Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
This picture speaks to me of a detachable bridge or a breakaway hull.
Ship Design Philosophy
- Thread starter Condottiere
- Start date
This picture speaks to me of a detachable bridge or a breakaway hull.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: Manoeuvre Drive and Orbital Range
Is worth two penalties; but is it really a penalty, and where can I get it, without paying ten times for an early prototype version?
I think what orbital range is actually the installation of gravity modules, which creates a field effect, rather like gravity nodules do when installed on more planetbound vehicles; whereas the manoeuvre drive creates actual thrust, the gravity modules reject gravity.
That's why, when they run out of gravity to reject, they have nothing to push against after a thousand odd klicks.
Gravity modules are the same size as manoeuvre drives for a given amount of propulsion, but tend to only require half the amount of power (you could make them smaller, but that's less bang for your buck).
Can you combine them with the traditional manoeuvre drive? I'll say yes, upto a combined maximum of nine gee constrained by technological level. Why? To reconcile with the current ruleset.
Is worth two penalties; but is it really a penalty, and where can I get it, without paying ten times for an early prototype version?
I think what orbital range is actually the installation of gravity modules, which creates a field effect, rather like gravity nodules do when installed on more planetbound vehicles; whereas the manoeuvre drive creates actual thrust, the gravity modules reject gravity.
That's why, when they run out of gravity to reject, they have nothing to push against after a thousand odd klicks.
Gravity modules are the same size as manoeuvre drives for a given amount of propulsion, but tend to only require half the amount of power (you could make them smaller, but that's less bang for your buck).
Can you combine them with the traditional manoeuvre drive? I'll say yes, upto a combined maximum of nine gee constrained by technological level. Why? To reconcile with the current ruleset.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: Manoeuvre Drive and Limited Range
Orbital range is pretty easy to explain.
Limited range can only be guessed at.
We can assume that directing the gravity field into some form of constant thrust may be more mechanically complex and/or inefficient, but it divorces itself from relying on a gravitational focus, and maybe creates that within the drive, so it's actually pushing against itself.
Limited range is a single disadvantage, so you could budget it, or make it twenty percent more energy efficient, or maybe both.
But it's hard to figure out how this is supposed to work, perhaps a controlled leak from the field effect.
Gamewise, seems fairly practical for all traffic within the inner planets, and for a starship that manages to fairly accurately exit just short of the hundred diameter limit by either the local sun or destined planet; iffy for the outer planets and if you misjump. Sort of reminds me of the beamed power in one scifi story I once read.
You can always combine it with a normal manoeuvre drive.
Orbital range is pretty easy to explain.
Limited range can only be guessed at.
We can assume that directing the gravity field into some form of constant thrust may be more mechanically complex and/or inefficient, but it divorces itself from relying on a gravitational focus, and maybe creates that within the drive, so it's actually pushing against itself.
Limited range is a single disadvantage, so you could budget it, or make it twenty percent more energy efficient, or maybe both.
But it's hard to figure out how this is supposed to work, perhaps a controlled leak from the field effect.
Gamewise, seems fairly practical for all traffic within the inner planets, and for a starship that manages to fairly accurately exit just short of the hundred diameter limit by either the local sun or destined planet; iffy for the outer planets and if you misjump. Sort of reminds me of the beamed power in one scifi story I once read.
You can always combine it with a normal manoeuvre drive.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Starships: Manoeuvre Drive and Limited Range
You could combine this with an energy inefficient, upto one hundred ninety percent, jumper. Or would the maximum be one sixty percent?
In either event, you can jump or emerge within seventy diameters, well within the hundred diameters of limited range manoeuvre drives.
Could be these combinations reflect where the ship designers priorities lie.
You could combine this with an energy inefficient, upto one hundred ninety percent, jumper. Or would the maximum be one sixty percent?
In either event, you can jump or emerge within seventy diameters, well within the hundred diameters of limited range manoeuvre drives.
