Editing Terajoule (section)

==Torpedoes & Missiles==

'Torpedoes' is the general term used to describe all smaller disposable-type vehicles that might detach from the main ship and perform some specific mission. It might be to carry a warhead into the enemy ship like a traditional torpedo, or it could house a point-defense array or ECM suites, or perform laser-picket duties.
The term 'torpedo' is used to distinguish it from missiles. The main difference between these two objects is their drive system. Torpedoes use the same general drives as larger ships do, which are designed for slow, sustained acceleration at economical fuel rates. Missiles, on the other hand, are designed for short, fast bursts of acceleration at the expense of fuel economy. This makes missiles dangerous but short-duration weapons, while torpedoes are a more persistent threat. A missile that misses has probably run out of fuel and sails off into space; a torpedo that misses turns around for another pass.

Torpedoes and missiles are both designed in the same style as ships, with the exception that they use different base frames and act on a different phase during movement. In addition, torpedoes get 5 remass per fuel tank as opposed to 1.  A basic torpedo frame consists of:

 Mk.I (<=5 mass)
  Engine(1 mass) - Acc. 4, req. 1 fuel
  Fuel(1 mass) - 5 Fuel
  Warhead(<=3 mass) - Contains whatever you want

 Mk.II (<=10 mass)
  Engine(2 mass) - Acc. 4, req. 1 fuel
  Fuel(1 mass) - 5 Fuel
  Warhead(<=7 mass) - Contains whatever you want

 Mk.III (<=20 mass)
  Engine(4 mass) - Acc. 4, req. 2 fuel
  Fuel(2 mass) - 10 Fuel
  Warhead(<=14 mass) - Contains whatever you want

The maximum size for a torpedo is 20 mass; past that it's essentially a ship. Note that engine mass is about 1 per 5, but fuel doesn't scale proportionally. That's rough, and kind of a side effect of ignoring F=ma when it comes to acceleration. Maybe I'll rework that later on.

A missile is so simple it almost doesn't need a frame. Here's all you have to work with:

 Missile (>=1 mass)
  Engine(0 mass) - Acc. 8, req. 1 fuel
  Fuel(1 mass) - 1 fuel
  Warhead(<=0) - Contains whatever desired1

So in theory, you could have a missile that totals 1 mass. What's the point of such a small small weapon? Remember the rules for Terminal Guidance attacks.

During the movement portion of the game, torpedoes act much like ships, albeit on their respective phases. During firing, torpedoes and missiles act the same way as ships. Note that, in the absence of being launched from a railgun or similar, missiles and torpedoes launched from a ship begin the next turn with the same vector as the ship that launched them.
Most commonly, missiles/torpedoes will use either the Detonation phase (to explode nukes in their warhead) or the terminal guidance phase to crash directly into an opposing target. In the latter case, remember that terminal guidance can only be used against a target of higher mass.

For purposes of 'campaign' games and the like, assume all missiles fired are lost. All torpedoes fired can be recovered, provided they have enough fuel to accelerate onto the same vector as their mother ship at the end of the game.