SV: Pulse Torpedoes vs. Submunition Packs

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> Från: Jonathan Davis <davis@albany.net>

This analysis forgets that the SubPack is one-shot while the PT isn't;
this always indicates the SubPack as a much more powerful weapon than it is.
Compare 2 SubPacks with a single-arc B battery (vs no shields), for
instance:

                            0-6"    6-12"   12-18"  18-24"
2*SubPack	    4.00    2.67     1.33    0.00
B battery:	       1.33    1.33	0.66	0.66

The B battery costs 5 points, the SubPacks cost 2. "Clearly", the SubPack is
much stronger than the B, no? Why then bother with beams at all?
Especially since they aren't affected by shields :-) OK, in the FT2
design rules the B battery can have up to 3 arcs, but it seems likely that
multi-arc batteries will pay a mass penalty in FT3 (and I've played with
such penalties for a long time now).

Of course, a DD isn't always that likely to survive to shoot more than
once. On bigger ships (strike cruisers :-), the PT is more likely to
shoot multiple times, which increases the value.

Still, it _is_ weak even when compared to beams. The damage per mass
point caused by it (and B batteries, which have the same range) are:

                                   0-6"    6-12"   12-18"  18-24"

B batt. vs no shield	  0.66	  0.66	    0.33    0.33
B batt. vs 1 shield	   0.50    0.50      0.25    0.25
B batt. vs 2 shields	  0.33	  0.33	    0.17    0.17
B batt. vs 3 shields	  0.17	  0.17	    0.08    0.08
Pulse Torp (mass 5) 0.46 0.35 0.23 0.12 Pulse Torp (mass 4) 0.58 0.43 0.29
0.14

The original (mass 5) pulse torp is less effective than two single-arc B
batteries against any target with a single or no shields, and a little bit
more effective against heavily shielded targets - much more, in the case
of shield level 3. By reducing the mass to 4, the PT gets better against most
shielded targets (except shield level 1 at ranges 6-12" and 18-24"), but
it
is still worse than the B batteries against unshielded targets - and, of
course, it can only be mounted to fire forward. As with the A batteries, I
think a mass 4 weapon is better balanced.

Later,

2 things...

1) Isn't this getting a little bit like Star Fleet Battles...?

2) Oerjan...What exactly are you trying to get out of the sewers any
way!!!??

All in good fun....hehe Scylla

> Oerjan Ohlson wrote:

> ----------

Personally, I find pulse torpedo's more enjoyable to use than scatter packs.
Pulse torps involve some skill to get within range and to get into a good
firing position while scatter packs only require a thrust 8 ship to come
screaming down the battlefield and fire off its packs. How exciting. I though
Full Thrust was about tactics and using a bit of thought rather than I've got
more scatter packs than you have so I win, then again I've got the latest
White Dwarf and they say......

[quoted original message omitted]

> Personally, I find pulse torpedo's more enjoyable to use than scatter

Heh.

Well, I can't say I've ever really complained about scatterpacks (mainly
'cause I rarely, if ever, use 'em;), but a number of people here know
(either from word-of-mouth or sitting across the table watching me roll)
that I have lousy luck with pulse torps. I was testing out a couple of
fleet designs earlier today, one of them pulse-torp-armed (1 torp/ship).
Of the 4 ships which got to fire their torps 9 times all total, only *1* hit;
even the couple ships that got to less than 6" missed. I hit with
B-batts more often than not.

Maybe it's my dice, and they know when I'm firing pulse torps. *shrug* All I
know is that, tactics not withstanding, I have a hideous time
hitting with p-torps.  :-/

(oh dude, trim your included replies a bit; there was a *heck* of a lot
of included stuff - and what was that attachment thing?)

Mk