Re: Of Sensors and Needles - Some Questions and Suggestions

On Sat, 22 Nov 1997 09:47:04 -0500, Jonathan Davis <davis@albany.net>
wrote:

>	My own personal ruling would allow the attacking player 
>to target systems as chunks, either engines, weapons, or avionics.
>I would separate the FireCons from the rest of the weapons systems
>and lump them in with any AECM or ECM systems onboard.  FireCons are
>choice targets for a needle beam over any specific weapons.

That was the way I was leaning: let them fire at the system chunks
unless a weapon was scanned. The problem then becomes "what systems
fit into what chunk". 

Weapons fit into the weapons chunk; no problem there. Engines and FTL
fit into the engine chunk. Where do you put the Fire Cons. You suggest
with AECM and ECM. This would also include enhanced or superior
sensors. However if you keep the Fire Cons in with the weapon systems,
you decrease the chance of a Fire Con being hit. This has the effect
of reducing the effectiveness of needle weapons, so I think I agree
with you about putting it with the sensors/ECM. 

Where would you put the PDAFs and ADAFs? Where would you put the
shields? Lump the shields, PDAFs and ADAFs in together as defensive
systems? Or put the PDAFs and ADAFs in with the weapons? For that
matter, you could say that the engines power the shields and put the
shields in with the engines. 

I'm leaning towards putting the PDAFs and ADAFs in with the shields.

> And given that the number needed for a needle beam attack is a 6 with 
>a range of 9", the weapon system needs a serious upgrade to become 
>attractive for ship designers.

However, in the GenCon mailing list game Chris Pratt made effective
use of Needle Missiles fired at my battledreadnought. I'm actually
less worried about the wimpy needle beams than I am with the needle
missiles. Besides, I'm thinking of running a PBEM game once I get the
program set up and I was thinking of putting some needle weapons on
one of the sides. Not because they are any good, but because the
scenario could be interesting.

"Unlike serial killer profiling, writing is a lonely and
depressing profession." - Jose Chung, Millenium