Jumping Rocks

[Scratches]

Using the MgT jump bubble rules, rather than jump grid rules, my group has plans to move a few small comets in-system from the Oort cloud by enveloping them in the bubble.

They argue it's no different than drop tanks, the added tons would only reduce the ship's performance.

I've always considered drop tanks to be designed for a specific ship and just grabbing some random shape won't do.

I'm thinking if I allow this then they'll be able to fly up next to another ship, extend their bubble around it, and jump-steal it.

 

[whulorigan]

Using the MgT jump bubble rules, rather than jump grid rules, my group has plans to move a few small comets in-system from the Oort cloud by enveloping them in the bubble.

They argue it's no different than drop tanks, the added tons would only reduce the ship's performance.

I've always considered drop tanks to be designed for a specific ship and just grabbing some random shape won't do.

I'm thinking if I allow this then they'll be able to fly up next to another ship, extend their bubble around it, and jump-steal it.

I would assume the Jump Bubble of the ship would be no larger than it needed to be in order to move the ship. Bigger bubble = Larger Power consumption = Larger drive motor. Why would the ship have a drive capable of creating an excessively-sized bubble?

 

[flykiller]

I've always considered drop tanks to be designed for a specific ship and just grabbing some random shape won't do.

it's not that the tanks are designed for a specific ship. it's that the jump drives are.

I'm thinking if I allow this then they'll be able to fly up next to another ship, extend their bubble around it, and jump-steal it.

if the jump drives are calibrated for such a "shape", and if the other ship holds still ....

Why would the ship have a drive capable of creating an excessively-sized bubble?

if it's a jump tug.

 

[rancke]

They'd need to put a jump grid around the rock. A jump net (as seen in Supp 9) would do it.


Hans

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Well...

I would make them give me some Task rolls, but as long as they grab small rocks they can do that... :devil:

However, I would note that if they miscalculate or mess up there is probably gonna be some Mishap rolls made. :CoW:

 

[Condottiere]

Mongoose it's a jump bubble, magically determined by hull length algorithm, then, let's say power output by jump drive.

 

[Scratches]

I would assume the Jump Bubble of the ship would be no larger than it needed to be in order to move the ship. Bigger bubble = Larger Power consumption = Larger drive motor. Why would the ship have a drive capable of creating an excessively-sized bubble?

Good point. I've thought of it as the same engines in a 100t J2 scout could propel a 200t trader J1. And we've done this so it's a "truth" IMTU now.

I think I'll rule it's possible but will require successful, and lengthy, calibration of the jump bubble to match the exact configuration of the comet and require a step-by-step run through the entire jump process. Seems like a good time to introduce the MgT2 bane dice. Plus, if they don't take precautions I'll have the comet start out-gassing and become unruly in the D100 jump zone.

 

[Condottiere]

I'm sort of waiting to see what take Mongoose is going to take on it; my current view is that there is more than one way to enter jumpspace, and that using a jump bubble is the brute force entry, requires more power, has a greater chance of a misjump but still easier to calculate.

 

[Jeff M. Hopper]

Using the MgT jump bubble rules, rather than jump grid rules, my group has plans to move a few small comets in-system from the Oort cloud by enveloping them in the bubble.

They argue it's no different than drop tanks, the added tons would only reduce the ship's performance.

I've always considered drop tanks to be designed for a specific ship and just grabbing some random shape won't do.

I'm thinking if I allow this then they'll be able to fly up next to another ship, extend their bubble around it, and jump-steal it.

I'd allow it, but give them a -1 DM for jumping to end in a misjump result for every 10% of tonnage over the original ship's hull and each ship length away from the original ship the target is. That way, they can attempt it, it is foolhardy and dangerous, and it gets more dangerous the more they push the jump bubble (with tonnages further away or comparable to the tonnage of the ship increasing the risk).

 

[atpollard]

I'd allow it, but give them a -1 DM for jumping to end in a misjump result for every 10% of tonnage over the original ship's hull and each ship length away from the original ship the target is. That way, they can attempt it, it is foolhardy and dangerous, and it gets more dangerous the more they push the jump bubble (with tonnages further away or comparable to the tonnage of the ship increasing the risk).

Or allow them to fit the ship with the Jump Cables like the old "Traders and Gunboats" had.

I suggest Cr 80,000 per dTon capacity ... just like a hull (MCr 0.1 x discount for 'distributed' configuration).

 

[MCEvans]

Or allow them to fit the ship with the Jump Cables like the old "Traders and Gunboats" had.

I suggest Cr 80,000 per dTon capacity ... just like a hull (MCr 0.1 x discount for 'distributed' configuration).

Are you talking about CT:S7 or MgT "T&G"? If CT:S7 where are the "Jump Cables" I can't find them in my copy.

 

[atpollard]

Are you talking about CT:S7 or MgT "T&G"? If CT:S7 where are the "Jump Cables" I can't find them in my copy.

I meant CT ... I remember some ship designed to Jump rocks from A to B that had an image of cables around the rock. I'll need to go look.

The 80,000 credits was just my personal value assigned to it ... it shouldn't cost more than the cheapest jump capable hull.

Actually, that would probably be the cost of a drop tank that should be used to estimate the cost of the cables.

 

[atpollard]

Looked it up ... CT: Sup 9: Fighting Ships

Jump Ship (description pg 22, image pg 23)

Special field cables attached to the rear of the ship extend the ship's jump field to include this additional cargo. Alterations in displacement will affect the size of the jump itself, but the amount of cargo carried can be varied to fit the needs.

 

[Scratches]

Well that's good news, it's canon! I don't see any reason why I can't blend a jump mesh with the jump bubble rules. Maybe make the mesh "active" and the bubble wraps around the mesh if the jump routines are reconfigured. I like the cost idea of being similar to the equivalent of drop tanks.

 

[jawillroy]

Well that's good news, it's canon! I don't see any reason why I can't blend a jump mesh with the jump bubble rules. Maybe make the mesh "active" and the bubble wraps around the mesh if the jump routines are reconfigured. I like the cost idea of being similar to the equivalent of drop tanks.

FWIW, Marc's got Jump plates, mesh and bubbles all coexistent in Traveller5: Plates & mesh just cost more money, bubble's the default. Though it should be said that in T5 a foreign object floating in your jump bubble is liable to cause a misjump.