Combat Points Ratings
A points system for Star Cruiser
by Bryn Monnery

Introduction

The necessity of a rating system for Star Cruiser ships has seemed obvious to me since December last year, when I had a brief argument offlist over ship effectiveness. So I constructed a scale.

In constructing the scale the most obvious indicator of the combat power of any ship was the rating of the vessels power plant. This I defined as the basis of the scale.

Next up, the tech level seemed obvious to define, so a factor for that was included.

Next, the armour rating was not modelled by either of these functions, so a factor for that was included.

Finally, the damage rating of all carried ordnance was taken as a factor to construct the final Scale.

Scale equation

The combat points value of a starship is defined by the following equation:

CPV = ( P * T * A * O ) ^1/3

where:

P = The rating of the ships power plant in MW.

T = The tech level factor, based on the stutterwarp drive TL. 1 for OC, 1.35 for OM/ NC and 1.82 (1.35 squared) for NM.

A = The armour rating of the ship, if zero, then count as 1.

O = Total damage of all missiles and submunitions carried, excluding any unlimited shot laser missiles, if none carried count as 1.

For ships which carry stutterwarp capable small craft other than missiles (fighters, drones or unlimited shot laser missiles), calculate each small crafts CPV seperately and add to the motherships value.

Sample Star Cruiser Warships CPVs

Frigates

Destroyers The Saschen is called a frigate on her Ship Status Sheet, maybe the Germans call her that, but she looks like a DD.

Cruisers

The modern cruisers, and obselete cruiser bunch nicely.

Capital Ships

An interploated grading system

From the above examples, it is possible to construct a grading system for SC ships, so that ship designs don't get too out of hand.

The hard part is placing the boundaries.

Rating player designs

The following table contains some player designs on the web, what they rated the ships as, and what the CPV rates them as:
 
Ship Designer CPV Designers Rating CPV Rating
Arrow Eamon Watters 41 Frigate Cruiser
Novik Mike Jasinski 79 Destroyer Capital Ship
Anzac Abraham Grubbler 157 "Principle Combatant" Super Ship
Columbia, mark 2 Wade Racine 225 Capital Ship Super Ship
Eagle Wade Racine 42 Destroyer Cruiser
Spitfire Wade Racine 37 Frigate Cruiser
Fury Mark Fletcher 102 Cruiser Capital Ship
Paris (assumes armour level 6) Mark Fletcher 80 Cruiser Capital Ship

This demonstrates the main use of the formula, as a play balance factor.

Using CPVs in NAM design.

The reason I developed the system was for my own designs. I looked at other peoples designs on the web, and generally couldn't reconcile the capabilities of some designs with GDW designs. I didn't want to be open to the same problems with my own designs so I developed this system.

I employ it before actually designing the ship.

Example: French Marechel class Destroyer.

I decide that she is a "mini-Suffren", with a 50MW fission plant, armour 4, and OM drive and a Ritage-1 pack.

Thus:

P = 50

T = 1.35

A = 4

O = 8 * 5 = 40

CPV = 22, which is within the DD parameters. Thus the design is valid