MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
What is a "Network Linkage Device"? Apparently, it can allow you to combine jump drives and maneuver drives? Like putting 2 J-1 drives together gives you a J-2 drive.
Nexus Linkage Device?
- Thread starter MasterGwydion
- Start date
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
I have not found it in a MgT source. I found it on the wiki, so I was curious as I had not seen it before. So, either way, I doubt it is official in MgT2.
Terry Mixon
Emperor Mongoose
The quote:
The oddity of deck 1 does not end with its turret configuration. It contains a portion of the ship’s manoeuvre and jump drives and its power plant, all of which are connected to the main drives on deck 3 via an innovative mezzanine component.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
I was pretty surprised when it turns out you can network nine drives together, and grand network those combinations.
For Mongoose Second, breakaway hulls validated that approach.
Though for jump drives, each separate module requires it's own five tonne overhead, and manufactured technological level caps range.
For Mongoose Second, breakaway hulls validated that approach.
Though for jump drives, each separate module requires it's own five tonne overhead, and manufactured technological level caps range.
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
So, why not build a ship at TL-12 with 6 J-1 drives linked together? Each drive uses an extra 5 tons over using a J-6 drive, but the fuel requirements are 85% what a J-6 drive uses and you can build a J-6 ship with J-1 drives at much lower TLs.
TL-15 1,000-ton J-6x1 = 155 tons of drive and 600 tons of fuel. 755 tons combined
TL-12 1,000-ton J-1x6 = 180 tons of drive and 510 tons of fuel. 690 tons combined
TL-15 1,000-ton J-6x1 = 155 tons of drive and 600 tons of fuel. 755 tons combined
TL-12 1,000-ton J-1x6 = 180 tons of drive and 510 tons of fuel. 690 tons combined
Spartan159
Banded Mongoose
At risk of exposing age and ignorance, I am pretty sure that the T5 network was to enable a larger hull to achieve the jump number indicated, ie 6x J6 drives allowed a larger hull to achieve J6, not J6xJ6xJ6 or some silliyness
Terry Mixon
Emperor Mongoose
The J1 drives would never grant more than J1. A million J1 drives could never deliver J2.
With the example from Sungularity, the ship has a 500-ton larger vessel that can do J2 alone. The 100-ton smaller vessel is J4. Together they can achieve J3.
I’m not sure how the averaging of the two work together, but there is a higher jump level element to be leveraged.
Maybe @Arkathan can explain it.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Customization is based on the default technological level.
So, you can highly technologize a jump factor/one drive at technological level twelve, which with a six module network, you can transit six times the hull volume, at eighty five percent fuel efficiency.
But not, transit over three parsecs.
If you want to transit six parsecs at one go, you have to manufacture that series of jump drives at default technological level fifteen.
So, you can highly technologize a jump factor/one drive at technological level twelve, which with a six module network, you can transit six times the hull volume, at eighty five percent fuel efficiency.
But not, transit over three parsecs.
If you want to transit six parsecs at one go, you have to manufacture that series of jump drives at default technological level fifteen.
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
Then this needs changed or at least have a source cited. It says the 3 J-1 engines can achieve J-3
Nexus Linkage Device - Traveller
Sigtrygg
Emperor Mongoose
In T5 it is additive, 3 x J1 do indeed produce J3.
And yes you could have (in Mongoose terms) 3 x TL12 J1 drives working together to produce jump 3, but if they have the reduced fuel TL advantage then yes, fuel use is 8.5% per parsec.
So far this is not in Mongoose, and if it ever appears it will be interesting so see if it gets changed in some way.
And yes you could have (in Mongoose terms) 3 x TL12 J1 drives working together to produce jump 3, but if they have the reduced fuel TL advantage then yes, fuel use is 8.5% per parsec.
So far this is not in Mongoose, and if it ever appears it will be interesting so see if it gets changed in some way.
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
I kind of like it like this because of all of the weird combinations that can be created, but I also think that it would break the setting. Mains would no longer be a thing, nor would rifts. I doubt the Far Trader would exist in its current configuration either.
It appears to be a T5 idea for when you're using standard components, in the Classic Traveller Book 2 mode that T5 also uses. As the description says:
"This is such a common practice that many shipbuilding concerns just use these without calling them out. In these cases, they have no such thing as a "standardized size" of the relevant component: instead of "a size A jump drive", they speak of "a 10 ton jump drive that can give a 100 ton ship Jump-2 or a 200 ton ship Jump-1". "
And... that Traveller Wiki excerpt from T5 omitted this bit later on the same page:
"Potential Is Limited By Tech Level. Regardless of the table-mandated Potential, a Jump Drive produced at a Tech level is limited by any stated Tech Level restrictions. For example, the maximum Jump available at Tech Level 11 is Jump-2. Regardless of other details, a Jump Drive produced at TL-11 cannot produce more than Jump-2."
