intresting uses of grav tech?

[Kilgs]

Actually, that works pretty well with the idea of artificial gravs having very limited range. As the lower "pull" field weakens, the upper "push" field strengthens, providing a more uniform field effect. Probably wouldn't be exactly uniform, but maybe good enough that no one but an engineer would notice.

Got to thinking a lot about it awhile back. The efficient thing is that you're really just using one grav generator. Imagine a magnet with equal attraction on two sides. You run it through the center and now you have two decks for the price of one!

Uncle Al's Budget Anti-Grav Deck Plating!!!

 

[Quint]

RE: "Dune-like Shields"

My own thought is that it would work similar to the Shields in *Faded Suns* - the PSB being a set of grav modules linked to a computer that noted when to turn on and when not. This would provide a minimum speed/mass which would activate it (either via minimum damage or perhaps you could use caliber, I use damage for simplicity) and then a maximum damage it can stop before burning or shorting out (also with a limit on the number of hits per round it could handle).

I'm not entirely sure what the minimum tech would be, but I can it starting as a vehicle or CA/BD mounted system which becomes ever lighter until somewhere TL16+ it can be used as simply as a "shield belt" ala Dune.

My own question is how would it interact with various forms of energy weapons (Plasma, Fusion, and Laser) - again I'm not convinced that in a universe with holograms, etc. that making it effective against such weapons would be unreasonable. The PSB gets pretty heavy at a certain point...

D.

 

[aramis]

Well, Plasma and Fusion, you need to stop the impact - Several grams, a few thousand m/s. The damage is from the heat of the material, rather than the KE, so, if you can stop a .50, you can stop impact. Should be a showy splash, tho.

PAW - personal? Stop? fuggedaboudit - speeds are 0.5C+, Mass is trivial. Gravitics would need multi-hundred G's to stop in a reasonable range (say 30cm).
Shipboard? If you can project the screen far enough forward, you simply divert the beam away.

Lasers - same issue as PAW, only worse, as gravity is weak against light.

 

[Frankymole]

The old DGP stuff had the grav assisted backpack - makes heavy loads easier to carry

There's still the problem of inertia though - unless they use inertial compensators too.

 

[aramis]

There's still the problem of inertia though - unless they use inertial compensators too.

Note that MT gravitics can include inertial compensation, and DGP's take included both temporary overthrust (up to 400%), and up to 10% reverse thrust. So, yes, it can easily compensate for vector changes off of a vertical thrust plate...

 

[Vargas]

* FTL Communications: From the properties of gravity as we understand it, you could probably make a limited range FTL communicator out of them. Since gravity fields are "on" or "off" and don't take time to reach their maximal distance, you could (in theory) use a focused gravity "beam" at something and send data like binary code if the other end has a sufficiently sensitive gravity measuring device.

I'm fairly sure that gravity propagates at the speed of light.

One grav application which seems like a no brainer is the "lift tube", a carless elevator. For people like me who have . . . concerns about heights, the concept is daunting though.

 

[Quint]

Well, Plasma and Fusion, you need to stop the impact - Several grams, a few thousand m/s. The damage is from the heat of the material, rather than the KE, so, if you can stop a .50, you can stop impact. Should be a showy splash, tho.

PAW - personal? Stop? fuggedaboudit - speeds are 0.5C+, Mass is trivial. Gravitics would need multi-hundred G's to stop in a reasonable range (say 30cm).
Shipboard? If you can project the screen far enough forward, you simply divert the beam away.

Lasers - same issue as PAW, only worse, as gravity is weak against light.

Yeah, that's been my general analysis. My only further thought regards Lasers is that all you need to do is refract or diffuse the light enough to be ineffective (and arguments vary on much that would need to be). Given various versions of holographic use in different editions of the game this could be a different, co-linked system or some other result of magic grav.

D.

 

[Carlobrand]

I have great trouble with gravitic shielding for lasers, the primary one being that if you have the tech to bend lasers to that extent, you have the tech to build a cloak. I'd expect to see at least a directional cloak show up before or when the laser shield appeared.

The second is that advanced armor and the good ol' black globe (and now the white globe) seem like more efficient answers. The power consumption looks like it'd be ferocious, so it begins to look like a Rube Goldberg solution to a problem that is already solved.

 

[Quint]

I have great trouble with gravitic shielding for lasers, the primary one being that if you have the tech to bend lasers to that extent, you have the tech to build a cloak. I'd expect to see at least a directional cloak show up before or when the laser shield appeared.

Rightly or wrongly, isn't this just a holographic application - in MGT, personal hologram projectors exist (which is part of what had me thing down this road). Alternately, for a different route (and one similarly magical science), the grav field could be manipulating dust in the air to act as a sandcaster.

