Range Attenuation!

[Baron Munchausen]

Hey, modders! Remember the 'nebula system' idea where planet systems can exist in nebulas (system wide storms) making direct fire weapons far less effective? Well, I've had another brainstorm.

After months and months of wondering why it's so hard to balance torpedos in SE IV compared to SE III I went back and looked at it again. We've all completely spaced the way the old system worked. The APB in SE III would reduce all the way down to 1 point at the end of its range. In SE IV it's still doing about 3/4 damage at full range! This nearly erases the advantage that the torpedo weapons used to have! No wonder torpedos seem worthless. I think we need to make the 'fire every turn' weapons experience much more range attenuation to restore the balance among beams and torpedos and missiles. Not necessarily exactly as it was, but much closer to the SE III situation. Here's my first draft of a new damage arrangement for the APB.

Current Default:
20 15 15
20 20 15 15
25 25 20 20
30 25 25 20 20
35 30 30 25 25 20
40 35 35 30 25 25
40 40 35 35 30 30
45 40 40 35 35 30 30
50 45 45 40 40 35 35
55 50 50 45 45 40 40 35
60 55 55 50 50 45 45 40
65 60 60 55 55 50 50 45

Proposed Change:

20 15 10
20 20 15 10
25 20 20 15
30 25 20 15 10
35 30 25 20 15
35 30 25 20 15 10
40 35 30 25 20 15
45 40 35 30 25 20 15
50 45 40 35 30 25 20
55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20
60 55 50 45 40 35 30 25
65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30

It will at least get down to 1/2 damage at full range in this arrangement. This will make the torpedo weapons much more worthwhile, and it will even make the currently 'broken' Emissive Armor work better if we boost it a bit. You'll have to close in to do damage, even if you're using a mount. Thats what the old Emissive Armor in SE III made you do, too. Now if only MM would 'fix' Emissive Armor to reduce damage even when the hit exceeds tha ability. I have this 'memory' that that's what was intended... but I don't recall why. Why do I think that's what was intended? Does anyone recall where and when we were officially told how Emissive Armor was 'supposed' to work?