Alternity --> T20 conversions

[Mr. Oberon]

I'm going to unload several new Alternity items in this topic for some of you to enjoy. After a mind shattering 3 days of study on the ship building and combat rules, I have converted the DarkMatter Reactor, StarDrive, and Induction Drive from Alternity.
I was going to convert weapons from Alt to T20, but they more or less matched up fairly well already. The ranges differ some, but overall work.

Try these on for size:

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DarkMatter Reactor

TL -: 16
Cost: MCr5 per ton of reactor
Size: as small as 1 ton
EP -: Provides 3 EP per ton of reactor
Fuel: Lasts six months - KCr25 per ton of reactor

Dark matter technology presumes that nonbaryonic dark matter may have properties unknown to 20th century science. Specifically, dark matter can undergo a decay process similar to radioactive decay in which energy is released by the transformation of dark matter to “normal matter”. The mass reactor harnesses this fantastic energy. Like the antimatter reactor, the mass reactor requires no fuel tank; the dark matter and its containment device is already included. The mass reactor requires refueling about once every six months, at a cost equal to KCr25 per ton of the reactor.

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Induction Drive

TL -: 16 (for all levels)
Cost: See Below
Size: See Below
EP -: See Below
Fuel: EP only

Hands-down the best engine available at this or any previous Progress Level, the induction engine uses artificial gravity to provide incredible thrust and maneuverability. The induction engine requires no fuel and produces no exhaust; it’s ideal for atmospheric, orbital, or deep-space work.

2-G Induction Drive unit: Cost of MCr3, uses 1 ton of space, and needs 1 EP of power per round. Maximum acceleration of 2-G per round.

4-G Induction Drive unit: Cost of MCr3.5, uses 2.5 tons of space, and needs 1.5 EP of power per round. Maximum acceleration of 4-Gs per round.

6-G Induction Drive unit: Cost of MCr4, uses 4 tons of space, and needs 2 EP of power per round. Maximum acceleration of 6-Gs per round.

8-G Induction Drive unit: Cost of MCr5.5, uses 5.5 tons of space, and needs 2.5 EP of power per round. Maximum acceleration of 8-Gs per round.

10-G Induction Drive unit: Cost of MCr7, uses 7 ton of space, and needs 3 EP of power per round. Maximum acceleration of 10-Gs per round.

12-G Induction Drive unit: Cost of MCr8.5, uses 8.5 ton of space, and needs 3.5 EP of power per round. Maximum acceleration of 12-G per round.

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StarDrive

TL -: 16
Cost: MCr10 per drive unit needed
Size: 2.5 tons per drive unit needed
EP -: See Below
Fuel: Powered only by DarkMatter Reactor

The stardrive creates a short-lived, controlled singularity that drops the ship out of normal space and into drivespace, a parallel dimension tied to the real universe. All drivespace submergences last for 121 hours (about five days). A stardrive must be coupled to a mass reactor; no other power system can energize a stardrive. Like the hyperdrive or jump drive, a ship powered by a stardrive must plot its jump carefully; it can't maneuver once it enters drivespace, and nothing can interfere with its progress until it arrives at its destination. The maximum range of a StarDrive is 50 light years. Other than that, A ship is only limited in how far it can go by the amount of power it's DarkMatter reactor can provide.

A StarDrive contains a hardwired computer core for processing jumps and running the drive. It processes all Starfall data and only needs the final formula for the destination. This means that the system only needs one level of computer per 10 light years of the jump. For example: It only takes a Model/5 to jump 50 light years.

It takes 3EP per ton of stardrive (7.5 per DU) to charge the hull of the ship for the jump into drivespace. In addition, enought power must be directed to the drive to open the hole into drivespace for the ship to fall through.

LY EP COST
-- -------
05 50
10 100
15 250
20 500
25 750
30 3,000
35 10,000
40 30,000
45 100,000
50 300,000

Thus a ship of 1000 tons would need:

50 tons of stardrive.

200 EP to starfall 5 light years... (7% hull for power)
250 EP to starfall 10 light years... (9% hull for power)
400 EP to starfall 15 light years... (14% hull for power)
650 EP to starfall 20 light years... (22% hull for power)
900 EP to starfall 25 light years... (30% hull for power)
3150 EP to starfall 30 light years... (105% hull for power)

Basicly, the larger the ship, the more power in can provide, and the longer the starfall. Only the largest ships can starfall the full 50 light years in one jump.

