Errata for books 1-3 Reprints

[Jeffr0]

Piper,

That would be the way the intelligent guidance option works. The standard missiles have to be dumber than that.

(Special Supplement 3 seems to merge the missile rules from Mayday into Book II. What you suggest may be the way it was intended when there was nothing but Book II.)

 

[Piper]

Originally posted by Jeffr0:
The standard missiles have to be dumber than that.

Do they? Even a simple homing system is constantly making corrections to impact the target. Since there is no way to accurately depict this in fixed turns, the future position trick seems like a reasonable way to simulate it.

 

[Piper]

Originally posted by Jeffr0:
The standard missiles have to be dumber than that.

Do they? Even a simple homing system is constantly making corrections to impact the target. Since there is no way to accurately depict this in fixed turns, the future position trick seems like a reasonable way to simulate it.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

No, you would have to do SOME predicting of the future position, and aim for that. Otherwise, you would have the missile follow the target in a long arc. If it did have the g's to outrun the target, it would take forever and would always be a "tail shot".

This is why air-to-air missile shots today are best done from straight ahead or directly behind the target. Surface-to-air missiles do really lousy when you can't get a tracking solution on the target (like you have to turn your radar off quickly or suffer a failed survival roll). Because they typically know its coming, most combat aircraft can outrun a SAM if it was fired relatively blind.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

No, you would have to do SOME predicting of the future position, and aim for that. Otherwise, you would have the missile follow the target in a long arc. If it did have the g's to outrun the target, it would take forever and would always be a "tail shot".

This is why air-to-air missile shots today are best done from straight ahead or directly behind the target. Surface-to-air missiles do really lousy when you can't get a tracking solution on the target (like you have to turn your radar off quickly or suffer a failed survival roll). Because they typically know its coming, most combat aircraft can outrun a SAM if it was fired relatively blind.

 

[Piper]

Sorry, I should have been more clear.

Assuming you can't actually hit the target on the first movement phase after launch, the point of aim which produces the most direct path to a hit would be overlapping future positions.
This would be the ideal for Guided and Responsive missiles.

Homing missiles are required (in Mayday) to track the present position of the target. This does indeed produce the kind of situation you were describing, Jeffr0. And, since standard missiles are homing ...
my bad
The solution you suggested is a good way to get around it.
All I can say is "bad day at the office" and I'm sorry for the bad info.
Good catch.

 

[Piper]

Sorry, I should have been more clear.

Assuming you can't actually hit the target on the first movement phase after launch, the point of aim which produces the most direct path to a hit would be overlapping future positions.
This would be the ideal for Guided and Responsive missiles.

Homing missiles are required (in Mayday) to track the present position of the target. This does indeed produce the kind of situation you were describing, Jeffr0. And, since standard missiles are homing ...
my bad
The solution you suggested is a good way to get around it.
All I can say is "bad day at the office" and I'm sorry for the bad info.
Good catch.

 

[aramis]

Realistically, at the speeds and distances involved, those missiles should be tracking a 4th marker, which starts on the line between past and present position markers, and then is predicted over the fraction to be intercepted.

The math alone is unpleasant, and the net result is that the further out, the more likely a stern chase becomes.

Tracking on present position is a good enough simulation of the ugly issues.

 

[aramis]

Realistically, at the speeds and distances involved, those missiles should be tracking a 4th marker, which starts on the line between past and present position markers, and then is predicted over the fraction to be intercepted.

The math alone is unpleasant, and the net result is that the further out, the more likely a stern chase becomes.

Tracking on present position is a good enough simulation of the ugly issues.

 

[Enoff]

Cutlasses, Nobility and Black Globes

I am guessing that at the time Marc Miller and his friends were developing traveller one of the sci-fi books they were reading was Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye."

The cultural background of the stellar civilization is basically a quasi-fedual system like Traveller. Plus the obvious Black Globe shield generators for starships. I think there are swords in the book, its been a lot time though.

 

[Enoff]

Cutlasses, Nobility and Black Globes

I am guessing that at the time Marc Miller and his friends were developing traveller one of the sci-fi books they were reading was Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's "The Mote in God's Eye."

The cultural background of the stellar civilization is basically a quasi-fedual system like Traveller. Plus the obvious Black Globe shield generators for starships. I think there are swords in the book, its been a lot time though.

 

[Jeffr0]

It sounds like we need one of two things (possibly both):

a) An explanation of the Navy's preference for the Cutlass. (Maybe quote JTAS?)

b) A suggested skill to replace it in the Char Gen process.

 

[Jeffr0]

It sounds like we need one of two things (possibly both):

a) An explanation of the Navy's preference for the Cutlass. (Maybe quote JTAS?)

b) A suggested skill to replace it in the Char Gen process.

 

[FlightCommanderSolitude]

Cutlasses, nobility: I've always liked that aspect. It makes the future seem less like, uh, the future and more like a huge mish mash of everything that came before.

 

[FlightCommanderSolitude]

Cutlasses, nobility: I've always liked that aspect. It makes the future seem less like, uh, the future and more like a huge mish mash of everything that came before.

 

[Jeffr0]

Honor duels...

Sword Fights...

Yes!

 

[Jeffr0]

Honor duels...

Sword Fights...

Yes!

 

[far-trader]

Originally posted by Jeffr0:
It sounds like we need one of two things (possibly both):

a) An explanation of the Navy's preference for the Cutlass. (Maybe quote JTAS?)

b) A suggested skill to replace it in the Char Gen process.

Well it is a good physical workout requiring little in the way of space and equipment. That should appeal to the Navy.

And of course there's the old won't damage the ship during a boarding action, for what that's worth.

Not sure how you mean "replace it in Char Gen"? There was the rule for Marines (from MT?) that allowed them attempt to "break tradition" and take a different skill than Cutlass.

 

[far-trader]

Originally posted by Jeffr0:
It sounds like we need one of two things (possibly both):

a) An explanation of the Navy's preference for the Cutlass. (Maybe quote JTAS?)

b) A suggested skill to replace it in the Char Gen process.

Well it is a good physical workout requiring little in the way of space and equipment. That should appeal to the Navy.

And of course there's the old won't damage the ship during a boarding action, for what that's worth.

Not sure how you mean "replace it in Char Gen"? There was the rule for Marines (from MT?) that allowed them attempt to "break tradition" and take a different skill than Cutlass.

 

[The Oz]

Or you need an updated Cutlass....

IMTU they're made of superdense metal with a monomolecular cutting edge to give the blade terrific armor penetration and incredible toughness, especially when wielded with the enhanced strength and (effectively) endless endurance of battledress.

Very useful in close-quarters combat in places where you don't want to be spraying gunfire around(or plasma bolts, for that matter), like the bridge or a weapons magazine.

Being allowed to keep your issue Cutlass when retiring from the Marines was a much-desired mustering-out benefit IMTU.