Error in Epic Adventure #2?

[dancha]

Greetings:

I chose this forum because the TAs are "closest" to the EAs in form -- but maybe we need a new "uber-forum" for them?

Anyway...I just finished reading "Into the Glimmer Drift." I greatly enjoyed it. I have a question about something, which may or may not be an error. You could call it a rules question, I suppose.

In the Ship Stats for the Imperial Ramada Class Corvette, p.35, its weapons are described as follows:

"Battery 1: Pulse Laser (x2)...
Battery 2: Fusion Gun (x2)..."

In the text description of the vessel, there's a sentence as follows:

"...and its four ship grade turrets provide enough firepower to squash most foes of similar size and these are complemented with 2 fusion gun turrets for ground support."

It's a 400dton vessel, so four turrets, right?

The Ships Stats seem to add up to four turrets: "two" Pulse laser turrets, and "two" Fusion Guns.

But the text description makes it sound like there are six turrets: (paraphrasing) "four turrets complemented with two fusion guns" -- is that six turrets, or are the fusion guns mounted differently?

And are the Pulse Lasers in single, double, or triple configurations?

I'm guessing that this has something to do with the aggregation of them into _Bays_. I noticed the damage roll is high: 3d10.

I don't have access to my THB right now, so this is another reason I'm asking.

Can someone (MJD?) clarify exactly how many weapons there are, how each appears (single, double, etc.), how the Bays thing works (in this case); e.g., if there are really four Pulse Laser turrets, are they somehow linked together? Do they have to fire as one unit, or two pairs, or four separately, or...?

Thanks!
Dan

 

[mike wightman]

The agility rating is too high for the maneuver drive rating as well
It's a nice ship though, I like the concept and the deck plans.

 

[mike wightman]

I've tried an analysis of the EP requirements.
Maneuver3, 12EP
Computer4, 02EP
Extra EPs, 16EP

So 14 EP are used for weapons.
2x tpl pulse laser turret = 6EP
2x dbl fusion gun turrets = 8EP

Since the TL13+ bonus applies to the pulse lasers this gives two batteries of factor 3 pulse lasers (+3 to hit, 3d10 damage), and TL14+ bonus for the fusion guns gives two batteries of factor 5 fusion guns (+5 to hit, 5d20 damage).

This is all IMHO, of course, and YMMV.

 

[far-trader]

I was wondering about those same things and also how it manages Jump 5 with only a model 4 computer

I suppose the handwave is that its "experimental" could work but that seems... lame. Maybe they used an idea I've been punting around, expanded bis model computers, and its a model 4 bis computer?

 

[alanm]

There is another minor error in EA2. In the description of Eda, the world description states that it is the highest technology world in the sector with a TL of 15. According to Gateway to Destiny, Aluudi (0703 Glimmerdrift Reaches) has a TL of 16.

 

[far-trader]

With your permission Hunter (i.e. feel free to delete this post if you have any problem with the material posted in it) I've been doing a bit of reverse engineering to try to iron out the wrinkles in the Ramada Corvette.

All this is meant as constructive criticism only and if anything my attempt at a fix (of what may not be broken but only misinterpreted) is a credit to the coolness and inspiring nature of the design presented in the adventure.

First the problems as I see it:

1 - The agility, and hence initiative and AC, can only be 3 since the rated maneuver is 3G (the 3G drive rating is supported by the 32dT shown on the deckplan)

2 - The EP output shows 16 extra which would be correct for a 4G agility 4 version, which I have presumed to be the original (more on that in the next post)

3 - The fuel should be 244dT not the 248dT listed, a minor typo and easy fix.

4 - The computer model/4 won't support Jump 5. However I've already said a bis version works for MTU (I have them) so that seems an easy fix too, especially for an experimental testbed craft.

Now in my rundown of fitting the needed components into the volume I had to make a couple changes to find room for the fuel for J5.

First, I changed the 6 Staterooms to 6 Small Cabins. This means the crew is hotbunking, except for the Captain who has a single Small Cabin all their own. The quarters are further cramped by cramming a single shared Fresher into the common space from the Small Cabin volume (so as to not use more volume), as well as a small office and fresher for the Captain (and again to save some volume).

Second, this still left me 2dT short so I had to reduce the Fusion Gun turrets to Beam Laser turrets, which, configured as double mounts, use the same power.

In this version there are 8EP extra after running all systems including agility. IMTU I allow extra EP to use the Overpower Weapons rule (ed.1 p.163) without interfering with maneuver or agility. So IMTU this 8EP extra can be used best to add 1 to the USP* to each of the Beam Batteries (or 2 to one of them).

* IMTU I use the Overpower rule as a full USP bonus rather than just damage dice.

