To: IN%"[email removed]"
A few comments about Mr.Goss' jump drive rules. First off, good job.
Ive always wanted more realistic detail in my games (which is why I love-hate
the MT design sequence, even with the errata). In rewriting some of the rules
(especially the weapons rules to make them Striker compatable), I have realized
the slap-together job they are. Still, they do work. I am going to incorporate
your ideas into my campaign(with your blessing, hopefully), until I finish my
rewrite of the MT design rules (unfortunately(?) the results will not be
compatable with the MT rules set, being a compination of Striker, MT, and
additions of diminishing-returns rules.)
However, when battering these rules around the room with my Vargr coursair,
we came up with these comments and questions.
>3.b._Energy_Requirement________________________________________________________
>There are three componenets to the energy requirement: a portion to power the
>Jump Governor, a portion to 'warm up' the Lanthanum Hull Grid, and a portion
>to actually enter jump space.
>
> To power Jump Governor: 1.625 MW-hr X Jump # X total ship volume(kl)
> To 'warm up' Lanthanum Hull Grid: 0.650 MW-hr X Jump # X total ship volume(kl)
> To_enter_jump_space:_____________+_2.600_MW-hr_X_Jump_#_X_total_ship_volume(kl)
> = 4.875 MW-hr X Jump # X total ship volume(kl)
In MTJ#4(I think), there is a question in the back about the fuel use
of a jump. The answer showed that the fuel for a j2 is greater than twice the
fuel for a j1, mostly due to the way the grid works. A comprimise was stated,
that showed the jump grid took a more constant amount of power irregardless of
the actual jump distance. Perhaps a hull grid power use of, say, (.5 MW-hr *
ship vol)+(.1 MW-hr * jump * ship vol)? This would keep the power usage of the
jump grid more constant. Or, pehaps a useage based on the j-rating of the
drive. Eg- with j4 drive, to perform a j1 takes (.25 the fuel of a j4 + grid
power + (efficiency mod *(4 - 1)). This would represent the fact that in MT a
ship is more efficient when jumping at the rating it was designed for. This
makes more sense than the CTrav solution of j4 = 4*j1.
>3.c._Jump_Governor______________________________________________________________
>A dedicated computer system and accompaying connections. The governor finely
>regulates the transfer of power 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
Based on the info in Starship Op Man, the jump gov controls the power
routing from the energy sinks to the hull grid. Shouldnt the size of the
governor be based on the size of the grid (modifies for hull configuarion, see
below) as well as the amount of power the governor needs to regulate?
eg: size of gov. = (.8 * ship vol)+(HYFPP output * mod)
(where mod is determined when I can get access to my design table and
determine a number that sounds right.- Damn These Vargrs!)
Why would two ships the same size use the same size goverenor if one
could jump farther?
>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
>
Could this be modified for the hull configuation? A sperical
configuration would need less of a grid than an irregular config, manifesting
itself in the price/kl of ship volume. Possibly something like:
Config Price/Kl
Sperical 1200
Needle/Wedge 1500
Cylinder 1800
Irregular 2200
..etc..
These are off the cuff numbers, but as soon as I get access to my geometry
books (I can never remember volume/surface area equations), better numbers can
be calculated.
Indeed, since the jump grid is the same irregardless of jump rating,
shoud it be calculated before jump govenor so that its size can facter in.
>3.e._Jump_Energy_Sinks__________________________________________________________
>These accumulate the power 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-hr 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 Energy Stored
> Component_________________(mton/kl)__(Cr/kl)___(MW-hr/kl)__
> Jump Energy Sinks 1 245000 650
> Black Globe Energy Sinks 1 300000 650
>
>The volume of jump energy sinks required can be computed as follows:
>
> V = E / 975
Shouldnt this be V= E/650? If not, why?
>
>V = volume of jump energy sinks in kilolitres
>E = energy required to jump in MW-hr.
>
>The volume of black globe energy sinks required can be computed as follows:
>
> V = E / 650
>
>V = volume of black globe energy sinks in kilolitres.
>E = energy you wish the black globe to be able to absorb, in MW-hr.
This, I like. It condences the BlackGlobe energy absorbtion rules
ionto something useful and easier handled.
>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, and Price is per kilolitre
>of power plant. Fuel is kilolitres of fuel per kilolitre of power plant per
>hour.
>
> High-Yield Fusion Power Plants
>
> Power Weight Price Minimum
> TL__Out(MW/kl)___(mton/kl)__(Cr/kl)__Volume(kl)__Fuel
> 9 1300 4 200000 6.750 20
> 10 1300 4 200000 2.000 20
> 11 1300 4 200000 1.000 20
> 12 1300 4 200000 0.250 20
> 13 1950 3 200000 0.150 30
> 14 1950 3 200000 0.100 30
> 15 3900 2 200000 0.090 60
> 16 4600 1 200000 0.080 70
>
My only comment with this, as with everthing in the MT design rules, is
the courseness of efficiency increses. Were I to rewrite the table (and I am;
eventually Ill be done), I would take that 650 Mw/kl output increase from TL12
to TL13 an spreasd it around the lower tech levels. This would make the TL
progression smoother and less of the X til TL-Y then Z from then on graininess
of the design charts.
>3.g._Time_to_charge_Jump_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 or three hours, the energy sinks may
>suffer severe damage, initiating a process which concludes in the destruction of
>the ship.
>
>The time to charge jump energy sinks may be computed as follows:
>
> T = E X 60 / O
>
>T = time to charge jump energy sinks in minutes.
>E = energy required to jump in MW-hr.
>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 power plant in kilolitres.
>R = fuel is kilolitres of fuel used per kilolitre of power plant per hour.
>T = time to jump in minutes.
Very usefgul in the "When will he be in range" and "Can we jump before
they get here" situations. Also, a partial task roll(off the top of my head):
To decrease the amount of time to perform a jump:
Difficult, Engineering, EDU
REFEREE: if successful, roll on table, applying +2 if except.succ:
3-5 = reduce jump time by 5%
6-8 = reduce jump time by 7%
9-11= reduce jump time by 10%
12-14= reduce jump time by 13%
15-17= reduce jump time by 16%
18 = reduce jump time by 20%
If mishap occurs, superficial: no time decrease, jump relativity error
minor: minor damage to jump gov, repair before next
jump.
major: no jump, major damage to jump gov, minor
fractures in Zuchai crystals
destroyed: jump gov slagged, no jump performed,
Zuchai crystals shattered.
I can imagine times where this could save a lot of trouble for the
characters.
>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 HYFPP has reduced
>damaged/destroyed hit points. The cargo volume is larger, but by only 2.8%.
>In addition, it is cheaper by MCr3.6.
Perfect modification to a design for the free trader or trading
company. This is the design 'tweaking' that is possible with the MT rules that
Classic Trav never had and TNE does away with. When every credit counts, this
might be a better design.
Indeed, an excellent set of rules, except, perhaps suffering from some
of the same problems MT suffers from only because they are written for MT.
Why couldnt DGP do things like this with MT?
-Vanya