Re: FT FB1 PDS through aft arc question

Greg Wong wrote:

> This question is in regards to Full Thrust Fleet Book 1.
>
> The Optional Rule on page 4 of FB1 says that weapons with aft firing
arcs
> may only fire through the aft arc on any game turn in which the firing
ship
> did not use any thrust from its main drive engines.
>
> Okay, I understand that just fine.
>
> Full Thrust 2nd Edition says that PDS may fire through the aft-arc.
> I assume that, when combining with the optional rule above, that
> PDS may fire through the aft-arc even if the firing ship used thrust
> from its main drive engines.
>
> Have I got that right?
>
> There is also the rule that says that Class-1 Beam weapons maybe used
> in a limited PDS role.  I assume that you can't use a Class-1 Beam in
> its limited PDS role through the aft-arc if the firing ship used
thrust
> from its main drive engines.
>
> Is this correct?
>
> Finally, near the bottom of page 12 of FB1, it says that PDS may be
used
> in a limited anti-ship mode.	The million monetary unit question is:
> Can PDS be used in anti-ship mode through the aft-arc if the firing
> ship used thrust from its main drive engines?

The PSB behind this rule is about interference with the firecons by the
main
engines ("spatial distortions of the ship's drive fields" from FT, p.8).
This,
presumably, doesn't affect close range trackers to the same degree. It's
a
matter of what you're firing at.

My take on this would be that Class-1's _can_ fire through the rear arc
in
anti-fighter mode, whereas PDS _can't_ in anti-shipping mode. This then
boils
the rules neatly down to

1) Anti-shipping beam fire is not permitted by any weapon in the ship's
rear
arc if the ship's main drives fired this turn

2) Anti-fighter fire is permitted by any weapon in the ship's rear arc,
regardless of whether or not the main drives fired this turn

Just my view, others may disagree

Tony