Art:Merc Cruiser

[wbnc]

Well, here is the merc cruiser I forgot to add to the family pic. A slight oversight on my part I had to improvise where to add the four turrets not on the deck plans s I put the around the midsection so it can fire forward and aft, as well as launch missiles while landed. This also puts its direct fire weapons higher up for a better line of fire to aid in direct fire support of its troops if it's landing zone comes under attack.

This particular one is armed with twin triple Sandacters, and triple pulse lasers. with four missile barbettes around the midline.

 

[fusor]

Nice. I like the chunkier looking legs too.

 

[wbnc]

Nice. I like the chunkier looking legs too.

I refined the design a little for a more advanced Version of the design. Adding more Attitude and maneuver thrusters to the design... I thinned down the legs for this version while playing around with proportions for various segments.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

I like the skinnier legs better.

Th legs looks a little long, like stilts. The Cutters should be about sth same length as the diameter of the spherical hull, and the docking spaces go all the way through the hull, so the cutters should not stick out all that much?

 

[wbnc]

I like the skinnier legs better.

Th legs looks a little long, like stilts. The Cutters should be about sth same length as the diameter of the spherical hull, and the docking spaces go all the way through the hull, so the cutters should not stick out all that much?

still tweaking proportions and details. the legs are proving tricky. Too large and they make the ship look sluggish and bulky. While if they are too long/thin and they look too light to support the weight of the ship while it's on the ground.

I'm thinking about adding a pass-through hatch, on the upper dome for the cutter bay, there is nothing in the way as far as I can tell from the deck plans, and it would allow the cutters to dock and refuel while the ship is grounded. The ingress/egress might be tricky but being able to tank up without having to rig hoses to the surface might be useful.

 

[fusor]

I always thought the Battletech Union dropship looked way better than the Merc Cruiser (though it probably ripped off the design from Traveller. Or a robot anime series).

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

I like the skinnier legs better.

Th legs looks a little long, like stilts. The Cutters should be about sth same length as the diameter of the spherical hull, and the docking spaces go all the way through the hull, so the cutters should not stick out all that much?

still tweaking proportions and details. the legs are proving tricky. Too large and they make the ship look sluggish and bulky. While if they are too long/thin and they look too light to support the weight of the ship while it's on the ground.

I'm thinking about adding a pass-through hatch, on the upper dome for the cutter bay, there is nothing in the way as far as I can tell from the deck plans, and it would allow the cutters to dock and refuel while the ship is grounded. The ingress/egress might be tricky but being able to tank up without having to rig hoses to the surface might be useful.

That's amazing software you got there! I looking to draw some pictures of space colonies,

particularly this one, its dimensions are 4 miles by 20 miles. I could draw schematics with my paint program, but it just wouldn't be the same, and you show the Merc Cruiser rotating, this one rotates. I don't suppose you would find many of these in the Traveller setting. Artificial gravity that you can turn on and off with a switch spoils everything.

 

[wbnc]

I always thought the Battletech Union dropship looked way better than the Merc Cruiser (though it probably ripped off the design from Traveller. Or a robot anime series).

I like that particular design myself. It was a favorite to use back when I played B-tech...

of course, there are older ships that have the same look..like one from Space 2001.

 

[fusor]

of course, there are older ships that have the same look..like one from Space 2001.

Is that the Aries lunar lander from 2001: A Space Odyssey?

 

[AndrewW]

That's amazing software you got there! I looking to draw some pictures of space colonies,
particularly this one, its dimensions are 4 miles by 20 miles. I could draw schematics with my paint program, but it just wouldn't be the same, and you show the Merc Cruiser rotating, this one rotates.

Blender was used:

https://www.blender.org/

For schematic type stuff try Inkscape:

https://inkscape.org/en/

Both available for free.

 

[wbnc]

That's amazing software you got there! I looking to draw some pictures of space colonies,

particularly this one, its dimensions are 4 miles by 20 miles. I could draw schematics with my paint program, but it just wouldn't be the same, and you show the Merc Cruiser rotating, this one rotates. I don't suppose you would find many of these in the Traveller setting. Artificial gravity that you can turn on and off with a switch spoils everything.

