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Thread: Ablative Armor options

  1. #1

    Ablative Armor options

    Okay, this has been my one serious complaint about the CODA starship system. Other than the ablative armor rules, the system is hands down the best I've seen for space opera combat. Good job.

    Anyways... its been covered that you can get 5 structure for the same cost as Ablative armor AND be able to repair it outside a spacedock. I'm wondering what people have done in house rules to make Ablative armor worth getting.

    My ideas:
    1) Make ablative worth more structure. I was thinking somewhere between 7 and 10. Probably ten to keep the increments the same.

    2) Ablative armor absorbs so much damage the first time its hit, then the second time... etc. Like 5, then 4, then 3... Might start a lower number.

    3) Increase protection number for so many attacks. Similar to the Scorpion Evasion maneuver. If it would have hit without the extra increase in the protection number, you lower the modifer until it hits zero. I was thinking about starting off with a +2 or +3 increase to the protection rating.

    What have other people tried? OR which sounds like the best option? Thanks.

  2. #2
    As I understand it, you don't take crititals when you lose ablative armor.

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    Kodiak has a point. Normally, when you take 5 point sof structure damage, you take damage to one or more primary systems. When you lose your 5 points from Ablative Armor, you do not take that system damage.
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  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Originally posted by Kodiak
    As I understand it, you don't take crititals when you lose ablative armor.
    Correct. It's a "free" block.

    I will admit I'm not entirely happy with AA (and I wrote the rules!) and it's a difficult beast to handle. On one hand AA is supposed to make a ship tougher but then the Defiant was constantly getting spanked around. Then we find out AA is apparently in short supply, so not all ships can have it. Okay, AA is now a little 'rare' and special, so there needs to be a 'cost' that you have to pay to use it. Then we learn it screws things up like cloaking devices and has other little problems.

    Of your suggestions, if you want an opinion, I'd treat it as hull plating, providing a vessel, even without shields, a superior Protection rating. That, plus the 'free' row of structure and no system damage check, would make it a bit more inviting.

    But, remember, if AA was so great, had no drawbacks, and was so easily available every UFP ship would have it--and they don't.

  5. #5
    Maybe it presents a number of engineering problems and or can't be replicated?

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