Posted below is the TAS Form 3.1 data for my interpretation:

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Dramaa Corvette (Experimental)
.
Class: Starship, Type LZ
EP Output: 44 (+8 extra)
Tech Level: 14
Agility: 3
Size: Medium (400 tons)
Initiative: +3
Streamlining: Wedge FS
AC: 16
Jump Range: 1x Jump-5
Repulsors: None
Acceleration: 3-G
Nuclear Dampers: None
Fuel: 244 tons
Meson Screens: None
Duration: 4 weeks
Black Globes: None
Crew: 11 (1 O, 10 E)
AR: USP 3
Staterooms: 0
SI: 145
Small Cabins: 6
Main Computer: Model/4bis
Bunks: 0
Sensor Range: Long
Couches: 0
Comm. Range: Long
Low Berths: 0
Cargo Space: 0 tons
Cost: Mcr372.200 (prototype)
Atmospheric Speeds: NoE = 1,175kph
Cruising = 3,525kph Maximum = 4,700kph
Other Equipment: Fuel Scoops.
Notes: This experimental testbed version built on
the standard Ramada class Corvette sacrifices
crew comfort and a number of features to squeeze
in the Jump 5 capability.
.
Turret Batteries x 2:
Triple Pulse Lasers, Attack Bonus +3 (+3 USP),
Damage 3d10, Critical Threat 19x2,
Range 45,000km.
.
Turret Batteries x2:
Double Beam Lasers, Attack Bonus +3 (+3 USP),
Damage 3d8, Critical Threat 20x1,
Range 30,000km.
.
TAS Form 3.1 (Condensed) Ship’s Data (Commercial)</pre>[/QUOTE]

 

[far-trader]

Possibly less problematic (except for the name) is my take on the "original" Ramada Corvette. In reverse engineering the design in the adventure to work out the bugs I decided to see what the base version would be like and how it would be upgraded to the experimental version shown. I ended up with the following:

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Ramada Corvette
.
Class: Starship, Type L
EP Output: 44 (+0 extra)
Tech Level: 14
Agility: 4
Size: Medium (400 tons)
Initiative: +4
Streamlining: Wedge FS
AC: 17
Jump Range: 1x Jump-4
Repulsors: None
Acceleration: 4-G
Nuclear Dampers: None
Fuel: 204 tons
Meson Screens: None
Duration: 4 weeks
Black Globes: None
Crew: 11 (1 O, 10 E)
AR: USP 3
Staterooms: 6
SI: 145
Small Cabins: 0
Main Computer: Model/4
Bunks: 0
Sensor Range: Long
Couches: 0
Comm. Range: Long
Low Berths: 0

Cargo Space: 14 tons
Cost: Mcr265.360 (discounted)
Atmospheric Speeds: NoE =
Cruising = Maximum =
Other Equipment: Fuel Scoops, Fuel Purification (6hrs per 200 tons).
.
Turret Batteries x 2:
Triple Pulse Lasers, Attack Bonus +3 (+3 USP),
Damage 3d10, Critical Threat 19x2,
Range 45,000km.
.
Turret Batteries x2:
Single Fusion Guns, Attack Bonus +5 (+5 USP),
Damage 5d20, Critical Threat 16x5,
Range 4,500km.

.TAS Form 3.1 (Condensed) Ship’s Data (Commercial)</pre>[/QUOTE]Some notes:

In this version the crew needs 4 Engineers so there is no dedicated officer. Instead the Pilot is the defacto Captain and rates a private Stateroom while the rest of the crew share quarters in the doubled up Staterooms.

There is also room in this version for the Fusion Turrets (mounted Port and Starboard) for lethal ground support, as well as a single Fuel Purification Plant and a small cargo hold (14dT).

As noted in the previous post the cargo hold and half the quarters are sacrificed in the experimental version for the added fuel to support the J5. Also as noted in that post the Fusion Turrets must be reduced to Beam Turrets for an additional 2dT of fuel.

The conversion sees swapping the original J4 Drives (20dT) and Purifier (4dT) for the J5 Drives (24dT) as well as reducing the original 4G Drives to 3G for an additional 12dT of fuel. The original 44EP Power Plant is retained due to its placement in the hull making a chage difficult.

In the original version the Power Plant is ideally balanced to provide power to all components as well as maintaining the agility 4.

I (naturally

) had to rework the deckplans a little (and of course add my own flair ) to get things to better represent the "corrected" stats. They still resemeble (quite closely) the one in the adventure and if Hunter is agreeable I can post them or mail them direct to him for approval first. They do look a little rough right now being just quick cut-n-paste alterations of a simple screen capture of the one in the adventure.

 

[Badbru]

Smells like a T20 updated and upteched version of the TNE Victrix class ship to me

 

[shield]

The merchant cruiser TL10 has J2 drives which are only available at TL11. Oops

Cheers
Richard

 

[dancha]

Hey far-trader Dan:

Any news on being able to share/post your revised deckplans?

Looking forward to seeing them somehow,
Dan (another one)

 

[far-trader]

Originally posted by dancha:
Hey far-trader Dan:

Any news on being able to share/post your revised deckplans?

Looking forward to seeing them somehow,
Dan (another one)

Hi Dan

Nope no news (and since I snitched on myself with the report post button I have to presume Hunter has seen this and... ) so I must take it as a negative on sharing said deckplans (I feel guilty enough posting the "corrections" above

).

They really are only a little different, and not different enough to worry (if you are happy with them as presented don't worry a bit

). I only did it because I think I may involve the ship(s) a bit more in my game (if I ever get it off the planning table ).