Ship Design Philosophy

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Cargo

A. First the attacking ship’s pilot must position their ship for the linkage attempt.

B. If the target ship is crewed and powered, make an opposed Pilot check (DEX or INT) against the pilot of the target ship.

C. Assuming, active measures are taken to prevent linkage.

D. Each unused point of Thrust may be applied for DM+1.

E. After the pilot of the attacking ship has won an opposed check, a gunner fires the grappling device: Average (8+) Gunner (turret) check (DEX), adding the Effect of the opposed Pilot check.

F. Apparently, we actually do have harpoons.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Cargo

G. At TL7 the apparatus is little more than a magnetic clamp on a retractable arm.

H. Two tonnes at fifty kilostarbux, with a capacity of five kilotonnes, that's unbeatable value for cost.

I. At TL9 the linkages are gas-powered grapnels with a reeling cuff ...

J. I take it that a magnetic clamp on a retractable arm, with gas powered grapples.

K. Two tonnes at seventy five kilostarbux, with a capacity of five kilotonnes, worthwhile upgrade.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Cargo

L. ... while at TL12 the linkage is magnetically propelled and guided by targeting lasers.

M. Two tonnes at a hundred kilostarbux, with a capacity of five kilotonnes.

N. This is really a good deal, since the cost increase is incremental.

O. At TL15 the linkage is made of gravitic field control rods and antennae.

P. Two tonnes at five hundred kilostarbux, with a capacity of five kilotonnes.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Cargo

Q. A forced linkage apparatus may be combined with a breaching tube.

R. Or, an ordinary airlock, if there is a corresponding airlock or hatch on the grabbee.

S. Note that forced linkage devices may only be used on ships of 5,000 tons or less.

T. If fully exploited, minimum size of primary hull would be twenty five hundred tonnes.

U. It's sort of the tail wagging the dog

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Antique

Caravel - small long range merchantman

Carrack - medium long range merchantman

Cog - spherically hulled merchantman

Galleass - gravitational drive and reactionary rockets

Galleon - enlarged carrack, heavily armed

Galley - rocket powered spacecraft

Greatship - heavily armed starwarship

Longship - troop carrier

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Cargo

V. Are there five kilotonne cargo pods?

W. Probably not, in the sense of being just one big cargo hold, possibly containing bulk merchandize, like raw ore.

X. I think the only ones that are that large, carry manufactured items, like completed spacecraft or jump drives.

Y. At a certain point, cargo pods would be subdivided, to make handling cargo easier to manage.

Z. As well as for safety reasons.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Cargo

1. What's the difference between forced linkage apparatus and a docking clamp?

2. It has more moving parts.

3. And, probably longer range.

4. Which allows it to winch in anything upto seventy thousand cubic metres in volume.

5. It's also, considerably cheaper.

6. And, covers the range between one to five thousand tonnes.

7. Whereas default docking clamps have a limited range, with minimums and maximums.

8. Except for docking clamp victor, which at fifty tonnes has no upper maximum.

9. I suppose, Archimedes could use it to move the world.

 

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

Spacecraft: Cargo

1. What's the difference between forced linkage apparatus and a docking clamp?

Used by scavengers and pirates to board spacecraft, derelict or otherwise, forced linkage apparatuses are close range devices that allow attempts at forced docking

Used to board a ship without the consent of the crew.

A docking clamp allows a spacecraft to carry another vessel on the exterior of its hull, typically a small craft such as a ship’s boat or fighter. This permits a ship to carry auxiliary craft without consuming valuable interior space.

Used to carry another ship to a location the other ship presumably couldn't reach on its own or as soon with the crews consent.

Totally different functions.

 

[Condottiere]

More a demonstration of how much bang for buck you're getting.

The function is, for all intents and purposes, the same.

 

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

The function is, for all intents and purposes, the same.

One being used to board the ship but not to move it and the other to move it but not to board it does not sound the same to me in any way.

 

[Condottiere]

As expressed in the given text, the function is the same.

Except, improved.

 

[Condottiere]

After a successful grapple, the ship can be boarded or towed into port at leisure.

The ship attempting forced linkage must have a Thrust advantage of at least one over the opposing ship and may not be less than half the tonnage of the target ship.


If you can grab it while it's moving and twisting away, you can use the same apparatus to hold it, and tow it.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Cargo

A. Coming back to the Harrier skyhook, the moving parts aspect of forced linkage apparatus allows some flexibility in grabbing a (cooperative) spacecraft.

B. It's unclear as to the range of the grappling hooks, though adjacent covers a kilometre.

C. Whereas with docking clamps, you have to jump through a number of hoops so that docking is synchronized.

D. Like cutting acceleration.

E. Pretty useful if you're fighting a rear guard action, and the battle tender can just scoop you up, before departing in a sprinkling of fairy dust.

F.

 

[boggo2300]

After a successful grapple, the ship can be boarded or towed into port at leisure.

The ship attempting forced linkage must have a Thrust advantage of at least one over the opposing ship and may not be less than half the tonnage of the target ship.


If you can grab it while it's moving and twisting away, you can use the same apparatus to hold it, and tow it.

but not jump with it, or for example skim a gas giant

 

[Condottiere]

Why do you think we invented the jump bubble?

As regards any kind of atmospheric reentry, dead slow ahead.

 

[rinku]

The main difference between a forced linkage and a clamp is the forced part. Docking clamps are for when both ships agree to hook up.

Tinder vs assault charges pending.

Clearly you could use a forced linkage apparatus to snag a co-operative ship. No need for the opposed rolls. But if both ships are under power that's just docking and needs no extra gear to happen. Even if the target ship is drifting, the active ship can maneuver to dock... so it probably only comes up if both ships are close enough and both are drifting, or to save time (or if the pilot is drunk or something and the gunner can do a better job...)

A docking clamp or big enough bay is needed for them to jump together, though. Kissing airlocks ain't enough.

 

[Condottiere]

Anything within a jump bubble is going down the rabbit hole.

Especially a harpooned whale.

Or, possibly, a caught marlin.

If your starship is using the lanthanum grid, you could drape over a jump net.

 

[rinku]

Unless the rope snaps.

 

[boggo2300]

Anything within a jump bubble is going down the rabbit hole.

Especially a harpooned whale.

Or, possibly, a caught marlin.

If your starship is using the lanthanum grid, you could drape over a jump net.

nope, if you have something captured with a forced linkage, unless you cover it with a jump net it's not coming when you jump, however something in a docking clamp (which is specifically designed for this purpose) will come when you jump as long as your jump drive has sufficient capacity for the tonnage.

 

[Condottiere]

A jump bubble is pretty wide.

And forced linkage basically reels in the caught fish.