I would appreciate it if the following could be forwarded to Frank
Chadwick and/or GDW as a whole. They probably won't thank me for it,
but these are my honest opinions on stutterwarp in TNE.
Frank Chadwick writes:
> It seems to me that stutterwarp does a better job than does a simple
> delta-vee model of replicating squadron and fleet battles as they have always
> been described in Traveller literature. Even High Guard and Trillion Credit
> Squadron's abstract maneuver systems produced combat exchanges which
> never struck me as the sort of things which would result from a
> delta-vee system. This is because Traveller's inspiration for
> ship-to-ship combat has always been a surface naval model, with lines
> of battle trading broadsides and so forth. This is, not coincidentally,
> the classic science fiction model as well. A delta-vee maneuver system,
> however, produces combat situations which bear no resemblance to
> that surface naval analogy at all, and which are much closer to
> those found in aerial dogfights.
I have played Star Cruiser on a number of occasions, and have not yet
see a scenario or playing style that has resulted in "lines of battle
trading broadsides". Combat between stutterwarp-powered ships in Star
Cruiser seem to look "much closer to those found in aerial dogfights".
Simply changing the drive technology will not cause the form of the
battle to change the way you want; the "shape" of a battle comes not only
from the method of propulsion of the ships, but also the nature of
communications, sensor, and weapons technology.
First, you must decide what "shape" you want the combat to be. By
"lines of battle trading broadsides" do you mean like Nelson at
Trafalgar, or like Beatty's battlecruisers at Jutland? I personally
feel that Traveller ship-to-ship combat should be more like modern naval
combat, with its sophisticated communications, weapons, sensors, and
countermeasures. In any case, I strongly urge you (and others on the
GDW design staff) to read Keegan's "The Price of Admiralty". This book
describes the battles of Trafalgar, Jutland, Midway, and of a north
Atlantic convoy; most importantly, Keegan explains why each battle
unfolded as it did.
> If I were doing this from scratch, I would have commercial ships
> rely on delta-vee for maneuver, thus leaving you with a fun
> ship-to-ship delta-vee combat system for the small stuff.
> Stutterwarp (probably because of expense, and the fact that it's not
> as efficient a way to get from star to star) would be used almost
> exclusively by purpose-built warships. From a game point of view,
> this makes larger actions (say half a dozen to a dozen ships per
> side) very playable, while that is much less true with a
> delta-vee system. From a game world point of view, it means that
> REAL warships run rings around civilian ships when it comes to
> in-system combat, a very nice distinction I think, and fleet actions
> play out the way we have always described them in the Traveller
> literature.
Unless stutterwarp efficency in Traveller: The New Era is reduced by a
factor of at least 10 relative to that presented in 2300AD, stutterwarp
is cheaper and more efficient that jump drive. *ANY* Classic Traveller
or MegaTraveller starship design can be refitted with a Star Cruiser
stutterwarp. The resultant vessel will travel faster, cost less, and
have more space available for weapons or cargo that the original design.
But don't take my word for it, try it yourself!
Delta-vee drives will always be required on most designs, due to the
need to land on planetary surfaces. This may mean shuttles or landing
boats with delta-vee drives, or (particularly for small merchant ships,
where handling the cargo would be difficult) installing delta-vee drives
on the starship itself. IF (and only if) the jump drive is more
economically efficient than stutterwarp, then commercial ships will
probably not have stutterwarps. So far, so good.
Because of the tactical advantage conferred by the stutterwarp in
ship-to-ship combat, every military ship (and this would have to include
pirateships, raiders, and the like) will need one. If the jump drive is
a more efficient way of interstellar transport, then military starships
will need them too. Delta-vee drives may not be required, depending on
the mission required of the ship.
Now for the sticky part. Obviously, the first interstellar state able
to equip its warships with stutterwarp drives is in a position to
dominate its rivals in a big way. As I understand the New Era
background, you don't want this to happen. Therefore, one of two things
must have happened: Those who hold the monopoly on stutterwarp are
unwilling or unable to use it for warfare; or the secret of the
stutterwarp was rapidly disseminated to all of the major states.
Plausible explanations for either of these alternatives seem difficult
to generate. Perhaps the secret of the stutterwarp was distributed by
the Hivers in an attempt to create some type of buffer zone against
incursions of (something ... vampire ships?). OK, it's probably
workable.
Now, what will everything look like from a game point of view? Battles
between ships without stutterwarp are likely to be rare (although this
does depend on the relative abundance of stutterwarp drives). Most
ship-to-ship battles will be fought between stutterwarp powered ships,
and the battles will probably be reminiscent of modern air-to-air
combat.
> So what do you think? Nothing has been finalized yet about
> stutterwarp in the final version.
Stutterwarp *COULD* be an interesting addition to the New Era game. It
would have to be handled with skill and careful consideration in order
to work. From GDW's performance to date with the New Era background,
and from what I have read above, I doubt that anyone at GDW could do it.
I'm sorry to have to say that; I know it hurts and I would like to be
proven wrong. However, after the "virus" story, where you had all of
the right elements together in one place, and then managed to somehow
put them together so completely wrong, I have little faith in the
imagination and vision of the staff in control of Traveller: The New
Era. I also believe that adding stutterwarp to TNE will not achieve
your stated goal; and the result will leave you unsatisfied.
SO, if you want to include stutterwarp in TNE, I strongly suggest
thinking it through several times (including the military, economic, and
political ramifications) and changing things until they fit properly.
Then playtest the heck out of it before you decide what the final
version is going to look like. If you don't have the luxury of enough
time or money to do this, then by all means don't include it.
If I can be of any assistance, please let me know. In addition to
playtesting, proofreading, and sanity checking, I have a delta-vee type
movement system that is much simpler than Mayday, while providing a
similar or better level of accuracy. I also have a "virus" story which
you may be able to use as a retroactive change to that which has been
published (is anyone here on TML interested in either one?).
Sincerely, Guy Garnett (aka Derek Wildstar)
[address removed] Phone [phone removed] (H)
[email removed]
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Science-Fiction Adventure
in the Far Future