This is a reposting of my previously posted article.
I created this prior to the release of TNE, and I have not yet had time to
update it. It is designed to be 100% compatible with MegaTraveller, and in
addition allows one to go beyond MT in detail of design. It is based partially
on information from Book 5: High Guard, the MT Referee's Manual, and the
DGP Starship Operations Manual. The first portion is designed to be added to
your MT Referee's Manual. The second portion gives several examples of the
usefulness of the supplemental rules: first, the standard A2 Far Trader from
the MT Imperial Encyclopaedia; second, a modified A2, that has slightly more
cargo space, at the exense of a longer jump time. All comments are welcome.
Lewis Taylor Goss, 11-29-93
CUT ON DOTTED LINES
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.b._Power_Requirements_________________________________________________________
20% of the the total power requirement is used to 'warm up' the Lanthanum Hull
Grid. The remaining 80% is used to actually enter jump space.
To 'warm up' Lanthanum Hull Grid: 0.65 MW X Jump # / kl of total ship volume
To_enter_jump_space:_____________+_2.60_MW_X_Jump_#_/_kl_of_total_ship_volume
Total power requirement: = 3.25 MW X Jump # / kl of total ship volume
3.c._Jump_Governor______________________________________________________________
A dedicated computer system and accompaying connections. The governor finely
regulates the transfer of energy from the High Yield Fusion Power Plant to the
Jump Energy Sinks, and thence to the Lanthanum Hull Grid.
Percent of Weight Price
Component______Hull Volume__(mton/kl)__(Cr/kl)
Jump Governor 1% 2 75000
3.d._Lanthanum_Hull_Grid________________________________________________________
A grid of Lanthanum wires implanted in the outer layer of the ship's hull,
spaced at about 1 meter intervals. For design purposes, the grid is assumed to
occupy no volume and have no weight. Installation of the Lanthanum grid does
not alter the hull armor rating. Cost is Cr1500 per kilolitre of total ship
volume.
Price
Component____________(Cr/kl)
Lanthanum Hull Grid 1500
3.e._Jump_Energy_Sinks__________________________________________________________
These accumulate the energy produced by the High-Yield Fusion Power Plant, to
later release it rapidly into the Lanthanum Hull Grid during jump. The sinks
hold 650 MW per kilolitre of energy sink. It is also possible to install energy
sinks for use with a Black Globe. They cost Cr300000 per kilolitre, but are
otherwise identical to Jump Energy Sinks.
Weight Price
Component__________(mton/kl)__(Cr/kl)
Jump Energy Sinks 1 245000
The volume of energy sinks required can be computed as follows:
V = P / 650
V = volume of energy sinks in kilolitres
P = power requirement of the jump drive in MW.
3.f._High-Yield_Fusion_Power_Plants____________________________________________
Fusion power plants that have been tuned for maximum energy production, at the
expense of inefficient fuel use. Power Out, Weight, Price, and Fuel is per
kilolitre of power plant.
High-Yield Fusion Power Plants
Power Weight Price Minimum Fuel
TL__Out(MW/hr)__(mton/kl)__(Cr/kl)__Volume(kl)__(kl/hr)
9 1300 4 200000 6.750 10
10 1300 4 200000 2.000 10
11 1300 4 200000 1.000 10
12 1300 4 200000 0.250 10
13 1950 3 200000 0.150 15
14 1950 3 200000 0.100 15
15 3900 2 200000 0.090 30
16 4600 1 200000 0.080 35
3.g._Time_to_charge_Energy_Sinks_______________________________________________
The process of jumping is essentially instantaneous. Therefore, the primary
limitation on how rapidly one may jump is the time required to charge up the
energy sinks. Should this time exceed two to three hours, the energy sinks may
suffer severe damage, initiating a process which concludes in the destruction of
the ship.
The time to charge energy sinks may be computed as follows:
T = P X 60 / O
T = time to charge energy sinks in minutes.
P = power requirement on the jump drive in MW.
O = total power plant output in MW/hr.
3.h._Jump_Fuel__________________________________________________________________
All of the fuel consumed by the jump drive is consumed while charging the energy
sinks. Once the vessel has entered jump, no more fuel is consumed by the jump
drive.
The amount of fuel consumed while charging the energy sinks may be computed as
folows:
F = V X R X T / 60
F = volume of Jump Fuel in kilolitres.
V = volume of high-yield power plant in kilolitres.
R = jump fuel consumed per kilolitre of power plant.