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Please, If you guys have any comments or ideas, not to mention problems with any of the stats I just uploaded, just drop the message here.

(Edited the StarDrive to relate to T20 Computers)

 

[Mr. Oberon]

Here are two more items for your ships:

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Damage Control (Defensive System)

TL -: 10 base
Cost: kCr250 per ton
Size: 1 Armor Factor per Damage Control Level (DCL)
EP -: 1 per ton of the Damage Control

While all ships are equipped with some damage control provisions, this system represents a sophisticated and complete approach to compensating for damage. It includes redundant systems, casualty control modes for major machinery, extra compartmentation, repair materials, and advanced monitoring systems throughout the ship.

This system provides a -1 per DCL to the DC of repair checks when fixing ship systems.

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Deflection Inducer (Defensive System)

TL -: 15, +1 per five Deflection Inducer Levels
Cost: MCr1.5 per ton
Size: 1 Armor Factor per Deflection Inducer Level (DIL)
EP -: 2 per ton of the Deflection Inducer systems

The deflection inducer surrounds the ship in belts of gravitational energy intense enough to bend beam weapons away from the ship and stop projectiles cold. This system effects all physical and energy weapons, including Meson based weapons.

This system provides an AC bonus of +1 and a +2 Damage Reduction (page 148 of T20, DAMAGE) per Deflection Inducer Level. This also provides 2 points of damage reduction per level.

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Anyone enjoying these yet?

 

[tjoneslo]

I have the Alternity Stardrive book and thought about converting some of these to Traveller, but decided not to, to avoid adding more technology handwaves to Traveller.

Specific Comments on the posted items:
I'm make the DarkMatter Reactor more of an oddity: TL 12: 1 EP per ton, MCR5 per ton. Requires 1.0 tons of fuel per ton per year, which costs Kcr60 per ton. The dark matter reactor uses dark matter decay as a reaction mass instead of hydrogen fusion, but is otherwise mostly the same. No one uses the system because there is no source of Dark Matter fuel in the Imperium, but that could change elsewhere.

Induction Drive: The Traveller Standard M-drive already uses the anti-grav system for acceleration. This looks like the GT Mdrive

StarDrive: This would make an iteresting TL16/17 JumpDrive alternative. You should convert the Ly to Parsecs to match Traveller jump drives.
What is the cycle time on the drive? That is, once you've dropped out of jump, how long before you can jump again?

Deflection Inducer: The gravity gradiant generated by this system would make glactic black holes look tame. It would able to make this ship invsible to everything except Gravity scanners. Being able to generate a gravity well of this magnitute also makes a fine weapon system. Dropping a small rock into a gravity well like this could accelerate it to a significat fraction of light speed, therefore capable of destroying almost any ship it hits.

 

[Mr. Oberon]

You can do that if you want! As long as it works for something in your game.

The DarkMatter Reactor power levels per ton are taken from the Warships PDF suppliment that WOTC supplied for Alternity-StarDrive (will call it ASD from now on...). I took the power levels listed into it and extrapolated the info for the drive. Simply, It tends to produce as much power as a TL 16 Fusion reactor. Keep in mind, the cost of maintaining it (darkmatter fuel) was raised to almost the cost of a fusion reactor's fuel for 6 months (including 1-2 jumps per month...)

Actually, I thought that the drive in Traveller was thrust based. This was due to the fact that it was limited to 6-G. It does not really say in the book... As it is, I decided that Induction engines of the StarDrive universe were about twice as good due to the travel times they list in compairison with Traveller...

Good Idea! Convert every 5 LY of stardrive distance to 1 parsec. This keeps it more in line for the distances covered in the Traveller universe. I want to use the traveller rules in the StarDrive universe; so I used Light Years instead...

Actually, The gravity defenses and weapons of StarDrive use gravity DISTORTION for the effect, not the number of Gs. A person hit with a Grav Cannon would be torn apart by the converging waves of gravity hitting him. Same idea for the shield...

