Re: T:TNE Space Combat Fix and more on missiles

> > this is a best
> > case penetration caculation) the maximum penetration is 318mm aka Pen 63.
> > It won't penetrate an SDB!! (sorry, PDB:)
>
> That's much better!  Lethal to unarmored ships, but a warship with
> enough armor doesn't have to worry as much (and as you point out, it
> leaves a place for the HEAP missile).

  I should practice better dispositions, really. I forgot to note that the
'penetration is dependent on the densities' was way #2 to reduce the
penetration. And I also forgot to include the limiting effect of those 5km/s
I was talking about.

  Using both, the damage of a KEAP will be 3-200, which means that it will
be rated like this compared to HE and HEAP:

  Damage to thin armour	Damage to thick armour	Surface targets
  	HEAP			HEAP			HE
  	KEAP			KEAP			HEAP
  	HE			HE			KEAP

  So there might be a niche for the HE as a cheap multipurpose missile (while
the SFF is a better but more expensive multipurpose).

> HEAP missiles can reasonably be restricted-purchase items (since the
> only thing they are really good for is shooting at military-type ships).

  Possibly.

> > I think the question is if we want the missile boat to rule or
> > not. If we do we mention the KEAPDU missile, otherwise we ignore it.
>
> My feeling is that we keep very hush-hush about the KEAPDU missile;
> after all, it may not even be practical (how much does that slug of
> depleted uranium weigh, after all).

  Using a DU penetrator with a slenderness of 1:100 (normal today is 1:20)
around 400kg, but that slenderness might be physically impossible (too slender
and it will break instead of penetrating). With a slenderness of 1:20...
twelve tons.
  Yes, this might make a good excuse.


  BTW: I think the Cannister and SFF missiles should be modified since their
max damage is dependent on the penetration and it is limited in the same ways
as that of the KEAP missile.
  (2-50 at all speeds for the Cannister and 3-110 for the SFF since it has
larger fragments. It is probably possible to design it to reach these levels,
but the number of fragments might have to be reduced).

>>  Evasion will make it smaller (to 12% or smaller, assuming skill 5 and stat 5
>> of the firing character). And it is possible that having a MFD might increase
>> it to up to 95%.
>
> 95% seems a little too high ... maybe we should work out some way that a
> MFD has less (or no) effect on these new missiles.  Or maybe increase
> the difficulty of impact and close-proximity so thatyou *have* to have a
> MFD to have any reasonable chance of hitting with them.  What do you
> think?

  I think restricting MFD's to military ships is a better option. I'm reminded
of the old starship combat discussion where I wanted there to be a major
difference between military and civilian ships, and the MFD could be a way
of doing this.

> Ummm, I don't see that bit anywhere; but I do see on pp.313 "Each ship
> may spend a number of G-turns limited by its G rating (maneuver
> performance)"

  Argh! I misinterpreted the 'Friendly Velocity' formula on page 324.

> [email removed]

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