Spinal Mount Weapons

Apologies if this is the second of two very similar posts from me on
this subject, but the previous one AFAIK has gotten lost in cyberspace
:-(

Some thoughts on really big weapons in FT:

Spinal Mount Nova Cannon (SMNC)
Does anyone else think that this weapon could be affected by PDS fire,
KV scatterguns, and fighters in the same manner as the (similar PSB)
Phalon plama bolt?

Note that to use PDS, scatterguns, or fighters, the ship or fighter must
be within the blast radius of a PBL (except in the case of
PDS/scattergun used for area defence) this does not have to be the case
when attacking a SMNC shot (up to 3MU diameter as opposed to 6MU for
PBL).

Wave Guns
Possibly the attacks of these could be affected as above?

I'm uncertain about the random recharging rate, it may be simpler to
have a wave gun fire say once every second turn (like a PBL).

We could even go this far:
Wave Gun Fire Rate	Mass	Cost
every 2 turns		12	36
every 3 turns		8	24
etc.

An alternative idea that I like (based on a terran weapon used in
Starcraft, as well as numerous anime sources):

The player must specify that the wave gun is to be fired during the
firing phase of the turn _before_ the turn in which it fires, it then
spends the remainder of that turn 'charging up' with a noticeable power
surge and visuals :-)

EFSB Heavy Beam system
These have an interesting mechanic, similar (but not the same) to a
heavier Pulse Torpedo or a K-gun. I would like to see these fully stated
up as a weapon system (pulse-beam, railgun?).

A quick moment with a spreadsheet results in:
EFSB heavy Beam is roughly equivalent to 1.55 pulse torps per energy
point, or a class 3.5 K-gun per energy point.

Based on the pulse torp values:

Beam Power System: MASS = 5 x capacity, COST = MASS x recharge rate x 3
Beam Projector (1 arc): MASS = max output, COST = MASS x 3

Add +1 MASS to Beam Projector to add PDS capability.

>From the B5 background, maximum capability by nation:
Earth-Force & Narn: Beam Power System (BPS) Max capacity 6, recharge
3/turn Beam Projector (BP) Max output = 3 (or random, avg = 3)
Mimbari: BPS Max capacity 12, recharge = 7 (or random, avg = 7)
Old Ones: ???

Other ideas:
Well, a SMNC is MASS 20, COST 60, for slightly less MASS we could fit a
Class-5 Beam Battery (MASS 16, COST 48, Range 60 MU)
for twice as much, we have a Class-6 (MASS 32, COST 96, Range 72 MU)
evern further, Class-7 (MASS 64, COST 192, Range 84 MU)
big enough spinal mount? - doesn't have the punch of say an SMNC
(average damage of a Class-7 at <=12 MU is just over 5 boxes vs
unshielded, average damage of SMNC at 6-24MU is 21 boxes) but you can
still manoeuvre, use shields, other weapons, etc. and it has a longer
range.

Or, buy small beam batteries, & mount them in parallel - cheaper, but
less range.

For Kra'Vak, simply buy a bigger K-gun
A K-8 takes up 20 MASS, and has COST 80, it does an average of over 14
boxes (if it hits), but it has only a middling range.

Sa'vasku and Phalons are already equipped with big guns (SV can simply
push a LOT of energy through their stinger nodes, Phalons have PBL's
enough said).

Anyway, just my idle musings,

Charles.

PS. you don't what to know what my spelling checker makes of Kra-Vak, or
Phalons :-)
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