Tech Level Differences

Although the addition or subtraction of mass for a system or the leaving
of
a few percent of waste space is one way to represent inefficient design,
it
comes up lacking in one or two particulars. 

One way it falls short is that their are qualitative differences between
technology levels. It isn't just that a modern missile system is lighter
for
the same effective punch, it also probably has more range. And the
sensor
suite backing it up, in addition to being smaller, is far more
sensitive. 

What does this mean? Lower tech in FT (and to one extent or another in
DS2
and SG2) ought to be reflected in a way that represents varying
capacities,
not just heavier (for oldtech) or more costly (for newtech) systems. 

Things such as
	- reduced or increased range
	- reduced or increased efficacy (damage for weapons...)
	- reduced capability (slower launch rates for fighters, lower
thrust
for engines). 

Some of these things give themselves to being modelled mass-wise. Some
don't. Sensors strike me as one example of a system whose limits change
dramatically as tech changes. A ship with sensors say 10 years out of
date
might have half the effective range of a modern one. 

I'm not saying I have the answer (cuz I don't just now), but the idea
that
just omitting a few percentage points of mass is sufficient strikes me
as
incomplete. It's a reasonable starting point and it'll do until we can
think
up a better method, but it isn't the full picture. 

------------------------------------------
Thomas R. S. Barclay
Voice: (613) 722-3232 ext 349
e-mail: tomb@bitheads.com

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