High Guard 3

[The Oz]

Given how much HG ships cost, it's a small matter to provide the best software to all batteries, which means that ships will usually have the best available software running on the best available computers, which is basically what the regular HG computer rule says.

If we were creating a "small ship universe" HG system tracking individual battery software might be worth it, but for "big ship" HG I don't think it's worth the trouble.

 

[Ptah]

Originally posted by BillDowns:

....each battery has to have its own copy of Predict, or Launch, or whatever program provides DMs. ...

Bill Downs or Bill Gates? What happens if a battery has an illegal copy?

I like your idea of a second line in the USP to track modifiers, whatever they may be. This can accomadate both those who assume ships have the best software etc. and those who want to track. What provides these modifiers can be almost anything, I personally like crew quality, weapon quality etc.

My answer then is keep the second "to hit modifier" line. What this second line actually represents can be a YTU thing, but we could discuss what modifiers might be like if you used Bill's programs matter for large ships or the HG2 assumtions. Thus baselines, such as a ship is assumed to have x programs at x level, can be included on a TU by TU basis and really are only modifiers to the combat tables.

 

[Ptah]

Originally posted by BillDowns:

....each battery has to have its own copy of Predict, or Launch, or whatever program provides DMs. ...

Bill Downs or Bill Gates? What happens if a battery has an illegal copy?

I like your idea of a second line in the USP to track modifiers, whatever they may be. This can accomadate both those who assume ships have the best software etc. and those who want to track. What provides these modifiers can be almost anything, I personally like crew quality, weapon quality etc.

My answer then is keep the second "to hit modifier" line. What this second line actually represents can be a YTU thing, but we could discuss what modifiers might be like if you used Bill's programs matter for large ships or the HG2 assumtions. Thus baselines, such as a ship is assumed to have x programs at x level, can be included on a TU by TU basis and really are only modifiers to the combat tables.

 

[BillDowns]

Originally posted by Ptah:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by BillDowns:

....each battery has to have its own copy of Predict, or Launch, or whatever program provides DMs. ...

Bill Downs or Bill Gates? What happens if a battery has an illegal copy?
</font>[/QUOTE]Well, obviously, if you're using M$ fire control software, illegal copies will aim the weapon at your ship.

Actually, you would most likely be running Linus' software or you would have to reboot your turrets in the middle of a battle.

Seriously, the idea is that each battery will require a task thread of its own, with a supporting database. LBB2's idea of being able to "install" complex software in the middle of a battle is...flawed. I install/customize hospital systems for a living and can tell you it don't happen overnight despite supposed "standards". As complex as the weapons arrangements and fire control situation is in Traveller, it would likely take a few days at least to install targeting software and that's assuming a large degree of software/hardware standards. A lot more than we have today, except in the closed arrangements of the Navy.

 

[BillDowns]

Originally posted by Ptah:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by BillDowns:

....each battery has to have its own copy of Predict, or Launch, or whatever program provides DMs. ...

Bill Downs or Bill Gates? What happens if a battery has an illegal copy?
</font>[/QUOTE]Well, obviously, if you're using M$ fire control software, illegal copies will aim the weapon at your ship.

Actually, you would most likely be running Linus' software or you would have to reboot your turrets in the middle of a battle.

Seriously, the idea is that each battery will require a task thread of its own, with a supporting database. LBB2's idea of being able to "install" complex software in the middle of a battle is...flawed. I install/customize hospital systems for a living and can tell you it don't happen overnight despite supposed "standards". As complex as the weapons arrangements and fire control situation is in Traveller, it would likely take a few days at least to install targeting software and that's assuming a large degree of software/hardware standards. A lot more than we have today, except in the closed arrangements of the Navy.

 

[szurkey]

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[szurkey]

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[BillDowns]

Can you not just build the robot brain in and not need a computer? That would make sense to me.

BTW, I like it. I would almost call that a sci-fi torpedo.

 

[BillDowns]

Can you not just build the robot brain in and not need a computer? That would make sense to me.

BTW, I like it. I would almost call that a sci-fi torpedo.

 

[Ptah]

Wow 20 dtons, one big missile. Is the damage from SS3?

Computer, no need, a perky little robot brain like Bomb #19's should do the trick.

 

[Ptah]

Wow 20 dtons, one big missile. Is the damage from SS3?

Computer, no need, a perky little robot brain like Bomb #19's should do the trick.

 

[mike wightman]

In GDW's game Triplanetary, ships carry mines that mass 10 tons, torpedos that mass 20 tons, and nukes that also mass 20 tons.

I often wish that Traveller had carried over some of these ideas...

 

[mike wightman]

In GDW's game Triplanetary, ships carry mines that mass 10 tons, torpedos that mass 20 tons, and nukes that also mass 20 tons.

I often wish that Traveller had carried over some of these ideas...

 

[The Oz]

Let's see: Agility-6, size-0, Computer-3. We shoot at it with a TL-12 factor-8 beam laser battery, backed by a Mod/6fib computer, at long range:

To Hit: 4+
DMs:
Computer +3
Agility -6
Size -2
Result: hit on a 9+, so roughly 39% of shots hit.

Damage if hit: 8 auto critical hits, 7 of which are removed by armor-15, so one auto critical hit which has a 47% chance of destroying the missile right off (counting Crew-1 and Bridge Destroyed hits as getting the robot pilot). The roll on the Surface Explosion table won't be much help in killing the missile.

So this TL15 missile, costing over 27MCr, plus the warhead and robot costs (whatever they are) is hit and killed about 18% of the time by a single TL12 laser battery. Pump the defenses up to TL15 and the missile is killed about 33% of the time, by a single factor-9 battery.

Doesn't look very cost effective.

 

[The Oz]

Let's see: Agility-6, size-0, Computer-3. We shoot at it with a TL-12 factor-8 beam laser battery, backed by a Mod/6fib computer, at long range:

To Hit: 4+
DMs:
Computer +3
Agility -6
Size -2
Result: hit on a 9+, so roughly 39% of shots hit.

Damage if hit: 8 auto critical hits, 7 of which are removed by armor-15, so one auto critical hit which has a 47% chance of destroying the missile right off (counting Crew-1 and Bridge Destroyed hits as getting the robot pilot). The roll on the Surface Explosion table won't be much help in killing the missile.

So this TL15 missile, costing over 27MCr, plus the warhead and robot costs (whatever they are) is hit and killed about 18% of the time by a single TL12 laser battery. Pump the defenses up to TL15 and the missile is killed about 33% of the time, by a single factor-9 battery.

Doesn't look very cost effective.

 

[szurkey]

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[szurkey]

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[BillDowns]

What about MIRV-ing the warhead? Ought to throw out, what, 10 or so short-range, high-accel babies?

 

[BillDowns]

What about MIRV-ing the warhead? Ought to throw out, what, 10 or so short-range, high-accel babies?

 

[szurkey]

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