[PvK]

I haven't had time to try playing a game with these mounts yet. I just read through the file.

I know what you mean about wanting to limit the number of mounts that appear on the pick list. That's another reason in favor of addind new tech areas just for mounts, so players only see mounts that they asked for through research. That, also, is one way to control which mounts the AI uses (if you mod the AI's) : if mounts have specific tech area requirements that don't overlap with other research paths, then you can have the AI research file specify which mounts they will research, and therefore, which mounts they will use. Of course, this means moddng the AI files, which may be beyond the scope of what you want to do in a mount mod.

The other way to control which mods the AI uses is to order them in the component enhancement file. The AI always choses the valid mount that appears lowest in that file. That can be used to give the AI default preferences, and as you know, by adding "ordinary" mounts below ones the AI shouldn't use, you can keep the AI from using mounts that are best for human designs only. (You do this with your "Normal Component" mount).

In reviewing your mounts again, I'm noticing that actually they seem more balanced than I remember thinking they were on my first reading of them.

However, here's a specific example of the sort of thing I meant:

Long Name := Pulsed Gatling Mount
Short Name := Pgat Mount
Description := 20% of cost of normal, 10% size, 20% damage, +20% to hit. 50kt min. Used to imitate a 'gatling' effect.
Code := PGat
Cost Percent := 20
Tonnage Percent := 10
Tonnage Structure Percent := 10
Damage Percent := 20
Supply Percent := 10
Range Modifier := 0
Weapon To Hit Modifier := 20
Vehicle Size Minimum := 50
Weapon Type Requirement := Direct Fire
Vehicle Type := Ship/Base/Satellite/Weapon Platform
Number of Tech Req := 1
Tech Area Req 1 := Smaller Weapons
Tech Level Req 1 := 3

In this case, Smaller Weapons is a fairly cheap tech that I (at least - can't speak for others) usually reasearch relatively early on. In this case, when I hit level 3, I would notice that with this mount I can suddenly cram twice as much firepower in the same space, halve my supply use per damage, and get a +20 to-hit mod, on all weapons.

In this case, I'd suggest adding an research-expensive tech area for Gatling Mounts to cover this and the earlier Gatling mounts you've put under Smaller Weapons. I'd also give them a range mod of -1 or -2, and change the supply mod of this one from 10 to 40-100 (gatling weapons, to follow the real-Earth analogy, consume [and waste] massive quantities of ammo).

PvK