Re: FT-Forts

>Forts are built just like non-FTL spaceships, except they don`t have a
>normal drive system. Instead, they have a station keeping drive at a
mass of
>2%, which incudes poweerplants and allows the fort to change it`s
facing by
>60 deg per 3 turns (ie-can change it`s facing very slowly).

Just for simplicity's sake, I'd say that they must pay for MD1 for 
station-keeping, power generation, etc.

I'd also say that you can set virtually any rotation on the base that 
you like, but it cannot be changed during the course of a game.

>The second idea is a bit more difficult to balance (ok, it probably
>doesn`t).

You're right on that one.

>Asteroid forts, are built just like normal forts, except that you only
pay
>the basic hull cost on the equipment added, and the armour comes for
free,
>in the form of the asteroids massive body (can only be basic armour, as
used
>by the human ships, no multi layer armour, like fitted to the PH). The
costs
>of actually towing the asteroid to the initial position you wish is
payed
>for by the material you mine out of the asteroid to construct the
fort/base.
>The only difference from the normal construction rules would be that
the
>armour (which comes for free) is only 1 pt per 2 mass (it may be
massive,
>but it`s not as good as a high tech laminate).

OK, here's some ideas for attempting to get this monster closer to 
the realm of the balanced:

1) Armor may be free, but hollowing ISN'T. Pay 2 NPV per MASS excavated.

2) The free armor is 4 MASS per point of protection (I feel that even 
2 or 3 is too low).

3) The MD1 is based on the original MASS of the un-hollowed asteroid.

Then, following your example:

Initial Asteroid = 400 MASS
Hollow out 240 MASS, costing 480 NPV
This leaves 160 MASS, which translates to 40 Armor (much more
reasonable)
MD1 costs 20 MASS, 40 NPV
Leaving 220 MASS free for other systems.

The cost is over 500 NPV and I didn't include the screens you did. 
Sounds better to me.

Schoon