Errata - that difficult subject

[sfchbryan]

Yep, saw the uproar...

Actually, my main reason for pitching the three proposals here was to simply get past them. :devil:

We've discussed them, and since I think the Brinn are great, we recognize that the OTU just is like that. :smirk:

sfchbryan -- we do need to clean up our proposals on fixing the extended Merchant generation. I'll review your post, and do some comparisons. I do think you've leaned more towards the Navy's cascades (I based my conversion off of the difference between the TTB merchant and the basic generation merchant), but maybe the merchants need a little gunnery practice.

I like the way you think!

When I first looked at it, making changes to the physical stats made sense; then I started looking at aliens & noticed the problems and that changed my viewpoint on it. I'll bet if the MGT folks had looked at more than just the Spinward Marches, they could have come up with a better proposal.

I am not totally against making changes to world generation process, but everything has to be looked at.

I do think that the tech limits should be kept with any CT Alien errata as a clarification between native populations & the "folks from out-of-town".

Re: Merchant Characters:
I made a side by side comparison of our two ideas & we're about 80 - 90 percent in agreement. It was kinda spooky.

The only real places I would diverge from yours is the following:

Planet Bound life should not have a 33% chance of getting Vacc Suit.

Figure a way for a Free Trader to get Robot Ops. Maybe swap Trader or Broker from Free Trader Service. Both of those skills are covered under the Economics Cascade. I'd also dump the Space Combat cascade for the Exploratory cascade. This would give the Merchant a chance at vehicle skill.

Merchants do need gunnery, but I'd use Turret weapons. I don't see a Merchant character getting Spinal Weapons and Screens (Unless they were with Oberlines Lines.).

Other than that, I don't see a real difference between ours.

 

[aramis]

Looks reasonable, Don.

 

[DonM]

Re: Merchant Characters:
I made a side by side comparison of our two ideas & we're about 80 - 90 percent in agreement. It was kinda spooky.

The only real places I would diverge from yours is the following:

Planet Bound life should not have a 33% chance of getting Vacc Suit.

Figure a way for a Free Trader to get Robot Ops. Maybe swap Trader or Broker from Free Trader Service. Both of those skills are covered under the Economics Cascade. I'd also dump the Space Combat cascade for the Exploratory cascade. This would give the Merchant a chance at vehicle skill.

Merchants do need gunnery, but I'd use Turret weapons. I don't see a Merchant character getting Spinal Weapons and Screens (Unless they were with Oberlines Lines.).

And I see the item above that somewhere, a merchant line has to have a spinal class. Ok, I've revised http://winterwar.prairienet.org/dmckinne/MTEnhancedMerchantDraftErrata.pdf
so take a look and see if this helps... From the merchant career, Space Combat substitutes for Gunnery, but Exploratory for Pilot, so I'm trying to stay close to the original conversion.

 

[sfchbryan]

It looks good to me. I'll build a few merchants this weekend & see how they turn out.

 

[sfchbryan]

Errata for World Builder's Handbook

Pg 83
Step 4a - Computer/Robotics TL Limits:
Lower limit: Upper Limit ÷ 3(drop fractions)

Should read:
Lower limit: Upper Limit - 3(drop fractions)

Pg 84
Step 5a - Communications TL Limits
Lower limit: Upper Limit ÷ 3(drop fractions)

Should read:
Lower limit: Upper Limit - 3(drop fractions)

 

[sfchbryan]

New Errata Update soon?

I ask because I have FINALLY finished my 4th Edition rule book. I don't want to drag it down to Office Depot to print a review copy until you publish your next iteration.

Thanks again.

 

[Major B]

Errata to MegaTraveller Starship Design Example and Referee’s Manual

When I was working on the conversion of the CT 400 Td System Defense Boat to MT statistics, one of the confusing points I found in the design sequence was in the implementation of turret weaponry.

I looked to the MegaTraveller Starship Design Example (the version amended by DonM) to answer the question. It answered my question, but only after I discovered an error that seems to have been missed in the amendment process.

Recommend the following errata additions to resolve the unclear portions of the MT Referees Manual and the incorrect portions of the Starship Design Example:

MegaTraveller Starship Design Example: Turret volume calculations are incorrect on page 6 of the design example. The error is corrected on page 7 and the corrected calculations carry forward through the rest of the document, but page 6 needs to be changed to match the rest and better explain how the calculation is performed.

- page 6 line 3: Change the number in the Vol column to -1350.

- page 6 first paragraph (add the following sentence to the end of this first paragraph to clarify): Note that adding the two “free” weapons comes at no additional volume cost; each missile turret takes up 13.5 kiloliters of volume whether it has one missile launcher or three.

- page 6 center of page: In the complete lineup of weapons, change the volume calculations for the missile, laser, and sandcaster turrets should be changed from -4050 to -1350.

