Ok, I know Ãrjan disagrees, but here's my take.
CM-scale SUCKS!
Check out
http://www.swob.dna.fi/mini/photo/ft-cm-2.jpg
Note that some of the miniatures are placed on top of each other... and the
rest of the table is empty.
Ok, it can work, but IMHO the deciding factor is base size. Yeah, FT doesn't
really use base size, but in practice the standard flying stand is
about an inch across -- and some varieties are even larger (the Geo-Hex
one included? I only have one of those...) OTOH the smallest short range is 6
MU. Some things MUST come within this distance and a lot of things WANT TO.
1" out of 6" is not too much, but 1" out of 6cm is.
If you use cm-scale, avoid miniatures that don't fit on the base *at*
*all* *costs*, and never use larger than standard bases. Better yet, make
smaller bases and only use the very smallest of miniatures (fighters, scouts
etc.)
Cm-scale also increases the "fiddlyness" of the game -- a small knock on
the mini or slight measuring error can be more easily significant.
OTOH, it does give you more space for those high speed flybys...
> CM-scale SUCKS!
Many of these complaints could be remedied by adopting a 1 MU = 2 cm scale.
Granted that it's not THAT much extra space, but it makes metric users happy.
On Wed, 3 May 2000 04:52:06 -0700 Sean Bayan Schoonmaker
> <schoon@aimnet.com> wrote:
> >CM-scale SUCKS!
Well 2 cm is only 5mm off of one inch anyway.
I missed the point to this arguement. Why do people want cm? Was is because
the world has supposed to have gone Metric by now:)
> Sean Bayan Schoonmaker wrote:
> >CM-scale SUCKS!
I've been experimenting with various metric scales. I use a specially designed
ruler with markings at exactly 2.54cm. This seems to work the best.
-Mike
On 3-May-00 at 08:32, Jeremey Claridge (jeremy.claridge@kcl.ac.uk)
wrote:
> On Wed, 3 May 2000 04:52:06 -0700 Sean Bayan Schoonmaker
Speed, speed, and more speed. If you are not playing on an artificially
restricted surface 30 seems to be about the lowest speed for thrust 4 ships
(cinematic, haven't tried vector yet).
> Speed, speed, and more speed. If you are not playing on an
Played with an FSE fleet doing between 24 to 48 inches a turn for an entire
game. I've never tried centimeter scale and have no desire to do. This high
speed game was interesting, but I don't recommend it for anything but an
experiment. While FSE ships can manuever better do to their higher thrust (on
average), SLM's are inxceedingly difficult to use in high speed games even if
the opposing force moves at just 18 to 24 inches a turn. The game I played
lasted 22 turns; the longest Full Thrust game I've ever played in turns (but
not time). A lot of maneuvering on my part to avoid getting in his medium to
short range (24" and less) frontal arc. The game ended after I had the
horrible choice of watching half my fleet hit a planet, or turning into his
frontal arc. I turned in, but still one of my CA's came within 1/8" of
hitting a planet... My fleet was pound and the missile barrage the next turn
was less then ideal. SLM's don't work well at high speeds. The game didn't
last much longer after that...
> On 3-May-00 at 11:25, Imre A. Szabo (ias@sprintmail.com) wrote:
This
> high speed game was interesting, but I don't recommend it for
Remember this in the next debate on how SMs are too powerful. Just by moving
higher speed the SMs are dropped way down, at least in cinematic.
I still feel the speeds are very artificially limited on a normal table
playing in inches.
> SLM's don't work well at high
You just have to use them differently. Don't use them as an openning punch,
use them to finish off ships which are still combat affective
but down drive power. Use them when you know your opponent _must_
go places. Keep a few in reserve to keep your opponent guessing so
he has to go in non-optimal places for fear your SMs will be waiting
for him.
> You just have to use them differently. Don't use them as an openning
The problem here is that within an FSE fleet your primary weapons are SM's and
you can't compete within class two weapons range with unless you get behind
them (ie. you are following them in their aft 180). This is hard to due and
why that game I played took 22 turns. The problem with putting salvo where
your opponents must go is that you have to be within SM range to do. At high
speeds this is not easy to do while avoiding the the frontal arc of enemy
ships. (Note I was fighting ESU. Against lower thrust NSL ships it should be
easier.)
> On 3-May-00 at 13:35, Imre A. Szabo (ias@sprintmail.com) wrote:
I don't know, from the game I played against NAC recently I was able to
compete well in the range of class IIs. It was in the Class III range brackets
that I was hurting.
Imre, using FSE ships, describes his losing battle:
> (Note I was
Hence why the Frenchies (and Spaniards, Italians, etc) more often than
not *ally* with the ESU? :-)
Mk
G'day Roger,
> Speed, speed, and more speed. If you are not playing on an
Under 'old' vector I felt comfortable at speeds abut 4-6x thrust, under
'new' vector its more like 2-3x, that may increase marginally as I
become more familiar with it.
Cheers
Beth