One of the Biggest problems I have with CT is the lack of variety in shipborn weapons. Where are the Ion Cannons? The Turbolaser Batteries (Big Laser Bays)? Missile Variety? I have some basic basic stuff for the two former, and I'll post it, but I want to know what other sort of weapons you given your CT game.
Fleshing out Shipborn weapons.
- Thread starter endersig
- Start date
here is what I have
Neither of these weapons can be grouped with a battery. They must all be fired individualy.
TurboLaser Batteries:
Size: 25 tons TL: 13 Damage: USB B Surface Damage table. Power: 20 EP Gunners: 1 Chief Gunner, 1 technician. Cost: 25 MCr Notes: Incredibly accurate, these are considred the first capital-ship laser weapons avaible
Ion Cannons:
Size: 5 tons TL:14 Power: 15 EP Damage: USP 5 Requires a roll on the EMP table. Gunners: 1 Chief Gunner, 1 algorithm expert Cost: 10 MCr Notes: Ion Cannons have the distict ablity of paralyzing enemy ships in space.
what is the EMP table? you may ask. Basically, all I have figured out for it is you can fry computers with it, but I can't quite flesh out the details.
Neither of these weapons can be grouped with a battery. They must all be fired individualy.
TurboLaser Batteries:
Size: 25 tons TL: 13 Damage: USB B Surface Damage table. Power: 20 EP Gunners: 1 Chief Gunner, 1 technician. Cost: 25 MCr Notes: Incredibly accurate, these are considred the first capital-ship laser weapons avaible
Ion Cannons:
Size: 5 tons TL:14 Power: 15 EP Damage: USP 5 Requires a roll on the EMP table. Gunners: 1 Chief Gunner, 1 algorithm expert Cost: 10 MCr Notes: Ion Cannons have the distict ablity of paralyzing enemy ships in space.
what is the EMP table? you may ask. Basically, all I have figured out for it is you can fry computers with it, but I can't quite flesh out the details.
One of the Biggest problems I have with CT is the lack of variety in shipborn weapons. Where are the Ion Cannons? The Turbolaser Batteries (Big Laser Bays)? Missile Variety? I have some basic basic stuff for the two former, and I'll post it, but I want to know what other sort of weapons you given your CT game.
here is what I have
Neither of these weapons can be grouped with a battery. They must all be fired individualy.
TurboLaser Batteries:
Size: 25 tons TL: 13 Damage: USB B Surface Damage table. Power: 20 EP Gunners: 1 Chief Gunner, 1 technician. Cost: 25 MCr Notes: Incredibly accurate, these are considred the first capital-ship laser weapons avaible
Ion Cannons:
Size: 5 tons TL:14 Power: 15 EP Damage: USP 5 Requires a roll on the EMP table. Gunners: 1 Chief Gunner, 1 algorithm expert Cost: 10 MCr Notes: Ion Cannons have the distict ablity of paralyzing enemy ships in space.
what is the EMP table? you may ask. Basically, all I have figured out for it is you can fry computers with it, but I can't quite flesh out the details.
Neither of these weapons can be grouped with a battery. They must all be fired individualy.
TurboLaser Batteries:
Size: 25 tons TL: 13 Damage: USB B Surface Damage table. Power: 20 EP Gunners: 1 Chief Gunner, 1 technician. Cost: 25 MCr Notes: Incredibly accurate, these are considred the first capital-ship laser weapons avaible
Ion Cannons:
Size: 5 tons TL:14 Power: 15 EP Damage: USP 5 Requires a roll on the EMP table. Gunners: 1 Chief Gunner, 1 algorithm expert Cost: 10 MCr Notes: Ion Cannons have the distict ablity of paralyzing enemy ships in space.
what is the EMP table? you may ask. Basically, all I have figured out for it is you can fry computers with it, but I can't quite flesh out the details.
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Ion cannon=particle accelerator.
Then there are plasma and fusion guns - adapt from LBB4 or from High Guard, take your pick.
And while Mercenary is being mentioned there is also the option of a meson accelerator
Then there are plasma and fusion guns - adapt from LBB4 or from High Guard, take your pick.
And while Mercenary is being mentioned there is also the option of a meson accelerator
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Ion cannon=particle accelerator.
Then there are plasma and fusion guns - adapt from LBB4 or from High Guard, take your pick.
And while Mercenary is being mentioned there is also the option of a meson accelerator
Then there are plasma and fusion guns - adapt from LBB4 or from High Guard, take your pick.