Page 7 lists the correct volumes for the turret weaponry and these correct numbers are continued through the rest of the example. This change makes the initial calculations on page 6 match the rest of the example.

Referee’s Manual: The following text changes will clarify the calculation of turret weaponry requirements:

- Page 73, Step 10, Missile Turrets (clarification): Replace the printed text with the following paragraph: “A missile turret has a volume of 13.5 kiloliters. Each turret can have 1, 2, or 3 weapons (missile launchers). The listed Power, Weight, and Price are for one weapon. Total the weapons purchased to determine the UCP factor for the turret(s). For example, ten turrets with three Tech Level 7 missile launchers each (for a total of 30 missile launchers) will produce a UCP missile factor of 6.”

- Page 73, Step 11, Laser Turrets (clarification): Replace the printed text with the following paragraph: “A laser turret has a volume of 13.5 kiloliters. Each turret can have 1, 2, or 3 weapons (beam laser or pulse laser, but not both). The listed Power, Weight, and Price are for one weapon. Total the weapons purchased to determine the UCP factor for the turret(s). For example, one turret with three Tech Level 16 beam lasers will produce a UCP laser factor of 5.”

- Page 73, Step 13, Plasma Gun Turrets (clarification): Replace the printed text with the following paragraph: “Each turret has a volume of 27 kiloliters. Each turret can have one or two weapons (plasma guns). The listed Power, Weight, and Price are for one weapon. Total the weapons purchased to determine the UCP factor for the turret(s). For example, four turrets with one Tech Level 11 plasma gun each (for a total of four plasma guns) will produce a UCP plasma gun factor of 3.”

- Page 74, Step 14, Fusion Gun Turrets (clarification): Replace the printed text with the following paragraph: “Each turret has a volume of 27 kiloliters. Each turret can have one or two weapons (fusion guns). The listed Power, Weight, and Price are for one weapon. Total the weapons purchased to determine the UCP factor for the turret(s). For example, one turret with one Tech Level 17 fusion gun will produce a UCP fusion gun factor of 6.”

- Page 74, Step 15, Sandcaster Turrets (clarification): Replace the printed text with the following paragraph: “Each turret has a volume of 13.5 kiloliters. Each turret can have 1, 2, or 3 weapons (sandcasters). The listed Power, Weight, and Price are for one weapon. Total the weapons purchased to determine the UCP factor for the turret(s). For example, four turrets with two Tech Level 10 sandcasters each (for a total of 8 sandcasters) will produce a UCP sandcaster factor of 6.”

- Page 74, Step 16, Disintegrator Turrets (clarification): Replace the printed text with the following paragraph: “Each turret has a volume of 27 kiloliters. Each turret can have one or two weapons (disintegrators). The listed Power, Weight, and Price are for one weapon. Total the weapons purchased to determine the UCP factor for the turret(s). For example, five turrets with two Tech Level 18 disintegrators each (for a total of 10 disintegrators) will produce a UCP disintegrator factor of 3.”

 

[sfchbryan]

Hard Times Errata

Pg 86 - Offensive Systems:

Last sentence reads: And "+" laser and fusion/plasma batteries....

Should read: Any "+" laser and fusion/plasma batteries...

 

[DonM]

Ok, I've caught up again

 

[sfchbryan]

Player's Manual up next....

Glad to know you caught up Don, I hope it wasn't my fault

I'll be starting on the Player's manual this weekend. Hopefully, there won't be anything new to change to the errata.

 

[DonM]

Actually, clarifications like MajorB posted are really useful.

 

[DonM]

I finished v2.14 on 3/5 (my birthday). Sorry for the lateness...

http://winterwar.prairienet.org/dmckinne/ConsolidatedMegaTravellerErrata.pdf

New items in blue!

 

[mctesla]

Happy Birthday!

Thanks again for all your hard work on the Errata!

 

[Icarus]

I was reading through the Character Generation example in the Players Manual, page 18 and found a number of errors that aren't in the Errata. One may have an effect on page 24, mustering out benefits for Merchants.

Page 18, Left column: Replace references to commission with position.

Page 18, Right Column. Fifth Term: retire (pension of Cr4000) should be Cr10000 (2000 per term and 5 terms).

Page 18, Right Column. Fifth Term, Skills: two rolls were for Pilot, and Pilot was previously earned in Term 3, so replace text with "a final skill level of Pilot-3".

Page 18, Right Column. Mustering Out: Cash table, roll 4= Cr20,000). Either the amount should be Cr10,000 or the roll should be a 6. Also, the example shows 5 benefits rolls for five terms, but fails to mention the 1 roll for being rank 1. Suggest replacing text with "Eligible for benefits (five rolls on the table for terms served and one more for his rank of 4th Officer), he gains (Cash table, roll 4=Cr10,000, Cash table, roll 3=Cr10,000) a bonus of 20,000".

