Suspended Light Lasers

[spank]

Suspended Light Lasers Rely on pregenerated laser energy that is dispensed from the weapon, at higher tech levels they can be kept constantly charging and pulled out for immediate action.


SLL cannon TL 9

At TL 9 a means to suspend light in an array is perfected, the primary drawback being that it requires constant input of both light energy and elctricity to keep the light in supsension. they bleed 1 shot per hour and require a portion of the power source be devoted to electric input. damage is identical to laser rifle

SLL Rifle TL 10
At TL 10 increases in light supension and photo-electric technology allow the use of light energy extclusively to keep the laser charge in suspension. however they bleed 1 shot every hour, this energy is consumed keeping the rest of the charge in suspension

SLL pistol TL 10
The SLL pistol is similar to the, however it is shorter, this is possible because the charge is pregenerated and the grip simply serves as a conduit for the energy.

At TL 11 The laser cannon maybe either untethered or externally fed, damage is 1.5x a laser rifle

TL 12 untethered laser rifle
by TL 12 the light battery has gotten small enough that it can fit entirely in the body of the rifle, however no underbarrel accesories may be mounted.

TL 12 laser pistols still require an external light battery, it can be mounted as part of the holter or a small belt pack.

TL 12 laser deringers are small pistols that hold a small number of shots internally, they are untethered, but bleed down their clip quickly. They hold 5 shots and bleed 1/ 5 miutes While in there holster they are constantly charged externally reducing energy bleed to normal levels.

TL 13 untethered rifles may not mount underbarrel accesories.
TL 13 pistols may be either tethered or untethered.

TL 14 rifles my mount either a full clip or a half clip and an underbarrel accessory
TL 14 pistols may have either an integral battery or may take a clip

Power packs

Full back pack
The basic power source for the SSL laser it measures approximately 30x45x20 and masses 30kgs

TL               shots
 9                  15*
10                 60
11                 145                
12                 360
13                 900
14                 2200
15                 5400

*TL 9 power pack have an internal battery

Half Packs
A smaller Power supply for the SLLs they measure approximately 30x25x20 and mass 15kgs

TL                 Shots
11                  75
12                  180
13                  450
14                  1100
15                  2700

Belt Packs another power option for SLL weapons. They measure approximately 7.5x7.5x20 and mass about 1.1 kgs

TL               Shots 
12                15
13                35
14                90
15                225

SLL rifle clips are approximately 5x5x15 They mass .5kgs
Half clips are approximately 5x5x7.5 they mass .25kgs

TL 		full		Half
13		14		
14		35		17
15		90		45

carbine
A carbine has an overall length of approximately 75 cm and masses approximately 2.5 kgs

TL		shots
12		  18
13		  45
14		  110
15		  275

bullpup
a bullpup has an overall length of 50 cm and masses 1.5kgs
it may no mount any underbarrel acessories due to the fact the grip and triger are at the muzzle of
the rifle

TL		shots
12		12
13		30
14		70
15		185

Pistol hold a varying number of shot based on thier size and the TL

                            Large                  Med          Small
TL                  
13                         8                      5		
14                         20                     12               6
15                         50                     30              15

Pistol from TL 14 and on may take a clip instead of an internal charge.

TL           shots
               large                      med                         small
14             6                           4
15            15                          10                            5

Pistols may mount a stock to reduce aiming problems and act as an external battery
The stock is aproimately 10x30x3.5

                       Additional
TL                      shots
13                         15
14                         40
15                        100

 

[fredofmars]

Please give us the source for your concept of suspended light lasers.

 

[spank]

Insiration

I remember a brief blurb I read in Popular Science some time ago, I don't think I could find the exact issue, however a brief internet search turns up;
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/history/Biographies/Hau.html
http://www.seas.harvard.edu/haulab/publications/pdf/Stopped_Light_2001.pdf
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn4474

So this idea contains only moderate amounts of handwavium.

The rest of it was simply coming up with a good underlying tech progression, I still have some follow-on Ideas, like Pulsed Burst and Beam fire modes. And varible intensity Lasers. Also some support equipment like Armament stations of different sizes for starships and other vehicles. Also field gear like light collection arrays that could at high tech levels be used to charge a pistol in a survival situation. What do you think?

 

[Duke]

I think I'm being a little dense here, but what is the advantage over the canon laser? Is it that you are doing away with the need of a separate power pack?

 

[spank]

The advantage

Getting rid of the backpack was part of the reason for designing this, however I did not want to nerf existing equipment, at least no at the TL it was introduced at. Also I wanted to have a laser pistol that would, at TL 15 be sizewise equivilant to an existing pistol, have a decent number of shots and take a clip, kind of like a modern pistol, only shooting lasers instead of bullets.
I tried to follow a different tech path and address some of the disadvantages of the laser pistol in traveller, namely the backpack. At lower tech levels the DEI laser has a decided advantage:

              DEI             SLL            SLL
              Rifle          Pack           Rifle only       
TL           
9            100             ---           ---
10          100              60            ----
11          100              145           ----
12          100              360            18
13          100              900            45
14          100             2200            110
15          100             5400            275

So the SLL lasers do not catch up to the DEI lasers for 2 TL and don't obtain the same capacity without a battery for 3 more TL. Please note I did not design an actual rifle, but a carbine. I could I suppose design a rifle.

While having 5400 shots may seem excessive bear in mid you have to carry a 60 lb backpack and the rifle is tethered to the pack. I am toying with the Idea of adding a couple different kind of burst mode, and possibly a beam mode at extreme high TLs

 

[spank]

Beam mode

I am trying to work out the game mechanics of a continuous beam, but I am coming up with a blank, I was thinking of having the beam consume 10 rounds per segment, and give a plus 5 bonus that can be divided how ever the shooter sees fit, for example +4 Damage and +1 hit, or +5 to hit. Or any other variation, but I'm not sure. Anyone have any input on this?

 

[spank]

Field chargers:
at TL 13 it becomes practical to charge SSL clips in the field.

These chargers have a standard 5cm x 5cm rifle clip interface, all other clip must use an adapter

Shots
TL     Pack           Half-pack          
13     450             -----               
14     1650             450
15     4700             1625

The charger is heavier than the standard pack.

Weight
TL     Pack           Half-pack          
13     40KG             -----               
14     37KG             25KG
15     34KG             22KG