Excel Ship Designer

[Arkathan]

Hull points:

5 000 Dt, so 2000 Hull points, correct.

50 000 Dt, so should be 50 000 / 2 = 25000 Hull points, incorrect.

500 000 Dt, so should be 500 000 / 1.5 = 333 333 Hull points, incorrect.

Thanks. Fixed that.

 

[Arkathan]

Fuel:

Fuel for four weeks is minimum 1 Dt, not 1 Dt for one week.

Thanks. Misunderstood what you were saying earlier on that. Fixed it back.

 

[Arkathan]

Reaction fuel only based on backup reaction drive, not main reaction drive.


Fuel is fungible, but you may want to have power plant fuel in metal hydride tanks, protected by bulkheads, but no such frills for the jump fuel?


The error for no cargo is perhaps good, but a bit cryptic? The message for demountable tanks, without any demountable tanks, is a bit over-zealous?

No error shown on the Cargo tab?

Should work on next version.
Error: Having a separate one for the two added together was the only way I could think of to avoid sticking a 50 ton CFT and a 40 ton DFT in a 60 ton cargo bay.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Misunderstood what you were saying earlier on that.

Sorry if I was too cryptic.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Error: Having a separate one for the two added together was the only way I could think of to avoid sticking a 50 ton CFT and a 40 ton DFT in a 60 ton cargo bay.

While it may be stupid, it is perfectly legal.

You may have a Collapsible Tank that can only be filled if something else is removed from the cargo hold, or even if the hold is expanded by a module.

The only hard limit I can see is that the empty collapsible tank and the demountable tank must fit at the same time. Of course you can't fill the collapsible tank unless the hold currently have enough space free.

 

[Arkathan]

Error: Having a separate one for the two added together was the only way I could think of to avoid sticking a 50 ton CFT and a 40 ton DFT in a 60 ton cargo bay.

While it may be stupid, it is perfectly legal.

You may have a Collapsible Tank that can only be filled if something else is removed from the cargo hold, or even if the hold is expanded by a module.

The only hard limit I can see is that the empty collapsible tank and the demountable tank must fit at the same time. Of course you can't fill the collapsible tank unless the hold currently have enough space free.

In game a referee can allow a traveller to jury rig something like that (and can deal with the headache of allowing it), but a ship designer should be given an impromptu assignment on the other side of an airlock for such a stunt.

 

[Arkathan]

Got a few of the requested features working for next version.
PWR: Everything can be armored. Got the three mods to work together in the record sheet. - now to do that with drives...
Fuel: Added a mixed tank option. The pure standard has no text and the pure metal Hydride just says that.
Bridge: Main Bridge, as many Command Bridges as will fit, and an Aux Con. I might add Qty to the Aux Con before putting it out if there is a good reasoning for it.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

In game a referee can allow a traveller to jury rig something like that (and can deal with the headache of allowing it), but a ship designer should be given an impromptu assignment on the other side of an airlock for such a stunt.

I don't take it so seriously. For me, it's all about creating flexibility. Anything that allows the crew to use the same limited, expensive space in several different ways, depending on current needs, are good.

I regularly place jump fuel in demountable tanks, so ships can easily be reconfigured, say from J-4 with a little cargo to J-3 with some cargo, or even J-2 with a lot of cargo. Or remove all the demountable tanks, and add an external drop tank to make it a little bigger J-3 ship with a lot of cargo space. Adding in a (very cheap) collapsible tank for the same space, so the ship can make, say, 2 × J-2 in a pinch, is just good sense.

That way a merchant line can use the same ship class for both J-3 and J-4 routes, and reallocate ships as current trends require. Add some external cargo pods, and it will work just as well for J-2 routes.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

I might add Qty to the Aux Con before putting it out if there is a good reasoning for it.

There is a very good reason: Sub-Command Centres (from the Element Class Cruisers box). Warships need them. They are basically extra small bridges dedicated to controlling a specific function, e.g. sensors or missiles, and gives a +1 DM on all rolls pertaining to that function.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Power plant fuel based on base size of the power plant, should be modified size:

Should be 17 Dt.

 

[Arkathan]

Ok. done.

 

[Arkathan]

Power plant fuel based on base size of the power plant, should be modified size:


Should be 17 Dt.

It is now.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Small bridge costs half of a standard bridge:

Main bridge incorrect.

Aux bridge correct!

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Minimum hull size is 10 Dt:

A 5 Dt hull is not correct.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Spinal:

Reduced size/cost by TL missing. Only optional tech advantages available. You need both.

Should be:

22DD, 66 kDt, MCr 28 600

 

[AnotherDilbert]

No prototype weapons:

E.g. used by the Tigress (Tractor Beam Bays):

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Weapon tech advantages cost wrong:

For turrets at least, bays seems correct?

Should be (last column in MCr):

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Staterooms:

Can't use High (or Lux) Staterooms for crew accommodation.

Validation of Common Areas incorrect, does not need to be natural number, can be decimal.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Can't specify armoured bulkheads for some weapon systems, but not others:

Here some bays, but only some, and no turrets protected.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Can't specify armoured bulkheads for some ammunition storage, but not all: