Sensors (p. 323; tables on p. 341)
By default, every ship has installed (at no extra cost) a navigation system. It also has a Communicator with Range 7, a Radar with Range 7 for collision detection, and several Range 6 Portholes for visual detection (p. 383).
A military craft needs better sensors. Consulting table A on page 341, we will install a better Communicator, an EMS suite to replace the old Radar, and a Visor for enhanced viewing. The ship also could use a Jammer for blocking enemy sensors, a Neutrino Detector for detecting power plants, and a Stealth Mask for hiding its own hull from detection.
Sensors, Weapons, and Defenses are closely similar in how they are detailed. All require a mount to contain the device. The device itself is subject to technological mods, and the mount may be adjusted to change the effective range of the device. Sensors and Weapons can both be installed into turrets, barbettes, bays, or even a Main Gun mount if desired. Note that a sensor in a turret (for example) uses up a hardpoint, though.
At this point, the selected sensors are “Standard”, which is denoted “Std” in the sensor description, “Attack Ranged”, which is denoted by “AR”, and surface mounted, denoted by “Surf”. Surface mounted devices don't use up hardpoints, and provide a way to build "damage resistance" into your ship. There are probably limits to the amount of surface available for equipment, perhaps based on the hull configuration and volume, but the rules don't say what that is.
Sensors can be mounted directly on the surface of the hull, requiring low volume and cost. The Mount for these sensors is therefore ‘Surf’. The default range for all space sensors is “AR” – Attack Range. The preliminary data for these sensors therefore is:
However, we would like to increase the range on the Communicator, EMS, Visor, Jammer, and Neutrino Detector from “Attack Range” (AR) to “Long Range” (LR). Extending these sensors to Long Range gives the Gazelle the ability to act as a “forward observer” for anti-capital-ship ships. Consulting the Range Effects Table D (for Space-ranged sensors) on page 341, we see that LR adds 1 to the base TL of the sensor, doubles the tonnage, and triples the cost of the mount. Since surface mounts have no volume, there is no volume change. However, the cost for the mount increases from MCr 0.5 to MCr 1.5. That makes our sensor detail look like this:
Note that this puts the Visor at TL15 – which is beyond the design tech level of our ship. Since the Gazelle operates within the Imperium, we can still install this sensor. However, if the military specs required that all parts be TL14 or lower, we would have to make a different choice – either using a Scope instead of a Visor, or making do with the Attack-Ranged Visor.
The remaining sensors show their standard construction tech levels. These sensors are also constructed at higher tech levels, of course, so we will bring the sensors up to TL14.
A Word on Stage Effects (with ERRATA)
Most vessels typically use Standard sensors, weapons, and defenses, which are factory-certified (please refer to p. 608 "Certified", which should read QREBS=50000, and NOT QREBS=00000, should be added to p. 498, and should be reflected on the Stage Effects table on p. 500) to work with no bonuses or penalties. Private craft, experimental craft which require unusual performance characteristics, or craft in other situations may instead seek out components built at a different quality level. In the design process we apply Stage Effects to a component to vary its quality. Some results of this process are unpredictable, which his why military shipyards spurn this method.
However, if Stage Effects are desired, here's how to do it.
1. Make sure the builder's tech level supports it: if your shipyard's TL is lower than the device's TL plus the TL of the Stage Effect , then it can't be built here. For example, a TL15 industrial base cannot build a Standard Black Globe-16: TL 15 < TL 16 (Black Globe-16) + 0 (Standard). However, it could build an Early Black Globe-16: TL 15 = TL 16 (Black Globe-16) - 1 (Early).
2. Add the Stage Effect name to the beginning of the piece of equipment; for example, the Early Black Globe-16.
3. Apply the cost change to the device (use the Stage Effects table from page 500, and NOT the table B's on pages 341-343).
4. For every instance of this starship's class, when the information is needed, make Flux rolls to affected QREBS, adding the Stage Effect's applicable quality mod to each roll. If the quality column has a value, then roll Flux for that column and apply the mod. The result is the quality rating for that one particular device on that particular ship -- every device of that kind will have different quality ratings!
Back to the Gazelle. The final sensor detail is added to the ship’s design notes.
By default, every ship has installed (at no extra cost) a navigation system. It also has a Communicator with Range 7, a Radar with Range 7 for collision detection, and several Range 6 Portholes for visual detection (p. 383).
A military craft needs better sensors. Consulting table A on page 341, we will install a better Communicator, an EMS suite to replace the old Radar, and a Visor for enhanced viewing. The ship also could use a Jammer for blocking enemy sensors, a Neutrino Detector for detecting power plants, and a Stealth Mask for hiding its own hull from detection.
Sensors, Weapons, and Defenses are closely similar in how they are detailed. All require a mount to contain the device. The device itself is subject to technological mods, and the mount may be adjusted to change the effective range of the device. Sensors and Weapons can both be installed into turrets, barbettes, bays, or even a Main Gun mount if desired. Note that a sensor in a turret (for example) uses up a hardpoint, though.