Could be these combinations reflect where the ship designers priorities lie.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: Speed is Life, or the Not Too Fast and Furious
It would appear that five gees is considered the minimum acceleration for a fighter, however you define it.
If you believe the missile flight time table, you might need to make it six gees, average off ten gee, and probably only needed to go as fast as twelve gees.
An updated, more detailed, and expanded missile flight times table could probably allow me to more finely tune this.
It would appear that five gees is considered the minimum acceleration for a fighter, however you define it.
If you believe the missile flight time table, you might need to make it six gees, average off ten gee, and probably only needed to go as fast as twelve gees.
An updated, more detailed, and expanded missile flight times table could probably allow me to more finely tune this.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: Armaments and Weaponized Sandcasters
Since the event of Mongoose Second, it seemed that project of having a miniturized missile sabotted in a canister and launched from the casters seemed unattainable, because even at seventy percent, that would seem too large for the default canister, though now hindsight says I could have increased the size of the canisters by disadvantaging them.
For the default sizes, you could split apart a multiwarhead missile (probably 0.028 tonnes), and have that encased in a canister (0.05 tonnes), giving your sandcaster a nifty offensive punch.
Since the event of Mongoose Second, it seemed that project of having a miniturized missile sabotted in a canister and launched from the casters seemed unattainable, because even at seventy percent, that would seem too large for the default canister, though now hindsight says I could have increased the size of the canisters by disadvantaging them.
For the default sizes, you could split apart a multiwarhead missile (probably 0.028 tonnes), and have that encased in a canister (0.05 tonnes), giving your sandcaster a nifty offensive punch.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: Armaments and Weight Watching
Energy weapons are easy, the components contract or expand as needed, compared to the more complex kinetic variants, since if you increase or decrease the size of the launcher, the default missile is not going to fit. Or sand canister. Or ball bearing.
You could say the default missile has to be the same scale, but you could have variants within that missile family that would make them more effective, or less.
For bay weapons, you have the option of increasing or shrinking the size of the bay, or you could change toe size and number of launchers within it.
The end result could be complex and messy.
Energy weapons are easy, the components contract or expand as needed, compared to the more complex kinetic variants, since if you increase or decrease the size of the launcher, the default missile is not going to fit. Or sand canister. Or ball bearing.
You could say the default missile has to be the same scale, but you could have variants within that missile family that would make them more effective, or less.
For bay weapons, you have the option of increasing or shrinking the size of the bay, or you could change toe size and number of launchers within it.
The end result could be complex and messy.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: Armaments and Weight Watching
So why does volume become an issue of interest?
Because manipulation of it is an option, though more important when it comes to kinetic weapons and hundred tonne bays.
If you increase the size of a fifty tonne bay to sixty tonnes, it's still well aside hundred tonnes assigned per hardpoint or a five hundred one to six hundred which obviously consumes an extra hardpoint, but a hundred tonne one increased to one hundred and twenty doesn't obviously do so, especially if the designer makes the case that the overlap should be ignored, or you could group with four other bays for six hardpoints total.
I'm willing to trade size for cheaper components, or more efficiency, especially considering how many missiles you're likely to fire off in an engagement, so that twenty five percent discount is worth it.
This can apply equally well to sand canisters, since it essentially means you have a one point two tonne turret instead of one tonner, which would make it a worthwhile sacrifice from a commercial shipper's point of view, even for other turret weapons. Half price for one point four tonnes, assuming you can figure out how to pull that off, sure.
So why does volume become an issue of interest?
Because manipulation of it is an option, though more important when it comes to kinetic weapons and hundred tonne bays.
If you increase the size of a fifty tonne bay to sixty tonnes, it's still well aside hundred tonnes assigned per hardpoint or a five hundred one to six hundred which obviously consumes an extra hardpoint, but a hundred tonne one increased to one hundred and twenty doesn't obviously do so, especially if the designer makes the case that the overlap should be ignored, or you could group with four other bays for six hardpoints total.
