Re: Sandcasters & Hull Repairs

>What should a sand penalize or affect? My answer is:
>1. Std Beams
>2. Pulse torps (energy packets)

I would put these in the maybe category (possibly "no"), as I question
how
sand would affect them.

>3. Sensors (Sand acts almost like ECM) or maybe FC
>4. Needle Beams

They're designed to punch through hulls; I think they should also be
able
to handle sand.

>5. Cloaking devices (plowing through sand or ending up in it would not
>be good)
>
>What should probably be unaffected:
>MT missiles (they are big and have good guidance)
>Wave Guns
>Reflex Fields
>Mines

OK

>What might be affected:
>SMs (they are small and have poor guidance)

Maybe a lesser affect (?)

>And the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced this is not an
>area of effect weapon. It can act as a screen for a ship, or to block
>incoming fire by firing alont a predicted firepath from a hostile
>enemy (using casters). How do you sand 1000km in 3 dimensions? You
>don't. Area weapons are neat, but space is just too damn big.

Entirely agreed.

>Disposable PDS:
>Same effect as a conventional PDS. No idea what the symbol should be.
>As the name indicates, when a shot of PDS is fired, it is used up.
>(Perhaps DPDS for Disposable PDS).
>Mass: 1.0
>Cost: 2
>Shots: 2
>
><Since fractional accounting is generally frowned upon....>

<:-)

>Sandcaster:
>The Sandcaster is fired at the target ship and the target ship gains a
>screen level (max effective screen level of 2) for the rest of the
>turn.

I'd limit this to 1. I don't thin k that sand density can compare with
proper screens.

>Note, this system interferes with actual screens, so the effect is
>non-cumulative.
>A single shot may only defend a ship of 50 or less mass. To put a 1
>level screen
>cover on a 250 mass SDN would take 5 sandcaster shots (massing a total
>of 5
>and costing a total of 10 not counting the launcher).

I see what you're doing here, but it's far easier to do the % thing.
Effect
like screens; price like screens! It keeps things balanced.

>Mass:
>3-arc	2 + 1 per shot
>6-arc 3 + 1 per shot
>Cost:
>3-arc 4 + 2 per shot
>6-arc 6 + 2 per shot

Again, I prefer the 360 version, scrapping the 180 type entirely as it
simplifies things.

Schoon