wminsing wrote:I also like the .87^TL for miniaturization- I'd much rather each tech level buy me a small boost instead of seeing no benefit until TL 5.
Well, before I was just using fractional values written down to know what the "correct" miniaturization would be, but the formula is much better, and after double checking its output it does match pretty close to what I was getting from hard coded values. So that formula is the way we will be going.
After getting back from Origins, I have been working on getting the ship construction rules finalized. If not for the holiday weekend this weekend (and the fact that I need to get royalty payments ready) I would have a draft document ready for circulation.
As a summary to where ship construction has gone, we are looking at something of a hybrid of the Unit Size / Archetype models. Each Unit Size is associated with a specific ship archetype, so a SIZ 1 Starship is a Corvette, while a SIZ 6 is a Heavy Cruiser. Each archetype is then assigned a Maximum Mass value and Command Cost. This allows for differentiation between unit types without having everything be tied to formulas. This gives us better control when defining how powerful units should be relative to other units in order to provide a controlled environment for ship construction.
Starships end up with the following stats:
Construction Cost = Mass / 100 (round up)
This is the cost to build the unit. The more massive the unit, the more it will cost.
Maintenance Cost = Unit Size / 10 * Mass / Maximum Mass (round to nearest hundredths)
This is the per-turn cost to maintain the unit. The closer a unit's Mass is to its class' Maximum Mass, the higher its Maintenance Costs will be.
Maintenance Costs are no longer listed as fractional values, but rather as decimal values out to two decimal places. Thus a unit that normally had a MC of 1/4 would have a MC of 0.25 in Second Edition. The concept of maintenance groups is gone, though an optional rule in the Companion will provide a mechanic that will encourage players to build units in series.
Completion Time = (Unit Size + Mass / 100) / 2 (round to nearest)
This is the number of Construction Phases a unit must be under construction until it is completed. Larger units will take longer to build. Ditto for more expensive units. This stat also provides a reason for a player to not build a unit to its full Maximum Mass, as lowering the Mass (or selecting a smaller hull size) can reduce a unit's construction time.
Corvettes can be built in a single turn, while Heavy Cruisers will take about 8-9 turns to build. The largest superdreadnoughts will take 18 turns to build.
-Tyrel