MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
Thank you for that! I appreciate it. I actually had no idea that it had ever been stated.
Vacuum rated cargo haulage
- Thread starter mavikfelna
- Start date
Sigtrygg
Emperor Mongoose
I should have added that I think it should be a lot higher.
If you go and search/ask an AI about the density of metals and metal alloys there are more dense real world materials. The question then becomes to rate their usefulness as hull armour...
the other thing that struck me is what if superdense and above are processes applied to a base material type
If you go and search/ask an AI about the density of metals and metal alloys there are more dense real world materials. The question then becomes to rate their usefulness as hull armour...
the other thing that struck me is what if superdense and above are processes applied to a base material type
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Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
We use depleted uranium.
We could install undepleted uranium, and dual use it as fuel and armour.
We could install undepleted uranium, and dual use it as fuel and armour.
Yeah, plutonium makes for poor hull material too.
Less facetiously, It looks strongly like they took the density of steel (call it 8g/cm3) and roughly doubled it. It makes sense that they might use iron or steel as the base material to collapse, since it's cheap and common but still strong.
Density is nowhere near the only factor though. Titanium is valuable because it's strong but lightweight; typically around 4.5g/cm3.
It's also not a given that Superdense is even a collapsed metal. I could see Carbon being used, for example. Diamond has a density of about 3.5g/cm3, so if they can gravitationally collapse that to be 5 times the density and it's stable, that may be it. Or there may several materials that are good candidates for gravitational partial collapse.
(And just to head off anyone that was unaware, tonnes per cubic metre is the same value as grams per cubic centimetre. You can mix and match densities expressed in either measure.)
Less facetiously, It looks strongly like they took the density of steel (call it 8g/cm3) and roughly doubled it. It makes sense that they might use iron or steel as the base material to collapse, since it's cheap and common but still strong.
Density is nowhere near the only factor though. Titanium is valuable because it's strong but lightweight; typically around 4.5g/cm3.
It's also not a given that Superdense is even a collapsed metal. I could see Carbon being used, for example. Diamond has a density of about 3.5g/cm3, so if they can gravitationally collapse that to be 5 times the density and it's stable, that may be it. Or there may several materials that are good candidates for gravitational partial collapse.
(And just to head off anyone that was unaware, tonnes per cubic metre is the same value as grams per cubic centimetre. You can mix and match densities expressed in either measure.)
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Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
We could use water as armour, considering deckplans seem to distribute fuel tanks where ever there is a nook or cranny.
Anything explosive would spread that force laterally, as well.
Anything explosive would spread that force laterally, as well.
It makes more sense to plate/treat/etc a normal piece of metal to the level you are looking for. Makes for easier fabrication and assembly. The rules already (sort of) reference bonded superdense as a type of treatment to the surface to give it more density and strength.
The Russians Alfa class is titanium hulled and the deepest diving combat submarines ever created. It's also hidesously expensive, requires special manufacturing and tooling to build/support. The USN went with good ol HY-80/100 steel (now HY-120) to build it's hulls because they preferred to invest in the electronics and systems. Two different design methodologies and intents. Players don't have to consider things like supportability or manufacturing issues like real-world naval architects and builders do.
Sometimes Occams Razor is quite applicable.
The Russians Alfa class is titanium hulled and the deepest diving combat submarines ever created. It's also hidesously expensive, requires special manufacturing and tooling to build/support. The USN went with good ol HY-80/100 steel (now HY-120) to build it's hulls because they preferred to invest in the electronics and systems. Two different design methodologies and intents. Players don't have to consider things like supportability or manufacturing issues like real-world naval architects and builders do.
Sometimes Occams Razor is quite applicable.
MasterGwydion
Emperor Mongoose
Does it actually say to the surface or does it say to the whole thing?
Titanium Steel is 50KCr/ton and Superdense is 500KCr/ton. 10x the price would seem to agree with you that they are hideously expensive. Makes sense to me.
Agreed, but we seem to have come to different conclusions as to what Occam's Razor means in this case.
CordwainerFish
Emperor Mongoose
You can also dive in a carbon fiber sub, at least once.
(Too soon?)
(Too soon?)
MarcusIII
Cosmic Mongoose
No, it was never too soon. A 12 year old could have told them it was a bad design
