The great conversion of MegaTraveller starships back to High Guard

[AnotherDilbert]

Oh, I think lots of us understand what a "field" means.

Great!

Then there should be no problem with the original definition:

(LBB5'79, p17 Tech level requirements for maneuver drives are imposed to cover the grav-plates integral to most ship decks which allow high-G maneuvers while the interior G-fields remain normal.

An artificial gravity field is generated, by grav plates in the decks, that both accelerates the interior of a ship with the ship (in any direction) and accelerates towards the deck to simulate normal gravity. Inertia is not changed or manipulated in any way.


So what's the problem? What have we been arguing about for the last week?

The illustration above is incorrect because with an inertial dampening field the person within it perceives no acceleration or movement of the ship at all - up to and including maneuvers at any angle.

Agreed, it's highly simplified, just as any edition is simplified, even FF&S.

The illustration is just a simple attempt to illustrate that "inertial compensation" is just an artificial grav field in a direction that varies with the ship's acceleration.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Why do you keep ignoring what is written in S:7 and many different adventures?

Gravity: Deck flooring includes integral grav plates which
provide a constant 1 -G artificial gravity field. Acceleration
compensators are also installed and negate the effects of
high acceleration and lateral G forces while maneuvering.
A ship's passengers cannot normally tell whether they are
moving through space or grounded on a planet surface
unless they look at a viewscreen.
Notwithstanding the use of grav plates, personnel are normally
confined to their staterooms or to acceleration
couches in the lounge when the ship is taking off or landing.
Sections of the internal grav plates can be turned on or
off, or even reversed, locally or by the computer. The
negative grav field is used on the cargo deck to assist in
loading and positioning cargo.

Gravity: The ship decks have grav plates built-in to provide a constant 1G floor
field. These plates may be turned off only through computer instructions. In
addition, the ship itself is under the influence of acceleration dampers which negate
the effects of acceleration while maneuvering

Gravity: As with most ships, this vessel has grav plates built into the deck
flooring. These plates provide a constant artificial gravity field of 1 G. Acceleration
compensators are also usually installed, to negate the effects of high acceleration
and lateral G forces while maneuvering. A ship's passengers would be unable to tell
whether they were moving through space or standing still without looking out a
viewscreen.

My point being that the acceleration compensators are an additional system that may or may not be installed. They may of may not be an additional function of the grav plates or they may rewire different hardware.

You are assuming that the artificial gravity produced by the grav plates and the acceleration compensation use the same mechanism, they may or may not.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Why do you keep ignoring what is written in S:7 and many different adventures?

There is no contradiction with LBB5, it's just restated. LBB5 from 1979 predates S7 from 1980, so S7 is presumably based on the information in LBB5.

My point being that the acceleration compensators are an additional system that may or may not be installed.

Acceleration compensation may well be an optional extra (as in MT), based on the same AG tech but with an added control system to vary the AG field.

Something like air condition and climate control in cars; they are based on the same AC compressor, but with an added control system in the climate control option.

You are assuming that the artificial gravity produced by the grav plates and the acceleration compensation use the same mechanism, they may or may not.

I do, because LBB5 says so...


Presumably both LBB5 and S7 are correct?

 

[Sigtrygg]

LBB5 doesn't say so. LBB5 impies only one system that does both, and yet the quotes I gave, and a lot more of them clearly state that acceleration compensation and artificial gravity are not the same system.

How about what is written for Supplement 5

Gravitics: Standard inertial compensators, plus 1G floor field.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

LBB5 doesn't say so. LBB5 impies only one system that does both, and yet the quotes I gave, and a lot more of them clearly state that acceleration compensation and artificial gravity are not the same system.

None of them clearly state it's a separate system or based on some other tech. They say basic AG can be installed without compensators, it may be an optional extra on the AG system.

LBB5 says they both are based on "grav-plates integral to most ship decks".

If both are true, compensators are an extension of the AG system, based on the same tech.

How about what is written for Supplement 5

Gravitics: Standard inertial compensators, plus 1G floor field.

LBB5: Gravitic items are those devices which utilize the principles of anti-gravity, including air/raft lift modules ...

So, you mean to say "inertial compensators" are an application of artificial gravity?

 

[Sigtrygg]

They may be, it would certainly make sense if the compensators were an add on to the grav plates.

I was always perplexed by the lack of acceleration compensators in Striker.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

I was always perplexed by the lack of acceleration compensators in Striker.

As you could built vehicles that could go to space with massive acceleration, they should have had access to both AG and compensators.

I guess they thought tanks, rather than Speeders for a quick excursion to the Moon?

 

[collins355]

They may be, it would certainly make sense if the compensators were an add on to the grav plates.

I was always perplexed by the lack of acceleration compensators in Striker.

Good point, although as MegaTrav craft design is essentially Striker 2.0, you can simply steal from the MT Ref's Manual
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