Auxillary Grav Drive Option

[Nerhesi]

We discussed this earlier Matt - we need something to address the Ground Vehicle or worse, Ship - getting Auxillary Grav Drive, then environmental sealing/corrosive protection/etc... etc... and ending up with a Spaceship thats tougher than spaceships

Perhaps a simple line in Auxillary Grav Drive dropping hull-to-space values to 2:1

 

[MongooseMatt]

We degraded the performance of the auxiliary grav drives to make them a secondary option rather than an end-around. More Mako from Mass Effect than actual spacecraft. Do we need to go further?

 

[Nerhesi]

We degraded the performance of the auxiliary grav drives to make them a secondary option rather than an end-around. More Mako from Mass Effect than actual spacecraft. Do we need to go further?

If we make the secondary drive take space Matt, then I dont think we need to equalize hull.

I'm looking at it from the perspective that I can make a tougher, just as well armed and armoured, grav fighting vehicle, that is only slightly slower, and has wheels/tracks as well!

 

[Infojunky]

I'm not seeing an issue....

Other than ther a number of "Chassis" that are in capable of having a Grav drive.... Large Ships and Boats are one. as Keels are designed with the water adding its support.

Though Tanks that have to set down off of their Contra Gravity to fire their main weapons is in the background sources...

 

[Nerhesi]

The issue is building a 50 ton "ground vehicle" (any tonnage will work though). Giving it auxiliary grav drive. Then suddenly it's just a much tougher, slightly slower grav vehicle.

I basically can't build a grav vehicle that's as tough a my grav-powered, wheeled vehicle.

Which also means, these vehicles, with wheels, and grav drives, are also tougher than my star-fighters.

By tougher, I mean same armour, but significantly more hull (50% more)

That's just a big logic gap. It's a round-about way to create more tougher craft, of type B, then using constructions rules for type B

 

[Infojunky]

That's just a big logic gap. It's a round-about way to create more tougher craft, of type B, then using constructions rules for type B

Actually the answer is simple.... Don't do that then....

 

[Nerhesi]

Sorry Info - Can't say that. That is the equivalent of stating "dont use rules/options for the exact reason they were intended to be.... because I dont like them!". That rule shouldn't be in there. Otherwise, remove all rules and have GMs make all rules. If house ruling becomes a MUST, then it is clear candidate to address something, as it is clearly broken.

It's not like some arcane loophole.. this is a straight up, obvious choice. Consider the following TL13 vehicles:

Vehicle 1 - 100 Space Heavy Ground Vehicle (Advanced Tank). AFV. 300 hull. 1.2 MCr cost.
Vehicle 2 - 100 Space Heavy Grav Vehicle (Advanced Fighter/Assault Craft). AFV. 200 hull. 18 MCr.

So grav vehicle is a little ludicrous on the price.. but get ready for the real blinder:

Apply Auxillary Grav Drive Option to Vehicle 1.

Vehicle 1 - 100 Space Heavy Ground Vehicle (Advanced Tank). AFV. 300 hull. 1.5 MCr cost.
Vehicle 2 - 100 Space Heavy Grav Vehicle (Advanced Fighter/Assault Craft). AFV. 200 hull. 18 MCr.

Vehicle 1 - High Speed Band
Vehicle 2 - Fast Speed Band

...

It is crystal clear at this point. Unless I want to make an incredibly fast Vehicle, I am making, tougher, cheaper grav vehicles.. by not using the grav vehicle chassis! This then translates into more ridiculousness once every world starts placing their anti-ship defenses on wheeled grav powered vehicles lol

The cost of making a vehicle have an auxiliary grav drive needs to be way higher - and I don't mean monetary cost. I mean the overall cost in terms of space, effectiveness and so on..

 

[Infojunky]

Ok, I see your point. I hadn't played with that set of numbers yet.

Right now I bouncing the old Sword Worlds grav tanks and APCs through the rules as they stand. Note these are 3 and 4 dTon vehicles.....

 

[Nerhesi]

Ok, I see your point. I hadn't played with that set of numbers yet.

Right now I bouncing the old Sword Worlds grav tanks and APCs through the rules as they stand. Note these are 3 and 4 dTon vehicles.....

It could be as simple as saying that hull value is reduced to 2 per space if you apply this drive option, as it generally is more fragile than lower-tech options. That and increase the price significantly... make it flat 50,000 Credits per space of vehicle for a grav drive

 

[MongooseMatt]

Okay, just affected a change whereby these grav drives now consume 25% of available Spaces - that should erode potential performance nicely while still making them viable as an auxiliary device for vehicles that really need it.

The other thing we could do is modify the vehicle's Speed, perhaps dropping it one Band. But is that really necessary now?

 

[FallingPhoenix]

Okay, just affected a change whereby these grav drives now consume 25% of available Spaces - that should erode potential performance nicely while still making them viable as an auxiliary device for vehicles that really need it.

The other thing we could do is modify the vehicle's Speed, perhaps dropping it one Band. But is that really necessary now?

Given what I see as the intended use of an auxiliary grav drive and the current difference in cost illustrated by Nerhesi, I would. That and/or up the price a bit. I think you almost can't go too far in making sure using the grav chassis is a very clearly better option if you're going for a grav vehicle.

 

[Nerhesi]

Okay, just affected a change whereby these grav drives now consume 25% of available Spaces - that should erode potential performance nicely while still making them viable as an auxiliary device for vehicles that really need it.

The other thing we could do is modify the vehicle's Speed, perhaps dropping it one Band. But is that really necessary now?

Given what I see as the intended use of an auxiliary grav drive and the current difference in cost illustrated by Nerhesi, I would. That and/or up the price a bit. I think you almost can't go too far in making sure using the grav chassis is a very clearly better option if you're going for a grav vehicle.

Agreed - I with-held my answer till someone else piped in

 

[MongooseMatt]

Speed drop added!