Re: Alternate Pulsers and Classed Pulse Torps and other items

Item II)
Classed PT Launcher from the WDA (top item)
http://nift.firedrake.org/weapons/WDA-Torps.htm

Effectively, I do not believe there is a cost or effect difference for
the Classed PT versus an equivalent number of standard PTs.

Class-3 PTs only difference is one to hit roll versus 3 dice to hit.
Yes, you can hit more often with less than full damage, but that's a
two way knife... for all the statistical benefit you gain with grazes,
you don't often get the full hit. Average damage is identical (do the
math if you don't believe me). The other main distinction is one
threshold kills versus 3, but one repair fixes versus 3.

So, if I wanted to make this 'like' 3 seperate PTs as far as shooting
(3 dice to hit, damage per hit 1D6) with the only difference being a
one-threshold kill and one-threshold repair, which is what I was
suggesting, I believe this also yields exactly the same average damage
and should cost exactly the same (as a Class 3 PT from the WDA which
is the same as 3 distinct PTs).

I'm assuming as 3 seperate systems (3 system kills, 3 system repairs,
3 rolls to hit for 1D6 each) and 1 class 3 system (1 system kill, 1
system repair, 1 roll to hit for 3D6 damage) are costed identically,
the mid-way hybrid (1 system kill, 1 system repair, 3 rolls to hit for
1D6 each) should be costed the same. Unless someone can spot a flaw in
this thinking?

Item III) Colour Striking Costs

I don't usually play with 'player built' fleets. This is an artifact
of not running pocket empire games with FT-savvy players, moreso
running one offs I set up. Plus it appeals to me from a reality (ish)
perspective in that rarely do admirals build their fleets. It also
helps prevent items like the original Can Am FT battle (one side
brings every fighter they can fit in a hull, the other side brings
none). So, my query for striking colours and for core systems is more
from an on-table impact point of view.

But to specify more specifically:
- Assume all ships use strike the colours
- Does strike the colours affect the CPV of larger ships more or less
proportionately than that of smaller ships?  (I suspect not, but there
may be some math/analysis I'm not seeing)
- Basically, I'm just wondering if the effect in combat is
relationally equivalent to CPV or if the impact of striking colours
varies at a different rate with ship mass?
- I may do one enemy that does not strike, but assume I'd give the
other sides a fair sized pile of extra points to compensate (though I
have no idea how many.... any idea?)
- As to players hating this, it isn't bad troops... striking colours
is really mission motivation... how much damage are we prepared to
take to get this one mission (in a larger background of many missions)
done? Most of the time historically, it hasn't been 100%. Look at most
naval engagements from 1600-1945. There were some 'damn the torpedos'
moments, but most recognized when ships were being beaten to bits and
they opted out of the fight (partly to save the crew, partly to save
the ship as repair is easier than rebuild, and partly because there
ins't much point in keeping combat ineffective ships in the line so
its a pointless loss).

Item IV)
Core Systems

Hugh, did I miss something on core systems?
3 systems, check on the first threshold on a 6, second on a 5, etc.
I expect to lose (statistically):
First threshold: 0.50 core systems
Second threshold: 1.00 core systems
Third threshold: 1.5 core systems
Fourth threshold: 2.0 core systems

So, I could well lose a core that kills my ship 50% of the time on the
first threshold. On the second, I am likely to take a core. Not sure
how that translates to not 'rare' in your mind (though I could have
missed something).

Bridge hit renders a ship hors de combat for an average of 3.5 rounds.
Life support means it'll have 3.5 rounds. Core means it has a 50%
chance of blowing by the second round and about a 28% chance of
surviving three rounds worth of checks. So in aggregate, a core will
render a ship combat ineffective within 2 rounds about 50%+ of the
time.

That sounds like a big change to game balance, no?

So, the questions here are similar to striking the colours.

- Assume everyone is using core systems
- Do core systems scale evenly with CPV? Or are they more or less
statistically significant for larger ships?
- Should the cost of 3 row or 5 row hulls be modified in some fashion
if core systems are in play? (I think 3 row hulls become more valuable
than they are in non-core systems FT and 5 row hulls become more of a
liability)

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Unrelated Bonus Topic: Per Ship-Class Threshold Charts

I used threshold charts for speeding up threshold resolution. I
bascially created a matrix for each ship class. Vertical labels were
threshold (1-4 for 5 row ships, 1-3 for 4 row, and 1-2 for 3 row).
Horizontal labels at the top were 1 to 6 (corresponding to a D6). Each
cell in the table listed systems lost. So you just rolled a D6, cross
indexed with the threshold, and took those systems off.

Now, this did mean there were some assumptions about threshold
checks... the first taking 16% of systems (with an average of 1/6th of
systems gone), the second taking 33% of the remaining systems (with an
average of 1/3rd of systems gone), etc. I randomized what went onto
the charts but I did try to make sure the ship's attrition was gradual
and proportional with some variance.

I allowed variances of +/- 1 threshold from average at each level and
cores showed up on a similar random basis... if I generated a core, I
generally damaged 1 less other system as some small compensation.

This obviously can't generate every possible outcome the dice can. But
it is light years faster than rolling through multiple thresholds and
gives (I found) a 'good enough' outcome. It's a great compromise of a
little up front work and a little less variance in the game for a lot
more speed.

Has anyone else tried something like this? I thought it worked well.

Tom