Anti-gravity <> anti-mass

[Anonymous]

Make sure you file the patent...

It's OK for the rules to allow for multiple options if the rules are designed to be setting neutral and generic, when it's a setting specific detail, it really should be handed out by the authors. Yeah, Mongoose, looking at you!

I guess we could start a poll to see what people think is the best option?

What are the options, someone care to list them all in one post? (I would but I'm heading to the pub, there's beer to be drunk).

 

[Anonymous]

Make sure you file the patent...

If I invented free energy or anti-gravity i would open source the design, and let everyone use it for free. There are enough problems on Earth that energy production or transport should not be one of them.

 

[simonh]

It's OK for the rules to allow for multiple options if the rules are designed to be setting neutral and generic, when it's a setting specific detail, it really should be handed out by the authors. Yeah, Mongoose, looking at you!

That's fair enough except that Mongoose don't own the setting, and person that does has flip/flopped on this several times.

Personally I have no problem with different GMs and groups coming up with their own answers to these questions that suit their preferences, even if they are all playing in the OTU. But then I don't really give a fig about canon and never have. I mean I love reading published material, and it's a nice bonus when that material is consistent, but I interpret that material into my games according to my own preferences.

Simon Hibbs

 

[Reynard]

Who doesn't from time to time. At least we all have the same familiar foundation to jump off in different directions. Can't do that easily with the vast majority of Scfi RPGs past or present.

 

[Anonymous]

It's sad that you're required to make up your own stuff as the canon is broken.

Not all games have it this bad - quite a few have consistent backgrounds and provide sufficient guidelines to enable you to make reasonable techical decisions on their pseudo-scientific stuff.

The main problem is that people don't want realism, or they do, but don't actually understand the subject to begin with.

 

[-Daniel-]

Not all games have it this bad - quite a few have consistent backgrounds and provide sufficient guidelines to enable you to make reasonable techical decisions on their pseudo-scientific stuff.

I wonder how many of those other games have been through as many publishers, editions, era changes, and author changes? I would imagine Traveller is unique in this issue. :wink:

 

[Reynard]

The majority of them disappear even when licensed with a popular media story. Star Trek and Star Wars is no guarantee for longevity. I should know as I have a game room loaded with them. A couple few years and dust on the box.

 

[Condottiere]

Fisics is ideal, since the point being is to make it sound plausible.

Flying saucers could have their manoeuvre drives on a turn table.

 

[Meeko100]

I'd just say that the majority of the M-drives space is to reduce the effective mass of the ship, with a smaller reaction drive that was extremely efficient that it wasn't worth mentioning the refueling of it. Or, make not of it and set more space aside in designs for fuel for it. I just say it is advanced plasma rocket (like the Vasimr) and that it just skims the hydrogen already in there for use.

The on-board gravity generators could work by magnifying the force of gravity locally on the ship, but not extending out of it. It wouldn't really be affected by the mass reduction, since everything on board was getting reduced equally. And the air/raft still would work, because the change to that doesn't change the idea of anti-gravity drives needing mass (and gravity) to work against.

Huh. I've been thinking about this as well, so its rather nice to get a good answer out of myself.

 

[simonh]

I'd just say that the majority of the M-drives space is to reduce the effective mass of the ship, with a smaller reaction drive that was extremely efficient that it wasn't worth mentioning the refueling of it. Or, make not of it and set more space aside in designs for fuel for it. I just say it is advanced plasma rocket (like the Vasimr) and that it just skims the hydrogen already in there for use.

If the rocket is small enough not to be a big factor in the design, why not pile in more of them? If you double or quadruple the number, you should get proportionately higher thrust for very little cost and still very low (if no longer negligible) fuel requirements.

Simon Hibbs

 

[Meeko100]

I'd just say that the majority of the M-drives space is to reduce the effective mass of the ship, with a smaller reaction drive that was extremely efficient that it wasn't worth mentioning the refueling of it. Or, make not of it and set more space aside in designs for fuel for it. I just say it is advanced plasma rocket (like the Vasimr) and that it just skims the hydrogen already in there for use.

If the rocket is small enough not to be a big factor in the design, why not pile in more of them? If you double or quadruple the number, you should get proportionately higher thrust for very little cost and still very low (if no longer negligible) fuel requirements.

Simon Hibbs

Maybe when I said small rocket, I meant just with fuel being small and forgettable. Half of the tonnage assigned to the M-drives could be the engines, and half to mass nullification perhaps.

Its entirely possible that what you said is how the ship design works since the ships seem capable of pulling 2-3 g's of acceleration with some mods to your everyday free trader.

 

[dragoner]

I'd just say that the majority of the M-drives space is to reduce the effective mass of the ship, with a smaller reaction drive that was extremely efficient that it wasn't worth mentioning the refueling of it. Or, make not of it and set more space aside in designs for fuel for it. I just say it is advanced plasma rocket (like the Vasimr) and that it just skims the hydrogen already in there for use.

If the rocket is small enough not to be a big factor in the design, why not pile in more of them? If you double or quadruple the number, you should get proportionately higher thrust for very little cost and still very low (if no longer negligible) fuel requirements.

Simon Hibbs

Maybe when I said small rocket, I meant just with fuel being small and forgettable. Half of the tonnage assigned to the M-drives could be the engines, and half to mass nullification perhaps.

Its entirely possible that what you said is how the ship design works since the ships seem capable of pulling 2-3 g's of acceleration with some mods to your everyday free trader.

Shades of Alastair Reynolds' Redemption Ark, where they had reduced inertia due to interaction on the quantum level, which could explain the inertial compensation as well. The a simple ion propulsion unit could be used. Interesting thought experiment.

 

[Imeanunoharm]

We discussed this before. I decided Grav Vehicles (as opposed to ships) puttered out in geosynchronous orbit. It's easier that way.

Spaceships, well that's a different story...

 

[phavoc]

We discussed this before. I decided Grav Vehicles (as opposed to ships) puttered out in geosynchronous orbit. It's easier that way.

Spaceships, well that's a different story...

That's been the norm, with a few exceptions, for all the versions. I do like the clear delineation between a grav vehicle and a spaceships grav-based thruster.

The old DGP Starship Operator's Manual discussed how grav thrusters worked. I thought there was a bit of a flaw in their model, but overall the book did a good job explaining some of the starship operations. I would not mind another well-done book that explained these sorts of things. The DGP books did prove that there was a (Traveller) market for high-quality fluff that rounded out a gaming system.

Then again, those of us stupid enough to continue to re-purchase the same game system over and over prove something else, too.

 

[dragoner]

Spaceships, well that's a different story...

The grav plates (deck) and inertial compensation sort of break with the paradigm of the antigravity working off a mass. Simple lifters for grav vehicles is fine, yes.