Drive Potential Table

[Libris]

Wow! Just like the original High Guard; so much easier to use than the complete cluster f*ck that is the letter code system for drives.

I'm busy toiling away at an Excel spreadsheet and it just so complicates the shit out of it for no real reason. I do like the idea of drives getting smaller with advances in TL and I'm just so tempted to bin the drive codes completely and use the drive potential table with the Primitive and Advanced Spacecraft rules on page 52.

 

[Allensh]

I am now weeping because I don't have the book yet.

Allen

 

[SSWarlock]

Yeah, I'm going nuts myself waiting for it to arrive at my local FLGS. I went into today and no joy. I asked the guy behind the counter when it's coming in and his reply was...

*blinkblink* "Soon..I guess."

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Wow! Just like the original High Guard; so much easier to use than the complete cluster f*ck that is the letter code system for drives.

I'm busy toiling away at an Excel spreadsheet and it just so complicates the **** out of it for no real reason. I do like the idea of drives getting smaller with advances in TL and I'm just so tempted to bin the drive codes completely and use the drive potential table with the Primitive and Advanced Spacecraft rules on page 52.

I liked this feature too.

One of my biggest faults of the original HG was that it didn't take into account improvements due to TL. The new rules give you a FIVE TL range for just about anything you want to apply it at.

The letter tables are great for standard drives in a large OTU type setting, but if you have a smaller setting with multiple Pocke Empires at different TLs, the HG rules allow you to show how ship designs will change as the TL changes.

I am now happily working on a variation of the classic Type S, done at all TLs from 9 to 15 and comparing it to the modular one from the TMB.

 

[lastbesthope]

I'm having some trouble understanding how to use this table, can someon assist? Preferably using short and simple words.... :lol:

LBH

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Drive Potential Table Example:

You want to build a 100,000 ton ship with Jump 2 (J2) and 4 gs acceleration (M4) and therefore need a Power Plant rating of 4 (P4)

Using the table on page 63:
J2 is 3% of the ships volume, cost is 2MCr/ton
M4 is 1.75% of ships volume, cost is 0.5 MCr/ton
P4 is 3% of the ships volume, cost is 2.5 MCr/ton (assuming standard Fusion)

So, the numbers come out to be:
J2 = 3,000 tons and 6,000 MCr
M4 = 1,750 tons and 875 MCr
P4 = 3,000 tons and 7,500 MCr

If the PP was a Chemical Plant, it would be 4,200 tons and 5,250 MCr
A TL15 Fusion Plant would be 2,250 tons and 5,625 MCr (same cost per ton, but fewer tons)

OK?

 

[lastbesthope]

Hmmm,

Not sure I'm understanding this yet.

What are the bold numbers on the top row?

Is it the Jump or Maoeuvre rating depending on what you want?

How do you get Power rating 4?

I'm really not getting it, sorry.

LBH
(Very tired today)

 

[lastbesthope]

Hang on I think I've cracked this now:

Drive Potential Table Example:

You want to build a 100,000 ton ship with Jump 2 (J2) and 4 gs acceleration (M4) and therefore need a Power Plant rating of 4 (P4)

Based on the stuff in the last para on P.63, unless I fit a Chemical Manoeuvre Drive, the P rating is the higher of Maoeuvre or Jump ratings.
Yes?

Using the table on page 63:
J2 is 3% of the ships volume, cost is 2MCr/ton
M4 is 1.75% of ships volume, cost is 0.5 MCr/ton
P4 is 3% of the ships volume, cost is 2.5 MCr/ton (assuming standard Fusion)

OK, so for the Jump engine stuff I look along until I get to the bold 2 column, and use the Jump and Jump MCr/ton rows to get the 3% and 2MCr/ton respectively.

For the manoeuvre ratings I got o the bold 4 column and get 1.75% and 0.5MCr/ton respectively from the 1st and 4th rows.

ALso I get the fact that the Jump drive is TL 11 from row 3, yeah :?:

Soa ll that equates to a TL 11 Power plan minimum yes?

