What do you feel needs to be Updated in Traveller' Tech
- Thread starter Infojunky
- Start date
Energy intensive weapons could use a better narative description - not of HOW they work, but of the EXPERIENCE of firing one.
Imagine ionized electric arcing along the barel of your Gauss rifle, the multiple sonic booms as the needle leaves the barel at hypersonic velocity, the lingering smell of ozone and the crackle of the cooling components. That's not an experience one would soon forget.
Now try to imagine a FGMP!
Imagine ionized electric arcing along the barel of your Gauss rifle, the multiple sonic booms as the needle leaves the barel at hypersonic velocity, the lingering smell of ozone and the crackle of the cooling components. That's not an experience one would soon forget.
Now try to imagine a FGMP!
I believe the US Navy is now investing in mass drivers of some kind for a near future warship which will also require a fission plant to power it but that bit is proven technology. Of course various militaries have been playing with mass driver technology since at least WW II if not before without useful results.
One problem that has already been encountered with experimental very high velocity conventionally launched rounds is that they can melt from the friction of passing through the atmosphere.
As a spaceship weapon they could be very interesting and have appeared in several fictional settings – Harry Harrison’s Wheel World trilogy and others.
One problem that has already been encountered with experimental very high velocity conventionally launched rounds is that they can melt from the friction of passing through the atmosphere.
As a spaceship weapon they could be very interesting and have appeared in several fictional settings – Harry Harrison’s Wheel World trilogy and others.
lastbesthope
Mongoose
So, about Mach 19ish then, dependent on altitude/pressure
LBH
LBH
Personally I think the whole Traveller tech progression needs to be looked at to reflect what we actually have available on Earth now. Of course many would disagree on details, but as a rough guess if you assume 2008 Earth is at TL8 then since we dont have Fusion power but many later generation fission piles that's OK at TL8. Computers based on what we can get on a TL8 real world then the computers appear to match the TL11 or even TL12 ones in the game so this needs to be lowered. Medical areas I would make TL8 Earths medicine (in those regions that can get it) as equivelent to TL9. Still no sign of antigrav so that can stay at TL9 and still no jump drives. Hand held lasers may be close but are not around so in this case laser tech is behind.
Would this distort the game?
Would this distort the game?
collins355
Cosmic Mongoose
Some of the miltech I had hoped to see in MGT: Mercenary...
1. Satellite/GPS guided munitions and counter-measures for them. Ubiquitous on today's battlefield, and a good reason to fight hard for control of close orbit!
2. Rods from God, i.e. deadfall ordnance from orbit travelling at hyper-velocity by time of impact, guided by some plausible means.
3. Over the horizon radar and other means of non-LOS electronic detection.
4. Better swim gear, like the exoskeleton currently being developed for the USN/USMC/USSOF.
5. Unmanned vehicles for all roles that don't require human discretion. For instance, (as well as the recon applications already included) unmanned flying gas stations for refuelling, cargo haulers, route clearance vehicles, commo relays, etc.
6. (Astonishingly) Tac missiles.
1. Satellite/GPS guided munitions and counter-measures for them. Ubiquitous on today's battlefield, and a good reason to fight hard for control of close orbit!
2. Rods from God, i.e. deadfall ordnance from orbit travelling at hyper-velocity by time of impact, guided by some plausible means.
3. Over the horizon radar and other means of non-LOS electronic detection.
4. Better swim gear, like the exoskeleton currently being developed for the USN/USMC/USSOF.
5. Unmanned vehicles for all roles that don't require human discretion. For instance, (as well as the recon applications already included) unmanned flying gas stations for refuelling, cargo haulers, route clearance vehicles, commo relays, etc.
6. (Astonishingly) Tac missiles.
I think the old problems people had with computers, especially ships' computers, were more to do with the software, in that what we now consider "commonplace" (library software, games etc) took up so much space that you had to shut down your game of "The Hobbit" for the ship to handle Jump entry. This is obviously barmy, and no longer holds true, since such "utilities" are generally "Rating-zero".
The old size issue and cost can, IMO, adequately be explained as "workstation space" and "supporting tech" (printers, cabling racks, control interfaces and the like).
I have a sneaking suspicion I didn't have to allocate *any* tonnage to computers in the couple of small starship designs I've worked through... haven't got my book to check.
The old size issue and cost can, IMO, adequately be explained as "workstation space" and "supporting tech" (printers, cabling racks, control interfaces and the like).
I have a sneaking suspicion I didn't have to allocate *any* tonnage to computers in the couple of small starship designs I've worked through... haven't got my book to check.
