Re: [DS] ZADS to ZADFC HR's Part II

At 1:10 PM -0800 12/1/03, Brian B wrote:
>
>
>Good point.  The idea is not to make a non-dedicated
>system, it's to separate the ZADFC from it's weapons
>to allow for different types of weapons to be used as
>ZAD.

Which is a neat idea. It has all sorts of ideas that are valid. The 
power gun based Air Defense or Anti-Lander configurations ala-the 
Posleen books. (what's a She-va gun count as?)

>But your point about elevation remains valid.	So
>here's what I've come up with on the spur of the
>moment Ex Posteriori (Out of my A....):
>
>First I'm basing all of these figures on the
>assumption that a classic ZADS as described in the
>rules is actually a RFAC 2 mated to an ADFC.  So I
>first thought, "OK, multiply the weapon capacity times
>a modifier based on ZADS/RFAC2 Mount."  This came up
>with hellacious numbers and math, as well as a
>Superior ZADFC/Class 5 weapon combo taking up 50
>capacity points.

There's two things that increase your size. Sensor, computer, 
processing, tracking systems and weapons space. Look at the size diff 
between the Basic, enhanced and superior weapons systems, compare 
them to the PIVAD and Gepard. I figure the PIVAD is a Basic and the 
Gepard is enhanced (search and tracking) where as teh PIVAD requires 
help from other units for warning of impending attack. Now granted, 
computers get smaller, antennas get more efficient but then the 
missiles and aircraft get more stealthy and sneaker with their ECM as 
time goes on (and they get faster).

>So then I thought, "OK, so the RFAC is on a special
>mount with more elevation."
>
>Thus I came up with this:
>
>Construction:
>When constructing a ZAD vehicle, you must equip it
>with a main direct fire weapon which will be mated to
>the ZADFC.  This weapon requires a special
>full-traverse turret with increased elevation ability,
>so the main weapon takes up capacity equal to 4x it's
>class as well as one weapon spot.  In addition, the
>ZADFC itself takes up capacity, but no weapon slot.
>Basic = Capacity 2, Enhanced = Capacity 7, Superior =
>Capacity 12.

Charge separate cost/space for the T&E gear and the fire control. 
Make it so you can distribute the fire control from the weapon system 
or put it in a Multi-section vehicle. A dedicated sensor vehicle and 
a dedicated weapon vehicle isn't so far fetched. A meshed/networked 
setup would be better at multiple targets and survival against sensor 
loss.

>Costing WILL be a multiple.  Take the cost of each
>current ZADS, divide by the cost of a RFAC 2 prior to
>modification for mount/FireCon, and these are the new
>cost multipliers for ZADFC's.
>
>This will mean that the system is comparitively bigger
>and more expensive, although the point at which it
>will SEEM "Broken" is when you construct with an
>actual RFAC2.

I also have to wonder about an MDC 5 and it's true utility in downing 
an aircraft. One slug (or however many you fire in a 15 minute 
'turn') doesn't seem so great for downing a fast moving mud mover, no 
matter how good the fire con. There's just too much delay. The idea 
behind the small MDCs is lots of small rounds. As you get bigger, 
rate of fire goes down and it becomes harder to really hurt a target. 
HVCs of medium size (40mm up through 5") work because you're dealing 
with period guns that even today are pretty good at downing an 
aircraft. Burst effect weapons, proximity fuzes and some terminal 
guidance will help. I get the impression that MDCs are more slugs and 
only slugs thrown. Further, that the tank version has limits on what 
kind of rounds it can fire...PSB questions here...

>However, this brings up a construction question for
>multi-mounts -- do the extra mounts take up 2 capacity
>as per normal rules, or 3, or maybe it'll be
>4/3/2/2/2........

I'm not sure as my books are at home, but I seem to recall that the 
extra weapons only take up x2 vs the initial x3 (for turreted) weapon 
for extra mounts (coaxial I believe).

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