ECM and FT

I really would like ECM and sensors to play a more active part in the
Tactics of FT/MT. It would be great to relly NEED an ELINT ship to
help Jam and Burn through jamming. Just a thought....

> Mike Wiken wrote:

I would too but I have a bad taste in my mouth from SFB and their ECM.

I like the idea presented by Mikko a while ago about just having ECM add to
the 'range' to target. Additional uses were added for the current systems from
MT. Sensors could the counter the effects of ECM. His thoughts were:

> extend weapon ranges based on sensor power:

My thoughts are a target ship with ECM would be targeted at 133% actual

range and ships covered by area ECM, it would be 125% actual range, to throw
out some quick ideas, maybe change them to 150% and 133%. Also ship ECM would
cause missiles to miss their final attack on a 5 or 6, area ECM on a 6.

Sensors can burn through ECM, it may take a few turns. A total of 6 is

 needed each turn a d6 is rolled.  Basic has a modifier of -2 (minimum
 value of 1), Enhanced -1 and Superior no modifier.  All rolls are
cumulative.

 If Basic sensors, first turn rolls a 5 (-2 modified to 3), target at
ECM
 range.  Next turn, a 2 is rolled (-2 modified to 1, total is 4), still
at
 ECM range. Third turn, a 3 is rolled (-2 modified to a 1 total is 5),
 still at ECM range.  Fourth turn a 1 is rolled (-2 modified to a 1
total is now 6) target at actual range.

The ECM could be turned off or a couple turns and them turned back on and the
whole thing would start over.

These thoughts that have been bouncing in my head for the last couple of days.
I'm glad the thread moved to a subject where they fit in.

What do the rest of you think?

> Dean Gundberg wrote:
<snipe> good ideas
> The ECM could be turned off or a couple turns and them turned back on

I think once a given ship has burned through the ECM as long as it continues
to target the same ship turning off and on the ECM should have not effect.

Now if the targeted ship has two ECM generators and switches between the two
systems the number to burn through should be modified (doubled?). This assumes
that the two systems use different jamming technics.

These rules would definitely change the firing solutions and would cause ship
and fleet designs to alter but definitely in the right direction.

> Jim Bell wrote:

> Dean Gundberg wrote:

> I think once a given ship has burned through the ECM as long as it

> Now if the targeted ship has two ECM generators and switches between

My intention was that when the ECM was turned back on, a whole new set of ECM
routines would be in use, and thus the sensors would have to start from
scratch to burn though. I thought that if ECM had this ability, there had to
be the negative side where for a couple of turns, they would have no ECM
benefit. I seem to remember something similar on the Honor

Harrington series. It may or may not be 'realistic' but I thought it was
 an interesting idea ;-)

In a message dated 97-05-13 13:40:33 EDT, you write:

<<
I really would like ECM and sensors to play a more active part in the
 Tactics of FT/MT. It would be great to relly NEED an ELINT ship to
help Jam and Burn through jamming. Just a thought.... >>

I think that ECM and AECM are necesssity for fleet protection. It hoses your
opponent if he cant find the choice ship to remove. Brian