Ship Computers

[Libris]

I'm busily designing a 1,200 dton Imperial Navy Corvette.

Quite concerned that I can cram two Meson bays, 5 triple Particle Turrets and 5 triple Beam Laser Turrets into it. But, hey, there don't seem to be any power limits.

Anyhoo.

Just looking at the Computer rules and thought what's wrong. I don't have enough computer power to run all the guns at peak efficiency.

So...

Fire Control Computer (Computer 5fib to run Fire Control/5, MCr25) x12
Jump Computer (Computer 3bis/fib to run Jump Control/4, MCr4.4)
Engineering Computer (Computer 4fib to run Auto-Repair/2, MCr17.5)
Manoeuvre Computer (Computer 5fib to run Evade/3, MCr18)
Interface Computer (Computer 2fib to run Intellect, MCr1.24)

Total Computer cost MCr341.14 (16 computers)

As opposed to say, a Model 7fib running similar programs MCr69.4

A 5x times cost increase but a massive leap in capability.

The weapons package (including full crew requirements) takes up 14.5% of the ships displacement. With the computers it represents 33.8% of vessel cost.

Now that's a warship.

 

[fiat_knox]

Warship

Yup.

Serious firepower needs serious computers. That much is certain. A modern fighting vessel doesn't just have one little computer, or even one great big computer. Every weapon's got its own targeting and firing computers, and everything's networked - sensors, fire control, the engines, everything.

In the case of your spacegoing vessel, the turrets and bays would need to talk with the Evade program - no point in being able to aim and fire if the ship's pitching and bucking and throwing the aim off, so the turrets need to talk with the RCS and drives to compensate for the ship's movements; and laser systems, particle and meson beams, shields, screens and nuclear dampers all need to talk to the power plant to make sure the power doesn't get diverted when it's needed most. Anything drawing energy from the power plant, as a matter of fact. So yeah, I imagine that a ship with heavy firepower's going to have plenty of very expensive computers to keep the show running.

 

[Warlock]

...Just looking at the Computer rules and thought what's wrong. I don't have enough computer power to run all the guns at peak efficiency.

So...

Fire Control Computer (Computer 5fib to run Fire Control/5, MCr25) x12
...

I might be able to save you some credits here.

Try using an EMP hardened Model 1 specialized (see Core Rulebook pg. 92, left column, section titled "Specialized Computer) for Fire Control 5. Including FC/5 software, the price should be about MCr10.075. It'll save you some displacement tonnage per Fire Control Director computer as well.

 

[Libris]

I might be able to save you some credits here.

Try using an EMP hardened Model 1 specialized (see Core Rulebook pg. 92, left column, section titled "Specialized Computer) for Fire Control 5. Including FC/5 software, the price should be about MCr10.075. It'll save you some displacement tonnage per Fire Control Director computer as well.

I looked at that but it says 1 or 2 ratings higher with a 25% increase in cost for each rating but there is a bit of discrepancy between personal computers and starship computers.

Ship computers have much higher ratings and starship programs a correspondingly higher rating as well.

Going by page 108 the only "specialised" ship computer is the bis or Jump Control Specialisation.

 

[elstreak72]

"Just looking at the Computer rules and thought what's wrong. I don't have enough computer power to run all the guns at peak efficiency.

So...

Fire Control Computer (Computer 5fib to run Fire Control/5, MCr25) x12
Jump Computer (Computer 3bis/fib to run Jump Control/4, MCr4.4)
Engineering Computer (Computer 4fib to run Auto-Repair/2, MCr17.5)
Manoeuvre Computer (Computer 5fib to run Evade/3, MCr18)
Interface Computer (Computer 2fib to run Intellect, MCr1.24)"

The sidebar on p. 106 entitled "Redundant Systems" seems to imply that you can't do this. It states "The same component can be installed multiple times.... Only one such system can be used at any time, with the exception of armaments."

I think the computer capacity vs. program ratings are way off. A ship with even a Model 7 computer can't run all of the programs one would want in combat simultaneously. I don't have a problem with forcing the characters to make do with limited resources, but I think the Navy would want their high-end combat ships to be able to run Fire Control/5, Evade/3 and Auto-Repair/2 at the same time. And it might be handy if they could still jump....

