Gazelle design

[McPerth]

As many of the more clasical ships in previous traveller versions, the gazelle has been shown as standard design in MGT.

One thing I cannot understand, though is why are its PA barbettes changed by double missile turrets.

IMHO, this makes it quite less powerful, while having no advantage for the design (they do less damage, need the same tonnage, need ammo and there are no energy requirements to be voided by the use of misiles, AFAIK).

The only advantage I see in the change is about MCr 5 saving (about 2.5% of the ship price), but this is more than overcome (again IMHO) by the saving of missiles (and magazines for them) and added punch, that will probably also avoid damage on the ship after a few combats.

Could someone please tell me why this change took place?

 

[Xerxeskingofking]

my (OOC) answer is that the Barbette rules are in the MgT High Guard book, not the Core rulebook, so they statted the gazelle to be "core leagal", and felt that anyone who wanted to could slap the PAs back on if they wanted.

IC, i can think of a few reasons for having a missle armed refit, such as a lack of a manufacturer of barbette scale PA weapons near where the gazelle was built, a major missle production plant near the shipyard, a doctrinal like of missles of dislike of PA weapons, etc.

 

[McPerth]

What was called in CT/MT a PA barbette would be a PA turret in MGT, and that was available in MGT core book (even if it was modified in HG, needing to be a triple turret while only holds one weapon).

Sorry if my mention of barbette instead of turret confused you.

EDIT: About the other reasons you tell here, I don't see them too sound (though I agree some equally seemingly soundless reasons have applied along history).

Misiles are less letal and more expensive than PAs (as you must spend them, while the PA has unlimited ammo, while you have fuel, and if you don't you have bigger problems), the proximity of a missile factory or PAs disliking would only apply if they were all built in the same place, but Gazelles are built throughout the Imperium