I was always of the opinion (and this is how things were done
in the Traveller (Classic with in-house modifications and Striker
combat system) campaign I was in, that battledress came in a few
different sizes, about three or four, and possibly double that if
there are different suits for different genders. However, in order to
actually wear the thing and move around in it, it had to be fitted to
you, a process taking about eight hours for someone with battledress
skill, and rather longer if you are fitting yourself. Both the outer
armor and the inner skeleton are adjustable in length for each piece,
(including torso, and each section of each limb) and in diameter in
several places. The different sizes of battledress reflect the largest
and smallest sizes they can handle. All this assumes someone of normal
build - anyone very obese would probably have to get custom-made
battledress. Once the battledress is fitted, the different parts
lock and the armor cannot change, for example, armlength by accident.
(The manuals emphasize that, anyway! :-)
The jumpsuit you wear next to your skin is tailored to prevent
chafing, and a lot can be done with padding, too.
Different suits are needed for different races, although a
skilled fitter might be able to get creative in a pinch and manage
some major modifications.
As for the one-size-fits-all vacc suits, the one size doesn't fit anybody
very well, and at lower tech levels is achieved by a variety of adjustable
straps on the outside of the suit.
Chris Bertani [email removed]
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wow! My first TML post! Next thing I'll have to start posting vehicles!