mech design ideas for CT
- Thread starter slyen2002
- Start date
praetorius3
SOC-2
I always wanted to use CT with a saner version of BattleTech. Are legged vehicles OK?
RandyT0001
SOC-13
For mechs under 2dtons LBB 8 could be modified to design a human controlled 'robot sized' vehicle. For mechs ranging in size between 2dtons and 20dtons, Striker could be expanded with some house rules and modified to incorporate such mechs.
If MT has them, aren't they in a relatively compatible format? IIRC MT vehicle (and combat) rules are basically modified Striker.
That said, I have the (semi-guesstimated) stats for an Aliens-style lifter exoframe, made with LBB8 stats. I'll post them tomorrow.
Sifu Blackirish
SOC-14 1K
Employee 2-4601 said:
I would post them, but those papers are lost in the mists of time (and many moves)...
Still planning to post your stats?
I never got the hang of MT vehicle design either, even though I worked with STRIKER for a long time.
Many years ago (embarassed to say how many), I used the Robots rules in Best of the JTAS #1 to design powered armor for my Imperial Marines. Seemed to work pretty well.
I would post them, but those papers are lost in the mists of time (and many moves)...
Still planning to post your stats?
I never got the hang of MT vehicle design either, even though I worked with STRIKER for a long time.
Here it is:
Lifter Exoskeleton 75502-02-AF111-N411 Cr45,000 355Kg Fuel=220 Druration=13 days TL=12
47/117 (Cloth)
2 medium arms
Light Laser Welder (left arm)
Specialized "touch sensors" (i.e. powered-armor-style responsive "control"); Control Panel
Control Program
The small "brain" translates the user's body motions into exoskeleton motions and maintains balance. Control is up to the user. This gives the wearer an apparent STR 40 and "unlimited" END. Great for carrying stuff around and for heavy work operations. A more advanced version would probably be neurally-controlled.
Battledress is a TL13 development from this, streamlined, armored, less clancky and ready for combat.
Lifter Exoskeleton 75502-02-AF111-N411 Cr45,000 355Kg Fuel=220 Druration=13 days TL=12
47/117 (Cloth)
2 medium arms
Light Laser Welder (left arm)
Specialized "touch sensors" (i.e. powered-armor-style responsive "control"); Control Panel
Control Program
The small "brain" translates the user's body motions into exoskeleton motions and maintains balance. Control is up to the user. This gives the wearer an apparent STR 40 and "unlimited" END. Great for carrying stuff around and for heavy work operations. A more advanced version would probably be neurally-controlled.
Battledress is a TL13 development from this, streamlined, armored, less clancky and ready for combat.
rhoneycutt
SOC-11
I think it will be like landmates.
IMTU, battledress is designed like a single-man walker AFV. It is massive and the exoskeleton can be used as a recoil carridge for fusion guns. Smaller caliber weapons [ 2omm assault rifles?] can be carried. They are used as heavy 'shock' troops and drop troops. I use the MT ( robots too, I think ) vehicle hit charts with turrets being replaced with arms.
I really don't have combat armor IMTU as a full suit of unpowered aromr would only have a armor rating of around 4 before it became so heavy that the wearer would have a hard time moving.
( work out surface area of a typical human to be covered by armor and then work out protection if the total mass is low enough to prevent encumberance. heavier armor over specific hit locations is okay though.)
of course powered armor has no real mass limitations except ground pressure...big suits need big feet.
IMTU, battledress is designed like a single-man walker AFV. It is massive and the exoskeleton can be used as a recoil carridge for fusion guns. Smaller caliber weapons [ 2omm assault rifles?] can be carried. They are used as heavy 'shock' troops and drop troops. I use the MT ( robots too, I think ) vehicle hit charts with turrets being replaced with arms.
I really don't have combat armor IMTU as a full suit of unpowered aromr would only have a armor rating of around 4 before it became so heavy that the wearer would have a hard time moving.
( work out surface area of a typical human to be covered by armor and then work out protection if the total mass is low enough to prevent encumberance. heavier armor over specific hit locations is okay though.)
of course powered armor has no real mass limitations except ground pressure...big suits need big feet.
Maladominus
SOC-14 1K
"Nothing says Traveller like shotguns in space"
- quoted from someone in TML
Hahaha. It is 100% true that Traveller tech is nitty-gritty, realistic, and pretty much LOWER-TECH compared to the slick near-magical ubertechnology seen in Star Trek, Star Wars, or even FASA's BattleMech universe.
Below is what I think is a believable concept of what a "mecha" might look like if they were embraced fully in the time of Third Imperium, or even used in the Solomani Confederation Army. It is not very high tech, but to me it is a conceivable design, basing on design concepts of Striker, Book 8 Robots, and the heavy weapons of Mercenary Book 4. This design concept is probably achievable by TL10 or TL11. (hence I say it is not extremely high tech)
Based on that pic above, I plan to design (or try) such a mech that will be used by the Solomani Confederation Army IMTU ... in some militaristic Solomani worlds. I will see if a combination of Striker rules and Book8 will permit me to make something like this.