I'm willing to trade size for cheaper components, or more efficiency, especially considering how many missiles you're likely to fire off in an engagement, so that twenty five percent discount is worth it.
This can apply equally well to sand canisters, since it essentially means you have a one point two tonne turret instead of one tonner, which would make it a worthwhile sacrifice from a commercial shipper's point of view, even for other turret weapons. Half price for one point four tonnes, assuming you can figure out how to pull that off, sure.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Starship: Basic Venture Design
Weapons
. hardpoint
.. turret
... technological level nine
... triple
... budgeted
.... increased size
... one point two tonnes
... MCI 0.75
. firmpoint
.. turret
... technological level seven
... single
... budgeted
.... increased size
... one point two tonnes
... MCI 0.15
.. energy requirements
... weapons
.... turrets
..... 2
Notes:
1. I still doubt that the firmpoint will weigh in at one tonne, much less one point two.
2. We could affix it firmly on a mount, and it wouldn't matter how much volume the weapon system takes up, but that would be cheating.
Weapons
. hardpoint
.. turret
... technological level nine
... triple
... budgeted
.... increased size
... one point two tonnes
... MCI 0.75
. firmpoint
.. turret
... technological level seven
... single
... budgeted
.... increased size
... one point two tonnes
... MCI 0.15
.. energy requirements
... weapons
.... turrets
..... 2
Notes:
1. I still doubt that the firmpoint will weigh in at one tonne, much less one point two.
2. We could affix it firmly on a mount, and it wouldn't matter how much volume the weapon system takes up, but that would be cheating.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: Armaments and Missiling Opportunities
Weapons
. hardpoint
.. turret
... technological level nine
... triple
... budgeted
.... increased size
... one point two tonnes
... MCI 0.75
... weapon systems
.... missile launcher
.... missiles
..... standard
...... technological level seven
...... thrust ten
...... damage four dee
...... volume 0.084 tonnes
...... MCI 0.25
...... smart
..... multi-warhead
...... technological level eight
...... thrust ten
...... damage three dee
...... volume 0.084 tonnes
...... MCI 0.75
...... smart
..... standard single-warhead
...... technological level eight
...... thrust ten
...... damage three dee
...... volume 0.028 tonnes
...... MCI 0.75
...... smart
Notes:
1. Standard single-warheads probably cost a tad over three quarters of a million schmuckers per thirty six.
2. Standard single-warheads would either need some form of form fitting sabot or a smaller appropriately sized missile launcher.
Weapons
. hardpoint
.. turret
... technological level nine
... triple
... budgeted
.... increased size
... one point two tonnes
... MCI 0.75
... weapon systems
.... missile launcher
.... missiles
..... standard
...... technological level seven
...... thrust ten
...... damage four dee
...... volume 0.084 tonnes
...... MCI 0.25
...... smart
..... multi-warhead
...... technological level eight
...... thrust ten
...... damage three dee
...... volume 0.084 tonnes
...... MCI 0.75
...... smart
..... standard single-warhead
...... technological level eight
...... thrust ten
...... damage three dee
...... volume 0.028 tonnes
...... MCI 0.75
...... smart
Notes:
1. Standard single-warheads probably cost a tad over three quarters of a million schmuckers per thirty six.
2. Standard single-warheads would either need some form of form fitting sabot or a smaller appropriately sized missile launcher.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: Armaments and Missiling Opportunities
Weapons
. hardpoint
.. turret
... technological level nine
... triple
... budgeted
.... increased size
... one point two tonnes
... MCI 0.75
... weapon systems
.... missile launcher
.... missiles
..... standard
...... technological level seven
...... thrust ten
...... damage four dee
...... volume 0.084 tonnes
...... MCI 0.25
...... smart
..... multi-warhead
...... technological level eight
...... thrust ten
...... damage three dee
...... volume 0.084 tonnes
...... MCI 0.75
...... smart
..... standard single-warhead
...... technological level eight
...... thrust ten
...... damage three dee
...... volume 0.028 tonnes
...... MCI 0.75
...... smart
..... standard single-warhead
...... technological level eight
...... thrust ten
...... damage three dee
...... budgeted
....... increased size
...... volume 0.0336 tonnes
...... one tonne magazine
....... twenty nine
...... CI 19'396.56 each
...... smart
Notes:
1. Standard single-warheads were costed at three quarters of a million per thirty five, since that how many you should be able to squeeze in a fourteen cubic metre space, though if the missiles are cylindrical, you'd think the smaller they are, the more you could place within that space.
