Re: FT FB1 PDS through aft arc question

Greg Wong wrote:

>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.

Yes, you got it right. It becomes clearer if you instead combine the
FT2 PDS "all arc fire" rule with the FT2 rule on p.8, which forbids all
(non-PDS)  rear-arc fire and which the optional FB1 rule you refer to
above is a modification to.

>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?

It isn't defined. I play it that they can always fire through the (A)
arc in PD mode, but the case can be made either way.

> 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?

Again it isn't defined. I play that they can, but the very low damage
potential and short range of the PDSs tend to make this rather
unimportant.

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