Re: [FT] Heavy Beams - scattered comments to the debate

Noam wrote:

> > Assuming A had had a worthwhile target to shoot at on the first
turn, A
> >is more effective. It has had a chance to take out at least some
enemy
> >weapons on turn 1; B hasn't had that chance.
> 
> Question: Doesn't it depend on _where_ A and B are when this 
> comparison is made?

"Assuming A had had a worthwhile target to shoot at on the first
turn,..."

Yes, it does. If A was at extreme range, it had no worthwhile target to
shoot at on the first turn and should not have fired. 

In the first attack run in a battle, which was the situation I was
discussing, neither A nor B will have *any* target at all until they
reach range ~12 - OK, if the range 36 HBW is used they *might* have an
opportunity to fire at range 35 or so, but again that is not what I
consider to be a "worthwhile target".

If you already are at range 12 and not in the enemy (A) arc - which is
unlikely during the first attack run in a battle - waiting to reach
range 6 is not a very smart thing to do. The risk of being savaged is
considerable, as is the risk of overshooting.

> Assume valid targets for both. 
> 
>Situation 1: Close range punchout. A has a distinct advantage,
delivering
>more damage sooner.

>Situation 2: Medium/low speed approach run. A half fires its load from
>some distance, while B fires all at close range. Since HBW is really a
>close range weapon, if A fires at ranges greater than 18" (or 12" vs
>screen 1, or 6" vs. screen 2) it's likely to do far less damage than B
would >uloading at least 6" closer.

Assuming any maneuvers whatsoever, situations A and B are virtually
identical. If B doesn't fire at range 18 or so and its current
vector/velocity will allow it to fire at a better range next turn, it
becomes a priority target. In a low/ medium speed approach, A and B
have already been under fire for a turn when they reach range 18, and
another turn of concentrated close/medium range fire will do no good at
all for ship B's chances to fire on the next turn.

>Situation 3: High speed strafe: B has the distinct advantage (at the
risk of
>being attacked at medium/long range and knocked out by those
>weapons). A fires half at extreme range, for marginal damage, and
fires >half the dice close in.

In this situation, A does not have a valid target - usually does not
have *any* target - on turn 1, and on turn 3 A and B will both have
overflown their targets. Both ships have to fire on turn 2, so A = B.

Regards,

Oerjan Ohlson
oerjan.ohlson@telia.com

"Life is like a sewer.
  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
- Hen3ry