Page 18, Right Column. Mustering Out: Benefits table, roll 6=Middle passage. Either the benefits table is in error or this should read "roll 6 = Low passage."
I suggest changing the Benefits roll on Page 24 for Merchants, roll 6 to be middle passage (this is consistant with the rest of the charts, and really a 6 gets you a low passage?)

Page 18, Right Column, Anderson's Resume: Incorrect Pilot skill, Carousing and Zero-G Environ skill missing. Default skills missing. (I assumed Gun Combat-0, was upgraded to Handgun-1 with the muster out benefit).

Replace text with:

Merchant Fourth Officer Doctor James Anderson
556AC9 Age 38 5 Terms Cr 20,000
Medical-3 ,Pilot-3, Grav Vehicle-2, Sensor Ops-1,
Communications-1, Instruction-1, Brawling-1, Handgun-1,
Zero-G Environ-1, Carousing-1, Computer-0, Vacc Suit-0
Auto Pistol, Low Passage
Starport B, Small, Thin, Wet World, High Pop, Mod Law,
Avg Stellar


I am new here, so please let me know if this is or is not the kind of thing you are looking for.

Thanks Don & team, for your work with the Errata.

 

[DonM]

Actually, this is exactly the kind of thing that belongs here.

While MT is often derided for the level of errata it has, the fact is that it's the only edition of Traveller which tried to encompass so much.

And yet, so much wasn't done...

 

[sfchbryan]

Accommodations step 7.

Bridge Crew, Gunners

Equation has same variable on both sides of the = sign.

I remember this as being a major no-no in all my math classes.

 

[sfchbryan]

High Velocity Guns

I have done a little bit of research on High Velocity guns.

We have a rate of fire problem.

At the lower tech levels they are really, really wrong.

As an example, the 30 cm gun is shown as having a ROF of 1/4 or one shot every 4 minutes at TL 5.

Problem: 30cm guns had a rate of fire of around than 1 minute by 1899.

I'll continue to research & see what I come up with. Odds are, TL 4-8 ROFs will change.

It also appears that the ranges are way off also.....

 

[sfchbryan]

Are we ready to redo High Velocity CPR?

I am looking at naval guns, coastal artillery & railway artillery.

Rates of fire are not even close at TL 5-7.
Ranges are so far off it isn't funny.

I don't know where DGP got 70 Km range for 30cm guns, so far all 30cm guns I have found have ranges of 17 - 40 km.

Ranges change based on elevation & ammo charge, not bore size. Because of this, Ammo is wrong also.

I'll get this finished by this weekend & provide an updated chart for step 22 on page 77.

 

[DonM]

I noted the gunner item, what was meant there was, of course, the old gunner total.

I eagerly await the naval guns, and the corrections. I never did much with the wet navy stuff, but I liked having it available...

 

[sfchbryan]

Rates of Fire

Right now, rate of fire is probably going to be 1 to 2 rounds per minute. The only time I find rates of fire below this is guns in late 1800s. There were no major changes from the Dreadnaught to the Iowa as far as Naval Gun rates of fire are concerned. The technology for delivering the charges to the guns didn't change during the entire Dreadnaught era. The other thing to consider is that the ammo for large naval guns didn't come in 1 piece.

Description from "Naval Weapons of World War Two:"

"The hoists could supply three rounds per gun in 51 seconds, including loading and unloading the hoists, and the firing cycle with a strong and well trained crew was about 20 seconds."

During the Dogger Bank battle in 1915 Seydlitz was in continuous action for two hours. During that time, she averaged a firing rate of one salvo every 42.3 seconds, an impressive performance considering that the guns were hand worked.

Naval guns reached farther because turret elevations increased. For example the 28 cm gun that was used in WW1 on the early BCs was also used as railway artillery in WW2. The range for the Seydlitz was 19,100 meters (+16 elevation). Same gun used in WW2 as coastal artillery had a range of 30,700 meters (+48.1 elevation).

There is also the issue of target acquisition. During WW1, the Germans had a very good system, but it required the target acquisition officer to have eyesight of 20/10.

Radar also ties in with this. Just off the cuff, radar acquisition should drop the difficulty level by one.

The charts that I am working on will start at TL 4. In addition, I am looking to fill in between 24cm & 30cm.

The size issues may also need to be taken into account. For example:
the German 28cm listed above had a weight of 41.5 tons. This is just the gun. The turret, which held 2 guns weighed 444.5 tons. The Sedlitz had 5 of these. Each turret required 70 men to operate.

I know I said I would be done with this by this past weekend, but my spreadsheet went poof.