RE: General EMP Thoughts

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sean Bayan Schoonmaker [SMTP:s_schoon@pacbell.net]
> Sent: Friday, February 16, 2001 11:43 AM
> To:	gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu
> Subject:	Re: General EMP Thoughts
> 
> >  >Of course large ships are more powerful - and they have the
> >>point cost to prove it.
> >
> >Incorrect. Large ships are more powerful, but their points cost does
> >not reflect their privilige of taking fewer threshold checks than
> >smaller ships - and that is a quite big advantage indeed.
> 
> Both small AND large ships take 4 thresholds (though in select cases, 
> the small ship may take 2, 1, or none). I think what you meant to say 
> was that the larger ships have to take more damage before taking 
> their first. True. However, even though the same percentage of 
> systems will break in both cases, more systems will go down on the 
> larger vessels. In other words, the same percentage of MASS will go 
> down in both cases.
> 
[Bri] However, if you have 2 smaller ships of the same mass, they will
take
6 threshold checks to the larger ship's 3 threshold checks. Furthermore,
they will take them quicker.

> >Given the same thrust ratings and equipment mixes on both sides, a
> >single ship is invariably more powerful than the sum of two smaller
> >ships with the same total NPV due to the fact that the small ships
take
> >thresholds and lose weapons earlier even if they taken together have
> >the same total numbers of hull and armour boxes.
> 
> Assuming that same weapons mix and damage potential in both cases 
> (statistically speaking), it balances out. If we have a 40 HP big 
> ship vs. 2 x 20 HP smaller ships, each doing an average 1 point of 
> damage per 4 HP (10, 5, 5), they will all die gloriously together. 
> Even though the smaller ships make more frequent threshold checks, 
> the big ship must either split his fire or concentrate on 1. Let's 
> say that he concentrates, and at the end of turn 2, he has 20 HP left 
> (2nd threshold) and there is one destroyed and 1 untouched 20 HP 
> ship. The overall damage potential is still the same.
> 
[Bri] Your example is flawed in that the larger ship would not have
reached
the 2nd threshold by the 2nd round, but one of the smaller ship would
have
left or been "mission killed" by the 2nd round.. 
Turn 1 both sides take 10 points of damage. The 40 point ship (Ship Z)
takes
a 1st threshold check and is down to 8 points offense (30/4). The
damaged 20
point ship (Ship A) takes 10 points and is down 2 thesholds, so it is
down
to 3 points offense (10/4 = 2.5). The other 20 point ship (Ship B) is
untouched. Round 2 Ship Z takes 8 points of damage (22 left) but not
another
threshold check, so is still at 8 points offense. Ship A takes 8 points
of
damage (2 left); and a 3rd threshold check, so is down to 0 points
offense
(2/4); and leaves the battle (less than 1/2 last damage row left). Ship
B is
untouched. Round 3 Ship Z takes 5 points of damge (17 left); 2nd
threshold
check drops it to 6 offense (17/4). Ship B takes 8 points of damage (12
left); 1st threshold check, so drops to 3 offense (12/4). Round 4 Ship Z
takes 3 points damage (14 left); 2nd threshold check drops it to 4
offense
(14/4). Ship B takes 6 poinst of damage (6 left); 2nd threshold check,
so is
at 2 points offense (6/4). Round 5 Ship Z takes 2 points damage (12
left);
no threshold, so stays at 4 points offense. Ship B takes 4 poinst of
damage
(2 left); 3rd threshold check brings it to 1 offense (1/4); Ship B
leaves
the battle (less than 1/2 last damage row left). 
Results: Ship Z leaves with over 1/4 of its hull intact and 40% of its
offensive effectiveness. And this does not take into account that a
greater
percentage of systems are lost with successive threshold check, or that
larger ship can effect repairs more efficiently, or screens that
multiply
the imbalance.

> >  >We can save the Supership vs. Mixed Fleet debate for another time.
> 
> See above. While I don't deny that FB1 escorts would loose against a 
> larger ship of equal thrust, FB1 large ships have lower thrusts, and 
> FB1 escorts are mostly hampered by their lack of long-ranged weapons.
> 
[snip]

> Schoon
-----End Original Message-----

My comment above marked by [Bri]

---
Brian Bell
bkb@beol.net