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Old 04-15-2020, 04:21 PM   #1
Racer
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London, UK
Default Transparent Armour & Component Armour etc .

It's been stated many times that vehicle windshields/windows are made from transparent Plastic Armour . Indeed prototypes are often constructed with a totally transparent bodyshell , to view performance of internal components & observe any potential problems more easily .
Been asked if Component Armour can also be made transparent ? It would be logical to use it on 'exposed' Cyclist's CA and/or Windshells .
But what about Transparent CA to add DP to a Searchlight/Armoured Searchlight ? Transparent Hubs , Guards , Spoilers , Airdams etc ? A Car using them wouldn't look as tough at first glance - or in the dark ?

A Van with a large Transparent Car Top Carrier - with or without Armour - & a Sunroof could be an excellent way to sleep protected under the stars !

What's others opinions on this ? It does make real sense in many ways ;-)

( luckily I caught the Infernal components and Winds hell's Autocorrect typos , even though they would've been very amusing !! )
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Old 04-15-2020, 08:25 PM   #2
kjamma4
 
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Default Re: Transparent Armour & Component Armour etc .

You would be able to see the guards and hubs even if they are transparent - just like you can see a windshield.

In the dark, transparency would have no effect.
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Old 04-16-2020, 01:05 AM   #3
Racer
 
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Default Re: Transparent Armour & Component Armour etc .

A fail or bad roll on the Search Skill ( Car Wars: Tanks) could mean you miss the Hubs & Guards ?

At night & depending on illumination , Wheels can easily be seen in many circumstances . I walked along unlit country roads on moonless nights & seen rotating tyres on a Range Rover being stolen & rolled down a hill with engine & headlights off .
Joyriding idiots from my boarding school had 'borrowed it' in attempt to get to a party ...

Depending on optical properties & refraction index of the plastics involved , the wheels could be easily seen & a Wheelguard missed unless very close range .
I seen plastic fibres used in fiberoptics , that were so transparent that they were almost invisible .
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Old 04-16-2020, 06:15 AM   #4
swordtart
 
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Default Re: Transparent Armour & Component Armour etc .

Transparent CA is fine, it's just an aesthetic. The rules don't preclude it and there would be no point in opaque CA for a driver as they wouldn't be able to see out*.

Invisible CA is another matter. AS you are looking for a game effect, that is a different product with lots of technical challenges to overcome ;)

* Alternatively: To be honest, there is no reason to have a windscreen at all. CW vehicles have cameras that link into targeting systems anyway (or firing side and rear weapons would put a crimp in your neck). Gunner positions in trailers are often buried away and arguably they have no vision ports at all. I tend to assume the whole car is covered in them and the whole car can be opaque. The vehicular camera component provides a recording capability.

I would imagine any vision port (be that a camera lens or an actual view port for crew) would be one-way. It could provide tactical advantage if your opponent could see through your windscreen and identify internal components (or even that you had a gunner rather than were solo).
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Old 04-17-2020, 12:07 PM   #5
juris
 
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Default Re: Transparent Armour & Component Armour etc .

It's thinking like this that lead to the development of crystal spikes (shudder)

Sound in theory, bad in practice. This topic made me immediately think of Wonder Woman's jet.
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Old 06-11-2020, 04:17 PM   #6
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Default Re: Transparent Armour & Component Armour etc .

Oh yes Crystal Spikes were soooo much fun ... 8-I

Think I've only used them successfully twice in games , without whole situations getting totally derailed ...
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Old 06-12-2020, 02:38 PM   #7
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Default Re: Transparent Armour & Component Armour etc .

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Oh yes Crystal Spikes were soooo much fun ... 8-I

Think I've only used them successfully twice in games , without whole situations getting totally derailed ...
I do not recognize the legality of anything published after _ADQ_ went OOP. Most of it is obviously *NOT* playtested.
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Old 06-14-2020, 10:13 AM   #8
Wanderhoof
 
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Default Re: Transparent Armour & Component Armour etc .

I love the creative use thinking here.

I could certainly see some aesthetic uses. Yes, it is a world of vehicular combat and near-constant danger on the open roads between town and city enclaves. But, you just know someone is still going to want to go on a leisure road trip and look cool doing it a la an armored sunroof.

I could even envision a convoy tour operation of some sort, with thick, heavy, yet transparent windows along the sides of heavily armed and armored RV's or buses (or even trains!). They would advertise escorted and 'safe' tours of conflict hot spots, where passengers could 'safely' watch all the glorious combat through their panoramic Safe-T-View armored windows, or some such.

I see it as an interesting RP element, where it really would get used in whatever crazy ways you think people would think up.

'Mechanically' speaking, I would be careful about using it to add 'stealth DP' to things. To give significant DP value, it would likely have to be pretty thick. At that point, I think it becomes pretty obvious something is layered on that component or section of the vehicle... semi-transparent but not invisible.

Also, for things like searchlights, aside from maybe - maybe - adding a point of DP (though, why in the Car Wars universe they wouldn't already come with armored lenses is a question I would be wondering), it's not like you would encase the entire component in plastic armor. So, that 'additional' protection would be over a very limited spot for damage coming from a very specific direction.

If you have homebrew rules where this directional and situational protection is important or useful, then I don't see any reasons why you couldn't do it. I am just not sure (outside of RP situations) how efficacious it would be in the context of the game rules/mechanics.

I still love the idea, though. And for creative and RP aspects, I now want and armored RV with a PlastiArmor sunroof.

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Old 06-14-2020, 01:12 PM   #9
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Default Re: Transparent Armour & Component Armour etc .

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Originally Posted by Wanderhoof View Post
I could certainly see some aesthetic uses. Yes, it is a world of vehicular combat and near-constant danger on the open roads between town and city enclaves. But, you just know someone is still going to want to go on a leisure road trip and look cool doing it a la an armored sunroof.
Or someone does the arena-car version of the "transparent" Nintendo handhelds. That would show some moxie, esp. during the "walkaround" pre-event.... >:)
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