RE: [FT] WotW #4: Railguns

In message <6B3C0EEAB4FED3119F5F009027DC5E9EA9AEA9@spacemsg3.jhuapl.edu>
	  "Izenberg, Noam" <Noam.Izenberg@jhuapl.edu> wrote:

> From Charles:
> 
> > I agree, another option is to keep the re-roll, but make Railguns
more
> > massive than K-guns, thus:
> 
> ....table...
> 
> > Note that the Class 1 has the same PDS capability as a K-1
> > _in_the_arc_it_covers_, also, the multi-arc RG-1s are increasing
> > inefficient compared to K-1s - this was intended.
> 
> > As Noam points out, to get the best out of these, you need a lot of
> > thrust, probably at least Thrust-6 or preferably Thrust-8 or more.
> > Whatever version you use.
> 
> Which makes the RG _doubly_ penalized vs. the K-gun. It's stuck on
less
> maneuverable ships _and_ costs more (or is less powerful if you use
other RG
> options). If you want to maneuver as well as a thrust 4 Advanced
Drive, you
> need thrust 8, and have precious little room for normal K-guns, much
less
> mass-penalized RG's.

Well, you have to build a bigger boat :-)
The effect I was trying to achieve is of a 'developing' tech that
perhaps isn't quite 'here' yet - useable (you can put a RG-2 into the
same space as a Pulse Torp - the PT does more damage, but the RG-2 is
better at armour penetration.
But, yes, it does add a new set of stats for a _slighly varient_ weapon,
I guess it depends if anyone thinks its worth it or not.
> 
> I still see no compelling reason to create a new weapon metric (cost,
mass,
> _or_ effect). Sticking K-guns on human ships and altering the name
and/or
> PSB will feel plenty different in combat and not be as "powerful" as
K-guns
> on KV ships.

Granted - the most straightforward way of doing it - KISS principle &
all that.

Slighly of the main thrust of the topic- an all-arc K1 is MASS 2, how
many arcs would a MASS 1 K1 have? (I think 1, or 2) - might be useful
for something.
> 
> From YOY (I'm having language barrier problems, so I'm not sure I
understand
> some of the points you're making):
> 
> >The Kra'vaks are really very efficient, but do not have as 
> >much range as the ESU superdreadnought and it's hard to 
> >succeed from a long range, they are weaker and are more 
> >expensive than humans, but not so much, too. 
> 
> I don't know. I don't think any KV worth his dreadlocks would spend
much
> time in a Komarov's front arcs. The Komarov's range can't help it
against
> attackers that can maneuver to its aft and stay there pouring it on.
An SDN
> vs. SDN slugfest is one thing, but fleet vs. fleet?
> 
> > But if you 
> > reduce the mass of K-guns, so the price, even if you do 
> > not double damage, they will be stronger, and it will be 
> > hard to play against them.
> 
> There are almost certainly balance points when you do the math. Though
you
> almost certainly have to increase cost/mass if you decrease mass and
> vice-versa. Unneccessary complexities IMO.
> 
> Noam
>