And while Mercenary is being mentioned there is also the option of a meson accelerator
Aside from the Radiation table in SS3: Missiles (which is used for either Mayday or LBB:2 Starships ship combat), you also have the Radiation Damage table in LBB:5 High Guard. Five of the first 12 results on that table effect computers.
You have LBB:5 High Guard because your new weapons have EP ratings.
Your missiles complaint seems odd given that SS3; Missiles exists. Plenty of design choices there.
The bay weapons you propose are rather odd too. The 'turbolaser' seems to be a poor man's spinal mount as it sports a battery factor above 9. It is also incrediably unbalancing. No warship would forgo a >9 battery factor in a 25dTon installation and it's arrival at TL13 makes turret weapons useless for all but the smallest vessels. Also, if it is the first capital ship laser installation, why does it arrive so late in the game at TL 13?
Instead of being too much of a good thing like the 'turbolaser', your 'ion cannon' is useless. It's battery factor is too small for the tonnage it requires and the EMP table you talk about already exists as the Radiation Damage table.
Finally, why the new weapons and new damage tables? Star Fleet Battles and Starfire are fun, but I'd hate to see their increasingly baroque starship weapons and combat tables come to Traveller.
Have fun,
Bill
You have LBB:5 High Guard because your new weapons have EP ratings.
Your missiles complaint seems odd given that SS3; Missiles exists. Plenty of design choices there.
The bay weapons you propose are rather odd too. The 'turbolaser' seems to be a poor man's spinal mount as it sports a battery factor above 9. It is also incrediably unbalancing. No warship would forgo a >9 battery factor in a 25dTon installation and it's arrival at TL13 makes turret weapons useless for all but the smallest vessels. Also, if it is the first capital ship laser installation, why does it arrive so late in the game at TL 13?
Instead of being too much of a good thing like the 'turbolaser', your 'ion cannon' is useless. It's battery factor is too small for the tonnage it requires and the EMP table you talk about already exists as the Radiation Damage table.
Finally, why the new weapons and new damage tables? Star Fleet Battles and Starfire are fun, but I'd hate to see their increasingly baroque starship weapons and combat tables come to Traveller.
Have fun,
Bill
Aside from the Radiation table in SS3: Missiles (which is used for either Mayday or LBB:2 Starships ship combat), you also have the Radiation Damage table in LBB:5 High Guard. Five of the first 12 results on that table effect computers.
You have LBB:5 High Guard because your new weapons have EP ratings.
Your missiles complaint seems odd given that SS3; Missiles exists. Plenty of design choices there.
The bay weapons you propose are rather odd too. The 'turbolaser' seems to be a poor man's spinal mount as it sports a battery factor above 9. It is also incrediably unbalancing. No warship would forgo a >9 battery factor in a 25dTon installation and it's arrival at TL13 makes turret weapons useless for all but the smallest vessels. Also, if it is the first capital ship laser installation, why does it arrive so late in the game at TL 13?
Instead of being too much of a good thing like the 'turbolaser', your 'ion cannon' is useless. It's battery factor is too small for the tonnage it requires and the EMP table you talk about already exists as the Radiation Damage table.
Finally, why the new weapons and new damage tables? Star Fleet Battles and Starfire are fun, but I'd hate to see their increasingly baroque starship weapons and combat tables come to Traveller.
Have fun,
Bill
You have LBB:5 High Guard because your new weapons have EP ratings.
Your missiles complaint seems odd given that SS3; Missiles exists. Plenty of design choices there.
The bay weapons you propose are rather odd too. The 'turbolaser' seems to be a poor man's spinal mount as it sports a battery factor above 9. It is also incrediably unbalancing. No warship would forgo a >9 battery factor in a 25dTon installation and it's arrival at TL13 makes turret weapons useless for all but the smallest vessels. Also, if it is the first capital ship laser installation, why does it arrive so late in the game at TL 13?
Instead of being too much of a good thing like the 'turbolaser', your 'ion cannon' is useless. It's battery factor is too small for the tonnage it requires and the EMP table you talk about already exists as the Radiation Damage table.
Finally, why the new weapons and new damage tables? Star Fleet Battles and Starfire are fun, but I'd hate to see their increasingly baroque starship weapons and combat tables come to Traveller.
Have fun,
Bill
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Revisiting the humble laser you could interpret the TL effects on USP in HG/MT as being different types of laser for LBB2 use.
