HlynkaCG, on 06 August 2014 - 07:37 AM, said:
Now I'll concede that the rule is ambiguous, the bonus is never explicitly stated. But if armor is allocated as a percentage of tonnage (just as structure is) then yes, Ferro should boost your max armor by virtue of giving more points for the same maximum weight.
At least that is how my particular BT/MW RPG group always played it. Otherwise, what reason would you have to take it over Endo, it was (depending on the faction and mech) more expensive, for less weight benefit.
Remember that:
1- FF is applied in half armor lots
2- Max armor value is calculated based on how much armor is possible to fit on the mech/vehicle. FF will give you more armor than Standard, but it still won't go above the cap for that mech's tonnage. For example 100 ton mechs all have the cap of 618 armor points (using MW:O values).
As for taking it over endo, that's because of repair costs. FF is costly to install, but takes less time to install, while endo costs less (not sure about that tbh), but takes longer to install. That is all before repairs are factored in.
Repairing a ton of FF armor, is cheaper than repairing a single busted Endo-Steel gyro. If you lose a section of your make, let's say a Side Torso, that will cost a fortune to repair if it's Endo internal and STD armor, than STD internal and FF armor.
Also, tech availability should be considered. It's always easier to get FF than Endo-Steel (most orbital structures used for manufacturing Endo tend to get nuked/destroyed whenever a war pops up.
Edited by IraqiWalker, 06 August 2014 - 08:05 AM.