RE: DSII questions

In message <3.0.5.32.20000515074511.007c4430@mail.HICom.net> Aaron Teske
writes:
> 
> At 06:48 AM 5/15/00 -0400, Brian Bell wrote:
> >>Oerjan wrote:
> >[snip]
> >> Hm. What's the difference between this and PDS? That is, what is
the
> >> big conceptual difference between [snip]
> > 
> >You answered your own question. ECM is designed to spoof the missile
into
> >missing. PDS is designed to destroy the missile before it can hit.
> 
> Yes, but he was asking about the conceptual difference -- something
like,
> "what's the difference in the results whether you use one system or
the
> other?"  To which there isn't really, though I guess both may have
been
> included since 1) both exist and 2) if you have both, you get and
extra die
> (I'm assuming here, though, not checking the rules... and there are
cases
> where the extra die won't help, anyway, if it's too small).

To be "theological" about it (I'm not JMT or Mike and I don't
speak for them... if anybody cares that much we could, uh, ask
them) the difference is in the "colour" of the rules. Shooting
down and spoofing missiles just "feels" different. They provoke
different mental images, even if the effect is the same.

Point defence goes "dakka-dakka-dakka" and that's enough
conceptual difference for me. I think the game would suffer if
we generalised these rules as "anti-missile environment" or
somesuch.

I note that (IIRC) in DS1 the effect of point-defence degraded
with each missile thrown at it in a single salvo, so that PD could
be overwhelmed. 

-- 
David Brewer