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Thread: [CODA] "Expanded Starship Operations" sourcebook

  1. #61
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    They had a rather lovelly pullout of it in one of the Startrek Fact-Files of it. A quick look on the Ex Astris Scientia site found it here -
    http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/sc...eet_ships2.htm
    but as thery say very little is known about it, though in the picture you can clearly see it towing a much larger craft. Details all on the site, under 'tug'.

    Generally I quite like your helm manouver idea. The only thing I find missing is any sense of scale.. I.e. A Federation tractor beam is not as powerful as a Borg tractor Beam.. It's not totally neccessary, but it's just a thought.

    Yes and for orbital decay in atmosphere - read plummet! Actually they would need orbital correctors in the sense of weather systems. I am reminded of super large tankers which have stabilisation systems to cope with tidal swell. You would need adjustment engines to combat violent storms. Something like the Suliban Helix would need a really robust stabilisation system. I recal seeing a documentary about weather on other planets, and as a comparison the winds in Jupiters atmosphere could reach ten times that on earth.. not nice weather to fly in! ;-) Although rare a couple of nods to fluid based manouvers might be nice. I'm thinking particularly of the Ocean world episode in Voyager. Lower atmospheres of Gas Giants are also fluids though also extremelly high in pressure and generally deadly (as covered)

    Something else I have thought you could add would be a Phasing cloak and associated rules to it's use. While it's generally illegal and extremelly unreliable in the federation, we have seen two species using it. Namelly the Voth and those aliens who performed all of those rather nasty experiments on Voyagers crew while slightly out of phase. (apologies if it's already been covered. I do miss some things.)

    One handy thing about netbooks is you don't have to print errata - only release new versions ! ;-)
    Ta Muchly

  2. #62
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    Hey Tobian, thanks for giving me some much input

    Good pointer for the tug: I'll think of a way to make it. With the help of an edge maybe.

    Good point about the strength of tractor beams. Maybe the relative sizes of both ships (since the strength of the beam depends on the size of the ship, really) could be taken into account.

    Could you point me to the eps where there is the Suliban helix (I don't watch Ent) and the phasing cloak (it's in TNG, I know, but I don't recall the ep)? Thanks

    I'm not sure however I'll introduce rules for the phasing cloak - it seemed more something like a "plot device" for an episode than something that should be used on a regular basis. I'll think about it though

    Anyway I will definitely update the book as needed!

    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    Expanded Spacecraft Operations, a 100+ page sourcebook for CODA Trek

  3. #63
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    Hmm I am bad with episodes, let me see what I can find...

    The Suliban Helix was mostly seen in the second part of Broken Bow. (the series pilot) it essentially resided in a stable layer of a gas giant (approximatelly the same as jupiter) above that layer it was extremelly unstable (and impenetrable to the enterprises sensors) layer of gas, which in the episode they were able to use to hide from the Suliban. There's some info on the EAS site here http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/sc...iban_ships.htm
    You might want to add the Suliban style cloak. it's not very good, probably with a target number of only +10, but with the right conditions (like a low power mode) it could be quie effective. the Helix it's self was a station that could support hundreds of small craft docking on it's structure (the Suliban Cell ships are probably only size 1) - all of which can work because these are external docking clamps.. However it did appear that some of the cell ships were chained, one to the other.. Do we have ship docking rules / manouvers anywhere?

    Another suggestion I might add is an edge which covers smaller ships being able to 'gaggle' together, which will cover TNG style escape pods (with regards to pooling resources) and Suliban Style ships, which appear to be able to be modular, rather than just 'separation systems' - or you could simply ammend the wording on that, to allow for it.

    The Aliens seen using the Phase technology appear in the Voyager 4th series episode "scientific method" and in the 3rd series episode "Distant origin" which included the Voth and their super large city ship that could transport a whole starship (NICE!) While I do agree with you about phasing cloaks being plot devices, I'd like them to be included only for the sake of completeness, because several starfaring races use them, and several (The federation and the Romulans) are on the verge of perfecting the process. At the end of the day you just need to give them a really high target number, because with the correct sensor allignment (as in the Narators guide) you might stand a chance of detecting them. Seven of Nine was able to alter her visual implant to see the out of phase aliens in "scientific method". and the TNG crew were able to pick up the Dividians which ere only slightly out of phase.

    For a method I would suggest that you have levels of 'out of phase'. Data went only .3 out of phase and he was invisible, but still detectable. So that's a guideline. I would say if you go more than a half a rotation out of phase you become intangible to the physical world and also (from a ships perspective) observing it becomes harder (increased sensor TN's) Something like that.
    Ta Muchly

  4. #64
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    Originally posted by KillerWhale
    Could you point me to the eps where there is the Suliban helix (I don't watch Ent) and the phasing cloak (it's in TNG, I know, but I don't recall the ep)? Thanks
    Well, I can't help with the Suliban question, but I know the phasing cloak was in the TNG episode The Pegasus

    Here is a link to the startrek.com synopsis of the episode.

    Hope this helps.

  5. #65
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    Thinking about the tractor beam issue, perhaps a simple equation would be to say

    (Size of vessel towing) - (size of vessel being towed) - 1 = modifier to the roll.

