how is this possible?

If you have 20 attack, that means you will do somewhere between 0 and 20 points of damage per shot - just like his 5 attack will do 0 to 5 points. So ALL outcomes are possible. He could do 0 damage to you on his first shot, and you'd live - IF you did more than 10 damage on your first shot. The most likely outcome is probably mutual destruction, but it ain't certain.

He probably had defenses.

I thought in the case of a tie that the one with the most hps would win the battle..not just the attacker.

if both ships are destroyed does the "winner" matter at all? And there are random variables so about half the time your going to lose that fight because you do less then 10 damage. (by lose I mean be destroyed and he is not destroyed) And if he had defenses then your really in trouble.

If both ships die the ship with the highest max hit points wins.

I still don't get it. (I haven't played 1.2 yet) What does it matter who "wins" the fight?

Because the loser dies? The ship with the most HP will win in 1.2 if the last two ships kill each other in the same turn, with the victor coming out of the fight with 1 hp, and if they have the same max HP, the attacker wins with 1 HP. I'm pretty sure weapons have a minimum damage of 1, assuming the defending ship doesn't have defenses.

Would make more sense if the ships simply destroyed each other

Ohhh, I c. I thought they both just got destroyed. Sorry. Next time I should try a feature before discussing it I guess.

Because the loser dies?

Actually it does seems like the game requires that one fleet be victorious for some reason rather than show a result where both sides destory each other. I suspect the combat system *demands* a surivivor and winner , so when they changed the system to allow simultaneous and opened the possibility but both side destorying each other together, they just went with it rather than changing everything

Of course, the current system, where the ship with the most HP surivies, or the attacker (if tied in HP), might be added to give the attacker some slim advantage, but I doubt it since the advantage in this case is minimal to the point of invisibility.

oh i didn't knew that the attack was randomly, i thought 20 damage would do 20 damage and not between 0 and 20. also i thought the attacker won, but the highest HP wins, ok. than it all makes sence again. thanks

Actually this is not because of random damage. From the change log:

+ New Combat System: 1 on 1 Ship Battles:

If both sides kill each other in the same round, the ship with the most max hp will escape as the winner with 1 hp. If they have the same max hp, the attacker wins.

+ New Combat System: Fleet Battles:

If both sides kill off the attacking ships in the same round, the last attacking ship on each side is compared for max HP. The one with the most max HP survives with 1 hp. If they both have the same max HP, the attacker wins.

So the ship with one hitpoint looses because it has lower max hitpoints.