Re: Breaking the trend with an FB2 question

>> I would disagree with your ascertain that Interceptor Pods are
unbalanced.
>
> Well I don't like the no extra cost to be able to fire an anti-fighter
> weapon in
> support of another ship.

Firing IPs cost a point of bio-mass and 3 PP.  The firing of such
precludes the Pod Launcher's use in another mode during that turn.
The Pod system is quite flexible, choosing which mode to use during
the turn when appropriate.

>> As to your comment about bringing along floating IP generators, what
is to
>> stop a KV player from bringing along a floating Scattergun platform?
It
>> amounts to about the same.
>
> Point taken both weapons are open to abuse.

Abuse, I'm not so sure.

All sides have Area Defense Weapons of sorts with advantages and
disadvantages.	Some are better than others when the dealing with
particular forces and tactics.

What's to keep the Phalons from using ships with a load of Pulsars and
an ADFC in the same manner (they can also fire those Pulsars
offensively when they're not needed on the defense).

> But what about a straight fight with no specific scenario.
>
> Personally I would have thought keeping the interceptor pod to a point
> defence weapon for only things attacking that ship and dispense with
> the 12 range against any missiles/fighters.

The Spicule already serves this purpose.  The IP is more effective but
cost a bio-mass, 3 power points  instead of 1 and the use of a more
expensive and larger ship component.

> Knowing that you could be facing a 1d6 damage from one ship is bad
enough.
> With the possibility for the neighbouring ships within 12 to give you
a
> pounding
> keeps my fighters in the docking bay until the enemy don't have enough
> hull left to throw at them. But that's a hell of a gamble.

Other tactics might work as well.  There's no need to leave the
fighters in their bays.

Fighters could launch and hold off outside the bulk of the enemy fleet
keeping them from potentially being lost if a bay is lost.  Fighters
can also hold outside IP range, picking off ships that fall out/leave
formation, using their secondary move ability to jump at targets of
opportunity.  Another consideration is combining your fighter attacks
with close assaulting of your ships - forcing the SV to choose whether
to use Interceptor Pods or Lance/Leech Pods that turn, protecting
either your ships or fighters by virtue of tying up these weapon
systems.

> To be honest this sounds like the Tuffley Missile Crisis (as I like to
call
> it) we
> had when FB2 came out and everybody hated the new missiles.

After several months of play I believe this issue will be clearer (and
I'll probably be proven wrong) ;-)    I have a feeling there will be
other item(s) in FB2 that haven't been mentioned in this forum yet
that will cause some commanders fits (some or all of these may require
adopting new tactics).

Your concerns may be very valid.  Only time will tell...  ;-)

> There's just no pleasing some people :)

How true...   <G>

Kevin Walker
sage5@home.com