• Welcome to the new COTI server. We've moved the Citizens to a new server. Please let us know in the COTI Website issue forum if you find any problems.
  • We, the systems administration staff, apologize for this unexpected outage of the boards. We have resolved the root cause of the problem and there should be no further disruptions.

Technobabble

Old necro post, but found the binder when I moved from apartment to the house I bought. Discussion elsewhere refreshed the idea, so going to put it on the web. If anyone is interested. ;)

I would love to see this also, if you don't mind.

Thanks in advance.
 
Oops, sorry been distracted by other things.

Here's HEPlaR's system diagram:

opsHEPlaR.png
 
Maneuver Drive [System]
Components:

1) Main Drive Group
a) Heat Exchanger - safely stores/dampens radioactive materials and expels exhaust to propel ship. Primary attitude control through thrust vectoring
b) Ignition Chamber - Where the controlled reaction takes place, igniting fuel and expelling it through the heat exchanger
- Fuel Tank Inlet (subcomponent) - Transfers Fuel from Fuel System
c) HEPlaR Control Unit - Master Control Unit
- Local CPU Linkage (subcomponent)
- Drive Power Trunk (subcomponent)

2) Orientation Group
a) Attitude Control
- Power Trunk (subcomponent) - Main feed from Power Plant System
b) Gyroscopes - Determines proper orientation executed by Verniers
c) Verniers - roll/pitch/yaw fine attitude control with input from Gyroscope through Attitude Control


3) Local CPU

a) Localized sub-mainframe computer with repeater display and control interface to the Maneuver Drive.

b) Manual input/output Override/Relays exist both before and after the Local CPU as an Anti-Virus protection in the New Era. The crew workstation at the local CPU usually requires manual input of coded instructions ("Alpha Red 5600" would be generated by the astrogation computer to feed to the engineering computer, per TNE mk 1 mod 1 pg 81) that translates parameters that would have been sent electronically between the Main Computer and local CPUs before the release of Virus. The Local CPU also produces output code when necessary to input in the local CPU of other ship systems. For example, the above engineering computer would generate "November Orange Bravo" to instruct the Power Plant of the energy requirements and "Charlie Blue Echo" for the Jump Drive. This system allows independent verification and is a crucial Anti-Virus mechanism in the New Era. In the event the local computer is infected with Virus, it can be completely bypassed by the crew and run manually or replaced.

These manual Overrides are missing in Pre-Collapse designs, which usually also had an ability for the main computer to bypass local CPU's entirely in heavily automated environments. These junctions are often the first computer connections to be cut when encountering derelict relic starships by recovery teams in the New Era.

Techniques

1) Extra Combat Acceleration (+1G)
By putting extra power into the drive, can get an extra 1G accelearation.

Benefit: +1G above drive rating available for 2D6-1 combat rounds (1G ship would be 2G, 3G ship would become 4G, etc).

risks (on warning light and/or catastrophic failure events):

overloading power circuits
increased wear on components
damage to components from exceeding specifications
internal radiation leak
external radiation leak

2) Improved Efficiency
Benefit (choose one):
a) Increase acceleration by 2D6-1% for 2D6 weeks
b) Decrease power draw by 2D6-1% for 2D6 weeks

risks:

overloading power circuits
increased wear on components
damage to components from exceeding specifications
internal radiation leak
external radiation leak

3) Environmental Safety Bypass aka "Hot Rod"
Benefit: decrease reaction mass consumption by 2D-1% for 2D combat rounds. Can deliberately cause damage

risks: Treats engine as Fusion Rocket for external ranges up to 200km in exhaust wake (1 damage to each subsystem and crew roll Constitution vs incapacitation to radiation exposure or 3D8 RAD in a more detailed system tracking radiation).

4) Battle override enhancement disengages safety parameters
Benefit: +1G acceleration indefinitely

risks: Causes damage to man drive, power, hull/structure, and/or fuel storage d6 hits per


5) Damage Bypass:

Relay power off of damaged system (must have connection into associated System Group, though this could be a purposely done modification)

6) Clanedestine Sub-System malfunction

If an Engineer wanted to rig a system to shut down, he could arrange to starve it of power, either by a portion or entirely and make it look innocuous due to system failure. On an outstanding success, this can escape notice from Proper PMCS.

7) Enhance Sub-System

Pre-requisite to modifications in other systems to avoid overloads, surges, etc. Separate Skill Roll. That system can safely ignore warning light/catastrophic failure effects of enhacements though GM may use his own discretion for other reasons (defective parts, materials, etc)
 
In addition to my bridge charts and jump drive notes (see post #21 earlier in this thread), I have a simple explanation of Power Plants (handout used in a campaign).
 
Back
Top