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Re: FT Thrust question...

From: Oerjan Ohlson <f92-ooh@n...>
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 07:37:31 -0400
Subject: Re: FT Thrust question...

On Fri, 18 Oct 1996, Aaron P Teske wrote:
 
> Excerpts from FT: 17-Oct-96 Re: FT Thrust question... by Oerjan
> Ohlson@nada.kth.s 
> > I've tried something similar on my Eldar ships (who use holoflage
fields
> > instead of normal shields; the protection from the holoflage
depended both
> > on the speed of the unit and the direction from which it was fired
upon);
> > and their small ships became utterly lethal - small missile boats
with the
> > equivalent of level 3 shields. No fun at all after the first
battle... I 
> > still like the idea, but it has to have more drawbacks or cost a lot
more 
> > than my idea (currently the 'fields are mass 2, cost 75... and it is
too 
> > good IMO).
> 
> I'd institute more of a "% total mass of ship" rather  than a
> straight-up mass number, even though it would play hell with the
> numbers.

Not necessarily - or rather, not at all, as long as you round all 
fractions up. A basic 5% of mass (FRU) fits well - escort system is mass

1, cruiser (and mass 40 Battlecruisers) are mass 2, and larger are...
more.

> And keep in mind that the small stuff (ie, your missile boats)
> are not all that likely to have the holofields in the first place. 
> IMO,the Wraithship should have holofields, and the Shadowhunter is
> nearing the smallest size ship to put the things on.

Remember the Revenant - it is even smaller than a starship! (...in my 
DSII conversion it is a size 5 Walker, which should fit nicely even into
a 
mass 4 starship (aka a Windjammer :)) I use the Shadowhunters as heavy 
cruisers...

I like the idea of small, shielded strike ships - but putting the 
holoflage system on it should be prohibitively expensive (...with the 
model I used, a holoflage system alone costs more than the rest of the 
ship... and for a strike ship with one or two mass left for sub-packs or

missiles, 75 C.U. _is_ prohibitively expensive! It allowed them to close

for their one shot, though...).

> Either that, or make the effectiveness based on *change* in
> velocity/speed, not the speed itself.  Ie, if a ship just coasts, the
> 'fields flicker in a more predicatable pattern... maybe lvl-1 shields
> equivalent, but no more.

Ouch. Not the level of protection, but figuring out the level of 
protection depending on the orders of the ship.

> Keep the EPIC Titan fields in mind: if a Titan
> isn't moving, the fields don't do much, where is the Titan charges
they
> help a lot.  Think of this in terms of the Titan's change in velocity,
> and you've got a good conversion to FT.  IMO. ^_^

Ah, no - even if the Titan charges flat out in a straight line all the
time, the protection is constant (2+)! 

I tried two ideas with the holofields; one where the protection level
varied depending on the relative velocity between shooter and target
(which was horrible - I've nothing against vector analysis, but not in
the
middle of a game) and one where it depended on which aspect (front,
side,
rear) the target showed to the firing unit (easier). The 'level 3'
protection would only apply if the target moved at speed 8 or more, and
facing the shooter... which they won't do for very long - only 'til
they've fired once or twice; after that they've passed their target (and

usually get blasted to pieces or at least lose their sails).
 
Basing the protection on the total amount of speed and course change 
could work, if there is an easy formula to use. I haven't had time to 
work one out (at least not one which places pretty severe penalties on 
the Wraithships (currently BBs)).

> Incidentally, where'd the "holoflage fields" come from?  I've never
seen
> the "flage" bit....

It is a PSB short-hand form... but I don't know if we've invented it
locally, or if I picked it up in some SF work somewhere. (I _think_ I've

seen it applied to ground combat holo-camouflage suits, but I'm not
sure.)

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

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