Re: [FT]SML question

Bif Smith wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Roger Books <books@mail.state.fl.us>
> To: <gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu>
> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2001 1:28 PM
> Subject: Re: [FT]SML question
>
> > On 15-Jun-01 at 01:49, Bif Smith (bif@bifsmith.fsnet.co.uk) wrote:
> > > A quick question regarding SML`s. I want to use a SML with limited
arcs
> (or
> > > more limited than present), and was wondering if mass 2 for a 2
arc
> > > lancher, and mass 1 for a 1 arc launcher sounds reasonable? (at
normal
> x3
> > > cost).
> > >
> > > Also, in a campain, how would you people work the building rule to
> prevent
> > > pure fighter forces (ie-fighters used as offence, with the
carriers
> > > withdrawing and picking up new fighters at cheaper cost than a
> starship?),
> > > or using "stingboats/LAC`s" with FTL tugs (which for the same mass
are
> > > cheaper than a normal FTL warship, if the tug withdraws/is
reuseable?).
> >
> > With the fighters we just rule that they are so short range that if
> > the carrier withdraws the fighters surrender.  Of course we are
> > playing human-human and assume reasonable prisoner exchange.
> >
> > As for the LAC's, let the chips fall where they may.  We do roll a
> > chance for an intercept of the tug though. :)
> >
> > Roger
> >
> If you roll for intercepting the tugs, the chance must be small. After
all,
> a solar system is a big place. My tactics would be jump in far
outsystem
> (eg, 3 days travel), drop off the sting boats, and have them
accelerate in
> system while the tug jumps outsystem. The stingboats would be pretty
safe
> coming in system due to the speed they`d accelerate upto. The only
danger
> would come from slowing down to attack the forces, which would most
likely
> protecting the planet anyway. After the attack, the tug jumps in for a
> preset rendevous somewhere outsystem, and picks up any suviving boats.

The only problem is if the system is defended by some deep space
interceptors
(high thrust cruisers intended for just this sort of thing, only works
in
vector), mass 50, thrust 10, FTL, hull integrity 10, single arc class-4
beam,
FC, and a pds.	They jump out towards the stingboats after the
stingboats have
started decelerating, and are very obvious.  If they cannot destroy all
of the
stingboats before the attack, they wait for the tug outside the weapons
range
of the stingboats.  Unless the sting boats all have a thrust of at least
10
(which makes them extremely fragile, or nearly weaponless [if stingboats
are
known for 10 thrust, the interceptor is a fragile mass 100 BC with a MD
of 14,
but otherwise identical]), the tug always comes under attack at the
pick-up
point.	Due to the inherent inaccurracies of the jump, the tug must
announce
its presence, so the stingboats can find it.  Once the interceptors
detect the
tug, the interceptors jump directly there.  The deep space interceptors
will
also meet the stingboats a good distance away from their target (the
stingboats
are decelerating all the way at max thrust, they WILL be noticed), so
unless
they can engage the interceptors, they will not even make it to the
target (one
unanswered die of beam fire will take a long time to destroy a horde of
stingboats, but the interceptor has all day).

When ferrying attacks to systems that are expected to be heavily
defended, the
tug expects to be assaulted at the rally point.  The only way to avoid
it is to
not show up, but that makes it harder to recruit stingboat crews (and
impossible to have experienced officers train them).

Interceptors make excellent reconnaissance platforms, as it takes an
even
higher powered ship to catch it (you may not always get the photos, but
you