So, why are lasers missing?

[mike wightman]

Begs the question - where does all that waste heat go.
250MW input, 62.5MW output, waste heat 187.5MW... per laser

 

[infojunky]

Begs the question - where does all that waste heat go.
250MW input, 62.5MW output, waste heat 187.5MW... per laser

Makes one wonder, but those are the numbers that Striker provides.

Honestly after playing with Striker construction one gets the feeling the 250mw number is way off the mark, say a order of magnitude off.

 

[kilemall]

Makes one wonder, but those are the numbers that Striker provides.

Honestly after playing with Striker construction one gets the feeling the 250mw number is way off the mark, say a order of magnitude off.

Well it might be in terms of reality, but at least as far as scaling up and then applying the vacuum rules, the results true up to the CT ranges near as I can tell.

 

[infojunky]

Well it might be in terms of reality, but at least as far as scaling up and then applying the vacuum rules, the results true up to the CT ranges near as I can tell.

I should have been clearer, I meant in terms of ship lasers, other than that I really don't have much of a problem with them.

 

[kilemall]

I should have been clearer, I meant in terms of ship lasers, other than that I really don't have much of a problem with them.

No, I mean 250 mw lasers at the 1000x multiplication range worked out pretty darn close to the CT ship range numbers, that may be the multiplier you were looking for.

 

[infojunky]

No, I mean 250 mw lasers at the 1000x multiplication range worked out pretty darn close to the CT ship range numbers, that may be the multiplier you were looking for.

My problem isn't so much with the range as the penetration. The 250mw laser burns through the maximum High guard armor on every TL of ship. i.e. who needs a spinal or a bay mount when you have a triple Laser Turret?

 

[kilemall]

My problem isn't so much with the range as the penetration. The 250mw laser burns through the maximum High guard armor on every TL of ship. i.e. who needs a spinal or a bay mount when you have a triple Laser Turret?

Hence my reading of ship combat, that all those misses are either clean misses, EW particularly with the HG computer compare DM, or are hitting the oblique edge of the target ship, hence incurring the sloped bonus to the armor and no penetration.

 

[infojunky]

Hence my reading of ship combat, that all those misses are either clean misses, EW particularly with the HG computer compare DM, or are hitting the oblique edge of the target ship, hence incurring the sloped bonus to the armor and no penetration.

Though to be honest, I only have academic objection to the 250mw number, in that how how often does come up in a game? And it only survived in MegaTraveller, which is notable for its numerous other Technological faux-pas.

 

[pendragonman]

Though to be honest, I only have academic objection to the 250mw number, in that how how often does come up in a game? And it only survived in MegaTraveller, which is notable for its numerous other Technological faux-pas.

TNE had laser outputs in the Mega joules. turret at 150, barbette at 300/

 

[infojunky]

TNE had laser outputs in the Mega joules. turret at 150, barbette at 300/

See, that wasn't a issue there as those numbers are consistent with the armor values, Which MT's striker derived numbers weren't. It's all about internal consistency.

 

[BlackBat242]

that darn 1 ton fire control we paid for.

"That darn 1 ton fire control" includes the turret volume (remember that the turret requires the same "fire control tonnage" whether there are weapons installed or not) - the 1 ton is for the hard point itself.

 

[mike wightman]

In CT you can designate one hardpoint upon which a turret may be mounted either now or later. Cost is MCr0.1 per hardpoint. You do not have to install hardpoints, but if you don't you can not retrofit them later. There is no internal ship volume requirement.

If you want to install a weapon you need 1t of fire control regardless of the weapon type or the number of mounts in the turret. The fire control cost is rolled into the cost of the turret you fit.

Note you can fit an empty single, double or triple mount turret. The turret takes up no internal ship volume.

You can now install weapons in your turrets, they again have a cost but no internal ship volume requirement.

The one option that is lacking is to buy a fire control system that takes up the 1t but no turret...

 

[kilemall]

"That darn 1 ton fire control" includes the turret volume (remember that the turret requires the same "fire control tonnage" whether there are weapons installed or not) - the 1 ton is for the hard point itself.

So you say.

I say it is a turret mount, but also includes a local gunner station and fire director.

The fire director requires a previous detection by the computer/sensors but once it's 'locked on' it supports the gunner.

IMTU that happens to be -4 DM if the computer goes offline.

Turret goes on and weapons slot into the turret, but the term fire control is consistently used. So, that affects my conception of what is there.

Hmm, okay, having said that, went back to LBB2.

LBB2-77 says fire control is reserved as part of the bridge. LBB2-81 says fire control is reserved, with no reference to the bridge anywhere it is described.

So if you go with 77, its effectively a bridge workstation, and 81 it is free to be interpreted.

TTB has it like 81.

So ya, 1 ton for just the bridge station and control electronics seems excessive.

I'm still good with fire control being allocated right next to the hardpoint/turret. Makes more sense for the gunner to be there especially for loading sand or missiles and for space for electronics control/direction.

So, understandable for those who go with the bridge concept, and the rest of us can make up what fits.

Interesting thought came to mins-all those fire control tons could be used as a hidden smuggler space if the turret is a dummy one or no weapons were ever fitted to the ship.

 

[infojunky]

So you say.

I say it is a turret mount, but also includes a local gunner station

Define Local.

In that modern gun turrets have a room near the mount with the "Local controls" plus the weapons control console in the CDIC.

 

[GypsyComet]

Mesons again

If no one has spotted you yet, a (relatively) low-powered laser rangefinder pulse would work nicely for that.

If everyone knows you're there and you don't care if they see you, radar is great for ranges.

In the middle of combat, there will be a whole lot of usable data to give ranges to target.

Resolution is the sticker for Meson fire, though. A 20m offset in any axis is a miss against a Lightning unless you are lucky enough to offset along the cruiser's long axis. That's 20m resolution at 100kkm...