Weapons
. hardpoint
.. turret
... technological level nine
... triple
... budgeted
.... increased size
... one point two tonnes
... MCI 0.75
... weapon systems
.... missile launcher
.... missiles
..... standard
...... technological level seven
...... thrust ten
...... damage four dee
...... volume 0.084 tonnes
...... MCI 0.25
...... smart
..... multi-warhead
...... technological level eight
...... thrust ten
...... damage three dee
...... volume 0.084 tonnes
...... MCI 0.75
...... smart
..... standard single-warhead
...... technological level eight
...... thrust ten
...... damage three dee
...... volume 0.028 tonnes
...... MCI 0.75
...... smart
..... standard single-warhead
...... technological level eight
...... thrust ten
...... damage three dee
...... budgeted
....... increased size
...... volume 0.0336 tonnes
...... one tonne magazine
....... twenty nine
...... CI 19'396.56 each
...... smart
Notes:
1. Standard single-warheads were costed at three quarters of a million per thirty five, since that how many you should be able to squeeze in a fourteen cubic metre space, though if the missiles are cylindrical, you'd think the smaller they are, the more you could place within that space.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: TRI(ANGLE) Fighter
While adding this on to Traveller, specifically to the Confederation order of battle would be fun, my feling says that those solar panels will get ripped out of those sockets the moment the pilot tries a greater than a one gee turn, especially in an atmosphere; also, the panelling does not look optimized to receive the optimum solar radiation at some angles.
This looks more promising, but the sockets still seem a weak point. I think you have to embed the solar panelling in the hull itself, to overcome this, but it brings us back to optimizing the best possible reception for solar radiation.
That's why, I've come up with the TRI Fighter:
The technical term would be a tetrahedron, though some would know it under the more familiar label of four sided dice. As long as the fighter isn't being eclipsed, at any facing it's soaking up those rays.
The downside is that solar panelling would tend to be four times the volume as would normally be required.
Hull configuration could argumentatively be spherical. It could even be a breakaway variant:
While adding this on to Traveller, specifically to the Confederation order of battle would be fun, my feling says that those solar panels will get ripped out of those sockets the moment the pilot tries a greater than a one gee turn, especially in an atmosphere; also, the panelling does not look optimized to receive the optimum solar radiation at some angles.
This looks more promising, but the sockets still seem a weak point. I think you have to embed the solar panelling in the hull itself, to overcome this, but it brings us back to optimizing the best possible reception for solar radiation.
That's why, I've come up with the TRI Fighter:
The technical term would be a tetrahedron, though some would know it under the more familiar label of four sided dice. As long as the fighter isn't being eclipsed, at any facing it's soaking up those rays.
The downside is that solar panelling would tend to be four times the volume as would normally be required.
