p119:

A normal hand-weapon firing a normal shot would have a maximum of one hit possible - ie it is Str 1.

Firing on Semi 3 it would have a maximum of three hits possible - ie it is Str 3.

If it has the Storm quality it will do up to two and six hits respectively, despite remaining at S/3/-.

This is identical to voidship components.

However, if you're going to adopt the "fire twice" rule this point is moot

I originally liked giving broadsides the Storm quality. It was an elegant solution and stayed neatly within the rules system. I ran battle that way for a whole campaign and decided it didn't taste good. And, "if the wine is bad, throw it out." I didn't like only even-numbered hits, and giving all broadsides the same STR negated the differences of those broadside batteries that had STR 5, so I just split the firing into 2 die rolls so that a "competent" crew had an outside chance of hitting with its full potential (1%). Heck, even an "incompetent" crew can hit with all hits 1 time in 10,000.

I didn't like only even-numbered hits

This was my problem. I also like the "two chances to hit" as a way to represent the sheer volume of space filled with ordnance - you're bound to hit something .

I'm still using storm for broadsides, but capped the number of actual hits at the original strength. That said, I haven't gotten to use broadsides much in space combat so I may well change my mind on this.

Lances using tearing and reduced DoS are LETHAL. They're the fearsome shipkillers that they should be.

Lances using tearing and reduced DoS are LETHAL. They're the fearsome shipkillers that they should be.

Good to know. They haven't really come up in my game yet but I was considering EK's "fire once per point of Str".

Yes, I let them fire once for each point of STR and there are no range modifiers. That's completely in line with BFG. I also have shields go down for the entire round, not resetting for each firing ship. Those rules bring lances back into line as ship-killers without the need for Tearing.

HI,never posted anywhere on line before.But this is curious making.My question is what is mathhammer?

HI,never posted anywhere on line before.But this is curious making.My question is what is mathhammer?

I'm guessing you jumped straight to the end. Start from the beginning, and ask again please.

The common root of these problem is handling of salvo/burst fire as max(DoS,Strength) - which never worked well in RPG until it led to an even worse fix ("machineguns are for snipers" thing) from Black Crusade on.

That said, the way it's handled in 40k and BFG is also obviously incorrect treating shots in a burst/salvo as completely independent binomial experiments. Which isn't the case: since the burst weapon or battery aims once and fires a salvo/burst, each result has 2 random components: to-hit is common for all shots, while random scatter is per shot. But in those models very low detail level is an excuse.

One solution is to give a bonus dependent on volume of fire, but growing slower than DoS, e.g. +5 per point of Strength - thus +2 Strength gives +1 DoS if you hit anyway. This raises probabilities for low-medium BS or Strength and drops for high, compared to independent rolls.

I suspect it should be ~√(Strength) since random scatter is 2-dimensional, with diminishing returns (to cover Orky Str 2..9 range, hyperbole +8 +14 +19 +23 +27 +31 +35 +38 +8 +14 +19 +23 +27 +31 +35 +38 or maybe more round quasi-hyperbole +9 +15 +19 +23 +27 +30 +33 +35). If you want another table just for these increments. Then again, you won't look it up every shot except for Ork batteries with variable Strength, and it can be simply added at the end of weapon stats rows in the spreadsheet.

Lances may well shoot one by one, like in BFG, they have low Strength anyway. They could use ripple fire much like Pulsar, but IMO salvo vs. burst vs. ripple choice would be worth the trouble only if ships had reactions (evasion / brace for impact).