Blender is great for a lot of projects, it's tricky to use,..and I tell you this...I have gone through a lot of aspirin and coffee since i started using it. I've only been working with it since December so I haven't even scratched the surface of what it can do.

if your willing to invest the time into it. there are a lot of good tutorials around to teach you the basics. If my raggedy old brain can figure it out anyone can.


As for the O'niel cylinders..No reason you wouldn't see them in use, they are rather simple By TL-12 levels and once they are in motion they are very stable. that subject would be worth its own discussion alone

 

[wbnc]

of course, there are older ships that have the same look..like one from Space 2001.

Is that the Aries lunar lander from 2001: A Space Odyssey?

Yup, that's the one...actually a pic of the model they used in the movie I think.

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

That's amazing software you got there! I looking to draw some pictures of space colonies,

particularly this one, its dimensions are 4 miles by 20 miles. I could draw schematics with my paint program, but it just wouldn't be the same, and you show the Merc Cruiser rotating, this one rotates. I don't suppose you would find many of these in the Traveller setting. Artificial gravity that you can turn on and off with a switch spoils everything.

Blender is great for a lot of projects, it's tricky to use,..and I tell you this...I have gone through a lot of aspirin and coffee since i started using it. I've only been working with it since December so I haven't even scratched the surface of what it can do.

if your willing to invest the time into it. there are a lot of good tutorials around to teach you the basics. If my raggedy old brain can figure it out anyone can.


As for the O'niel cylinders..No reason you wouldn't see them in use, they are rather simple By TL-12 levels and once they are in motion they are very stable. that subject would be worth its own discussion alone

Well for one, if you lose power, you don't suddenly lose gravity! Traveller gravity requires a constant power input, if someone turns off the switch everything starts floating. Maybe if you are flying a small spaceship with everything anchored to the floor, its no big deal if gravity suddenly switches off. the Starbase in Star Trek Beyond is an example of what a space station using grav plate technology might look like.

Perhaps a space station in the Third Imperium might look something like Star Base Yorktown from Star Trek Beyond. My problem is grav plate technology is rubber science, that makes space stations built from it seem less real, they look like something out of a 1950s movie. I don't think we'll ever control gravity like we do magnetic and electric fields, gravity will always require the manipulation of huge masses with high densities, or it would have to be simulated with acceleration or spinning. I like my science fiction to be somewhat real, with only resort to rubber science where their is no alternative to the effect desired. For spaceships, it allows them to accelerate at up to 6-Gs constantly without having to strap passengers and crew to acceleration couches the entire time its accelerating at that rate. but for space stations, spinning has some advantages.

 

[wbnc]

I understand the urge to use as little wonder tech as possible. and try to keep fairly conservative in my designs.

 

[Condottiere]

It depends on (technical) convenience.

Outside of a rifled bullet, you may want a stable platform, and artificial gravity and inertial compensation appear to be part of the power overhead.

Also, uncompensated acceleration one seems to keep you grounded at a familiar pressure.

 

[wbnc]

It depends on (technical) convenience.

Outside of a rifled bullet, you may want a stable platform, and artificial gravity and inertial compensation appear to be part of the power overhead.

Also, uncompensated acceleration one seems to keep you grounded at a familiar pressure.

A ship laid out like the merc Cruiser can thrust at one gee and take advantage of the free acceleration force induced gravity due to it being stacked bow to stern. if it hs t alter its vectors though the crew has to strap in to get tossed around like dice in a cup.no such worries with a spin station, if it makes a sudden course change there are bigger worries than having to sweep up broken china, and patch up a few busted limbs.

I seem to recall an anime I watched once having that occur. a massive city Ship had to maneuver to avoid intercept, and everyone hand to lock onto safety rails or get tossed around. Of course some people didn't, or couldn't secure themselves properly/ Significant injuries were involved.

 

[Jame Rowe]

Another good one.

I wouldn't be surprised if Battletech drew parts from Traveller, as FASA did publish some Traveller material years ago. Though they could've drawn from the same origins...

 

[wbnc]

Another good one.