Hull configuration could argumentatively be spherical. It could even be a breakaway variant:
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Starship: Basic Venture Design
Hull
. 120 tonnes
. 43 points
. technological level nine
. gravitated
. lightened hull
.. MCI 4.5
. streamlined
.. MCI 0.9
. armour
.. none
Engineering
. manoeuvre
.. factor one
.. technological level nine
.. budgeted
... increased size
.. one point five tonnes
.. MCI 1.8
. jump
.. factor one
.. technological level nine
.. budgeted
... increased size
.. ten tonnes
.. MCI 9.0
. power plant
.. early fusion
.. forty scotts
.. technological level eight
.. budgeted
... increased size
.. five tonnes
.. MCI 1.5
.. energy requirements
... basic
.... 24
... manoeuvre
.... 12
... jump
.... 12
... weapons
... screens
... systems
. bunkerage
.. thirteen tonnes
.. range
... one parsec
.. endurance
... eight weeks
Bridge
. ten tonnes
.. MCI 1.0
. computer
.. bandwidth five
.. MCI 0.03
.. software
... library
... manoeuvre
... jump control one
.... MCI 0.1
. sensors
.. basic
... lidar
... radar
... dice modifier minus four
Weapons
. hardpoints
.. turret
. firmpoints
Craft
Systems
. fuel scoops
Accommodations
. staterooms
.. ten
.. forty tonnes
.. MCI 5.0
. common areas
.. ten tonnes
.. MCI 1.0
Cargo
. ship's locker
. dry
.. thirty and a half tonnes
Access
. airlocks
.. two free
. cargo hatch
MCI 24.83
Hull
. 120 tonnes
. 43 points
. technological level nine
. gravitated
. lightened hull
.. MCI 4.5
. streamlined
.. MCI 0.9
. armour
.. none
Engineering
. manoeuvre
.. factor one
.. technological level nine
.. budgeted
... increased size
.. one point five tonnes
.. MCI 1.8
. jump
.. factor one
.. technological level nine
.. budgeted
... increased size
.. ten tonnes
.. MCI 9.0
. power plant
.. early fusion
.. forty scotts
.. technological level eight
.. budgeted
... increased size
.. five tonnes
.. MCI 1.5
.. energy requirements
... basic
.... 24
... manoeuvre
.... 12
... jump
.... 12
... weapons
... screens
... systems
. bunkerage
.. thirteen tonnes
.. range
... one parsec
.. endurance
... eight weeks
Bridge
. ten tonnes
.. MCI 1.0
. computer
.. bandwidth five
.. MCI 0.03
.. software
... library
... manoeuvre
... jump control one
.... MCI 0.1
. sensors
.. basic
... lidar
... radar
... dice modifier minus four
Weapons
. hardpoints
.. turret
. firmpoints
Craft
Systems
. fuel scoops
Accommodations
. staterooms
.. ten
.. forty tonnes
.. MCI 5.0
. common areas
.. ten tonnes
.. MCI 1.0
Cargo
. ship's locker
. dry
.. thirty and a half tonnes
Access
. airlocks
.. two free
. cargo hatch
MCI 24.83
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: Engineering, Sol Invictus, and Power Corrupts
There appears to be no technological level related to solar panelling, but let's assume seven.
Efficiency is tied inexplicably to the onboard power plant, so you could say that efficiency is related to the matching technological level.
The default power plant size is five tonnes, since the minimum size for solar panelling is half a tonne, and they have to be at least ten percent of the onboard power plant, in order to subsidize seventy five percent of the power load. I'm no too sure how fissionable material and slowing down atomic decay works with this.
Essentially, ye technological level seven chemical plant only needs 1.25 tonnes of fuel per tonne of plant per week, which is impressive. Incidentally, a budgeted one tone chemical plant produces four scotts per turn, which is enough to power and propel about sixteen and two third tonnes spacecraft along at one gee constant.
The default values of ten, fifteen and twenty scotts at technological levels eight, twelve and fifteen, so solar panelling at those levels would match those outputs.
There appears to be no technological level related to solar panelling, but let's assume seven.
Efficiency is tied inexplicably to the onboard power plant, so you could say that efficiency is related to the matching technological level.
The default power plant size is five tonnes, since the minimum size for solar panelling is half a tonne, and they have to be at least ten percent of the onboard power plant, in order to subsidize seventy five percent of the power load. I'm no too sure how fissionable material and slowing down atomic decay works with this.
