Re: Fighter groups (designer please read)

On Fri, 14 Feb 1997, Hal Carmer wrote:

> Hello List and designer,
>   As I mentioned once before with respect towards designing a
strategic
> version of FT (ie economics, shipbuilding times, etc...), FT enjoys
the
> same flaw that STARFIRE has - namely the pinning down of actual
> space/volume configuration.

The Starfire 3rd ed. rules doesn't pin down the space/volume 
configuration, though there is a reference in the Weber/White novel 
"Insurrection" giving the mass of a Superdreadnought and a Supermonitor.

> Therefore, without being
> particularly nasty about those who would like to keep the volume of a
> "mass" nebulous, we already have one "measurement" that would seem to
> apply to FT. 

There are two different volume/hull space scales given (implicitly) in
More Thrust - one in the FT/DSII interface, and one in the FT/Hellfire
interface. Which one is "right"? Does it matter? 

>   I guess the real question regards to duration is based upon the life
> support. How long can they survive the life support?	I find it
> "unrealistic" that the duration for a fighter is only 3 turns
offensively,
> AND 3 turns to return to base.

Unlimited pre-attack manouvering, three turns of dogfighting/attacking, 
and three turns to return to the carrier.

>   In all, I like the movement system from FULL THRUST.  I also like
the
> combat system for the weaponry.  To get a full "tactical" feel to Full
> Thrust, perhaps the 270 degree firing arc needs to be toned down to
either
> a 90 degree arc, or perhaps a 180 degree arc.

Yes. Couple weapon fire arc to weapon mass...

>   In addition, I would like to see an amendment to the rules regarding
> needle beam damage and damage control parties.  It is unrealistic to
> assume that anyone would be interested in using a needle beam when the
> limited damage that the needle beam can do is nullified easily enough.
> Consider: a ship with two damage control parties can fix the damage
from
> one needle beam with a 1 in three chance.  In two turns, that is 2 in
3
> chance.

Uh... no. IIRC, needle beam damage cannot be repaired by DCPs (but my 
memory is as always somewhat unreliable...). As a side note: each DCP 
roll is made separately, so two DCPs working on a single system has a 
11/36 (almost 1/3) chance to repair it, while four DCP rolls have a 52% 
chance to repair it.

Later,

Oerjan Ohlson

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