Re: FT-JC conversions

----- Original Message -----
From: Robertson, Brendan <Brendan.Robertson@dva.gov.au>
To: <gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu>
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 2:04 AM
Subject: RE: FT-JC conversions

>
> Summary:
> Spinal Mount = K-guns
> MD Turrets = Pulsars or beams
> Missiles = SML/SMR
> PDS = PDS
> Mecha = Fighters
> MD = 10% per MD Thrust
> Screens = unavailable
>
> There are 2 schools of though about mass-driver technology in space:
the
> garbage can theory and the shotgun theory.  K-guns represent the
garbage
can
> model.
> Due to the nature of how a mass driver works, using the pulsar rules
as
> written would be best.  The ship would "program" the settings before
combat
> so as to maximise the firing pattern of projectiles due to "time on
target"
> issues.  Pulsar-L denotes a long-range wide spread pattern programmed,
while
> the Pulsar-S would show a "point and shoot" style targetting as
there's
> neglible flight time at that range.  The standard beam rules could
also be
> used quite easily, as this would denote re-programming on the fly of
the
> weapons potentials.
>
> Brendan
> 'Neath Southern Skies
>
>
I was thinking of a dispersing cloud of fleshettes that attenuate as the
range drops, thereby bypassing the lightspeed lag and problems of
hitting a
target at long range that will be maneuvering/dodging. This would be
used by
instead of just having one range locked in at the start of combat, the
dammage increases as the range drops. I was using pulsars (although beam
bats would work just as well) to represent how leathal a volly of high
speed
projectiles would be at close range (also thinking these weapons would
have
doubble the mass/cost of a pulsar).

Also, how about instead of doubble mass per thrust, we keep it at 5% per
thrust and have fuel as well. For every 5% of mass used, you get 10
thrust
points of fuel. Each thrust point would be used per point of thrust used
or
thruster push used. We could also have a afterburn setting on the
engine,
which would allow you to increase it`s thrust by 50%, but at doubble the
fuel cost per thrust point over the original setting and having to roll
a
threshold check due to over stressing the engine. The fuel tanks
themselves
would have to be included on the SDD, and I`d use a losing type symbol
(like
the capsule shape medicine comes in) with H2 wrote on it. These tanks
would
be armoured, and designed to vent to space in the event of dammage.
Every 5%
of fuel would give you 1 fuel tank.

Is the above a good way to represent a primative ship (using inefficient
drives)?

Is the limit of hull/armour a good way of representing spaceships not
far
advanced from what we have now (which would be very vulnarable to
anti-ship
weapons, which if you work from what I`ve said, would be very leathal)?

As always, comments invited (or feel free to ignore at will <G>).