Near Future Traveller

[Sigtrygg]

No, not Pioneer.

What if we take the rules in HG and look as what we can do at TL7 and early TL8, pre gravitcs, pre fusion.

TL7 reaction drives up to 3g, titanium steel armour, fission power plants (+1 advantage), chemical power plants, computer/5, solar panels, single turrets, missile racks, missile and torpedo barbettes and bays, non-gravity hulls, hamster cages for spin gravity.

TL8 increases the drive to 6g, up to 3g are now fuel efficient, fission plants gain another advantage, chemical plants have one advantage, the double turret is now available, laser drills for turret mounting, mass driver bays, improved solar panels.

The TL8 fusion power plant isn't that great an advance over a two advantage fission reactor... although it does simplify fuel requirements

It reminds me of GURPS Terradyne...

 

[MongooseMatt]

Or 'second era' Dark Conspiracy...

 

[Sigtrygg]

Or 'second era' Dark Conspiracy...

Tease...

 

[MongooseMatt]

Tease...

Not that much, we really have not done much development on Dark Conspiracy beyond the first book

 

[Jame Rowe]

Not that much, we really have not done much development on Dark Conspiracy beyond the first book

Do more. Do Less! Or tell us if you plan to do open playtests at some point.

 

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

No, not Pioneer.

What if we take the rules in HG and look as what we can do at TL7 and early TL8, pre gravitcs, pre fusion.

I'd love to see discussion of that (and designs) as my Universe is a Empire expanding into an area of fallen colony worlds of a prior Federation (some recovering others not) and I could definitely use ideas for prestellar space/military abilities that might be encountered.

 

[Sigtrygg]

TL7
A typical civilian ship will be a 1g reaction drive, so that thrust gravity can be utilizsed while under thrust. Military and paramilitary ships would go all the way to 3g and have to use all the g mitigation tools available, g-suits, acceleration couches...

Fuel required is 2.5% per g per hour, 10 hours of thrust at 1g is thrust 25% of the ship, so for long trips burn and coast will be required, better build the staterooms in hamster cages or the like at a surcharge of 0.1 tons per ton you want in the spin gravity - staterooms, bridge...

Non-gravitic hull mean power required due to the the hull displacement is halved, so 10 power points per 100t, which requires 2 tons of chemical power plant or 1.25 tons of fission plant... fuel wise you want a fission plant

So travel will be slow, burn and coast.

 

[Sigtrygg]

A what if springs to mind...

what if the Terrans discover the jump drive before unlocking the secret of gravitics at TL9...

 

[rinku]

Honestly, I think you'd do better to just leave out Fusion plants altogether, or have them as very large things. Solar and fission will get the job done.

If you're going to get rid of gravitics you will need to ramp up the realism a fair bit. Something to cope with orbital dynamics would be required since you can't just thrust at 1G as long as you like to brute force orbital transfers. You'd need to burn into a transfer orbit then burn at intercept to match with the destination (technically this is happening in regular Traveller too, but the constant thrust effectively hides it.)

Three months to get to Mars.