The 'Conquest' - orbital gunnery / troop deployment vessel

[Liam Devlin]

Ms Mickazoid


Bless me, your quick!

..in the non-jump version, would a speedier upgraded insystem M-drive have been called for? Say 4, 5, or 6G? With only armor 2, and reliant on any escorts, no stand off with missiles, The Conquest's speed/ agility is the next best thing short of a factory recall for a defensive edge to have.

Other than that observation, looks grand! I would presume that assault escorts, larger sister vessels (the tender that brings these lovelies to battle, i.e.) like missile corvettes warm/ soften up the drop zone a bit..

Again, well done.

 

[Mickazoid]

Great idea! Many thanks to you, Liam. The troops will arrive in a lot more comfort if the Conquest has adequate maneuverability for 'minimal-support' situations. (I updated the High Guard statistics page accordingly)

Should I downgrade it to a Computer 3 to likewise reflect 'a simpler time'? I love the CT vibe and that's where this will probably first see action in my campaign (what you all do with it is delightfully up to you! ).

 

[Liam Devlin]

Ms Mickazoid--your most welcome!

Speaking as someone who has ridden into battle--(via helicopter, and yes by armored wheeled vehicle)yes, speed would be essential, even greatly desirable at AR2! A Smaller computer for the non-jump version is also a reasonable downgrade and savings in cost (darn lowest bidder stuff again!) & a little bit of EP (but toss that to the M-drives!).

You GM too??

Yes! There is a God! The Marquis/General looks at his business before the Moot, and tosses his itinerary down the circular file!

I do learn something new every day! FANTASTIC!

 

[Mickazoid]

Hey there!

I do GM indeed - but I sometimes feel like I don't have the mastery of the rules to go up against the real big rulesmongers and powergamers!

I make up for it by making sure my games are cinematic, with occasional rules mods to make that happen (drama deck, 'initiative', 'luck points', etc.)

And, I really haven't enjoyed any online gaming - in person is where it's at for me thus far, and the games are very few and far between, largely 'cause there aren't many active NYC traveller fans online. The time between games means I can really craft maps, handouts, NPC's, designs, etc., and in doing so hone my programming and print/interactive production skills.

Lot more motivating than web site project plans and technical specs (my day job).

Last and most importantly, I'm glad you rode back from battle. I've seen 3 friends serve in Iraq, and two made it back in one piece - a third lost a leg to an IED. Thank you for your service to our country.

The vast glittering plain of New Garolan stretched in every direction, the brightest of the stars reduced to feeble flickers above the haze and din of the starport city. Faren frowned as he stirred his cold coffee absentmindedly... he needed offworld, and he needed offworld in a hurry.

 

[RandyT0001]

Since you have 88 troops I have taken it upon myself to offer one possible company organization structure.

8x 8 man squads
8x squad leaders
2x Platoon NCO's
2x platoon leaders
2x 3 man TAC missile teams
1x 4 man medical team
1x company NCO
1x company commander

Those members in bold are the ones normally awake during transit, the rest are in low berths. Use it if you want to.

And you might want to contact Jeff at FreelanceTraveller.com (website listed in Starport section here). He lives in NYC.

 

[Mickazoid]

Randy: barring any other contributions I'm going to use that great company structure verbatim.

I like the idea of the 4-man medical team serving as the crew medical team in transit as well as a single crewperson who is a 'doctor'. Ooh! Cool, I'll ping Jeff. NYC gaming could use a kick-in-the-pantaloons!

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by mickazoid:
Hey there!

I do GM indeed - but I sometimes feel like I don't have the mastery of the rules to go up against the real big rulesmongers and powergamers!

I make up for it by making sure my games are cinematic, with occasional rules mods to make that happen (drama deck, 'initiative', 'luck points', etc.)

"The play's the thing"--the Bard said. If you keep 'em entertained, and they come back wanting more, you did the job right!

And, I really haven't enjoyed any online gaming - in person is where it's at for me thus far, and the games are very few and far between, largely 'cause there aren't many active NYC traveller fans online. The time between games means I can really craft maps, handouts, NPC's, designs, etc., and in doing so hone my programming and print/interactive production skills.

Ah. Well, I live in a bog in the Arkansas countryside, and FTF-gaming is harder here. Online is where I've niched to, once every two Fridays since returning in country last April. Our crew is in Illinois, Wisconsin, here, Tennessee (eastern zone), Pennsylvania, Ohio,& Maryland, with one Hurricane-zoned NASA player in Florida (yes, he is a rocket scientist!)

Lot more motivating than web site project plans and technical specs (my day job).

Last and most importantly, I'm glad you rode back from battle. I've seen 3 friends serve in Iraq, and two made it back in one piece - a third lost a leg to an IED. Thank you for your service to our country.

It was a distinct honor & a privilege M. We sent 28 of our brothers home, but all have their limbs, and sight back now. I had eight men, I sent home the same 8 alive and well. Of that, I am more proud than any medal earned.

The vast glittering plain of New Garolan stretched in every direction, the brightest of the stars reduced to feeble flickers above the haze and din of the starport city. Faren frowned as he stirred his cold coffee absentmindedly... he needed offworld, and he needed offworld in a hurry.

The sirens and lights wailed away in the distance like a banshee on the moors. The taller one looked at the shorter of the pair at the receeding lights, and shuffled past the SPA and news agency photo-opportunists, unnoticed as any pair of starjacks would at Garolan-Down.

"Rutting luck, there went our pilot," the taller one said grim-faced.

"Hit and run," the shorter one replied, laconic in his unshaven, but cherubic way. "He got shore-sighted, stepped right in front of it, they said. What next?"

