----- Original Message ----- > From: Onno Meyer <[email protected]> > > Brandon replied to me: >> > Walking infantry? Tank platoons have battle drills for action on >> > contact, and assault is one option. >> >> Perhaps I'm too heavily influenced by WWII, but tanks that are >> operating ahead of infantry get slaughtered. > > Tanks combine armor, armament, and mobility. There is a time for > each of them. A meeting engagement, surprise contact, that calls > for boldness.
Ideal tank terrain -- open and flat -- doesn't come along too often. Forests, hills, and towns tend to get in the way. >> > Console games train quick action to threat icons. Not the same as >> > out-thinking an enemy. >> >> Virtual reality console games then? >> >> Anyway, I was thinking more of new recruits being used to >> rapidly-changing information digitally presented to them. The >> military will tech them how to out-think the enemy. > > They're also used to sitting on a couch and getting another life. > Every generation differs from the one before, but I don't expect > significant chances in IQ, DX, or situational awareness. I'd think a battlesuit trooper would be above average in IQ and DX _before_ he joined the military and was assigned to battlesuit infantry. >> Here is the tank/APC >> >> NorAmCo Mauler AFV (TL8) > [...] >> P&P: >> two 760 kW HP gas turbine w/1500 kW improved tracked drivetrain, >> energy bank (5 rE cells), 600 gallons jet fuel (fire chance: 11) in >> twelve 50 gallon self-sealing tanks, range 333 miles (road) > > Two turbines, one drivetrain -- a recipe for breakdowns. Several thousand M4 Shermans used the A57 Multibank engine (five truck engines driving one crankshaft) and it proved reliable in service. I think two engines should work fine. >> Occ: >> Turret: 2 NCS (gunner and commander); Body: 1 NCS (driver), 10 CS >> (troops) >> Cargo: none (both the turret and body have 5 cf >> of empty space > > Cramped seats and no cargo? Do they plan to carry RPGs or MGs? If I designed it now (it's from 2001), I'd drop one infantryman (leaving a squad leader plus two fire teams) and use the space for cargo or possibly larger seats for the machine gunners or grenadiers. >> Turret: two medium range scambled radios, thermograph (10 miles, Scan >> 17), AESA (25 miles, Scan 19), IFF x2, laser rangefinder (25 miles), >> HUDWAC, 2 crashwebs, 2 terminals, 16 prism dischargers, full >> stabilization for all weapons,universal mount for chaingun and AGL, >> anti-blast magazine for cannon and AGL ammo > > No all-round sensor coverage. In something of this size, I would > expect that. No radar/laser detector in the turret? No lasercoms? A generic TL8 AFV, or one for a more military-oriented setting would probably have these, but I downplayed electronics in this world. >> Body: one medium range scambled radio, thermograph (10 miles, Scan 17), >> 3x thermograph (2 miles, Scan 13), 2x military GPS, advanced >> laser/radar detector, 11 crashwebs, 2 terminal, 2x hardened micro >> computer, full fire suppression, 13-man NBC kit > > Does it have a tow hitch? No, although I suppose it could mount one. >> It has basic IR cloaking, basic sound baffling, and basic stealth. > > For the suit I'm assuming PESAs and emission cloaking to defend > against it. I always considered the PESA a bit too "magical" at TL8. Brandon _______________________________________________ GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]> http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l
