Prev: Re: [FT] WotW 2: EMP Weapons Next: RE: [FT] WotW 2: EMP Weapons

RE: [FT] WotW 2: EMP Weapons

From: Charles Taylor <charles.taylor@c...>
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 19:17:49 GMT
Subject: RE: [FT] WotW 2: EMP Weapons

In message <6B3C0EEAB4FED3119F5F009027DC5E9EA9ADEA@spacemsg3.jhuapl.edu>
	  "Izenberg, Noam" <Noam.Izenberg@jhuapl.edu> wrote:

> Continuing:
> 
> Ion Cannon: Like Beth, I'm not a big fan of the "damage
list".Difficult to
> balance (Mass and cost trades are discussed) Changing to needle like
> mechanics changes the weapon's nature and is another can of worms IMO.
The
> "List" could be eliminated by either the attackng player chosing the
order
> of system checks (as in Powerleech) or alternating the attacking
player and
> defending player switching off, though that makes the record keeping
harder.

Or see K.H.Ranitzsch's suggestion, although that could slow thing down
if your checking a large number of systems (suggest - make sure these
cannot affect too many systems :-)
> 
> EMP Mine: Id on;t like mines, so I'm not commenting.

I think Mines are an entire subject in themselves!
> 
> Ion Pulse Cannon: Still think it should decrease range and have
screens
> shift effect one range band/level.
> 
> Scrambler Pulse: Possibly cheap for effect, Though I'm not really
sure. I
> certainly disagree with Brendan that it needs to be 8-10 mass. Most
will not
> be able to fire more than a couple times/game, making them roughly
equal to
> MT EMP missiles. It can't fire unitil it's well within Class 2 beam
range.
> And don't forget it's got a Miss on 1-2. It would also be easy to
reduce
> effect 1 step: 3-4 All systems rol thresh 6+; 5-6 All systems roll
thresh at
> 5+.
> 
> TDG: Too complicated. Genre weapon for role playing effect.

Yup - we can leave it for the 'really wierd weapons' section :-)
> 
> Powerleech: I like Brendan's suggestion, but that's really an
alternate (and
> weaker) effect for the basic EMP MT missile. I'd rather drop the
threshold
> check altogether and just make the effect an advance of the threshold
level.
> (MT Missile:1-2 No effect, 3+ Ship's threshold level increases by 1;
SM
> round, Threshold level increases by 1 for every 3 (or 4, depending on
> balance) missiles that hit in one turn).

A nasty 'softener upper' - hmm... now how are we goint to balance that?
> 
> IPW: I don't like this damage list, which is more complicated than the
Ion
> Cannon's. One example problem - the "weapons hit" still has room for
play -
> it doesn't give you choice order between like mass weapons - I'd
happily
> risk a Needle beam for a class 2 most of the time. I understand
Brendan's
> dislike of "shipwide" thresholds, but they are much simpler than
damage
> lists, which have to be thought out to almost the same level of detail
as
> the dreaded SFB damage table. I prefer a weaker-but-shipwide EMP
threshold
> effect, or the  choosing mechanic in the original Powerleech
("attacker
> chooses order of system checks" although "defender chooses order"
could work
> fine as well.).
> 
> EMP Missile: Reasonable transition of EMP MT Missile. perhaps weaken
it a
> bit, especially since the affect is cumulative for multiple rounds.:
> 1-2 or less  no effect
>      3-4   systems KO on roll of 6
>      5   systems KO on roll of 5+
>      6 or more  systems KO on a roll of 4+

Similar (and weaker) to my suggestion - could modify my EMP-SM mechanic
in the same way (if we don't switch to either 'affects limited number of
systems' or 'does virtual damage').

Prev: Re: [FT] WotW 2: EMP Weapons Next: RE: [FT] WotW 2: EMP Weapons