Thanks for the interest. Since someone at least showed some interest, I'll convert over some more equipment!

 

[Mr. Oberon]

Drivesat Comm Array (Communication System)

TL -: 16
Cost: MCr5000 total
Size: 1500 tons (total) (20 per sat, 800 for control system)
EP -: 300 EP (total)

This massive installation provides Gravity Age ships or stations with a very potent capability: interstellar communications. The drivesat array consists of a constellation of 35 drive satellites: small stardrive-equipped transmitters that enter drivespace, transmit and receive messages, and then surface again. It enables FTL comms with a range of 50 light-years. Any signal takes 11 hours to reach its destination. Naturally, only a ship or station similarly equipped can receive the drivesat’s signal. To transmit and receive messages, the ship must remain stationary. If the ship moves while its drivesats are cycling, 10–40 percent (d4 x 10 percent) of its constellation will be lost in drivespace. The ship cannot transmit or receive while it’s in drivespace itself. Despite these limitations, the drivesat array is about the best way to send a message to another star system at TL 16.

This is the same system that a Drivesat Communication Relay uses. It is usually a station of 3000 tons total (leaving 1500 for living space and secondary equipment).

 

[tjoneslo]

I'd forgotten about the ASD-Warships. I've got the copy right here...

It says that PL7 ships with an acceleration 1 have a base acceleration of 3,300G. Something slightly more than the Traveller ships. And the PL6 fusion drive with acceleration 1 has an acceleration of 16.5G.

CT never descibes how the Mdrive works, but I prefer a pseud-velocity drive. The drive generates a field around the ship and accelerates the field without the ship actually moving. That is, space moves backwards rather than the ship moving forward. The field is volume based, not mass based. The acceleration limits are based upon the field generation capabilities, not the contents of the field, and it addresses the Near-c rock problem.
Like the ASD Induction engine, the PVD produces no exhaust and, in theory, provides incredible accelerations and maneuverability. So I'd call them the same thing with different hand waves.

The problem with the deflection inducer is the gravity distortion required to bend a laser beam is the same as the gravity distortion created by a black hole. So if I have a machine which can create a black hole and move it fast enough to become a starhips defense, what other interesting effects can I create with it?
What happens if I wave the "Defense field" through the starport control tower?
Can I overpower the field generator to create a real quantum black hole? Which have a disturbing tendency to evaporate in a huge explosion (megaton to gigaton range).
If I fire a low power ion drive at the spacial distorion at exactly the right angle, can I get it to generate an hugely powerful x-ray laser, like many pulsars?

 

[Mr. Oberon]

The problem with the deflection inducer is the gravity distortion required to bend a laser beam is the same as the gravity distortion created by a black hole. So if I have a machine which can create a black hole and move it fast enough to become a starhips defense, what other interesting effects can I create with it?

Though I answered this: It does not make a black hole. It makes gravity distortions in waves. This rips apart and misdirects physical attacks, and bends energy based on the idea of millions of small gravity waves can equal one big gravity well.

What happens if I wave the "Defense field" through the starport control tower?
Can I overpower the field generator to create a real quantum black hole? Which have a disturbing tendency to evaporate in a huge explosion (megaton to gigaton range).

If a ship entered the field of a bigger ship, it would probably have the same effect as a gravity based render weapon: It would start shredding it...

If I fire a low power ion drive at the spacial distorion at exactly the right angle, can I get it to generate an hugely powerful x-ray laser, like many pulsars?

Nope, see the first above...

Thanks for the interest, but keep in mind: It's also only a game, and because the Game Master Said So...

Have fun!

 

[Mr. Oberon]

Mass Transceiver(Communication System)

TL -: 16
Cost: x5 base comm cost factor (T20-p264)
Size: x2 base comm size (T20-p264)
EP -: N/A

This device can transmit instantaneously to any point up to a max range of 1000 AU (Only in the same star system), with no “lag” due to FTL limitations. However, is has a +2 to the model number needed, just like a Meson Communication system. A ship must be equipped with a mass transceiver to receive mass-burst communications.

