"Les Howie" [email removed] writes:
>Subject: Impact Missiles
>[email removed] wrote
>> Subject: TNE: Anti-matter missile
>> Firstly, I don't see why a missile impact is impossible ... s**t happ
> Frankly, I don't either. I can see where, given the ranges and veloci
>of space combat, it would be very hard, but no matter how improbably it
>ship can be constructed to deliver enough missles quickly enough to mak
>least one hit probable -- and an impact by even one delayed-detonation
>riding in a high velocity penetrator ought to really ruin your day.
First if you are to deliver a lot of missiles at one target, the turrets
and barbettes for these has to be better. Something like the VLS system
to USS Ticonderoga. And missiles take up premium space. And the rapid
firing laser thingie mentioned later will stop almost anything that
approaches of missiles. Do you see any use in missiles with 200 armor
points? It leaves precious little space for controls, warhead and drive.
>OTOH, can you image how the "tradition" based gamers would react to mis
>becoming genuinely effective? In traditional high guard, a missile arm
>figher cannot seriously threaten a large warship. With impact nukes ho
>represented, they could. Perhaps that is what the decision to ban them
>based on.
Why must the nuke impact? I believe the electromagnetic pulse generated
will do enough damage to most ships within several hundred kilometers.
[email removed] writes:
>One obvious use for the short range highly efficient X-ray lasers is in
>defense against fighters and missiles, both of which need to be close t
>attack. Range isn't needed, and much better firepower is available wit
>gravitic focusing. In fact, for missile defense it might be advantageo
>put more than one laser in a turret. Hers's a TL15 turret design that
>three lasers, each of which fires at 800 per turn. Three shots at -5 D
>can it miss????
Yes if you roll 17+ three times in a row :)
[technical details cut away]
>Its pretty crummy at long range, but with three shots, each at -5 Diff,
>probably wont miss. Firing every .75 seconds... if YOU were a fighter
>would you go anywhere near this thing??? :)
Nope, never in a hundred years. Even a brainwashed soldier wouldn't do
anything this crazy. But then again shit happens.
The discussion has taken a very militaristic slant. What about the
traders and pirates? I don't believe merchants will have access to the
best missiles possible. Those available might even be built in a way
that prevents them from detonating in a gravity well, or close to it.
Else any crazy nut can hold a planet for ransome.
From the designs of missiles I have seen from GDW to date are more
suited for civilian crafts than military crafts. Military crafts need
missiles with longer duration and more stealthy one too. Emission
masking on missiles, what are your thoughts about that?
Roger "StarWolf" Myhre