Analysis of boarding parties.

[geoschmo]

I have done some analysis and come up with the following definitive results regarding boarding:

• Boarding ship will achieve success if attack strength is greater than defense strength of target ship. Ties go to the defender.
  
• Attack strength of boarding ship is total number of Space Marines of all Boarding party components on ship.
  
• Defense strength of target ship is total turrets from security stations + total strength of boarding party components (used for defense) + 16 for each crew quarter component.
• NOTE:There are two ways of looking at the boarding attack or defense strength of any component. The actual text file ability value, or the description of the component that is visible from within the game. For some reason Malfador has chosen to make these two numbers different. The ability value is multiplied by four for purposes of getting a number of marines or turrets. The crew component has an ability value of 4, which is equal in strength to 16 marines or turrets for the purposes of ship capture.
• Master Computers, Life Support, Bridge, Aux Control, and troops in cargo offer no assistance to Defense strength of target ship.
• Ship size does not factor into Boarding defense, other than the fact that larger ships require more crew quarters.
• Increasing the size or structure of crew quarters through a mod has no effect on boarding defense. However, they can be modded and given an additional boarding dfefense factor which will increase their strength.
• Racial characteristics do not appear to have any effect on calulation of boarding succes, for either attacker or defender.
  
  

I do not have any idea whether or not the various racial faciliites that offer bonuses to weapon damage in system have any effect. I would guess not, but I have not confirmed it.
Hope this helps.
Geoschmo

[ October 28, 2002, 16:47: Message edited by: geoschmo ]