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Old 08-08-2016, 06:35 AM   #1
Icelander
 
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
Default Cutting-Edge Armor Design at TL10

I'll be using David Pulver's 'Cutting-Edge Armor Design' article from Pyramid #85 in our TL10 retro-cyberpunk/post-cyberpunk/biopunk campaign.*

The article has Basic Nanoweave appearing at late TL9, becoming much less expensive at TL10. The text specifies that Basic Nanoweave is not as effective as TL10 Nanoweave.

1) What would the stats of TL10 Nanoweave set forth in the style of the article be?

In other words, what are its WM, CM DR/in Max DR, Notes and Construction?

2) What are the stats for a plausible advanced form of arachnoweave made at TL10?

THS has effective biotech that could allow for lab-designed spiders that make silk that is much better for defensive purposes than natural ones. Perhaps because of that, THS posits Arachnoweave as a very effective light clothing with DR, but not as popular as Nanoweave in heavier tactical suits. To model this, I'd like THS Arachnoweave that is significantly lighter than the TL9 version (enough to make it competative with Nanoweave for tactical swimwear), but doesn't allow any higher DR.

3) What TL10 rigid armour would be popular at TL10?

What material is metal-matrix laminate composites (that THS p. 160 says Clamshell Cuirass is made from) in 'Cutting-Edge Armor Design' terms? What stats does it have?

What other practical armour materials might be used in 2100?

4) How restrictive, uncomfortable and sweaty are TL9+ flexible armours designed to look like clothing?

Will fabrics that have useful DR always be less comfortable in tropical heat than DR 0 clothing? Are there important differences between the materials listed in the 'Cutting-Edge Armor Design' article?

5) How do various clothing options like memswear affect detailed armour construction?

Which, if any, ballistic fabrics can take options such as buzzwear, memswear and varicloth (THS p. 146; UT p. 39) without altering weight or DR? Or should such options require the use of layers of non-protective fabric, slightly increasing weight as well as adding to cost?

*It's set in Dar es Salaam in the year 2100, in the Transhuman Space setting, but I am posting this in the generic GURPS forum because I am interested in plausible extrapolation from real-world science. If that leads to suggestions that are not identical to published 3e stats in THS books, I'll figure out to reconcile canon with it. In any case, I doubt if varying the Cost, Weight or DR of arachnoweave, carbonweave or nanoweave suits by a few percents either way will have much of an impact on the THS setting.
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Last edited by Icelander; 08-08-2016 at 06:59 PM.
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