Walt Why only to 50%?
(Though certainly there should be some minimum so that low-penetration-resistant part can't go below 0.5 or so.)
Not really any reason, I guess I more meant that it shouldn't drop to 0.
Unrelated suggestion: maybe add a "rotate" command in addition to the move and attack/formation command buttons planned on the trello, mostly to help players aim ion beams and railguns. Rotate could be used to face the enemy ship, an enemy part, or a fixed direction. Issuing move or attack commands would not cancel the rotate, rather the ship would try to move towards the commanded point while still facing the rotate target. But setting a fixed rotation angle with the command handles on the move or attack command would cancel the rotate command. Rotate could possibly also adjust for aiming off-center spinal weapons, but it would need to be on an option.
nop I have nothing against scaling fire rate, as long as the scaling isn't too extreme (maybe something like 3sec @ 0accel and 5sec @ 20accel?). I worry that if small railguns shoot too quickly they'd start to feel like spinal cannons.
I also really like your idea about railgun slugs starting a fire on the last tile. It would be a small buff to small railguns, it would differentiate them more from ions, and it also reinforces the idea that ammo weapons start fires.
samepage Right now there is no reason to use multiple shorter rail guns rather than 1 or 2 super long rail guns. Not in terms of offense, defense, cost, or maneuverability.
3 or 4 mid-size railguns are much, much easier to defend against multiple attackers since they don't stick out hugely long on the back end. It's also a lot less risky - you won't lose all your firepower instantly. But they deal so little damage for the cost that I agree they're currently not worth using. Hopefully they will get buffed along with penetration changes.
