>>And when engaging a Robotech-style ships stands off and sniggers,
>>phasers having a range 6 times that of a reflex cannon
>
>Reflex weaponry has a considerably longer range than you give it
>credit for, I think; but trying to hit a Starfleet ship in heavy
>maneuver with one is akin to trying to squash a housefly with the
>opposite end of a telephone pole. :)

I have the sneaking hunch Gryphon is right in both counts on this...going by the Robotech and Macross RPG books (which, admittedly, are based on Macek and therefore arbitrary, but the numbers make -sense- and are the most detailed writeup on these ships I've seen), the Reflex Cannon beam of the SDF-1 and 3 is 1 mile high, 2 miles wide, and 60,000 miles long. Them's some ridiculous numbers, sure, but even if they're totally wrong, the -scale- would still make sense...ie, the ratio of width to height to length. That kind of range still beats photorp range all to heck, particularly given the course-correction-maneuverings-only nature of photorps mentioned earlier in the thread. Also, of course, the practical range isn't nearly so long, since anything but the largest attacks are bound to see the SDF-? charging up and immediately dive for their very existence. That goes back to the exciting nature of close space combat, of course, and why I'm all for keeping the effective range on these things down.

As an interesting side-note, Robotech-style mini-missiles, no matter what warhead they have, all have a 1-mile range. Again, this is from the books, but with a max lock-on range in Star Wars of 2.5 km (vs starfighters), it sounds accurate. The effective range is of course far shorter, since they're not traveling in a straight line...I wouldn't release such missiles myself until 3/4 miles or so to allow for a second pass if they're avoided initially.

Oh, while I'm on the subject, one more thing: My personal wish-list for UF technology. In Twilight, I don't recall exactly what the GENOM ace (was Rayna Tangril her name?) was flying, but I think it was an Advanced, maybe? If not, that's definitely the next step for the GENOM Navy, aside from the workhorse Assault Gunboat. Much as I drool over the TIE Defender, that's definitely a choice for a later time. And, if there's any starfighter types I'd like to see included, the ones from FreeSpace and FreeSpace II rock. Nothing like the godawfully powerful Erinyes or Ares, but a Hercules I or a Ulysses just has an immense amount of style. Especially the Herc. =P

--"I invoke the rites of fiery Muspelheim, and give thy soul up to the inferno's embrace..."