Re: [FT] Playtest of Fulton's MT Missile rules proposal

On Wed, 10 Mar 1999, Sean Bayan Schoonmaker wrote:

> >One possible way of toning down the "massed EMP missile attack" to
balance the
> >points cost is to combine all simultaneous attacks on a single target
into a
> >*single* die roll as follows:
> >
> >  All EMP missiles attacking a single target combine their attacks
into a
> >  single die roll.  For each additional EMP missile that successfully
attacks
> >  the same target, 1 is added to the effects die roll.
> 
> This would work, but I hesitate to do it that way unless you're
assuming
> that the missiles are all coordinating their attacks (which they
might).

That was the intended PSB for the suggestion. <G>

> See my previous post concerning toning them down in the first place.
> 
> The problem with combining them is that you can then be almost assured
of
> knocking out a single ship if you use enough missiles on it. For
example:
> an NAC SDN will take out an average of 4.4 missiles with its defences,
> assuming it's fighters are unavailable for screening. So 9 missiles
> virtually gaurantee knocking out 50% of its systems. That's 321 points
for
> a 54 point investment.
> 
> Even at 12 points a missile, I'll take those odds. Granted this takes
the
> single ship "in a vacuum" so to speak, but it gives food for thought.

Notice that my original suggestion was to allow only 'standard'
missiles.:)

However, I'll take on your point about the cost investment.  Even in the
case
of a 'single ship in a vacuum', I believe that the relative points &
mass
costs will balance out.  After all, in order to weild 9 EMP missiles,
you need
to allocate 36 Mass and 108 points - remember, I also suggested on
upping the
mass & cost of the 'specialty' missiles to 4M & 12 pts a piece.

Let's take the same NAC SND and equip it with 9 EMP missiles.  In order
to do
that, we'll need to strip out some components in order to make room - 36
mass
worth of components.  Let's see - tossing the two fighter bays and all
three
Class 3s will do it nicely.  That leaves us with, ..., what?

2	Class 1 Battery, 6 arcs
2	Class 2 Battery, 6 arcs
2	Pulse Torpedo, 1 arc

Considering the loss of firepower after you've "blown your wad" in the
single
salvo, I'd hazard a guess that you'd have a fairly even fight -
especially
since the two full fighter squads can be released from screening duties
to
pound your sorry arse in revenge.  It will be interesting to playtest
this.

Food for thought, yes? <g>

===================================================================
Mark "Hauptmann" Shurtleff
  email: hauptman@sfcmd.com -or- hauptman@concentric.net
       The Gear Locker:  http://www.sfcmd.com/HeavyGear/
	   Full Thrust:  http://www.sfcmd.com/fullthrust/

 Finagle's Law:
   The perversity of the Universe tends towards the maximum.
===================================================================