 

[Mr. Oberon]

Mass Detector (Sensor System)

TL -: 16
Cost: +100% base comm cost factor (T20-p264)
Size: +100% base comm size (T20-p264)
EP -: N/A

This device detects targets through their gravitational signatures. Even though a spaceship has an infinitesimal mass compared to a planet, a sufficiently sensitive sensor can determine its bearing and approximate range by measuring the target’s influence on the sensing ship.

This device can detect objects at a range of -2 on the range chart (Model/5 detects at Medium range). At -4 on the range, it can begin detecting the shape and profile of the target. At -6 on the range, it can begin mapping the target (how many decks, where are the walls, what is the most massive section of the ship, etc...)

 

[Mr. Oberon]

Spectroanalyzer (Sensor System)

TL -: 16
Cost: +100% base comm cost factor (T20-p264)
Size: +100% base comm size (T20-p264)
EP -: N/A

While the spectroanalyzer isn’t useful as a targeting sensor, it is a powerful analytical tool. It combines spectrum analysis of visible light, radar mapping, and precise mass measurements to create a profile of a planet or space object.

This device can detect objects at a range of -1 on the range chart (Model/5 detects at Long range). At -3 on the range, it can begin detecting the energy levels and power profile of the target (are the weapons hot, how bad did we damage them, etc...). At -5 on the range, it can begin assessing the target (How much power is the reactor generating, what level of power are the guns using, etc...)

This sensor system also gives a +4 sensor bonus to the P/Survey skill for Stellar, System, and Planetary data.

 

[tjoneslo]

My brain isn't broken. There are two starship books for Alternity. Alternity Starships by David Eckelberry (Copyright 1999) and Alternity Warships which was web published only.

Overall suggestion: the Alterity PL's are much more compressed than the Traveller TL's. I was struck in reading the Warships book on how all of the Traveller technology seemed to be crammed into PL6. So I'd make the PL->TL conversion like this:
PL6, TL13-16
PL7, TL17-20
PL8, TL21-24
PL9, TL25-28

Which places the Acients at PL9 in alternity terms. Given the Technology in the Alterity books, I'd say this is not far off.

Mass Detector: we have this technology today. PL5 or TL8.

Spectroanalyzer: Again, TL8 (PL5) in Traveller terms

The Drivestat comm array is one of those things that completely changes the Traveller universe. Add with care.

 

[Mr. Oberon]

Fabrication Facility (Fittings Area)

TL -: 13
Cost: MCr50
Size: 50 tons per unit
EP -: 15 EP per unit

This facility is a large, automated workshop with a manufacturing computer that holds design specs for thousands of useful devices and critical machinery. Virtually any part or component of the ship can be duplicated by the fabrication facility. Not only is the facility useful for creating special-purpose tools, furniture, or repair parts, it also makes possible the repair of mortal damage to the ship without returning to a shipyard.

Please note: This system needs raw materials for production. It can process one ton of raw materials per day per unit of Fabrication Facility. For every ton of raw materials, it can produce 1 cubic meter (100 vl of vehicle, or 50 hand held items) of finished products that the facility knows how to produce. The Game master decideds what can be produced with this system.

 

[Mr. Oberon]

Mass Detector: we have this technology today. PL5 or TL8.

You are joking right? Please tell me you do not actually think we can map the inside of a starship orbiting Mars from earth using a gravametric scanner...

The spectro might be available now, but not at the power level and not with the bonuses that it gives in the text.

Since T20 does not give TLs above 15 really, I don't know about higher technology levels equating up. I'm just setting most of the things from PL 7 into TL 16 by default...

Enjoy!

 

[Mr. Oberon]

Hey, a note about the StarDrive tonnage:

If you want the ship to have the ability to carry docked craft on the outside of the hull into drivespace with them, then give the Stardrive a tonnage equal to what is needed for it's maximum load for the stardrive. In other words: a 1000 ton ship that wants to be able to carry 2 additional 200 ton ships would but a drive as a 1400 ton ship. Power requirements would always use the 1400 tonnage version of the StarDrive. You cannot cut the power cost when not carrying the extra 400 tons of ship.

This allows ASD gameplay situation where that players ship hitches a ride with the LightHouse (a jump capable space station the size of a small fortress ship) in order to cut 25 LY off a trip...

