[FT] Re: Tin Cans versus Dreadnoughts

> >
> > Yeah, anybody know just how many carriers were involved in this
strike?
>
> umm... all of them...
>
> Seriously, all 10 american fleet carriers launched something in the
> neighborhood or 320 strike aircraft!
> As a side note, when Musashi (the other yamato class) was sunk earlier
in
> the war, she took 12 torpedos and 19 dive bomb strikes before she wnet
> down...

This is an interesting topic considering the History Channel was running
a
series called "Battleships" all week.  It got me to thinking about the
ways
different games model the "naval" battles in space.  It also got me to
thinking about why all those different types of ship classes really
exist in
the first place.  This got me thinking about how it all fits together in
FT,
and well, its kinda a snowball effect from there...anyways.....

For the first part, I think the FT game, and even the "official" history
model well the BB vs. CV issue.  Its my opinion that each has its place,
and
that the BIG superships would rules the "skies".  I tend to the of the
CV in
pretty much the same way as a BB, except that her weapons are really
just a
bunch of little ships.

For the second part, the reason for all the little ships to exist.  One
reason is deployment and economy.  Its just impossible to build enough
battleships to put ships everywhere you need a presence.  Another reason
to
have those little ships, is so that they can protect the big ships from
things like fighters, missiles, and all those little ships carrying that
one
cheap weapon that can sink your BB.  (In WWI and WWII it was the
torpedo,
nowadays its missiles). In FT, as someone just mentioned in the last day
or
two, a small ship armed with needle-beams can render a supership useless
just by taking out the Firecons.  Instead of wasting space on the Big
ship
for lots of PDS systems, make small ships with area defense systems and
PDS
systems to keep missiles and fighters off (thus more room for big guns
on
the big ship) and also use the small ships to keep the small needle
armed
ships away.

An earlier discussion said the big ships in FT are truly the queen of
battle, and they are, and should be, but only as long as they have the
escorts to keep those needle armed raiders off!

In my mind, those are two good reasons for the existence of small ships
in
any FT fleet, even though the economics/deployment issue is really a
matter
of scenario.  IN a campaign game, I truly believe there would be lots of
smaller ships in battle.

An interesting thing to note in both WWI and WWII is that Navies were
loath
to risk their dreadnoughts.  The darn things were so powerful and
expensive
that to lose one meant a major shift in the balance of power.  Another
reason for all the little ships.  You have to have something to actually
fight with!

Anyways, just some random thought on the subject...

George