I wouldn't be surprised if Battletech drew parts from Traveller, as FASA did publish some Traveller material years ago. Though they could've drawn from the same origins...

its hard to tell where ideas come from sometimes. I'll be the first to admit i take bits and pieces from ships I've seen and use them in desings.

Even structures can be used as ideas for a ship...such as

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

Much as water towers were mistaken for "invading Martians" during the 1938 radio play by Orson Welles "War of the Worlds!" However shooting one of those LNG tanks would be much more disastrous than shooting a water tower!

It depends on (technical) convenience.

Outside of a rifled bullet, you may want a stable platform, and artificial gravity and inertial compensation appear to be part of the power overhead.

Also, uncompensated acceleration one seems to keep you grounded at a familiar pressure.

A ship laid out like the merc Cruiser can thrust at one gee and take advantage of the free acceleration force induced gravity due to it being stacked bow to stern. if it hs t alter its vectors though the crew has to strap in to get tossed around like dice in a cup.no such worries with a spin station, if it makes a sudden course change there are bigger worries than having to sweep up broken china, and patch up a few busted limbs.

I seem to recall an anime I watched once having that occur. a massive city Ship had to maneuver to avoid intercept, and everyone hand to lock onto safety rails or get tossed around. Of course some people didn't, or couldn't secure themselves properly/ Significant injuries were involved.

I plan on using a version of the Merc Cruiser for my tech level 8 Solar System, it is one of the few ships who's deck plans are laid up in the direction of its acceleration.

The original Broadsword Class Mercenary Cruiser
Origin: Third Imperium
Tech Level: 12
Size: 800 tons
Jump: J-3
Thrust: 3-G
Hardpoints: 8
Cargo: 80 tons
Crew: 8
Passengers: 11 High/Med 0 Low
Cost: MCr285

My Mercenary Cruiser
Origin: The United States of America
Tech Level: 8
Size 800 tons
Jump: None
Thrust: 3-G for 7 hours (21 G-Hours), using 30% of the ship's hull volume in reaction mass.
Hardpoints: 8
Cargo: to be determined
Crew: 8
Passengers: 11 High/Med 11 Low
Cost: To be determined
I added some low berths, the ship can run on automatic, and the high G maneuvering wouldn't matter to people in low berths. For a more comfortable Journey, this Merc Cuiser can accelerate for a total of 21 hours at 1-G, this can get you anywhere in the Solar System.

 

[wbnc]

Much as water towers were mistaken for "invading Martians" during the 1938 radio play by Orson Welles "War of the Worlds!" However shooting one of those LNG tanks would be much more disastrous than shooting a water tower!

I plan on using a version of the Merc Cruiser for my tech level 8 Solar System, it is one of the few ships who's deck plans are laid up in the direction of its acceleration.

The original Broadsword Class Mercenary Cruiser
Origin: Third Imperium
Tech Level: 12
Size: 800 tons
Jump: J-3
Thrust: 3-G
Hardpoints: 8
Cargo: 80 tons
Crew: 8
Passengers: 11 High/Med 0 Low
Cost: MCr285

My Mercenary Cruiser
Origin: The United States of America
Tech Level: 8
Size 800 tons
Jump: None
Thrust: 3-G for 7 hours (21 G-Hours), using 30% of the ship's hull volume in reaction mass.
Hardpoints: 8
Cargo: to be determined
Crew: 8
Passengers: 11 High/Med 11 Low
Cost: To be determined
I added some low berths, the ship can run on automatic, and the high G maneuvering wouldn't matter to people in low berths. For a more comfortable Journey, this Merc Cuiser can accelerate for a total of 21 hours at 1-G, this can get you anywhere in the Solar System.

depends on what you are shooting it with the average pistol or light rifle will just plink off those things.Lucky for everyone....Some people in Louisiana will shoot at anything.

i like the idea of yer Ship. Not bad for in system travel. In reality, a 1G ship is not at all slow for getting around a star system. especially if it can burn its drives for hours instead of minutes.

A ship with low berths for passengers and crew , with a two or three man duty watch is a concept I like to use for low tech scenarios. it gives the Ref a chance to do some sneaky plot stuff while the party is on ice. such as waking up and finding the watch crew dead, or missing.