Re: DS2: Design questions of my own.

Eric Foley wrote:
>I don't understand the "fixed" cost rationale at all.	Reactive armor
is 13
>points added to the BVP for a size 5 vehicle, which translates to a
maximum
>of 34 total extra points for a FGP powered grav or combat walker that
will
>affect any explosive projectile's effects... SLAMs, IAVRs, close
assault
>(HUGE in urban combat), GMSs, the whole enchilada.
>
>APFCs are 25 points for a size 5 vehicle, and will only matter in close
>assaults and IAVR hits.  In addition, it takes up 1 capacity.	Superior
PDS
>takes up 4 capacity, costs 60 points, and only matters for GMSs. 
Neither
>system will give you any help at all against SLAMs... no, not usually
that
>big a deal, but someone might get tempted to carry them for infantry 
>effect,
>mass damage, or both.
>
>So you've got a "fixed" cost of 5 capacity that otherwise isn't used,
and 
>51
>extra points in order to defend against fewer things in the end.
>(Presumably, the vehicle will have ECM anyway.)
>
>Perhaps it's just a philosophical difference on my part, but I'd rather
put
>the reactive armor and ECM in front, leave their capacity free for 
>offensive
>weapons, and if they need additional help against missiles they can
stay
>close to the ZADS units that will probably be around anyway, which have
an
>added bonus of defending against air assault as well.

Oh, rest assured, there are ZADS around.  But ZAD defense gets
diminished 
returns against multiple GMS, PDS does not.  As for the Adding more 
offensive weaponry, I believe a MBT should have 1 very big gun.  Period.
 I 
don't like multiple mounts or multiple offensive systems on an MBT. 
Leave 
that to the fire support vehicles.  Whatever armor my MBT has, it will
STILL 
have a PDS and APFC.  The added protection the reactive armor adds on
top of 
those seems a little excessive, since I don't think it adds as much 
protection as it costs.

Brian B2

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