Re: [FT] Heavy Beams 2nd Draft

My God, I'm actually have a spare moment to post to the list.  (8-)

(For those who are wondering, there should be an archive update
by next week, and I'll be digging back into the Encyclopedia after
GZG-ECC III.  All of you come to Pennsylvania, damnit.	(8-) )

Hi Noam.  How's NEAR?  (That's what you're working on, righ?)

"Izenberg, Noam" wrote:
> Other wrenches into the works. these have the "feel" for me of the B5
beam
> weapons:
> Extended range:
> Higher class HBW's could fire as lower class with extended range. for
> example. A class 2 should be able to fire as a class 1 (i.e. 1 die)
with 7"
> range bands (for max range 42") A class 3 should be able to fire as a
class
> 2 with 7" bands or a class 1 with 8" bands (max range 48") etc...
Setting
> needs to be marked on order sheet during movement plotting.
> 
> Focusing:
> Lower class HBW's could fire as higher class with lower range. A class
1
> could fire as a class 2 with 3"  range bands. Class 2 as class 3 etc.
> Setting needs to be marked on order sheet during movement plotting. 

Hmmm.  What I've actually been playing with is the 'class of dice' rule.
HBW's normally throw D6s.  If you spend two energy points out of the
emitter, you can throw D8s.  If you spend three energy points out of the
emiiter, you can throw D10s.  This progression continues until you
reach the rating of the emitter i.e. an emitter that can throw six
points
of energy can throw 6d6, 3d8, or 2d10 or even 1d12.  (Round down, of 
course!  (8-) )

You lose a lot of efficiency, but you do have the chance to reach out
and touch someone at long ranges.  

You can play with that a lot.  I haven't done the math analysis, but
the above 'feels' better than the other option (which is by squares
i.e. 1 point per d6, 2 points per d8, 4 points per d10, etc.)

One other nit-pick -- instead of ranking by class and saying storing
the double amount of energy, just ranking by the size of the capacitor.
e.g. Class 3 is a HBW-6.   (Though, admittedly, this might be just a
familiarity thing; most every version of the Big Red Beam O' Death 
I've seen, both official and unofficial, has rated by capacity.)

> Quatloos by the bucket...

2000 Quatloos on the human.

Back to life,
J.

-- 
 ** Jerry Han - jhan1@home.com - http://people.canoe.ca/jhan ** 
 Sometimes I lie awake at night, and ask "Why me?"  Then a voice
answers, "Nothing personal.  Your name just happened to come up."
	  'Peanuts' -- Charles Schultz - TBFTGOGGI