At this point, the selected sensors are “Standard”, which is denoted “Std” in the sensor description, “Attack Ranged”, which is denoted by “AR”, and surface mounted, denoted by “Surf”. Surface mounted devices don't use up hardpoints, and provide a way to build "damage resistance" into your ship. There are probably limits to the amount of surface available for equipment, perhaps based on the hull configuration and volume, but the rules don't say what that is.
Sensors can be mounted directly on the surface of the hull, requiring low volume and cost. The Mount for these sensors is therefore ‘Surf’. The default range for all space sensors is “AR” – Attack Range. The preliminary data for these sensors therefore is:
Code:
Vol Component MCr
0 Std AR Surf Communicator-8 1.5
0 Std AR Surf EMS-12 1.5
0 Std AR Surf Visor-14 1.5
0 Std AR Surf Jammer-8 1.5
0 Std AR Surf Neutrino Det-10 1.5
0 Std AR Surf Stealth Mask-12 1.5However, we would like to increase the range on the Communicator, EMS, Visor, Jammer, and Neutrino Detector from “Attack Range” (AR) to “Long Range” (LR). Extending these sensors to Long Range gives the Gazelle the ability to act as a “forward observer” for anti-capital-ship ships. Consulting the Range Effects Table D (for Space-ranged sensors) on page 341, we see that LR adds 1 to the base TL of the sensor, doubles the tonnage, and triples the cost of the mount. Since surface mounts have no volume, there is no volume change. However, the cost for the mount increases from MCr 0.5 to MCr 1.5. That makes our sensor detail look like this:
Code:
Vol Component MCr
0 Std LR Surf Communicator-9 2.5
0 Std LR Surf EMS-13 2.5
0 Std LR Surf Visor-15 2.5
0 Std LR Surf Jammer-9 2.5
0 Std LR Surf Neutrino Det-11 2.5
0 Std AR Surf Stealth Mask-12 1.5Note that this puts the Visor at TL15 – which is beyond the design tech level of our ship. Since the Gazelle operates within the Imperium, we can still install this sensor. However, if the military specs required that all parts be TL14 or lower, we would have to make a different choice – either using a Scope instead of a Visor, or making do with the Attack-Ranged Visor.
The remaining sensors show their standard construction tech levels. These sensors are also constructed at higher tech levels, of course, so we will bring the sensors up to TL14.
A Word on Stage Effects (with ERRATA)
Most vessels typically use Standard sensors, weapons, and defenses, which are factory-certified (please refer to p. 608 "Certified", which should read QREBS=50000, and NOT QREBS=00000, should be added to p. 498, and should be reflected on the Stage Effects table on p. 500) to work with no bonuses or penalties. Private craft, experimental craft which require unusual performance characteristics, or craft in other situations may instead seek out components built at a different quality level. In the design process we apply Stage Effects to a component to vary its quality. Some results of this process are unpredictable, which his why military shipyards spurn this method.
However, if Stage Effects are desired, here's how to do it.
1. Make sure the builder's tech level supports it: if your shipyard's TL is lower than the device's TL plus the TL of the Stage Effect , then it can't be built here. For example, a TL15 industrial base cannot build a Standard Black Globe-16: TL 15 < TL 16 (Black Globe-16) + 0 (Standard). However, it could build an Early Black Globe-16: TL 15 = TL 16 (Black Globe-16) - 1 (Early).
2. Add the Stage Effect name to the beginning of the piece of equipment; for example, the Early Black Globe-16.
3. Apply the cost change to the device (use the Stage Effects table from page 500, and NOT the table B's on pages 341-343).
4. For every instance of this starship's class, when the information is needed, make Flux rolls to affected QREBS, adding the Stage Effect's applicable quality mod to each roll. If the quality column has a value, then roll Flux for that column and apply the mod. The result is the quality rating for that one particular device on that particular ship -- every device of that kind will have different quality ratings!
Back to the Gazelle. The final sensor detail is added to the ship’s design notes.
Code:
EC-DU55 (Gazelle-class Close Escort) TL 14
Vol Component MCr Notes
400 Hull D, Unstreamlined 14 -1 Agility
- Charged 14 AV 28
4 Landing Legs, Pads 4 Wilderness Landing OK
- Jump Bubble - Field Strength = 120
16 Armor - AV 56 (TOTAL)
55 Jump Drive K 55 Jump-5
80 Jump fuel - 2 parsecs
19 M-Drive K 38 5 Gs
31 Power Plant K 43 P-5
20 Power Plant fuel - 4 weeks
0 Std LR Surf Communicator-14 2.5
0 Std LR Surf EMS-14 2.5
0 Std LR Surf Visor-15 2.5
0 Std LR Surf Jammer-14 2.5
0 Std LR Surf Neutrino Det-14 2.5
0 Std AR Surf Stealth Mask-14 1.5