Tech Breakdown/levels for Campaigns......

A ways back, I posted to the group to see if anyone had any ideas for 
tech levels within campaigns.  After sifting through the responses and 
hacking various bits and pieces... (okay, I forgot who added what here, 
but to the dude who brought up the tech/science area, and the idea of 
double mass ....... big kadoozes!!!!)

So here's my thoughts:
FTFB -> Tech Level's and BreakDowns
(charts read  TechLevel  Pts  Benifit

FTL Drives Research:
1	0	Sublight Drives Only
2	250	Slow FTL Drives
3	500	Normal FTL Drives
4	750	FTL Tender Drives
5	1000	Fast FTL Drives

Materials Research:
1	0	Fragil Hulls only
2	100	Weak Hulls
3	250	Average Hulls
4	500	FTFB Hull Armor/Heavy Fighters
5	750	Strong Hulls
6	1000	Very Strong Hulls

Construction Research:
1	0	Mass 40 hulls / Partial Streamlining
2	50	Full Streamlining
3	100	Mass 60 hulls
4	250	Mass 100 hulls
5	500	Mass 150 hulls
6	750	Mass 200 hulls
7	1000	Mass 400 hulls
8	1250	Mass 800 hulls
9	1500	Mass 1600 hulls
10	2000	Mass 3200 hulls

Beam Weapons:
1	0	PDS
2	50	Class-1/Attack Fighters possible
3	100	Class-2
4	300	Class-3
5	400	Ortillery
6	500	Class-4+
7	750	HBS
8	1000	AHBS

Pulse Weapons:
1	0	None
2	250	Pulse Torpedos/Torpedo Fighters
3	750	(Wave Gun)*
4	1250	(Nova Cannon)*

Kinetic Research:
1	0	MineLayer
2	50	Basic Missile (MT nuclear)
3	100	Sub Munition Packs
4	200	EMP Missile
5	300	Needle Missile
6	500	Salvo Missiles (Std)
7	750	Salvo Missiles (ER)

Power Systems Research:
1	0	Thrust-2
2	50	Thrust-4
3	250	Thrust-6
4	500	Thrust-8/Fast Fighters
5	750	Thrust-10
6	1000	Thrust-12+

Sensors/Screen Research:
1	0	Firecon
2	100	Minesweeper
3	200	ADFC
4	250	Needle Beam
5	500	Screen-1
6	750	Screen-2
7	1000	Cloaking Field
8	1250	(Screen-3)*	  [ just like in FT ]
9	1500	(Reflex Field)*

Miniturization Research:
1	0	Double Component Sizes
2	100	Standard Sized Components
3	250	Standard Fighters Available
4	500	Advanced Fighters Available (Interceptor,Long-Range)
5	750	1/2 Size Components (1/2 Mass, cost=6*mass)

Gravimetrics Research:
1	0	No Gravity control (limited Thrust-2/Vector Movement)
2	100	Light Gravity Control (limited Thrust-6/Vector Movement)
3	250	Normal Gravity Control (Vector Movement)
4	500	Light Inertial Dampers (Vector Movement, Full Thrust for

Rotation/push)
5	750	Inertial Dampers (Cinematic Movement, 1/2 thrust for 
turns)
6	1000	Advanced Inertial Dampers (Cinematic Movement, Full 
thrust for turns)

New Weapon Systems
------------------

HBS (Heavy Beam Systems - Ala Babalon 5)
    Rated like a Beam system, but Mass is Double the equivilent Beam 
Battery.
    In addition, HBS has only 1 arc.  Add an additional 1/4 base mass of

HBS
    for each additional arc (3 max).
    Cost is 3*mass taken up by the system.

		     Range
    ToHit	     8	 16  24  32  40
		    -------------------
	  Die Roll   2	 3   4	 5   6

    Damage

	  base damage:	HBS rating*3
	  Damage roll(1 die):	if roll > (6 - (HBS rating - 1)) then
				Damage = base damage*2
	  Damage to Target = Damage - (Level of Targets Shields)
	  Target then takes 1/2 damage to armor, 1/2 to hull.

