Ship Design Philosophy

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

L. One thing that attaching a rocket motor to a canister does, is create range.

M. I'm not quite sure how a sandcutter is supposed to effect another ship.

N. Unless the idea is that the other spacecraft is tailgating you.

O. Or, use the sandcaster in close escort.

P. Unless, it places itself between it's charge and the incoming laser exchange.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

Q. Chaff seems to be the only option that seems non directional.

R. Since, you'd have to assume that it forms a cloud surrounding the spacecraft.

S. Kept in place by some form of magnetic force.

T. Which reminds me.

U. You could use pebbles as an anti missile defence.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

V. A very short-ranged weapon, the sandcutter fires a hail of electromagnets into the midst of an enemy sand cloud.

W. These magnets cause the sand to coagulate, reducing its effective protection.

X. Magnetic interference can discombobulate deployed sand crystals.

Y. The question would be, how would a local magnetic field be created, to keep the sand in place?

Z. It's unlikely that this property is inherent in the sand, itself.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

1. The sand has to maintain some form of coherency, to absorb the energy of an energy based weapon system.

2. Apparently, this is achieved through the creation of an external magnetic field.

3. Throw in a couple of fridge magnets, and it's disrupted.

4. This normally occurs in space, while the launching spacecraft is accelerating (away).

5. Does it work the same in a gravity well?

6. And/or atmosphere?

7. A sandcutter canister may be targeted against an enemy ship within Adjacent or Close range and a successful attack halves the protection given by any sand canisters the enemy uses that round.

8. How much force can a caster exert to throw a canister ten kilometres?

9. Likely a moving target, while accelerating itself.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

A. Latency and range would indicate that it would be utilized as point defence.

B. Lasers have greater range and faster reaction time.

C. However, the pebbles likely have an area of effect that's cone shaped, and somewhat constant.

D. The model to consider would be gauss based point defence, as opposed to laser one.

E. While a might salvo might be somewhat spread out, the missile flight paths would start to coalesce at the terminal stage.

F. A whole bunch of ball bearings spreading outwards should intercept a number of them.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

G. The gunner must succeed at a Gunner (turret) check against any missile salvo that is about to make its attack roll against their spacecraft.

H. The Effect of the check will remove that many missiles from the salvo.

I. A turret equipped with two pebblecaster provides DM+1 to this check, while a turret equipped with three pebblecasters will provide DM+2.

J. They provide equal protection against missiles and torpedoes with a Thrust of 10 or less but suffer DM-2 against those with Thrust 12–14 and DM-6 against those with Thrust 15 or higher.

K. In theory, fairly effective against standard missiles.

 

[Condottiere]

Inspiration: Galactic Misfits (Space Opera and Comedy 1-5) | Fantasy Audiobook

youtube.com/watch?v=F1iOSisw08E


1. Feels enthusiastically amateurish.

2. Though, Travellerish scenarios.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Surface-to-Ship Warfare in Science Fiction

Spacedock delves into anti-orbital weapons and planetary bombardment.

1.

2. Shoot backwards to slow projectiles down.

3. Forward observers.

4.

5. Latency.

6. Unintended consequences.

7. Kinetic kill vehicle.

8. Submarined defenders.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

L. Torpedoes are much larger and more resilient than missiles, allowing them to punch through point defences to reach their targets.

M. A torpedo salvo halves the Effect of any successful point defence taken against it, rounding down.

N. However, torpedoes are designed to target larger vessels and can have trouble making successful attacks against smaller ships.

O. Torpedo salvoes suffer an additional DM-2 on their attack rolls against ships smaller than 2,000 tons.

P. On the other hand, torpedoes aren't likely to get lost, and can chase the target around for twenty rounds.

 

[Condottiere]

Lived in.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

Q. True, you have a minus two to hit against a sub bikilotonne hull.

R. On the other hand, if it does, it would really hurt.

S. The target, if not a dedicated starwarship, will likely be heading in the other direction, for possibly the next two hours.

T. You could change the warhead to a missile launcher, which would act as a rocket stage.

U. The carried missiles(s) would have no penalty to hit.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

V. If you fire off a standard torpedo against a free trader, that for some reason you aren't inclined to pursue, but don't want to get away, either.

W. It takes factor/ten acceleration one hour to reach the distant range band.

X. With constant acceleration, it should take considerably shorter period of time of reach another distant range band.

Y. Default is two hours endurance, so unless they plan to jump away, that torpedo is going to home in on them.

Z.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

1. Since the torpedo has a default endurance of two hours, it's fuel tank would be double that of a missile.

2. We'll skip the usual rant that the reactionary rockets available at the listed technological level cannot create the listed acceleration.

3. Acceleration factor/ten is twenty percent, fuel tank default fifty percent, highly technologized twenty percent.

4. Warhead and guidance/sensors package sixty percent.

5. Factor/ten reactionary rocket, default thirteen and a third kilostarbux, highly technologized twenty kilostarbux.

6. Hull, streamlined, non gravitated, ten kilostarbux.

7. Fifty kilostarbux, minus ten, minus twenty, balance twenty kilostarbux warhead and guidance/sensors package.

8. Highly technologized factor/ten rocket motors requires technological level thirteen.

9. Advanced missile acceleration factor/fifteen highly technologized is kosher at technological level fourteen.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

A. What the Confederation Navy does, is replace the reactionary rockets, with one shot manoeuvre drives.

B. Their latest models use a factor/nine at technological level nine, at nine percent volume.

C. That would be thirty kilogrammes each, at eighteen kilostarbux.

D. At full blast, that would be one and four fifths power points per six minutes.

E. Eighteen power points per hour, thirty six power points for two hours.

F. (Thirty minus eleven) plus thirty percent fuel tank, equals thirty nine percent battery.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

G. Factor/fifteen reactionary rockets is thirty percent, thirty kilostarbux.

H. Two hours endurance, highly technologized, thirty percent fuel tank, hull ten kilostarbux.

I. Forty percent warhead and guidance/sensor package, in theory, balance one hundred ten kilostarbux.

J. Seven dice damage, one and a half hundred kilostarbux, each.

K. Is this anywhere close to the canonical composition - who knows?

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

L. Thirty nine percent is one hundred thirty kilogrammes.

M. Sixty power points would be seven and four fifths power points.

N. 0.4333333333333333 hours, or twenty six minutes.

O. Technically, that's four rounds at acceleration factor/eighteen.

P. That may reduce impact to one round at long distance, but also leave the torpedo stranded there.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

Q. The obvious compromise would be acceleration factor/twelve.

R. Torpedoes don't lose their bearings, so time is on their side.

S. Default technological level twelve, highly technologized technological level fifteen.

T. Obvious customization would be energy efficiency.

U. Which, at it's most optimal, would quadruple range.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

V. You could drop to the default acceleration factor/ten.

W. Technological level eleven has available factor/five, which can double to ten.

X. Five percent manoeuvre drive factor/five, fifty five percent battery, eleven power points.

Y. Default endurance eleven rounds, highly technologized technological level thirteen, endurance forty four rounds.

Z. Assuming it doesn't lose target lock, anything that isn't much faster is eventually will get caught up.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

1. You could make it stealthy.

2. At technological level fourteen, that extra million per tonne would be, respectively plus eighty three and a third kilostarbux for missiles, and a third megastarbux for a torpedo.

3. If you can't see it, you can't shoot it.

4. If it's using reactionary rockets, though, that a very hot plume coming out the rear.

5. That might be clearly visible on infra red, but can you target lock it?

6. Presumably, that's minus six on the main body.

7. Manoeuvre drives might have less of a heat signature.

8. Or, you can upgrade to a one shot concealed manoeuvre drive.

9. At technological level fourteen, that would factor/eight divided by two, times two.

 

[Condottiere]

Spacecraft: Armaments and Missile Acceleration

A. On the other end, you don't care if the other side detects the missiles or torpedoes.

B. They could even be used as a distraction.

C. Though, a valid one, considering the potential consequences.

D. Reflec coating will increase make the missile more noticeable.

E. Though, it will cost an additional eight and one third kilostarbux more expensive.

F. However, it should make laser point defence a great deal more difficult.