Sub-Command Centres

[AnotherDilbert]

Let's see what the effect of adding Sub-Command Centres are.

Take a random large warship, say a battlecruiser:

110 kDt, J-4, M-9, Armour 15, Hull 80 666, GCr ~75
Spinal Meson (2DD)
Launches 450 torpedoes (bays) and 2000 missiles (barbettes)
500 laser turrets, 60 PD batteries
100 Meson Screens, 100 Dampers
10 Sub-Controls Centres (for most functions at 400 Dt, trivial tonnage)

It's not a good ship, just a random mix of weapons. Missiles and PD are roughly balanced

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Let's fight it against itself, one ship with Sub-Command Centres and one ship without.

To not offend sensitive readers I will use un-enhanced crew with an effective skill of 4 (Skill 2 + Char 1 + Expert system 1 )

Let's start at Long Range to allow all weapons to bear.

The ship w/o Sub-Command fires:
Spinal: +4[gunner] +5[FireCntl] +1[aid] -2[range] -3[evade] -4[dodge] = +1, hit at 7+ (58%), average damage 2DD ≈ 7000.
100 Meson screens at +4[skill] +1[command] = +5 prevents average 100 × 28.2 = 2820 damage.
Average inflicted damage ( 7000 - 2820 ) × 58% ≈ 2424 damage.

It launches 450 MWNuke torpedoes and 2000 Nuke missiles that arrive next round and trivially hit.
PD by ship with Sub-Command:
500 turrets: +4[skill] +1[command] +2[triple] = +7, success on 1+, average Effect 6.0, average against Torp 2.8, average against MW torp 1.8
333 turrets kills 333 × 6.0 = 2000 missiles, leaving nothing.
167 turrets kills 167 × 1.8 = 300 torps, leaving 150.
150 MWNukes do 150 × 3 × ( 6D - 15 ) ≈ 150 × 3 × 6 ≈ 2700 damage.
100 Dampers at +4[skill] +1[command] prevent average 100 × 28.2 ≈ 2820 damage leaving no damage.

Total average damage 2424 or 3.0% of the enemy ship.


The ship with Sub-Command fires:
Spinal: +4[gunner] +1[command] +5[FireCntl] +1[aid] -2[range] -3[evade] -4[dodge] = +2, hit at 6+ (72%), average damage 2DD ≈ 7000 × 72% ≈ 5055 damage.
100 Meson screens at +4[skill] = +4 prevents average 100 × 21.8 = 2180 damage.
Average inflicted damage ( 7000 - 2180 ) × 72% ≈ 3470 damage.

It launches 450 MWNuke torpedoes and 2000 Nuke missiles that arrive next round and trivially hit.
PD by ship w/o Sub-Command:
500 turrets: +4[skill] +2[triple] = +6, success on 2+, average Effect 5.0, average against Torp 2.3, average against MW torp 1.3
400 turrets kills 400 × 5.0 = 2000 missiles, leaving nothing.
100 turrets kills 100 × 1.3 = 130 torps, leaving 320.
320 MWNukes do 320 × 3 × ( 6D - 15 ) ≈ 320 × 3 × 6 ≈ 5760 damage.
100 Dampers at +4[skill] prevent average 100 × 21.8 ≈ 2180 damage leaving 3580 damage.

Total average damage 3470 + 3580 = 7050 damage or 8.7% of the enemy ship.


The ship with Sub-Command Centres (effectively +1 skill) does almost triple damage (in this contrived example) and easily wins.


(Edit: Forgot Meson Screens...)

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Let's see what happens if we do Concentric Attacks instead:

The ship w/o Sub-Command fires:
It launches 450 MWNuke torpedoes and 2000 Nuke missiles that arrive next round and trivially hit.
Concentric roll: +4[skill], average Effect 3.1, DM on attack AND damage ~+6.
PD by ship with Sub-Command:
500 turrets: +4[skill] +1[command] +2[triple] = +7, success on 1+, average Effect 6.0, average against Torp 2.8, average against MW torp 1.8
333 turrets kills 333 × 6.0 = 2000 missiles, leaving nothing.
167 turrets kills 167 × 1.8 = 300 torps, leaving 150.
150 MWNukes do 150 × 3 × ( 6D - 15 + 6 ) ≈ 150 × 3 × 12 ≈ 5400 damage.
100 Dampers at +4[skill] +1[command] prevent average 100 × 28.2 ≈ 2820 damage leaving 2580 damage.

