[FT] Min'n'Match Fighters (was: [FT] Multimode fighters)

In message <B18DDC5F1158D311A66900805FD4718102C7CA6A@vstasv1>
> "Robertson, Brendan" <Brendan.Robertson@dva.gov.au> wrote:

[snip]
> This also makes it easier to cost:
Hmm... This reminds me, I have, over the years, been considering various
possible FT fighter design systems with varying levels of detail (and success,
actually, none cot beyond the preliminary calculation stage,
so far :-( ) mostly with intention to expand the fighters to include
other 'small craft' (defined as space craft in the size range fighter up
to scout), enabling the design of short-range shuttlecraft, 'gunboats'
(bigger, nastier, less agile fighters), landers, etc. Also, if for some
settings you whant to use a fairly large basic MASS unit to stop your ship
designs having unmanagably large MASS values (ie. if your typical SDN in your
setting is 20km, you probably want 1 MASS to equal more than 100 tonnes). I
have yet to come up with a system I like, though I have an idea of what it
should look like.

Anyway, enough digressing, when considering 'compond' fighters, those
comprising features of two or more of the MT fighter types, I think (possibly
falsely), that simply adding the difference in cost from that of a regular
fighter may be a little underpriced, especially for more than two
capabilities. (Ok, fighter costings are a bit of an issue anyway).

My suggestion is to cost each capability using a cost multiplier, if more than
one extra capability is added, apply all the multipliers.

Thus, for the Fighter Capabilities listed in More Thrust:

With a regular fighter costing 3 points

Capability Cost Multiplier
Fast    x4/3
Heavy   x5/3
Interceptor* x1
Attack  x4/3
Long-Range      x4/3
Torpedo* x2

* Only one of these options per fighter.

So a heavy attack fighter would cost: 3 x 5/3 x 4/3 = 6 and 2/3
which rounds up to 7 per fighter

A Fast Interceptor is still: 3 x 4/3 x 1 = 4 points per fighter

A long-range, fast, torpedo fighter would cost 3 x 4/3 x 4/3 x 2 = 10
and 2/3, rounded up to 11 per fighter - and probably not worth it (Ok,
it has 9 CEF, but only 1 attack regardless)

A heavy, long-range, fast attack fighter is: 3 x 5/3 x 4/3 x 4/3 x 4/3
= ~12 points per fighter (rounded up) - thats 4x the cost of a standard
fighter!

This could be expanded to allow other mods, for instance, those on Jared
Nobles website (there is a link off Noam's WDA I believe), and eaven features
like 'Ace' or 'turkey' from MT

eg. (these are all open to debate) Capability Cost Multiplier
Large (4/fight) x 2/3
Small (9/flight)        x 1.5
Fragile (+1 to opponents attacks)       x 2/3
Atmospheric x 1 Ace x ~1.5
Turkey  x ~2/3
etc.

Well, any thoughts - and any suggestions for the small craft concept.