It becomes a function of the percentage mass requirements of the FTL drive.
The 10% mass of the FTL drive (FB) makes the dedicated System Defense Boats
not as cost effective under the FT2 game. With a 25% bonus in mass, an
identical mass SDB can pack a tremendous punch.
The character of the game can be radically changed if the mass requirements
for the FTL drive were changed (via a house rule) to 30% or 50%. I could see a
campaign game situation where one race has different FTL requirements or if
the FTL mass is an item available for research up a technology tree.
> Thomas Barclay wrote:
> Jeremey spake thusly upon matters weighty:
> The character of the game can be radically changed if the mass
Or points cost increased.
> I could see a campaign game situation where
> On Wed, 5 Aug 1998, laserlight wrote:
> > The character of the game can be radically changed if the mass
I personally don't like this idea, as the FTL really has little effect on most
FT games, so paying such high costs for it seems strange, the increased mass
seems to be more representative of different tech levels to me. In a campaign,
of course, FTL provides much more significant advantages and point cost
changes are appropriate.
> > I could see a campaign game situation where
> > > The character of the game can be radically changed if the mass
Well, for a one-off, you are right. For any campaign, the FTL tech
(if you take the larger view) makes a lot of difference. Just like the FTL
speed of comms discussion shapes the universe a lot (does
comms go faster than transit speeds - old thread well hashed in the
archives), so does the FTL tech weight and cost. If FTL is expensive, loses of
FTL ships are punishing. If FTL is big and bulky, attacking systems against
non FTL ships will be painful as (mass for mass) they are better armed and
armoured since they don't have to shell out a lot of space and weight for FTL
gear. So I think such distinctions actually make a world of difference in a
lot of campaign style games.
Tom.