Ideas: Maybe one race can get 1 or 2 from this list while another race gets a different item:

Disruptor capacitor: works the same as a phaser cap. After all, a disruptor is just an energy discharge.

UIM w/o burnout

360 arcs?

By Mike Raper (Raperm) on Saturday, December 21, 2002 - 01:17 am: Edit

Agree with all but 360 arc.

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Saturday, December 21, 2002 - 02:33 am: Edit

yeah, 360-degree photons sound cool but would suck.

double-overloads is a possibility also, say requiring the ship revert to 4 disruptors than the current 6.

For disrutor caps, I'd like to see a 1 point hold cost than holding for free. Also overloads don't hold.

By Kenneth Jones (Kludge) on Saturday, December 21, 2002 - 09:46 pm: Edit

I agree with John.

Other than the WC amd ESG no capacitor will hold for free. Give the X2 Disruptor the same holding cost as the Hydrans Fusion Beams.

360 arcs need to be limited to Phasers and Drones. On ships. SB's can have them but they would be impractical anywhere else. (Except on a Turrent.)

By Mike Raper (Raperm) on Saturday, December 21, 2002 - 09:58 pm: Edit

I'd steer clear of the double overloads, and stay with a larger number of disruptors, personally. The capacitor should hold 2 points per disruptor; enough to power them all for one standard shot, same as a phaser capacitor.

By Jeff Tonglet (Blackbeard) on Saturday, December 21, 2002 - 10:03 pm: Edit

Another idea - 2 shots a turn, but an 8 impulse delay between shots, both can be overloaded.

The reason I'm proposing this is because the Fed's X1 photon is a one-turn weapon in all respects. The only limitation is that a one-turn photon can have no more than a 12 point warhead.

To keep racial flavor, the Klink would have to be given a faster disruptor.

By Mike Raper (Raperm) on Saturday, December 21, 2002 - 10:08 pm: Edit

Well, the Klingons got around that problem not by firing more often, but by mounting more disruptors. The KX has six disruptors, firing each round. The Fed CCX still has only four photons, but can fire them each round if it can afford to. IMHO, a disruptor that can fire twice per turn is going to be an uber-weapon.

I do like the idea, though, of 2X disruptors having UIM with no burnout. That sort of offsets the Fed fast load advantage, in my book.

By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Sunday, December 22, 2002 - 12:55 am: Edit

I can see the Klingons learning some tricks from the Selts. They were friendly (until the Klingons nuked them) and share a bunch of tech. The Klingon Disruptor should look significantly like the PC. For racial flavor I'd prefer if only the Klingon and Tholians field this disruptor type.

By Donovan A Willett (Ravenhull) on Sunday, December 22, 2002 - 08:31 am: Edit

How about this: Heavy Disruptors

Would cost about 4 to arm and do about 75% more damage than standard models, but would have an overload range out to 10 or 12. X2 might be a chance to play a bit with the classic overload ranges and I don't think that this would be too unbanlancing as that even heavy disruptors aren't crunch weapons.

I was maybe thinking general deployment for the Klingons, but partial use by teh Lyrans and or Kzinti.

By Jim Davies (Mudfoot) on Sunday, December 22, 2002 - 12:23 pm: Edit

Should be different for each race:

Klingons: SuperUIM and capacitors (hold standards for 1)

Tholians: Rapid-fire (Particle Cannon tech: 2 shots per turn, 12 imp delay) and capacitors (hold standards for 1)

Lyrans: SuperCapacitors (ESG tech: hold standards for 0, overloads for 1)

Kzinti: Capacitors (hold standards for 1). Swordfish drone with disruptor? Not sure about this one.

Wyn, Orion, etc: Capacitors (hold standards for 1)

I can see the value of the Klinks getting the rapid fire PC, but the Tholians are IMHO more likely.

There is some case for a heavy disruptor, but this depends on the (as-yet-undefined) defences of the target. Any sort of VRF requires a crunchy weapon.

By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Sunday, December 22, 2002 - 07:46 pm: Edit

Is there any harm in eliminating altogether the overload range limitation?

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Sunday, December 22, 2002 - 08:31 pm: Edit

Yes.

At that point the "standard" mode becomes "low-power" mode and "overload" becomes the new "standard."

Then you'll need a new "overload."

By Jeff Tonglet (Blackbeard) on Sunday, December 22, 2002 - 11:27 pm: Edit

Would you really need a new overload setting?

The disruptor cannon wasn't allowed to have an overload. Maybe the single overload is the most a single disruptor can have.

By David Slatter (Davidas) on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 06:29 am: Edit

Why not extend DSR overload to R12?