That gives you
TL7-12 "normal" lasers - beam and pulse varieties
TL13-15 x-ray lasers - beam and pulse varieties
TL16+ gamma ray lasers - beam and pulse varieties.
x-ray lasers inflict one extra damage point, gamma ray lasers cause two extra damage points - or as an alternative one bonus damage point plus one radiation hit.
That gives you
TL7-12 "normal" lasers - beam and pulse varieties
TL13-15 x-ray lasers - beam and pulse varieties
TL16+ gamma ray lasers - beam and pulse varieties.
x-ray lasers inflict one extra damage point, gamma ray lasers cause two extra damage points - or as an alternative one bonus damage point plus one radiation hit.
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Revisiting the humble laser you could interpret the TL effects on USP in HG/MT as being different types of laser for LBB2 use.
That gives you
TL7-12 "normal" lasers - beam and pulse varieties
TL13-15 x-ray lasers - beam and pulse varieties
TL16+ gamma ray lasers - beam and pulse varieties.
x-ray lasers inflict one extra damage point, gamma ray lasers cause two extra damage points - or as an alternative one bonus damage point plus one radiation hit.
That gives you
TL7-12 "normal" lasers - beam and pulse varieties
TL13-15 x-ray lasers - beam and pulse varieties
TL16+ gamma ray lasers - beam and pulse varieties.
x-ray lasers inflict one extra damage point, gamma ray lasers cause two extra damage points - or as an alternative one bonus damage point plus one radiation hit.
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Oh, and I nearly forgot.
At TL16+ you get disintegrators...
plus I allow heavy turrets (2t each), light barbettes (3t each), and heavy barbettes (5t each) to mount a variety of weapons.
Missile wise I have the standard turret missiles, torpedos, and AKVs... the latter being AI controlled 1-10t "fighters".
At TL16+ you get disintegrators...
plus I allow heavy turrets (2t each), light barbettes (3t each), and heavy barbettes (5t each) to mount a variety of weapons.
Missile wise I have the standard turret missiles, torpedos, and AKVs... the latter being AI controlled 1-10t "fighters".
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Oh, and I nearly forgot.
At TL16+ you get disintegrators...
plus I allow heavy turrets (2t each), light barbettes (3t each), and heavy barbettes (5t each) to mount a variety of weapons.
Missile wise I have the standard turret missiles, torpedos, and AKVs... the latter being AI controlled 1-10t "fighters".
At TL16+ you get disintegrators...
plus I allow heavy turrets (2t each), light barbettes (3t each), and heavy barbettes (5t each) to mount a variety of weapons.
Missile wise I have the standard turret missiles, torpedos, and AKVs... the latter being AI controlled 1-10t "fighters".
I get what your saying. The Turbolaser is way overdone. I tried to make it take up too much energy to be used in smaller ships. It WAS supposed to replace a spinal mount in a way, because I don't use them. It was a rough idea.
Would increased size or energy balance it a little better?
The point I was trying to make is that Laser weapons need a tune up. Now that we've established this weapon is too good, what kind of large-scale laser weapon would be good? I just like the idea like those huge laser guns you see on the Death Star.
Also, I didn't know anything about SS3:Missiles. I'll have to check it out.
The Radiation table hurts crew, which an Ion or EMP weapon wouldn't do. The reason I built that was for either pirating or defense. Nothing says annoying like a weapon that fries your computer, and then floats past you (mockingly) since you are now useless.
I wanted new weapons and the like because 1.) Lasers in general are underrepresented. 2.) I Don't use spinal mounts (except on HUGE battlestations, like... the Death Star, which ended up being more of a setting), because they don't seem space agey to me. I always saw space combat like old Spanish Armada battles. Pull along side the bad boy with all your various cannons pointing at him and let loose. Bays do help that out, but big batteries of many turrets don't seem to do the job for me.
I get what your saying. The Turbolaser is way overdone. I tried to make it take up too much energy to be used in smaller ships. It WAS supposed to replace a spinal mount in a way, because I don't use them. It was a rough idea.
Would increased size or energy balance it a little better?
The point I was trying to make is that Laser weapons need a tune up. Now that we've established this weapon is too good, what kind of large-scale laser weapon would be good? I just like the idea like those huge laser guns you see on the Death Star.
Also, I didn't know anything about SS3:Missiles. I'll have to check it out.