Total average damage 2580 of the enemy ship.


The ship with Sub-Command fires:
It launches 450 MWNuke torpedoes and 2000 Nuke missiles that arrive next round and trivially hit.
Concentric roll: +4[skill] +1[command] = +5, average Effect 4.0, DM on attack AND damage ~+8.
PD by ship w/o Sub-Command:
500 turrets: +4[skill] +2[triple] = +6, success on 2+, average Effect 5.0, average against Torp 2.3, average against MW torp 1.3
400 turrets kills 400 × 5.0 = 2000 missiles, leaving nothing.
100 turrets kills 100 × 1.3 = 130 torps, leaving 320.
320 MWNukes do 320 × 3 × ( 6D - 15 + 8 ) ≈ 320 × 3 × 14 ≈ 13440 damage.
100 Dampers at +4[skill] prevent average 100 × 21.8 ≈ 2180 damage leaving 11260 damage.

Total average damage 11 260 damage.


So in this example we do more than 4 times as much damage just by adding Sub-Command Centres.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Let's see what happens if we include a Recon Probe in the Concentric Attacks:

The ship w/o Sub-Command fires:
It launches 450 MWNuke torpedoes and 2000 Nuke missiles that arrive next round and trivially hit.
Concentric roll: +4[skill] +2[probe] = +6, average Effect 5.0, DM on attack AND damage ~+10.
PD by ship with Sub-Command:
500 turrets: +4[skill] +1[command] +2[triple] = +7, success on 1+, average Effect 6.0, average against Torp 2.8, average against MW torp 1.8 (technically we should include the probe DM, but I assume that is not intended)
333 turrets kills 333 × 6.0 = 2000 missiles, leaving nothing.
167 turrets kills 167 × 1.8 = 300 torps, leaving 150.
150 MWNukes do 150 × 3 × ( 6D - 15 + 10 ) ≈ 150 × 3 × 16 ≈ 7200 damage.
100 Dampers at +4[skill] +1[command] prevent average 100 × 28.2 ≈ 2820 damage leaving 4380 damage.

Total average damage 4 380.


The ship with Sub-Command fires:
It launches 450 MWNuke torpedoes and 2000 Nuke missiles that arrive next round and trivially hit.
Concentric roll: +4[skill] +1[command] +2[probe] = +7, average Effect 6.0, DM on attack AND damage ~+12.
PD by ship w/o Sub-Command:
500 turrets: +4[skill] +2[triple] = +6, success on 2+, average Effect 5.0, average against Torp 2.3, average against MW torp 1.3
400 turrets kills 400 × 5.0 = 2000 missiles, leaving nothing.
100 turrets kills 100 × 1.3 = 130 torps, leaving 320.
320 MWNukes do 320 × 3 × ( 6D - 15 + 12 ) ≈ 320 × 3 × 18 ≈ 17280 damage.
100 Dampers at +4[skill] prevent average 100 × 21.8 ≈ 2180 damage leaving 15100 damage.

Total average 15 100 damage.


So we can see that we almost double the damage output of missiles by adding a single Recon Probe to each salvo at trivial cost.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Let's scale back Concentric Attack to DM = 1 × Effect and Recon Probe to DM +1 and see what happens:

The ship w/o Sub-Command fires:
It launches 450 MWNuke torpedoes and 2000 Nuke missiles that arrive next round and trivially hit.
Concentric roll: +4[skill] +1[probe] = +5, average Effect 4.0, DM on attack AND damage ~+4.
PD by ship with Sub-Command:
500 turrets: +4[skill] +1[command] +2[triple] = +7, success on 1+, average Effect 6.0, average against Torp 2.8, average against MW torp 1.8 (technically we should include the probe DM, but I assume that is not intended)
333 turrets kills 333 × 6.0 = 2000 missiles, leaving nothing.
167 turrets kills 167 × 1.8 = 300 torps, leaving 150.
150 MWNukes do 150 × 3 × ( 6D - 15 + 4 ) ≈ 150 × 3 × 10 ≈ 4500 damage.
100 Dampers at +4[skill] +1[command] prevent average 100 × 28.2 ≈ 2820 damage leaving 1680 damage.

