Re: Classed Weapons was Re: Technology levels

Kevin Walker wrote:

> Beams could be as simple to balance, however the range issue messes 
> things up.  Currently 4x Beam2 are the same price as 1x Beam4 IIRC.  
> The Beam2 group always has the damage potential at the ranges they can

> shoot (especially at 0-12 MUs where their damage potential is twice 
> the Beam4.  But with twice the range, the Beam4s are much more likely 
> to get some fire in on the Beam2s at times when the Beam2s don't get 
> to fire at all.

Actually, 6 x class 2 batteries = 1 x class 4 battery if they have the 
same fire arcs, because the B2 doesn't come in a 1-arc version, but I 
get your point.

However, for those of us who actually play with scenarios, rather than 
the GW "line up your figs and charge" method, even with a scrolling 
table it is easy for one side to disengage by turning opposite to the 
turn of their opponent and forcing the range to be greater than the size

of the table.  This is even more true as the velocities increase.

In other words, the actual sizes of the table limits the usefulness of 
longer range weapons (a ship armed with class 2s can cover 2/3 the area 
of a 4x6 table).

J