Liberator Engine Rules Suggestion

Phillip Atcliffe writes:

@:) Oh, yes, and the Lib's top speed was "Standard by 12", which may
@:) have corresponded to "Time Distort 24" in Federation terms. So all
@:) we need to know is what "Standard speed" was, or how the Time
@:) Distort scale works... B-P

  Or we could just legislate it, as follows:

  Liberator Alien Technology Engine (LATE):

  This system is used to propel a ship at amazing speeds, up to the
almost unbelievable "Standard by 12".  Due to its alien nature, while
it is in use, no other thrust may be applied.

  Mass: as for normal thrust engines.
  Cost: 5xnormal thrust cost.

  Additional equipment required to use:
    An accurate clock.
    A map of the world including time zones.

  Description:

  The system operates in a mysterious alien fashion to bring the ship
to which it is attached up to standard speed (arbitrarily defined as
40, players may use their own optional standard speeds) by precisely
12:00:00 GMT.

  This system provides the intriguing concept of variable thrust (note
similarities to Sa'Vasku variable power).  If the (stopped) ship
begins using the engines at, say 6:00:00, it will smoothly accelerate
to speed 40 over the next six hours (real time) for an average
acceleration of about 6 & 2/3 inches per turn per hour.  If we assume
an average turn length of ten minutes, this yields a thrust just over
1.

  Note, however that if the vessel begins accelerating from speed 0 at
11:59:59 GMT, it will still reach speed 40 at exactly 12:00:00 gmt,
yielding an acceleration of 40 inches per turn per second,
approximately equivalent to a thrust of 24,000!

  Tactics:

  Needless to say this system must be used with restraint and
caution.  Since there are no provisions for moving at any speed other
than "Standard by 12", the ship could very quickly eject itself from
the board, causing massive loss of game.  Indeed, the key to properly
using this awesome alien propulsion device is timing.  The player must
attempt to delay or advance the game so that the turn on which the
device is to be used occurs exactly ten minutes before noon, GMT.
This may require some subterfuge to prevent the other players from
guessing the tactic.  One recommended strategy is to play Full Thrust
in Saudi Arabia, where Sunset Time is the local standard - but keep
one's watch set to GMT!  In any event, under no circumstances should
the player attempt to engage this engine at 12:00:01 GMT or later -
doing so will cause the ship to effectively stall and given that it
has only front-firing weapons, the game may well be lost.

-joachim