Re: Beam Batteries (long)

	Balancing Beam Batteries--

	I think I've found a way to mathematically test to see if
batteries
are balanced. I did an analysis of Adam Delafield's LR beams and
disruptors
and found out for two-thirds of his batteries (the B's and C's) that if
you
add up the amount of damage the weapon does in each six inch interval
and
multiply that total by the number of weapons needed to equal six mass
that
the resulting number is 18d6. Also, the standard B-bat from FT also
comes to
18d6. A lot of bats, of course, don't end up with 18d6 which explains
the
discrepancy between batteries (notice in particular the A-bats do more
damage than the others):

Weapon: 	Total Damage	Times	Number to	=      Total
		Over Range	( x )	equal 6 mass	

LR C		3d6		  x		6	=	18d6
LR B		6d6		  x		3	=	18d6
LR A		12d6		  x		2	=	24d6

Standard C	2d6		  x		6	=	12d6
Standard B	6d6		  x		3	=	18d6
Standard A	12d6		  x		2	=	24d6

Disr. C 	3d6		  x		6	=	18d6
Disr. B 	6d6		  x		3	=	18d6
Disr. A 	10d6		  x		2	=	20d6

	Taking 18d6 as standard, I fiddled with other beam battery
combinations and all the following are balanced along this 18d6 idea.

Weapon:     Mass:	0-6"	6-12"	12-18"	18-24"	24-30"	30-36"

Gauss C       1 	1d6	1d6	1d6
Gauss B       2 	1d6	1d6	1d6	1d6	1d6	1d6
Gauss A       3 	(1d6 out to 54")

Pulse Bat     2 	1d6(x3) 1d6(x3) (Pulse bats get three shots)

B (standard)  2 	2d6	2d6	1d6	1d6

Disr. C       1 	2d6	1d6
Disr. B.      2 	3d6	2d6	1d6
Disr. A.      3 	3d6	3d6	2d6	1d6

a bat (lt. A) 3 	3d6	2d6	2d6	1d6	1d6
A bat	      4 	3d6	3d6	2d6	2d6	1d6	1d6

AA bat	      6 	(3d6 to 18"; 2d6 to 36"; 1d6 to 54")
  (no burnout needed
  for balance)	 

	I described Adam's LR beams as gauss cannon (mostly cause I like
gauss cannons and the Kra'vak railguns are too powerful) to explain the
same
1d6 damage over longer ranges. My PSBS explanation is that the larger
gauss
cannons fire the same munitions at higher velocities to more reliably
get
hits on moving ships at range. Shields effect them like other beams
because
instead of a large shell hitting the ship's hull the gauss cannons fire
proximity exploding shells to increase their chances of getting a hit.

	Theoretically, any mass 3 weapon is balanced if it does 9d6 over
its
total range at six inch intervals and any mass 4 beam weapon is balanced
if
it does 12d6 over its total range at six inch intervals. I'm still
working
on a mass 6 "Capital ship disruptor."

	The pulse bat comes from a long-term attempt to figure out a way
to
replicate those cool rapid fire phasers they have mounted on the Defiant
in
DS9. The pulse battery gets three short-range 1d6 pulses each turn.

	Lastly, if you consider the C-bat's unique ability to operate as
a
PDAF as being worth a d6 of raw damage then the standard C-bat is also
balanced along this scheme.

	Let me know what you think,

	James
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