High Guard is Here!

[AnotherDilbert]

Nowhere in the rules, neither in Core nor High Guard, is it stated what acceleration "Thrust 1" produces.

It should be stated that "Trust 1" produces an acceleration of 1 G?

Otherwise, how do we use the Transit Time table on p153?

 

[GarethL]

Perhaps we could treat missiles as turret weapons and torpedoes as small bay weapons. Large ships would be immune, but smaller ships would be very vulnerable?

That does sound very plausible, and falls into line with my own thoughts,

 

[Condottiere]

In my opinion you have a similar issue with smallcraft missiles and torpedoes; they're the same model as those used in larger craft, so their range can't be curtailed due to a power shortage.

Are kinetic weapons a collective, or individuals?

 

[phavoc]

So, big ships are immune from crits resulting from small weapons.

How does this work with missiles?

Bigger launchers don't seem to have bigger missiles (torpedoes oes aside for a moment), they simply launch bigger raids.

Logic would therefore suggest that they inflict crits lije turret weapons? But this means they can only cause crits through attrition, which also seems unreasonable.

I guess this does protect ships from auto-crits (adding salvo size to attack rolls does make the 6+ effect likely for large raids), but then again, high effect means a lot of hits - something that should score crits even against big ships.

Thoughts?

Yeah, this doesn't make sense, since a 'crit' is, by definition, a critical hit and it should be able to be caused by anything. In gaming a crit is a lucky roll of the die. In reality a crit is a .22 cal bullet getting lucky and hitting an eyesocket, or a 15" shell from the Bismark hitting the Hood's after magazine and sinking her. If we allow for the idea that a 100 ton scout can have the same armor protection as a 500,000 ton dreadnought, then we need to allow for a single missile to score a critical hit.

 

[GarethL]

Yeah, this doesn't make sense, since a 'crit' is, by definition, a critical hit and it should be able to be caused by anything. In gaming a crit is a lucky roll of the die. In reality a crit is a .22 cal bullet getting lucky and hitting an eyesocket, or a 15" shell from the Bismark hitting the Hood's after magazine and sinking her. If we allow for the idea that a 100 ton scout can have the same armor protection as a 500,000 ton dreadnought, then we need to allow for a single missile to score a critical hit.

Maybe then the solution is to delink Crits from Effect completely?

A lot of games use the raw die roll to determine crits - skill isn't a factor then, but neither are circumstantial factors (range, cover, etc) - any die roll can result in a crit?

A simple quick-fix might be that rolls of box-cars are crits - so one shot in 36? (FWIW, you could then backfit the same rule to personal combat - no hiding behind that high endurance... Any hit can have permanent effects like limb-loss, etc)

 

[GarethL]

In my opinion you have a similar issue with smallcraft missiles and torpedoes; they're the same model as those used in larger craft, so their range can't be curtailed due to a power shortage.

Are kinetic weapons a collective, or individuals?

Good point...

Funnily enough I was pondering a related issue here - firmpoint weapons have lower range, so they are presumably lower-powered versions of the same weapons?

But the weapons have the same cost & power requirements?

Kinetic weapons kind of work like close-ranged lasers - you don't track the shots like missiles at all. Since they mostly come as bays (spinal mounts aside) I am guessing that each attach represents a storm of lightweight projectiles (which would bolster accuracy) - which might preclude them from crits too...

 

[GarethL]

Kind of an aside, but an amusing (if scary) thought nonetheless,

Given how much of an concern high-velocity particles are in orbit in the real world, and how many civilian starships are essentially unarmoured, I can't help feeling that the use of sand-casters is probably banned in a lot of systems...


Projecting around 50kg of particulate matter along an attack vector whenever you use the system, and whilst manoeuvring evasively at high-velocity... The sites of major battles are going to be like minefields for years afterwards,

 

[AndrewW]

But the weapons have the same cost & power requirements?

Power requirements of the weapon are reduced by 25% (rounding up).

 

[Condottiere]

That works with energy dependent weapons, where performance matches input.

You don't need energy for sandcasters or missile launchers. Or at least, not a significant amount.

 

[snrdg121408]

Hello all,

This is errata for the PDF:

Chapter Five: Space Stations
Chapter Seven: The Ship's Computer

What I believe happened is that at some point the Introduction was Chapter One and then Chapter One was switched to Ship Design.

Recommendation: Reduce Chapter numbers by one starting with The Ship's Computer.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

The Free Trader does not include a rebate for standard design.

The price should be ~MCr 46.5?

It should really be noticeable cheaper than the Far Traders.

