The problem I have with Traveller Missiles
Each missile has a mass of 1/2 a ton, or 1,000kg and accelerates at 6G and carries a warhead that does 5D6 of starship damage.
Now, 6G comes out to be 58.8399m/(sec^2) (1 G = 9.80665)
Following F=ma we get (simply) that our high-tech 6G micro-maneuver drive can produce (f=newtons, m=kilograms and a=meters per sec^2)
f=ma
f=1000x58.8399
f=58839.9 Newton/kilogram
*ONLY* 58.9kN!
This is ridiculous IMO -- since the venerable Tech6 rocket, the RL-10***, that acted as booster in the Apollo Missions, has a thrust rating of 66.70kN and itself weighs in at 131 kg. This give a thrust rating a little better than our high tech engine, but basically the same.
Now, I know that the big difference is that the older rockets had a burn time based on their specific impulse -- and that their acceleration would increase over-time as their mass decreased until they reached burn-out at which point they would coast.
But while this old ancient TL6 rocket had a specific impulse (Isp) of just over 400sec we have even new rockets with superior Isp ratings. Not to mention nuclear or fusion rockets, which have Isp ratings that are incredible.
What's my point?
I think the 6G limit is just fine on ships that are operated by humans; using the accelerative forces and grav-plate tech limitations to explain away the barrier. But, in unmanned vehicles I find it too much a suspension of disbelief.
Why would I want to have missiles that are slow and clunky at TL 15 when I can have finely tuned Fusion-Plasma rockets with Isp ratings that are incredible and thrust ratings capable of reaching hundreds and thousands of Newton/kilograms.
I've made some arbitrary 'guesses' as to what I think the standard missiles component size breakdown is:
Engine
Avionics (including sensor package and guidance control)
fuel
warhead
In a 1,000kg missile I have the following breakdown:
Engine mass -- 50.00Kg
Avionics mass -- 100.00Kg
fuel mass -- 50.00Kg
warhead mass -- 800.00Kg
based on these percentages I came up with this warhead damage rating chart using just a % incraease or decrease in mass:
damage wearhead
13d6 2,000Kg
9d6 1,500Kg
8d6 1,200Kg
6d6 1,000Kg
6d6 900Kg
5d6 800Kg
4d6 700Kg
4d6 600Kg
3d6 500Kg
3d6 400Kg
1d6 200Kg
1d6 100Kg
and here's a comparison chart between the two (traveler missile and RL-10) -- {MMD stands for Micro Maneuver Drive}
........Trav Normal RL-10
mass 1,000.00Kg 1,000.00Kg
Eng Mass 50.00Kg 131.00Kg
Avionics 100.00Kg 100.00Kg
Fuel 50.00Kg 169.00Kg
Warhead 800.00Kg 600.00Kg
Dmg 5d6 5d6
Thrust 6.0G 6.0G
But, that's using a 1960 rocket!
My plan (when I'm at home and have time this holiday) is to use the vehicle creation rules to create missiles and come up with rule-book standard components for missiles. I'll use the gravatics propulsion and I think that I'll easily exceed 6m/sec^2
Also -- my thoughts are why stick with a single missile? Why not create Torpedoes? Have space-fighters with large torpedoes strapped to their hull and fired not too dissimilar to the way ww2 aircraft worked nor too dissimilar to the way today's aircraft work.
we'll see what I can generate using the rules and I'll post what I come up with

footnote---
***
RL-10
***
Designer: Pratt and Whitney. Used on stages: Nova A-3, Nova B-3, Saturn IV. Used on launch vehicles: Nova A, Nova B, Saturn B-1, Saturn C-2, Saturn C-3, Saturn I. Propellants: Lox/LH2 Thrust(vac): 6,804 kgf. Thrust(vac): 66.70 kN. Isp: 410 sec. Isp (sea level): 10 sec. Burn time: 482 sec. Mass Engine: 131 kg. Diameter: 0.9 m. Chambers: 1. Chamber Pressure: 24.00 bar. Area Ratio: 40.00. Thrust to Weight Ratio: 44.63. Country: USA. Status: Out of Production. First Flight: 1961. Last Flight: 1965. Flown: 60
Each missile has a mass of 1/2 a ton, or 1,000kg and accelerates at 6G and carries a warhead that does 5D6 of starship damage.
