Supplement 8: Power Armour

[atpollard]

Yes, but is it self-replicating power-armour, nano-swarm fog?

It's not that weird (heck I can certainly envision it)... so by c. TL12 it should certainly be possible.

Are not "fog" and "armor" mutually exclusive by definition. One is VERY solid and one is VERY insubstantial.

... what about a nano-swarm gel or paste or crystal matrix?

Each individual nano-machine will do one thing very well, but you seem to imply that each nano-machine will do whatever you want it to. Your description implies a definition of nano-machines that violates basic thermodynamics and biomechanics. Each nannite is a tiny tool, not a tiny worker ... specialized rather than general purpose.

It will require one heck of a technology breakthrough to physically shrink the size of an atom to build more complex molecules in less space.

YMMV

 

[alex_greene]

Something like this?

 

[AndrewW]

Yes, but is it self-replicating power-armour, nano-swarm fog?

Nope, although I think you might find something interesting in Supplement 8: Power Armour...

 

[BP]

...
Are not "fog" and "armor" mutually exclusive by definition. One is VERY solid and one is VERY insubstantial.

Density doesn't necessarily relate to 'stopping power'.

As an 'analogy' - NASA used aerogel (99.8% air - 1/1000 the density of glass) to capture particles from the a comet (Stardust mission).

A more down to earth 'analogy' - a martial arts 'expert' can easily put a hand/foot/forehead through a cinder-block/board - yet give them a piece of nylon strap (like from a lawn chair) and see how well they fair.

Consider, while we perceive things differently, on the atomic level, the majority of both solid steel and fog are identical - i.e. empty space. It is the arrangement and types of bonds between the molecules and atoms that provide the 'strength'.

In the case of the 'nano-fog armour' the microscopic machines are further capable of active protection - possibly expending force against them (like tiny fission explosions) and to some extent, an amount propelling themselves into path of the offending object/round.

 

[AndrewW]

As an 'analogy' - NASA used aerogel (99.8% air - 1/1000 the density of glass) to capture particles from the a comet (Stardust mission).

Which even survived a rather harder landing then intended...

 

[Treebore]

You nano tech swarm loving types should check out Eclipse Phase. The PDF is legally free via torrent sites, due to it being a Creative Commons License. You just can't do anything "commercial" with it.

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

You can get it freely from one of the chief writers' website... no need for torrents: http://robboyle.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/phs21000_eclipsephase_2ndprinting1.pdf

 

[Treebore]

You can get it freely from one of the chief writers' website... no need for torrents: http://robboyle.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/phs21000_eclipsephase_2ndprinting1.pdf

Cool, I didn't know about that one. People will likely be more comfortable with it. Plus if people would like to support them the PDF can be bought for $15 at Drivethru, etc... The HC is something like $50.00 (US). I started playing it last Friday, I think it is going to be fun and unique in very good ways.

It's already given some new ideas for future Traveller games. Especially since I tend to run at a higher TL than is usually supported. The Tech in EP would probably be closer to TL 18 to 22.

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

The obvious thing is that, doesn't it make the technological underpinnings to 'Traveller' seem sooo "old-fashioned" and long-in-the-tooth... so "1970's-retro"... so "Squishy soft-Sci-Fi"!!!

Heck, even Twiki from 'Buck Rogers in the 25th C' seems more "futuristic" than the 3rd Imperium!

 

[apoc527]

Argh! Removed from the November schedule. I want this book so badly, when oh when will we get to have it?!?!

 

[rust]

Argh! Removed from the November schedule.

Unfortunately this collides with my campaign schedule, so I will have to do
without it - time to go back to GURPS to design what I need for the Pando-
ra setting.

 

[vitalis6969]

I'm just wondering how far they can actually go into Power Armor without turning it into mini anime mecha.

-V

 

[atpollard]

I'm just wondering how far they can actually go into Power Armor without turning it into mini anime mecha.

-V

Why would they need to draw a line ("this far and no further")?

While 'mini anime mecha' might strain the fabric of "The Third Imperium", even 'MONSTER anime mecha' might find a home within the vast 'Mongoose Traveller' umbrella.

The line on how far is really "At what size does 'powered armor' become a 'Military Vehicle' or a robotic Starship"?

 

[DFW]

I'm just wondering how far they can actually go into Power Armor without turning it into mini anime mecha.

-V

Any further than Battle Dress and you are into the realm of what you are saying. As form follows function, there is no place for the bizarre like that. Other games, sure.

 

[AndrewW]

I'm just wondering how far they can actually go into Power Armor without turning it into mini anime mecha.

-V

Any further than Battle Dress and you are into the realm of what you are saying. As form follows function, there is no place for the bizarre like that. Other games, sure.

It goes further then Battle Dress.

Of course everything is purely option so use what you want and discard the rest. If it manages to make it out at some point.

 

[Treebore]

I'm just wondering how far they can actually go into Power Armor without turning it into mini anime mecha.

-V

Any further than Battle Dress and you are into the realm of what you are saying. As form follows function, there is no place for the bizarre like that. Other games, sure.

Um, my main campaign game is at TL 17/18, so I am already at "Mecha". Besides, as the third party Mech, Tech and Robots book already shows as painfully obvious, even TL 11 is already at a tech level that allows for Mechs.

So anyone who doesn't like Mech's can do what they have been doing for the last 30 years, ignore them.

As for me, WOOOOTT!!

 

[rust]

I am not sure where powered armour ends and mecha begins, but I have
just used GURPS to design a diving hardsuit with a crush depth of 600 me-
ters that has a weight of 900 kg, and the equivalent version with a crush
depth of 900 meters weighs 1,200 kg - compared to battle dress with its
ca. 30 kg I seem to be deep in mecha territory already.

 

[BP]

Well, you are definitely deep...

Sounds about today's tech actually - quick google resulted in this prototype. Quick skim ~ 2000 ft (~600m) max and 'all parts' less than 1 ton (~900 kg if 'short ton').

3+ days was impressive, but I assume that was with external atmo feed (3 days for scrubbers? - not sure about smell/waste tolerance )?

 

[rust]

Sounds about today's tech actually - quick google resulted in this prototype. Quick skim ~ 2000 ft (~600m) max and 'all parts' less than 1 ton (~900 kg if 'short ton').

Thank you for the link.

The weight is about the same, only that my high tech design includes po-
wered arms and legs and a hydrojet drive with a speed of 10 km/h. On
the other hand, my design's power cells and life support system have an
endurance of "only" 12 hours, and half of this is an emergency reserve
- in my view a normal shift of 6 hours of underwater work is already ra-
ther close to an upper limit.

 

[danbuter]

Any further than Battle Dress and you are into the realm of what you are saying. As form follows function, there is no place for the bizarre like that. Other games, sure.

You obviously never played Classic Traveller before the 3I was invented. And if you look at the description of Battle Dress, it fits in quite well next to Veritech Cyclones (without the ability to transform).