Question: what is the difference between beam and pulse lasers in book 2 Starships for CT. I have the reprint copy from FFE and no where does it list the differences between them. There are differences in HG of course but those differences do not apply to Book 2 combat mechanics.
Book 2 Weapons
- Thread starter ddamant
- Start date
If I'm reading the book correctly...about Cr500,000. The book two mechanics were simple, roll to see if you hit, roll to see your hit location, apply damage per definition. The ships didn't have hull points or structure points and the weapons didn't do variable damage. The only advantage/disadvantage to pulse over beam was cost; pulse laser was cheaper.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
It is errata, printed in some places but not all. From memory:
Pulse Lasers are -1 to hit but roll twice for damage when they do.
Beam Lasers are basic to hit and roll once for damage when they do.
Pulse Lasers are -1 to hit but roll twice for damage when they do.
Beam Lasers are basic to hit and roll once for damage when they do.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
It's in the CT errata
I know it is, and the work you've done on it
I really need to bookmark that somewhere
(I'd have looked it up in a minute, if I'd had one... )
pendragonman
Absent Friends Margrave
I know it is, and the work you've done on it
I really need to bookmark that somewhere
(I'd have looked it up in a minute, if I'd had one... )
F-T, I don't bookmark it. I just download it when there is a new version.
Don is doing great things by being the errata librarian. I am sure we all appreciate all his skull-sweat dealing with us whiners. I know I do!
pendragonman
Absent Friends Margrave
Closing that loophole would be worth, oh I dunno, a lot of Guinness!
**Definitions of "a lot" vary. See your local purveyor for details.
Pulse Lasers and Beam Lasers
While everyone explained the difference in game play, nobody explained the difference between the two types of laser weapons.
A Beam laser fires a continous beam of coherent energy for as long as the "trigger" is depressed. A Pulse laser fires a short packet of coherent energy measured in fractions of a second, and repeats firing after the weapon recycles itself for as long as the "trigger" is depressed. Or you could just press the "trigger" each time you want to fire the weapon.
Hopefully this clears up the definitions of Pulse lasers and Beam lasers.
While everyone explained the difference in game play, nobody explained the difference between the two types of laser weapons.
A Beam laser fires a continous beam of coherent energy for as long as the "trigger" is depressed. A Pulse laser fires a short packet of coherent energy measured in fractions of a second, and repeats firing after the weapon recycles itself for as long as the "trigger" is depressed. Or you could just press the "trigger" each time you want to fire the weapon.
Hopefully this clears up the definitions of Pulse lasers and Beam lasers.
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While beams fire a continuous, sweeping arc of laser goodness, the pulse spaces it out into more energetic bursts.
In both case a target area is saturated with weapons fire. The dice roll represents the probability of a hit from that saturation.
So, not really a trigger, really.
In both case a target area is saturated with weapons fire. The dice roll represents the probability of a hit from that saturation.
So, not really a trigger, really.
Birdrock's misunderstanding
It would seem that birdrock did'nt understand my post. All the the original questioner asked for was a definition of what is the difference between a Beam laser and and a Pulse laser, that is all. The game mechanics have already been explained by earlier posts. Both types of lasers have their own advantages and disadvantages.
I have been involved in Traveller ever since the little black books era published by GDW. I have done freelance game design for both Digest Group Publications and later GDW. When it comes to starship combat, I know of what I speak, or write. Check out DGP's Megatraveller Journal # 2. I wrote the Beginner's luck article called "starship combat example". Also, I contributed several equipment designs. I was also involved in the Starship
Operator's Manual ( uncredited), And I provided 26 designs for 101 vehicles, and was part of the team working on the revision of 101 robots and the robots LBB before DGP closed up shop.
That is all.
Howard Leidner
It would seem that birdrock did'nt understand my post. All the the original questioner asked for was a definition of what is the difference between a Beam laser and and a Pulse laser, that is all. The game mechanics have already been explained by earlier posts. Both types of lasers have their own advantages and disadvantages.
I have been involved in Traveller ever since the little black books era published by GDW. I have done freelance game design for both Digest Group Publications and later GDW. When it comes to starship combat, I know of what I speak, or write. Check out DGP's Megatraveller Journal # 2. I wrote the Beginner's luck article called "starship combat example". Also, I contributed several equipment designs. I was also involved in the Starship
Operator's Manual ( uncredited), And I provided 26 designs for 101 vehicles, and was part of the team working on the revision of 101 robots and the robots LBB before DGP closed up shop.
That is all.
Howard Leidner
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