Re: DS2: Design questions of my own.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Bilderback" <bbilderback@hotmail.com>
To: <gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2002 9:03 AM
Subject: Re: DS2: Design questions of my own.

> Eric Foley wrote:

> >I'm already using reactive armor on a lot of my vehicles that expect
to
see
> >urban action, where it doubles their survivability in close quarters,
but
I
> >start to wonder if equipping most any large vehicle with it wouldn't
be a
> >bad idea. Even a GMS/H would have a bit of trouble penetrating armor
5R...

> I prefer PDS/APFC to reactive armor, since their cost is fixed, not
based
on
> vehicle size, and they pretty efficiently protect vs. GMS and IAVR.

I don't understand the "fixed" cost rationale at all.  Reactive armor is
13
points added to the BVP for a size 5 vehicle, which translates to a
maximum
of 34 total extra points for a FGP powered grav or combat walker that
will
affect any explosive projectile's effects... SLAMs, IAVRs, close assault
(HUGE in urban combat), GMSs, the whole enchilada.

APFCs are 25 points for a size 5 vehicle, and will only matter in close
assaults and IAVR hits.  In addition, it takes up 1 capacity.  Superior
PDS
takes up 4 capacity, costs 60 points, and only matters for GMSs. 
Neither
system will give you any help at all against SLAMs... no, not usually
that
big a deal, but someone might get tempted to carry them for infantry
effect,
mass damage, or both.

So you've got a "fixed" cost of 5 capacity that otherwise isn't used,
and 51
extra points in order to defend against fewer things in the end.
(Presumably, the vehicle will have ECM anyway.)

Perhaps it's just a philosophical difference on my part, but I'd rather
put
the reactive armor and ECM in front, leave their capacity free for
offensive
weapons, and if they need additional help against missiles they can stay
close to the ZADS units that will probably be around anyway, which have
an
added bonus of defending against air assault as well.

> >Is- there really a feasible way to keep tanks alive against MDC-5s
with
> >Superior FireCon, other than basically hiding them until you can take
them
> >out with something else?

> Yeah - Have the Something Else (Preferrably an arty spotter or an
attack
> VTOL lance) tag along in the first place. It's called Combined Arms
Tactics.

Somewhat... I've been taking the tactic of letting my artillery or air
support make the first hits, so that many of the things carrying heavy
MDCs
will be dead before I show my own, making as much advantage of the
terrain
as I can.  Whether that's by sending smaller vehicles ahead with
artillery
spotters, powered infantry artillery spotters, sending smoke screens out
to
let VTOLs land behind them with the spotters, simple air assault, or
whatever... you get the idea.

Stilts