Now, 6G comes out to be 58.8399m/(sec^2) (1 G = 9.80665)
Following F=ma we get (simply) that our high-tech 6G micro-maneuver drive can produce (f=newtons, m=kilograms and a=meters per sec^2)
f=ma
f=1000x58.8399
f=58839.9 Newton/kilogram
*ONLY* 58.9kN!
This is ridiculous IMO -- since the venerable Tech6 rocket, the RL-10***, that acted as booster in the Apollo Missions, has a thrust rating of 66.70kN and itself weighs in at 131 kg. This give a thrust rating a little better than our high tech engine, but basically the same.
Now, I know that the big difference is that the older rockets had a burn time based on their specific impulse -- and that their acceleration would increase over-time as their mass decreased until they reached burn-out at which point they would coast.
But while this old ancient TL6 rocket had a specific impulse (Isp) of just over 400sec we have even new rockets with superior Isp ratings. Not to mention nuclear or fusion rockets, which have Isp ratings that are incredible.
What's my point?
I think the 6G limit is just fine on ships that are operated by humans; using the accelerative forces and grav-plate tech limitations to explain away the barrier. But, in unmanned vehicles I find it too much a suspension of disbelief.
Why would I want to have missiles that are slow and clunky at TL 15 when I can have finely tuned Fusion-Plasma rockets with Isp ratings that are incredible and thrust ratings capable of reaching hundreds and thousands of Newton/kilograms.
I've made some arbitrary 'guesses' as to what I think the standard missiles component size breakdown is:
Engine
Avionics (including sensor package and guidance control)
fuel
warhead
In a 1,000kg missile I have the following breakdown:
Engine mass -- 50.00Kg
Avionics mass -- 100.00Kg
fuel mass -- 50.00Kg
warhead mass -- 800.00Kg
based on these percentages I came up with this warhead damage rating chart using just a % incraease or decrease in mass:
damage wearhead
13d6 2,000Kg
9d6 1,500Kg
8d6 1,200Kg
6d6 1,000Kg
6d6 900Kg
5d6 800Kg
4d6 700Kg
4d6 600Kg
3d6 500Kg
3d6 400Kg
1d6 200Kg
1d6 100Kg
and here's a comparison chart between the two (traveler missile and RL-10) -- {MMD stands for Micro Maneuver Drive}
........Trav Normal RL-10
mass 1,000.00Kg 1,000.00Kg
Eng Mass 50.00Kg 131.00Kg
Avionics 100.00Kg 100.00Kg
Fuel 50.00Kg 169.00Kg
Warhead 800.00Kg 600.00Kg
Dmg 5d6 5d6
Thrust 6.0G 6.0G
But, that's using a 1960 rocket!
My plan (when I'm at home and have time this holiday) is to use the vehicle creation rules to create missiles and come up with rule-book standard components for missiles. I'll use the gravatics propulsion and I think that I'll easily exceed 6m/sec^2
Also -- my thoughts are why stick with a single missile? Why not create Torpedoes? Have space-fighters with large torpedoes strapped to their hull and fired not too dissimilar to the way ww2 aircraft worked nor too dissimilar to the way today's aircraft work.
we'll see what I can generate using the rules and I'll post what I come up with

footnote---
***
RL-10
***
Designer: Pratt and Whitney. Used on stages: Nova A-3, Nova B-3, Saturn IV. Used on launch vehicles: Nova A, Nova B, Saturn B-1, Saturn C-2, Saturn C-3, Saturn I. Propellants: Lox/LH2 Thrust(vac): 6,804 kgf. Thrust(vac): 66.70 kN. Isp: 410 sec. Isp (sea level): 10 sec. Burn time: 482 sec. Mass Engine: 131 kg. Diameter: 0.9 m. Chambers: 1. Chamber Pressure: 24.00 bar. Area Ratio: 40.00. Thrust to Weight Ratio: 44.63. Country: USA. Status: Out of Production. First Flight: 1961. Last Flight: 1965. Flown: 60