Essentially, ye technological level seven chemical plant only needs 1.25 tonnes of fuel per tonne of plant per week, which is impressive. Incidentally, a budgeted one tone chemical plant produces four scotts per turn, which is enough to power and propel about sixteen and two third tonnes spacecraft along at one gee constant.
The default values of ten, fifteen and twenty scotts at technological levels eight, twelve and fifteen, so solar panelling at those levels would match those outputs.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: Engineering and Fueling the Chemical Plants
While we know the default fuel consumption of the technological level seven chemical plants is ten times the volume of the plant, it doesn't seem that the cost of that fuel is ever mentioned.
Also, rather vague on the type of petrochemical or synthetic fuel involved.
Going by current prices, it's propane, then it should cost twelve or thirteen centimes per galleon wholesale, at what I calculate 3698.41 galleons for fourteen cubic metres. So CI 444.00 per tonne, which is so close to refined hydrogen, that it doesn't make it a worthwhile option.
I guesstimate diesel would be two and a half times more expensive.
It's been fun, but I guess that I will have to drop chemical planting.
While we know the default fuel consumption of the technological level seven chemical plants is ten times the volume of the plant, it doesn't seem that the cost of that fuel is ever mentioned.
Also, rather vague on the type of petrochemical or synthetic fuel involved.
Going by current prices, it's propane, then it should cost twelve or thirteen centimes per galleon wholesale, at what I calculate 3698.41 galleons for fourteen cubic metres. So CI 444.00 per tonne, which is so close to refined hydrogen, that it doesn't make it a worthwhile option.
I guesstimate diesel would be two and a half times more expensive.
It's been fun, but I guess that I will have to drop chemical planting.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: Manoeuvre Drive and Weight Watchers
As someone pointed out a while ago, there are no minimums for manoeuvre drive tonnage, as opposed to power plants and jump drives.
Thumbing through Mongoose First, gravitational drives would be half a tone, while reaction ones are a quarter, but that got thrown out of the window with a revision of manoeuvre drive percentages, and doubling down on that for reaction drives.
Technically, the smallest default manoeuvre drive would be one tenth of a tonne for a ten tonne spacecraft, available at technological level nine at two hundred thousand schmuckers.
Manoeuvre drives are introduced at technological level nine, meaning that whatever zero factor drive is being introduced at technological seven can't be manipulating gravitational forces; the only thing you can do is ignore it, and install an underpowered manoeuvre drive, which at least gives some form of discernible and constant acceleration; it's also cheaper.
As someone pointed out a while ago, there are no minimums for manoeuvre drive tonnage, as opposed to power plants and jump drives.
Thumbing through Mongoose First, gravitational drives would be half a tone, while reaction ones are a quarter, but that got thrown out of the window with a revision of manoeuvre drive percentages, and doubling down on that for reaction drives.
Technically, the smallest default manoeuvre drive would be one tenth of a tonne for a ten tonne spacecraft, available at technological level nine at two hundred thousand schmuckers.
Manoeuvre drives are introduced at technological level nine, meaning that whatever zero factor drive is being introduced at technological seven can't be manipulating gravitational forces; the only thing you can do is ignore it, and install an underpowered manoeuvre drive, which at least gives some form of discernible and constant acceleration; it's also cheaper.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceship: Shuttle Cock Class
Hull
. 10 tonnes
. 3 points
. technological level nine
. non-gravitated
. lightened hull
.. MCI 0.15
. sphere configuration
.. partially streamlined
. armour
.. none
Engineering
. manoeuvre
.. factor one
.. technological level nine
.. budgeted
... increased size
.. zero point one two five tonnes
.. MCI 0.15
. solar panels
.. four
... half-tonners
.. two tonnes
.. MCI 0.2
. power plant
.. early fusion
.. eight scotts
.. technological level eight
.. budgeted
... increased size
.. one tonne
.. MCI 0.3
.. energy requirements
... basic
.... 2
... manoeuvre
.... 1
... weapons
... systems
. bunkerage
.. one tonne
.. endurance
... one hundred sixty weeks
Bridge
. cockpit
.. one point five tonnes
.. MCI 0.01
. computer
.. bandwidth five
.. technological level seven
.. MCI 0.03
.. software
... library
... manoeuvre
. sensors
.. basic
... lidar
... radar
... dice modifier minus four
Armaments
. firmpoints
Craft
Systems
.
