Re: [FT] Needle Beam questions

Morgan Vening wrote:

>What I see as being the problem is that Fire Controls and Engines 
>will be the most common target of these systems. Not being 
>repairable I can see being a big problem, if I make a fleet with NB's 
>as it's primary weapon system. 

One of my fleets does use needle beams as their primary weapon
(together with EMP missiles and boarding parties). If needle damage was
repairable, the needles would be about as effective as tossing wet
tissue paper at the opponent and the fleet would only have two primary
weapons: EMP missiles and boarding parties.

>So, I'll open up the floor.
> 
>Do people think FC's and Engines should not be targetable by 
>NB's?

I most definitely do not think this. FCSs and engines should be
targetable by needles.

>Or, do people think that the damage from NB's against these 
>systems should be repairable?

Definitely not. If you want a redundant FCS, buy it explicitly when you
design the ship.

>Or a combination of the two? Engines not being destroyable, FC's 
>being repairable, or vice versa.

Not this either, no.
 
>Or, do people think NB's should just not be permitted, full stop? 

Put it like this: I have a design archive with a bit over 1100
human-tech FT/FB ship designs, from about 60 different players. (I
haven't included all of my own designs in this archive, mainly because
many of them are in a state of flux as I use them for playtesting new
ideas.)

Of these 1100+ ships, *36* use needle beams.

This suggests that needle beams *as they are* are considered to be
rather underpowered relative to their cost - otherwise they'd be rather
more common. All of your suggestions weaken them further still...

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."