Re: MT missiles

From: "Mikko Kurki-Suonio" <maxxon@swob.dna.fi>

> Please, no, don't screw up the game again!

Your warning is timely.

> MT missiles (and level-3 screens, and "no sense to buy anything but
> A-batts") was exactly the reason that turned me off FT back then...
>
> If anyone is really serious about bringing them back, try this
exercise:
>
> - Make one normal fleet, say vanilla FB1 designs
> - Make one fleet of equal value, composed entirely of "bathtub
launchers":
> MD8, one MTM, FTL, minimal hull, nothing else.

vs say a ship with nothing but Class 6-8 beams and Thrust 6, they'll get
creamed.
It's easy to make an unbalanced design for any particular tactic.

> I have a word of advice to all those who like to design new systems:
When
> it comes to testing, forget "reasonable". Try it all-out. See what
happens
> when go *really* overboard with it. Try to answer these two questions:
>  - why would anyone use your system at all
>  - why would anyone use anything but your system
> If you can answer these *without* referring to "honor", you might be
onto
> a winner...

Good point. Not sure it's possible though. All we can hope for is that
you
can't
do it twice in a row with the same fleet.

Summary so far:
* MT missiles should use Fighter/SM placement to ensure playability. I
think
this
is the concensus.
* Range/Speed shouldn't be so extreme that shoot n scoot vs Class 3-4
beams
will
always work. Options of  2 turns speed 24 or 3 turns speed 18, and can
burn
a turn
like a fighter can to get a 6" extra move seems OK to me. (ie 24 then 24
or
24+6 then out of fuel,
 or 18 then 18 then 18 or 18 then 18+6 or even 18+6 then 18). And hit
nearest target,
as the 6" extra means you can move on top of a desired target ship, but
only
at short
range. This is still subject to debate.