Re: graser: the uber weapon

[Oerjan Ohlson <oerjan.ohlson@xxxxxxxxx>]

Glen Bailey wrote:

>In theory (since I haven't test it, yet), the Graser looks to be a very 
>powerful weapon.

It is also a very *expensive* weapon... particularly the larger types of 
course, but even the G1 is quite pricey.

>I'll know for sure when I tell Steve "Mr. Mixed-Tech WW2 uber 
>battlewagons" about
>them and see if he changes his entire fleet over to use them.

More importantly, see if he sticks to it after a few battles :-) Frankly, 
if he didn't switch to Pulsers when FB2 was published I don't think he'll 
use Grasers exclusively either.

>But what got me to thinking about the graser's power is
>using a class-1 graser in a strike boat.
>
>"Uber Boaten"
>Mass: 7, NPV: 28
>Hull 1, rows: 3
>MD: 7, FTL
>FC: 1
>Armament: 1x class-1 Graser (F)

Compare it to this one:

TMF 7
NPV 30
Hull 1 (3 rows)
MD 7
FTL
1x FCS
1x Pulser-C (F)

The G1-armed ship has 18mu range instead of 12mu, but OTOH it only inflicts 
on average 2.8 pts per shot (against unscreened targets) compared to the 
Pulser-C's 4.8; I'd rate them as about equally nasty.

>The graser-1 has less range but more damage potential than
>a pulse torpedo-armed strikeboat, which will mass at
>10 and cost 37.  The pulse torpedo is longer ranged,
>but the chance to hit is slim at those ranges.

When you have a dozen or more ships firing, even those slim hit 
probabilities add up to significant damage. In addition, while the G1 
strikeboat has a larger damage *potential* than the PT-armed one (since a 
graser can potentially roll an infinite number of hits through very lucky 
re-rolls and a P-torp can't), the only ranges where its *average* damage 
beats the P-torp are 6-18 mu against unscreened targets and 12-18 mu 
against targets with screen-1. Against targets with level-2 screens the 
P-torp is better at all ranges.

>Maybe the mass of the class-1 graser is too small?

It is less "too small" than the standard Class-2 Beam Battery is too small :-/

>Can Grasers, particularly class-1s, be fired at fighters, missiles, or 
>plasma bolts?

Grasers have no point-defence mode, no.

>It doesn't say they can, but  they are a beam-type weapon and class-1 
>beams can.

Graser Batteries =|= Beam Batteries.

>Then there's the other side: the x3 mass for every class above 3.

Yep. Compare the larger Graser classes with Beam classes with similar max 
ranges (within 6 mu) and you'll soon see why.

>I have a hard time justifying a class-4 beam over 2x class-3 beams.

Play on larger tables. The beam points values were set to keep larger beams 
from dominating completely on large tables; this makes them overpriced on 
smaller tables.

Regards,

Oerjan
oerjan.ohlson@telia.com

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
-Hen3ry