Re: FTFB- After Action Report/Newbie questions (longish :-) )

> On a more general question, Why would you build ships faster than
Thrust
> 2? The extra 10% hull space dropping from Thrust 4 can be a lot of
> weapon systems, and with the ability to swing ship direction under a
> vector movement system even a Thrust 1 ship can almost always face
> towards an enemy.

A lot depends on the victory conditions of the scenario.

For example:  in a 1500 point engagement, 'holding the field' will
be worth a certain amount of points, say 200 points.  If I build a
thrust 8 fleet with Long Range Missile Salvo Racks, I'll fire my
entire load and bugger off.

I'll take one or two rounds of beam fire, mostly at long range, pay
the construction cost of the missile racks, and concede the victory
points for the system.	I can almost certainly inflict more damage
than I receive in that sort of engagement, the question is whether
I will inflict _enough_ damage when my fleet has no staying power.

But when the victory points for the system is high enough, I'd
go with thrust 2 ships as well, for the extra firepower and armor.
However, I might have 1/3 my points in a wave of thrust 8 Salvo
Rack twits whose purpose is to either force the enemy to use
up his missiles early or risk his heavies taking major damage
before they can fire back.  Depending on what I knew of my foe's
fleet composition I would either send them in ahead of the Wall,
(my name for the thrust 2 heavily armored ships of the fleet),
or at the same time as the Wall.  If my opponent has enough
firepower to destroy my SLRs twits several times over in beam
weapons, I'll send the twits in first.	They will get off all their
fire and my opponent will not be able to hurt my main fleet.

If my opponent has a Salvo Missile fleet, again, I'll send in the
twits first, widely dispersed.	With a thrust 8 it will be hard
for my opponent to efficiently target my twits with missiles, and
besides, they will already have fired.	My SLR twits will probably
only mass about 10 or so, so my opponents salvos, if they hit, will
only be kill 30 point ships.  When my salvos go home they will do
up to 3.5*3.5 or about 12 points of damage.

It is really only if my opponent has a lot of fighter groups that
I would make sure to send in everything at once.
 
> We incline towards a strategic reason for higher thrust ratings;
perhaps
> thrusters are used in FTL travel, the FTL drive giving the ability to
> enter FTL mode, but thrusters determining how fast one travels.  We
are
> looking at this as there seems to be no tactical reason to be faster
> than Thrust 2.  I know you can refuse to fight superior forces if
> faster, but Thrust 2 seems find for an aggressor attacking somewhere.
> Have a Thrust 8 ship to check out the local defences, call in the big
> boys, and "Bobs yer uncle." 
> 
> What are your thoughts?  How do you restrict, if you do, the chosen
> Thrust ratings?  Does anyone else go Fred's route with fragile hulled
> carriers and 14 squadrons?

I'm a fan of the super carrier as well, but I waffle between a
fragile hull with lots of fighters and a thrust 2 carrier with
over 50% of its mass in hull and armor.  When using boosters on
one's fighters, (using combat endurance to get the extra 12"
movement), it is often necessary to refuel one's fighters.  A
heavily armored carrier is more likely to survive to retrieve
fighters.

When operating with fragile carriers, you _need_ to be able to
launch 4 table tops away, which means you need a large scouting
and screening force.  It doesn't do you much good to launch
10 fighter groups against what appears to be the enemy fleet
4 table tops away if those ships are actually decoy ECM ships
or if they have sufficient thrust to bypass your fighters.  Your
fighters will be three turns movement away from your carrier when
your carrier dissolves under a swarm of DDs with Salvo Missile
Racks.

When playing with fragile carriers, you need to have a GM
or moderator to keep track of secret off-board movement and
what units are within scanner range of what units.

Michael Sandy