[Suicide Junkie]

Originally posted by StarBaseSweeper:
Maybe I got it.
Do you think it could be for the following reason.
2 ships:
Ship A: 150kt total struct, including 10*5kt "armor" (not defined as armor, just as decoy).
Ship B: 150kt total struct, including 1*50kt "armor" (decoy as well, no armor ability).

On the first hit, let's say 5Kt damage, we have for each ship:
Ship A: each "armor" has 5/150 chance to be hit. As there is 10 such components, the chance that armor is hit is 10*5/150=1/3. If the armor is hit, then it loose one armor (9 armor left).
Ship B: 1 armor, has probability to be hit 50/150=1/3. It will loose 5kt struct, but then it will draw fire until destroyed!

Second shot: let's say the first shot damaged armor. 5kt damage for second shoot.
Ship A: each armor has 5/150 chance to be hit. 9 armor left, so 9*5/150 chance to be hit. If hit, one armor destroyed (8left). We can see the probability of armor being hit is decreasing. Moreover, it will redo the random targeting everytime an armor is destroyed, making it more likely to hit other components.

Ship B: 5kt to armor. No other componant can be hit as armor is already damaged.

Would that be the explanation for the test you did?

No, as I tried to note, the light-armored ship had 50% more hitpoints on its armor (6k vs 4k)
If the hits were chosen as you said, then the light-armored ship should have had a tougher armor, and have lost weapons slower than the heavy armored ship.

Rather, in this case, the ship with much FEWER armor hitpoints, but larger hitpoints per armor component had its armor hit MORE often.