Re:Salvo Missile Varients

Charles Stanley Taylor wrote:

>EMP Salvo Missile
> 
>This is the SM equivalent of the old EMP missile in More Thrust - they
>use the standard rules for a FB1 salvo missile, but when the missiles
>hit (if they hit) use the number of missiles that actually target the
ship >and are not stopped by PDS etc. in place of the random 1d6 roll
on the >EMP missile table in More Thrust (p. 3) - you still subtract 1
per level of >shields.

Does each salvo determine its damage separately, or do they add up? (I
hope separately, so I've assumed that below)

>Actually, looking at the table, I fell 

Hope you didn't hurt yourself! <g>

>I should suggest an alternative:
>1: no effect
>2-3: systems knocked out on roll of 6
>4-5: systems knocked out on roll of 5+
>6: systems knocked out on roll of 4+
 
[Note to Brian Bell: The number chosen on this table is the number of
"SM" missiles which gets *through* the PDS, ie 1D6-(PDS kills) - you do
NOT roll once on the above table for each missile which makes it
through...]

Interesting system. If opposed by the same number of PDSs, it knocks
down some 2.5-3.5 times as many systems per hit than an MTM-EMP
(depending on the target's screens, the number of PDSs defending it
etc). OTOH you can't fire as large salvoes as with MTMs so there'll
usually be more PDSs available to oppose the SM-EMP; it also costs some
1.5-2 times more per shot and is easier to decoy. All in all it looks
reasonably well balanced against the MTM-EMP. Whether or not the
MTM-EMP is reasonably balanced against more damaging weapons is a
matter of some conjecture though - I believe it is, but then again I
believe the Pulsers are balanced as well <g>

>I rejected the concept of a Needle Salvo Missile - PSB (and
>mechanics) too messy!>

Good. When a ship-mounted needle beam needs a dedicated FCS to be able
to find a target, I can't quite see how an MTM could possibly carry
enough sensors to inflict a precision hit - and salvo missiles are much
smaller than an MTM...

>Interceptor Salvo Missiles
> 
>[snip] But I can't come up with any mechanics I like :-(

Sounds *very* similar to an SV Interceptor Pod to me....

>Decoy Salvo Missiles
> 
>Launch as usual, but they don't attack ships, however, their
>placement token counts as a valid target for other salvo missiles :-)

Nice system.

>Light Missile System
>Idea I've been tinkering with - like SMR/SML, but fires single
missiles: 
>Light Missile Rack: MASS 1, cost 2, or 3 with ER missiles
>Light Missile Launcher: MASS 1, cost 2
>Light Missile Magazine: MASS 1/3 missiles, or 1/2 ER missiles, cost
>MASSx3
> 
>Use as for SMs, but to determine if missile locks on to target (after
>defences against it are allocated) roll 1d6, 1-3 missile misses, 4-6
>missile on target.

Since it fires single missiles, I assume it only inflicts 1D6 if it is
on
target and nothing otherwise?

>Not very effective by itself (like the ods of 1 missile getting
through any >serious PDS are slight)

On the contrary - the more serious the PDS the better these LMs become
compared to SMs, since you can have at least four times as many of them
for the same Mass (and somewhat more than that for the same cost). You
need at least 6 PDSs opposing each SM salvo before 4 LMs inflict a
higher average damage. As Brian Thompson pointed out, it'd be a rather
nasty system against Kra'Vak as well.

Michael Llaneza wrote:

><proposal>
>Replace two missiles in a salvo with ECM drones. Every PDS engaging
that
salvo suffer a -1 penalty to their die roll. Roll for the number of
missiles
that hit normally, except that any quantity of missile hits greater
than 4
is reduced to 4 hits.  Replacing two regular missiles with penaids
costs 5
points.>
</proposal> >

When opposed by PDS, this is equal to a standard salvo if the target
can
oppose each salvo with 4 PDSs; if 3 or less PDSs oppose the salvo, a
standard salvo would have inflicted more damage on average.  I haven't
looked at a pure B1 defence, but judging from the PDS numbers a
pen-aided
salvo should "break even" against 7-8 B1s.

If these pen-aids have the same effect against Scatterguns and
Interceptor
pods (-1 to the intercept die), they're marginally better against these
defences than the standard salvoes (on avg. 1.11 missiles get past a
single
scattergun/IP, vs 0.97 for standard missiles).

Given the very low starting 

>This could be changed to -1 per penaid in the salvo, but that would be
a
bit much.>

If you allow only 1 penaid per salvo this version breaks even against 3
PDSs
per salvo; I'd say this is worth your suggested +5 points per salvo (or
+6,
to make the cost/mass ratio an even number :-/ ). More than 1 penaid
makes
the salvo almost uninterceptable by PDSs though, so I'd be rather wary
of
allowing it.

>Or, -1 per two penaids would be good, it'd give a better chance of
getting
at least a few hits on a well protected target.>

Round down or up? Ie., do you need 3 or 4 penaid submunitions to get a
-2
modifier and make it impossible for PDS to stop?

>I'm also not 100% sure about the points cost, but Oerjan will probbaly
set
me straight. >

Done <g>

Later,

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