2300 vs the Vilani

[kilemall]

Sounds like a sensible progression (from a weapons-development perspective, insane from a humane perspective).

If they’re immune to sand would they be a weapon of choice after spinal mounts?

For lighter ships maybe, if there is some general agreement about not using nukes against ACS that don’t pack NDs, or smaller ships looking for an outside chance at a big one.

Otherwise, just use nukes on ACS- a little less likely to get through but a whole lot more sure destruction.

Hmm, should have to hit tied to same battery value as laser/energy equivalents, and an SS4 to hit as though you were attempting impact.

 

[Condottiere]

Nukes would need political cover, or diplomatic sovereignty.

 

[whartung]

At TL12 detonation missiles convert to plasma/fusion bolt warheads,

That's actually not a good idea.

The value of the det lasers is that, in the end, you get a lightspeed weapon close to the ship. Meanwhile the delivery vehicle is farther out and makes it less vulnerable to the lightspeed weapons mounted on the ship.

Obviously there's a trade off, since both the target ship and delivery missile want to be as far away from each other as possible, but lightspeed weapons greatly increase the engagement range of the vessels, and, ideally, you want to stay outside of those envelopes.

The benefit of the det laser missile is that it's diminutive size gives it an advantage against the large ship, it's simply harder to hit, so as it gets closer, as some point it has a higher probability of success of hitting the ship than the ship has in hitting, and disabling, the missile.

With a plasma weapon, that envelope of engagement is vastly smaller, likely to the point that the benefit of the missiles small size is not enough to counter the effectiveness of the lightspeed defenses on the ship. Simply, in order to get close enough to actually engage the target, the delivery missile is very likely to be shot down first.

 

[kilemall]

That's actually not a good idea.

The value of the det lasers is that, in the end, you get a lightspeed weapon close to the ship. Meanwhile the delivery vehicle is farther out and makes it less vulnerable to the lightspeed weapons mounted on the ship.

Obviously there's a trade off, since both the target ship and delivery missile want to be as far away from each other as possible, but lightspeed weapons greatly increase the engagement range of the vessels, and, ideally, you want to stay outside of those envelopes.

The benefit of the det laser missile is that it's diminutive size gives it an advantage against the large ship, it's simply harder to hit, so as it gets closer, as some point it has a higher probability of success of hitting the ship than the ship has in hitting, and disabling, the missile.

With a plasma weapon, that envelope of engagement is vastly smaller, likely to the point that the benefit of the missiles small size is not enough to counter the effectiveness of the lightspeed defenses on the ship. Simply, in order to get close enough to actually engage the target, the delivery missile is very likely to be shot down first.

The way I would render it, there would be a lot more damage the closer the missiles are either laser or plasma, but that involves my peculiar CT/HG rules and not something I would bring up in general use.

Detlasers outside of PD ranges have to deal with sand and plasma/fusion doesn’t, that’s the tradeoff. My rules also have sand interfering with outgoing PD fire, and repulsors breaking up sand fields. I have all 3 antimissile techs with greater ability then regular HG owing to missile swarms and fighters with bay missiles, so worked out an interactive matrix.

That brings up the whole issue of what range/capability PD fire has. In CT it’s an extra free fire round more controlled by having antimissile programs coupled with ECM. In HG it seems to be an either/or choice. If you hold to the fully charged version, those lasers have a full 900000 km range and presumably are shooting at them at range the whole way in. So I wouldn’t assume detlasers have a PD range advantage other then not guiding in the last 100000km and firing immune shots.

If you go with CT free PD shot, yes maybe those are more limited 10% power 90000km shots.

Another conceptual point- the SS4 booklet makes it pretty clear those are plasma/HEAT type warheads, given all the directed energy options, and the clear difference between sure hit assuming ECM fails and the higher chance of failure running through sand and actually executing a physical strike with the full kinetic impact of the missile.

There is that smart missile option which means the only miss possible is bonus kinetics or jinking enough to get outside the auto hit 15000km range.

Combining the two rule sets has definitely been an exercise in conceptual thinking for desired gameplay.