This is all fascinating and exciting, but it also raises red flags about details, and there are a few things they didn’t speak on that have me concerned.
It sounds like life support can be enhanced to provide for more characters (PCs and NPCs) but this requires a greater power budget. So presumably, it will be easier to move your stealth incursion team on a Terrapin with an S2 reactor than a Pisces with an S1 reactor. Cool. Hot ships that are stretching their energy budget across a lot of energy weapons and shields are going to find providing for passengers difficult. Will there be times you tell the crew to suit up so you can divert power to engines, shields and weapons. Cool, cool, cool!
No mention on engineers running to replace ballistics. Leaves one wondering. This is something we were told would be possible on the bigger ships. I’ll be pissed if this gets lost in the shuffle as I have long planned to have several runners just to replace ballistics in Polaris turrets. Should be at least one on each side of the ship, and expect crates littering the oversized hallways.
No mention of the benefits of a workbench to repair components. Can we do a complete repair given time and a workbench? How much time? I have this vision of Chief Engineer running a mini game mid-battle to repair the Q drive. Need to see the utility here. IMHO, workbenches can’t have too much value. If your ship has one you should get mega-benefits (more reasons to prefer the Carrack over the 600i). Having grown up with workbenches both at work and home I can tell you very view appreciate the variety of intense advantages they provide. I have four dedicated workbenches aboard my Jedi Sojourner in ffg—takes up a huge portion of the ship.
No mention of the gravity generators found in all ships. No place to put them, or the life support systems, or the relays. And are we supposed to expect a revision of every ship to make room for these? Seriously?
I’m disappointed to hear they plan to make you melt armor before ballistics get full penetration. I realize they want to force players to cooperate to be effective but this feels like a step too far. Revenants should get great penetration on anything with armor shy of a Terrapin, IMHO. S4 ballistic cannons should penetrate the Terrapin, but not the Idris, etc. And what about components left in crates inside the ship? Will the crates protect them from penetration? So we all keep spare shields, coolers, etc. in crates on the floor of every Sentinel or Cutty?
One thing I was not clear on. You can replace S1 and S2 components with a hand tractor, but need the shoulder mounted version for S3 and S4? (And of course you cannot replace S4 reactors?)
I have to say despite my concerns, this makes me need to pee. Is this all missing from Sq42? Seems really late to be adding such radical additions. And damn, engineers are going to be so highly sought after. Scotty, beam me up!
