Inspired by the hellbore, a new Federation photon warhead for late in General War...photon torp with an energy dispersal charge. Half of warhead energy hits the facing shield with other half divided evenly between the two adjacent shields. Costs one additional point of energy on the second turn of arming. Cannot be overloaded.

Exapmple. Fed CA fires photon torp with splash warhead. Cost 2+3 energy. Hits number one shield of Klingon D7. 4 points applied to number one shield, 2 points to number two, two points to number six.

YIS 181.

Thoughts?

By Douglas Lampert (Dlampert) on Thursday, August 08, 2019 - 05:47 pm: Edit

You'll need to specify whether or not it works with proximity charges.

By Richard B. Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Thursday, August 08, 2019 - 05:48 pm: Edit

Might be reasonable as a 2X ship option, but in Y181 it would be glaringly missing from previously published material.

By John Sickels (Johnsickels) on Thursday, August 08, 2019 - 06:19 pm: Edit

I'd say it doesn't work with prox torps.

Yeah maybe a late1X thing say Y210 or 2X

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Friday, August 09, 2019 - 03:02 pm: Edit

Can it be held? If so, what's the holding cost?

By Richard B. Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Friday, August 09, 2019 - 04:05 pm: Edit

Just total the energy to arm it and look it up on the normal table I would think.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Friday, August 09, 2019 - 04:19 pm: Edit

Maybe. But it should be spelled out explicitly in the proposal. There are plenty of SFB examples of weapons that can be held in some modes, but not others. Most plasma torpedoes can be held if armed "normally", but not if they are enveloping torpedoes or shotgunned torpedoes.

By John Sickels (Johnsickels) on Friday, August 09, 2019 - 04:35 pm: Edit

I will write this up as a formal proposal answering these questions if you guys think there is sufficient interest.

By Alan Trevor (Thyrm) on Friday, August 09, 2019 - 04:40 pm: Edit

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Quote:

Yeah maybe a late1X thing say Y210 or 2X

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By John Sickels (Johnsickels) on Friday, August 09, 2019 - 05:29 pm: Edit

Agreed. Y181 is too early. I need to study the X-photon rules and will write this up soon.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Friday, August 09, 2019 - 07:07 pm: Edit

not a criticism, just following up on the discussion: what is actually happening as the splash photon interacts with a target ships shields?

as I understand it, regular and overloaded photon torpedos explode and cause energy damage to the shields. this damages the shields, eventually causing the shield to collapse and the remaining warhead damage (If any), gets passed along to the target ship in the form of an energy overload that burns out components. I have imagined this damage to be electrical in nature...but perhaps I am wrong.

in trying to imagine the interaction between a target ships shields and the Splash Photon, it appears that the detonation unleashes a viscous photonic explosion that washes up against the target ships shields like water in an ocean tide washes up and engulfs a large rock on a beach?

Again, not arguing, just trying to understand the mechanics of the process. perhas I should find a specialist in fluid dynamics... because the effect here seems very different than what we have come to expect from normal photon detonations.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Saturday, August 10, 2019 - 03:23 pm: Edit

Just asking.

Will this be added to fusion beams? Why not? It might be range limited, but why not if photons can do it. Maybe requires a point of warp power as part of the arming.

Will this be added to disruptors? Why not? It might be range limited, but why not if photons can do it. Maybe requires a point of warp power as part of the arming.

Will this be added to phasers? Why not? It might be range limited, but why not if photons can do it.

Will this be a further development of Andromedan Tractor-Repulsor beams? Why not? It might be range limited, but why not if photons can do it. Maybe requires a point of warp power as part of the arming.

Will this be a further development of Tholian Web Fists? Why not? It might be range limited, but why not if photons can do it. Maybe requires a point of warp power as part of the arming.

How about Ion cannons? Particle cannons? Warp-augmented rail guns?

You cannot envelope plasma-F torpedoes, but maybe with a point of warp power as part of the arming, and if it hits in only ten moves... How about plasma-Ds?

