A Normal PBC masses 2.5 Times a P-torp.
Here's how the damage stats go (from quick calcs. Please forgive if I err in
my analysis):
Range Avg. Dam. 2.5xTorp 3xTorp PBC
0-6" 7.3 8.75 6.33
6-12" 5.8 7 6.33
12"-18" 4.4 5.25 4.22
18"-24" 2.9 3.5 4.22
24"30" 1.5 1.75 2.11
30-36" 0 2.11
The PBC is overpowered, especially at long ranges. I don't think the cost
compensates.
Putting cost and mass the same as 3xP-torp might be better, but I think
the
outer range bands give the PBC an edge over P-torps higher short range
damage, so Normal PBC looks better to me as MASS: 12+3/arc, Cost 4xMass.
If you want a "heavy gun" to simulate WW warships, another, possibly simpler
option is to group 2+P-torps or the "light" or "heavy" P-torp versions)
together as a single system and give it a new name without adding new damage
determination methods.
As for the GPL, it acts as a specialized (Based on PSB) threshold weapon
-as
dangerous to use as to be targeted by. The laundry list of systems affected
makes it complex to use, IMO, and doesn't include the primary gravitic systems
used in FT (at least by Canon PSB): Main Drive.
> bif smith wrote:
> I have ideas for some new weapons, and require help with balancing
Apart from the question why you'd want a space combat game to better
represent WW1/2 warships, I'm not entirely convinced that WW1/2
warships had any plasma beam cannon...? <g>
> High dammage potential vs greater mass required, especially for >heavy
"Roll same as a Cl.2 batt" means including re-rolls on the dice? In
addition to the re-rolls on the damage dice?
> *Originally used 6 mass=3 arcs, & 8 mass=6 arcs. Unsure of which >is
Depends on which dice exactly gets the re-rolls, but at the moment I'd
consider both variants (and the other PBCs as well) overpowered, but
modifying the re-rolls can change their values quite a lot.
> Heavy PBC (HPBC)
If the range and number of fire arcs is the same, double (average)
damage means double Mass - unless of course you change the Cost/Mass
ratio.
> GRAVITIC PULSE LANCE (GPL)
What the Cost/Mass ratio should be depends a bit on its Mass though :-/
> To Hit Roll=1D6, hits on a 5 or 6.
Let's see... on a KV ship that leaves the cargo holds (if any), scatterguns
and fighter bays (if any). The fighters themselves would be fried though,
unless their engines are radically different from starship engines. Human
missiles would probably suffer the same fate too, for the same reason.
> Acceleration compensators (ship loses DCP/Crew factors equal to
IOW, cruiser-sized or smaller KV ships are likely to lose all their
DCPs in addition to their weapons and engines. Not particularly easy to get
within 8mu of an *evading* KV ship of course, but it happens quite often if
the KV are *attacking*.
All in all I'd rather forget this one than try to balance it :-/
> Izenberg, Noam wrote:
> A Normal PBC masses 2.5 Times a P-torp.
If I understood Bif correctly the PBC would inflict (3 beam dice = avg.
2.4) * (1d6 with re-roll on '6' = avg 4.2) = on average 10.08 damage
points at range 0-12, etc. for the other range bands. And that's with
1d6 dmg per "beam DP" - double it if you use 2d6 damage per "beam DP"
<shudder>
However, the PBCs suffer the same degradation from screens than normal beams
do (or worse, depending on whether or not the initial "beam dice"
get re-rolls), so it should be compared to beams and not to P-torps.
Later,