So maybe if you rake the target over the course of a fraction of a second, it's -3 tier. If you keep only sort of hit it on target (a full second or 2 on target), it's tier -2. If you hit it for almost all the time you meant to but suddenly something causes you to go off target (3-4 seconds on target), it's tier -1. And if you hit with the entire duration of the attack, say 5 seconds total, it's on tier.
This keeps the narrative based form of DRv3 intact while also meeting the needs of determining damage in a definitive way. GMs can choose to describe in terms of seconds if they're feeling analytical and numbers based, or in terms of narrative if they're focusing on that.
@Wes and @Fred - how are the damaging effects of beam weapons handled in DRv3? Does, say, a Tier 10 weapon capable of continuously firing for 10 seconds deals light anti-starship damage every “instant” of those 10 seconds - or does the Tier 10 value describe the sum of the weapon’s output over those 10 seconds?
same tbhclaim that it's fine since there are no rules against it