Hi AnotherDilbert,
AnotherDilbert said:
snrdg121408 said:
Mathematical modeling, like any data source even documentaries or material they are based on, can be manipulated to show whatever is desired.
Certainly, but I would take a professional study based on plenty of data as source over TV entertainment any day...
Most of documentaries I watch are published by National Geographic and Smithsonian which I would hope are based on professional studies. If the documentary is produced by the same organization that airs shows like Survivor I would not put much stock in the material either.
You have, unless you entered the data, no idea how much of the total data was actually used to create the model.
I've read a number of books concerning Baron Manfred von Richthofen and who should have the credit for ending his life. There are two claimants to the deed an unknown Australian machine gunner on the ground or the RAF pilot Captain A. Roy Brown.
One of the maligned documentaries I watched tried to answer the question based on an eye-witness account that had been discovered. The sponsors of the documentary went to two professional flight simulator designers who are also certified pilots to program the aerial portion with all the data available. They then ran the simulation a number of times under computer and each pilot flying Capt. Brown's aircraft. They were not able to get a kill that matched the medical report's wounds.
The team doing the investigation contracted several professionals and experts to replicate the positions and the machine guns that had the best chance to hit the Red Baron's low flying plane. They had historians that researched available documents to determine the most probable 3 or 4, I can't remember the exact number, Australian machine gunners that might be able to to claim the credit for ending the Red Baron's career.
To simulate the machine gun used the investigators used a laser linked to a computer running a program created with consultation of a weapons expert. They hired a private small plane about the same size as the Red Baron's tri-plane. The weapons expert tried a number of times and eventually scored a hit that could have resulted in a kill shot. The account claimed a Sgt. probably got the kill shot, the teams conclusion suggests that another gunner was the one who probably should be credited with the kill.
In my opinion that documentary for TV entertainment is just as valid as professional study based on plenty of data.
snrdg121408 said:
The reason why MgT 2e fighters, as far as I can tell to be very effective is that the entire squadron is considered to be a single ship when they are attacking.
Squadrons mostly make the fighters easier to kill, hence weaker. Since they cannot add Effect to damage, at least laser fighters are at a massive disadvantage. Avoid in basic combat!
Squadrons works better in fleet combat, but then fighters are not very effective.
MgT Fighters versus Fighters/Small Craft in MgT appear to be effective combatants. MgT Fighters versus star ships , system ships, or larger opponents under fleet combat are not very effective.
Fighters are pretty much only effective when restricted to fighting each other. When attacking other larger opponents their effectiveness is about the same as in other rule sets.