Roger Malmstein wrote:
> On Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:00:34 -0000, "Jake Collins"
> <> wrote:
>
>
>> Yes, lasers and mass drivers deviate from the otherwise consistent FF&S penetration rating system - and both are the source of many problems in their own ways requiring 'house rules'.
>>
>> I have for the longest time used Rupert's excellent suggested 'fix' for the Mass Driver penetration issue.
>> Perhaps Rupert will post it again for Don's benefit.
>>
>
> Mass drivers are probably the only thing (except for chopper) that I
> never touched in FF&S, so I really haven't experienced any problems
> with them.
>
> What was the actual problem?
>
>
The problem is the same as the one underlying lasers - penetration is
linear with energy, and not with the root of energy. It's not only mass
drivers, but any weapon that uses the KE penetrator rules, and it also
results in a slightly messy interface between small arms and crew served
weapons. My fix did not addess the latter issue, as it was not, IMO at
the time, a major one. The linear penetration didn't seem like a problem
when you only used chemical and ETC guns, but with mass drivers you got
the effect that anything bigger than a 20mm gun could punch holes in
mountains.
What my fix did was change the table from a KE x constant system to
KE^1/2 x constant for most energies.