 

[tjoneslo]

It points out another difference between Alternity and Traveller. Alternity design systems require a larger ship to go further or faster. Traveller design system assumes any size ship can be equally fast or agile, and in fact smaller ships can be faster or more agile than larger ones.

But I have seen the carrying other ships trick with Traveller. Supp9 (Fighting Ships) has a Jump Ship which could haul large contrainers. Book 5 has the Jump Rider concept for hauling two to five battle ships on a jump carrier. GT:Far Trader extends this concept to merchant operations with LASH freighter concept.

 

[Mr. Oberon]

After reading more on the StarDrive Speed and distance ratios, I have come to the conclusion I was wrong about the way I did them. It sems that stardrive vessels move on a scale far removed from travellers G based system. Induction

Induction Drive

TL -: 16 (for all levels)
Cost: See Below
Size: See Below
EP -: See Below
Fuel: EP only

Hands-down the best engine available at this or any previous Progress Level, the induction engine uses artificial gravity to provide incredible thrust and maneuverability. The induction engine requires no fuel and produces no exhaust; it’s ideal for atmospheric, orbital, or deep-space work.

1-AU Induction Drive unit: Cost of MCr3, uses 1 ton of space, and needs 1 EP of power per round. Maximum acceleration of 1MM (Mega Meter) per round. Crusing speed of 1-AU per hour (14% Lightspeed).

2-AU Induction Drive unit: Cost of MCr3.5, uses 2.5 tons of space, and needs 1.5 EP of power per round. Maximum acceleration of 2MM per round. Crusing speed of 2-AU per hour (28% Lightspeed).

3-AU Induction Drive unit: Cost of MCr4, uses 4 tons of space, and needs 2 EP of power per round. Maximum acceleration of 3MM per round. Crusing speed of 3-AU per hour (42% Lightspeed).

4-AU Induction Drive unit: Cost of MCr5.5, uses 5.5 tons of space, and needs 2.5 EP of power per round. Maximum acceleration of 4MM per round. Crusing speed of 4-AU per hour (56% Lightspeed).

5-AU Induction Drive unit: Cost of MCr7, uses 7 ton of space, and needs 3 EP of power per round. Maximum acceleration of 5MM per round. Crusing speed of 5-AU per hour (70% Lightspeed).

6-AU Induction Drive unit: Cost of MCr8.5, uses 8.5 ton of space, and needs 3.5 EP of power per round. Maximum acceleration of 6MM per round. Crusing speed of 6-AU per hour (84% Lightspeed).

At manuvering speeds, a ship is running at nearly 2.5% its crusing speed. What it seems is that while the drive can allow a ship to move at a major percentage of the speed of light in a straight line, it is incapable of allowing maneuvering of more than 2.5% of that per 6 second round. This means it would take nearly 4 minutes to slow down from crusing speed to maneuver speed. Of course, The sensor ranges involved would allow that.
I would assume that all ships capable of such speeds would have some kind of deflector that allows it to slice through normal space without being destroyed by cosmic dust...

I will probably reduce the crusing speed to 10% (1.4% Light speed per level) in order to keep some travel time involved. Otherwise, it will be: "Blink! We're there!"...

 

[tjoneslo]

The induction drive is (essentially) the Star Trek impulse drive. Don't show this to the Traveller Gearheads, or they'll throw a fit about how space drives have no "Cruising" or "Maneuvering" speeds, how you need to express the acceleration in term of acceleration (Change the velocity by nMM per round each round?), and why you shouldn't introduce yet another magical handwave drive.

The 1-AU drive(1MM/round/round) is about 2,700G. And it takes about 154 hours to reach cruising speed. To go 1AU (Sun to earth) takes 54 minutes. The 6-AU drive takes about 22 minutes. Changing the top speed won't affect these numbers.

 

[Mr. Oberon]

Is that at normal or 10%?

 

[tjoneslo]

With the normal speed. The ship just reaches cruising speed on the sun->Earth run. (About 7MM/round). Restricting crusing speed to 10% of the above values, most of the time is spend moving at cruising speed, and it takes about 10 hours.

What happens if the ship exceeds cruising speed?

 

[Mr. Oberon]

At THOSE speeds? Probably gets torn apart by steller particles. Heck, I have trouble believing them in the first place...