[Spaceships] Battery Types

[Stormcrow]

Game-mechanically, the only differences between major, medium, secondary, and tertiary weapons batteries seem to be the power (and shots) of the weapon and the number of turrets in the battery. The major battery is described as “powerful,” and the others are “less powerful.”

So when designing spaceships with the system, is there a reason to choose one kind of battery over another? I am especially interested in understanding how people choose battery types when modeling fictional spacecraft, or when converting spacecraft from standard GURPS vehicle descriptions.

I read Quadrone’s conversion of ships from Tales of the Solar Patrol, and I am confused on this point.

[Pomphis]

Whom do you expect to fight ? A single very big ship ? Get a spinal mount. Several big ships ? Get a major battery. Lots of fighters ? Get a medium or secondary battery. Intecept lots of missiles ? Get a tertiary battery.

In other words, bigger batteries offer better range, penetration and damage, and smaller batteries offer the option of shooting at more enemies at once.

[thtraveller]

Typically if you have more than one battery then have one bug gun (major) and several smaller ones (medium or smaller) for point-defense or for engaging multiple targets.

If it's a typical PC trader ship, then I put in a medium battery with only one weapon, the remaining space being used for cargo. Good for scaring off most non-military trouble. A trader up against more than one enemy ship is likely doomed anyway.

Major batteries probably map onto most "spinal" weapons of old, including those in Transhuman Space. Also standard armament for fighters.

Medium are a good match for Traveller style turrets, at least on PC size ships.

If you want to map onto craft that have nuclear or antimatter missiles then you just choose batteries with appropriate size launchers.