Fixing Vehicle Fusion plants

[tytalan]

The fusion power plants in Vehicles make no sense by using ship power plants as an example an advance fusion power plant is .08 spaces of fusion plant and 9.92 spaces of fuel so it has a 100 year duration. I would suggest the following as a fix

Basic TL 10. Space 5 or 5% of the vehicle spaces whichever is greater 6 month’s duration
Improved TL 12. Space 3 or 3% of the vehicle spaces whichever is greater 6 months duration
Advance. TL 15. Space 2 or 2% of the vehicle spaces whichever is greater 6 months duration

Any vehicle using ship weaponry must be converted to fusion and the duration is only 3 months since half of the fuel is replaced by capacitor’s to fire the weapon.

For a comparison a TL 15 ship fusion plant only uses 4 spaces and 4 spaces gives it 10 months duration it also produces enough power to power 5 beam lasers.

Just some food for thought

 

[Gavain]

The way I have thought about it is if you are adding fusion power then you don't need the old fuel capacity so I reduce fuel capacity by 100% which gives back 10% of the spaces. Then add the fusion power for 25/20% spaces. Nett +15% for Basic and +10% spaces for Advanced power.

 

[tytalan]

The way I have thought about it is if you are adding fusion power then you don't need the old fuel capacity so I reduce fuel capacity by 100% which gives back 10% of the spaces. Then add the fusion power for 25/20% spaces. Nett +15% for Basic and +10% spaces for Advanced power.

An interesting ideal but I bet Fusion still takes up way too many spaces to actually be common like the book claims at TL12. But I’m guessing that you’ve seen the issue. It’s the minimum of 10 spaces that causes a large chunk of the problem but also why in the world would they ignore TL 12 & 15 as will as the ludicrous duration they give them

 

[Condottiere]

I wouldn't bother.

You can't rectify it without understanding the underlying relationships between various components, and/or functions.

In theory, the smallest fusion reactor is 0.7 cubic metres for one power point, at technological level fifteen.

 

[tytalan]

I wouldn't bother.

You can't rectify it without understanding the underlying relationships between various components, and/or functions.

In theory, the smallest fusion reactor is 0.7 cubic metres for one power point, at technological level fifteen.

Here’s the thing you can put a ships fusion plant and 1 ton of fuel (enough for 10 months) for 8 spaces.

The fusion power plant table in VH literally gives power plants with enough fuel included for 50 years that means the power plant is literally.04 tons or .16 of a vehicle space. I can put a ships fusion power plant and 1 ton of fuel and vastly over power the vehicle for 8 spaces and a 10 month duration.

The problem is not any underlying relationship it’s the ludicrous duration given the fusion power plants. The author is trying to balance the fusion plants with the fission which makes absolutely no sense. On top of that it breaks its own continuity since in that same book it states “After TL 12, fusion power is ubiquitous, though ultra-dense batteries are also found in many places.” Which is no possible with the sizes required in the book.

To make matters even worse it doesn’t take any of the improvements of fusion technology that’s in the game. It doesn’t even make any sense when you compare similar power plants in the Field Catalog or any CSC.

This is not about any sort of balance internally or externally this is just a poorly designed system. The vehicle book need to be rewritten but my suggestion brings vehicles fusion power plants back into some semblance of fitting in with the rest of the game system

 

[Asuma]

Here's how I fix it: when designing a vehicle, if it's TL12 or above, I just assume it has a fusion power plant at no additional cost or space. The range might be off but when it's over 1000km it rarely comes up anyway.
After all, at lower TLs you don't have to specify or design things differently if the power source is a steam engine, gas turbine or hydrogen fuel cell despite them having very different characteristics, so why should the higher TLs be any different.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Why hasn't MgT ported fusion+ plants from T4/5 to their Third Imperium?

 

[WHULorigan]

Why hasn't MgT ported fusion+ plants from T4/5 to their Third Imperium?

Actually, they are in MgT2: Central Supply Catalogue (Update 2023), p. 117.

 

[Sigtrygg]

I meant into the design sequences...

 

[agentwigggles]

isnt this thread redundant to fix vehicle thread?

 

[tytalan]

isnt this thread redundant to fix vehicle thread?

There’s a thread for what changes we want in the Vehicle Handbook 2025 but this one is more for Home Brewed fixes until the new book come out