Re: FT: FTL and Streamlining

Richard Bell wrote:

>Once the mass cost of FTL went down to 10%, from 25%, of the ship, the 
>impetus
>to have tugs drag in non-FTL ships waned.  In FT2, ships could only use

>half of
>their mass for weapons and stuff; unless, they were not FTL (which
allowed 
>up to
>75%).	Mass for mass, FTL-equipped ships could not combat non-FTL
vessels.  
>FB1
>fixed this problem.

Kinda.	Several respected list members pointed out to me that since FTL 
costs a % of a ship's mass, it still leaves a Non-FTL ship with free
mass to 
add more weaponry.  So while FB1 addressed the imbalance, they asserted
that 
one still existed.

Examples (Simplistic for facility.  I am not proposing either as an 
operational design:

Mass 40

FTL version:

Thrust 6, 12 Mass
FTL	  +4 Mass
	 =16 Mass

Leaving 24 mass for Hull, Weapons, Etc.

Non-FTL Version:

Thrust 6, 12 Mass

Leaving 28 Mass for Hull, Weapons, Etc. (a substantial amount for that
size 
ship)

By requiring at least partial streamlining on Non-FTL for my background:

Partial SL,  4 Mass
Thrust 6,  +12 Mass
	   =16 Mass

Leaving 14 Mass (Same as an FTL ship)

It at least partially addresses the difference.

2B^2

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