Re: Alternate Pulsers and Classed Pulse Torps and other items

Tom B wrote:

[ Skip Item I, no opinion ]

>Is there any reason that a 'Classed Pulse Torp' could not be fired as
three
>seperate PT's (rather than one to hit roll), only being one system for
>threshold/repair? A Class-3 PT is a very swingy weapon if everything
hinges
>on one die.

FT already has K-5 & 6s and the big plasma bolt launchers that
all operate as "I hit, you're really gonna feel it" weapons.
If you don't mind those, "Classed Pulse Torp" launchers may as
well do the same.

(I assume this is some kind of PT that increases the damage
on each hit, not the range.)

Me, I'd suggest not. Making separate to hit rolls will
*increase* the effectiveness of these weapons at long ranges.
Chance of doing a big hit stays the same, but now you're more
likely to get a smaller 'grazing' hit which other weapons
can't as well. Players who want to even out the probabilities
can always pick ships with smaller weapons on them.

>Item III:
>
>What sort of points adjustment is sensible for ships using Strike The
>Colours? I like this from a perspective of 'mission motivation' (and
>probably high or low motivation might affect this).

These are battles where only one side, or only some ships,
use the striking the colors rules?

My suggestion would be *no* points adjustment, instead each
side *has* to allocate a certain percentage of ship mass,
or a certain percentage of construction points, to ships
that have poor/unmotivated crews that strike colors.

In my experience, gamers hate using poor quality troops that
they can't depend on. Doesn't matter what genre or period.
If the unreliable troops are optional, they won't choose
them, no matter how attractive the points discount.

>Item IV:
>
>What sort of points adjustment is sensible for ships using Core
Systems? It
>seems to me this question is especially relevant if two fleets have
>differing hull row counts since the likelihood of getting cored out of
the
>game in a 5-hull-row ship is pretty high and likely far earlier.

I suggest none. Core System criticals are rarer in FT than
other space combat games such as ACTA where you might get
a critical with every shot. For escorts, hull rows make
very little difference: good shooting for/against is far
more important. With cruisers you start seeing the benefits
of 3 row hulls and it's very real for capitals; but at the
same time cruisers also start becoming more expensive and
capitals much more so, so it balances out. Core Systems
just don't fail often enough to be important.

And following up on my argument above about poor quality,
I've never seen a player design warships for their own use
with 5 row hulls, but plenty with 3 rows.

	cheers,
	Hugh