And how about plasma bolts doing this?

If you are going to redefine how a weapon operates, why not redefine them all?

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Saturday, August 10, 2019 - 03:51 pm: Edit

The above being said, please note that we do sometimes make changes to weapons if there is a need.

Fusions went from not being held to being held.

Plasma torpedoes have gone through a lot of developments (fast loads, bolts, sabot).

The Tholian web caster had the web fist option added.

But is there some deficiency in the photon torpedo that this will resolve? Is this needed? Do photons really need to have a "half a PPD" option (hits on one impulse but does about as much damage as two PPD pulses)?

By John Sickels (Johnsickels) on Saturday, August 10, 2019 - 04:54 pm: Edit

It was an idea that seemed original to me, granted as the originator I am not objective. I do not wish to open cans of worms, so I withdraw the proposal for GW or X1 tech. I humbly propose that the idea be considered for 2X since it would give flavor to new tech.

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Saturday, August 10, 2019 - 04:58 pm: Edit

What about: rapid-fire mini photons. Instead of one torpedo with an eight-point warhead, there could be an option to fire two four-point warheads (or maybe it should be four two-point warheads), all fired on the same impulse at the same target. Each rolls separate to-hit dice. Overloaded photons would fire up to four four-point warheads (or eight two-pointers). The photon is an all-or-nothing weapon. This option would give it better odds of doing SOME damage, albeit at reduced odds of doing maximum big-crunch damage.


Garth L. Getgen

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Saturday, August 10, 2019 - 05:04 pm: Edit

John Sickels:

No one said "can of worms," I was just making a point that if you are going to do this, have a reason why it needs to be done. Why does the photon need to have a PPD/QWT splash option. And if it does, why other weapons do not also need this option. It is inevitable that if you give something to one empire (okay, three empires, including the Orions and Tholians) other empires will, shall we say "be miffed."

Garth L. Getgen:

How about I tweak X-Aegis to allow me to counter-fire versus photon torpedoes? It would be a die roll, but an anti-drone hit would destroy the photon torpedo warhead as would a phaser hit. Only one shot per photon warhead allowed (reaction time just does not allow a second shot, but the X-Aegis can detect the incoming warhead and get off an initial shot).

By Gregory S Flusche (Vandor) on Saturday, August 10, 2019 - 06:10 pm: Edit

No i think the Feds need advanced targeting computers for there photons make it easier by -1 on each die roll...

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Saturday, August 10, 2019 - 06:14 pm: Edit

Garth L. Getgen:

Note that saying the "photon is an all-or-nothing weapon" as a justification misses that disruptors, plasma bolts, web fists, hellbores, warp-augmented rail guns, ion cannons, and disruptor cannons are all also "all-or-nothing weapons." They either hit, or they miss. (Technically plasmatic pulser devices are "hit-or-miss," but they fire up to four times even if each pulse is individually weak, and particle cannons are similar, but get to fire twice in a turn.)

By Garth L. Getgen (Sgt_G) on Saturday, August 10, 2019 - 08:31 pm: Edit

Actually, Steve, once I thought about it, I realized the average damage will end up being the same. Take a DN+/DNG/BCJ/2xDW firing six standard photons rolling 1-2-3-4-5-6 vs. twelve half-shot photons rolling 1-1-2-2-3-3-4-4-5-5-6-6, the total is the same. Ergo, I take the suggestion back as being useless.


Garth L. Getgen

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Saturday, August 10, 2019 - 11:44 pm: Edit

(fierce whisper)

ixnay! Garth! web mom ordered the Lea Thompson tapes replaced with the REAL hard punshment agony booth programs.

worse yet, a memo came down from upstairs requesting the Lea Thompson programs be placed in a brown paper wrapper and left on the lunch room counter with the routing slip listing the contents as "Quality Control procedure #1, run L.T." and no return id.

they left the Agony Booths on random selection, and some how the "special tape" Petrick has been holding for Tos Crawford's next scheduled booth time is in the hopper.