Author Topic: The real difference between Dropshuttles and DropShips  (Read 2771 times)

Hellraiser

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Re: The real difference between Dropshuttles and DropShips
« Reply #30 on: 29 October 2024, 13:31:21 »
You can, and that’s great for some urgent last minute stuff but it’s not the same as the whole infantry regiment getting fresh navy chow, 2 to a room staterooms while  doing calesthenics and mock attack drills in a 100,000 ton warship bay until 2 hrs before planned assault then jumping into the dropship.  That’s the sort of thing that if it were possible (it’s not) would be a major change.

I would point out that Infantry DS like the Intruder are actually fluffed as having exercise areas, training areas, & simulation ranges, as well as Operating Theaters & mess hall.
I'm also not sure any Warship ever had an extra 1000 "quarters" for passengers to use on a whim.
I mean, they SHOULD given the size of SLDF Cargo Bays, they just don't :(
3041: General Lance Hawkins: The Equalizers
3053: Star Colonel Rexor Kerensky: The Silver Wolves

"I don't shoot Urbanmechs, I walk up, stomp on their foot, wait for the head to pop open & drop in a hand grenade (or Elemental)" - Joel47
Against mechs, infantry have two options: Run screaming from Godzilla, or giggle under your breath as the arrogant fools blunder into your trap. - Weirdo

EPG

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Re: The real difference between Dropshuttles and DropShips
« Reply #31 on: 29 October 2024, 14:54:06 »
With the sort of resources the SLDF had, I would assume it's the sort of thing that would just sort of be in the background of yard refit, overhauls, major R&M, etc.  to customize/configure the gear in the cargo bays for/between missions.  So for one set of missions, the Texas class flagship is carrying mostly extra food, parts for all the other warships, dropship and fighter spares, space for 500 prisoners, 4 Titan dropships, 2 mules for shuttling stuff around and a portable HPG because they are going on an extended deep space attack and patrol mission for the next 2 years.

When they finish up that mission The ship undergoes a routine 2 month R&M cycle.  Towards the end of it, the invasion of some nameless periphery scumhole is going poorly, so the cargo quarters are configured for an MP infantry regiment for pacification duty, spares and equipment for the regiment, spares and equipment for a battlemech regiment (for when they don't listen to the MP's), 10 extra MASH hospitals with surgeons, nurses, support staff and engineers to set them all up (the major casualties were supposed to be over by now), the 1,000 extra tanks they are going to ferry out to a space station on their way to the battle zone, which they will support with a battlemech regiment in overlords (which they will pick up at the space station) , 2 titans for close air defense, and a single mule for misc. cargo needs.  After that they are unexpectedly tasked with assisting the evacuation of the planet Viatran after a massive volcanic eruption poisoned it's atmosphere, and the entire cargo area is converted into maximum density refugee housing to take on as many people as possible for a single jump to the next planet over where all the people are dropped off, and the cycle repeated. The ship then goes in for reconfiguring for the next mission. 

If this sounds implausible, remember that this is ~ 300,000 tons of cargo capacity.  If 10,000 tons of it is set aside for spare/reconfiguration equipment to make changes to the cargo bay 'as needed', that's a mere 3% of it's total capacity, but represents an enormous capacity to make changes on the fly - ex - if a mere 1,000 tons of that represents the ability to construct infantry bays in the cargo space, you can toss an extra 2,800 people in there with no more than the blink of an eye, no yard, or assistance required - bring it with you 'just in case' Or if you're pretty confident you're going to have a bunch of extra people around for the whole mission, put them in quarters for 5 tons a person and you can bring an extra 1,000 people for only 5,000 tons (1.6% of your cargo capacity) in case you need it. 

Frabby

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Re: The real difference between Dropshuttles and DropShips
« Reply #32 on: 30 October 2024, 02:10:32 »
I mean, they SHOULD given the size of SLDF Cargo Bays, they just don't :(
Cargo space on BattleTech spacecraft is considered pressurized by default. We know from canon that you can fill a Mule's cargo hold with prefabricated habitation modules to turn it into a passenger ship; they did this on the Exodus fleet with the Triptych Soliloquy. It's not spelled out but heavily implied from the context that the prefab housing will come with its own life support, so as to not overextend the ship's life support system (these seem to be a weak point generally).
Nothing is stopping the SLDF from filling their WarShips' cargo holds with this "inflatable housing" to house extra troops and/or provide them with mess halls, training facilities, and so on. Think of the prefab modules as OmniPods for human cargo and their needs.
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Hellraiser

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Re: The real difference between Dropshuttles and DropShips
« Reply #33 on: 30 October 2024, 12:27:41 »
Cargo space on BattleTech spacecraft is considered pressurized by default. We know from canon that you can fill a Mule's cargo hold with prefabricated habitation modules to turn it into a passenger ship; they did this on the Exodus fleet with the Triptych Soliloquy. It's not spelled out but heavily implied from the context that the prefab housing will come with its own life support, so as to not overextend the ship's life support system (these seem to be a weak point generally).
Nothing is stopping the SLDF from filling their WarShips' cargo holds with this "inflatable housing" to house extra troops and/or provide them with mess halls, training facilities, and so on. Think of the prefab modules as OmniPods for human cargo and their needs.

1.  Awesome reference!   This is what many folks want.
2.  Can you get me a RS for this DS Variant?
3.  Can you get me game stats for these housing cubical farms?
3041: General Lance Hawkins: The Equalizers
3053: Star Colonel Rexor Kerensky: The Silver Wolves

"I don't shoot Urbanmechs, I walk up, stomp on their foot, wait for the head to pop open & drop in a hand grenade (or Elemental)" - Joel47
Against mechs, infantry have two options: Run screaming from Godzilla, or giggle under your breath as the arrogant fools blunder into your trap. - Weirdo

DOC_Agren

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Re: The real difference between Dropshuttles and DropShips
« Reply #34 on: 17 November 2024, 22:05:04 »
By that logic one could stop using seatbelts in cars, one should not assume that things go right, one should assume that the unforeseen can happen. Heck it could be something as basic as a crewmember pressing the wrong button or inputting the wrong value.
I will be the example of the crewmember pressing the wrong button on the bridge.  Not in BT but another game system I had a oops dice roll and opened the cargo bays to space as we were getting ready for FTL.  Needless to say I was banned from the bridge for a while afterwards.
"For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed:And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill, And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!"