(FP1.6XX) FIRING AT PLASMA TORPEDOES., Recharge on the Fly..
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(FP1.6XX) FIRING AT PLASMA TORPEDOES., Recharge on the Fly..
Simple idea, since rule (FP1.61)DAMAGING PLASMA TORPEDOES: already exists (whereby phasers firing into plasma torpedoes damages said plasma torpedoes) what would the opposite effect be?
allow the plasma races the ability to use phaser fire into a plasma torpedo to effectively strengthen the torpedoes warhead strength by the same level as enemy phaser fire reduces the plasma torpedo damage potential.
For example, lets say that the launching Romulan ship has a choice of firing a phaser into the enemy ship and inflicting (lets just say) 2 points of phaser damage... or he can fire into his own torpedo and extend its range by 1 hex for 2 points of phaser damage potential (effectively recharging the torpedo for 1 added hex of movement).
In many cases, it won't make any material difference... unless the plasma torpedo is near a range bracket on the plasma torpedo table. if the torpedo had moved 10 hexes (say its a type R plasma) and the next hex represents its 11th hex of movement (and assuming the target is in that hex and will not move on the next impulse) by firing a phaser into the torpedo to improve its damage portential by reducing the number of impulses moved level, (for example)... the torpedo would inflict 50 points of damage instead of the normal 35 points of damage due for having moved 11 hexes instead of 10.
Of course... we could just rule that any friendly fire makes the plasma torpedo go immediately innert. 
but it would make the plasma ballet even more challenging and would cause the plasma races to change some attitudes about the combination of phaser fire when plasmas are nearby.
Plasma races would (as is already the case) have to balance what effectiveness firing a phaser would have by targeting the enemy... or if they would gain a material benefit by recharging an already launched plasma torpedo at the cost of a phaser shot.
There is another, even more dangerous option.
allow "freindly fire" to upgrade an already launched plasma torpedo to the next higher type, after it was launched.
lets say were talking a Type G torpedo... and the launching races (lets just call it Gorn). what if 40 points of phaser damage by friendly forces could increase the torpedo to type S status?
Or a type S could be upgraded to type R with 60 points of friendly phaser fire?
IMO such a torpedo could only be increased by such methods 1 level... that would prevent a star base with defending fighters from hiping a type D plasma up to type R by simply unloading a few phaser IVs into it, but I hope you see the point I wanted to illustrate.
Comments?
That's like using your own AA guns to repair friendly bombers' damage from enemy AA guns.
From an engineering perspective, I don't think it would work. The torp is built up over several turns in a special chamber, you aren't just pouring power into it willy-nilly...
But as the base idea for a simulator race, it has potential I think. Perhaps they can only launch F-torps and must upgrade torpedoes by firing phasers into them...
Again, I just hoped that it might cause some debate and discussion...and every once in a while it might motivate some one to propose something that might get published.
There is always the "frankinstein Plasma Torpedo"... any damage from any source just acts as more fuel to feed the sucker until it hits its target. In that case... even enemy phaser fire just gets "digested" by the Fusion plasma torpedo.
the torpedo in that case is undergoing an ongoing Fusion reaction and it metabolises phaser energy, asteroid damage and anything else that falls into the "reaction zone".
Call it the "Nitzche Plasma... that which does not kill it merely makes it stronger!
If you want some kind of merger/strengthening concept, you might consider launched plasma torpedoes merging into a larger class. It might be interesting to see some SC4 ships or PFs, perhaps even plasma fighters, fire some torps that merged into a heavy torp - it would give smaller plasma ships, PFs and fighters a new tactical dimension. There is precedence (admittedly very limited) in terms of shotgunned torps merging back together into the original warhead if a torp is bolted (although the torps can't merge together in seeking mode - extra torps are lost). Perhaps a derivation of shotgunned torps.
I'm not sure this is a good idea, by the way, but I think it a better option than phasers for the reason Dale mentioned. Perhaps propose this for K2 as originally deployed as a way of PFs aggregating firepower.
Marc, in the case of a bolt the torps aren't "merged together". In a bolt, the torpedo(es) are detonated in the tube, and if it's a shotgun or enveloper the excess energy is simply lost (I don't know why engineering-wise, maybe it's a safety feature because the tube can't handle that much energy and some is simply vented).
But I do like your reverse shotgun idea, it could be fun.
Terence, the plasma Fs in a shotgun don't bolt as an F, they bolt as the original torpedo (G, S or R). That's my point on some merger, and excess arming energy for the shotgun is admittedly lost.
It's an intereting idea: a smulator race covered in F-torps. say 5-6 on a cruiser.
2x F join to become a S
3-4x F join to become a R
This hypothetical race would get this flexability at the cost of being unable to envelop or shotgun (F-torps don't do those things) and a moderately higher energy cost (a S-torp would cost 2-2-6 to arm)
Presumably torps would be combined at the moment of launch and at no other time.
Pseudoes would need the ability to combine as well.
The questin would be whether bolts could combine.
John Trauger, that could work.
Better on a new simulator race than an existing one. picture an ISC cruiser with PPDs and the ability to "hype" a plasma torpedo at the same time... not a good vision IMO!
The ISC wouldn't be able to stack its lateral F-torps to launch anything large at a SC4- target because they would still not be able to launch multiple F-torps at such a target, even if the torps are going join to form a single torp moments later. They could surprise a PF with a lateral S-torp however.
I think The roms and gorns would be the big winners if this ability were democratized to existing plasma races. It would give a standard Gorn or Romulan CA the ability to toss off three S-torps (or 4 from a Gorn BCH), giving them more long-range firepower.
This has evolved into a plasma proposal, not a DF weapons one.
Relevant messages have been copied to the plasma topic "Stackable Plasmas"