Broken ships energy

[hdrider67]

I was building test ships for a play test tonight when I ran across the fact that none of the power plants produce enough energy to power their M drives. I know they have batteries or capacitors but that doesn't seem to be enough power to get the ship from jump point to port. In battle, the ship's only advantage is that the attacker's plant is similarly broken.

At a minimum, it would seem to me the plant should have enough points to provide thrust energy without a deficit.

Perhaps plants can be augmented by buying more units of power for running weapons, each unit could cost an additional percentage of the original lant in terms of tonnage loss and monetary cost.

For example, a type A plant would be able to power a type A M-drive and by adding 25% more cost and space, would gain 1 or 2 PP. This plant would still not be able to power a type B drive.

I know the system is meant to make it possible to run adventure class combat but most combats not over in a round or two would be over when the ships involved run out of juice just running their drives.

 

[Allensh]

I was building test ships for a play test tonight when I ran across the fact that none of the power plants produce enough energy to power their M drives. I know they have batteries or capacitors but that doesn't seem to be enough power to get the ship from jump point to port. In battle, the ship's only advantage is that the attacker's plant is similarly broken.

At a minimum, it would seem to me the plant should have enough points to provide thrust energy without a deficit.

Perhaps plants can be augmented by buying more units of power for running weapons, each unit could cost an additional percentage of the original lant in terms of tonnage loss and monetary cost.

For example, a type A plant would be able to power a type A M-drive and by adding 25% more cost and space, would gain 1 or 2 PP. This plant would still not be able to power a type B drive.

I know the system is meant to make it possible to run adventure class combat but most combats not over in a round or two would be over when the ships involved run out of juice just running their drives.

One thing that I have been thinking about is that a ship does not need to have its maneuver drive on continually to maintain velocity in space; you accelerate to the desired velocity and then can "coast" for a time before you have to apply thrust to decelerate, with course corrections and such of course requiring energy as well. The storage would put a limit on how many accelerations could be made. But some recharging could probably be done while the ship is coasting.

This however is reminding me way too much of playing Champions or Star Fleet Battles. Yes, power management is interesting for a board game. For an RPG ship combat system, however, it is way too fiddly for my tastes. I would be much happier of each power plant could simply power each drive of an equivilent power level with a certain number of energy points left over for weapons and such. I just don't like the idea of having to do accounting during a game..and neither does the accountant who is actually in my group

Allen

 

[Mongoose Pete]

One thing that I have been thinking about is that a ship does not need to have its maneuver drive on continually to maintain velocity in space; you accelerate to the desired velocity and then can "coast" for a time before you have to apply thrust to decelerate, with course corrections and such of course requiring energy as well.

Unfortunately in real terms this would dramatically increase the travel time from jump point to port and vice versa. Constant acceleration is vital for intra-system travel.

Of course, some small ships could still be able to maintain a continual acceleration of 1g, but this is by no means the case in larger vessels! As the rules stand, a 400+ ton ship with a C type M-Drive needs a J type power plant to even move!!! (i.e. run it at a basic 1g!)

 

[barasawa]

The listed travel times are based on constant drive power. (Accelerate to halfway point, then decelerate the remainder.)
Looking at the included example of the Subsidized Merchant, it can only run it's M-Drive for 24 rounds, and that is assuming that it starts with full storage, and NOTHING else is using power. Kiss sensors, life support, computers, etc goodby.

You can't even assume that was already taken into account because of the many different power storage and requirements based on Power Plant, M-Drive, and Hull Size.

Needless to say, this needs work.