, 5x the Mass of a single missile/SML?
Feedback requested on this one.
--
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