Hmmm, I didn't think that through. The typical Alpha Strike range (for max damage and maneuverability) will surely be R5. If you strike at 6 you loose 20 damage points(assuming about ten Ph-Vs on a XCC) and if you are center lining you will have to come to R5 anyway (barring high speed with an HET). Your opponant may wait for that and gain the advantage (If he/she didn't loose too much from your strike). Even if you turn away and come to R3 the damage increase is not that much. R5 is the best Alpha Range with the Ph-V.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 11:45 pm: Edit

Why not give the Phaser-IV overload ability. Have it be the only one but don't limit range of the OL. Call it the Ph-IV+.
A single larger chart would do. Use the PH-IV chart and in parenthesis give the OL number next the normal damage number.

State that only bases had the structural stability to OL their phasers. X2 only.

Ooops, sorry, I'll take this up in another more correct topic.

By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Thursday, January 16, 2003 - 11:51 pm: Edit

Its a pitty we started two phaser topics. They overlap too much.

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Friday, January 17, 2003 - 12:39 am: Edit

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Quote:

However if there was to be a defined sweet spot I'd say it was at R6. You have the possibility of considerably higher damage output than at 7. In fact, I would say R6 will be the typical Alpha strike range for X2 ships. Though some might go for R5 which will average 7.5 over 5.5 damage per phaser.

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By Loren Knight (Loren) on Friday, January 17, 2003 - 12:54 am: Edit

Battle situation in analisys: Duels.

Fleet sweet spot would varry depending on other heavy weapons, fleet size, terrain and opponant.

The long range sweet spot for the Ph-V: 13 (because it is beyond 10 which may be the X2 max OL range. R12 OLs is something I don't want to consider. At 13 you can fire and turn away with an oblique approach. If max OL range remains 8 the the sweet spot for the Ph-V is 10 on the oblique approach).

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Friday, January 17, 2003 - 02:25 am: Edit

I would like to draw people's attention to the X1 module and specifically to rule XE2.4323 which has some effect on the following.

If the Ph-5 is a Ph-4Jr then it could hold some of the rapid pulse abilities of the XPh-4.

If the X2 vessels get full Aegis then one must ask the questions, why ahve 4 firing opportunities in an impulse if you can only fire two pulse.


I submit that the Ph-5 should, ney must, have 4 or at the very least 3 Rapid Pulse Ph-3 shots as a legitimate firing option in addition to the 2 Ph-2/1 shots that it can utilise.


Okay, enough with the bluster, I really think that there should be both a Ph-2 ( or possibly Ph-1 ) rapid pulse mode to deal with well timed speed 40 drones AND a three or more shot Ph-3 defense to deal with multiple drones launched by hoards of GW ships. Simple downloading won't work as GW ships will be a task force in BPV compaired to a CCXX and so they WILL be able to launch huge numbers of cheap drones.

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Friday, January 17, 2003 - 02:46 am: Edit

X1 ships already have full-aegis, so there's no reason to assume X2 won't.

That said, there's no reason to force 3-4 firing opportunities onto the P-5.

You don't need to fire every weapon every aegis step. That would defeat the allocation of scarce resources that makes SFB what it is.

I'll leave it to the alert tactician why 4 aegis steps are useful even if your weapon can only fire twice (or even once).

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Friday, January 17, 2003 - 05:39 am: Edit

J.T.:

X1 ships have limited Aegis that can fire at Size Class 5 targets. XD13.0

I understand that 4 agies steps is useful when you have more than 1 X-phaser aboard the vessel.


I think perhaps the number of drone control channels and the number of SPs that can be readied for WS-III should be considered a legitimate threat when an X2 Vessel meets it's BPV in GW ships...there are some people who will insist on sending their GW ships against the X2 vessel.
Thus I'ld like to see a more effective way a destroying Type IF and IVF drones than simply blasting them with Ph-2 rapid pulses.

By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Friday, January 17, 2003 - 10:19 am: Edit

As MJC points out X-Aegis is a 2-phase limited design. Verse the Andros there isn't a reason to improve upon this. Maybe certain races would invest in full Aegis Y205+, Klingons come to mind, but not all would feel it is worth the expense (Gorn).

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Friday, January 17, 2003 - 01:55 pm: Edit

My bad on X-aegis. Thanks for the correction.

By Jeff Tonglet (Blackbeard) on Friday, January 17, 2003 - 06:38 pm: Edit

Whatever speed the drones end up being is going to affect how the phasers will be balanced.

	rapid fire ph-5
Speed 32	2 ph-3
Speed 40	2 ph-2 and/or 3 ph-3
Speed 48-64	might need more

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Friday, January 17, 2003 - 09:08 pm: Edit

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Quote:

but not all would feel it is worth the expense (Gorn).

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By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 08:21 pm: Edit

X2 Aegis: Fires two pulses but the X2 ship can use this function for all weapons at all targets. Now you will know if your photons hit before committing your phasers.

