Subtopic	Posts		Updated
	Archive through April 01, 2002	25		04/01 02:19am
	Archive through April 01, 2002	25		04/01 10:27pm

I think it would certainly be able to fire while on the link. The question is what the firing arc would be, something to be calculated on each ship.

I'd have to say, for the sake of sanity and humanity, that casual mech links cannot hold pontoons, only PFTs could use them, and obviously these would be for special missions. A PFT with six or 12 type-H drones could obviously be a valuable special mission platform.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 12:08 am: Edit

Well, that wraps up my bunch of posts. However, I'm still wondering what SVC thinks of my Dropship and Dropbase ideas. Not really a pontoon idea but something that could be carried on a mechlink.

By Stephen W. Fairfield (Sfairfield) on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 12:18 am: Edit

Maybe the Pontoons could be some sort of towed EW Decoy, like apupose-built Wild Weasel, rather than a converted shuttle. Being larger than a shuttle maybe it could mimic a bigger warp signature (higher speed). The pontoons could be preprogrammed to emulate whichever ships were in the PFT's fleet, so when needed it could detach a pontoon and if the target ship was close enough (say within 8 hexes?) the pontoon would act as a WW for it. Allowing for higher speeds, maybe have something like:

Speed	0-4	5-12	13-20	21-31
Decoy Chance	1-6	1-5	1-4	1-3

rolling for each seeking weapon targetted on the ship that the pontoon is acting as a decoy for?

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 12:23 am: Edit

12 type H drones and two special sensors.

Does every drone using race in the known galaxy need a D6D?


I think Firing arcs are like this.

The mech link hang behind and below the dragging craft, like the refueling lins of a aircraft refueling tanker.

Now if the conection is made directly at the nose ( to carry the analagy I'll use fighter descriptions ) then the RX is the only availible arc one can find.
But if the conection is made at some other point behind the cockpit perhaps on some kind of pillon, then the craft can fire into the the FA ( and indeed RX ) firing arcs.

SO I think the way we stop fighters and PFs on mechlinks from becoming improptu pontoons is by having a nose conection which then requires some king of SAFTY INTERLOCK, that lock out all weapons fire by the dragged fighter or PF. But because the conection for the Pontoon is based on the pilon rear of and on the top of the pontoon, the safty interlocks need not be engaged.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 12:24 am: Edit

Stephen : Check out the "New Product Development/ModuelJ2" discusion posts.
The major discusion there has been about EW Drougs.

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 12:42 am: Edit

I'm not sure if Escorts can WW their carriers is a good idea even if we say BUT THE WW MUST BE A SIZE CLASS 5 PONTOON.

By L.LeBlanc (Lessss) on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 01:14 am: Edit

So a PF, an autonomous ships with much more capable computers, targetting sensors et al isn't able to fire while on a link, shuttles while on a balcony aren't able to fire, but a pontoon will?

blech

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 01:42 am: Edit

If Lesss hates it, let's print it right away!

MJC: Nah, not going to have proxy weasels.

SWF: Die roll to see if weapon hits. Nah, seem my sarcastic and insulting comments about crap shoots in the J2 topic. (And yes, I admit they were sarcastic and nasty. I own most of the company. Get over it.)

LK: I saw the ideas and thought maybe I'd look at them later when I reviewed this whole topic. Obviously, any of us can think of numerous things to hang on a mech link.

By Stephen W. Fairfield (Sfairfield) on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 09:27 am: Edit

SVC:

Actually its a roll to see if the the seeking weapon accepts the WW Pontoon as a target, not a roll to hit per se, but comment understood. (Though us Fed players tend to live or die by the crap shoot. "Wouldya look at that! 4 sixes...") J

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Tuesday, April 02, 2002 - 02:42 pm: Edit

SVC:I'll be around. Took me about 20 years, but I'll be around. I would love to write something up for your review. I'll keep an eye open for the right time. Thanks.

By Rus Lender-Lundak (Rusman) on Thursday, April 04, 2002 - 12:27 am: Edit

Well I gave my opinion of these things earlier. Anyone wishing to read it can look it up. So I dont think I need to comment on the matter further since the conversation has not gained any noteworthy comments or posts since then.

But what I dont get is (and forgive my Lack of knowledge on them) these "Type-H" Drones.
I dont seem to remember ever seeing anything about them anywhere.
Could someone please tell me what they are and the lowdown on them.

Rus

By Jeremy Gray (Gray) on Thursday, April 04, 2002 - 12:28 am: Edit

Rus, check the J2 topic...they are planned for that module.

By Rus Lender-Lundak (Rusman) on Friday, April 05, 2002 - 01:30 pm: Edit

thanks

By David Kass (Dkass) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 12:39 pm: Edit

I'd suggest that pontoons, if introduced should count as a PF towards the limits in S8 (and the PFT with them should count towards the limits on PFTs).

Also, maybe they should have independent power systems. Since PFs cannot share power with their tender (and what a mess that would create), I don't think the pontoons should either. Thus weapon pontoons would be limited to the power systems included with them (thus a disruptor with only 2 APR couldn't be overloaded).

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 01:21 pm: Edit

I would think there is at least the power cuplings for life support level power. So, if pontoons were of the utility only type(hull, barraks, lab, cargo etc.) no aditional power would be required.
Weapons pontoons: I would think they would require their own power that could not be used by the ship. Which leads me to wonder if pontoons could fire from a mech link, why not a PF. Therefor I can't see direct fire weapons pontoons.(O.K. i suppose they could just be designed that way) Drones and Plasma-Ds are the only weapons on pontoons that make sense to me.

Pontoons do make a lot of sense though and I hope to present several useful items when the time is right. Oh Boy!

By michael john campbell (Michaelcampbell) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 07:48 pm: Edit

Unfotunately A-20s on mechlinks can be reloaded with photons so their has to be either some kind of power supply be it an actuall set of wires or a mechanical robotic arm passing charged photorps down to the unit.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 08:30 pm: Edit

Perhaps the fighter photons are precharged but unarmed until loaded onto the fighter. Look... a can. Whats in it? Ooop, worms! Never mind.

By Troy J. Latta (Saaur) on Wednesday, April 10, 2002 - 09:30 am: Edit

I think we should let freezer boxes stay where they belong: on type-F plasma.
That said, pontoons make sense from a plasma user's standpoint. Minimal energy supplied to a box on your hull lets you fire a couple more F-torps at those annoying frigates and destroyers.
Of course, those darn drone-users would benefit, too, but it makes sense from a pseudo-science standpoint. (done babbling now. I should really drink caffeine before I post...)