Actually my two favorite Point Defense Systems are even lower tech than X-Lasers. I like and use either 4mm grav Gatling or Gatling Electromag grenade launchers with HD flechettes. Even if my vehicle or ship has higher tech primary weapons I tend to use these due to the versatility. They can be used as Point Defense and anti-infantry both.
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Onno Meyer Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2013 11:48 AM To: The GURPSnet mailing list Subject: Re: [gurps] Ultra-Tech Sappers On a related note, what is the minimum credible point defense system? * 3e TL13, plenty of superscience including contragrav, beam weapons, reactionless thrusters, etc. * Robotics but no good AI -- I want fragile organic beings in the middle of the action. * Battlesuits might be DR 500 to 1,000, and it would be neat to have anti-personnel capability (if possible). Missiles built with the VE rules are relatively easy to kill if you can hit them (VE197, 10 points of damage). Robots and Vehicles drone missiles will be somewhat tougher. Given that difference, an anti-suit capability looks iffy. At a first glance, x-ray lasers with the laser autofire rule are a good idea, even if they're three TLs out of date. Fusion or antiparticle beams have a nice area effect, but by the rules that is based on the point which is hit -- no good for aerial targets. The turn sequence for any engagement is a problem: * Turn one is the launch of the weapon. Say you can make the sensor roll on the same turn. * Firing on the next turn requires an impossible snapshot, or the use/abuse of the walking the burst rule. The first burst of the weapon is lost, the second burst gets aiming benefits. Technically, a missile which arrives on the same turn can't be intercepted. Let's ignore this little problem :-) Detecting VE missiles is relatively easy because they can have stealth, but no IR cloaking. A SM-3 missile, one mile out at 1,000 yps, together -18. A skill 15 computer with a scan 20 sensor is almost certain to make contact. A drone with emission cloaking would be a lot harder. Instead of a 30-mile sensor, you'd need 30,000 miles. OTOH, a small drone using the VE rules won't be quite as fast as a missile using the missile design rules. Optical detection will be difficult, too, with intruder chameleon there would be a -24 target vs. a vision roll of IQ + 10 + bonus. The vision bonus table tops out at +9 ... Any mistakes in my numbers? Regards, Onno _______________________________________________ GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]> http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l
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