The Radiation table hurts crew, which an Ion or EMP weapon wouldn't do. The reason I built that was for either pirating or defense. Nothing says annoying like a weapon that fries your computer, and then floats past you (mockingly) since you are now useless.
I wanted new weapons and the like because 1.) Lasers in general are underrepresented. 2.) I Don't use spinal mounts (except on HUGE battlestations, like... the Death Star, which ended up being more of a setting), because they don't seem space agey to me. I always saw space combat like old Spanish Armada battles. Pull along side the bad boy with all your various cannons pointing at him and let loose. Bays do help that out, but big batteries of many turrets don't seem to do the job for me.
What I also want to see is something like a Dive-Bombers torpedo: a REALLY big missile mounted externally and then released with the combination of Inertia and an engine of its own propelling it to the target. It would also have to do way more damage than a normal missile, as I see this thing as being about a ton (20 times larger than your typical missile)
What I also want to see is something like a Dive-Bombers torpedo: a REALLY big missile mounted externally and then released with the combination of Inertia and an engine of its own propelling it to the target. It would also have to do way more damage than a normal missile, as I see this thing as being about a ton (20 times larger than your typical missile)
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
CT wise my major "variety" in weapons was mostly color.
For example when battery weapon arrangement came along in HG I had two versions:
i) A computer program "Battery Fire" that allowed changing battery assignment on the fly, so you could rearrange your 4 triple beam turrets as 4 batteries of F3, 2 batteries of F4 or 1 battery of F5. 1 slot MCr1 for the program iirc.
ii) A larger turret with bigger weapons as a single battery. In the example above rather than 4 individual triple turrets for 1 battery of F5 you'd have a single large turret of 4tons for the same rating of 1 battery of F5. The single turret cost the same as a smaller triple turret, it was just bigger. Each of the three larger beam lasers cost the same as 4 of the smaller beam lasers. In fact a small cost savings could be realized there too, since it only take 10 beam lasers for F5 the three bigger lasers would only cost a total of MCr10 instead of the MCr12 for the four smaller triple turrets.
Both cases above were mostly color since the combat rules were all pretty much the same. Battery USP reduction and such. The difference being in the multiple turrets as a battery model a USP reduction was an actual turret lost, while in the single larger turret as a battery model a USP reduction was just damage to that turret. Damage can be reapired to a point, lost turrets can't. Which gives the big turrets another small advatage. The balancing disadvantage was that big turrets needed more crew to fire under local command, the same as if they were individual small turrets. So in the example above the bigger single turret would need 4 crew to fire locally. Most of the time though they would be fired under computer control from the fire center by a single gunner.
Then like Sigg I had different classes of missiles. Civilian models, the typical small ones. Paramilitary models, 3 times as large as the civilian ones, fit the launcher in place of 3 of the Civilian models, and the Military models, 3 times again as big (9 times as large as the Civilian model) and labled torpedos, fired from Missile Bays only.
And mines of course, in many varieties, from just a floating type missile of each kind above to small automated turrets drifting and watching.
Also like Sigg I figured the USP bonus for TL was a weapon improvement. Never detailed it though, and I like what Sigg has above.
For example when battery weapon arrangement came along in HG I had two versions:
i) A computer program "Battery Fire" that allowed changing battery assignment on the fly, so you could rearrange your 4 triple beam turrets as 4 batteries of F3, 2 batteries of F4 or 1 battery of F5. 1 slot MCr1 for the program iirc.
ii) A larger turret with bigger weapons as a single battery. In the example above rather than 4 individual triple turrets for 1 battery of F5 you'd have a single large turret of 4tons for the same rating of 1 battery of F5. The single turret cost the same as a smaller triple turret, it was just bigger. Each of the three larger beam lasers cost the same as 4 of the smaller beam lasers. In fact a small cost savings could be realized there too, since it only take 10 beam lasers for F5 the three bigger lasers would only cost a total of MCr10 instead of the MCr12 for the four smaller triple turrets.
Both cases above were mostly color since the combat rules were all pretty much the same. Battery USP reduction and such. The difference being in the multiple turrets as a battery model a USP reduction was an actual turret lost, while in the single larger turret as a battery model a USP reduction was just damage to that turret. Damage can be reapired to a point, lost turrets can't. Which gives the big turrets another small advatage. The balancing disadvantage was that big turrets needed more crew to fire under local command, the same as if they were individual small turrets. So in the example above the bigger single turret would need 4 crew to fire locally. Most of the time though they would be fired under computer control from the fire center by a single gunner.
