Re: re-FT, wave guns & needle beams

In message <Pine.GSO.4.21.0101041837340.9090-100000@poppc.stsci.edu>
	  "Mark 'Indy' Kochte" <kochte@stsci.edu> wrote:

> 
> On Thu, 4 Jan 2001, bif smith wrote:
> 
> > 
> > Shaddows beam weapon?- No, I dislike this. For shaddows, try a BB/BC
sized
> > SV ship with 1 gun, light hull, plenty of power generators, drone
womb and a
> > CLOAKING device (say, 5% total mass, mass x4 for cost, requires
power points
> > equal to cost to cloak/decloak, + 2 power point per turn it intends
to
> > remain cloaked (must be decided and the power points paid for when
> > cloaking). Also, due to the suprise effect of it decloaking, is
allowed to
> > fire first).
> 
> General Query: why a cloaking system on the Shadow vessels? (others
> have proposed this before; I just never got around to asking about
> it) They didn't have this technology in the show (the 'suddenly
> appearing out of nowhere' bit was their method of going into/out of
> hyperspace - in other words, FTL, but not a cloak). 
> 
> Mk
>

Well, I guess because the Shadow's 'hyperspace phase in/out' _looks_
like a cloaking effect :-)

If you want to add game effects for this, I'd give the Shadows an
'advanced FTL drive' that allows more accurate positioning when FTL-ing
into battle, but without the damaging effects of a normal B5 jump point.
They _may_ be allowed to FTL out of battle to escape without any of the
normal complications.
'In the Beginning' established that the Mimbari could be pretty accurate
when dropping out of hyperspace as well, and as they used a 'standard'
jump point, the effects could be pretty devastating.

All IMHO, of course,