Accommodations
. staterooms
..
Cargo
. ship's locker
. dry
.. two and three eights tonnes
Acess
. airlocks
.. one free
MCI 0.81
I like the basic concept and price, but as a civilian spacecraft, the four solar panelling are taking up too much space, and the fusion reactor is producing more power than you need, especially for an orbital runabout.
I don't think the tetrahedron concept will work at this level; probably have to upscale it.
Hull
. 10 tonnes
. 3 points
. technological level nine
. non-gravitated
. lightened hull
.. MCI 0.15
. sphere configuration
.. partially streamlined
. armour
.. none
Engineering
. manoeuvre
.. factor one
.. technological level nine
.. budgeted
... increased size
.. zero point one two five tonnes
.. MCI 0.15
. solar panels
.. four
... half-tonners
.. two tonnes
.. MCI 0.2
. power plant
.. early fusion
.. eight scotts
.. technological level eight
.. budgeted
... increased size
.. one tonne
.. MCI 0.3
.. energy requirements
... basic
.... 2
... manoeuvre
.... 1
... weapons
... systems
. bunkerage
.. one tonne
.. endurance
... one hundred sixty weeks
Bridge
. cockpit
.. one point five tonnes
.. MCI 0.01
. computer
.. bandwidth five
.. technological level seven
.. MCI 0.03
.. software
... library
... manoeuvre
. sensors
.. basic
... lidar
... radar
... dice modifier minus four
Armaments
. firmpoints
Craft
Systems
.
Accommodations
. staterooms
..
Cargo
. ship's locker
. dry
.. two and three eights tonnes
Acess
. airlocks
.. one free
MCI 0.81
I like the basic concept and price, but as a civilian spacecraft, the four solar panelling are taking up too much space, and the fusion reactor is producing more power than you need, especially for an orbital runabout.
I don't think the tetrahedron concept will work at this level; probably have to upscale it.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: Engineering, Not Enough Power, Cap’n!, and Hardened Systems
Selected ship systems get priority, which the bridge can allocate energy to as they prefer, whenever there's not enough energy to power all the currently operating gadgets.
You can operate a ship by only allocating one scott per ten tonnes, but that leaves it subject to power fluctuations, hence lights dimming, and impromptu levitation, though you could set up an uninterruptible power supply via a battery to smooth that out.
Selected ship systems get priority, which the bridge can allocate energy to as they prefer, whenever there's not enough energy to power all the currently operating gadgets.
You can operate a ship by only allocating one scott per ten tonnes, but that leaves it subject to power fluctuations, hence lights dimming, and impromptu levitation, though you could set up an uninterruptible power supply via a battery to smooth that out.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: Engineering, Sunbathing and It's Not Easy Being Green
If the panels are fitted to a ship without a power plant, then assume the (non–existent) power plant is sized to the ship’s basic systems and a Thrust one manoeuvre drive.
If the panels are fitted to a ship without a power plant, then assume the (non–existent) main power plant is sized to deliver a performance rating of one.
Can you spot the difference?
The top sentence comes from the revised edition, and for our purposes, that for every ten tonnes, you have an appropriate rated solar panel that will deliver three scotts, in lieu of an a shipboard generator).
Though, which generator?
Let's go with my favourite technological level, nine, since that's when you introduce manoeuvre drive technology.
Let's take an early fusion power plant, with a default setting of ten scotts per tonne output.
Let's see how all this fits on a thousand tonne hull (mostly to get over the half tonne panelling minimum).
So a one kay hull has a basic power requirement of two hundred scotts, and can needs another hundred scotts to input into the impulse drives.
