Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Cutting-Edge Armor Design at TL10

hal · 08-30-2016, 06:39 AM

Hello Gentlemen,
While trying to see if I could use the same systematic approach for Cutting Edge armors for Classic Ultratech, I wondered if there was a way to estimate surface area of individuals more closely, thus allowing for some truly "custom" armor choices...

The following two URL's involved Basic Surface Area calculations. One URL (the one immediately below) asks for the weight and height of the individual, and calculates the surface area of the individual.

http://www.calculator.net/body-surfa...alculator.html

The other, lists the various formulas used for BAS. Since it is a Wikipedia article, I don't know how accurate that information is. It is however, a way to have some fun with your characters...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_surface_area

I suspected that at 6'3 (I be shrinking a little in my old age alas), and 311 lbs of weight, that I'd be considered a little bit larger than 21 point something square feet in surface area. Granted, I could stand to loose about 60 lbs to reach a weight more in keeping with what I weighed at my best (I was skin and bones at 180 lbs in 1978, final growth around 240's, and anything above that was padding so to speak).

So Du Bois formula:

Youthful skinny: 2.13 Square meters or 22.96 Square feet

Mid-life best: 2.39 square meters or 25.77 Square feet

Current: 2.65 square meters OR 28.49 Square feet

Anyone who gets the "standardized" sized armor could legitimately be treated as if they were in "ill fitting armor" perhaps?

It shouldn't be too hard to create an excel spreadsheet to do the calculations, or even a VB.NET based program (or VBA for that matter) to do the calculations for you. The Hard part might be in creating the armor entry for a character in GURPS CHARACTER ASSISTANT.

Just a few extra "thoughts". By the by, thank you for posting the climate control aspect that was missing from the final draft of Ultratech.

08-30-2016, 06:39 AM	#18
hal Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Buffalo, New York	Re: Cutting-Edge Armor Design at TL10 Hello Gentlemen, While trying to see if I could use the same systematic approach for Cutting Edge armors for Classic Ultratech, I wondered if there was a way to estimate surface area of individuals more closely, thus allowing for some truly "custom" armor choices... The following two URL's involved Basic Surface Area calculations. One URL (the one immediately below) asks for the weight and height of the individual, and calculates the surface area of the individual. http://www.calculator.net/body-surfa...alculator.html The other, lists the various formulas used for BAS. Since it is a Wikipedia article, I don't know how accurate that information is. It is however, a way to have some fun with your characters... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_surface_area I suspected that at 6'3 (I be shrinking a little in my old age alas), and 311 lbs of weight, that I'd be considered a little bit larger than 21 point something square feet in surface area. Granted, I could stand to loose about 60 lbs to reach a weight more in keeping with what I weighed at my best (I was skin and bones at 180 lbs in 1978, final growth around 240's, and anything above that was padding so to speak). So Du Bois formula: Youthful skinny: 2.13 Square meters or 22.96 Square feet Mid-life best: 2.39 square meters or 25.77 Square feet Current: 2.65 square meters OR 28.49 Square feet Anyone who gets the "standardized" sized armor could legitimately be treated as if they were in "ill fitting armor" perhaps? It shouldn't be too hard to create an excel spreadsheet to do the calculations, or even a VB.NET based program (or VBA for that matter) to do the calculations for you. The Hard part might be in creating the armor entry for a character in GURPS CHARACTER ASSISTANT. Just a few extra "thoughts". By the by, thank you for posting the climate control aspect that was missing from the final draft of Ultratech.