Arkcon, that was
me that suggested ordinance.
Weapon components could have an ordinance storage ability and you would only get ordinance from resupply depots or ships bringing it from resupply depots. No 'build missiles in space with solar energy' stunts! But I think the same thing could be done even more simply. Just have weapons that use actual physical amunition track their own amunition. A missile launcher should have a number that is decremented every time you fire. When it hits zero, no more shots. Now you have to go back to a resupply depot to reload. I think MM could implement that even in SE IV. Now, some people might get angry at not being able to 'move ammunition around' between components of the same type outside of combat, and implementing that might be difficult. But other than that one issue I think it would be fairly simple to do.
Note that I suggested
some weapons might use both energy and ordinance, like torpedos. In Star Fleet Battles, at least, you do 'charge' a torpedo. But most would be one or the other.
[ July 12, 2002, 17:24: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]