Re: "Custom" fleets

> Stiltman scribed:
> >I'd written out a nice elaborate argument explaining why, on the
fixed-edge
> >table that the Full Thrust rules so obviously assume as the norm, the
> >keepaway beam-6 BC's wouldn't be as broadly sound as the dreadplanet,
before
> >a pretty stupid and simple mod occurred to me:  Reflex field.

> That's a genre weapon, not a standard one.  If you take that,
> then Noam'll take a Wave Gun or Nova Cannon and kill your
> fighters with it.

Pretty difficult to do this, really... with the extra fighter moves it's
not
too hard to stay out of a supergun's reach.

Our house rules don't allow them to affect fighters anyway... we assume
as
a given that a fighter with an inertialess drive can outmaneuver a
battleship
pointing a mega-gun at it for free, so we consider fighters immune to
them
unless they get caught landing or taking off (i.e. they're in a place
just
as unmaneuverable as the firing ship going in a straight line).

> >Incidentally, we play cinematic on a fixed edge... which makes this
tactic
> >pretty unsound right there.	I honestly don't understand why anyone
would
> >_want_ to play on a floating-edge table... it's basically _asking_
for people
> >to bore you to death with keepaway.

> Your star system has edges?

Not a relevant argument.  If you play floating edge, you're _still_
asking
for people to bore you to death with keepaway.	The game's designed so
that
class 3 beams are the largest cost-effective beam weapon and to be
fun...
floating edges disturb that intent, to no real game-related end (IMHO)
but to
allow someone to get a fast ship with a class 86 beam so that he can
keep out
of your reach and sling insults at you from the next galaxy.  Sure, it
might
be a bit more realistic (as is vector movement) for those of you that
are
hardcore B5-niks, but it's still boring as all heck.
-- 
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 The Stilt Man		      stiltman@teleport.com
   http://www.teleport.com/~stiltman/stiltman.html
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