RE: Salvo Missiles (was UN Ship Nomenklatura)

Various people wrote (condensed): 

"SMLs are Jokes"
"SMLs are overpowered"

Obviously they can't be both at the same time.	To adress the first 
item.  SMLs are incredibly useful if you use them right.  First, don't 
make them your only armament, or usually even your primary armament.  
The FSE ships seem too specialized for my tastes.  I usually mix and 
match, no more than half my cruisers and capitals being missle-heavy 
designs.  Second, remember my Fleet Design Philosophy post?  SMLs 
belong in the main battle fleet.  IOW, you're not going to fight except 
in a target-rich environment.  6,000 points makes a large enough fleet 
that you are going to hit something if your opponent forms any sort of 
coherent battleline.  If missles show up in small fights, it won't be a 
whole lot of 'em, and they are best used more for surprise value than 
anything else.	Third, don't expect them to finish off a particular 
ship in a single salvo.  SMLs weaken ships, perhaps forcing a systems 
check before the firing phase.	Your beams and torpedos have to finish 
the job.

Second complaint:  Dammit, learn to counter them.  Fighter screens and 
proper PDSs are a good first step.  You also have to know your opponent 
a bit.	I prefer to have a standardized stable of designs--you've all 
seen my webpage, right?  The only ship I've designed with the intent to 
use that's not up there is a commerce raider DD refit.	Which doesn't 
belong in Jane's.  If he uses SMLs, then the first turn you come into 
range, jink like CRAZY!  3" is damned easy to evade if you really put 
your mind into it.  If you fly in a straight line at a constant 
acceleration, my pet dog can put ten SLM salvos on your DNL.  Oops.  
ESCORT CRUISERS!!  Escort cruisers are glorious.  Last game I played 
against a fighter-and-missle heavy opponent was a 6K main fleet bash 
where my DNL/CV/DN group had two escort medium cruisers and two escort 
light cruisers.  Sucked up a LOT of missles and fighters both.	Even my 
humble 700 point DD squadron has an escort destroyer.

SMLs, in my experience can be a useful addition to a fleet's arsenal.  
But I can, by proper usage of the vector movement system and escorts, 
beat them too.	Not a gamebreaking unbalancer.	IMHO, Jon got it about 
right.	Option:  If your group just can't figure out how to use 'em 
right, then up the kill zone to 6".  If your group can't figure out how 
to counter 'em, drop it to 3".	I usually play with 3" for vector, 6" 
for cinematic.	Final Note:  You do know, it helps if you don't roll 
ones.  That sucks.  But then again, 1 point of damage is better than 
firing 15 dice worth of beams and missing with all of 'em, which I've 
seen.  

John