Re: Weapon of the Week

Charles Taylor	wrote:

>Antimatter Salvo Missile (AM-SM)
> 
>Ok, I'll kick off:
> 
>As Noam comments, this is a slightly over-complex SM / Plasma 
>Bolt hybrid, I'd suggest removing the damage drop-off effect, and
>treating these as Plasma Bolts with a power equal to the number 
>of missiles that survive the PDS (all ships within 6 mu of the salvo
>are 'threatened' and thus can use PDS - however, if they can do 
>this to an AM-SM, then why not to a normal SM?)
>
>Damage is reduced by screens/shrouds in the same way as 
>Plasma Bolts.
>
>Right, crude cost comparison:
> 
> Salvo Missile - launcher is 3 MASS, ER salvos are 3 MASS each
> 1 use per Salvo
> Range is 24 mu
> 
> Plasma Bolt Launcher (PBL) - MASS is 5 times Class
> 1 use per 2 turns
> Range is 30 mu
> 
> both have COST = 3x MASS, so we can just compare on MASS
> 
> So, compare effects of defences:

Note: The AM-SM description says that point defence can reduce the
AM-SM effectiveness, but does not specify in which way. 

> Defence		SM		PBL
> PDS		1 beam die	1 in 6
> Pulsar-PDS	1 beam die	1 beam die

The rule is rather ambigous, isn't it... FB2 p.36 says: "Phalon pulsers
fired in PDS mode roll as for normal point defence systems against
plasma bolts.", and since normal point defence systems get "1 in 6"
against PBs that's all the Pulsers get as well.

>Class 1		5 or 6+reroll	no effect
> K-1		5 or 6		no effect
> Scattergun	1d6		1 beam die
> Fighters	1 beam die*	1 in 6

Fighter hit normal SMs on 5 or 6+reroll. Why give them a full beam die
against SM-AM?

> Screens		same effect on both
> 
>In general AM-SMs are more affected by defences than PBLs 
>average effects are as follows:
> 
> Defence	SM		PBL		Difference
> PDS		.8		.1667		0.2083
> Pulsar-PDS	.8		.8		1
> Class 1	.8		0		0
> K-1		.6667		0		0
> Scattergun	3.5		.6667		0.1905 
> Fighters	.8		.1667		.2083
> Average					0.27 (approx)

Clarification: the "difference" column gives the ratio between the PBL
and SM columns. (0.8-0.8 isn't 1, but 0.8/0.8 is :-/ )

Using the correct Pulser/PB interaction, the "average ratio" is approx.
0.14. Or, if you bake the Pulser-PDS into the other PDSs (since
they're identical) you get 0.12 :-/

>So defences are about 3 3/4 times more effective against AM-
>SMs than against PBLs.

3 3/4 is the inverse  of 0.27. However, as described above 0.27 itself
is somewhat debatable.

>1 SML + 2 AM-Salvos is 9 MASS
>this is equivalent to 2 shots of a PBL-6, but with the increased
>effectiveness of the defences.
>However, the 2 shots _can_ be on consecutive turns, unlike the 
>PBL also, the system is more vulnerable to thresholds - as there 
>are two systems to damage - either of which will KO the system.
> 
>A PBL-6 is MASS 30, for comparison.
>reduce the range to 24 mu, and the MASS should reduce to about 19
>(based on Oerjan's range vs. cost calculations).

Yes.

Robertson, Brendan wrote:

>With SML salvoes, we're not limited to making them 6 actual 
>missiles to be shot down.  At Mass 19 for a single salvo, I'd rather
>take a Wavegun. 

Charles was talking about 2 salvoes for 19 Mass though, not a single
one. Still, 8 Mass ammo for one salvo does seem a bit excessive :-/

>How about simplifying the mechanics down.
> 
>3 mass AM-SM (AMSaM) salvo = 2 die Plasmabolt, 24" range.
>Defence resolution is resolved as normal against the Plasmabolt.

Much cleaner mechanics, yes.

>PSB: Area detonation is harder to target, as the missiles aren't
>using terminal manoeuvres for a hull contact detonation.
> 
>This becomes slightly more efficient while the ammo holds out &
>reduces new rule mechanics to be learned & still fits within the 
>standard magazine spaces.

The magazine vulnerability is a disadvantage compared to a PBL-2, but
I've very rarely lost a 2-salvo magazine before running out of ammo.
SMLs with 3-salvo or bigger magazines are far more like to be knocked
out before expending all the ammo. OTOH, the ability to launch two
salvoes on consecutive turns is a big advantage compared to the PBL-2.

The question to be asked here is: given the choice between 3 normal SM
salvoes and 2 AM-SM salvoes, which would you choose?

Also - though this is a PSB question only - a PB can be targetted by
PDSs even though it doesn't "close for the kill" the way normal
missiles do, due to its high energy signature. What is it that makes
the AM-SM possible for the PDSs to shoot at?

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."