So you can't link three J-1 units to get J-3, unless the TL is also TL12+. Not a low tech hack.
Nor does it make any difference to Mongoose or the other editions that use percentage of hull drives. Those are essentially the same thing without being sub-drives linked together... or if they are, they operate identically to one big drive.
Which is exactly how Breakaway hulls work, combining their drives when joined. Essentially, Network Linkage Devices are assumed in Mongoose when needed. They cost nothing and take no tonnage.
"This is such a common practice that many shipbuilding concerns just use these without calling them out. In these cases, they have no such thing as a "standardized size" of the relevant component: instead of "a size A jump drive", they speak of "a 10 ton jump drive that can give a 100 ton ship Jump-2 or a 200 ton ship Jump-1". "
And... that Traveller Wiki excerpt from T5 omitted this bit later on the same page:
"Potential Is Limited By Tech Level. Regardless of the table-mandated Potential, a Jump Drive produced at a Tech level is limited by any stated Tech Level restrictions. For example, the maximum Jump available at Tech Level 11 is Jump-2. Regardless of other details, a Jump Drive produced at TL-11 cannot produce more than Jump-2."
So you can't link three J-1 units to get J-3, unless the TL is also TL12+. Not a low tech hack.
Nor does it make any difference to Mongoose or the other editions that use percentage of hull drives. Those are essentially the same thing without being sub-drives linked together... or if they are, they operate identically to one big drive.
Which is exactly how Breakaway hulls work, combining their drives when joined. Essentially, Network Linkage Devices are assumed in Mongoose when needed. They cost nothing and take no tonnage.
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MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
So, that does then allow for the 3 J-1 drives linked together at TL-12 and getting J-3 for only 85% of the fuel.
A more limited application but still would be in mass use throughout Charted Space.
It only applies to T5 drives. It's a T5 rule, not a Mongoose rule. I haven't checked fuel usage, but you would have to do that in T5 as well.
Edit: Okay, the reduced fuel advantage is not standard, in either ruleset. And applies equally to one big drive or several small drives linked together.
The Network Linkage Device is not something that gives you any actual advantage. Marc assumes the smaller drives all have standard connectors that let them work together and you can put them together like Lego and it all just works. It's not a thing you normally have to buy or allocate tonnage for.
The only minor advantage seems to be being able to make fractional jumps without a Jump Governor, which really hasn't been something to worry about since 1981. But Marc seems to like them.
Further to that, and on the same page, even T5 has the Jump governor as standard on normal at-or-below-TL drives, but not for early, prototype or experimental drives. By T5 rules, a prototype J-7 can ONLY make J-7 jumps. Limiting its usefulness a bit.
Edit: Okay, the reduced fuel advantage is not standard, in either ruleset. And applies equally to one big drive or several small drives linked together.
The Network Linkage Device is not something that gives you any actual advantage. Marc assumes the smaller drives all have standard connectors that let them work together and you can put them together like Lego and it all just works. It's not a thing you normally have to buy or allocate tonnage for.
The only minor advantage seems to be being able to make fractional jumps without a Jump Governor, which really hasn't been something to worry about since 1981. But Marc seems to like them.
Further to that, and on the same page, even T5 has the Jump governor as standard on normal at-or-below-TL drives, but not for early, prototype or experimental drives. By T5 rules, a prototype J-7 can ONLY make J-7 jumps. Limiting its usefulness a bit.
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MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
Then the wiki needs to be changed as the information is incorrect and is listed as being Canon. It specifically states the connecting 3 J-1 drives allows you to make a J-3 jump. As I understand the rule, no matter how many J-1s you hook together, they will only ever let you go 1 parsec per week, so the wiki is incorrect.
It's not incorrect, it's an incomplete excerpt.
And the source is clearly shown as T5.
It's a given that T5 canon may not agree with Mongoose canon or GDW canon.
As I mentioned, Mongoose DOES allow for muliple J-Drives to combine in the example of Breakaway Hulls. So the concept of the Network Linkage Device in its full T5 entry is compatible.
I agree that the wiki article should include the point about total Jn being capped by TL.
And the source is clearly shown as T5.
It's a given that T5 canon may not agree with Mongoose canon or GDW canon.
As I mentioned, Mongoose DOES allow for muliple J-Drives to combine in the example of Breakaway Hulls. So the concept of the Network Linkage Device in its full T5 entry is compatible.
I agree that the wiki article should include the point about total Jn being capped by TL.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
As regards to Einsteinian propulsion, once you get to Zweisteinian propulsion, it has to be balanced.
Otherwise:
Otherwise:
