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Conceptual USP: XSP (Extended Ship Profile)

CliffBates said:
Could you drop me a note when you have a working program or sheet? I would like to try to play with it abit if you don't mind. But I generally like what I see.
Click to expand...

Heck, I'll post it to COTI, though it's not pretty and it is very very loose. You'll need to install Perl on your computer too. At least until I port it to the 'web.

It does have a useful estimation routine that figures out the percentage of volume dedicated to the variable elements of the ship, and back-figure volume therefore based on the payload (weapons and defenses and their support).

So I select performance and TL, then select weapons and defenses, type "estimate", and it estimates the tonnage and cost. Very handy in a rule-of-thumb way.

A spreadsheet would have indeed been a better choice. But it's not as fun to write.
 
Attached my Perl script to the Original Post as a ".txt" file. To use it:

* rename the extension to ".pl".
* run it under a Perl interpreter, e.g. "perl bcs.pl"

It ain't pretty, but I've documented its functions via the ubiquitous "help" command.
 
BillDowns said:
Rob, no offense, man, but that's ugly. Are you using an editor, other than Notepad I mean?
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LOL

What's wrong with slinging hashes?

But really: I'm gratified that someone looked at it.

When I tinker with projects, it ain't pretty.

And, jokingly, I take "offense" at your suggestion that I use Notepad. It's vim all the way, baby!

But of course at work, my Perl scripts are written with Notepad++. Much nicer than Notepad. It has column-edit mode!

:rofl:


Don't worry: when Perl 6 goes beta next month, my code will automagically look prettier, because I like the way P6 does classes.
 
Vim, huh. I use Notepad, but then Perl is a "minor" language to me. :)

I only use it in circumstances where I have to use it. It mostly irks me with its oddities.

I will check into VIM.
 
There is a VIM vi editor for Windows - used it for years when I was editing the same language on Unix and Windows machines to keep my confusion down.

In fact I have a vi plug-in for Visual Studio on Windows - just my preferred editor of choice.

Back on topic, I do like the revised ESP as it makes sense and is easy to read. Not that I ever used High Guard for anything other than character and ship creation...
 
@Cliff

I was thinking about the construction of capital ships, and their representation once constructed. Being wargame elements, capital ships won't have the same data presentation as player ships. I then wondered if High Guard could just be tricked out to produce T5 ships, and from there it was a slippery slope to wondering how the USP could be made more flexible.

This sort of extended format is not really T5 oriented, either. It opens up the format for Traveller in general. The labels and numbers may change from system to system, but the format is already usable for High Guard.

And jack's a doughnut, here we are.
 
robject said:
@Cliff

I was thinking about the construction of capital ships, and their representation once constructed. Being wargame elements, capital ships won't have the same data presentation as player ships. I then wondered if High Guard could just be tricked out to produce T5 ships, and from there it was a slippery slope to wondering how the USP could be made more flexible.

This sort of extended format is not really T5 oriented, either. It opens up the format for Traveller in general. The labels and numbers may change from system to system, but the format is already usable for High Guard.

And jack's a doughnut, here we are.
Click to expand...

Do you have a workable generating system yet? One that would allow you to convert MG or HG or T20 or T4 ships into it?
 
CliffBates said:
Do you have a workable generating system yet? One that would allow you to convert MG or HG or T20 or T4 ships into it?
Click to expand...

Also I think T5 would benefit from a new High Guard/TSC volume to add to the Core Rules. Maybe after Marc finish his, what looks like a very interesting, book.

I suggest this because I have been following what is going at MgT High Guard 2 and it doesn't look that good. The whole lack of repulsers and nonsense about Ion or Tachyon cannons... (come on Ion is just another version or name for a PA, and Tachyon is just another name for what is going on with a Meson gun). Some things like torpedos do make sense. But others don't, and they are not using a UPS frame... and it makes everything a mess...
 
CliffBates said:
I suggest this because I have been following what is going at MgT High Guard 2 and it doesn't look that good. The whole lack of repulsers and nonsense about Ion or Tachyon cannons... (come on Ion is just another version or name for a PA, and Tachyon is just another name for what is going on with a Meson gun). Some things like torpedos do make sense. But others don't, and they are not using a UPS frame... and it makes everything a mess...
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that MgT and MgT2 are being offered as a "generic" core-rules set for SciFi-RPGing. Those Ion and Tachyon weapons may or may not be intended for the Third Imperium OTU setting. Mongoose is also developing other SciFi Campaign settings using the MgT/MgT2 Core Rules.

Mongoose (AFAIK) will be releasing a Third Imperium OTU Setting Book as well, which should (hopefully) clear up such things.
 
whulorigan said:
Those Ion and Tachyon weapons may or may not be intended for the Third Imperium OTU setting.
Click to expand...

No doubt about it: those weapons are not part of the OTU. They are intended to help Mongoose Traveller adapt to other (e.g. Star Trek) settings.
 
robject said:
Yes. And I can see the Third Imperium book laying down the 'rules' of the setting.
Click to expand...

Yes, but the physics... its a PA with a negative charge...

What are phasers, but really more focused lasers weapons powered by anti-mater powerplants. What are distruptors, plasma weapons again powered by anti-matter powerplants. What are photon torpedo an advanced fusion bubble torpedo powered by antimatter powerplants. Its all a matter of power and delivery, no?

The only issue CT missed was rail guns, or space based gauss weapons which would be very useful at creating antimissle flack. But then sandcasters could be them--just give them a flack round and you got the flack screens of Battlestar Galactica. ;) Only defensive screening both against incoming missiles or attack fighters getting close.
 
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