Has anyone thought of a way to reflect how in the future, systems become smaller and take up less space yet remain at the same dificulty to destroy?
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Has anyone thought of a way to reflect how in the future, systems become smaller and take up less space yet remain at the same dificulty to destroy?
Since an SU doesn't represent any defined amount of volume -- it's a game balance calculation, generally -- the factors you're talking about don't really matter in setting an SU value. What really matters is how important a system is in game play. That's why huge cargo areas are cheap, whereas relatively tiny weapons are costly.
In my Challenger campaign, the PCs eventually were able to acquire and install an advanced coaxial warp drive.
It ended up costing the same in SU's, the reduction in size due to technological advancement being balanced by the reduced TN to prevent breakdown and the time period over which it occurred.
The reduced size essentially became balanced by redundant interlocks to increase safety.
Off the top of my head though, for a simple system reduce the SU cost to one grade lower in each step every decade and introduce an advancement that costs what the most advanced technology did but with a slightly better performance bracket.
Regards,
CKV.
You could also just make the ship a larger size. Example Galaxy class vs. Soverign class, yes the Soverign is longer, but the Galaxy is wider, taller, and displaces a greater area.
Well, what I really meant was a way that ships didn't have to get bigger and bigger and bigger so that they can use advanced systems, and I need a way to make smaller ships that are more advanced able to take more hits. I was just wondering how a ship from ay, 2600 that was like 200 metres long, would be able to have more advanced technology and the ability to withstand more than the 680 metre long Sovereign...
Lonoto
You will have to work out your own jury-rigged numbers then to get such an advantage. You could go a couple different ways but the easiest would probably be in an increase in ablative armor protection for x number of SU's.
Don't have the time this morning to go into detailed suggestion. I will try later though.
Regards,
CKV.
Since SU's also represent "hit points" for a ship and its systems, it is logical to assume that advances, making items smaller, would make them with fewer "hit points."
Now here is a spot that gets sticky. What you want to do with it is up to you.
Check your timetables. A good idea is a 10% reduction for old tech per stage.
What I meant to address with this topic is how small ships with extremely advanced technology can take more hits than others. Their systems have been advanced and made smaller, yet they can take the same if not bigger poundings than bigger ships.
Anyways, I guess improved armor would probably sort this out. Could someone give an example of improved armor?
To make sure people understand what I mean by smaller, I mean that a size 4 or so ship could fit the same stuff as a Soveriegn in it becuase it takes less SUs or the size 4 ship has more SUs in the future due to technological advances.
I'll have to do it tomorrow as I am about to leave to head out of town for a funeral but another thought then instead of shrinking things...every x number of years have the SU's per ship size increase by a set amount and just make a chart based around year, ship size and available SU's.
Regards,
CKV.
OOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo
I like it Vaughn.
There we have it!
Thank you so much, I will definately use this, but probably per decade there is a change, and the beginning of the changes happens in 2380.
Thanks so much!
You're welcome.
Anybody, got a weather control system handy... :D
Regards,
CKV.
Would it be reasonable to say that about every decade, Federation and other contending empires (such as Romulans and Klingons) SUs go up by 100xsize or so, and governments with poorer resources or less ingenuity (a la Cardassians and Borg) only gain 50xsize or even 25xsize?
I would make it one size fits all for tracking purposes, after all Cardassians could steal such advances and the Borg would easily assimilate and incorporate improvements.
As for 100 x size category, on paper that really does not sound bad but for a reason I cannot at this time qualify, it makes me hesitant.
Regards,
CKV.
I don't know if I'd go by a set time frame such as 10 years, wars tend to accerate development of technology and some times things tend to bog down. Other wise that is an exelant idea.
Well with anything like this it really comes down to how complex do you want to make the accounting?
I am a firm believer in the rule of keeping it simple for peace of mind. There are a few exceptions but I generally keep the convolutions for my plotlines. :D
Regards,
CKV.
I realized I forgot to state in my posting the other day that the increase in SU's is more for new ship designs then refitted vessels.
Certain advances could be used to refit a starship to increase its durability but I would caution using the above rule to heavily refit vessels and would recommend either putting a cap on the maximum number of SU's older ships can gain in their size category to represent the advances that increase durability given that SU's do act as hit points.
Or for refitted ships use my original suggestion toward the reduction in Equipment SU cost.
Regards,
CKV.
Or just get something like GURPS Space and peruse its starship construction chapter for some ideas.
My thoughts exactly. That's why I posted a thread on making the hull damage rating (or Damage Units [DUs] as I call them) a separate system from SUs; that way ships can be upgraded without increasing it hull damage capacity excessively....also if you want, you could use an upgrade to boost hull strength directly.Quote:
Originally posted by Capt. K. Vaughn: I am a firm believer in the rule of keeping it simple for peace of mind. There are a few exceptions but I generally keep the convolutions for my plotlines.
try adding a number times the size categroy then adding to the base SUs
(100 x Size cat) + Existing SUs
i.e., a size 1 ship would add 100 SUs (total of 425 SUs), and a size 16 would add 1600 SUs (total of 12,600 SUs) every ten years versus a very large increase and that increase would be every decade.
The same sizes would end up with 32500 & 11,000,000 SUs respectively if the SUs are multiplied by 100. even doubling the SUs causes the size 1 ship to have more SUs then a packed size 14 ship and just for 10 years of change.
After a little thought, using a multiplier of 20 or 50 is probably a bit safer. This is also (IMO) a better system then reducing the costs for individual components.
So, the end formula is:
(20 x Size) + (previous decades SUs) per decade
Note: this is a componded interest type problem, calculating three decades of adjustment is not "(60 x size) + Stardock SUs". Any accountants want to adjust this thing so all you have to do is plug in the Spacedock Sus and the desired number of deccades?
I may do set of tables later (if Steve doesn't mind).