That means I need thirty tonnes of early fusion power plant to generate three hundred scotts.
Solar panelling is sized to ten percent of the matching power plant, that would mean that I only need three tonnes of solar panelling to generate three hundred scotts at technological level eight.
If we assume that actually any solar panelling can only deliver three quarters of the advertised output, we have four tonnes of technological level eight solar panelling delivering a net output of three hundred scotts, which works out to seventy five scotts per tonne of solar panelling, which is just seventy percent as efficient per tonne as a technological level twenty anti matter power plant; and greener.
If the panels are fitted to a ship without a power plant, then assume the (non–existent) power plant is sized to the ship’s basic systems and a Thrust one manoeuvre drive.
If the panels are fitted to a ship without a power plant, then assume the (non–existent) main power plant is sized to deliver a performance rating of one.
Can you spot the difference?
The top sentence comes from the revised edition, and for our purposes, that for every ten tonnes, you have an appropriate rated solar panel that will deliver three scotts, in lieu of an a shipboard generator).
Though, which generator?
Let's go with my favourite technological level, nine, since that's when you introduce manoeuvre drive technology.
Let's take an early fusion power plant, with a default setting of ten scotts per tonne output.
Let's see how all this fits on a thousand tonne hull (mostly to get over the half tonne panelling minimum).
So a one kay hull has a basic power requirement of two hundred scotts, and can needs another hundred scotts to input into the impulse drives.
That means I need thirty tonnes of early fusion power plant to generate three hundred scotts.
Solar panelling is sized to ten percent of the matching power plant, that would mean that I only need three tonnes of solar panelling to generate three hundred scotts at technological level eight.
If we assume that actually any solar panelling can only deliver three quarters of the advertised output, we have four tonnes of technological level eight solar panelling delivering a net output of three hundred scotts, which works out to seventy five scotts per tonne of solar panelling, which is just seventy percent as efficient per tonne as a technological level twenty anti matter power plant; and greener.
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
Spaceships: Engineering, Power Corrupts and Then And Now
When I came up for designs for the Rocket Sled and Ultralite fighters way back when, as I recall, you could skip installing a power plant by pairing batteries and fusion rockets, because the spacecraft wasn't constantly sucking energy; well, at least within a twenty four hour period, since a cockpit rather than a bridge was a requirement to keep within the bounds of space available.
At best, you can start prioritizing which components get juiced, like the bridge and any engineering spaces, but in no way would you get the same pay off as just having a normal power plant, over an extended stretch of time.
Unless you pair up the batteries with solar panelling, the down side is you're probably stuck at one gee constant acceleration, unless you embed the panels into the hull itself, but the upside is that as long as you aren't eclipsed, you have an infinite amount of energy, needing only a tiny bit of tonnage for all your power requirements.
While you might think that the rules put a stop to that by mentioning minimal manoeuvring, powering the manoeuvre drives from the battery pack bypasses this caveat, which of course then get constantly recharged from the solar cells.
When I came up for designs for the Rocket Sled and Ultralite fighters way back when, as I recall, you could skip installing a power plant by pairing batteries and fusion rockets, because the spacecraft wasn't constantly sucking energy; well, at least within a twenty four hour period, since a cockpit rather than a bridge was a requirement to keep within the bounds of space available.
At best, you can start prioritizing which components get juiced, like the bridge and any engineering spaces, but in no way would you get the same pay off as just having a normal power plant, over an extended stretch of time.
Unless you pair up the batteries with solar panelling, the down side is you're probably stuck at one gee constant acceleration, unless you embed the panels into the hull itself, but the upside is that as long as you aren't eclipsed, you have an infinite amount of energy, needing only a tiny bit of tonnage for all your power requirements.
While you might think that the rules put a stop to that by mentioning minimal manoeuvring, powering the manoeuvre drives from the battery pack bypasses this caveat, which of course then get constantly recharged from the solar cells.
