The Future for SE IV? Does it have one?

[Pax]

Originally posted by dumbluck:
OK, BB, now my head hurts. Cut that out!

Seriously, why would you want reload rates in fractions? You'd want reload rates in multiples. After all, if there are 10 impulses in what now constitutes a turn, a CSM has a 30 impulse reload rate. APB has a reload rate of 10 impulses. Surely you don't want to have anything with a reload rate of 1 impulse!!! (can you say, "uber-weapon"? )

With a turn-length of 10 impulses, you might want a low-damage PDC with a reload cycle of 2 impulses (5 shots per turn), to represent a fast-firing, ultra-low-caliber defensive weapon. Or halve it's damage and give it a reload cycle of 1 impulse. Bang away every impulse, for piddling damage. Would be nice in that, for low to-hit situations, at least SOME of your PDC would hit every turn,a nd eventually ... it'd rack up some damage, which is better than none, on every impulse.

AND ... that'd make Fighters with Emissive Armor more interesting; if those 1-per-impulse PDC did 5 damage each, then, Small EmAr III would become -very- useful. Yet the PDC, even if it hit a non-EmAr target, would only do 50 damage over the whole turn, so it'd not be ludicrously overpowered IMO. Especially if much-shorter-range than normal PDC.

[dogscoff]

say red if it can fire, yellow if it can move, orange if it can do both.

Or maybe some other colours completely, since some ppl have troubling distinguishing between those three...

Chromatic nitpick aside... you wouldn't have to have fractional shield regeneration. If the minimum of 1 shield point regenerated per impulse is still too high, just multiply all shield, weapon & damage Ratings up by a common factor (say 10) and then recalculate the number of impulses needed for regenerators.

In other words, the minimum of 10 shield points regeneration per turn wouldn't be a big deal, if a shield generator I produced 500 points and a DUC I did 150 damage.

[Suicide Junkie]

What's the big deal about the minimum regen rate?

Just have a 5 point/turn regenerator provide one point every other impulse.
Or, equivalently have a reload rate for regenerators.