Then like Sigg I had different classes of missiles. Civilian models, the typical small ones. Paramilitary models, 3 times as large as the civilian ones, fit the launcher in place of 3 of the Civilian models, and the Military models, 3 times again as big (9 times as large as the Civilian model) and labled torpedos, fired from Missile Bays only.
And mines of course, in many varieties, from just a floating type missile of each kind above to small automated turrets drifting and watching.
Also like Sigg I figured the USP bonus for TL was a weapon improvement. Never detailed it though, and I like what Sigg has above.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
CT wise my major "variety" in weapons was mostly color.
For example when battery weapon arrangement came along in HG I had two versions:
i) A computer program "Battery Fire" that allowed changing battery assignment on the fly, so you could rearrange your 4 triple beam turrets as 4 batteries of F3, 2 batteries of F4 or 1 battery of F5. 1 slot MCr1 for the program iirc.
ii) A larger turret with bigger weapons as a single battery. In the example above rather than 4 individual triple turrets for 1 battery of F5 you'd have a single large turret of 4tons for the same rating of 1 battery of F5. The single turret cost the same as a smaller triple turret, it was just bigger. Each of the three larger beam lasers cost the same as 4 of the smaller beam lasers. In fact a small cost savings could be realized there too, since it only take 10 beam lasers for F5 the three bigger lasers would only cost a total of MCr10 instead of the MCr12 for the four smaller triple turrets.
Both cases above were mostly color since the combat rules were all pretty much the same. Battery USP reduction and such. The difference being in the multiple turrets as a battery model a USP reduction was an actual turret lost, while in the single larger turret as a battery model a USP reduction was just damage to that turret. Damage can be reapired to a point, lost turrets can't. Which gives the big turrets another small advatage. The balancing disadvantage was that big turrets needed more crew to fire under local command, the same as if they were individual small turrets. So in the example above the bigger single turret would need 4 crew to fire locally. Most of the time though they would be fired under computer control from the fire center by a single gunner.
Then like Sigg I had different classes of missiles. Civilian models, the typical small ones. Paramilitary models, 3 times as large as the civilian ones, fit the launcher in place of 3 of the Civilian models, and the Military models, 3 times again as big (9 times as large as the Civilian model) and labled torpedos, fired from Missile Bays only.
And mines of course, in many varieties, from just a floating type missile of each kind above to small automated turrets drifting and watching.
Also like Sigg I figured the USP bonus for TL was a weapon improvement. Never detailed it though, and I like what Sigg has above.
For example when battery weapon arrangement came along in HG I had two versions:
i) A computer program "Battery Fire" that allowed changing battery assignment on the fly, so you could rearrange your 4 triple beam turrets as 4 batteries of F3, 2 batteries of F4 or 1 battery of F5. 1 slot MCr1 for the program iirc.
ii) A larger turret with bigger weapons as a single battery. In the example above rather than 4 individual triple turrets for 1 battery of F5 you'd have a single large turret of 4tons for the same rating of 1 battery of F5. The single turret cost the same as a smaller triple turret, it was just bigger. Each of the three larger beam lasers cost the same as 4 of the smaller beam lasers. In fact a small cost savings could be realized there too, since it only take 10 beam lasers for F5 the three bigger lasers would only cost a total of MCr10 instead of the MCr12 for the four smaller triple turrets.
Both cases above were mostly color since the combat rules were all pretty much the same. Battery USP reduction and such. The difference being in the multiple turrets as a battery model a USP reduction was an actual turret lost, while in the single larger turret as a battery model a USP reduction was just damage to that turret. Damage can be reapired to a point, lost turrets can't. Which gives the big turrets another small advatage. The balancing disadvantage was that big turrets needed more crew to fire under local command, the same as if they were individual small turrets. So in the example above the bigger single turret would need 4 crew to fire locally. Most of the time though they would be fired under computer control from the fire center by a single gunner.
Then like Sigg I had different classes of missiles. Civilian models, the typical small ones. Paramilitary models, 3 times as large as the civilian ones, fit the launcher in place of 3 of the Civilian models, and the Military models, 3 times again as big (9 times as large as the Civilian model) and labled torpedos, fired from Missile Bays only.
And mines of course, in many varieties, from just a floating type missile of each kind above to small automated turrets drifting and watching.
Also like Sigg I figured the USP bonus for TL was a weapon improvement. Never detailed it though, and I like what Sigg has above.
