RE: (FT) beta variable hull rows

Oerjan wrote:
> In my experience ships with 3 rows of X hull boxes (for a total hull
> integrity of 3*X) are *not* harder to destroy than ships with 4 rows
> of X
> hull boxes (for a total hull integrity of 4*X) but otherwise identical
> equipment. Quite the contrary, in fact; in my experience 3*X-hulled
> ships
> are almost invariably *easier* to destroy than 4*X-hulled ones simply
> because it takes X fewer damage points to destroy them.
> ----------------------------------------------------

Glen wrote
> Some more grumblings from me:
>
> How can you say this?  The 3-row hull ship will have the same number
> of hull boxes as the 4-row hull ship, they'll just be in a more
> optimum
> configuration for taking less threshold checks.  It will cost more,
> but
> the end result is a vastly superior design over the 4-row hull ship
> for
> its cost.  This is why I think the current cost increase for 3 rows is
> not enough.

Glen,
Oerjan was not comparing ships with the same total number of hull boxes
while you are in those statements.

What Oerjan was saying is that a ship with 3 rows of X boxes (if X=10 30
hull total) should cost less than a ship with 4 rows of X boxes (40 hull
in
this example)

All other factors being the same, I think you will a agree that a ship
with
25% less hull should have a lower point value.	The problem is if you
bump
up the cost per hull for a 3 row hull to 4, you now make ships with 25%
less
hull cost much more than an identical ship with 4 rows.

Here is an example:

BB Testbed
Mass 132
Hull 40 (30%) - 4 Rows
NPV 452
Thrust 4
FTL
3 PDS
3 Fire Controls
Level-1 Screens
2 Class 1 Beam Batteries
3 Class 2 Beam Batteries (3 arcs)
4 Class 3 Beam Batteries (3 arcs)
2 Pulse Torpedoes (1 arc)

If we take that same ship and replace 10 mass of Hull with 10 mass of
cargo
and change the ship to a 3 row hull, the NPV goes up to 462 with a cost
of
3, and up to 392 when the cost is 4 points per hull.

So reguardless of points would you take the 40 hull 4-row ship or the 30
hull 3 row ship?  Yup, the 4-row ship will survive longer so it is the
better ship.  Now if you look at points and it actually costs less than
the
30 hull 3-row version....OK something is off on the point calculation,
and
making a 3-row hull more expensive won't fix that.

Dean Gundberg

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