[GZG] RE: Stealth, ECM and FCS suggestion (long)

[Noam Izenberg <noam.izenberg@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I finally had a chance to look at this. It has a nice next step above  
the ideas I've been using.

A couple comments:
- FCS is essentially a proxy for ECCM. Enhanced and Superior sensors  
should also play in to this, since those systems are already in the  
game (At least FT/MT)
- For material based stealth, like I have with the New Israelis I do  
like the mechanic of _automatic_ loss with damage. Stealth like that  
should be somewhat cheaper than thresholdable stealth that can be  
repaired.
- I don't like the idea of enhanced FCS causing other systems to be  
more expensive. Perhaps the cost of the FCS needs to be some factor  
of %weapon mass of the ship.
- There needs to be an upper range limit band on some weapons.  
Assuming that a standard FCS in FB1 can target ships at 48 mu (and no  
enhanced FCS is required to fire heavier beams), it could be argued  
that 12 mu is the actual effective maximum range of a B1 as far as  
the capability to deliver damage to a target. Enhancing FCS might  
give a +1 to hit _within_ range bands, or maybe ekeing another mu or  
two out of maximum range, but I don't think making a B1 with 20 mu  
range just because of FCS feels right.

Then there's Jamming. What would be very cool is to have a system  
capable of protecting ships _behind_ or within an area of effect of a  
jammer. The jamming ship itself can work one of several ways - it can  
be a Beacon - drawing enemy targeting to itself (i.e. making hte  
jammer easier to target), or it can be a source of major interference  
and benefit from its own jamming. Ships within or behind the area of  
effect (determined by center to center LOS through the jamming area  
are protected by the Jammer's field. This would be a _huge_ new  
tactical variation for FT, and actually allow fleet formations to  
interpose units and protect key elements (say of a convoy, or damaged  
ships, or VIPs, or flagships, etc...). Jammer area of effect would be  
probably 1-3 mu radius, with cost/mass going up quickly - something  
like 2/6/18 mass.



Me, in Zone Garb    (Noam Izenberg. Please excuse me while I slip  
into something more comfortable...)

_______________________________________________
Gzg-l mailing list
Gzg-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.csua.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/gzg-l