Liquid metal armour

[PsiTraveller]

The Robot book of 1st edition describes liquid metal robots, nano swarms capable of combined functionality. These robots have the ability to repair physical damage done to them. This may be a TL 15 or above option, but mimetic ships and self repairing hulls would be a dangerous addition to the High Technology chapter.

and given the CSC's pricing for robots. For a few million credits you could cover your ship in expendable robots carrying shields of armour. Has anyone designed a ship using Roman legion tortoise protection?

Another Technical option may be the repair bot capacity to grab materials from the field to recreate needed components, absorptive repair capacity, copied over from the robotic side of technology. This would also tie into the absorptive factory production for Spaceport processing modules. (Robot book 1st edition, page 7-8)

This would make military fleets far more logistically self sustaining. Fleets would become mobile processing and fueling systems. It would also offer more in the way of strategic targets for the opposition. It is all well and good to think you are untethered logistically until your processing ship is destroyed or misjumps.

Just a few thoughts.

 

[AndrewW]

Has anyone designed a ship using Roman legion tortoise protection?

Hmmm, I usually think of Korea when thinking of turtle ships.

 

[PsiTraveller]

I just took the word from roman legion tactics against arrows. Testudo robots carrying ablative shields. The extra level in hull protection.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

Ultron robots that rebuild/recycle themselves from older model parts is always cool in Traveller. Just add the famous Virus to their programming.