GURPS Vehicles abbreviations
 

I'm new to GURPS, so please bear with me.

I'm trying to understand the way a vehicle is stat'ed out and not have a lot of success. For example, here's a description I found in another thread (specifically, http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=47403&page=8) and many of the abbreviations are a mystery to me.

Caravel, exploration (73‘)
TL: 4
ST/HP: 165†
Hnd/SR: -3/5
HT: 12c
Move: 0.2/6
EWt: 35t
LWt: 85t
Load: 50t
SM: +8
Occ: 18
DR: 12/6
Range: -
Cost: $70K
Locations: 3M, O, S
Draft: 7‘

Things like TL, EWt, LWt, Load, Cost, and Draft are fairly self-explanatory. But what about the others? Is this GURPS Vehicles 2nd Ed., 4th Ed., or something else entirely?

Any illumination would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Re: GURPS Vehicles abbreviations
 

That looks like the vehicle format for GURPS 4th edition. You can find full explanations for all of those stats in Basic Set: Campaigns, starting on p. 462.

Re: GURPS Vehicles abbreviations
 

Rats, I was afraid of that. I have GURPS Basic Set 3rd Edition, it only goes to page 256, and contains nothing about vehicle design.

Re: GURPS Vehicles abbreviations
 

Yep, that's a 4e format and will not be explained in 3e books.

If it's any consolation the possibly obscure abbreviations like Hnd/ST (Handling and Stability Rating) use 4e exclusive rules.

Re: GURPS Vehicles abbreviations
 

Short versions:

ST/HP is the effective ST and Hit Points of the vehicle, which are normally the same; the † after the number means it's not a powered vehicle, so the score is essentially HP only.

Hnd is the Handling Rating of the vehicle, which is a bonus or penalty to the skill roll to control it.

SR is the Stability Rating, which is how much you can fail on a control roll and not crash.

HT is akin to the stat of the same name; the "c" afterward means it's combustible, made of a material that can catch fire. "f" afterward would mean "flammable", meaning certain attacks can cause it to spontaneously erupt in flame. "c" commonly means "made of wood", while "f" is more akin to "internal combustion engine or coal burning boiler".

Move is divided into two numbers: the vehicle's acceleration in yards per second per second, and the maximum speed it can achieve. To get the maximum speed in miles per hour, double the second Move score.

EWt, LWt, and Load are as you probably guess. ;)

SM is the Size Modifier of the vehicle, basically how much easier it is to hit due to how big it is.

Occ is the Occupancy of the vehicle, how many people it can carry. Occasionally, you'll see an Occ listed as "2+5ASV"; this means it has a crew of 2, can carry 5 passengers, has long-term Accommodations (it has places for the crew and passengers to sleep), is Sealed (or in modern parlance, "pressurized"), and protects against a Vacuum.

Range is the maximum distance in miles it can travel before needing to be refueled. "-" in this stat means it doesn't use fuel at all, "F" means it's pushed, pulled, or carried by animals (or humans!).

Locations is a listing of shorthands for smaller pieces of the vehicle which are able to be targeted.

Draft in this case means it's a water vehicle, and that's how much of the vehicle exists under the water line.

Clear as mud?

Re: GURPS Vehicles abbreviations
 

Actually, save for Locations, that all made a lot of sense for me! Thanks! Can you elaborate on the notations for Locations?

Re: GURPS Vehicles abbreviations
 

OK, I've figured out a few on my own. 'M' is masts (possibly multiple). 'S' is the enclosed hull (superstructure), with any preceding number referring to multiple decks. The lower-case 's' refers to castles.

I'm still stuck on the 'O'. Anyone feel like enlightening me?

Re: GURPS Vehicles abbreviations
 

'O' tends to mean an "open deck", someplace people can walk around freely or isn't shielded from attacks from above.

Another few you'll see are "A" for arms, "L" for legs, "G" for large (glass) windows, "g" for smaller (glass) windows (both relative to the size of the vehicle), "E" for exposed rider (like a motorcycle), "X" for an exposed weapon mount, "C" for caterpillar tracks (like a tank), "T" for a large main turret, "t" for a smaller turret, "W" for wheels, "Wi" for a set of wings, "R" for runners or skids, and "r" following a "W", "R", or "t" for retractable. I think there are others, but I'm pretty sure those are the key ones.

Re: GURPS Vehicles abbreviations
 

Oh, man! Thanks a million! That's far more information than I expected to get.

Re: GURPS Vehicles abbreviations
 

So 3e Vehicles is obsolete? Dang it. Wanted some help with a pre-dreadnought battleship design I came up with. Got it put together but it doesn't feel right.