While doing some background work on a TL8 polity with a limited
military budget, which is expecting to face a significant amount of
irregular TL6-7 infantry, I'm trying to adapt a '15 minutes into the
future' weapons system from a certain piece of fiction ("Hunter" by
Lazlo Zalezac). These "Pigeons" are deployed in swarms on the order of
10-50,000, which fly around a target zone, look, network with each
other and with fire control; and when they're assigned a target, go
and explode themselves at it. (A variant, the "Spiders", scurry where
the Pigeons can't fly to.) I'm trying to keep the cost down, the
loiter time up (to reduce logistical nightmares), and to give them a
modular slot in which to stick one or another sensor which they can
use to feed data to the targeting network.This is what I've put together so far, with a bit of help from GVB; but I'm sure it could be built better. What flaws do you see, how would you build it better? If a generic (or your favorite) TL6-9 tank, mecha, battlesuit, or whatnot is faced with a flock of Pigeons of a similar total cost, which would likely finish the other off first, and what can be done to improve either side's chances? Exploding Pigeon: TL8 Body: Helicopter Drivetrain, 2 kW, lift 20 lbs, thrust 3.2 lbs, 8 lbs, .16 cf, $400 Comm: Radio, short range: .25 lb, .005 cf. $50, rng 10 miles. Scrambler: $500. Standard Sensors: LLTV x1. 0.5 lbs, 0.01 cf, $1,250 GPS: 0.5 lb, 0.01 cf, $100. Computer: Small, Robot. 2 lbs, 0.04 cf, $1k, C2. Program: Computer Navigation: C2, $500. Computer: Tiny, Dedicated: 0.25 lb, 0.005 cf, $40, C1. Program: Datalink: C1, $400. Self-Destruct: 50mm, normal, HEDP. 0.5 lbs, .01 cf, $15. Damage 4dx20(5) [4d] Battery: TL8 Rechargeable Power Cell, 36,363.6 kWs: 4 lb, 0.04 cf, $400 Modular Socket: 0.03 cf, 1.5 lbs, $15. Structure: Streamlining: Good. Strength: Super-light Materials: Standard. Structure: Robotic. Cheaply made. 1.52 lbs, $568 1 HP. Surface: Armor: Laminate, standard, DR 1: 0.947 lbs, $9.47, .003 cf Blackout paint: $0.758 Waterproof: $7.58 Coaxial Rotor, Folding: 0.448 lbs, $116, HP 1. Total Volume: 0.383 cf (24" x 6" x 5") Total Structural Area: 3.786 Total Weight: 20 lbs Total Cost: $3,119 Size Modifier: -2 Health: 11 Stall Speed: 0, Drag: 1.26, Top Speed: 140 mph, Accel: 3 mph/s, Maneuver Rating: 13.5 gees, Stability Rating: 3, Decel: 55 mph/s Endurance: 5 hours Maintenance Interval: 179 hours Thank you for your time, -- DataPacRat lu .iacu'i ma krinu lo du'u .ei mi krici la'e di'u li'u traji lo ka vajni fo lo preti _______________________________________________ GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]> http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l
