• Registered: 2005-03-28
  • Posts: 379

Topic: FAC additions?

I was thinking that in theory, dreadnought battleships carried floatplanes heading into the 1930s and 40s because they hoped aerial spotting could help land their salvos on target.

In reality, they weren't used much at all (I found a few articles on the subject).  But would this kind of tactic add another rules option for IS.

Could we have FAC "spotters"  providing a to-hit bonus for ships using their primaries?  IE, if they stay within a certain distance of an enemy ship, they offer a +1 advantage? 

The main FX problem, of course, is you can't see splashes in the ether.  Maybe crude directional equipment might be able to let them track shell trajectory or something like that. Fisher originally wanted FACs to act in a recon role, after all.

I was also thinking about bombing runs on ships.  We have torp rules, and orbital bombardment.  But would there be a reason for FAC dive bombers?

  • Registered: 2005-03-30
  • Posts: 272

Re: FAC additions?

The fluff had Fisher pushing for FACs as (long-range) scouts in the first place, but they didn't work out because of tech limitations that restricted endurance and communications.  The former problem isn't so much of an issue for a spotter craft, but the latter is, and wireless still doesn't seem to work well at this stage.  Maybe they'll get reliable radio comms as they examine more Martian tech, or maybe even those eggheads hadn't figured it out.

Don't see how you could really have a "dive bomber' in space as such.  No gravity to dive into, you know?

  • Registered: 2005-03-28
  • Posts: 379

Re: FAC additions?

Yeah...i'm just thinking improvements could be down the road.  The early FACs were also dying in droves during launch and the pilots were losing digits to frostbite "ala the whole 'Three Fingered Tom' name they were getting slapped with.

Early FACs ....1907.  By 1914 on, we could see something, maybe.

Point taken about the dive bombers.  Just trying to find ways to vary the weaponry.