So, the numbers come out to be:
J2 = 3,000 tons and 6,000 MCr
M4 = 1,750 tons and 875 MCr
P4 = 3,000 tons and 7,500 MCr

If the PP was a Chemical Plant, it would be 4,200 tons and 5,250 MCr
A TL15 Fusion Plant would be 2,250 tons and 5,625 MCr (same cost per ton, but fewer tons)

OK?

And all those numbers follow from the previous derivation, so that makes sense.

Do I have it right now?

LBH

 

[Emperor Herdan]

I suppose I can try to see the small, faint, sliver of a silver-lining in a very dark, black cloud of negativity thats called Amazon.ca

Sounds a bit like the Erics' gun bit where a lot of the information is inferred from the examples... In this case (the silver lining bit) LBH worked out how one of the tables is layed out... in good enough example that I can imagine what the table might possibly look like. (/salute to LBH's writing)

Not that I expect to see HG this year (well _maybe_ late december...but certainly not soon)...

(sigh)

Take care

E. Herdan

(And yes... yes we're jealous and envious... I can do a good impression of Envy/Jealousy from a Noh play I can...)

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

LBH - YOU GOT IT.

The bold numbers are the RATING for whatever system you are designing, the rows are for a particular systems. You cross index to get the volume % or cost and off you go.

Your PP doesn't have to be the same TL as the Jump Drive. You can power a J6 (TL 15) drive using a lower TL power plant. The Jump Drive is the only thing that really has a TL limit.

The TL limit isn't an issue within the OTU, but if your setting has a lower TL, then you have an upper limit on the Jump Rating.

The TL 15 Fusion PP is nice if you have that technology (ie Imperial Navy) but it will be difficult to maintain on lower TL worlds; so it presents some nice advantages and disadvantages.

 

[lastbesthope]

LBH - YOU GOT IT.

The bold numbers are the RATING for whatever system you are designing, the rows are for a particular systems. You cross index to get the volume % or cost and off you go.

Your PP doesn't have to be the same TL as the Jump Drive. You can power a J6 (TL 15) drive using a lower TL power plant. The Jump Drive is the only thing that really has a TL limit.

Glad I figured it out, I'm guessing the Jump Drive limits wrt to TL are somewhere in the main book.

Thanks RTT

LBH

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

TMB Page 4 under the TL descriptions and in the errata corrected Computer Software Table on page 113.

It is a standard through all the previous versions of Traveller.

TL 9-10: Jump 1
TL 11: Jump 2
TL 12: Jump 3
TL 13: Jump 4
TL 14: Jump 5
TL 15: Jump 6

 

[lastbesthope]

So a TL 15 Jump Drive can be up to Jump 6, but you could have a Jump 3 drive at TL 15 yes?

LBH

 

[rust]

Of course, you could even have a Jump 1 drive at TL 15.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Yes you can.

Additionally, if you want to get technical, you can take a size discount for the TL difference per page 53, making that TL 15 J1 drive significantly smaller (but more expensive in fixed credit terms).

OR, you just use the letter tables, which all assume about TL 12 technology and not worry about any of it.

 

[lastbesthope]

Letter tables?

LBH
(Sorry, Traveller Newbie)

 

[pasuuli]

Letter tables?

LBH
(Sorry, Traveller Newbie)

No shame in that. To a certain degree, newbie Travellers can be more tolerant and friendly to other Travellers.

The core book has one thing I always loved about Traveller: this cute Drive Potential Table. For small starships only... up to 2,000 tons. That's the letter table I think he was talking about. Plus the new extensions to it in High Guard.

 

[lastbesthope]

OK, so where do I find them in the Mongoose books?

LBH

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

TMB Pages 107 and 108. Expanded in HG on page 43.

The letter of the drive in on one axes and the ship size is on the other. The table field has the performance for that combination of size and drive letter.

For example:

100 ton ship
Letter A gives performance 2
Letter B gives performance 4
Letter C gives performance 6

So if you wanted Jump-2 and 4-Gs, you would buy an "A" Jump Drive and a "B" M-Drive and PP. There is a separate table that lists size and cost of each letter drive for each component.

If you use the letter drives, the "Standard" drives, then you don't get the TL bonuses.

 

[lastbesthope]

Cool, I'll look at that more closely later.

LBH