Dundradal said:
4 MkIV torps barely scratched a Hakaga...I think it is going to take slightly more than the torps of 3 crossbows to damage one of them nevermind destroy one...
According to page 260, the four torpedo hits took all three forward launch bays out of service. I think that one torpedo per launch bay and two torpedoes each per engine/bridge would be balanced--with two bridges and six engines that would require twenty-two torpedoes to down a Hakaga if the launch bays must also be killed, sixteen if engines and bridges are sufficient.
For gameplay purposes I would think that a strike force about twice what we had against the Snakier in Episode 3 would feel about right. Six each of Crossbows, Sabres, and Rapiers from the Firekka (More Sabres would fill in for any missing Crossbows, and the remaining Rapiers stay behind to protect the Firekka), and six each of Broadswords, Sabres, and Epees from the fleet.That makes 36 friendlies on-screen.
Now, as for the four-torp limit for the Crossbow, this was a game engine limitation. WC2 ships were limited to sixteen weapons (with "weapons" meaning guns + missiles + torpedoes + turrets). The Crossbow had five guns, one turret, and two chaff pods. This left eight slots for missiles and torpedoes. It could have abandoned the chaff pods in favor of more torps, but that would have required a mission that needed them--the designers would have had to toss in an extra gratuitous Fralthi or something.