Re: [FT] WotW 2: EMP Weapons

In message <6B3C0EEAB4FED3119F5F009027DC5E9EA9ADE0@spacemsg3.jhuapl.edu>
	  "Izenberg, Noam" <Noam.Izenberg@jhuapl.edu> wrote:

> This Weapon of the Week forum is for multiple weapons, actually, but
the
> same game mechanic: the EMP.
> 
> There are several EMP direct fire and other weapons in the archive so
far.
> Several make a case for beign viable direct fire EMP systems. Those
rusty on
> MT2/More Thust should remember that the commonality in all these
weapons is
> that they cause threshold checks rather than physical damage.
> 
> This discussion could evaluate each system independently or as a
group. If
> we could come up with a "most favored direct fire weapon, or a hybrid
of
> several of the presented ideas as a new system, that would be pretty
cool.
> Since I'm putting in several, some may get short changed on the
discussion.
> We'll see how a multiple system WotW discussion goes.
> 
> Noam
Well, here's my 2p :-)
I do have some general suggestions for EMP type weapons, but those will
be in a separate post.
> 
> EMP Weapons:
> 
> =============
> Ion Cannon [Dean Gundberg] (Star Ranger's Crossover Web Page)
> 
> Mass and cost same as Class 2 Beam. Symbol is Beam symbol with "I"
instead
> of number. Range 0-10" roll 2d6, 10-20" roll 1d6 - beam dice. Each
"hit" is
> not marked off the damage track but instead is the number of threshold
rolls
> the target ship must perform. All  Ion Cannon hits from a firing ship
are
> resolved one ship at a time. The threshold roll number is the same as
the
> target ship's next threshold level.
> 
> Threshold rolls are made for the following systems in this order:
> Screens
> Special Electronics (Sensors, ECM, etc.)
> Fire Controls
> FTL Drive
> Main Drive
> (Back to top of list)

Hmm... atypical range bands - but that's not a major problem (could make
it 0-9 mu and 9-18 mu to match the proposed new Sa'Vas'Ku range bands).
I take it that the list is used as follows: 1st check is screens (if you
have level 2,does it count as 1 or 2 checks?), 2nd is sensors/ecm, third
is fire control, etc.
Hmm.. not sure about this one - needs more thought.
> 
> ============
> EMP Mine [Paul Wellman] (Sam Penn's Website) 
> 
> Mass: 3, Cost: 10 
> 
> These release an enhanced electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) on detonation,
and
> are intended to scramble a ships electronics and systems without
causing
> structural damage. Roll one die, and subtract 1 for each level of
screens
> the ship has in use. The final score gives results as follows: 
> 
>  1 - 2      No effect. 
>  3 - 4      Roll for every system on the ship. Systems are knocked out
on a
> roll of 6. 
>  5 - 6      As above, but systems are knocked out on rolls of 5 or 6. 
> 
> The detonation range of a mine is 3" any enemy vessel that enters this
> radius at any point in its movement will cause the mine to detonate.
EMP
> mines are strictly one shot weapons.

Similar to slightly weaker More Thrust EMP missiles, but in mine form.
Question - is it 3 MASS per mine, or is it 3 MASS for a 3-mine rack
(c.f. the FT Mines).
Bearing in mind that a MT-EMP Missile is MASS 2, COST 6.
(General comment: I'd prefer having a 'standard' size of mine, allowing
interchangability in the same way as for SMLs.)
> 
> ==============
> Ion Pulse Cannon [Paul Wellman] (Sam Penn's Website)
> MASS: 16 (Capital ships only), Cost 3xMASS 
> 
> The Ion Pulse Cannon is a spinal mount - it can only be fitted to fire
> through the F arc of ships large enough to carry it. The cannon has a
range
> of 54" and does threshold roles to ships hit, as shown below: 
> 
>   Range	  To Hit	       Effect 
>   0" - 18"	     3+ 	     Target ship makes a threshold roll
for
> every system on board. Systems are knocked out on rolls of 4, 5 or 6. 
>  18" - 36"	      4+	       As above, but systems are knocked
out
> on rolls of 5 or 6. 
>  36" - 54"	      5+	       As above, but systems are knocked
out
> on rolls of a 6 only. 
> 
> The pulse of the ion cannon is powerful enough to overcome any screens
the
> target ship has, so screens have no effect against the blast. 
> 
> Comments: 
> (Noam) I suggest decreasing mass, and possibly range, and allowing
screens
> to modify threshold rolls by -1/level. 
> (Oerjan) Yet another basic EMP gun; this time long-ranged. Mass and
cost for
> FT2, not FBx.

Hmm... I'd modify the basic mechanics into something like:

Roll 1d6, -1 per full 12 mu of range.
On a result of 3 or less, the weapon has no effect.
On a result of 4, the target must make a threshold check, systems are
knocked out on a roll of 6 only.
On a result of 5, systems are KO'd on a roll of 5+.
On a result of 6, systems are KO'd on a roll of 4+.

