The main difference from the players' viewpoint would be the maximum size/rating of programs you could run - either setup could run 4 programs of 5 bandwidth apiece, but only the 20 point system could run a program requiring 15 bandwidth.
High Guard across the TLs
- Thread starter Sigtrygg
- Start date
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
The one time when piracy is really viable, is when it's virtual.
yeah, I know. I was asking about the goals. Those were just numbers as an example.
Limpin Legin
Emperor Mongoose
Traveller does not have a technical reason for this. However the rulebooks provide design considerations supporting 'why' and 'why not' have bandwidth distributed between two computers.
This first consideration is bandwidth headroom. At the beginning of page 73, the similarities and differences between ship's computers and portable computers are given. The suggestion is that you need a high bandwidth machine to handle software that is too demanding for a portable computer. If I wanted to install Anti-Hijack/3 at bandwidth 15, then I could on computer/20 but not on 2 x computer/10.
The second consideration is designing the ship's power "policy" for when the ship is low on power. Not all software needs run simultaneously, enabling a cheaper computer with less bandwidth. Also, it says that when ship cannot run on half power, all computer terminals lose power, except on bridge. That impacts on design decisions when the ship is built and isn't 'some rule for the sake of just being told that it is the rule.'
Sigtrygg
Emperor Mongoose
Well the Third Imperium is currently set in the 57th century but I understand your sentiment 
I wrote up a CIC for warships in LBB:2 CT, as part of that you could install extra computers for combat tasks:
tactical maneuver, ECM, target, mulit-target, select, you could have one computer per "battery" or even one computer per gunner if you wanted.
The ship's main computer was still capable of running the ship and basic combat, but the CIC and specialist computers made for a much more scary warship.
Combat Information Centre [CIC] module 4tons, 1MCr, 1 crew required, per additional computer installed
The CIC allows a warship to install more computers to allow designated turrets to use the combat programs of the local computers rather than the ship's main computer.
Example, a 2000t destroyer with a model 7 computer and 20 turrets can only engage up to 4 separate targets. To make it more effective versus fighters and the like, the architect opts to install a 16t CIC and 4 model 5 computers (to run target, multi-target 4, predict 4, gunner interact, and return fire). The destroyer may now fire each turret at a separate target.
I wrote up a CIC for warships in LBB:2 CT, as part of that you could install extra computers for combat tasks:
tactical maneuver, ECM, target, mulit-target, select, you could have one computer per "battery" or even one computer per gunner if you wanted.
The ship's main computer was still capable of running the ship and basic combat, but the CIC and specialist computers made for a much more scary warship.
Combat Information Centre [CIC] module 4tons, 1MCr, 1 crew required, per additional computer installed
The CIC allows a warship to install more computers to allow designated turrets to use the combat programs of the local computers rather than the ship's main computer.
Example, a 2000t destroyer with a model 7 computer and 20 turrets can only engage up to 4 separate targets. To make it more effective versus fighters and the like, the architect opts to install a 16t CIC and 4 model 5 computers (to run target, multi-target 4, predict 4, gunner interact, and return fire). The destroyer may now fire each turret at a separate target.
The essay was an enjoyable read which reminded me very much of T4's Emperor's Arsenal in the style of how it discussed the way things change over tech levels.
Sigtrygg
Emperor Mongoose
One thing I have often wondered about HG80 is "in universe" how aware are the naval architects of the breakpoints in hull size, weapon factors etc.
I am of the opinion that after battle analysis would reveal the numbers we play with in the metagame and therefore naval architects would design to them.
I am of the opinion that after battle analysis would reveal the numbers we play with in the metagame and therefore naval architects would design to them.
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
I figure that they have several thousand years of experiential models that basically gives them the same information that We can find in the books. So, anything that We can figure out, likely they can too.
I'm sure they would. I wonder if there are archives of the Trillion Credit Squadron tournament lists? It would be a LOT of work, but interesting to see how different lists performed. IIRC a "swarm" list won one year.
A couple of factors I don't remember seeing discussed before (but maybe I missed them) are the social factors that go into ship and fleet design. Firstly, a lo-pop society may not have enough personell to go for the aforementioned "swarm" fleet. Secondly, how loss accepting a society is would probably effect ship design. Perhaps social factors are beyond the scope of this thread?
This is partly why I like the 'super ultra gigantic defensive' ship. If its so big you never take criticals, then.. you don't take losses (in battles where you are going to win anyway). Whereas smaller ships (which are better from the offensive point of view), would by default suffer far more losses (even if they win).