 

[snrdg121408]

Morning PDT all,

The Jump Potential Table on HG 2e Step 2e p. 14 indicates that the maximum jump rating is 9, the largest Jump Control program rating is 6 per TCR 2e p. 151.

Where is the Jump Control programs for Jump Rating 7 through 9?

 

[AndrewW]

The Jump Potential Table on HG 2e Step 2e p. 14 indicates that the maximum jump rating is 9, the largest Jump Control program rating is 6 per TCR 2e p. 151.

Where is the Jump Control programs for Jump Rating 7 through 9?

You can use a Core computer, which already includes jump control.

 

[allanimal]

The Jump Potential Table on HG 2e Step 2e p. 14 indicates that the maximum jump rating is 9, the largest Jump Control program rating is 6 per TCR 2e p. 151.

Where is the Jump Control programs for Jump Rating 7 through 9?

You can use a Core computer, which already includes jump control.

True, but there should also be options for non-core computers...

 

[Jeraa]

True, but there should also be options for non-core computers...

It isn't hard to come up with your own. They do follow a pattern: bandwidth = jump rating x 5, cost is jump rating x MCr0.1, TL is whatever TL the drive is available at.

You will notice that normal ship computers stop at bandwidth 35 (jump-7), so you need to also come up with a Computer/40 and Computer/45 for jump-8 and jump-9, as the normal computers listed simply can't handle them at all (though core computers easily can). Though a model 35/bis could run a jump-8 program, meaning you just need to come up with something for jump-9.

 

[snrdg121408]

Hello AndrewW, allanimal, and Jeraa,

AndrewW, I agree that per HG 2e p. 18 a computer core has the processing power needed for Jump Control programs which are installed as part of the price of the core. The only jump control programs available are found in CRB 2e for distances between 1 and 6 parsecs which is the "traditional" ranges in Traveller.

I agree that per HG 2e computer cores would include the jump control programs for J1 through 6 listed on CRB 2e p. 161 as part of their price, unfortunately they will be unable to utilize the drives for J7 through J9 since there are no "official" control programs.

allanimal, the bis modification, as Jeraa suggests, for standard ship's computers would be able run a control program for J7 and only run one for J8. Unfortunately, there are no J7 through J9 jump control programs.

I agree with you Jeraa that we can extrapolate the tech level, bandwidth, and price of jump control programs 7 through 9, unfortunately they would be "unofficial" in my opinion. Thank you for confirming that my extrapolated unofficial J7 through J9 control programs tech level, bandwidth, and price are calculated correctly.

 

[AndrewW]

I agree that per HG 2e computer cores would include the jump control programs for J1 through 6 listed on CRB 2e p. 161 as part of their price, unfortunately they will be unable to utilize the drives for J7 through J9 since there are no "official" control programs.

They aren't restricted in jump number:

Most capital ships and certain other vessels have multiple distributed computer networks spread throughout their decks, but always include a central computer core that controls the ship’s jump drive.

Just because there isn't listed a specific jump control software doesn't mean it's not included.

 

[-Daniel-]

Just because there isn't listed a specific jump control software doesn't mean it's not included.

I really do not want to begin this kind of stuff. Either it is listed as included or not. The very fact you list various software and what it costs to be included or the fact some software is listed as included at no cost just seems to force us to list any jump software that is included.

 

[snrdg121408]

Hello AndrewW,

I agree that per HG 2e computer cores would include the jump control programs for J1 through 6 listed on CRB 2e p. 161 as part of their price, unfortunately they will be unable to utilize the drives for J7 through J9 since there are no "official" control programs.

They aren't restricted in jump number:

Most capital ships and certain other vessels have multiple distributed computer networks spread throughout their decks, but always include a central computer core that controls the ship’s jump drive.

Just because there isn't listed a specific jump control software doesn't mean it's not included.

A capital ship is defined as hulls >= 5,000 d-tons per HG 2e p. 4 with the first capital ship being the P. F. Sloan on p. 169 which lists the hull as having a single Computer Core/70 fib. The only example of certain other ships I found was the Midu Agasham Class 3,000 d-ton destroyer on p. 165.

However, I did discover that you are correct that a Computer Core's Jump Control does appear to be able to handle jump ratings between one and nine parsecs. Thank you for providing me with the information. Another item is that the computer core appears to include the multiple distributed computer networks as part of package.

Unfortunately, that does not help when using a Standard Computer/35 bis to run either a Jump Control 7 or 8 program. Of course the ship would probably have a second computer to run just about all the other systems to allow the installed computer core to calculate the jump.

 

[Condottiere]

In theory, though apparently not in practice.