Federation Commander

[ericphillips]

I don't think EPTs are unbalancing in FC at all. If I had added them to the game, they would be Romulan use only (as the Roms invented them), and that would differentiate the Roms and Gorns plasma. The Gorns have all the cool things, like caronnades, don't the Rommies derserve some flavor?

However, the NEED for EPTs is probably not there.

As for SABOT... no. I don't see them in FC. For many reasons, especially because it does not work with the move system well.

[duxvolantis]

[mjwest]

[ericphillips]

[mjwest]

[Krellex]

What about speed 36 plasma that moves the additional hexes on the even numbered impulses only?
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[ericphillips]

I prefer random speed plasma. It moves d6-1 (0 to 5) hexes per impulse.

EET IZ CRAZEEE!!!!

[Scoutdad]

[duxvolantis]

[Monty]

[marcus_aurelius]

I am personally not advocating for or against a plasma change at this time because I have not analyzed the issue in enough detail, but...

If there was a change, it seems to me that speed 40 or speed 36 plasmas would be a far better change than EPTs.

EPTs give the plasma ship an advantage and disadvantages at the same time. The advantage is obviously a stronger torpedo. But I see two disadvantages:
1. The extra power needed for the EPT would further slow down the firing ship (speed is life, especially in FC)
2. Spreading the damage across 6 shields on an undamaged ship might not be a deterent.

If I was a Federation cruiser with overloaded photons and my plasma opponent fired an EPT or two, I might be temped to still close and fire the overloaded photons. I might lose significant shield strength on all sides but it would be worth it for a killing blow with my alpha strike. My alpha strike would be much easier to achieve since the firing ship would be slowed down by all the extra energy put into the plasma.

Alternatively, outrunning an EPT is just as easy or difficult as outrunning any other speed 32 torpedo so I don't think an EPT would solve any complaints related to not being able to hit the enemy with plasmas.

I don't think EPTs would be a big plus for me because of these reasons.

Also, just increasing the speed of plasmas does not radically change the dynamics of plasma ships, it just makes them stronger; analogous to the Kzinti buying speed 32 drones.

Adding EPTs might cause other unforseen consequences that no one has thought of yet. As a SW engineer I am particularly sensitive to the fact that the more radical the change to an algorithm the more significant the risk of causing a bad unforseen consequence.

[mojo jojo]

Speed 40 or 36 might balance Gorn/Roms, but it would probably make ISC/Orions too powerful. If you choose to limit the faster speed to just the Gorn/Rom, then a similar point Gorn/Rom ship would slaughter the equivalent pointed ISC plasma ship in a straight duel.

[Monty]

Which would be more powerful.

Speed 40 plasmas
or
speed 32 EPT's that divide damage across the three facing shields of impact instead of all six like SFB EPT's?

[terryoc]

If EPTs get included in FC, I can't imagine they'd have a big change to them like the number of shields damaged.
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"Captain" Terry O'Carroll, fourteen papers published including six best of issue
"Man, Terry, you are like a loophole seeking missle!" - Mike West

[Monty]

After listening to the SFU 141 podcast I believe there's a misconception that EPT's are equivalent overloads for plasma.

An overload with comparable effectiveness to other empires would need a better method of delivering the damage. Even with some type of true overload, the problem of being able to hit the target and waiting three turns for another opportunity still exists. Given the fact everyone uses positron flywheels, there's no reason to slow down without adding "fiddly" rules.

Introducing sabot plasmas might require fast drones.