Re: UNSC designs

Beth Fulton wrote:
> 
> G'day Brian,
> 
> >> Hull integrity..... (OK this would get more complicated if you
tried to
> >> give different sections different hull integrities)
> >
> >Well, you could simply deal with that by saying that for 'reasons of
> >structural integrity' or some such ALL modules have to have the same
> integrity.
> 
> Which is pretty much what I did ;)

It is, I guess, the obvious solution (at least to anyone who watches
much sf on TV).

> >Alternately, you could simply have a collection of modules, and fit
them
> >together. You can even do this without having set 'final masses' just
by
> >rounding DOWN when you have to round (eg. thrust). ...
> 
> The biggest problem I have with that is Screens (I'd try and suggest
> something on that, but after analysing screens of numbers all day my
brain
> went into meltdown about 15 minutes ago, so I'm pretty much useless
right
> now).

Well, my standard response to that is the 'flexibility v. efficiency'
argument. Custom-made modules (at least in large quantities) defeat the
whole purpose of HAVING modules in the first place, so I normally say
that: "If the mass of screen generators is equal to or greater than 5%
(minimum 3 mass) (is that right? I forget) of the ship, the ship has
screen 1. Double for screen 2. Round down.

That would make a 10-mass Screen Defence Module (Avg. Hull):

3- Hull
3- Screen
3- Armor
1- PDS

As another example, a Point Defence Module (Avg. Hull) might have:

3- Hull Or, as I would do:	3- Hull
2- ADFC 				2- ADFC
5- PDS					4- PDS
						1- Armor

And and armor module might simply be:

3- Hull
7- Armor

(people who use weak hulls have an extra mass point which is probably
going to armor anyway, people with strong hulls drop one mass. I tend to
use average hulls, with at least 1 armor per module (again the
'structural integrity PSB- the crews are probably happier with the
thought that the connections between the modules are well-armored).

I normally group the modules together as individual systems damage
locations, with hull damage handled abstractly. If all the systems in a
given module are knocked out due to threshold checks, that module is
considered to have 'lost integrity' and broken off (note that that CAN
cut the ship in half, but (I've found) usually doesn't). Needle beams
can target specific modules (yes, quite a few needle ships DO show up
against my modular fleets (whose main advantage is the house rule that,
when playing modules, you buy modules individually, and then assemble
them into ships AFTER seeing your opponent's fleet (the flexibility
thing))).

> Cheers
> 
> Beth

-Brian