    This would be representative of larger ships having larger generators. Example:

    (Sovereign class) = size 8 - (Runabout) = Size 2 - 1 = 5

    So the Sovereign class would get a +5 to an opposed test to see if the smaller ship broke free. The reason i added -1 is because inherantly a ship has to be one size smaller to be towed (without special tug rules)

    In the same way a Borg cube would get a +7 modifier to it's opposed test toa Sovereign - which sounds about right as it's highly advanced technology ;-) (or a +13 agains the runabout - poor runabout!)

    NB: I couldn't remember if a runabout was size 2 or 1 - but it's just an example.

    Actually while I think - while the tug might have a special trait to represent it's ability to tow bigger ships, perhaps you can also develop a manouver to attempt to tow a larger than normal object too - perhaps an engineering roll. I'm thinking of when the Enterprise D managed to move a huge stelar core fragment away in 'masterpiece society' - or just simply to allow smaller ships to tow larger one's when they don't have the dedicated trait. Or would that be covered in the general 'make a system perform beyond it's expected abilities' section in the GM's guide - and the professional abilities Engineers have, which alows them to improve a system temporarily??
    Ta Muchly

  6. #66
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    Thanks for the pointers guys. I'll browse'em in detail to add the relevant info I'm not so sure I will go into much detail for phase cloaks, but I will say a word about it.

    Tobian, your rule is very interesting - however I think I'll add as well the reliability of the ops system into the mix, as it's what dictates the strength of the beam, initially... More food for thought, yummy

    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    Expanded Spacecraft Operations, a 100+ page sourcebook for CODA Trek

  7. #67
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    Excelent ;-)

    Well that is part of the problem with the system is that it doesn't take into consideration power and such. I think perhaps the shields would be a more accurate variable than the Ops system. I realise these are just abstracts, but the shield generators would be powered by more or less the same graviton generators as the tractor beams (or at least you could say it was the same tech level) - You could also then add the oposing ships shield reliability modifier to compensate in the reverse (if it was on!) Just a thought, though it might be making it all to complicated
    Ta Muchly

  8. #68
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    Finally I did something very simple about this: the locked ship does not suffer a helm penalty equal to -5, but equal to the size of the ship locking it. Here you go

    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    Expanded Spacecraft Operations, a 100+ page sourcebook for CODA Trek

  9. #69
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    Talking EYE CANDY!

    Hey all,

    I started the layout process. The manuscript is 80% finished now but honestly, I'm fed up with working on Word. I want to see how this baby will look like

    So I'll finish the writing while layouting the pages. Here's an idea of the result. I hope ya like it

    http://rpg.lionelkw.com/eso_eyecandy.pdf

    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    Expanded Spacecraft Operations, a 100+ page sourcebook for CODA Trek

  10. #70
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    Very nice. What Software are you using to lay it out?

    The only thing I wasn't sure about was the blue gradient border, it was a bit harsh and the margins need to be moved in a little. Perhaps just knocking it back 30% ?

    The content however is pretty cool ! ;-)
    Ta Muchly

  11. #71
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    KW-

    ooooo....pretty....

    Excuse me whislt I mop yonder drool from the keyboard.

    I'd ask how soon 'til the finished product, but I don't want to jinx you or make you break your previous promise not to disclose that info.

    Rock on...
    Darth Sarcastic

    "Shall I goto 'Red Alert' sir? It does mean changing the lightbulb." - Kryten, Red Dwarf

  12. #72
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    Very nice work KillerWhale!!

    I really like the layout, and really.. you are really doing a bang up job with the book. It looks gorgeous.. i can't wait for the finished book to come. You should really pat yourself on the back for all the work you've done, I'm sure it was hard work. Thanks for doing this for the fans.

    Not to nitpick or anything.. but I think adjusting the margins a little bit inside the blue gradiated boxed column on the right side of page six of your above sample would make it easier to read.

    Just my oppinions worth..

    Have a great day!!
    Last edited by David Riggen; 08-04-2003 at 10:15 AM.
    Riggen Out.

  13. #73
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    Wow guys, thanks a bunch for the awesome feedback, it really touches me, it's nice to know you like it It sure encourages me to do my best

    You're totally right about the blue box on the first page being a tad too dark and the text margins having to be corrected. I changed that.

    Tobian: I did almost all the writing under Word (in order to keep track of table references) and for the layout I'm using Adobe InDesign.

    I'm having much fun layouting this beast! I'm almost done with the starbase construction. I'll post the whole first chapter (all construction rules) as soon as it's finished.

    Duh, can't wait to see it finished

    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    Expanded Spacecraft Operations, a 100+ page sourcebook for CODA Trek

  14. #74
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    Talking 1st chapter finished!

    The layout of the first chapter is finished! I hope ya like it.
    http://rpg.lionelkw.com/eso_ch1.pdf

    Some pages references are still left blank as I yet have to layout the rest, but it's totally usable.

    On a side note: I finally chose not to include phase cloaks... As I discovered this is already is Starships (Blind Luck effect, Table 1.24).

    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    Expanded Spacecraft Operations, a 100+ page sourcebook for CODA Trek

  15. #75
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    *drool*.... .....*drool*
    A brave little theory, and actually quite coherent for a system of five or seven dimensions -- if only we lived in one.

    Academician Prokhor Zakharov, "Now We Are Alone"

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