drones

[CliffBates]

In Traveller 2300 there was a very interesting idea and that was using small drones to supplement a warships offensive weapons ability. That is the drone carries a weapon system at a distance from its commanding ship. The drone is remote controlled and commanded by the home ship. The drone would have an effective operating of around 1km to 10km around the ship. And it also can act as a missile (or given the mass of the unit ramming--as a larger factor say if 10-15 tons a factor 9 missile battery attack) when the decision is to ram the target.

I can see no reason this could not be used in Traveller. In fact it I see that T5 with the detachable turrets suggest this possibility. You would have to operate them as batteries in groups of 10 to be effective against larger ships.. but smaller grouping would still work.

This way you could do things with these that you could not (as you would not command a crew to suicide). And given their being surrounding the ship (and therefore should have the same G speed of the ship if not faster but much better Agility they will always bare on the given target.

What do you think about this?

 

[flykiller]

not sure what the advantage gained is here, and it sounds like they'd be vulnerable to communications disruption.

 

[Brandon C]

The primary advantage is that if a fighter drone is destroyed, a human pilot isn't dead.

 

[mike wightman]

If I were designing Traveller space combat from scratch that is the route I would go.

Remote/autonomous combat craft ranging in size from smart missiles to battle rider.

The ship with the living beings on board would send these things out to fight the enemies remotes until one side has an advantage.

You would then either run away if losing or hope your point defence will take out the remaining ordnance at which point it could become ship vs ship.

 

[wbyrd]

the scariest weapon in Traveller 2300 was the Hyde one mission Missile the American forces deployed..a detonation laser armed drone.

The entire feel of 2300 combat was more akin to sub vs sub, rather than battle-cruisers at 100,000,000 paces. the heavy use of drones made it a bit more tricky, do I go active and positively identify that as a drone, or do I wait and watch....cause if there's one drone i see, there are ten I dont.

 

[casquilho]

The entire feel of 2300 combat was more akin to sub vs sub, rather than battle-cruisers at 100,000,000 paces.

To be honest, I sometimes wish Traveller had not gone down the ever growing sized capital ship path. I liked the 2300 feel better.

 

[wbyrd]

To be honest, I sometimes wish Traveller had not gone down the ever growing sized capital ship path. I liked the 2300 feel better.

It tends to make the combat a little less personal when a fleet of dreadnoughts square off. one or two ships playing cat and muse is pretty intense at times...See "Enemy below", or "The Balance of Terror" episode of The original series.

for Traveller where the big ships are mostly reserved for players who play fleet battles..the small ship let players feel more involved, and more at risk.

Unfortunately for small warships they will always be the "other guys"in the Third Imperium.

Now I am working up smaller vessels myself. Since That's what players can most directly encounter or man....at least with any real effect on the outcome more involved than dice rolling and moving squadrons around on the game mat.

And with the new rules out that make it easier to build drones, and such from scratch....oh yeah you can bet I will be putting those puppies to use.

 

[McPerth]

See that MgT has rules for fighter drones, and even a fighter drone described in MgT:HG page 54.

Also see this thread.

 

[Patron Zero]

IMTU drones served a non-combat role as to extend the sensor range of a starship as well as to fine-tune such abilities. Such had the capacity to act as limited endurance retrievable probes for ships doing survey-exploration work.

As a general rule, most ships operated a small RPV for purposes of inspection and minor repairs to the hull, said RPV could also be configured for task-specific duties as such situations arose.

Mind speaking of commercial vessels, not such in active naval-military service.

 

[CliffBates]

It tends to make the combat a little less personal when a fleet of dreadnoughts square off. one or two ships playing cat and muse is pretty intense at times...See "Enemy below", or "The Balance of Terror" episode of The original series.

for Traveller where the big ships are mostly reserved for players who play fleet battles..the small ship let players feel more involved, and more at risk.

Unfortunately for small warships they will always be the "other guys"in the Third Imperium.

Now I am working up smaller vessels myself. Since That's what players can most directly encounter or man....at least with any real effect on the outcome more involved than dice rolling and moving squadrons around on the game mat.

And with the new rules out that make it easier to build drones, and such from scratch....oh yeah you can bet I will be putting those puppies to use.

There are different type of battle formations and different type of engagements. The big daddies (dreadnought and cruisers) won't be in every engagement, just the key ones. Such systems will augment Frigates and Destroyers and Escorts giving them more punch.

 

[CliffBates]

See that MgT has rules for fighter drones, and even a fighter drone described in MgT:HG page 54.

Also see this thread.

I saw that in MgT, I am working and playing with the 2nd editions Beta. Wanted to bring this up for CT High Guard.

 

[CliffBates]

not sure what the advantage gained is here, and it sounds like they'd be vulnerable to communications disruption.

Additional firepower for smaller ships, a bit of a bypass to the hard point rule.And unlike detachables they would fly with the ship and keep up with it.

Yes ECM might effect comms, that is why the closer to their command unit, the less likely comms breakdown.

 

[whartung]

Well, TNE is all det laser missiles. You can use drones for sensing, control, and jamming (more-so in BL/BR than in the raw TNE rules).

 

[Brandon C]

IMTU drones served a non-combat role as to extend the sensor range of a starship as well as to fine-tune such abilities. Such had the capacity to act as limited endurance retrievable probes for ships doing survey-exploration work.

IOW, a lot like what floatplanes on battleships and cruisers were used for