That's before we get to some form of nanotech at the higher TLs.

D.

 

[Carlobrand]

... Alternately, for a different route (and one similarly magical science), the grav field could be manipulating dust in the air to act as a sandcaster. ...

Only place I've ever seen enough dust in the air to stop a laser was Deming at the height of a particularly wicked zero-visibility sandstorm - and at that point you wouldn't be able to see the target anyway.

 

[CosmicGamer]

I have great trouble with gravitic shielding for lasers, the primary one being that if you have the tech to bend lasers to that extent, you have the tech to build a cloak. I'd expect to see at least a directional cloak show up before or when the laser shield appeared.

From Mongoose core rules

Vislight Chameleon (TL 13): A more advanced form of IR Chameleon,
Vislight Chameleon covers the surface of the armour with lightbending
technology, making the wearer nearly invisible to the naked eye

 

[Quint]

From Mongoose core rules

Yup, that's what I was thinking of - and if you can do that, how much of a step is it to interfere "just enough" with a laser to make it some what ineffective (or potentially ineffective)?

D.

 

[Quint]

In addition to the Predator-style TL13 cloaking in MGT, I recall there being in either... Agent or Scoundrel I think... a linked holographic belt/suit/whatever that allows a bodyguard to look just like their principal.

D.

 

[savage]

I use IMTU;

1. Grav Tugs in A/B Downports to reduce the opportunity for large starship re-entry accidents. Like a modern harbor uses tugs
2. Meson spinal mount, defense, grav-platforms
3. Grav minefields, in atmo
4. Grav beds, tables, chairs, strollers, wheelchairs and desks (furniture)
5. grav walkways
6. Grav amusement rides
7. Grav Lights and appliances
8. Grav heavy construction equipment
9. Grav luxury homes

 

[JimMarn]

I use IMTU;

1. Grav Tugs in A/B Downports to reduce the opportunity for large starship re-entry accidents. Like a modern harbor uses tugs
2. Meson spinal mount, defense, grav-platforms
3. Grav minefields, in atmo
4. Grav beds, tables, chairs, strollers, wheelchairs and desks (furniture)
5. grav walkways
6. Grav amusement rides
7. Grav Lights and appliances
8. Grav heavy construction equipment
9. Grav luxury homes

Now that sounds like an interesting way to do it.

I've read stories where gravity sleds as starships were done, but no other uses for them seemed to be in that author's universe.

 

[savage]

Now that sounds like an interesting way to do it.

I've read stories where gravity sleds as starships were done, but no other uses for them seemed to be in that author's universe.

Yes. Thanks. You mean the tugs?
It ends any debate on getting a Tigress into a downport navy yard for major overhaul/battle damage. IMTU Highports take on quick turn around traffic (cargo, service and repair) and Downports focus on long term work, in most cases.

 

[JimMarn]

Yes. Thanks. You mean the tugs?
It ends any debate on getting a Tigress into a downport navy yard for major overhaul/battle damage. IMTU Highports take on quick turn around traffic (cargo, service and repair) and Downports focus on long term work, in most cases.

Authors I've read just used some sort of grav sled mechanism for starship travel.

And ignored any other uses for a grav sled.

I hadn't thought of using a grav tug for moving a battleship down to the planet.

I vaguely remember 'grav furniture' in a few sf stories, but no other uses by that author.

I would be interested in any items like you listed with Traveller stats, if possible, to use in my Traveller universe.

Is it okay to use the ideas on my site ?

Thanks !

 

[savage]

Is it okay to use the ideas on my site ?

Thanks !

Enjoy. Since, I've retired the old site and started a blog, i was planning a redesign.

It's in T20, An MT version would be a good idea on my part. But I was waiting for T5 to do large ship universe. Or perhaps now with MgT, I should consider it there.

Would have to look for my notes details on gravitics, but this is one of them I had for the players to visualize 12 years ago to give you the feel.
http://www.angelfire.com/empire2/savage/1WorldOrder/My_Savage_Designs/Atlas_GL.html

 

[savage]

to use in my Traveller universe.

Did you put GT stats together for the Wanderer? I like your concept, it looks fun. Nice planet maps, and poems add texture to the universe.

 

[JimMarn]

Did you put GT stats together for the Wanderer? I like your concept, it looks fun. Nice planet maps, and poems add texture to the universe.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the Starship Wanderer. Over 18 miles long. It simply isn't possible to draw all the decks although with CC3 I may finish on my idea to make generic decks.

I had originally thought of making it all one series of decks, but with gravity manipulaiton as mentioned in Traveller, the bottom half has their feet towards the feet of the upper half folks.

I haven't drawn it, but I do mention a spot deep within the ship... a flint knife and a caveman drawing of an animal...

Most of those poems I wrote years ago. Thanks.