Re: Beam Batteries

On Sun, 13 Oct 1996, JAMES BUTLER wrote:

>	  Regarding everybody's individual beam bat house rules--
> 
>	  How many people out there are using some sort of sliding mass
scale
> for beam battery arcs? We're presently allowing 1 mass single-arc B
bats and
> 2 mass single-arc A bats. 

Bingo!

> My concern is that without some sort of bargain on
> mass, there's really very little incentive to get a one arc weapon but
that
> if you allow weapons to have only 1 arc but at about half the mass the
> players will only use 1 arc beam bats because they have twice the
> firepower-to-mass ratio.

It depends on the sliding mass scale for extra arcs, really. While it
does 
make the mass 1 single arc beam battery one of the best broadside
weapons
available, broadside designs can have problems keeping their enemies in 
arc. I use the following scheme:

Battery: Mass if... 1 arc: 2 arcs: 3 arcs:
   C		      1       1       1
   B		      1       2       2
   A		      2       3       4

In my experience, broadside ships are lethal - if they manage to keep
the
enemy in the fire-arc of their broadside. Small attack ships (eg, a DD
with lots of forward-arc B batteries) are lethal - as long as they point
towards their target. In a single arc, broadside weapons will win out if
the ship fires into more than one arc simultaneously; but a ship with
three-arc weapons can concentrate more fire into one arc. 

I think my arguments hold for the standard beam resolution too. Not
sure, 
though - 'twas some time since I changed them for Ludo's system (a
single 
die per battery, but with a die roll modifier for weapon class and
range).

Later,

Oerjan Ohlson

"Father, what is wrong?"
"My shoes are too tight. But it does not matter, because
 I have forgotten how to dance."
- Londo Mollari