Re: FT-MT missiles

I like this idea, but I don't like the thought of having to keep records
for
each missile. What you might try is having various different coloured
missile markers, so that whenever a spread of missiles is launched from
a
ship, they can all be the same colour and a suitably coloured dot can be
put
in the velocity box for that ship. Then you could work out the speed of
a
missile by seeing the speed at which it was launched, and how many turns
ago, without having to keep records or use numbered counters. Just a
thought.

Matthew Smith

----- Original Message -----

> I had this idea for movement for MT missiles, and thought I`d post it
to
see
> what replies/comments I got.
>
> MT missiles are miniture spaceships, but move a set distance each turn
to
> keep bookkeeping down. Instead, how about having the missiles move at
their
> launching ships starting speed, and accelelerate as they move. I would
have
> their movement as 12 mu plus launching ships speed on the first turn,
24
mu
> plus launching ships speed on the second turn, and 36 mu plus the
launching
> ships speed on the third turn (or think of it as accelerating at 12 mu
per
> turn for 3 turns). To remember which turn the missiles are on, use a
missile
> counter with a number on it to show which turn of movement the missile
is
> on, and change it when the begining of each turn comes around. It
would
also
> require a note to be made as to the launchng velocity of the ship that
fired
> the missile(s). The problems with this idea (that I can see) are it
opens
up
> the tactic of small, light ships, with high acceleration flying in,
firing
> missiles at high speed, to increase the effective range avalible, and
> turning away to prevent them entering the enemies range. This can be
solved
> by limiting how far the missiles can maneuver to intercept the targets
> (limited delta-v against the high speed/momentum of the missile). A
idea
for
> solving this problem I had is as follows. The missile has a limited
area
> that it can maneuver in flight, definded as the arc/area from the
point it
> started the turn at, and the point it would end the turn at AT THE
SAME
> SPEED (no acceleration) plus 6 mu (number off the top of my head) to
either
> side of that point (probably easier if thought as a arc template). The
> heading of the missile would be the direct line from the starting
point to
> the ending point.
>
> Another idea would be to have the missile move it`s speed first, and
then
> could be placed anywhere in a 12 mu radius from the point determined
by
> moving it first. The heading of the missile would then be decided by a
> streight line between it`s starting point and it`s finishing point,
and
the
> distance would also be the speed it carries over to the next turn.
This
> would allow the missile to slow down from it`s launching velecity
(which
the
> first idea doesn`t), and also limit the misssile`s maneuverablity to
turn
at
> high speeds (if fired from a standing start, the missile could turn 45
deg
> each side, but if it was launched at 12 mu, and acclerated at 12 mu,
the
> angle it could turn would fall to 22.5 deg (somebody want to check my
> triganometry here, after all, this is just a guess, it`s been a long
time
> since I did school).
>
> These ideas sound complicated, but would probably get easier with
practice,
> and allow you to use a speed boost on launching the missile (after
all,
with
> the rules at present, missiles are useless if your speed is higher
than
the
> missiles movement at launch, because you will overtake them).
>