Some update and feature questions

[joncarryer]

Hi. I've just re-installed GVB after buying a new computer (and somehow losing all my home-tweaked repository files that I THOUGHT I'd transferred to my flash drive :-( ), and I have a couple of questions that I couldn't find in the update text file or the FAQ.

First, if I download Update 2.0 from the GVB page, does that include all of the changes that were made in Update 1.0? Also, when I downloaded the update, I installed it into my existing GVB program folder, presuming that it would integrate itself into the existing code installed from my CD. Is this correct?

I also have a feature question that I haven't seen addressed (though I've been off the boards for a couple of months). Has the volume deduction for streamlining been changed in any way? Is it now possible to have streamlining alter surface area instead (a la Interstellar Wars), or if not is there any way that I can write my own template to do so? My vague memories from when I asked this when I first bought GVB tell me that this couldn't be done in the past because streamlining is one of the central vehicle attributes, but I thought I'd ask again now that T:IW is out, in the hope that Update 2.0 included a tweak to allow this.

[tjoneslo]

Originally Posted by joncarryer

First, if I download Update 2.0 from the GVB page, does that include all of the changes that were made in Update 1.0? Also, when I downloaded the update, I installed it into my existing GVB program folder, presuming that it would integrate itself into the existing code installed from my CD. Is this correct?

These are all correct. Update 2 includes all of the changes for Update 1, so you only need one download. Update 2 should be installed over the base install so all the files can be updated properly.

Originally Posted by joncarryer

I also have a feature question that I haven't seen addressed (though I've been off the boards for a couple of months). Has the volume deduction for streamlining been changed in any way? Is it now possible to have streamlining alter surface area instead (a la Interstellar Wars), or if not is there any way that I can write my own template to do so? My vague memories from when I asked this when I first bought GVB tell me that this couldn't be done in the past because streamlining is one of the central vehicle attributes, but I thought I'd ask again now that T:IW is out, in the hope that Update 2.0 included a tweak to allow this.

The streamlining updates for GURPS 4th (including Interstellar wars) have not been incorporated into GVB. The GVB design team is hard at work (ha!) waiting for the release of GURPS Vehicle Designer so the next version of GVB will have all these updates at one time.

In theory you can adjust GVB to handle the change, if you don't mind doing some formula editing. When you build your vehicle, don't select any level of streamlining (obviously), but you will need to write down how much more surface area (both in sf and as a multipler) the streamlined vehicle has. Surface area affects four things: Frame, Armor, Surface Features, and Performance profiles.

For Frame and armor, you need to select the custom options and enter the base values for your selected armor times the surface area modifier. e.g. if good streamlining requires x1.2 surface area, take the armor (or structure) values you want and mulitply them by the streamlining surface area multipler. Enter these values in for cost and weight. Continuing the example, a light, cheap frame is $10/sf and 5lb/sf (totally made up values for the example), select the custom option and enter $12/sf and 6lb/sf.

Most (all should) of the surface features include a radio option to select vehicle or subassembly, where if you select the subassembly option, you can enter a custom sf area to be covered by the surface feature. Here again, multiply the vehicle sf value by the streamlining and enter it into the surface feature component.

The most complex one will be performace profiles. You will need to edit formulas for this one. Add the performace profile to your vehicle, then press the Edit Template button to modify the formula that use either vVEHICLE_EXTERNAL_SURFACE_AREA (increase this by the streamlining factor) or vINDEX_STREAMLINING (for setting the proper values for streamlining). Usually this will be in a decode (vINDEX_STREAMLINING,,,,), replace the entire decode formula with the proper value.

If you provide me with an example vehicle, I can create a tutorial, walking through all the steps one by one.

[joncarryer]

Thanks for the feedback Thomas. I don't have a vehicle I can provide for examples, as I have just re-installed the program, but I think I can probably work it out from the instructions you gave here.

Of course, I should really be spending all my time looking for work now, not playing with GVB, so I might just wait for GVD before jumping into a frenzy of spaceship design. :-)