"A Kaff. I need to think, Stennis," Rourke replied, hitching his coat against some unseen cold wind. "Just where in the Rim do you think we'll find a pilot for the ship on this berg?"

Stennis shrugged, and entered the port cafe after the dark saturnine man.
"I dunno, Mike. Something will turn up, hey?"...

 

[Mickazoid]

Is your game email, or GRIP, etc.?

Holding her tray on her hip, the waitress exchanged the empty plates on the corner table for a platter of sour pastries and a mug of steaming froth.

She always took a little more time to notice the ones who came in alone. This one a fairly well-dressed young man, a bit distracted and jumpy as he made a beeline for the choice seat. The table afforded a lovely view of the lifts and maglev lines, the port sprawled like a massive, chaotic checkerboard before them. Everyone seemed to choose that spot above all the others.

He'd asked for his drink (a Kaff) before he even sat down. Single tables did that sometimes and it always struck her as kind of pushy, in a hard-to-pin-down kind of way. He'd asked for 'a coffee', which to her seemed a quaint affectation, but kind of nice just the same.

She wondered if he had served in the Corps. He had that look about him, a look just like her childhood friend Jalus now wore - as if he was in the middle of some unfinishable thought.

Simultaneously, they both noticed the two men walking in - and both could tell the pair were jackers.

"Teor Faren. Certified jump pilot, I've even flown a few decatonners. So what's the name of your crate?" splurted the young man, eagerly snapping up another crumb tart as he rose to shake their hands.

Stennis turned and smiled broadly to his companion. " 'The Hans Bethe'. We're bayed over at platform 7e."

"Make that three Kaffs, doll."
<hijack ending

>

 

[Liam Devlin]

Our Game is on irc. Our site is here:

http://groups.msn.com/ISSUrsula

we've been around since 2003. Old salts that we are, hey? We're using T20 as mechanics still, but, yes things do get..<

> lively.
================================================
We now resume normal commentary on the Conquest orbital Assault Platform/troop ship..

 

[Plankowner]

Get a room you two!

Seriously, it sounds like the two of you have the beginnings of a collaborative short story. Maybe something that could go in Stellar Reaches in several installments? Make it up as you go and trade off telling it. Could be fun.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Plankowner--
I'm sorry, I thought this was a room! I cannot claim sole-hijacking of thread, following such a nice a lead in by the authoress. I admit, i took the hook, and ran.

As for the other idea...it has merit.

 

[Mickazoid]

Yes - if anything this mini-tangent has demonstrated that RPG's are indeed 'all in the mind'...

And obviously Liam's got a devious and complicated mind. I know this because I've examined the frozen samples.

 

[Liam Devlin]

I bow to the compliment, deservedly

 

[Pickles]

Wow, look at all the stuff I missed while I was away!

Very intriguing deckplan there, mickazoid. It's nice to see some original thinking coming into ship design (not something I can be accused of). Crow's discovery on the other thread is another example. The OTU's a big place, there must be quite a few different design theories among its naval architects.

And, speaking as a sort-of-architect now, just a teeny-weeny quibble: The plans are labelled 'top elevation'. They are plans, really. Elevations are side views.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Welcome back Bromgrev!

Just in time for me to take a 2 week annual trip (well starting Saturday June10th-24th).

Lotta catching up to do, yessir.

 

[dm_dracos]

BEAUTIFUL Ship!!!!!! my only question is not based on the design, but an idea that it surred in my own head. What about designing the "old" drop capluses from the original (book and cartoon) of Starship Trooper(copywrited, sct. sct.)? using the Battle Dress as the equivalent of the powered armor from those. I would make for quick entry, persision drop placements, and very sudden apperences (namely scare the pants off some smalltime badits (is locals) to have say a small unit of about 500 land all within a 1/2 klick of eachother and all home in on the enemy hq for example)

 

[dm_dracos]

I am NOT a deckplan designer, my talents never went in that direction, but like fine wine and good music, I can appreciate the talents of others. YOU got talent! [/QB]

i would have to agree with plank, i can design the ship and set them up but i dont have the nack for drawing them out, so when i see a good design i love looking and seieng what someone else created.
Again thank you for another beautiful ship
Dracos

 

[Mickazoid]

You guys are really nice! It's such a pleasure to hear your kind words and feedback on the designs.

Any ship concepts you'd like me to try drafting? I'm going to be on vacation for a few days and if it's rainy at the beach that could be a perfect diversion!

Originally posted by the Bromgrev:
And, speaking as a sort-of-architect now, just a teeny-weeny quibble: The plans are labelled 'top elevation'. They are plans, really. Elevations are side views.

To quote Homer (not the Greek one):

D'oh!

Thanks for the correction there - and the compliments. Rock on!

And last - I really like Crow's design. I'm gonna soak it up in detail

 

[Mickazoid]

Just got an idea. The mainroom (22) and the cargo bay's main level (4) serve as medical triage areas while the troops are onworld. Medical (12) expands with med stations (a la MASH, Baghdad ER) during operations, and injured troops can be massed fore or aft to the large triage areas quickly. In extreme cases one or more of the cargo lifts can be employed to access the upper and lower cargo bays for additional patients' space and/or cargo storage as needed.

The troops on the drop shuttles have local medics among their numbers, but serious injuries would need to be medevac'ed back to the Conquest-class ship on a shuttle reserved for first-round evac under combat conditions. Thoughts?

 

[Liam Devlin]

An excellent suggestion Ms Mickazoid

.

A designated/dedicated shuttle isn't required however, as i believe with Imperial tech even at TL-B (your non-jump version) the seats can be folded "down" and litter-bunks made out of them are an easy thing to widget.

Also, IYTU ship, the critically/ seriously wounded surpassing the # of med techs of the ship's crew can be placed in the lowberths until they can be thawed & treated.