Re: 4th Heavy Beams

On Thu, 3 Feb 2000, Sean Bayan Schoonmaker wrote:

> When taking damage and a BPS fails a threshold check, they are not
> automatically knocked out of commission. Instead, they are treated in
much
> the same manner as drives. The first failed threshold halves the
capacity
> of the system, making it equal to, rather than twice, its class. Its
power
> generation is reduced as detailed above. A BPS failing its first
threshold
> also looses all stored EPs. The second hit destroys the system and
inflicts
> an additional number of damage points equal to the number of EPs
currently
> stored in the BPS.

the mechanism here seems fine (although i would suggest that the first
hit
causes some hull damage, either from the EPs which can no longer be
stored, or from all of them, also causing a total discharge of the
capacitor; i think this option has been rejected already, though).

however, i query the intent: how do you justify BPSs taking two hits
like
drives, rather than one hit, like every other weapon system? a BPS-3 is
9
mass, the same as a hangar, and that only takes one hit. even a nova
cannon dies with one critical. this may be how it works in EFSB, but
does
it truly fit into the philosophy of FT2.5 weapons?

> When firing, each EP assigned to a BE allows one die roll. Subtract
one
> from this die for each full 6 MU of range, and the result is the
damage
> done to the target.

iow, guaranteed damage at ranges under 6 MU. i disagree very strongly
with
this. could we have -1 for each '6 MU or part thereof' of range instead?
that would chop 6 off the max range, but would get rid of auto-hit
(except
at zero range, but i can live with that :) ). perhaps the range
increment
could be made 8 mu to compensate; max range goes from 36 to 40.

> Screens and Kra'Vak type armor affect heavy beams the same way. Each
level
> subtracts one from the roll for each EP. Heavy beams are affected by
Human
> type armor in the same manner as normal beams.

how is damage split between armour and hull? given that this is supposed
to be a deeply gouging weapon, i suggest half on each, in the manner of
PTs.

tom