Re: [FT] Gunboats - points cost??

On Thu, 18 Feb 1999, Sean Bayan Schoonmaker wrote:

> >1) Gunboats are grouped in flights of 4 (as opposed to 6 for
fighters).
> 
> I'd make it three considering their size and ability to lay waste to
ship
> targets

Possibly.  However, doing so makes a gunboat group less efficient in
anti-shipping attacks than an equivalent fighter group.  3 gunboats = 6
dice
beam attacks, 6 fighters = 6 dice beam attacks, with PDS having more
effect
against the gunboat group than the fighters, since each PDS hit kills 2
dice
worth of attacks against the gunboats.

Also, the K'rathri count in octal . . . <g>

> >3) Their base movement is 16 MU, and they get no secondary move.
> >(rationale: they're a bit heavier & slower than regular fighters)
> 
> 16 is an odd number. I'd call it 18

I had it at 18 to start, then reduced it to 16 after mentally SWAG'ing
the
effectiveness.	Hey, that octal counting thing shows up again. [ducking]

[snip]

> >8) Gunboats ignore rolls of '4' when defending against fighters, PDS,
and
> >Class 1 beams.  Unlike fighters, however, Class 1 beams used for PDS
get a
> >normal 2 kills + reroll when used against gunboats (rationale:
gunboats are
> >considerably sturdier than fighters, so fighter & PDS fire is less
> >effective.  They're also less nimble, so Class 1 PDS is *more*
effective.)
> 
> This rule seems unnecessary to me. I'd just leave fighter/PDS/Class 1
> interaction alone. Yes, they may be sturdier, but they're slower.
Sounds
> like a even trade to me. No need to overly complicate things. Simple
is
> Good.

Hmmm - I thought it *was* simple :).  Fighters/PDS/Class 1 all hit
gunboats on
a roll of 5 or 6 (5=1 kill, 6=2 kills+RR).  It's the same mechanism used
by
the Heavy Fighters, but allows more hits from Class 1 PDS fire.

> >9) Strategically, a gunboat may make 4 FTL jumps before jump-engine
> >refueling is required.  A gunboat may replace one or both torpedo
launchers
> >with extra jump tanks - each jump tank so added extends the gunboat's
range
> >by 2 jumps.
> 
> Why not link jumps to endurance. Such as, it costs 2 or 3 endurance
points
> to make a jump. That also allows for the interesting idea of: if we
take on
> these fighters or make this attack, then we won't have the fuel to get
home.

*VERY GOOD* suggestion - I like this a lot.

> >Just as an initial SWAG, I'm thinking that the points cost would be
> >somewhere between 20 and 30 points per gunboat, making a group cost
between
> >80 and 120 points.  Opinions, please?
> 
> Cost feels about right. I'd start at 24 and adjust according to
playtest
> results.

Thanks for the feedback.  BTW, are your FT campaign rules posted
somewhere on
the web?  If not, could you email me a copy please?  TIA!

===================================================================
Mark "Hauptmann" Shurtleff
  email: hauptman@sfcmd.com -or- hauptman@concentric.net
       The Gear Locker:  http://www.sfcmd.com/HeavyGear/
	   Full Thrust:  http://www.sfcmd.com/fullthrust/

 Finagle's Law:
   The perversity of the Universe tends towards the maximum.
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