Re: HBW. My input +

Quoth "Izenberg, Noam" <Noam.Izenberg@jhuapl.edu>...

>> the issue raised is not of the lack of a roll to hit, it's the lack
of the
>> possibility of doing no damage to unscreened targets at close range,
>> without having to guess placing.
>
>The statistical impact of autohit at 0-6" vs. Hit on 2+ is one damage
point.
>You're arguing for an average damage of 2.5 rather than 3.5 at 0-6" vs.
>unscreened, and overall reduction of HBW efficiency to below P-torp
levels
>(unless you change cost etc...) for a weapon that is already less
efficent
>than a p-torp between 12 and 30" (and less than half as efficient per
die
>from 18-30"). 

I always cringe a little (a lot) when people talk about weapon
efficiencies as compared with other weapons in a given wargame.
FLAVOR and STYLE are much, much more important than whether the HBW is
.626% +/-  less efficient than a P-torp.  Why not have only Basic Beam
Weapons?  That way everything is as efficient as everything else
differing only in name.  The NSL uses "Phased Plasma Ejectors" while
the NAC uses "Synchronized Laser Mounts" etc.  You get my point.

>The other caveats also don't make a compelling case to me. The small
piece
>of game real estate that allows the autohit means you darn well _do_
have to
>not only guess placement your opponent's ship - to better than you do
for an
>SM (6" radius vs 1/6 that pie slice), but (also unlike the SM) you have
to
>maneuver your _ship_ into that position and face the proper way to be
>effective. And it of course puts you both at fingernail scratching
distance,
>so neither of you is going to emerge from that encounter unscathed,
>regardless. I just can't see how the autohit can be so objectionable
with
>the weapon's built-in limitations.

This isn't strictly true.  If your ship is only front firing, then
what you say is true but with a ship with 2 or 3 Emitters, you can
easily get one of them to bear at close range.

>
>OTOH I'd be quite willing to consider "1 always misses" (in effect 2+
hits
>from 0-12", then one worse each 6" range band) if "6 always scores at
least
>1 point". 

The "6-Hits" rule sounds just fine.  It makes sense and fits well with
the "1-Misses" rule

-=Kr'rt