 

[Libris]

"Just looking at the Computer rules and thought what's wrong. I don't have enough computer power to run all the guns at peak efficiency.

So...

Fire Control Computer (Computer 5fib to run Fire Control/5, MCr25) x12
Jump Computer (Computer 3bis/fib to run Jump Control/4, MCr4.4)
Engineering Computer (Computer 4fib to run Auto-Repair/2, MCr17.5)
Manoeuvre Computer (Computer 5fib to run Evade/3, MCr18)
Interface Computer (Computer 2fib to run Intellect, MCr1.24)"

The sidebar on p. 106 entitled "Redundant Systems" seems to imply that you can't do this. It states "The same component can be installed multiple times.... Only one such system can be used at any time, with the exception of armaments."

I think the computer capacity vs. program ratings are way off. A ship with even a Model 7 computer can't run all of the programs one would want in combat simultaneously. I don't have a problem with forcing the characters to make do with limited resources, but I think the Navy would want their high-end combat ships to be able to run Fire Control/5, Evade/3 and Auto-Repair/2 at the same time. And it might be handy if they could still jump....

I know. I read the sidebar thing as well and came to the conclusion that it was broke. The computer rules will need some fixing for High Guard. Why would you have a Tigress class if it couldn't fire all it's weapons with equal deadliness. All TL15 warships would have maximum Auto Evade and Fire Control at maximum for every gun. In my Traveller Universe you can't jump while using Evade.

 

[robject]

[...]
I think the computer capacity vs. program ratings are way off. A ship with even a Model 7 computer can't run all of the programs one would want in combat simultaneously. I don't have a problem with forcing the characters to make do with limited resources, but I think the Navy would want their high-end combat ships to be able to run Fire Control/5, Evade/3 and Auto-Repair/2 at the same time. And it might be handy if they could still jump....

Good point. Perhaps the core book isn't focused on military ships. Well, obviously. Even though we do have some nice weapons.

If High Guard lets us install computers with better capacity in these ships, then perhaps we're ok.

 

[atpollard]

Good point. Perhaps the core book isn't focused on military ships. Well, obviously. Even though we do have some nice weapons.

If High Guard lets us install computers with better capacity in these ships, then perhaps we're ok.

Or as simple a fix as Commercial/Adventure class ships cannot run multiple computers at the same time, but Military ships can.

 

[SuperGamera]

I know. I read the sidebar thing as well and came to the conclusion that it was broke. The computer rules will need some fixing for High Guard. Why would you have a Tigress class if it couldn't fire all it's weapons with equal deadliness. All TL15 warships would have maximum Auto Evade and Fire Control at maximum for every gun. In my Traveller Universe you can't jump while using Evade.

Also, some of the sample ships have programs that their computers can't run. The best fix I could think of, without twisting the current rules too far:

1. The computer ratingx5 sets the maximum complexity for any given program.
2. The computer can run multiple programs with a complexity equal to twice that rating. Therefore, a Computer-6 (30 points) can run 60 points of programs, with a maximum complexity of 30 for any one program.
3. Bis modification adds 5 points of capacity and maximum complexity, which can only be allocated to jump programs.

As another option, what about setting the bonuses for Fire Control based on the target, rather than the turret? That way, a Fire Control-5 could designate one target, to give all weapons a +5 bonus against that target. This may be too powerful, but would bypass having swarms of small Fire Control computers.

 

[robject]

[...]

2. The computer can run multiple programs with a complexity equal to twice that rating. Therefore, a Computer-6 (30 points) can run 60 points of programs, with a maximum complexity of 30 for any one program.

[...]

If that works better than the current scheme, then I suggest that the current numbers are typos and should be part of the errata.

 

[Libris]

If that works better than the current scheme, then I suggest that the current numbers are typos and should be part of the errata.

Or alternatively, as per Vilani tradition, just have computers for each function. With perhaps a main computer to allow you to talk to the rest; with, say, 1 complexity rating per computer connected?