[Spaceships] Question about hull damage

[jacobmuller]

I use all those Pyramid updates plus the one that bases energy beams off square-roots as opposed to the RAW cube-root; IDHMNWM so not sure which issue it's in.

I also use a suggestion from the authors that AFVs are 70% armor... This means combat "ships" in my setting are very tough.
Ships are still one-shot killed by bigger ships but in an even fight it's more like three hits. Makes it a bit more NFL than FIFA.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by jacobmuller

I use all those Pyramid updates plus the one that bases energy beams off square-roots as opposed to the RAW cube-root; IDHMNWM so not sure which issue it's in.

"Square Root of Destruction," Alternate Spaceships, Pyramid #3/34, page 9. Note if your objective is to improve survivability, this is generally a bad idea, because it makes beam weapons a good deal more powerful.

Originally Posted by jacobmuller

I also use a suggestion from the authors that AFVs are 70% armor... This means combat "ships" in my setting are very tough.

Indeed. If going with this, it may be worthwhile to make use of "Smaller Systems" (Spaceships 7, pages 4-5) so that your vessel has more than 4 non-armor hull systems. While you've set your fighter as, say, SM+7, you can use the volume reduction of heavy armor and the Smaller Systems rules to have it function essentially as a really well-armored SM+6 fighter instead.

[jacobmuller]

Originally Posted by Varyon

"Square Root of Destruction," Alternate Spaceships, Pyramid #3/34, page 9. Note if your objective is to improve survivability, this is generally a bad idea, because it makes beam weapons a good deal more powerful.

Thank you.
It brings beams more into line with missiles.

[ToeFinger]

Originally Posted by Varyon

While you've set your fighter as, say, SM+7, you can use the volume reduction of heavy armor and the Smaller Systems rules to have it function essentially as a really well-armored SM+6 fighter instead.

That's a good idea that I had not considered before. This would fix survivability issues by increasing armor at the expense of somewhat reduced firepower.

There was another thing about hull damage that I was also thinking about. What happens when all the systems in the central hull section are destroyed? Does this leave the front and rear section cut off from each other? Would the front and rear hull be able to use systems located in the opposite hull section, transferring power points through a central hull section held together by duct tape?

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by ToeFinger

There was another thing about hull damage that I was also thinking about. What happens when all the systems in the central hull section are destroyed? Does this leave the front and rear section cut off from each other? Would the front and rear hull be able to use systems located in the opposite hull section, transferring power points through a central hull section held together by duct tape?

Considering that the ship is at best at -2xHP, that sounds about right: fore and aft connected by tangled wreckage and compartments open to vacuum. If it fails a roll to survive under such conditions, I'd rule it splits amidships.