Manuever Drive Tech Level

[CosmicGamer]

For Jump drives, the tech level for each version is specified in the core rules.

TL Jump Range
11 2
12 3
13 4
14 5
15 6

Is there similar information for the maneuver drive?

Please specify what book (and page too please) the information comes from.

If you are providing maneuver drive details from a version of Traveller other than Mongoose, for comparison, please detail the TL breakdown of Jump in that version too.

 

[Nerhesi]

Hey bud, I don't have my books on me but under Spacecraft options, in high guard, there is a table that has both maneuver and jump drive tech levels.

High Guard, book 2 Mongoose Traveller. Spacecraft options section (has details on improving ship components by increasing tech level)

 

[phavoc]

Pg 53 of High Guard, upper left hand corner. The table is listed as Drives.

M-drive TL
1 7
2 7
3 8
4 8
5 8
6 9

It seems kinda off to me. But it's the same from the LBB High Guard (shrug). Basically your M-Drive will always come out with a lower TL minimum than your powerplant or jump drive.

GURPS uses a different TL chart, so it's probably not applicable to your comparison.

 

[mr31337]

CRB, p4 says TL9 for gravitics.
Supp 4; CSC, p5 says TL9 for gravitics.

So something is clearly amiss with High Guard, which isn't hard to imagine. :roll:

Based on personal opinion & the very detailed technology list in CSC I'd prefer to see a corrected table more like this:

M-drive TL
1   9
2 10
3 10
4 11
5 11
6 12
+7 13

Incidentally, CSC tells us gravity 'deck plates' become available at TL10.

 

[phavoc]

Pg4 of the CRB is referring to jump drive technology. Though I can see how it can be interpreted to cover M-drives as well.

It goes on to say at TL-13 "Advances in hull design and thruster plates means spacecraft can easily enter atmosphere and even go underwater". Which clashes with other tech examples.

The explanation of gravitic tech being at TL-9 does muddy the water as far as reactionless drives go. Up to this point they should all require reaction mass - or at least they would with today's tech. There are a number of theoretical proposals that would offset this. And, technically, we did have the capability at TL-7 to introduce 1G drives... just not with the range the book has for a standard M-Drive (which they kind of obfuscate with the explanations).

I think true M-drives, as far as the game goes, don't come about until TL-9.

 

[Condottiere]

I took an interest in this when I started designing fighters; it is holey canon.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

There is no discrepancy between TL7 Manuever drives and TL 9 Fusion power plants. The answer is simply FISSION power plants

Fission power plants: Page 109 of the core rule book (first printing) is now amended. Fission plants provide the same power as a fusion power plant and can provide any power performance level. However, they are twice the size and price of a fusion power plant. They are available at TL7.

- High Guard page 42.

 

[Condottiere]

Fission plant fuel costs a fortune, and burns up too fast.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

But that would be acceptable. I was addressing the issue of TL gap between TL7 being accepted as the base TL for maneuver drives and the power source needed to get the drive to work. With that in place, you can build a perfectly serviceable spacecraft. Not a starship as you do not have Jump till TL9. I was not addressing the economics such technologies being in place.

Inefficient Fusion becomes available TL8 (High Guard p.53).
Prototype Maneuver drives are available at TL6 (also High Guard p.53).
That would be the good question "What powers a TL6 Maneuver drive?"
Chemical plants and solar panels are not given a TL. Chemical batteries are implied to be available at TL 7 based on the example (all High Guard p.42).