From: malstrom@acsu.buffalo.edu (Michael A Malstrom)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Centurion (flying space tanks yah know)
Keywords: Centurion
Date: 11 Dec 92 22:18:07 GMT
Organization: UB

In article <aJwDVB1w165w@swob.nullnet.fi> maxxon@swob.nullnet.fi (Mikko Kurki-Suonio) writes:
>maddog@chainsaw.ecn.purdue.edu (Maddog Peters) writes:
>
>> I just started playing Centurion again after a long time and one person that 
>> just played against came up with a medium tank design that mounted (legally) 
>> 1.5/6 lasers (7 pts. damage) . Because lasers do vertical rows , all it takes
>> is triples on the location die rolls , and any tank hit dies , even if mounti
>> maximum armor. As of yet I have not been able to come up with an effective 
>> counter to this. In a battle with a large number of vehicles present , it
>> is most probable that at least one vehicle gets painted , and then look out..
>> Lasers out range gauss weapons , penetrate deeper and are cheaper per unit. T
>> advent of CFPD armor (tech. update) doesnt sound like it will help , because
>> the possibility of each row cracking (page 10).
>> Any suggestions ?
>
>Plenty of shields. 
>

Agreed, higher shield flicker rates are a good defense.

>More infantry (lasers are lousy at killing them).

More units with painting lasers too.

>
>CFPD helps, and it only cracks when shot with NON-lasers... Put it in
>top rows, cause that's where the lasers first hit - his secondary
>missiles probably don't have the range yet.
>
>Or, you could outfit all your tanks similarly, play a few games like
>that, ask yourselves is it any fun and possibly ban it. Only 2 ballistic
>weapons is a very unrealistic rule anyway, so why couldn't you rule
>"only x lasers?"
>
Another method is to use 2 GMDC-15 with 2 other lasers in the turret.  
This gives you the range of his lasers and the power to neglect his shields.
Also, the lasers have a chance of going down one of the holes created by
the GMDC.  In addition, use hit and run tactics to keep him at extream range 
to give your shields a better chance of repelling his attacks.  Chances are
your opponent will have to either change his tactics or redesign his vehicle.

Two ballistic weapons per vechile with a maximum calliber of 300 mm is very
realistic.  Even the 69th century has not repealled Newtons Third Law, 
which states for every action there is an equal, but opposeite reaction.  
In other words momentum has to be conserved:  M1V1 = M2V2.  Even with the
advanced recoil technology availible in this Universe, the Grav vechile
will cease to be a stable firing platform if it is under the influence of 
a lot of recoil.  Modern tanks over come some of this problem by using
friction with the ground, but this is not an option for Grav Tanks unless
they are grounded.  I personally do not think a Centurion would be too 
pleased if he had to ground his tank each time he wanted to fire.  
Lasers on the other hand do not have a problem with recoil so there is no
need for a lasers to have a maximum limit other than the 8 weapon systems
per vechile rule.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Michael Malstrom        Mechanical Engineering Major
				SUNY Buffalo NY
				malstrom@acsu.buffalo.edu