Ship Design Philosophy

[AndrewW]

I suspect the spinal mount was inspired by the Death Star death ray; but that required a mini moon to act as a platform, and to generate enough power to function, once in a while.

The Hutt's built their own death ray weapon without all the superstructure of the Death Star and made it considerably smaller.

 

[Condottiere]

Every space tyrant and his dog constructs a world busting weapons platform in Star Wars.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

I believe that when we think of space combat, away from the Star Waresque screaming jetdogfighters, we want to recreate Jutland.

I guess everyone has their own ideas.

You may be happy with MgT2, even meson spinal only does attritional damage, and battleships can absorb much more damage than riders.

 

[Condottiere]

In the meantime, proof anti-gravitons exist.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Computers and Controllable Hull Volume Transition

Going by extrapolation, tech level thirteen core/seven computers can only handle upto half a million tonnes, tech level fourteen core/eight upto a million, and core/nine at tech level fifteen, five million tonnes.

Going in the other direction, tech level eight core/two can only handle a thousand tones, and core/one at tech level seven five hundred tonnes.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Engineering and the Null Jump Drive

Assuming that the new jump drive formula is two and a half percent per parsec plus five tonnes overhead, a Null Jump Drive would be point six two five percent, plus overhead, or we could simplify it to one percent.

Available in a semi-prototypical form at tech level eight, with a hard limit of one thousand tonnes using prevailing computer systems, size would range from six tonnes for a hundred tonne starship, to fifteen tonnes for a thousand tonne starship.

They probably won't get much larger than this, as the monojump drive would be used from tech level nine onwards for intrasystemm travel.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Engineering and MonoJump Drives

If it's true that capital ships start from five kay tonnes, than with a core/three computer, tech level nine starships are all adventurous class, and the biggest jump drive would be one hundred thirty tonnes; two in tandem with a core/four could deal with a volume of ten kay at tech level ten. Of course, that means you'd have five tonnes more than a new tailored tech level ten jump drive.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Computers and Controllable Hull Volume Transition

In theory, if core/zero computers existed at tech level six, they should just be able to get a hundred tonne hull to transition to hyperspace.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Fuel Tanks and the Syringe Concept

Normally, we design ships to push bunkerage into the nooks and crannies of the starship volume; instead, let us place the fuel tank into the middle of the ship, with a plunger type shutter that withdraws into the tank as the fuel is consumed by the jump drive as the starship prepares to transit, suddenly creating open space where formally hydrogen had just inhabited it.

This variant doesn't rely on rubber fuel balloons, but the compression of the actual fuel tank, like a piston.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Engineering and Jump Drives

Tee Five has tables for experimental models three tech levels below the basic model, but Mongoose more conservatively caps it at one.

Assuming we're still dealing with doubling the size of the drive, would that include the overhead of five tonnes? Because you can range it between fifteen to twenty tonnes, for the smallest drive. Unless ten tonnes really is the minimum size for a jump drive, in which case it could be between ten (two point five percent times two plus five) to fifteen tonnes (the overhead being doubled).

In which case, a prototype alphabet jump drive A could transition a hundred tonne ship one parsec, with little increase in actual tonnage.

 

[wbnc]

Starships: Fuel Tanks and the Syringe Concept

Normally, we design ships to push bunkerage into the nooks and crannies of the starship volume; instead, let us place the fuel tank into the middle of the ship, with a plunger type shutter that withdraws into the tank as the fuel is consumed by the jump drive as the starship prepares to transit, suddenly creating open space where formally hydrogen had just inhabited it.

This variant doesn't rely on rubber fuel balloons, but the compression of the actual fuel tank, like a piston.

about the only problem is that Hydrogen doesnt like to stay i one place it can seep through very small openings, or through some materials. cryogenic liquids can also act like superfluids...the seals around the plunger would have to be very tight, and very robust to deal with containing a supercooled superfluid.

Hydrogen isn't toxic or corrosive so a little leakage wouldn't be dangerous unless there is oxygen in the air. If there is Oxygen then you have a fire/explosion hazard when hydrogen escapes containment.

I would suggest a hybrid of the two systems a piston, with an internal highly elastic liner to help contain the Hydrogen more effectively.

 

[Condottiere]

Depends on the rate of seepage; you could have seals in place, until it's time to compress.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Transition, Astrogation, and Computers

Core computers could be faster and more accurate than off the shelf commercial ones.

Both are capable of quantum computing at tech level nine, but core computers are capable of super quantum computing.

 

[Condottiere]

Spaceships: Engineering and Reactionless Drive Theory

Through an electrical field, the movement of electrons in hydrogen atoms is slowed and is transformed into momentum.

 

[Condottiere]

Spaceships: Customization

I like designing ships, but there may be some who feel we've got enough, and should just concentrate on roleplaying.

That could be true, but like your character, you'd like to have a spaceship that reflects it, but aren't really concerned with creating a design. but optimizing an existing one.

Engineering is easy, but what seems to be missing is interior design.

There's not much variation in this, since you get assigned a four tonne stateroom, a cubicle to do your daily routine, and an area marked as common, where the riff-raff gather around a watering hole. I'm sure that place can be found for a Jacuzzi, to relax and take your mind of the fact that you're not in Kansas anymore, at least for the next week. You can jazz up the bridge a little, perhaps with shag carpeting and leopard skin seats.

Who says that an airlock is a basic two square location that has two doorways, it could be a lift.

And who doesn't want to paint racing stripes along the hull?

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

Engineering is easy, but what seems to be missing is interior design.

There's not much variation in this, since you get assigned a four tonne stateroom, a cubicle to do your daily routine, and an area marked as common, where the riff-raff gather around a watering hole. I'm sure that place can be found for a Jacuzzi, to relax and take your mind of the fact that you're not in Kansas anymore, at least for the next week. You can jazz up the bridge a little, perhaps with shag carpeting and leopard skin seats.

Who says that an airlock is a basic two square location that has two doorways, it could be a lift.

And who doesn't want to paint racing stripes along the hull?

That's why I don't use starship deck plans for artifacts in my games.

 

[AndrewW]

There's not much variation in this, since you get assigned a four tonne stateroom, a cubicle to do your daily routine, and an area marked as common, where the riff-raff gather around a watering hole.

There are several different sized staterooms (even the older High Guard has barracks and staterooms). As for common area or recreational space, can make that into what you want, theater, pool area and so forth.

Who says that an airlock is a basic two square location that has two doorways, it could be a lift.

Nobody, airlocks aren't limited to two squares. Actually, if you add a standard airlock that's a minimum of 2 tons which on a typical dec kplan would be 4 squares.

High Guard offers a lot of options, but there's nothing stopping anyone from adding more if they see a need.

 

[Condottiere]

It's pretty much cookie cutter; a designer has to research every book if anything new or innovative has been to the spaceship options for canonical material, and make up, adapt or extrapolate his own non-canonical stuff.

 

[AndrewW]

It's pretty much cookie cutter; a designer has to research every book if anything new or innovative has been to the spaceship options for canonical material, and make up, adapt or extrapolate his own non-canonical stuff.

Most of the options where pulled together and consolidated into the new High Guard. Of course it's possible some more option will appear later in additional books. But for now at least not as scattered as things where previously.

 

[Condottiere]

That's fine, though likely still basic.