New cheaper adv tech

[AnotherDilbert]

Example build: Meson cruiser (J3,9G,Prot15) minimum meson spinal (6 kT)

Budget Drives: 50 kT, Hull 25 000, GCr36.5
Default Drives: 40 kT, Hull 20 000, GCr35.4
Upteched Drives: 30 kT, Hull 15 000, GCr28.5

Budget Drives are clearly better than Default drives, same cost more Hull points.

Budget vs Upteched: the Budget ship is 28% more expensive, but has 67% more Hull, which I would call even. At the same cost one side has 30% more weapons, but the other has 30% more Hull, hence takes 30% more damage. But the Budget ship has more hardpoints with turrets as secondary armament, giving it a slight advantage. Conclusion: In this case Budget drives are still better, surprisingly.

Conclusion: Budget drives still worth it, surprisingly.

 

[Chas]

Yep, I was humming and hawing about that 20% wondering. This is the same argument as it works if the TL advantage costs are driven up sky high and then the budget ship is unbeatable, which is what we are seeing in the rule set as written.

A good indication that the current rule set does need changing. Do you think the budget drive still needs crimping?

My suggestion here (and some relates to my last post on the Why are... thread would be)

Cut the budget version down to 10% price advantage.

Add 5% cost increase per TL advantage used.

We can only apply budget once, but we allow multiple TL advantages or disadvantages to be applied (max 2 of any 1 though) per my suggested paradigm of building TL - component TL.

Edit: multiple