Vehicle-palooza

[robject]

I'm going to put VehicleMaker through its paces and see what I can come up with, and what "non-rules" I find myself implicitly using.

And in case you haven't heard, I seldom get exactly what I want with anything, much less Traveller. With that caveat, off we go.

Air/Raft

First, let's see what I can do about an air/raft. I'm going to call it a "Ground" craft, because Flyers (my first choice) look inherently specialized in VehicleMaker. I'll make it Gravitic, because plain 'ol Lifters (also my first choice) are too bulky.

Finally, I settle on a Grav Passenger Transport, with an operational time in days.

code: EGPR
type: Enclosed Grav Passenger Transport
TL: 10
vol: 4
speed: 5
load: 4
KCr: 170

GCarrier

Next the GCarrier. I can go a couple ways with this, so my first try is with an Enclosed Advanced Grav Combat Flyer:

code: EAGA(F)
type: Enclosed Advanced Grav Combat Flyer
TL: 15
vol: 7
spd: 6
ld: 4
AV: 44 {ca:0, fp:24, rp:0, sp:44, ps:0, in:22, se:1}
KCr: 760

I suspect I can do better with another "Ground" craft. But first, I'll use the "Military" options, which also get me close:

code: PHGTC
type: Hv Grav Troop Carrier
TL: 10
vol: 8
spd: 4
ld: 4
AV: 90 {ca:20, fp:20, rp:20, sp:32, ps:0, in:30, se:40}
KCr: 3020

Grav Tank

Here's an important area that needs to have lots of customization space -- the grav tank. I can get a standard grav tank fairly easily:

code: UGWT
type: UpArmored Grav Weapon Tank
TL: 13
vol: 8
spd: 5
ld: 0
AV: 80 {ca:30, fp:30, rp:30, sp:40, ps:0, in:50, se:40}
KCr: 2440

And here's the TL15 version.

code: UMGWT
type: UpArmored Modified Grav Weapon Tank
TL: 15
vol: 8
spd: 6
ld: 0
AV: 80 {ca:30, fp:30, rp:30, sp:40, ps:0, in:50, se:40}
KCr: 1240

And a Heavy TL15 version:

code: UIHGWT
type: UpArmored Improved Hv Grav Weapon Tank
TL: 15
vol: 13
spd: 4
ld: 0
AV: 140 {ca:30, fp:30, rp:30, sp:50, ps:0, in:50, se:40}
KCr: 4860

And, for my last vehicle for now, a TL19 Very Heavy grav tank.

code: HPAltAVhGWT
type: AltArmored Advanced Vh Grav Weapon Tank
TL: 19
vol: 19
spd: 5
ld: 0
AV: 230 {ca:30, fp:40, rp:40, sp:70, ps:0, in:50, se:50}
KCr: 7410

 

[Ackehece]

Want wierd. Try to build a gun for a grav tank that can puncture a grav tank and fit on a grav tank.....

 

[robject]

Want wierd. Try to build a gun for a grav tank that can puncture a grav tank and fit on a grav tank.....

Yeah, have to shift over to GunMaker for that, and use the carrying rules in VM to establish a ceiling. I made all the tanks "weapon" carrying, which should give enough structure to mount a big 'un. I lack the terminology.

Anyway, to smush a grav tank, we'd need to deal at least 80 points of damage, and more if we expected to be effective. Call it 120 points minimum, or 20D.

It's not easy. Apparently artillery is the biggest stuff GunMaker can make. How about a gauss turret?

Code  : StVhOsGGT-15
Name  : Std Vh Os Gauss Gun Turret-15
Range : 6
Damage: (22D) Bullet-22 
MgT R : to 25 km
MgT D : 6D+2
Mass  : 250 kg
Burden: 3
Cost  : Cr 100,000

Or, for more cooking power, a Fusion gun.

Code  : StVhOsFGV-15
Name  : Std Vh Os Fusion Gun Vehicle Mount-15
Range : 6
Damage: (32D) Pen-24 Burn-8 
MgT R : to 25 km
MgT D : 7D+2
Mass  : 660 kg
Burden: 3
Cost  : Cr 300,000

 

[Reban]

One thing I very much want is a clear consistant rule to allow me to port a Turret weapon (i.e. a 1ton volume ship weapon) from ACS into a VehicleMaker weapons mount (another 1ton volume weapons space).

I remember that the very early T% drafts had this intent.

And I seems natural to me that ACS weapons should be able to be ported onto ground vehicles.

The thing standing in the way is the Hardpoint/Firmpoint rule.

You get one hardpoint per 100tons on a ship but you could fill a 10ton ground vehicle with several weapons mounts.

There needs to be a limit, either natural or artificial (hardpoints are a game balance rule after all).

 

[Spartan159]

How big is an Ogre/Bolo again?

 

[robject]

http://www.sjgames.com/ogre/articles/notes.html

The Mark V is 40 meters long, and moves at 45 kph.

 

[robject]

Let's Move This To Another Topic

One thing I very much want is a clear consistant rule to allow me to port a Turret weapon (i.e. a 1ton volume ship weapon) from ACS into a VehicleMaker weapons mount (another 1ton volume weapons space).

Yes, that will be fun to work out and finalize.

One ton is one ton, regardless of where the weapon comes from. But, each should have a clear home-field advantage.

As you note, the hardpoint is the fulcrum, but you should view that as an opportunity, rather than an obstacle.


Here's an exercise: can we design a GunMaker gun with a damage rating of 20 dice or better, a range of 50,000 kilometers or better, in 1,000 kg or less?