[Spaceships] Custom weapon ranges

[the-red-scare]

I'm designing some custom beam weapons for use in a Spaceships scenario. For the basic combat system, I am trying to determine what ranges to assign. There are two slightly conflicting explanations for the measurement of the range bands. The first, which David Pulver once cited on these forums when asked what the ranges are, is the sensor modifier list on p. 44. This gives the following values:

Zero: 100 yd
Point-Blank: 100 mi
Close: 500 mi
Short: 2,500 mi
Long: 10,000 mi
Extreme: 50,000 mi

Then there is the Weapons in Ordinary Combat box on p. 66 which provides 1/2D and Max figures appropriate for beam weapons. These ranges are all in the ballpark, but there is some funny business going on where a close range (100/300 mi) weapon apparently can't do any damage at the range from the sensor mods (500 mi). Since the sensor list is an actual mechanic in use and the ordinary combat box says its values are abstractions, I'm going to assume the sensor values are more accurate.

That's great, but suppose my custom weapon has a designed range of 2,000/6,000 miles. Is that Close for 1/2D and Short for Max, or is it Short for 1/2D and Long for Max? What about a weapon range of 25,000/75,000 miles?

Put another way, does a range band begin at the listed value, end at the listed value, or the listed value is somewhere in the middle of the band? I am inclined to treat it like SM - if it falls between, use the larger and say extreme doesn't end. I know we probably can't know the actual official answer, just looking for how you would handle it.

[Rupert]

End at the range value listed, as normal. That said, I'd round a weapon with a range close to a slightly higher band up to that. In your first example, I'd call that weapon Short for both 1/2D and Max. For the second, Long/Extreme.

[Say, it isn't that bad!]

The sensor ranges seem like a general rule to me, while the weapon ranges seem a specific implementation of that rule.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by Say, it isn't that bad!

The sensor ranges seem like a general rule to me, while the weapon ranges seem a specific implementation of that rule.

The sensor ranges match the ones in the Beam Fire hit tables (p.58) and are just speed/range table values (the beam fire ones are adjusted by +30 so that 'point-blank' has no penalties, and thus include all the aim and Acc bonuses mentioned on p.66).

[Say, it isn't that bad!]

Originally Posted by Rupert

The sensor ranges match the ones in the Beam Fire hit tables (p.58) and are just speed/range table values (the beam fire ones are adjusted by +30 so that 'point-blank' has no penalties, and thus include all the aim and Acc bonuses mentioned on p.66).

While that is true, the topic is custom weapon ranges. I'd give the same advice for important custom beam weapons from Ulta-Tech into Spaceships.

"Specific overrides general" is a good working rule. "General subsumes specific" is also a valid working rule, but in that case, why use custom weapon ranges in the first place?

[Varyon]

Spaceships clearly already rounds for its weapon ranges, the question becomes one of direction. Note the 3 MJ, 10 MJ, and 30 MJ beam weapons all have the same range, then for the 100 MJ it jumps to ~3x the range (which works out to +1 SSR to range per +3 SSR to output). Now, the laser cannon from UT has the same damage (6d*10) and comparable weight (4 tons in UT, 5 tons in SS) to the 30 MJ laser in SS. To avoid the problems from atmosphere, we'll use UT laser weapons that give space range - the X-Ray laser cannon has Range 4,000/12,000 miles, while the graser cannon has Range 12,000/36,000; in SS terms, these would likely be 3,000/10,000 and 10,000/30,000, corresponding to S/L and L, respectively. SS doesn't distinguish between the ranges of X-Ray lasers and grasers, but S/L matches their performance there, so that looks like a good starting point for us.

What we see is that 30 MJ is the strongest weapon at its range (the 3 MJ and 10 MJ each have the same range), implying SS typically rounds up (at least after we round to the nearest value on the Size and Speed/Range Table). Your 2,000/6,000 mile weapon would probably be 2,000/7,000; this would round up to 3,000/10,000, for Range L. Your 25,000/75,000 weapon would probably be 20,000/70,000; this would round up to 30,000/100,000, for Range L/X. In other words, the SS range bands end at the listed values. At least, using the x-ray laser cannon as an example.

[Fred Brackin]

There are ranges in miles in Spaceships 3.