Re: [FT] Weapon Mechanisms

CS Renegade wrote:

>
>
> From: ~ On Behalf Of Richard and Emily Bell
> Sent: 04 June 2002 22:38
> Subject: Re: [FT] Weapon Mechanisms
>
> > The model of beams being energy projectors
> > that pepper a region of space where the
> > ship could be is workable enough; although,
> > really following through on that theme
> > would be to compute range bands as a
> > function of mass and thrust. This is
> > actually a good way to solve the problem of
> > little ships evaporating at long range.
>
> It sounds like you want a simple target size
> modifier. Easy to do under most systems; a
> pig to do under FT.
>
> > A function that I would be interested in
> > testing would be a base value plus a
> > modifier that depended on the (mass)^(2/3),
> > minus a modifier that depended on the
> > square of the thrust.
>
> Yes, but how does that modifier get used?
> Existing beam dice represent both chance to
> hit and penetrating power. Ignore that and
> you're in danger of creating (shudder)
> General Quarters. Drop the number of dice
> that are rolled? It's a very crude scale to
> correct, so you would end up with obvious
> pre-FB1 thresholds.

The modifier changes the range bands.  Instead of them being 12mu, they
are longer for large or slow targets and shorter for small or fast
targets.  Depending on the numbers you might have a zippy frigate that
cannot be hit by beam-3's past 9mu and a ponderous SDN that beam-1's can