RE: [FT] Efficient Designs (PDS vs C-1)

There are a lot of variables on this, the one you forgot is whether
fighter
morale is being used.

Against std fighters and missiles, PDS are twice as effective as C-1
(0.8 vs
0.4), the gap closes a little against heavy fighters (0.6 vs 0.4).  For
full
coverage, you really need 1 PDS per fighter to prevent them getting any
attacks at all, but 3 PDS per std squadron is just enough when fighter
morale is in effect (note that most of the FB1 designs have 3-4 PDS;
enough
to defend against 1 squadron or SML on their own).
Also note that each level of screen adds effectively 0.2 per fighter to
your
defences.

12 C-1 will kill 5 fighters on average & 12 PDS will kill 10 fighters on
average; however against ships, 12 C-1 will inflict 10 pts of damage at
range 12 & 12 PDS will inflict 2 points of damage at range 6.
It really becomes a case of plot against a bell curve and pick the
efficiency rating you want.
Personally, if I was applying 12 mass to active defences, I'd fit 6 PDS,
4
C-1 & an ADFC.	This balances your offensive and defensive requirements.

Fighters are not cheaper than 12 mass of defences (36 pts).  1 bay of
standard fighters use 9 mass, cost 27 for the bay + 18 for the squadron
(45
pts) NOT including the cost of the ship carrying them.	The fighters
advantage come from being a longe ranged, multiturn offensive weapon;
but
they need overwhelming superiority or to face weak PDS nets to be truly
effective on their own.

Neath Southern Skies -http://home.pacific.net.au/~southernskies/
[Pirates] Dame Captain Washalot
[MKW2] Admiral Peter Rollins - Task Force Zulu-Beta
[Firestorm] Battletech PBeM GM

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Peter Mancini [SMTP:peter_mancini@msn.com]
> Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2001 9:11 AM
> 
> Here is a question, what is more efficient: PDAs or 1-bats (formerly 
> C-Bats)?
> 
> In answering this I can think of what the variables are: ratio of
ships to
> 
> fighters, effectiveness of 1-bat vs. ship armor, effectiveness of
1-bat
> vs. 
> fighers.
> 
> PDA's are single purpose anti-fighter weapons, while the 1-bat can be
used
> 
> in two roles (anti-ship, anti-fighter).  How many fighters can a PDA
> defend 
> against before being overwhelmed?  I think the answer is 2.5 or 3.  So
you
> 
> need at least 2 PDA's per-expected flight of fighters.  
> 
> 1-bats are somewhat useful against fighters and somewhat useful
against 
> small ships.	A ship armed with a dozen 1-bats is as offensivly
powerful
> as 
> 2 flights of fighters, would the 1-bats be effective enough to stop 2 
> flights of fighters?	Also considering the price and mass, the
fighters
> are