Re: Graser observations

[<bail9672@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Like all full thrust weapons, no matter how powerful, if you get
> your move wrong, and your opponent gets his right, you
> are toast no matter what he's firing at you!

But that is player tactics.  The game system should have everything
balanced and let the players make their own blunders.

>
> Take the example cited of 33 graser armed gunboats decking an SDN.
Was this
> because they were armed with grasers specifically? I think not. Arm
all
> those gunboats with submunissions packs, pulse torps or whatever and
after
> 33 have let rip I would think most SDN's would be glowing red and
covered in
> holes!

No way does beam damage compare to "pulse torpedo" damage
using the same "to hit" system.  And when you have a weapon (Graser-1)
that has 1d6 damage massing the same as those that do 1 damage then
there is a problem.  Rerolls just compound the problem.  A 1-arc
Graser-1
masses 2.  So do 2 submunitions pack that fire ONCE, doing 1 damage
per hit and not 1d6 damage per hit.  So does 1 3-arc class-2 Beam,
doing 1 damage per hit.  The damage ratio is 1:3.5 for the same mass
(or 1.5:3.5 for the sub.muns. or at-close-range class-2 Beam).
I've played a ship with lots of class-2 Beams, and we've outlawed such
designs, but it has never equalled the performance of those
strikeboats.

>
> I'm a graser fan. I like them, and I use them responsibly. But if
people
> think they are too powerful then I'am afraid I will have to demand
K-guns
> get the axe as well ;-), after all K-guns cut through armour, ignore
screens
> and have a 5/6 chance on k-5 or bigger of ruining any ships day with
a
> single hit. Graser's make me afraid, but K-guns TERRIFY me...
> but I wouldn't want them changed, they keep me on my toes!

I don't find K-guns to be overpowered.  They are terrifying, but the
large ones have a single arc.  In cinematic this is huge!  Granted,
our
adult number-crunching-munchkin has put class-1 K-guns as his
main batteries in all his ships but the damage has not compared to
his former class-3 Beam or L-range Pulser equipped versions.
The K-guns helps him keep his ships' sizes down.
I've made "Shadow"-like designs with K-guns ranging in sizes from
8-24.  In mixed play those ships are the first to be fired upon by
the enemy.  Those ships would be more menacing if I wasn't
rolling the cursed die and could hit with the K-guns once in awhile.
The other players won't play with vector movement and my
cinematic maneuevering leaves much to be desired.  :(

> > Our playing space was approximately 6' x 8' with no
> > "boundaries", and we used no "terrain".
>
> 1 MU = ?

1 MU = 1"

We'll be playing a few more times, I'll try to keep notes this time.