Core systems are not effected?
The target may add the level of its screens (if any) to the required
number to KO systems (ie. if the roll to KO a system is 5+, and the ship
has level-1 screens, then its systems are only KO'd on a roll of 6).

Ok, range bands are smaller, but maximum range is 60 mu.

> 
> ===============
> Scrambler Pulse [Noam Izenberg] 
> 
> MASS: 4+1/arc (max 3 arcs), Cost 12+3/arc 
> Range: 18" 
> Effect: As EMP Missile. Can target Missiles and Fighters in intercept
mode
> as PDS. EMP backwash on firing ship for targets within 6" - Roll 1d6,
On a 5
> or 6, Firing ship Thresholds at 6. 
> 
> Comments: 
> (Oerjan) Another possibility for a "standard" EMP gun, instead of
using one
> of the various Ion Cannon mechanics. 

Has the advantage of using an existing mechanic, now, if we knew that
the existing mechanic was balanced.... :-)
>
> ===============
> EMP effects:
> 
> Temporal Distortion Gun [Noam Izenberg] 
> 
> MASS: 4+1/arc (max 3 arcs), Cost 3xMass 
> Effect: target ship takes threshold check at current level with range
> modifiers. Failure means system is "slowed" and does not work for the
rest
> of this turn (if it has not operated yet) and next turn (Slowed Main
Drive
> produces ½ thrust next turn, but movement is completed normally this
turn). 
> 
> Range modifiers: 
> 0-6"	       +2 to thresh level (i.e. thresh level 2 = thresh level 4
=
> system slowed on 3+ 
> 6-12"       +1 
> 12-18"     0 
> 18-24"    -1 
> 24-30"    -2 
> 30+"	  -3 (ineffective range; i.e. ship on last damage row still
needs a
> 7+) 
> 
> Effective range is +2" vs. Screen 1, +3" vs. Screen 2 
> 
> Comments: 
> (Oerjan) Extra paperwork to keep track of which systems are downed
> temporarily and will "autorepair" at the end of the *next* turn.

No comment :-)
> 
> =================
> Powerleech Missile [Noam Izenberg] 
> 
> MT Missile version: 
> Mass 2: Cost 8 
> Hit causes 1d6/2 system threshold checks, round up. 
> 
> Up to 3 systems total can fail. threshold order dictated by firing
player -
> stop check when total is reached. Even if no threshold fails, the
threshold
> level of the target is increased by 1. I.e. if the 1st row of boxes is
> finished, roll threshold as if the 2nd row had been finished. 
> 
> SM version: 
> Mass/Cost as SM-ER round, but range as standard round. Number of
system
> thresholds equals number of missiles that hit. Threshold level
increases if
> 3 or more missiles hit. 
> 
> Comments: 
> (Oerjan) The MT version causes an *automatic* increase in threshold
level if
> it hits? That is very, *VERY* powerful, particularly against large
ships;
> easily worth 15-20 pts of damage on a capital ship. The SM version is
> considerably weaker.

I agree with Oerjan on this one!
> 
> 
> ================================================
> Discussion lead:
> My commets if any (and some of Oerjan's) are listed after each system.
For
> direct fire weapons, I favor the Scrambler Pulse, because its' the
simplest,
> followed by Dean's Ion Cannon which seems to have been used without
major
> problem in his crossover games.

Of course, I must add one of my own (sent a copy to Noam a few days ago,
so it should end up in the archives).

EMP Missile Salvoes (EMP-SM)

These are the same MASS and COST as normal missile salvos (and,
optionally, are available in an extended-range version)

They are treated as normal salvo missiles right up to the point when
damaged is determined, they do no damage, instead, the target ship must
make a threshold check, with a severity determined by the number of
missiles that hit, minus the level of screens. If more than one
EMP-salvo hits the target ship in that turn, sum up ALL of the missiles
that hit before consulting this table.

Number of missile hits	Threshold roll
1 or less		no effect
2 - 3			systems KO on roll of 6
4 - 5			systems KO on roll of 5+
6 or more		systems KO on a roll of 4+

We need to decide whether Phalon Vapour shrouds have the effect of
level-2 screens against these or not, the PSB (water/ice mist) would
seem to imply not, but it might be better if they did work.

Symbol: as missile salvo, with small radiating lines added (I'll send
one in my next batch of symbols if I remember :-)

On the subject, I'm not totally happy with the EMP missile in More
Thrust, how about this revision?

Roll 1d6 - target screen level (as in MT, p.3)

1 or less = No effect
2-3 = Roll threshold for everything, KO on roll of 6
4-5 = Roll threshold for everything, KO on roll of 5+
6 = roll threshold for everything, KO on roll of 4+

If MT-EMP Missiles impact at the same time as EMP-salvoes, treat the
MT-EMP missile as 1d6 extra EMP-salvo missiles.

What does everyone think?