CT Only: Classic Traveller Space Combat

[DLJ393]

I am having trouble understanding Classic Traveller Space Combat. I have searched for the answers to the following questions, but have not found any. (I may, of course, be simply overlooking them.)

I am using the CT book "The Traveller Book" Volume 1, 201, copyright 1982 (with a blue cover by William H. Keith, Jr).

On page 61:
"Pulse Lasers fire short bursts of energy at targets and are more effective at inflicting damage than are beam lasers.

Beam Lasers fire continuous beams of energy and are more effective in achieving hits than are pulse lasers."

So, what dice rolls are needed to inflict damage for pulse lasers vs. beam lasers? And what dice rolls are needed to achieve hits for pulse lasers vs. beam lasers?

On page 76:
"Ordnance which impacts a target in a movement phase, and which then survives anti-missile fire, detonates in the ordnance launch phase. This detonation will inflict 1 to 6 hits depending on the range at detonation."

How does one determine whether a miss1le survives anti-missile fire or not? Do all missiles which survive cause hits? At what ranges do the surviving missiles cause how many hits?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[mike wightman]

pulse laser... -1DM to hit, a successful hit cuses 2 damage rolls on the damage table.

the defending ship must run the anti missile program, if it doesn't have the program then its lasers can't be used for antimissile, if you have it then each laser turret can shoot a the incoming missiles just as they enter detonation or impact range.

the 1D of damage is a simulation of the range at which the missile detonates or the amount of shrapnel that hits the target. It sounds more complicated than it is. If a missile "hits" roll 1D for number of damage rolls on the damage table., so a missile could cause 1 hit, or 6 hits it is all down to the roll of the die.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Anti-missile is presumably a standard 8+ Gunnery roll in the Laser Return Phase. With the appropriate software each laser can fire once per phase, so either laser return fire or anti-missile. If Double Fire capable each laser can fire twice per phase.


Missiles manoeuvre as spacecraft, each with a vector of its own. A standard missile accelerates by 5G for six rounds, then coasts with a constant vector.

Missile "impact" (or interception) is otherwise defined as passing within 25 mm of a target.

See Special Supplement 3: Missiles in JTAS#21.

 

[mike wightman]

Anti missile is a much better option.

A ship may only fire at more than one target if it has the multi-target program

As to the exact effects of the anti missile program I can not find where it actually fills in the details. It's likely me skim reading rather than taking my time.

Does each individual laser fire at one missile (a double turret could shoot at 2 missiles), or is it one laser turret (the double turret only fires at one missile)

I assume that every turret at least can target an individual missile, but it could be that every individual laser can target a missile.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Anti missile is a much better option.

Agreed, if you have incoming missiles to shoot at.

A ship may only fire at more than one target if it has the multi-target program

With target defined as ship:

TTB, p70:
Multi-target is a series of programs that interfaces the ship's detectors and radar with several turrets and allows an attack on more than one target at one time. Each turret may still only fire at one specific target, but different turrets may fire at different targets. This program is required if more than one ship target is fired on in the same phase. The target program is also required.

Anti-missile does not require Target or Multi-target:

TTB, p71:
Anti-missile allows any or all laser weaponry to fire at enemy missiles which have contacted the ship during the preceding movement phase. The target and multi-target programs are not required. Other programs do not affect the functioning of these programs (with DMs, etc.).

As to the exact effects of the anti missile program I can not find where it actually fills in the details. It's likely me skim reading rather than taking my time.

I don't think the detail is there, so I don't think you have missed anything.

Does each individual laser fire at one missile (a double turret could shoot at 2 missiles), or is it one laser turret (the double turret only fires at one missile)

I assume that every turret at least can target an individual missile, but it could be that every individual laser can target a missile.

Undefined... I have assumed every individual laser weapon can shoot at separate missiles, but can't find any ruling to support that.

The generic rule is:

TTB, p76:
First, the firing player selects the target at which the turrets of a single ship will fire. All lasers from one turret must fire on the same target; lasers from different turrets may fire on different targets if a multi-target program is running and allows such activity. The firing player then designates the targets for the rest of his ships.

Even if that only explicitly applies to laser fire on ships, there is no exception for anti-missile fire. On the other hand that sentence refers to Multi-target, that explicitly has nothing to do with Anti-missile fire.