RE:More needle beam stuff etc

Glenn M Wilson wrote-

>Bottom line, most people find it unbalancing to use Needle Beams for
>targeting core systems.  Okay, I am in a minority.  Been there before. 
I
>will keep it specific to certain scenarios in my "Starguard Conversion
to
>FT/DS2 Campaign" setting - where only the otherwise somewhat bland
>extremely paranoid to the point of mild to moderate xenophobia Nektons
>will be routinely mounting Needle Beams on their ships.

A problem with allowing needle beams to target core systems is that your
ships will go down 1 of 2 routes (or both) in respect of their ship
designs.
The first will be a light ship, fast with only a needle beam fitted,
that
tries to use overwhelming numbers to get within range to use the needle
beam
(like the ash-shaulah stingboats of the IF by Laserlight), or a larger
ship,
with more protection/suvivablity to allow it to get within range. These
two
designs would still have to get past the escorts to hit the main targets
(troop transports, planet nuke ships, etc). If you allow the needle
beams to
hit core systems, the escort will also have them, making getting past
them
even more difficult. Just a suggestion as to which way I can see
problems
with allowing core hits with needle beams.

BIF
"yorkshire born,yorkshire bred,
strong in arms, thick in head"