Total average damage 1 680 (w/o Concentric 0 damage).


The ship with Sub-Command fires:
It launches 450 MWNuke torpedoes and 2000 Nuke missiles that arrive next round and trivially hit.
Concentric roll: +4[skill] +1[command] +1[probe] = +6, average Effect 5.0, DM on attack AND damage ~+5.
PD by ship w/o Sub-Command:
500 turrets: +4[skill] +2[triple] = +6, success on 2+, average Effect 5.0, average against Torp 2.3, average against MW torp 1.3
400 turrets kills 400 × 5.0 = 2000 missiles, leaving nothing.
100 turrets kills 100 × 1.3 = 130 torps, leaving 320.
320 MWNukes do 320 × 3 × ( 6D - 15 + 5 ) ≈ 320 × 3 × 11 ≈ 10560 damage.
100 Dampers at +4[skill] prevent average 100 × 21.8 ≈ 2180 damage leaving 8380 damage.

Total average 8 380 damage (w/o Concentric 3580 damage).


We still have no chance to fail the Concentric roll and do dramatically more damage, too good!

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Let's also increase the Concentric check to Very Difficult (12+) and see what happens:

The ship w/o Sub-Command fires:
It launches 450 MWNuke torpedoes and 2000 Nuke missiles that arrive next round and trivially hit.
Concentric roll: +4[skill] +1[probe] = +5, average Effect 0.0, DM on attack AND damage ~±0.
PD by ship with Sub-Command:
500 turrets: +4[skill] +1[command] +2[triple] = +7, success on 1+, average Effect 6.0, average against Torp 2.8, average against MW torp 1.8 (technically we should include the probe DM, but I assume that is not intended)
333 turrets kills 333 × 6.0 = 2000 missiles, leaving nothing.
167 turrets kills 167 × 1.8 = 300 torps, leaving 150.
150 MWNukes do 150 × 3 × ( 6D - 15 + 0 ) ≈ 150 × 3 × 6 ≈ 2700 damage.
100 Dampers at +4[skill] +1[command] prevent average 100 × 28.2 ≈ 2820 damage leaving 0 damage.

Total average damage 0 (w/o Concentric 0 damage).


The ship with Sub-Command fires:
It launches 450 MWNuke torpedoes and 2000 Nuke missiles that arrive next round and trivially hit.
Concentric roll: +4[skill] +1[command] +1[probe] = +6, average Effect 1.0, DM on attack AND damage ~+1.
PD by ship w/o Sub-Command:
500 turrets: +4[skill] +2[triple] = +6, success on 2+, average Effect 5.0, average against Torp 2.3, average against MW torp 1.3
400 turrets kills 400 × 5.0 = 2000 missiles, leaving nothing.
100 turrets kills 100 × 1.3 = 130 torps, leaving 320.
320 MWNukes do 320 × 3 × ( 6D - 15 + 1 ) ≈ 320 × 3 × 7 ≈ 6720 damage.
100 Dampers at +4[skill] prevent average 100 × 21.8 ≈ 2180 damage leaving 4540 damage.

Total average 4540 damage (w/o Concentric 3580 damage).


Now we have roughly the same average damage output, but the Concentric roll creates greater extremes, we can roll badly and do very little damage or roll well and do very much damage.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Note that an investment of GCr ~2.5 (~3% of the ship) makes it totally superior.

That is roughly the same effect and cost as 17000 skill augments, enough to augment 13 entire crews over the lifetime of the ship. Easily worth it. That is why I generally assume warship crew-members are augmented...

 

[Linwood]

Given the impact that sub-command centers have on starship combat, are there logical reasons why a given navy might not use them?

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Not that I can see...

For large ships the tonnage of multiple bridges is trivial, but small ships can probably not afford too many of them.

 

[Condottiere]

I would have thought holographic controls are per bridge.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Certainly, but the cost is so low I default it to all bridges.