Firing photons "every other turn"

mjwest · Post by **mjwest** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 3:22 pm

Davec_24 wrote:So, if you wanted to discharge torpedoes, you would discharge at the end of turn phase of one turn and then you could start arming them again in the pre-load phase of the next turn.

Yes, that is correct.

semperatis · Post by **semperatis** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:39 am

Now here's a slightly different take on the overload question. Can you still dial an overload in this version? i.e. make 9;10;11;13;14;15 pt warheads.

Dal Downing · Post by **Dal Downing** » Wed May 20, 2009 11:41 am

semperatis wrote:Now here's a slightly different take on the overload question. Can you still dial an overload in this version? i.e. make 9;10;11;13;14;15 pt warheads.

No part of the Streamlining of the game resulted in Photon Overloads being bought in 2 or 4 point blocks only so the max warhead strength in FedCom is 12 points.

semperatis · Post by **semperatis** » Wed May 20, 2009 12:04 pm

That would be if you added an extra 2pts/photon 2+2(+2)=12pt,but would be a max of 16pts on full overload,2+2(+4)or,4+4/tube=16pt. It's a pity that,because it used to work well for the smaller ships i.e. pol's & FF's.

USS Enterprise · Post by **USS Enterprise** » Wed May 20, 2009 2:44 pm

Who cares? Who doesn't load them to Warhead 16 Anyway? Fire!!!!

Lol.

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Wed May 20, 2009 3:07 pm

USS Enterprise wrote:Who cares? Who doesn't load them to Warhead 16 Anyway? Fire!!!!

Lol.

I'm beginning to feel like a broken record...

I don't always fire them as OL's. In fact, I've probably fired 5 times as many standard load Photons as OL's (if not more).
One of our best Sabre-Dance defenses is by using sustained fire...

When your Klink opponent is determined to Sabre Dance, fire two (or half) of your photons each turn as standard loads. Yeah, it doesn't have the crunch effect of a four round volley of full OLs, but it keeps the Klingon from charging into OL range during your reload cycle.

Hmmm... maybe I could use this as a basis for a Sabre-Dance / Counter Dance tactics article

mjwest · Post by **mjwest** » Wed May 20, 2009 3:11 pm

In SFB, one of my favorite things in a late battle was to use 9 point overloads to defeat the myopic zone (range 0-1). Especially if I was able to use reserve warp to do it, so my opponent thought I only had normal loads.

In Federation Commander, you can only overload in two increments. You can spend two points of power to get a "+4" overload, which is 12 points of damage, or you can spend another two points of power (four total) to get a "+8" overload, which is 16 points of damage.

So, it is still "dial-a-photon", it is just that the dial only has three settings (8, 12, 16) instead of nine settings (8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16).

(And, there are no myopic zones for normal loaded photons. So, my old SFB tactic is irrelevant in Federation Commander. And, you are limited in the type of power you can use, either.)

semperatis · Post by **semperatis** » Wed May 20, 2009 5:02 pm

Hooray,no feeback anymore either.

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Thu May 21, 2009 1:35 am

Okay. Pooh-bear.

Savedfromwhat · Post by **Savedfromwhat** » Thu May 21, 2009 1:52 am

Mike if you did that and tried to keep your speed up it would fail flying a fed. The Fed's can only do this tactic of scout dads when they r on the defense going speed 16.

semperatis · Post by **semperatis** » Thu May 21, 2009 2:21 pm

I think that the fast cruiser is set-up for doing exactly that though.She only has 2 photons,but has 10 Ph-1's and 2 drone racks,and with her power curve,she can do speed 24,normal load her photons,arm all 10 ph-1's and still have 6 pwr & 4 btty's available.

Wolverin61 · Post by **Wolverin61** » Sat May 23, 2009 7:36 pm

mjwest wrote:(And, there are no myopic zones for normal loaded photons. So, my old SFB tactic is irrelevant in Federation Commander. And, you are limited in the type of power you can use, either.)

Should be '...you are not limited in the type of power....'

wsu · Post by **wsu** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 6:23 pm

mjwest wrote:Applying the energy to arm (but not overload) a photon must be done during energy allocation on two consecutive turns. This is how all other multi-turn arming weapons work.

Overload energy may be applied at the moment of firing. This is also how other overloadable two-turn weapons (i.e. hellbores and PPDs) work.

In addition to the above, photons get the following additional points in which they can apply overload energy:
- At the end of the first or second turn of arming.
- At the end of a turn in which the photon was held.
- During energy allocation of the second turn of arming.
- During energy allocation a turn in which the photon was held.

As an aside, I fail to see how overloading a photon at the instant of firing can be unbalancing, as that is how every other weapon is overloaded. I can see how someone might complain about the end of turn overloading, but not the instant of firing overloading.

I think I understand what I am PERMITTED to do, but I can't see a REASON to ever apply overload energy during energy allocation. Am I overlooking something?

And, if there is a reason to apply overload energy during second-turn energy allocation, why am I NOT permitted to do the same during first-turn energy allocation?

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 10:10 pm

Strange as it may seem, I believe you can apply overload energy at the end of a turn of pre-loading photons. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I remember reading somewhere about that being one of the reasons why there is a phase in the end-of-turn procedures for applying overload energy to photons.

For a ship that is strapped for power, this can be an alternative to trying to overload on the firing turn. If the ship can come through a turn with power to spare and the player thinks (s)he will be likely to fire the photons on the next turn, then some or all of the overload power can be applied. The interesting thing about this technique is that it doesn't require any holding energy. Since the photons aren't fully armed, the next turn's arming will only be 2 points apiece.

There are several special rules that are unique to photons.

wsu · Post by **wsu** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 11:23 pm

Mike wrote:Strange as it may seem, I believe you can apply overload energy at the end of a turn of pre-loading photons. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I remember reading somewhere about that being one of the reasons why there is a phase in the end-of-turn procedures for applying overload energy to photons.

For a ship that is strapped for power, this can be an alternative to trying to overload on the firing turn. If the ship can come through a turn with power to spare and the player thinks (s)he will be likely to fire the photons on the next turn, then some or all of the overload power can be applied. The interesting thing about this technique is that it doesn't require any holding energy. Since the photons aren't fully armed, the next turn's arming will only be 2 points apiece.

There are several special rules that are unique to photons.

4C3b in the Reference Rulebook is quite clear that you can apply power at the end of the first turn. However, that's not really what I am asking. I am asking, since I MAY apply overload power at the end of the second turn (or at the time of firing), why would I ever apply overload power during second turn energy allocation instead of waiting (until firing or the end of the turn)?