Jul 16 04:09 1998

To: Jerm

Copy to: Froccer
Copy to: Dan

From: Jert

Subject: Armour MD by location

Well, I guess my last mails didn't go through. I don't really have time
to repeat everything I had in them, but I think I'll just add my thoughts
on the item of Armour MD by location.

The way I see it, the head of a suit of body armour should have exactly
the same amount of damage as the rest of the suit affords. For starters,
this eliminates the 'single-shot call to the head' kills against NPC's;
and I would think that if you can kill someone with a single shot to the
head, every grunt with coalition military training is going to be calling
their shots at your head - making for an insanly high character turnover
rate.

The argument I keep hearing about the helmet having less MDC because it
doesn't have close to the same amount of material as the rest of the body
simply doesn't stand. I understand Dan's comparisons to today's Kevlar
suits, but Rifts body armour is not one of today's kevlar suits. Nor does
it even compare with the 'science' of today's military uniforms.

The majority of the body armour described in the Rifts books is
polycarbonates or other high-tech materials; and some of them specifically
describe how they are molecularly engineered with new Rifts Earth
technology. It is the molecular engineering; and not the amount of
material in the suit that provides the protection. I don't care how many
of today's kevlar suits you dress yourself in . . . no matter how thick
the padding is, you are not going to be able to survive a MD Energy Rifle
burst which could normally level a city building. And when the ENTIRE
SUIT of crusader armour only weighs 11 pounds (helmet included) there
can't be a hell of alot of material there. A 55MD helmet would NOT make
the head top heavy - It's the same polycarbonate material shaped around a
different mold. If anything, one may be able to argue that the helmet
visor itself may afford less protection . . . but if they can create MDC
windows and visors that are self-tinting depending on the amount of light
around you; I'm sure that they can extend this technology to make the
visors as strong as the rest of the suit. If not, then once again every
grunt you come up against is going to be shooting at your visor.

I don't agree with the argument that a Samas suit head (or any other power
armour) has typically 15-25% of the regular body MDC, and thus the
same should exist for body armour. Why? Because power armour and body
armour simply don't compare. They're two different (although somewhat
related in theory) technologies. In the case of Power Armour, which is
mechanicalized and motorized, weight is not a problem, and you can
probably extend the molecular engineering theory to different, thicker,
heavier materials or polycarbonates, thus allowing the much larger damage
capacities.

Thus, I believe all body armour (head, arms, legs, etc) has the same
rating as the main body rating. This does not eliminate called shots as
Dan argued, since called shots can be used to kill an opponent while
causeing minimal damage to his armour (which you may be trying to
salvage.) I think the whole reason called shots were included in the game
is to disable or destroy specific systems on power armour and vehicles;
not so you can shoot the next guy in the head.

If you still don't agree with me, look in the Rifts Manual. Compare the
Samas helmet (with 50/70 MD - I can't remember off the top of my head)
with the other standard Coalition helmets (for body armour). That Samas
head looks an awful lot like a standard officer helmet . . .

Talk to you later

Jert.