T = time to charge energy sinks in minutes.
65b
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CUT ALONG DOTTED LINES
e.g. the TL 15 Far Trader on p.81 of the Imperial Encyclopedia is capable of
Jump-2. Its jump drive can be described in detail as:
Power Required to perform a Jump-2: 17550 MW
Jump Governor: 27 kl 54 mton Cr2025000
Lanthanum Hull Grid: Cr4050000
Jump Energy Sinks: 27 kl 27 mton Cr6615000
High-Yield Fusion Power Plant: 27 kl 27 mton Cr5400000 105300MW/hr TL 15
Time to charge energy sinks: 10 min
Jump Fuel Required: 135 kl
FAR TRADER
CraftID: Far Trader, Type A2, TL 15, MCr41.07
Hull: 180/450, Disp=200, Config=3SL, Armor=40G, Unloaded=1126 tons,
Loaded=1996 tons, Lanthanum Hull Grid.
Power: 3/6, NormFusion=738 MW, Duration=30/90,
2/4, HiYldFusion=105,300 MW, Duration=10 min.
Loco: 4/8, Manuever=1, 3/6, Jump=2, NOE=190kph, Cruise=750kph,
Top=1000kph, Agility=1.
Commp: Radio=System.
Sensors: PassiveEMS=Interstellar, ActiveEMS=FarOrbit, ActObjScan=Rout,
ActObjPin=Rout, PasEngScan=Rout.
Off/Def: Hardpoints=2, DefDM=+3.
Control: Computer=1bisX3, Panel=Holodynamic LinkX233, Special=HeadsUpX2,
Environ=BasicIs, ExtendIs, GravPlates, IntertialComp.
Accom: Crew=3 (Bridge=1, Engineer=1, Steward/Medical=1), Staterooms=10,
SubCraft=Air/Raft.
Other: Cargo=823.5kliters, Fuel=671kliters, PurificationPlant,
ObjSize=Average, EMLevel=Faint.
except for the minor changes in the weight of the ship, and the division of
damage points between the high-yield fusion power plant and the rest of the
jump drive, much the same as the stats in the Imperial Encyclopedia.
In order to determine the time to charge energy sinks for standard designs,
the following TL chart will be useful:
Time to Charge Energy Sinks
TL__Time(min)
9 30.0
10 30.0
11 30.0
12 30.0
13 20.0
14 20.0
15 20.0
16 8.5
e.g. An alternate version of the Far Trader.
Power Requirement: 17,550 MW
Jump Governor: 27 kl 54 mton Cr2025000
Lanthanum Hull Grid: Cr4050000
Jump Energy Sinks: 27 kl 27 mton Cr6615000
High-Yield Fusion Power Plants: 4.5 kl 4.5 mton Cr900000 17550 MW/hr TL 15
Jump Fuel Required: 135 kl
Time to charge Energy Sinks: 60 min.
FAR TRADER VARIANT
CraftID: Far Trader, Type A2A, TL 15, MCr37.47.
Hull: 180/450, Disp=200, Config=3SL, Armor=40G, Unloaded=1104tons,
Loaded=1971tons, Lanthanum Hull Grid.
Power: 3/6, NormFusion=738 MW, Duration=30/90,
0/1, HiYldFusion=17550MW, Duration=60 min.
Loco: 4/8, Manuever=1, 3/6, Jump=2, NOE=190kph, Cruise=750kph,
Top=1000kph, Agility=1.
Commo: Radio=System.
Sensors: PassiveEMS=Interstellar, ActiveEMS=FarOrbit, ActObjScan=Rout,
ActObjPin=Rout, PasEngScan=Rout.
Off/Def: Hardpoints=2, DefDM=+3.
Control: Computer=1bisX3, Panel=HolodynamicLinkX233, Special=HeadsUpX2,
Environ=BasicIs, Extend=Is, GravPlates, InterialComp.
Accom: Crew=3 (Bridge=1, Engineer=1, Stewad/Medical=1), Staterooms=10,
SubCraft=Air/Raft.
Other: Cargo=846kliters, Fuel=671kliters, PurificationPlant, Scoops,
ObjSize=Average, EMLevel=Faint.
This variant version of the Far Trader has a smaller High-Yield Fusion Power
Plant, and a longer time to charge energy sinks. Also, its Power HYFPP has
reduced damaged/destroyed hit points. The cargo volume is larger, but by only
2.8%.
Whew!
"Now, its time for the penguin on top of your television set to explode."