    Limitations
	  Can only fire at most 2 of the Highest Rated HBS on a vessel 
based
	  on the following stipulations.
	      Firing 1 HBS reduces available thrust by 1/2.
	      Firing 2 HBS eliminates all thrust available.
	  Vessels with HBS systems that are rated up to 2 lower then the
	  highest rated HBS on it, may fire those lesser systems without

any
	  ill effects.

AHBS (Advanced Heavy Beam Systems - Ala Babalon 5/Shadow Type)
     Rated like a Beam system, mass is the same as an equivilent beam 
battery
     plus 1.  In addition, AHBS has only 1 arc.  Additional arcs can be
     purchased based on an additional 1/4 base mass of AHBS per arc.
     Cost is 6*mass taken up by the system.

     ToHit  (Same as HBS system)
     Damage 1d6/AHBS rating
     Damage to target = Damage - RndUp[1/2*(Level of Targets Shields)]
     Target then takes 1/2 damage to armor, 1/2 to hull.

     Limitations
	Same as HBS system.

     Advantages
	Can fire as a normal beam of same rating or as an AHBS in a
turn.
	Can act as a number of PDS systems equil to its rating in a
turn.
	Can be "Overloaded". :
	    Can fire 1 AHBS on turn and eliminate all thrust available,
	    or	fire 2 AHBS on a turn, and eliminate all thrust
available,
		no shields,no other weapons fire (including PDS).
	    If hit, damage is *150% of normal.

---------------------------------
Races/Empires can be classed based upon the above technologies, to 
determine
equipment that they can use with their ships.

In addition, Races/Empires can choose their most advanced ship system or

hull
and create a limited number of those hulls/devices as prototypes.  
Prototypes
cost 2*normal, and mass 2*normal of normal systems.  Hull construction 
limits
are inbetween the current tech level and the next tech level.

Furthermore, any increase in tech immediately take effect for new ship
construction, and (maybe a slight delay) all bases/stations ect see the
effect of the change in technology(free retrofits/weapon regrades).  
Existing
ship hulls can be brought in to a space dock/base and be retrofited to
take advantage of the new technology.  This will have a cost associated 
with
it of the same points for the new equipment ( the stuff being removed
from
the vessel is assumed to be salvaged to offset some of the cost of 
retrofit. )
One can't retrofit hull though.  It will take (Campaign Determined) 
amount of
time to complete a retrofit (I'm suggesting 1 day/mass changed on
vessel).

If players want to utilize a research approach for campaign play, then 
Players
can allocate part of their points budget to research any of the fields 
they're
interested in.	When it reaches the appropriate level, then they will
get 
the
tech advance.  The points are based on starting resources of around 
100-200
pts/turn.  The table has not been checked/tested, but is provided as an 
idea
towards the above method.

Alternatively, (As I will use in my campaign...)  Allow players to
create
their races tech level based on a certain number of points ( say 1500 or

so
for ftfb types ).

I'll Stick with the convention that I'll describe Empires by a code
based 
upon
the tech advances in the order that they're written....

Ie, the LameDudes Empire has 500rp worth of tech, their UPF is
2211121121 
.
So the LameDudes Can use:

Slow FTL,weak hulls,partial streamlining,max hull 40,pds,minelayer,mt 
missle,
thrust-2(vector),firecon,normal sized components.

---------------------------------
Examples:

The LameDudes_Stellar_Frigate
hull:20 weak (4 dp)
slow FTL
thrust-2(vector)
weapons(12):
1*firecon
3*pds
4*Mt_Missle

tmf:20	cost:73

-Or the Evil_Energy_Worm_Dudes---
UPF = 3337113624

Normal FTL,average hulls,mass 60 hulls,screen-2,thrust-6,vector(full 
turn),
minelayer,HBS,standard size components

Worm_Star_Cruiser Type I
hull:60 average (18 dp)
FTL
thrust-4(vector)
weapons(24):		       -Or-
2*firecon		       2*firecon
2*pds			       2*pds
screen-2		       screen-1
HBS-3 (f)		       2*HBS-3 (f)
2*class-2 beams (rs,ls)        1*class-1 beams
2*class-1 beams 	       -

tmf: 60  cost: 206

------------

chuck