MGT Only: Stealthy missiles

[McPerth]

In CT weapons have ranges measured in light seconds.

In MgT, that is what the OP was talking about, ranges are up to 50,000 km, and missiles can only be fired upon "in the moments before they strike" (so assumed at adjacent/close range)

Unless the missile is fired from close range and has massive acceleration then your weapon systems have whole minutes to acquire them, lock on and fire on them

Again in MgT missiles cannot be fired at adjacent/close range (that means up to 10 km).

 

[mike wightman]

Hadn't noticed the MgT only bit.

MgT has the least plausible ship combat and technology of any Traveller edition (and some of the stuff in MgHG2 just makes me shudder).

I won't bother replying anymore to the thread for this reason.

 

[kilemall]

But you have no way of hiding your passive thermal signature.

I can think of many actually, starting with most people's maneuver drives being reactionless and thus implying a field that can at least shape gravity and/or space.

But everyone shouts em down based on our current understanding, technology and materials sciences.

I'm with most here, if you don't have craft that are 80% fuel just to maneuver with, then you have already accepted a certain level of handwavium, the rest is degree of aesthetics.

 

[kilemall]

And they don't have to be stealth, just penaids as the ICBM folks say.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penetration_aid

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevaline

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNSR7dXHdCY

http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/decoys.htm

 

[Brandon C]

MgT has the least plausible ship combat and technology of any Traveller edition (and some of the stuff in MgHG2 just makes me shudder).

I guess it's a good thing that I am using parts of MgT:HG1 instead, then.

 

[mike wightman]

Ok I will reply to that

If you use the stealth options from MgT IYTU then stealth missiles make a lot of sense and I would definitely have them since they make sense in that sort of setting.

 

[aramis]

I guess it's a good thing that I am using parts of MgT:HG1 instead, then.

Matthew is under the impression that MGT2 should be "Star Wars without the license." His design system changes match accordingly.

 

[Brandon C]

Ok I will reply to that

If you use the stealth options from MgT IYTU then stealth missiles make a lot of sense and I would definitely have them since they make sense in that sort of setting.

Again, since it may have been lost by now, I am trying to make missiles as useful in MgT as they were in CT. The anti-missile fire rules seemed an easy place to look.

 

[flykiller]

Stealth in space does not exist in the OTU, and can not exist in the universe.

perhaps you are going about it backwards.

consider modern submarines. active sonar works, but it gives away your own location. passive sonar is much more limited, and modern submarines are quiet enough that passive sonar emphasize listening, not for the opposing submarine itself, but for the noisy sea-life it displaces - for the "hole in the water".

your opponent may not be able to hide from your sensors. but won't your sensors give away your own position before informing you of his? by the time you get a sensor return, he will already have a laser shot on the way.

there is also the element of time. sure, given proper equipment, you can passively detect and locate anything - eventually. but can you detect and locate soon enough to matter? sure, you can detect and see and target incoming missiles - but can you do so with sufficient speed and accuracy to hit them?

detection is not the same as engagement.

again, I suggest compromise. anything in space is seen, but only items within "sensor range" may be engaged. adding a -4 to that "sensor range" to engage a small evasive body seems reasonable.

 

[mike wightman]

I agree with the idea that stuff can be seen way beyond engagement range, but then I think one of the best space combat games GDW ever produced was Star Cruiser for T2300

 

[mike wightman]

Again, since it may have been lost by now, I am trying to make missiles as useful in MgT as they were in CT. The anti-missile fire rules seemed an easy place to look.

My solution was to increase their damage to match the effectiveness of CT missiles.

In CT a laser does one hit (two if a pulse laser) while a missile does 1d6 hits (unless using the Missiles special supplement in which case missiles can be made that do a lot more damage).

I just increased the damage dice for MgT missiles.

 

[Brandon C]

I just increased the damage dice for MgT missiles.

The multi-warhead missile in HG roughly duplicates the damage potential of the CT missiles.