re-FT, wave guns & needle beams

6 posts ยท Jan 4 2001 to Jan 6 2001

From: Bif Smith <bif@b...>

Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 22:05:50 -0000

Subject: re-FT, wave guns & needle beams

> Wave Gun? Like the FT Nova Gun appears to be - a table sweeper ?

> Gracias, Glenn/Triphibious

Not quite. The wave gun WAS a ship killer for use in "generic" games
(i.e.-not in normal FT), but with the greater hull and weaker sheilds
(you have to remember that it ignores sheilds) in the FB rules, it`s dammage
hasn`t changed, making it less effective than before (ps-introduced in
MT).
The nova cannon was only useful due to the greater dammage potential. Due to
requiring a turn to travel each range band, and getting easier to avoid as the
range increases, I have only once hit a moving, full drive thrust ship with
this gun (the target in question miss wrote his orders, and flew straight into
it. AND it was a foch BDN!!! Unfortunately, he survived (bad die rolls) and
wiped my mobile cannon out).

Shaddows beam weapon?- No, I dislike this. For shaddows, try a BB/BC
sized SV ship with 1 gun, light hull, plenty of power generators, drone womb
and a CLOAKING device (say, 5% total mass, mass x4 for cost, requires power
points
equal to cost to cloak/decloak, + 2 power point per turn it intends to
remain cloaked (must be decided and the power points paid for when cloaking).
Also, due to the suprise effect of it decloaking, is allowed to fire first).

Also, a question for Chris DeBoe, how effective are needle beams when
mounted on large ships (ie-capitols), compaired to when mounted on light
ships (ie-escorts, frigates etc?). I`m asking because A-you seem to be
flyimg more needle beam equipt ship than most, and B- I`m trying to
figure out a balance for the needle beam SD`s for the bugs (a longer ranged,
more damage to hull at closer range, multipul arcs, and maybe a random system
for which system to knock out at longer range due to less accuracy (thinking
roll D6, 1-2=offensive weapon/ammo, 3-4=defensive system(fire con,
sheild,
pds), 5-6=ship systems (adfcon, drive, ftl drive, cloaking device (if
used) etc, then either attacker decides which is hit, or roll another D6 and
asine a number for each weapon. If the ship has more than 6 posible targets,
roll more than 1D6, and asine numbers until you run out of targets. Any
numbers left over are rerolls until you hit something).

From: Laserlight <laserlight@q...>

Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 18:33:57 -0500

Subject: Re: re-FT, wave guns & needle beams

BIF asked
> Also, a question for Chris DeBoe, how effective are needle beams when

Dunno, never tried it. I put needles on ash Shaulahs because they're cheap,
fast, and can overwhelm a target's PDS/FCS.  If I lose 5 of them but the
other 5 kill my opponent's BDN main drive, then it was cost effective for me
(and the SMR will be along in a few minutes).

My capitals are intended to stay at 18-36" range, so I wouldn't mount a
needle on them.

If needles had extra arcs it would be more tempting to build a CH or so with
main drive 6, 3 FCS, half a dozen needles and maybe some PTorp.   But I
still wouldn't, because knife-fighting isn't my preference.

In one of my recent battles I had 5 stings boats equipped with needles. None
of them got close enough to fire. Now the enemy decided to let me
chase him instead of turning to fight--was that because of the sting
ships? Maybe, maybe not. If so, they certainly helped me win, but it wasn't

From: Indy Kochte <kochte@s...>

Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 18:43:32 -0500 (EST)

Subject: Re: re-FT, wave guns & needle beams

> On Thu, 4 Jan 2001, bif smith wrote:

> Shaddows beam weapon?- No, I dislike this. For shaddows, try a BB/BC

General Query: why a cloaking system on the Shadow vessels? (others have
proposed this before; I just never got around to asking about it) They didn't
have this technology in the show (the 'suddenly
appearing out of nowhere' bit was their method of going into/out of
hyperspace - in other words, FTL, but not a cloak).

From: Charles Taylor <charles.taylor@c...>

Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2001 19:15:19 GMT

Subject: Re: re-FT, wave guns & needle beams

In message <Pine.GSO.4.21.0101041837340.9090-100000@poppc.stsci.edu>
> "Mark 'Indy' Kochte" <kochte@stsci.edu> wrote:

> On Thu, 4 Jan 2001, bif smith wrote:

Well, I guess because the Shadow's 'hyperspace phase in/out' _looks_
like a cloaking effect :-)

If you want to add game effects for this, I'd give the Shadows an
'advanced FTL drive' that allows more accurate positioning when FTL-ing
into battle, but without the damaging effects of a normal B5 jump point.
They _may_ be allowed to FTL out of battle to escape without any of the
normal complications. 'In the Beginning' established that the Mimbari could be
pretty accurate when dropping out of hyperspace as well, and as they used a
'standard' jump point, the effects could be pretty devastating.

All IMHO, of course,

From: Indy Kochte <kochte@s...>

Date: Fri, 05 Jan 2001 14:30:32 -0500

Subject: Re: re-FT, wave guns & needle beams

> Charles Stanley Taylor wrote:

> Well, I guess because the Shadow's 'hyperspace phase in/out' _looks_

Agreed.

Also, given "The Long Twilight Stuggle", the Shadows, and other Advanced
Races, should have access to an FTL destabilizer ('course this is another
"over the top" weapon as it successfully crushes the ship entering the jump
point if it hits)

> 'In the Beginning' established that the Mimbari could be pretty

Aye, I agree. Pinpoint FTL transitions rule.  :-)

From: Charles Taylor <charles.taylor@c...>

Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2001 14:09:33 GMT

Subject: Re: re-FT, wave guns & needle beams

In message <3A5620D8.C61CDAE0@stsci.edu>
> Indy <kochte@stsci.edu> wrote:

> Charles Stanley Taylor wrote:

I did stat up something like this as a Sa'Vasku pod munition sometime
last year - it'll be in the archives somewhere - it didn't
_automatically_ kill ships attempting to jump out though - unlike the
Shadow version.
> > 'In the Beginning' established that the Mimbari could be pretty