Upgrading Body Armour

swordtart · 06-17-2012, 04:56 PM

For further options you could also allow the extension of light weight materials rule (loosely based on CA frames).

Any component (including personal items like armour) can be made from lighter stonger materials (e.g. titanium mesh, metallic glass fiber, made-up-ium alloy). The component weighs half as much as usual but costs four times the price (or any fraction costing the inverse square of the fraction if you want even more variety).

Conversely cheap armour can be had from yesterdays technology by inverting the rule (double weight = quarter cost). Texas war surplus flak jackets go for $40 but they weigh 10lb.

For comparison of game balance, Blended armour (which is effectively 1/2 weight armour) as written is slightly off on the prices for 1/2 weight armour as calculated above (Blended BA is 3x cost of BA and Blended IBA is just over 3x). Figure the slight extra cost is because blended armour uses these materials, but they don't have helmets etc.

This option becomes self-limiting by cost. You could have a suit of BA that weighs only 1lb (memory metals?, force field? impluasiblium?) but it would cost 100 times the cost at $25,000. At this level a clone would be cheaper. You may wish to impose an arbitary limit.

You can use the inverse square rule as a guide to availability as well. Normal BA is available at Uncle Als and equivalents, Older heavier stuff might turn up in the classified or discount sports stores, the high tech stuff might only be available mail order, money in advance and involve some delay (and chance of non-delivery if the domestic mail goes through), money up front.

Obviously these costs multipliers would apply to repairs also.

06-17-2012, 04:56 PM	#6
swordtart Join Date: Jun 2008	Re: Upgrading Body Armour For further options you could also allow the extension of light weight materials rule (loosely based on CA frames). Any component (including personal items like armour) can be made from lighter stonger materials (e.g. titanium mesh, metallic glass fiber, made-up-ium alloy). The component weighs half as much as usual but costs four times the price (or any fraction costing the inverse square of the fraction if you want even more variety). Conversely cheap armour can be had from yesterdays technology by inverting the rule (double weight = quarter cost). Texas war surplus flak jackets go for $40 but they weigh 10lb. For comparison of game balance, Blended armour (which is effectively 1/2 weight armour) as written is slightly off on the prices for 1/2 weight armour as calculated above (Blended BA is 3x cost of BA and Blended IBA is just over 3x). Figure the slight extra cost is because blended armour uses these materials, but they don't have helmets etc. This option becomes self-limiting by cost. You could have a suit of BA that weighs only 1lb (memory metals?, force field? impluasiblium?) but it would cost 100 times the cost at $25,000. At this level a clone would be cheaper. You may wish to impose an arbitary limit. You can use the inverse square rule as a guide to availability as well. Normal BA is available at Uncle Als and equivalents, Older heavier stuff might turn up in the classified or discount sports stores, the high tech stuff might only be available mail order, money in advance and involve some delay (and chance of non-delivery if the domestic mail goes through), money up front. Obviously these costs multipliers would apply to repairs also.