Re: [FT] Defending with SMLs

> >With SMs in play, slow-moving NSL will be target drones. Asteriods
> >don't "encourage" low speeds amongst novice players; they enforce
> >them, brutally. Consider using a debris field instead.

ie "this area has debris, a cloud of small asteroids, thick dust &
gas, etc.  Ships which exceed 12mu per turn speed take 1d6 damage for
each 3mu over the speed limit."  Vary the numbers to suit yourself, of
course.

> Well, it's still the case that the slower the speed, the
exponentially more
> effective the SM's. However, as long as there aren't TOO many, and
the
> NSL's tend on the large size, they'll be hurt rather than merely
> expanding-clouds-of-gas (sound familiar?).

Be aware that "too many" is defined as "enough to cause expanding
clouds of gas."
The average missile salvo does 12.25 damage.  Add the damage for all
the salvos together and subtract 2.8 damage per available PDS--it's a
bit less than that, actually, because if you Teske a salvo which only
had one or two missiles in it, you can't carry over the extra damage
to another salvo.  Four or five salvos arriving simultaneously will
cripple or kill just about any ship, unless you have Fulton missiles
("1 damage per salvo") or the target has lots of PDS and ADFC to help.
(Translation: one of my old-style Islamic Fed  missile cruisers, 60
mass with five SMR, would expect to one-punch a Maria von Burgund.
This can be quite variable, though--I've killed a Szent Istvan with a
five-salvo strike).

Now, the trick is to put them on the target.  If your battlefield is
crowded, your speeds are slow and your targets are NSL, then you
shouldn't have too much difficulty hitting something.  Just make sure
that what you hit is something worthy of your attention--17 missiles
on a frigate qualifies as "overkill".