And seeing as how the whole point of this project is to fix what the book got wrong, there's no point keeping precedents it set that were the wrong ones.
Sigoroth and I have so far offered three different arguments why the price of range upgrade should be reduced:
#1. The extra dice you get from additional range simply don't add up to the extra dice you get from additional firepower.
Reduced maybe but not by much. Which is why I think 5 points is a fair increase from 45 cm to 60 cm. You get an extra round of firing. You can then lock on in the rounds immediately after which is a rather potent ability for WBs. Those I think gives it merit.
#2. There appears to be no such premium for range on Lances, which are better at range in every way.
Yes, probably needs to be fixed.
#3. As the additional 45-60cm on the off-side is so unlikely to be used, you are effectively paying double. This means for an a range upgrade to be worth +50%, the actual effectiveness has to be +100%. This is patently not the case.
Your counter-argument has been:
A: The rulebook says it's worth +50%.
Yes, we know the rulebook says that. It's WRONG, and that's why we're changing it.
That wasn't all my argument. I've also pointed out the argument in the reply I made to your #1 point. You seem to have missed that as well. In addition, your ship is now in the abeam profile and much better protected vs WB fire at an earlier point in the battle. Those are things which you cannot just discount nor price easily. The additional range IS likely to be used. You even pointed out the percentages yourself. You. Not me.
And any commander with 60 cm attacks would want to make sure that band is used as early as he can esp on a battleship with the right firepower. The problem actually is with the Retribution. Low FP and being forced to be used as a linebreaker. The updated 30-45cm band of the Retribution is the one which will not most likely be used because it would prefer to get in there and batter away. A ship with the right firepower (say your FP15 cm Invincible) and 60 cm weapons would prefer to shoot at range since you can get 2 extra rounds of firing and at least one of them on Lock On. Now the Overlord suffered because it only has FP8. If it had FP10 at the same points cost, I think it would be effective.
Now is it 100% more effective? Depends really on how one plays. One can play it by shooting at range. Another can play it linebreaking style. 2-3 turns of shooting vs 1? 1-2 turns of shooting on Lock On vs none to 1? You tell me.
