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Old 12-13-2017, 08:10 PM   #1
YankeeGamer
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Default Overloading a Spaceship, and volume (Spaceship rules)

The spaceship rules are purely weight related, which can make sense, and certainly makes designing a ship easy. However, there can be some concerns that I'm seeing already.

How much volume is in a cargo hold of a certain rated weight? And, then, what happens if you FILL that hold with something extremely dense, such as lead. Acceleration will, naturally, drop for reaction engines, but what happens to things like the ship's handling? Are other effects likely, besides awkward scenes like landing in the ocean and sinking instead of floating?
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Old 12-13-2017, 08:32 PM   #2
AlexanderHowl
 
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Default Re: Overloading a Spaceship, and volume (Spaceship rules)

I would reduce Handling and HT by one for every 50% above optimal load (representing the inability of the ship to maneuver in the case of the former and the strain on the structural elements of the ship in the case of the latter). In addition, I would also have the ship start suffering damage to the structural elements buckling under the strain if mass exceeds optimal load by more than 100% (10% of HP per month of acceleration for 101%-200%, 10% of HP per week of acceleration for 201%-300%, and 10% of HP per day of acceleration for 301%+).
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Old 12-13-2017, 08:46 PM   #3
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Default Re: Overloading a Spaceship, and volume (Spaceship rules)

Any suggestions on how to build a spaceship with the expectation that it might be overloaded? If a ship is going to be small, but heavy, armor should weigh proportionally less, since it's enclosing a smaller volume. Perhaps a system or two devoted to structural reinforcement (Volume per armor, but doesn't add to DR or handling. Instead, it's bracing--reinforcement between the source of thrust and the heavy hold, etc.)

That wouldn't help handling, but should help with HT.

Spaceships is elegant, but a small ship with a BIG engine could haul a lot of serious weight.
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Old 12-13-2017, 09:05 PM   #4
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Default Re: Overloading a Spaceship, and volume (Spaceship rules)

I would suggest designing a Reinforced Hull Component. It would cost as much as a Habitat and would give +1 HT and +50% HP per component.
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Old 12-13-2017, 09:59 PM   #5
YankeeGamer
 
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Default Structural reinforcement

Rather than building structural reinforcement at the price of habitat, perhaps buying it as armor would make more sense. It needs to be in a core section, in either the midship or aft section. The tougher the armor, the more HT benefit and the more overloading the ship can take. (Also, the more expensive!)

Specs, of course, to be developed at a later time.

Could this work?
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Old 12-13-2017, 10:53 PM   #6
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Default Re: Overloading a Spaceship, and volume (Spaceship rules)

Would it matter when you are not in orbit? Artificial grav can compensate and there is no gravity to speak of in space. If you put to much in it will strain the bulwarks but presumably they are built to withstand radiation, ultraspeed atmospheric friction and micrometeoroids.
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Old 12-13-2017, 11:34 PM   #7
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Default Re: Overloading a Spaceship, and volume (Spaceship rules)

Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl View Post
I would reduce Handling and HT by one for every 50% above optimal load (representing the inability of the ship to maneuver in the case of the former and the strain on the structural elements of the ship in the case of the latter).
Seems fair. You should also reduce acceleration and delta-vee in due proportion.

Quote:
In addition, I would also have the ship start suffering damage to the structural elements buckling under the strain if mass exceeds optimal load by more than 100% (10% of HP per month of acceleration for 101%-200%, 10% of HP per week of acceleration for 201%-300%, and 10% of HP per day of acceleration for 301%+).
I would not do that, because the stress on a ship in space consists of the thrust of its motors. Overloading a ship will not increase the thrust of its motors and therefore will not increase the stress on the structure. there is no increase in weight where there is no weight.
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Old 12-14-2017, 01:34 AM   #8
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Default Re: Overloading a Spaceship, and volume (Spaceship rules)

Whatever handles smaller systems, also has a guideline how much of a handling penalty a ship suffers if its control room is smaller than is appropriate for its tonnage.
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Old 12-14-2017, 09:57 AM   #9
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Default Re: Overloading a Spaceship, and volume (Spaceship rules)

Quote:
Originally Posted by YankeeGamer View Post
How much volume is in a cargo hold of a certain rated weight? And, then, what happens if you FILL that hold with something extremely dense, such as lead. Acceleration will, naturally, drop for reaction engines, but what happens to things like the ship's handling? Are other effects likely, besides awkward scenes like landing in the ocean and sinking instead of floating?
Minor overloading is probably not going to do much other than reduce acceleration and possibly mess with handling. Major overloading might strain the structure around the cargo hold and damage the wall and floor plating, especially if the spaceship does things like fly through atmospheres and land on planets. All cases will attract the ire of those entities in charge of ship registration, certification and, of course, of the Health & Safety people.

I'd require a Freight Handling check every week or so of operation in which the ship manoeuvres (constant acceleration wouldn't count, nor would just drifting, etc.) with a penalty for being seriously overweight. Failure would result in a minor problem (a minor repair required, something coming lose and causing a minor injury, etc.), and a critical failure causing something more severe (loose cargo crushing someone and causing broken bones, etc.). I admit my motivation for such things is as much to stop PCs getting 'free' load capacity as a desire for realism.
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Old 12-14-2017, 10:50 AM   #10
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Default Re: Overloading a Spaceship, and volume (Spaceship rules)

Acceleration changes, and delta-v gets worse if your ship has it. Luckily the math is easy; multiply both by (Nominal Load) / (Current Load).
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