I've been thinking about what ordinance torpedo planes carry and how to reload
them. I previously posted that question and got answers ranging from one turn
to reload to they can't be reloaded. I think I've come up with a
good system for reloading them--let me know what you think.
Since the "torpedo" torpedo planes carry fire and damage targets just like
pulse torps, it is logical to assume that they otherwise work similarly to
pulse torps. A pulse torp takes up five space and can fire once per turn. A
fighter bay has six mass, so we can assume that the facility for reloading
fighter torpedoes can likewise generate (at most) one fighter torpedo per
turn. Prior to combat, these torpedoes are loaded by the ship into some sort
of storage facility in the fighter bay. (I can't believe that you would run
around the universe with armed torpedoes in the bay.) On the first turn of
combat, these torpedoes are loaded onto their torpedo planes. Beginning with
the second turn, the fighter bay generates one fighter torpedo per turn. When
(ahem, if...) the torpedo planes return, it takes one full turn to reload any
available fighter torpedoes in the bay. To reload the fighters' endurance
would take a second complete turn aboard the carrier.
So what do you think?
James
> On Wed, 7 Aug 1996, JAMES BUTLER wrote:
> Since the "torpedo" torpedo planes carry fire and damage targets just
> So what do you think?
One possible way to explain the technology of plasma torpedoes is that they
are a lance of plasma formed from a fusion explosion channeled by strong
magnetic fields. Therefore to get a functional, mobile torpedo, you need a
device that consists of at least two parts, a fusion bomb and
a focusing/channeling element. This leads to several possibilities for
a "torpedo" on a fighter. One, is that the 'torpedo" is built in, meaning
the focusing or shielding elements are built into the fighter and an
expendable cartridge containing the fusion bomb is inserted in the fighter to
reload. Second is that the whole assembly is disposable and both the fusion
bomb and focusing elemets are swapped each time. These two possibilities
assume that the plasma torpedo is more like a long "plasma lance" without an
actual discrete projectile. A third possibility is that the whole assembly
does fly a short distance and then detonates, possibly to protect the firing
fighter from overflow from the
magnetic shielding. The key hazard to this design is the fusion bomb. If I
understand correctly fusion reactions are not easy to start spontaneously and
assuming technology sufficient to generate A batteries will probably
initatie the reaction via concentrated lasers on a tritium pellet as the
initiator. Therefore a fusion bomb should be fairly safe to transport and
store with interlocks such as mirrors or actual physical barriers to
prevent accidental laser ignition. If you only have to replace a "fusion bomb"
cartridge to reload a fighter, it may be as easy as rolling one out and
strapping it onto the wing or as difficult as having to open an access panel
or major fighter section, remove the expended cartridge, plug a new one in and
replacing the panel or section. Or this process may be so difficult that it
takes half an hour to do and therefore beyond normal game terms. I think the
best choice will be what works for your gaming group. If there people who
abuse the reload rate then increase it or do
away with re-loading. Our group is fairly vicious towards fighters and
rarely do they survive to reload so we're pretty lenient towards
re-loading. We use a one turn re-load for torpedo fighters and have few
problems with it. (Then again if our players didn't insist on driving the
fighters within 6" maybe more would survive to reload...)
Hope this helps,
Why should it take a separate turn to reload the endurance after the torps
have been loaded? I 've seen clips of carrier ops and granted, I don't know
half of what they're doing, but it looks like they can refuel at the same time
as they are rearming.
Otherwise, an interesting suggestion.
Out here.
-monty