From: Glenn M Wilson <triphibious@j...>
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2001 15:23:01 EST
Subject: Needle Beam questions and GBR Space forces
1) I assume that each NB battery requires a FCS for a target system. But... If I have Four Needle Beams and two FCS's and target two NB on Drives and two NB on FCS #1 of the enemy ship how exactly is the result determined.? Do I roll two dice for each battery (2 NB each) and use the results (0, 1, 2 hits)? The reason i ask is that one die has 1/6 chance of a hit but 2 dice (two beams) has a 1/3 chance of ONE hit and three NB's has 1/2 chance of one hit, etc... MT is unclear if they assume one NB per battery/FCS or one die per NB in a battery. All the examples seem to assume one NB is fired at a time. But nothing precludes mounting more. A 4 NB battery under one FCS would either give you one die (0 or 4 hits) or give you four die (with approximately a 2/3 chance of at least 1 hit.) And yes, I have light ships escorting more 'conventional' Beam and MT Missile/SM armed Cruisers/Capital ships that armed with multiple NB: I have some designs for a nation/race where NB armed ships are part of System defense. The intent is to force the enemy to retreat using FTL (No FCS's) or be forced to maintain a constant straight line path (Two hits on engines) allowing the other components of the SD forces (MT missile boats and some Beam armed Boats) to have better chances of hitting the aggressors. Offensively, NB ships could force an enemy fleet to assume paths of more predictable nature allowing SM/MT Missiles to be more useful in destroying the opposition. Along a similar line... I have been working on the Great Bear Republic Space Forces. For those who remember the chaos that was the GBR land force(s) you will be disappointed to know that only the Confederal level of government controls FTL ships but the SD forces (Non-FTL) are shared with the Federal level (but not regional or lower levels of what passes for government in the GBR.) Control of FTL ships goes back to the founding of the GBR under the troika of Larrey Finestein, Morton "Moe" Howe, and "No first name, call me Curley" Smith. They established the baseline force that grew into the GBR Vacuum Force. It's in space or they would have called it an Air Force... Thank God for advisors... The GBR was based on a 'modified' Air Force model because the founders of the GBR got sea sick easily. And they wanted no reminders of a "Space *Navy* " at all. Hence the GBR Vacuum force divides it self into 6 components (you expected less?) 1. The System Defense Force - non-FTL using C1, C2 Beams, MT Missiles, NB's, sub-munitions and ER/SR SMR's as standard weaponry. All ships are either 12 or 24 mass in size. 2. Police/Patrol and AEW functions are provided by the "Patrol" using ships of 24 mass (so far) and carrying either 4 x C1 and (MD 4, screen 1, Armor 2 or MD 6, Screen 1); or Enhanced sensors, Armor 1, Screen 1 and 2 x C1; or Superior Sensors, 2 x C1, Screen 1; other designs pending. 3. (FTL) Strike Boats (Hull mass between 20 and 40, Hull Integrity between weak (number 2) and average (number 3) and equipped NB20w (mass 20, weak integrity) 1 FCS, 3 x NB, armor 1, MD 6 FF (20, average integrity) 1 FCS, 6-arc C2, PDS x 2, NB25w 1 FCS, 3 x NB, MD 8 NB30w 1 FCS, NB x 4, armor 2, PDS x 1, MD 6 NB40w 2 x FCS, 4 x NB, 2 x PDS, MD 8 NB40a 2 x FCS, 4 x NB, 2 x PDS, MD 6 MTM Boat (40 average) 1 FCS, 1 x C1, 4 x MT Missiles, 1 x PDS, MD 6 4. Interceptor class - 7 designs, mass 48 CL, 49 CL, 64 CE, 80 CHB, 80 CH, 80 CHT, and another 80 CHT; sporting Beams, size 1 through 4, PT, most PDS, some Screen. Statistics available... 5. Bombardment Class - Non-CV - 3 designs; 96 BC-T, (* BC-SA, and the (single) DN-M at 200 mass (second hand hull.) Statistics available... 6. Space Fighter Mother Ships - 4 designs: 90 Mass, 5 bay CVE-equivalent designed for merchant convoy escort, 120 mass, 4 bay CVL-equivalent designed for 'escort and patrol', 180 mass, 9 bay second hand CVA-equivalent 'strike force multiplier' and the massive second hand 210 mass, 6 bay armored (16) "Battleline Support" ship, CVH-equivalent. Statistics available... Gracias,