Re: The GZG Digest V1 #608

Beth wrote:

> >> 1) I like the idea that if you pay a little more you can specify
"only hit
> >> things bigger than size x"
> >
> >Any suggestions as to points cost?
> 
> What about 4xmass instead of 3x? Do you think that's enough? I 
> wouldn't go for straight double the cost as that seems too high to
me.

A tiny cost increase for a rather massive improvement - eg, a Jerez
would cost 301 pts with these improved SMs compared to 293 without them
(+2.7%), a Roma would cost 389 instead of 377 (+3.1%). The impact of
such a small cost increase is less than the impact of winning or losing
the initiative on any given turn in a 10-turn battle, but the impact of
the SM targetting change is very big indeed. 

Doubling the cost of the SMs would have a measurable impact on the
game, but even that may well be too cheap for the ability it buys - it
would allow me to hit NSL-style heavies with 90+% of the SMs I fire at
them in Vector and Cinematic both (unless they fly faster than speed
~24 in Cinematic, but not even I fly that fast with thrust-2 ships very
often!). Sure, heavy ADFC/PDS outfits help, but they tend not to be
enough against the Missile Boat Swarm from Hell.

No, I don't have any better solutions myself :-/

Regards,

Oerjan Ohlson
oerjan.ohlson@telia.com

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
- Hen3ry