Nice page, I do have one comment about something I doubt would make it by the
Admirals.
Some of these ships have far too much SM capacity for the number of launchers.
12 spaces of SM's with 1 luancher in the Garibaldi is rather extreme. Combats
rarely last long enough to get all 6 launched. It would be a far better design
if you dropped 4 mass of storage and installed other weapons or added a second
launcher.
The Colbert suffers from the same problem. You can't really expect a CE to
survive long enough to launch 3 SM's, although I guess you could have a
standard loadout of 2 ERSM's.
My rule of thumb is Destroyers and smaller have SMR's. Escort Cruisers and
smaller get 2 turns of SM's. BDN's and smaller may have up to 3 turns. SDN's
may have up to 4 turns.
Comments from the other FSE player(s)?
> Some of these ships have far too much SM capacity for the number
I think that this is a case of the SSD being correct and the description being
based on MASS. None of the designs have more than 4 mag spaces per launcher on
the SSDs. Three would be my top number, however.
> The Colbert suffers from the same problem. You can't really expect
Smaller ships should have no more than 2 per launcher, unless they are to have
a dedicated role of lobbing SMLs from behind the main battle line, but that
would be a waste of points.
> My rule of thumb is Destroyers and smaller have SMR's.
I still say 3 max. Two reasons: 1) you have to concentrate SML fire, and if
your escorts have run out of ammo, the extra 1-2 shots left on your SDN
won't do you as much good; 2) you need to have other weapons, otherwise you'll
have no teeth to fend ships off when you run away after expending all your
SMLs, or you'll have nothing else to shoot with if you have an
opponent with massive anti-missile defences.
> owner-gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU at internet 10/07 9:40 AM >>>
Two missile launchers and two magazines would give the ship more combat punch
as well as protect it from losing its missile capability with just one hit.
The larger capacity magazines seems more practical for strategic games or
campaigns.
Mike
On 7-Oct-99 at 13:40, Michael T Miserendino (MTMiserendino@lnc.com)
wrote:
> >>> owner-gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU at internet 10/07 9:40 AM >>>
> launchers. 12 spaces of SM's with 1 luancher in the >Garibaldi is
Well, speaking from experience from the campaign I am in, you don't put excess
SM capacity in your ships, you have a supply train for that.
I just lost a world because I started the campaign without supply ships. I had
enough forces to hold my opponent, but down 4 fighter squadrons and no SM's,
with my SDN needing 9 and my missile cruiser needing 10, I was left with no
choice but to withdraw. The sad thing is I'm going in next turn to take it
back full up, however, I will only have 7 replacements SM's and no fighters,
so I may not be able to hold it once I take it. I can't afford to let him get
the production points.:(
> Roger Books wrote:
> Nice page, I do have one comment about something I doubt would
Two important points here:
1) SM-ER.
2) The Garibaldies were built during the initial years of the 1st Solar
War, so were most likely designed even earlier - large warships don't
build that fast... This means that: * The missiles (and other weapons as well)
used back then were most likely *considerably* less effective than the ones
used in 2183, so SML engagements could well have been proportionally longer. *
There had been very little space combat of any kind when the Garibaldies were
designed. Early designs using untested weapons tend to
be less than optimal - witness late 19th century ironclads, for example
:-/
I think the Garibaldi class is quite believable. Not what a player who
knows his weapon systems well would have built, but what a real-world
military designer using untested gadgets could build.
Regards,
> Nice page, I do have one comment about something I doubt would
Thanks and comments are always welcome.
> Some of these ships have far too much SM capacity for the number
Sure that is an option, but I created the Garibaldi and Chirac as I did to try
and show their age. Making old and outdated designs in FT can be difficult
since there are no tech level variations, a new system masses the same as an
old. So to make a class outdated and worth replacing, I varied the weapons
load by reducing the Class 3 bats and increasing the class 2's and 1's. On the
SMLs, I reduced the number of lauchers to make them less useful. I can
rationalize it saying at the time the class was created there were few ships
of BDN or SDN size so they ruled the stars and they always survived to the end
using all of their shots. They were design choices I made and they are not
muchkin ships (if you want an old ship in your fleet, sure take it, but it has
limitations). Also you could say that current FSE policy is to use ER loads on
these ships. I do want opinions though, if the designs after being explained
are still unuseable, I'll update them.
> The Colbert suffers from the same problem. You can't really expect
I had already increased their beam armament by a class 2 so I thougt another
would be too much. The size 6 mag does give more options for loadouts than
anything smaller, 3 regular, 2 ER, or 1 reg and 1 ER.
> Comments from the other FSE player(s)?
I know there are some other FSE players out there, are the mags too big for
old ships?
Next up are the NSL. Mostly beam weapons so they have their own issues. Any
NSL players have some thoughts on what older NSL ships are like before I get
my versions up?
Dean said:
> I know there are some other FSE players out there, are the
Any magazine is too many. You maintain a continuous fire by launching (for
example) six SMR's from ship A, then from ship B, then C, etc., not by
launching 2 each turn from each
ship--the latter only produces more casualties to your own
side. Not that any fear of casualties will prevent the glorious Islamic
Federation Navy from inflicting tremendous defeats on the vile infidels!
Allahu akhbar!
> owner-gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU at internet 10/07 12:45 PM >>>
True if you have supply ships that can reach them in time. From my experience,
too small a supply leads to reloads after every tactical engagement. I found
it difficult to keep supply ships very close to front line combatants without
losing them.
You do need suuply ships, but some designs call for independent operation for
extended periods of time between resupply.
Mike