Fires
Fire is a major threat on board warships, both in reality and in Aurora v4.0. Damage control is a key factor in preventing such fires from gutting a ship. Up until now, damage control in Aurora has been mainly used for repairing systems after combat and therefore high damage control ratings were not essential. With the introduction of fires in v4.0, damage control ratings will become a significant factor in warship design. Fast reactions (i.e. high damage control ratings) to fires will be essential to avoid them spreading out of control.
When any system is destroyed, there is a 10% chance a fire will result. The strength of the fire will be equal to the HTK of the system that was destroyed. If multiple systems trigger fires, the fires will be treated as one large fire with the combined HTK of the affected systems. During each damage control phase, which takes place after movement and before combat, damage control teams will attempt to extinguish the fire. The percentage chance of success is equal to Damage Control Rating x (Length of Increment / Strength of Fire)
For example, if there is a strength 5 fire on board a ship with a damage control rating of 3 and the clock is advanced by 30 seconds, the chance of extinguishing the fire is equal to 3 x (30/5) = 18%. If there is a strength 10 fire on board a ship with a damage control rating of 14 and the clock is advanced by 5 seconds, the chance of extinguishing the fire is equal to 14 x (5/10) = 7%
If the fire is not extinguished during the damage control phase, there is a small chance it will either increase in strength or cause further damage. If it increases in strength, it will be by a random amount up to half the existing strength. If damage occurs, it will be a random amount between 1 and the strength of the fire. This chance is equal to (Strength of Fire x Length of Increment) / 20
For example, if the clock is advanced by 30 seconds, a strength 5 fire has a (5 x 30) / 20 = 9% chance of causing damage or increasing in strength. If the clock is advanced by 5 seconds, a strength 10 fire has a (10 x 5) / 20 = 2.5% chance of causing damage or increasing in strength.
I might still play around with these numbers a little, based on playtesting, but the general process will remain the same.
In space, there is an alternative way to put out fires and that is to evacuate the atmosphere from the affected sections of the ship. This is a drastic measure that could have serious implications for the crew and for equipment that is not designed to operate in temperatures close to absolute zero. I considered having this as a separate option with associated appropriate penalties but I decided that would be too much micromanagement. Instead, it is assumed to be part of the normal damage control process. Quick reactions to fires will probably involve this method. However, perhaps due to battle damage, system failures, the location of the fire or the presence of sensitive equipment, it will not always be possible. These types of situations could explain the circumstances for story purposes when fires get out of control
While fires are burning, the maximum increment allowed will be 1 minute. Otherwise, incrementing by an hour or so would guarantee to put out the fire without further damage.
Magazine Explosions
Secondary Magazine explosions have been fixed for v4.0. There is a 10% chance that any magazine hit may cause a secondary explosion. For the purposes of simplicity, it assumed that empty magazines will be hit first. When a magazine containing missiles is hit, the 10% chance is checked. If an explosion occurs, all warheads in the magazine will detonate simultaneously, probably with catastrophic results.
Steve