Re: FTIII/classes redefined

In a message dated 97-02-20 00:49:58 EST, you write:

> >Class name:	Mass range: #rows of boxes: Max #boxes/row:
>  >Scout	   1 -	8	    1		    4	      
>  >Escort	   9 - 20	    2		    5
>  >Cruiser	  22 - 36	    3		    6
>  >Battlecruiser 37 - 56	    4		    7
>  >Battleship	  57 - 80	    5		    8
>  >Dreadnought   81 -108	    6		    9
>  >
>  >... etc. For each new class, the number of rows of damage boxes is 
>  >increased by 1, and the maximum number of boxes per row also goes
up.
>  >
>  >The damage boxes are placed as follows:
>  >
>  >First, you fill up all boxes as per the next LOWER ship class. Then
you
>  >start filling out the last row with boxes, 'til it is as long as the
upper
>  >boxes. If you still have boxes left, you fill in the final box in
each 
>  >row, starting from the top. 
>  >
>  >Brian drew a diagram of it:
>  >
>  > 1	2  3  4  9 16 25
>  > 5	6  7  8 10 17 26
>  >11 12 13 14 15 18 27
>  >19 20 21 22 23 24 28
>  >
>  >...etc. As per MT's Superships, all treshold checks after the third
are 
>  >made at 4+.
>  >
>  >While this system is more complicated than the FTII one, it avoids
the 
>  >'CL is more brittle than DD" problem, as well as the "large capitals
are 
>  >invulnerable" one. Each ship in a class is about as brittle as every

>  >other ship in that class.

This system does work pretty well to bring capital ships down to Terra a
bit,
but it does produce a lot of gutted hulks.  All of those 4+ threshold
checks
get pretty brutal.  I would suggest that if using this system, that the
base
number of Damage Control Parties be one less than the number of damage
rows,
with the capacity to pay for an equal number of additional parties. 
Your
smallest ships just cannot spare the manpower, and besides they usually
just
go straight to the escape pods....  Your larger ships will suffer a lot
of
"temporary system failures" early in the battles as the DCP's are able
to
repair systems taken down in that first check or two, but as the parties
take
casualties, things get a little hectic.....

Later

Brian