Re: FT Newtonian Acceleration was Re: B5 Ship Combat

First, Full Thrust is a FLEET GAME.  That means that some things have to
be
simplified.  There was a day I was capable of calculating the position
of
ships based on simple physics. I don't feel like doing that anymore. The
simple vector system may not be totally realistic, but is far more
realistic
than the cinematic system.

Of course, since the "game" simulates a space opera rather than anything
NASA would be interested in does it really matter?

Simple is better!  B5 has more real physics than Star Trek.  BUT, Star
Trek
has more TV shows, more movies, and more followers.

What FT doesn't natively do very well is simulate technology levels very
well.  A Vorlon Corvette could toast an Omega fairly easilly. Mimbari
ships
trounce human kind pretty handilly as well. Not represented well at all.

One weakness is the fighter system.  We may adapt the Sea Power III
system
for this.  Fast, effective, strictly 6 sided, and pretty fair.	Simply a
matrix of all fighter types with all other fighter types.  Crossindex
the
fighter types and see something like	R\Y.   (Thing red = 1, Yellow =
2,
and Blue = 1, 2, and 3) Assuming that the Delvian Grimefighter is on the
left and the Skaren Deathfighter on the top, this means that each side
rolls
one die for each dog in the fight. The Delvians rated red kill on each 1
rolled.  The Skarens for each 1 or 2 rolled.  That way it is easy to
build
technological differences into fighter combat easilly.

Personally,  it's the simplicity of a class 1, 2, 3, and so forth
laser/phaser/photonic cannon or so forth that made me dump Fleet Action
for
Full Thrust.  Simply better for fleet actions.	I have no problem with a
Vorlon packing a Class 5 Laser in the same space as a Mimbari Class 3,
or
Human Class 2, or Merchant Class 1, depending on technology level.

Does anyone remember the old Traveler, stuff that postulated that a
Level 2
computer is twice as big as a Level 1?	Pretty silly as it turned out.

This is of course it simply isn't about point balanced battles like
DBM/DBA.