FT-WotW (Railguns)

From: "Matthew Smith" <matt@smithdom.freeserve.co.uk>

> My personal bias is to just rename K-guns. There's not logic in

> I disagree. I think that just re-naming K-Guns removes some of the

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. FT is a KISS system, and creating
a new weapon mechanic for a failry cosmetic difference adds
unneeded complexity. If you want Human Railguns to be less hard-hitting
than
K-guns, limit humans to K-3 and under. You can make the weapons can
"feel" quite different with a small amount of effort in PSB. The tactics will
_have_ to be different, since Human ships will not have Advanced Drives.

> The main human weapons are beams and (to a

Don't forget Torps.

Adding railguns as a "new" system in _any_ form doesn't change this
problem at all.

One alternative practical and KISS solution is renaming single or dual arc
P-torps as Railguns. Easy mechanic, easy limitations. It's less
versatile than most KV weaponry becuase it's not classed (unless you play with
the
Heavy and Light torps), making up for it a bit by having up to 2-arcs of
fire where K-3's only get 1.
It's less hard hitting because it divides damage evenly b/t hull and
armor instead of penetrating after 1 point, and can't ever score more than 6
points (like K-4+ can).

> -----Original Message-----
[snip]

> Noam

Another easier variant to make human rail guns feel different would be to have
them double on a roll OVER the class level (roll of 6 always doubles). This
would make a bell curve for the weapon and larger class railguns less
effective (but still dangerous) with the best mix in the Class 2-4
range.
Same mass as KV K-Guns. Costing them would be tricky, but an easy way to
lend a different flavor to the same basic principal. PSB: KV gravitic
technology is supperior allowing them to fire the heavier guns with greater
efficiency (i.e. Human railgun projectiles slow as the mass of the projectile
goes up, so the kinetic energy transfer curve flattens). Human
long-range targeting systems are better (cross-bred from Class-3 and 4
beams).

Human Railgun                      K-Gun
Class Average Damage on a Hit Average Damage on a Hit 1 1.83 1.17 2 3.33 2.67
3 4.50 4.50 4 5.33 6.67 5 5.83 9.17 6 7.00 11.00 7 8.17 12.50......

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