[Suicide Junkie]

The next step is figuring out what benefits are lost when you add armor instead of (for instance) a shield generator (or a shield REgenerator, or a weapon, or a supply storage component, or a solar sail, or whatever). SJ's example assumes that you'd replace shield generator(s) with the stealth/scattering armor.

I think that's a fair assumption, since what the algorithm does is to optimize the defensive strength of ship using only the space already allocated to shields.

I don't think SJ was claiming the 187.5 value was the break-even point, that was just a specific value for the effect of an extra 15% combat defense bonus, and he was comparing that to the break-even point he'd originally referenced. That effect needs to be compared to the size and structure of the component providing that bonus (i.e., stealth armor or scattering armor) and also compared to the size, structure, etc. of the components removed from the design to make room for the stealth/scattering armor.

Actually I was. That number takes into account the change in hitpoints, and the ECM bonus of 15%.

[ March 20, 2003, 17:51: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]