[FT] Space Vikings, Piper style

On Thu, 7 Jun 2001 18:15:27 -0400 "Robert W. Eldridge" 
<bob_eldridge@mindspring.com> wrote:

> Remember, H. Beam Piper wrote a (terrific) book called "Space Viking" 
that had lots of action, both ship-to-ship and ground, that would 
translate fairly easily into FB/DSII/SGII terms. His ships were quite 
large, common classes being referred to a 1000-foot (length) and 
1500-foot. No fighters though. <

Yeah, SV is a fun space opera romp. But it would be very odd in FT 
terms -- no fighters, no _beams_, no screens, pulse torps... not a lot 
of the usual game stuff at all. Ships would be armed with SMLs and/or 
SMRs and a few MT missiles. Lots of armour and PDS for defence, with 
maybe a few SubPacks or Scatterpacks for variety (although I could 
argue that they shouldn't be allowed an anti-ship role). Kra'Vak drives 
and cinematic movement would seem best to recreate the wild manoeuvring 
that Abbot anti-grav drive gives.

And the ships are all spherical! The biggest one (the hero's ship, and 
the one his enemy stole) are 2000 feet in diameter, and, as Robert 
said, 1000-plus-footers are the basic Fleet units. I don't think that 
makes them particularly large as starships go -- not with the supposed 
sizes of certain TV and movie ships -- but there's a lot of volume in a 
sphere that big -- which is why the SVs have plenty of cargo space for 
loot <g>.

Okay, so how do you represent a 2000-foot sphere in SG or DS, because 
the ships all have landing capability, and on occasion they come right 
down to mud level to support their troops.

Phil
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"I think... I think I am!     |        I think _I_ am:
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