Book 2 vs. High Guard 2

[Golan2072]

Which CT ship design/combat system do you prefer for character level engagements? (well, not only CT - T20 has a variant of HG in it IIRC)?

I like the versatility and the level of details provided by the High Guard shipbuilding system; however, the combat system is built for big, undetailed big-fleet actions, especially with their lack of variable ranges (only "short"/"long", all combat is only in one range). Also, it renders fighters far less useless and weaken the misiles as well (and ignore their logistics - no magazine, no need to reload or buy missiles, no real support for the Missile Supplement).

On the other hand, the Book 2 system is quite undetailed and limited when it comes to building ships. In space combat, however, it provides a detailed, interesting character-level system, and makes missiles and fighters interesting - but the weapons lack some variance.

Or do you use some variant system? such as Ken Pick's one? I pretty much like it, and it solves most problems with the basic system - though I'd still like to see plasma/particle turret/bay weapons from the Book2 system for added variety.

Note that MTU is pretty low-TL (early-mid TL12; nuclear dampners weren't invented yet and probably won't be until early TL13), and most ships are still small, due to production capability (only a few heavily-developed worlds/systems, most systems are still in the early-mid colonial stage).

EDIT: Another issue I have with the Book2 combat system is that all lasers are the same; all lasers have the same power and the same damage regradless of TL (except for Ken Pick's Laser Bays, that is).

 

[mike wightman]

Have a look at this thread, it may give you some ideas

 

[mike wightman]

Pulse lasers are -1 to hit and inflict 2 damage rolls if they hit. These rules are in The CT Starter edition.

 

[mike wightman]

...and so may this one

 

[fredofmars]

I do most of my ship design work in HG2, some in B2, and a little in the other systems.

Most of my actual "combat experience" is in HG2 with only a handful in any other system.

B2 certainly has a more PC level feel to it, but needs to be updated to handle bays and spinal mounts (though perhaps Power Projection: Fleet does this - I haven't got it yet).

- Joseph

 

[Golan2072]

Thanks

Sigg - I knew about the difference between a pulse laser and a beam laser - but still, all pulse lasers are the same. But your heavy turret rules add variety. Thank you for them

 

[CarlP]

A long time ago, I grafted the weapons from BattleTech onto the Traveller starship design rules. It gave me a *lot* of variety in weapons--light, medium and heavy lasers, particle cannons, autocannons. Gosh, I think I should try and track that down, now that I'm resurrecting the campaign.

<sigh> Every time I turn around I realize just *how* much work I've got to do. But I love it!

carl

 

[BetterThanLife]

Actually for CT I prefer Mayday using the HG tables, (Mayday suggests this option) out to 5 hexes is short range, more than 5 hexes is long range. I forget how long max range is. I use missiles as direct fire weapons because once you get beyond a couple of ships it gets to be a real pain to move missiles around the map.

 

[aramis]

I do mst of my designs uner MT, and resolve with the vehicle combat rules...

I like the HG design sequences,but like the CT/mayday rules for resolution, when I'm running CT.

T20, BTW, is not really high-guard; it does use a HG design sequeence, but it uses vehicular combat rules, coupled to a maday inspired movement system.

MT and T20 both produce HG compatible ratings.

For the really harried MT ref, HG designs can be brought over forthe MT combat system with no changes... they are different, but the USP ratings do the same things in the same ways.

 

[Golan2072]

I think that as Book2 has quite unclear small craft design rules (no hulls below 100dton on the drive table), I'll just use HG for them, with a few Book2 mods (the costs of turrets/weapons varies between turret types and weapon types, for example), and then use their stats with Book2 (not a big problem for small craft).

About the Heavy Turret mentioned in one of Sigg Oddra's threads, could a turret mount, then, 8 lasers? despite the cost/weight, I think this would be a tad overpowered especially when installed on small craft (or does it need 2 hardpoints and thus cannot installed on small craft? but I'd like a Heavy Fighter to have a single plasma turret...)

 

[mike wightman]

I limit small craft below 50 tons to 3 spaces per weapon hardpoint - small craft only get one hardpoint equivalent. This may take the form of a standard turret or up to 3 "slots" of fixed weapons.
If a plasma gun, fusion gun or any other heavy weapon is to be mounted it has to be as a fixed mount, which I rule halves the weapon size for slots required.
I allow 50t and above small craft to mount a heavy turret or light barbette if they are armoured (this is inspired by TNE ship designs )
At 80t and above I allow a heavy barbette.

If you want to have a fixed mount weapon and a turret then the turret has to be one size lower than the maximum allowed, e.g. a Solomani gunboat of 80t could mount a light barbette and have up to 3 slots of fixed mount weapons.

Note that use of these rules, plus the heavy turrets I mentioned previously, will make military ships much more of a threat to civilian shipping (which was my original intention )

 

[Golan2072]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
I limit small craft below 50 tons to 3 spaces per weapon. This may take the form of a standard turret or up to 3 fixed weapons.
If a plasma gun, fusion gun or any other heavy weapon is to be mounted it has to be asa a fixed mount, which I rule halves the weapon size for slots required.

If I've got it right, you meant that a small craft below 50 tons could have 3 "spaces", and that plasma, for example, will take 2 of them, leaving one for a laser/sandcaster/missile rack. Am I corret?

 

[mike wightman]

Yep, the plasma gun would occupy two "spaces" as a fixed mount leaving room for a missile rack or sandcaster.

 

[mike wightman]

The wording earlier is a bit confusing, I'll try to edit it for clarity