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 09:03 pm: Edit

Tos,

This would be massively abused --Mizia

Just say no.

By Jim Cummins (Jimcummins) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 09:41 pm: Edit

To increase the defensive power of a phaser-3, The Federation developed the double emitter phaser-3. Both emitters are slaved together, must fire together but each uses 1/2 point of power from the capacitor. Fires always as narrow salvo. Presto increased defensive power.

Would be very deadly on a Ph-G.

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 10:29 pm: Edit

Jim,

We have a P-6. Take a look at the chart.

By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 - 11:48 pm: Edit

There wouldn't be a mizia effect as all damage is resolved as a single volley. All you know is how much damage is done by your heavy weapons before committing to your phaser fire.

By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 - 12:10 am: Edit

I just realized how powerful what I suggested could be. Against a non-X2 ship you can wait to see what he fires, how much damage was done, then you return, or hold your fire as the situation warrents.

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 - 12:13 am: Edit

Not a trivial advantage.

My initial reaction is that it gives the sort of advantage that doesn't play nice

By Tos Crawford (Tos) on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 - 12:39 am: Edit

Just brainstorming, not advocating. It shows how a minor tweak to existing tech can be more powerful than boosting weapons damage. A preferable evolutionary path IMO.

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Wednesday, March 05, 2003 - 05:35 pm: Edit

As long as it keeps meaningful racial differences and characteristics and also plays nice with previous generations of tech, yes.

That's the tough part.

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 11:37 pm: Edit

On the Kzinti Phaser array.

I should think that a Kzinti Cruiser has 10Ph-6 and 4Ph-5s.

It's probably be able to get 6Ph-6 to bear and 4Ph-5s.
Now if the Ph-5 can fire as three rapid pulses Ph-6 shots and 3Ph-3 and the Ph-6 can fire 2Ph-3 shot then our defense on a relative stand point will look like this.

Fed. (Non refit)
6Ph-5s
or 12Ph-6s
or 18Ph-3s

Klingon ( non refitted) Non perfect Oblique
8Ph-1s (10 in perfect oblique but you're not likely to get that on drones )
24Ph-3 shots ( assuming as above three Ph-3 shots as rapid pulse )

Kzinti ( As stated )
4Ph-5s + 6Ph-6s
20Ph-6 shots
28Ph-3 shots.

If the Ph-6 can't rapid pulse then you get.
4Ph-5s + 6Ph-6s
14Ph6 shots
18Ph-3 shots.

Now consider if the Kzinti should by rights have the best drone defense!?!
How will they go about having that?


With the Ph-6 have in a Rapid pulse as 2Ph-3s!?!

By John Trauger (Vorlonagent) on Thursday, April 24, 2003 - 01:29 pm: Edit

Bad idea.

Death on any seeking weapon that gets to point blank without hitting.

Would inevitably lead to every P-5 functioning as a gatling phaser or massive demand for same.

As for the rest of your proposals...make some SSDs. That's what I'm doing.

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Friday, April 25, 2003 - 04:16 am: Edit

I'm not sure what death to seeking weapons means.

An X1 Gorn Cruiser will be hurling 2 Sabotted Plasma Ms and to Sabotted Plasma S...every second turn...and that hasn't dealth with the fact that There's BPV enough for the Gorn to have an FF ( if the X ship is unrefitted) or DD ( if refitted ) escort hurling it's own plasma.

Just being able to kill an entire Plasma M by rapid pulsing all phaser Ph-5s as 3Ph-6 might sound like being too powerful but it actually isn't.
I reckon 3Ph-3 shots or 2Ph-6 shots will be a nice little capasity to defend the ship, without creating player pressure for the X2 phaser to "go G" and fire 4Ph-3 shots.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Friday, April 25, 2003 - 01:50 pm: Edit

To me, firing three Ph-3 shots does feel like "Going G". And it treads closely to part of where supplement 2 failed.

Additionally, that proposal would require yet another phaser chart on the SSD. Right now we have the Ph-V, Ph-1 and the Ph-6. I'd rather not see a fourth phaser chart. As I proposed it there was no way to do more damage that the Ph-V with one shot (rolling 1). Two Ph-6 (using the max damage 5 chart) don't do more than the maximum a Ph-V does. They may average a little batter but not more total maximum. So as to not incurage the phaser hose tactic. I had also proposed that to get the second Ph-6 shot in one turn the first shot had to be at a Aegis qualified target.

The idea is to encurage the use of the Ph-V as a Ph-V. But maintain the choice of saving a bit of power firing as a Ph-1. Or for defensive opperations as a Ph-6 but discurage the use of pulsing as a offensive tactic.

With the three options there is a good amount of record keeping as well. A fourth option in three parts would compound that.

All strickly my own obsevations as is anything I post.