Re: FT-Subs?

Bif Smith wrote:

> I was just wondering if anybody uses subs, and how do you play/design
them?
> I was thinking of either using a cloaking device, or ECM to allow them
to
> hide in a system, and take pot shots at merchantmen etc. Equiping them
with
> a Cl.1 bat and a P.Torp (or a missile) with a single PDS would be
useful
> against merchantmen while being cheap.  Just thinking of a way to make
small
> ships useful in a strategic sence in comercial warfare (like the wolf
packs
> in WW2).

There are two aspects of subs that are difficult to model in FT without
turning
it into a naval miniatures game:

1)  Torpedoes were more devastating than p-torps (relatively speaking)
as few
merchies (besides the ones loaded with lumber) could survive even a
single hit,
but the subs carried only a limited number (even the LA class SSN's only
carried
26 weapons).

2) Subs can fire torpedoes while submerged (cloaked), but have only
limited
maneuverability and endurance (before nuclear power).

The first can be redressed by a new weapon system.  Pulling numbers and
effects
out of my ass, the launcher has a mass of three and can cover three
arcs.  Each
torpedo salvo has a mass of 2 and can engage a target at up to 30mu.  To
score a
hit, the launching vessel must roll equal to, or greater than, the
thrust used
by the target.	A hit causes 6d6 of damage, but a d6 of damage can be
exchanged
(before resolving the attack) to increase the to-hit roll by one.  A
one-shot
torpedo rack has a mass of 4.

The second problem is solved by creating a battery bank system.  Each
battery
bank requires 5% of the vessel's mass and stores energy.  Energy is
needed to
cloak, apply thrust, and fire torpedoes.  There are two levels of
cloaking,
periscope and deep.  Torpedoes can only be fired from periscope depth,
and it
takes a turn to move between deep and periscope.  Due to an instability
in the
cloaking device, vessels on deep cloak are lost if they run out of
stored
energy.

Convoy escorts need a device like a k-gun (depth charge thrower). 
Escorts can
detect subs passively at a range of six times the applied thrust (less
applied
thrust of the escort) and can use a firecon to search a single arc for a
sub
within 24 mu (only twelve when the sub is deep).  Passive does not work
aft, and
active does not detect a sub within 12 in the forward arc [I do not know
why,
just that for some historical and technical reason, subs fell off the
scope