inspired by the Gorn Carronade discussion in the Tournament TC topic, and the realization tourney Feds are boring in the same ways as the Gorns are boring. While in general play the Federation has tons more tactical options, with drones, fighters, massed proximity photon attacks and the like, a carronade rule would, I think, not be unbalancing (as it would be preferable to use std. photon tactics in almost every fleet situation) while giving single Fed ships a slight optional edge against cloaks and seeking weapons

PHOTON CARRONADE.

Introduction date: 1 year after the Gorn Carronade. Only available to Federation ships, no other photon users (Tholian/Orion/WYN etc.) have the technology for the photon carronade.

In every way a plasma carronade would help the Gorn in the tournament environment, a photon carronade would help the Fed. All the drawbacks of a carronade make it a wash as far as BPV cost, so it could be added as is. Like the Gorn, the Fed suffers from having only two weapon systems and being fairly unidimensional.

Working from the synopsis of carronade rules, here's a stab at draft rules for such a beast:

-You can choose to shoot a loaded or loading photon torp as a carronade. Maximum range 5 hexes. Can fire at 0. No feedback. Same arcs.

-When you fire the photon carronade, you roll a die and do the following damage for the first 2 points of warhead energy in the tube:

1. 5
2. 5
3. 5
4. 5
5. 4
6. 4
7+. 3 (due to EW)

You always use true range for damage, and always use that chart (i.e. you do the same damage at 0 as you do at 5). If there is more warhead power in the launcher than the first 2 points, you do +1 damage per each extra 2 points, rounding down (so a standard 2 point load on t1 uses the chart above, while a full overload on t2 does a maximum of 8 points if carronaded; a fractional load of 2+3.5 would count as 2+2 (=base+1 damage), the extra 1.5 of warhead charging energy lost).

-No -2 shift vs seeking weapons. Uses true range vs Cloak (but still rolls on cloak chart).

By Scott Tenhoff (Scottt) on Tuesday, July 12, 2005 - 03:59 pm: Edit

Besides the fact that the Federation already has the Plasma Carronade for their Plasma-armed ships (BCF, DDL, FFL, etc).

I really don't see the disadvantage of firing your photons every turn for 4-5 damage if your within 5 and autohitting with it.

Comparing the Feds to the Gorns with Carronades, the Fed's shotgunning 4 at the same time, verse the Gorns shooting 2 only if centerlined makes this vastly different between the two races.

The Fed TC could do 16-20 each turn with FA Carronades, the Gorn can only do 4-5 (8-10 if centerlined).

By Piotr Orbis Proszynski (Orbis) on Tuesday, July 12, 2005 - 04:16 pm: Edit

I'm sure this idea has huge holes -- please be like Scott and point out the obvious problems! I suffer from tournament TCC myopia combined with being at work with no rule books

The arc problem Scott points out is already an obvious hole I missed. D'oh! What if no more than 2 of these could be fired in one turn? Or no more than 1 every 8 impulses?

By Scott Tenhoff (Scottt) on Tuesday, July 12, 2005 - 04:40 pm: Edit

Dude, just champion swapping out the Fed TC (and the years of development on that) to a Fed NCA and NAL.

NCA=4Photon, 8P1, 2P3, 2DroneG
NAL=2Photon, 8P1, 2P3, 2DroneG, 2PlasF+Carronades

By Les LeBlanc (Lessss) on Tuesday, July 12, 2005 - 05:39 pm: Edit

WEll the solution is obvious.. if the fed wants carronade give it to them, just replace 2 of the 4 photons with F torps!
It gives the Fed Phot padding damage, it reduces the appease the dice gods to win problem, adds the more flavour you are looking for, reduces it's "easy wins against Andro and Orion" problem.

By John Erwin Hacker (Godzillaking) on Saturday, July 23, 2005 - 04:43 pm: Edit

Hi there:

I THOUGHT THE CARRONADE TECHNOLOGY WAS A GORN ONLY SYSTEM. I think someone at ADB should look at this so the technology isn't watered down and that everybody has it.

Why don't the people who want everybody else's technology try to come up with something unique instead of trying to COPY OTHER RACES TECHNOLOGIES.

If people want standardization, GO AND PLAY WARHAMMER GAMES OR THE LIKE. Starfleet Battles has stood the test of time to the point where other game companies have dumbified there games to the point where a 7 year old could play them. Starfleet Battles is a TRUE BOARD GAME in the sense that it challenges your brain to think, not just to move pieces on a tabletop and measure the pieces with a ruler.

I have stayed silent on this far to long, It is due time that someone stand up and support Starfleet Battles for what it truly is, A THINKING PERSONS GAME.

Until next time from GHDAR PRIME, "THE GODZILLAKING".

By William Curtis Soder (Ghyuka) on Saturday, July 23, 2005 - 05:03 pm: Edit

John,
Although I agree with you about each race retaining it's racial flavor, the Carronade is hardly a Gorn-only system. The Federation, Orion and Wyn also eventually get it. Yeah, the Feds ain't got too many ships which use Pl-Fs but I've seen an Orion Battle Raider make far more effective use of the Carronade than any Gorn.

By John Erwin Hacker (Godzillaking) on Saturday, July 23, 2005 - 06:34 pm: Edit

William Curtis Soder:

I should have been more specific in my last post so here it goes............

The Carronade system should stay with the Gorns and their allies only. The system should NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES be allowed to fall into enemy hands. There should be a frequency that only the people in the know should have. The watering down of technologies should NEVER BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN. The worst possible example that I can think of within the framework of the rules is the DERFACS system. It got legs like a roadrunner and made it's way into virtually ever races inventory by the end of the general war.

With the Gorns' notorious penchant for Plasma Technology I am suprised they didn't come up with something better by the end of the general war or possibly into the X-tech era, oh well I am a long standing player of the game (since 1979) so I will play with whatever is dished out to us.

Just clarifying my point from my previous post.

Until next time from GHDAR PRIME..............

"THE GODZILLAKING".

By William Curtis Soder (Ghyuka) on Saturday, July 23, 2005 - 07:24 pm: Edit

John:
Don't sweat it. I was just making sure you understood the wider scope of the carronade users.

As for this proposal. No sir, I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all. This will not open up any new tactics with the Federation at all (IMO). You will simply close with overloads. Hit, it's pretty much game over. Miss and you can then pound the snot out of them at close range.

The Photon Carronade has a far better damage average than a normal photon, better rate of fire and better chance to hit.