In connection with a scenario idea I am working on, I wondered if I might ask this question regarding Federation weapons doctrine.
I seem to recall that, somewhere in the older SFB material, it mentioned (and I paraphrase) that the high destructive power of the Photon (especially when overloaded) is deliberate, because it will effectively deter potential enemies from attacking a Federation ship. This should therefore help the Feds in their altruistic goal of avoiding combat and bloodshed wherever possible.
Does anyone else remember that piece of doctrine?
And don't worry; the scenario I have in mind will still have lots of combat and bloodshed
I have the same recollection as you, but also recall that the Feds built their pre-war stuff to be able to take the enemy's best shot and still be able to cripple him with Photons afterwards. I don't think that philosophy applied to any of the war designs (NCA, NCL, DW) which were simply intended to go out there and thump things.
Nothing is quite as persuasive as a disruptor pistol on slow burn and a rotisserie......
It's not for the UFP, but there is a line in SFB Module Y2 in the rules covering how the Early Years ISC handles its progression to modern (TL12) technology in the event of an early "first contact". Specifically, the line is in the rules covering how long it takes for the Concordium to develop the plasmatic pulsar device:
(YR13.018) PLASMATIC PULSAR DEVICES: The Inter-Stellar Concordium cannot equip any ship, base, or other unit with PPDs until ten years after encountering another empire. The Inter-Stellar Concrodium was experimenting with aspects of this weapon design, but did not meld them all together into the PPD until confronted with the need for a heavy weapon that matched its altruistic proclivities.
I think there is a line somewhere about the destructive power of photons, but it was in reference to the reason the Feds considered them to be their "heavy weapons". I have no idea where I think I read that though. There's a whole lot of material, after 30 years.
At Bolo's suggestion I went and looked at the FASA material I have lying around and I did not see it in the Fed Ship Recognition Manual or the Combat Simulator game. I also checked the Starship Construction Manual and the main rule book, but did not find it. That doesn't mean it's not there somewhere or in another book I may not have.
The description sounded familiar so I think I, too, have seen it somewhere.
Could it possibly have appeared in the ship description section of the Tactics Manual. I no longer have a copy of it,so I can't check,but it does sound vaguely familiar.
Page 44 of my Tactics manual (1987 edition), under "The Ships of the Federation Star Fleet," the paragraph describing the Heavy Cruiser says (not quoting here) the ship is designed to absorb the enemy's damage then fire a devastating blow with its photons and phasers. It goes on to say that the photon can miss at even modest ranges, but the ship was built to handle anything a D7 can give and still return fire.
