Re: [FT] SMLs and Banzai Jammers

Oerjan Ohlson wrote:

> Good luck closing the range on the SM ships before they want the range
> to close.

> > Doesn't really work that way, in order to keep distance you must run
> > away from your opponents.

> > You don't hurt them much when you are waving your rear in their
> faces.
> 
> As long as you wiggle your behind a little and have weapons covering
> the AP and AS arcs, you're quite able to hurt any pursuers.

...just not hurt them _much_. Let's see, you get to fire maybe 4 SMs in
a turn from a 3000 pt fleet, and I have 20 PDs and ADAFs.
Feel free to empty your mags in this way.

And on a floating table + cinematic movement, assume the pursuers
retreat. As soon as you get to 30 speed or so, your SMs become
completely useless, as they have a 24" range, so even if fired at
maximum range from a point coincident with the enemy ship, it bursts
behind you.

Getting back to the Great Debate, here's my central thesis:

a) Banzai Jamming is a 100% defence against SMs, when combined with some
ADAFs and PDs
b) This is a Bad Thing
c) SMs are too powerful if Banzai Jamming is completely removed, All
other things being equal.

Conclusion:
I want a mechanism that causes minimal change, and reduces but doesn't
eliminate BJ.

I've had some comments that a) isn't true. I remain convinced it is, as
it appears do the majority of contributors. What I would like is for
anyone who disagrees to demonstrate via a game how, with an FSE fleet,
they would defeat this tactic.

I've had some comments that b) isn't true, that without such a defence
the NSL (slow, unmanouverable) is disadvantaged. My reply to that is,
that a) Rocks-Paper-Scissors: perhaps the NSL ought to be disadvantaged
vs the FSE, as it certainly seems advantaged over everyone else! b)
Since the NSL has probably the most cost-effective SM launcher in
anyone's fleet, the Waldberg-M, I think the problem's exaggerated. I'm
on a bit of shaky ground on this point though, because I play
exclusively with cinematic movement, a large but fixed table, and Fleet
Book 1 designs, all of which can cause Your Mileage To Vary.

I've had no comments about c) being untrue (AFAIK). Certainly I've found
that although SMs require a lot od skill to use, you get better than a
50% yield in fleet actions, and often 100% will find _some_ worthwhile
target within 6", even if not the ship you were aiming at.  
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