By Kenneth Jones (Kludge) on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 08:42 am: Edit

David

I would prefer to make the OL range increase only 25% instead of the 50% that range 12 would cause. Also a R10 OL. would enable a canny 1X or GW player/ship to get a R8 OL shot in a number of circumstances. While a OL R12 would make a return OL shot nearly impossible except in very rare circumstances. Making R10 much more practical and balanced IMO.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Monday, December 23, 2002 - 11:52 am: Edit

From the Fictional point of view, I can see the need that scientist/engineers are trying to match is the Plasma Glory Zone, which is Ten. I'm sure it would be desirable to extend it further but that would be the first goal.

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Friday, December 27, 2002 - 06:18 pm: Edit

So what variation on the disruptor theme can we think up?

Given the "Disruptor/drone *again*? I had that for lunch" syndrome, how can we hand each race something unique?

Items I can put on the table:

Multishot disruptors (from P-1 topic): An OL disruptor can be fired twice a round as two standards as long as there is an 8-implse lag between firings and between the last firing and the next round's firing. This was suggested as a natural for the Tholians.

Heavy Disruptors. Instead of 6 weapons on a CA these guys run 4. 3 points to arm, disr damage x 1.5, OL for +3. The Klinks might like this.

Double-overloaded disruptors: possible double-overload for double OL cost. They Lyrans with their extra ESG power might like this.

The disruptor capacitor: Allows non-OL disruptors to be held for 1 pt of power.

UIM/DEFRACS-integrated disrutors. The UIM and DERFACS systems are now so reliable that they are a permanent part of the disruptor. There is no UIM or DERFACE checkbox to H&R anymore. Disrutors just have that stuff incorporated in their basic design.

Mix and match 2 or 3 of these to make the uber-ruptor of your dreams. All of these ideas together would be too, too much.

By Mike Raper (Raperm) on Friday, December 27, 2002 - 08:36 pm: Edit

I like most of these, as long as we're very careful not to extend overload range past 10. A heavy disruptor that can fire overloads to range 12 isn't something I want to see. I like the idea of the multi-shot disruptor, and the heavy. I also like the capacitor idea. Not sure about the double-overloads...that was in the original 2X, and seemed to be a problem.

Another thing we can add is improved UIM or DERFACS. Like UIM that doesn't burn out but that can still be destroyed, that sort of thing.

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Friday, December 27, 2002 - 11:42 pm: Edit

Now here's an idea.

Increase the Overload Range to R12...Photons can get R10.

Then invent the HYPERLOAD.
10 points of power to arm. ( maybe only 6 depending on other factors like number of disuptors and total power, and any sweetspot/throughput increases of other weapons, number of 3x/5x batteries, etc. ).
Double Overload Damage ( automatic UIM Burnout...too much ampage. )
Maxium range of 8.

This way you get to choose.
Go inside the Feds overload Range for massive damge OR dance just outside.

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Saturday, December 28, 2002 - 02:35 am: Edit

I think you may understimate the advantage of OL range 12.

All overload ranges go to 10 or 12...and I think most of us (me included) think 12 is too much.

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Saturday, December 28, 2002 - 03:01 am: Edit

A lot of the R12 debate will be dependant on the Speed of ships.

If ships go at speed 40, it'll be very easy for an X2-ship to jump from X10 to R7 and get caught be overloads of the enemy.

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Saturday, December 28, 2002 - 12:16 pm: Edit

If the X2 captain's dumb enough to go straight ahead twice when he takes both of his moves after seeing the X1 or GW move, he either deserves what he gets or it means he's not being dumb and is willing to brave the enemy's OLs in order to better inflict his own.

If we allow a X2 to exceed speed 31, it gives the X2 an unbreakable advantage in always seeing what the non-X2 does first.

Given that, Range-10 is plenty, maybe even too much.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Saturday, December 28, 2002 - 12:39 pm: Edit

R10 OL is a huge advantage over R8 OL. You fire first and take out some of the enemies weapons. You could do this with a weak #1 shield then have time to turn a strong #2 or #6 shield. If you move the OL to 12 then you can out perform the Plasma Glory Zone and the Plasma races would be in big trouble. So then what, extend the glory zone to accomodate R12 OL?

R10 causes the least problems except for keeping OL at 8.

By Mike Raper (Raperm) on Saturday, December 28, 2002 - 12:51 pm: Edit

The biggest gripe with making a range 10 overload is that it requires re-building the charts for the disruptor. Right now, it's a nice breat between range 8 and range 9. To make it range 10 isn't as simple as just saying "overload to range 10." I did a cursory chart, and it looks okay. Personally, I'd just as soon leave it at 8, but increase the damage base from 5 points to 6.

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Saturday, December 28, 2002 - 01:06 pm: Edit

I tend to agree.

range 12 OLs are right out and that was my point.