Re: Fw: Weapons for Newtonian based FTIII

On Wed, 7 May 1997, Robin Paul wrote:

> Aye, but this is clearly scenario-dependent, and controlled by house
rules.

House rules? yuck. Sure, everyone likes to make them, but to claim 
something is not a problem just because it can be fixed with a house
rule 
is a bit stupid. ANYTHING can be fixed with a house rules, and thus
there 
wouldn't any problems with any rules at all and we could all go play D&D

and make house rules about space combat. Ergo, no market for GZG.

Anyway, it's a moot point since

a) I'd bring enough missiles to do it in one volley. Wanna see the point
calculations? Show me a base, and I'll show a missile force that
completely obliterates it for half the price. 

b) Failing that and assuming the presence of mobile defenders, I'd FTL
out
to reload. Even if following FTL is possible, you'd be stripping your
base
of defenses *and* jumping into the wolf's lair. 

>	  This doesn't take much in the way of PSB.  I rationalize it as
> follows:  the fighter groups' attack range of 6" represents in part
the
> range of their weapons and in part the vehicles themselves maneuvering
close
> in to the target.  If missiles are representing nuke-pumped lasers, as
MT
> says, then it's reasonable to suggest that they make their attack from
6"
> out _because_ they're unmaneuvreable, and that they therefore have to
be
> massive to make an effective attack.	The PDAFs are less effective
because,
> although they have a more predictable target, they have a much shorter
> window in which to fire, before the missile detonates and makes its
attack.

One way to look at it.
 
>	  On the topic of using an accellerated rock to attack the
station:
> as Joachim pointed out, getting the rock up to 1000" velocity takes at
least
> 125 turns.  Using a tug to change the velocity of the station by 1"
takes...
> less than 125 turns.	Your rock is over an inch in diameter on the FT
> "ground scale"?  

Did it ever occur to you that you can turn while accelerating? Under
vanilla FT this even dead easy. Even with Newtonian movement, minor 
corrections are easy.

> Obviously, you are god and the defenders have already lost.

I guess this is supposed to ironic, eh?

> If your divinity is in doubt, then it's going to take a pretty
significant
> effort to accellerate it, and the defenders are going to notice. 
You'll
> need to have recce ships providing targeting data, if the defenders
are
> going to modify the orbit of the station at all, and the defenders can
> attack them.	If you chuck a huge rock at the station, and it misses
by 1"
> (FT scale or real life scale!) then it's been a wasted effort.

Rather than repeat myself yet again, I direct you to the response I gave

Joachim.

The point is: Whether the attack succeeds or not, the deciding battle 
will be fought away from the base.

Is this crystal clear?

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