Q: Starship upgrades & structure

[BouncyCaitian]

okay, I know that you can knock out an occasional structural point to upgrade a system occasionally.
But from an enginnering POV this doesn't make too much sense to me. Most upgrades don't require kicking a whole in the ship and making it less structurally sound as you put something in. most system upgrades usually go into the same slot with better equipment or minor tweaks. I have a real hard time buying that more modernized versioans of the same hulls are weaker...manily because SIF and Structural reinforcement is usually the first thing that goes into a hull upgrade.

/end rant

Anyway to regenerate the Struture bit?

[Snake_Plissken]

You have to keep in mind that the system is ABSTRACT. In order to have a usable ship construction system the designers needed a "costing" system, and usually the first thing that springs to mind is the system size VS available space system. That way it forces you to put some thinking into the designs you're doing. A size 4 escort can't have it all: very durable system, 12 torpedo launchers, fast engines, etc. It forces you to make choices and in the end you get more balanced designs, which after all is more "realistic". That being said in terms of "real-world" engineering you are absolutely right.

[Dan Gurden]

mmmm. Shame. I thought this thread was going to be about Q Ships and bringing them into Trek. One of my favourite concepts in Merchant Shipping in WWII.

Oh well.

Snakes right, the rules system is abstract and bears little reality to common engineering concepts simply to serve thos of us that are unaware of the required Engineering knowledge to make a Starship (or even basic Engineering knowledge common to us now)...

This of course is not stopping you from creating Ship Construction rules that requires a full course in engineering sciences, a draghtsman team and specialists in various fields to construct your plans over the course of several weeks (thank god its for an RPG, and thus cuts the time required to find the budget and construction materials/location from the equation).

OK, that was a little over the top, all you would really need to do is retro-fit Spacedock to the rules set.

[BouncyCaitian]

okay that's cool. Did I seem somewhere something about adding to the super structure through XP? I'm thinking maybe this results from the first inital upgrade out fitting and having to work the bugs out as they go

[Rayaru]

If you're a GM and you think it's appropriate for the players to have an upgraded system, forget the space and just give it to them.

Of course, then knock the baddies up a notch too.

[BouncyCaitian]

Wait I have a explaination that fits. All the ships in the future (TOS vs TNG) seem to blow up easier anyway because of lame enginnering.....hehe

[Snake_Plissken]

If you're a GM and you think it's appropriate for the players to have an upgraded system, forget the space and just give it to them.

Exactly! I don't think the rules were meant to be seen as being "water-tight" or definitive, but rather as guidelines. Yet, they were also very well designed, giving a very "tight" (in the good sense of the word) system. And they're fun to use!!!!!