- quoted from someone in TML
Hahaha. It is 100% true that Traveller tech is nitty-gritty, realistic, and pretty much LOWER-TECH compared to the slick near-magical ubertechnology seen in Star Trek, Star Wars, or even FASA's BattleMech universe.
Below is what I think is a believable concept of what a "mecha" might look like if they were embraced fully in the time of Third Imperium, or even used in the Solomani Confederation Army. It is not very high tech, but to me it is a conceivable design, basing on design concepts of Striker, Book 8 Robots, and the heavy weapons of Mercenary Book 4. This design concept is probably achievable by TL10 or TL11. (hence I say it is not extremely high tech)
Based on that pic above, I plan to design (or try) such a mech that will be used by the Solomani Confederation Army IMTU ... in some militaristic Solomani worlds. I will see if a combination of Striker rules and Book8 will permit me to make something like this.
Maladominus
SOC-14 1K
OK. Just re-read Striker rules again. Finally I realize that Striker/CT rules are grossly screwed up in the tonnage rules.
As a point of comparison, Striker's "TL9 Laser Grav Tank" weighs 326 tons...... 326 TONS!!!! Striker is telling me that a puny TL9 3-crew grav tank is more massive than 3 Suleiman Class starships combined?!!
OK so now I find out CT and Striker bases its tonnage assumptions on mass. So having been a CT canon fanboy, I now realize the advantage of T20 ship design because it bases its assumptions on displacement tonnage. Much more sensible to describe a ship by dTon.
I thought I saw a conversion table between CT "tonnage" and T20's displacement-Tonnage. Anyone remember where I can see that?
As a point of comparison, Striker's "TL9 Laser Grav Tank" weighs 326 tons...... 326 TONS!!!! Striker is telling me that a puny TL9 3-crew grav tank is more massive than 3 Suleiman Class starships combined?!!
OK so now I find out CT and Striker bases its tonnage assumptions on mass. So having been a CT canon fanboy, I now realize the advantage of T20 ship design because it bases its assumptions on displacement tonnage. Much more sensible to describe a ship by dTon.
I thought I saw a conversion table between CT "tonnage" and T20's displacement-Tonnage. Anyone remember where I can see that?
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
A 100t CT scout is assumed to be 100dt in T20.
1dt is equal to 14 cubic metres.
1dt is equal to 14 cubic metres.
rhoneycutt
SOC-11
A dton is a measure of volume and not mass.
1 dton of lead masses a lot more than 1 dton of liquid hydrogen.
I much prefer using mass to determine a vehicle's performance as volume rarely has any affect except when working out aerodynamics or target size mods, for example.
The tank's high mass is due, no doubt, to its armor. Because of the rules focus on volume, I don't think anyone looks too carefully at just how heavy BSD armor can be. A pocketknife made out of it would mass more than a broadsword.
The type 'S', on the other hand is 100dtons which is probably closer to massing 1100 tonnes, if you assume a starship is heavy but can still float in water. 1 dton of water masses 14 tonnes ( if you go by 1dton=14 cubic meters )
Some rules assume 1 dton=13.5 cubis meters as the standard. This is really close to 2, 1.5x1.5 meter squares on a deckplan with 3 meter separation between decks. The difference of 1/2 a cubic meter is unimportant as deckplans have plenty of leeway compared to design stats.
imho, basing things on mass make for a more 'realistic' ;P game
1 dton of lead masses a lot more than 1 dton of liquid hydrogen.
I much prefer using mass to determine a vehicle's performance as volume rarely has any affect except when working out aerodynamics or target size mods, for example.
The tank's high mass is due, no doubt, to its armor. Because of the rules focus on volume, I don't think anyone looks too carefully at just how heavy BSD armor can be. A pocketknife made out of it would mass more than a broadsword.
The type 'S', on the other hand is 100dtons which is probably closer to massing 1100 tonnes, if you assume a starship is heavy but can still float in water. 1 dton of water masses 14 tonnes ( if you go by 1dton=14 cubic meters )
Some rules assume 1 dton=13.5 cubis meters as the standard. This is really close to 2, 1.5x1.5 meter squares on a deckplan with 3 meter separation between decks. The difference of 1/2 a cubic meter is unimportant as deckplans have plenty of leeway compared to design stats.
imho, basing things on mass make for a more 'realistic' ;P game
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
500 cubic feet is pretty close to the CT/TNE/T4/T20 displacement ton, 14 cubic metres.
It works out at 500 cubic feet = 14.16 cubic metres.
It works out at 500 cubic feet = 14.16 cubic metres.
rhoneycutt
SOC-11
naw...13.5 m^3 = 1 dton in MT
2 squares on deckplans
2*(1.5*1.5)*3=13.5
2 squares on deckplans
2*(1.5*1.5)*3=13.5
