Re: [FT] Tug confusion

>The way I understand Tug rules is that there's no extra cost for an FTL
>tug capbility per-se, but you pay mass and cost for the mass you want
to
>carry - 20% of the carried mass..

That much is true

>Does this mean I can build a ship that is basicaly rickety tin-can FTL
>engine with clamps for fighters with the cost of 5 mass and 15 points?

Technically, yes, but there are some caveats---See below

>Mass=5,
>Weak Hull   (1 mass)
>Thrust 9  (2 mass)
>FTL (Tug) (1 mass)
>Capacity 6 (1 mass)

I don't think thrust 9 is allowed for normal ships, but that size drive
would
support that level of performance.  Of course, when you add the fighters
(mass
6) that drops to Thrust 3.

>If tug cap is always rounded up, them the clamps are 2 mass and engines
>are 1 mass for 5 thust

Huh? I didn't follow this one

>Add to that a standard flight of fighters and we get a (possibly one
>shot) FTL fighter group for 33 points. Anyone want to take a
Richtenhoff
>against ten of these things? Even 5? Either a) I've got a major gap in
>my understanding of tugs, or b) something's broken. Most likely A.
Could
>someone set me straight?

Well, here's the rub - what you designed is valid by the rules, but not
practical by the text.	The average FTL transit consists of a series of
jumps,
with delays of 6+ hours between them, while "on average, naval vessels
on most
missions will make no more than one jump per day".  The tug has no
provisions
for the fighter crew, or refueling, or rearming.  So essentially the
pilots are
stuck in their fighters for the entire duration.  They must rely on the
Life
support ability of said fighters.  They have at most their initial
endurance of
6 (or 9 if long-range) but I would hotly contend that extended
deep-space travel
burns endurance.  And once there, they use it up and are screwed.

Also, tugs may not be able to use their own drives to tow the fighters
in
realspace (read FB p8 - "designed to tow other ships through jump by
extendind
their jumpfield around them".  So you need mechanical linakge, or else
the
fighters use their own drives for all maneuvering.

So while it is strictly by the book, there are complications that make
this
design (as it stands) impractical for anything but moving fighters
around behind
the lines.  It could be an interesting scenario for this transportation
group to
be attacked, but as far as normal play, I don't think so.

>Noam R. Izenberg		 noam.izenberg@jhuapl.edu

Jared Noble