Re: Why big ships are too good...

In a message dated 96-12-08 02:48:50 EST, ct454792@oak.cats.ohiou.edu
(Chad
Taylor) writes:

<< Actually, it is the threshold problem that bothers me - as a weakness
of
 large ships.  Granted that smaller ships check thresholds earlier, but
 then what is the risk?  They have fewer systems to be checked (and thus
 are less likely to lose systems) and are destroyed before threshold
checks
 become a problem.  But take a Super ship of mass 200.	The super ship
will
 check for its first, second, and third (6+, 5+, 4+) threshold checks
long
 before it is destroyed (about half way actually) and would probably be
 reduced to a floating hulk.  This would leave the other half
effectively
 destroyed.  With escorts/cruisers the "other half" would be fully
 operational (the other half being made up of actual other ships).  With
so
 many systems on large ships I just think they are a little more
vulnerable
 to threshold checks: three screens means a 50/50 chance of losing one
on
 the first check, firecons are about the same, etc.  
 
 How many people out there have used Superships?  What were the results?
  >>
We had a really big game where I ran a 200 mass super ship (the Asteroid
Fortress  BVS Kraken).	It took two ?Nova Cannon? blasts on two
subsequent
turns, and lost two full rows.	She lost about half of her 17 A
batteries,
and three of her five shield generators (I had built redundant systems
for
just this eventuality.)  Since she was left alone foe the next three or
four
turns, I was able to bring all but one A battery back on line with my
damage
control parties.

If we had not allowed backup shield generators, the Kraken would have
been
tumbling space debris in two or three more turns.  I also lost about
half of
my damage control parties, which is why I was glad I bought the maximum
allowable.  I think redundant systems are very useful for the big ships,
and
maybe it would be a little better to have more boxes per line, or two
rolls
at six, then two at five, etc.	I couldn't imagine a massive Death Star
being
worth the point cost when half it's weapons go offline so early.

Regards,
Steve Gibson