Re: [FT] Kra'Vak Design Test (for discussion)

I'm sorry I wasn't able to bring this up earlier (I'm still trying to 
catch up on the mail this list has generated lately).

First of all - I like many of the suggestions that have come across the 
mailing list lately.  However I'd like to point out a potential balance 
problem with the hull portion of one of the suggestions.

>FT2.5 Kra'Vak
>
>Kra'Vak Ship Design Procedure

[some snipping involved]

>Step 2:
>Choose the HULL INTEGRITY level for the ship, from the following five 
>options:
>
>FRAGILE hull - 10% of total MASS = 15% of total MASS for DAMAGE TRACK
>WEAK hull - 20% of total MASS = 30% of total MASS for DAMAGE TRACK
>AVERAGE hull - 30% of total MASS = 45% of total MASS for DAMAGE TRACK
>STRONG hull - 40% of total MASS = 60% of total MASS for DAMAGE TRACK
>SUPER hull - 50% of total MASS = 75% of total MASS for DAMAGE TRACK
>
>POINT COST = 3 per MASS

I like the differences in the mass allocated versus effective mass for 
damage purposes.  The problem lies with the cost.  The cost above takes 
into account only the damage boxes added.  There are other cost savings 
to occur when pricing other portions of the ship out (ex. FTL, and Main 
Drives).

For example compare the starting figures on two similar ship designs,
one 
KV and one Human.

KV:
Mass	     mass 100  cost 100
Weak Hull    mass  20  cost  60
FTL	     mass  10  cost  20
Main (4)     mass  20  cost  40 (assuming standard Human engines for
this 
example)

This leaves 50 mass available for other items, a total of 30 boxes for 
hull damage, all at a cost of 220.

Now on to the Human example:
Mass	     mass 100  cost 100
Avg Hull     mass  30  cost  60
FTL	     mass  10  cost  20
Main (4)     mass  20  cost  40

This leaves only 40 mass available with the same ability to take hull 
damage, costing the same 220.

If you modify this example so the KV has a strong hull (or better) and 
change the mass of the Human vessel to make it possible to have the same

number of hull damage boxes the cost is favors the KV more.

My suggestion is to increase the cost to 4 per mass of hull.

Kra'Vak armor is both more dense and more effective than the human 
equivalent. Armor must be purchased in 2 point increments.

Something similar happens when looking at the armor costs as well.

>2 Points Armor - 1 MASS
>POINT COST = 2 per MASS

This is the same price that the human ships pay for each MASS of armor, 
however the KV are getting double the benefit.	I would prefer to see
the 
cost more in the neighborhood of 5 per MASS of the armor.

Well... that's my comments for the moment.  Thanks for looking at them. 

If this has already been mentioned or mulled over please accept my 
apologies as I've probably not gotten to that message as of yet.

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Kevin Walker			 Mac Developer / Software Engineer
sage@millcomm.com		 sage@wamnet.com
Rochester  MN  USA		 WAM!NET
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