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Author Topic: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?  (Read 4507 times)

YingJanshi

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Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« on: 15 June 2012, 12:48:04 »
I was reading TM yesterday and I noticed that Aero Fighters can use compact engines but as far as I can tell it doesn't mean anything other than take up a bunch of spare tonnage you might not need (yeah right). Am I missing something?
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Goose

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #1 on: 15 June 2012, 13:06:31 »
Nope: It's a joke.
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Goose
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cray

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #2 on: 15 June 2012, 15:55:54 »
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Fireangel

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #3 on: 15 June 2012, 17:05:13 »
Primitive tech?
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Moonsword

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #4 on: 15 June 2012, 17:15:32 »
No.  Primitive ASF engines aren't any more compact, they're just less efficient.
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Fireangel

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #5 on: 15 June 2012, 18:57:15 »
Quote from: Moonsword on 15 June 2012, 17:15:32
No.  Primitive ASF engines aren't any more compact, they're just less efficient.

I mean that for all intents and purposes, since compact engines are just heavier (i.e. less efficient), they can be used to represent primitive engines.
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A. Lurker

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #6 on: 16 June 2012, 00:36:33 »
It's essentially just the flip side of aerospace fighters being able to use light and XL engines "for free" as well. (Yes, yes, C-bill cost. While that certainly gets a lot of lip service, for tabletop purposes it's pure fluff.) Don't lose too much sleep over it, I suppose. :)
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evilauthor

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #7 on: 16 June 2012, 14:44:42 »
Couldn't you just say a Compact Engine gives you some extra item slots? That's what it's for after all.
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Trace Coburn

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #8 on: 16 June 2012, 19:21:12 »
Quote from: evilauthor on 16 June 2012, 14:44:42
Couldn't you just say a Compact Engine gives you some extra item slots? That's what it's for after all.
  You could, but it'd be a house rule.  As TM rules stand, LFEs and XLFEs don't take up any item slots on ASFs, so there's no justification for CFEs to free them up.  [shrug]
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Thatguybil

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #9 on: 21 June 2012, 15:08:03 »
Quote from: Trace Coburn on 16 June 2012, 19:21:12
  You could, but it'd be a house rule.  As TM rules stand, LFEs and XLFEs don't take up any item slots on ASFs, so there's no justification for CFEs to free them up.  [shrug]

What about XXL... :)
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Trace Coburn

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #10 on: 21 June 2012, 20:07:31 »
Quote from: Thatguybil on 21 June 2012, 15:08:03
What about XXL... :)
  Nope: nor them, AFAIK.
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A. Lurker

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #11 on: 22 June 2012, 00:35:12 »
Interestingly, while TechManual states that none of the permitted engines take up internal space (at least as far as the ability to mount weapons in any arc goes), the Advanced Engine Master Table in TacOps (p. 308) does have an explicit "Vehicle/Fighter" column for this purpose, of which the "Fighter" portion of the header (there's only one number in each row below it, which would presumably apply to both vees and fighters) has to my knowledge not yet been errataed away...and it explicitly lists compact, light, and XL engines as well as the more TacOps-related ones.

So it currently looks like an Inner Sphere XL engine takes up no slots in a fighter under standard construction rules, but two (either in the rear or split between the wings, the wording of the footnote below the table is unclear) as soon as TacOps comes into play... ???

(No extra slots for compact engines either way, though. Sorry.)
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Scotty

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #12 on: 22 June 2012, 11:59:17 »
Could using Compact Engines reduce the chance of an engine hit?

I know, this isn't how it currently works, but it would be a nice bonus.
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Goose

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #13 on: 22 June 2012, 20:47:10 »
Quote from: Trace Coburn on 16 June 2012, 19:21:12
  You could, but it'd be a house rule.  As TM rules stand, LFEs and XLFEs don't take up any item slots on ASFs, so there's no justification for CFEs to free them up.  [shrug]
Go check TactOps … 8)
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Goose
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Trace Coburn

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #14 on: 22 June 2012, 23:59:55 »
Quote from: Goose on 22 June 2012, 20:47:10
Go check TactOps … 8)
  I did say under TM rules; I wasn't looking beyond the Tournament-level rules at that point. ;)   That said, that's a nice catch by A. Lurker and yourself.  I'm almost tempted to suggest to TPTBs that they look into moving those rules down to Tech Manual when/if ever it gets revised again, so there's greater consistency between ASFs, CVs, and 'Mechs....
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A. Lurker

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #15 on: 29 June 2012, 04:57:34 »
This just in -- the most recently released TacOps errata (v 3.02) says to delete the compact, light, and XL (both versions) rows from the table. So any slot requirements are only for what's left -- including all Large and XXL engines. I really could've caught that sooner...

Still isn't clear on how those slots are supposed to be distributed, mind. An Inner Sphere XXL engine for example supposedly takes up four slots on a fighter in the rear "with any extras divided evenly among the side wings". So what sort split should that be in this case? All four in the rear? Two in each wing? Two in the rear, one in each wing? Rulebook Doesn't Say, really.
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Goose

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #16 on: 30 June 2012, 18:56:42 »
Quote from: A. Lurker on 29 June 2012, 04:57:34
This just in -- the most recently released TacOps errata (v 3.02) says to delete the compact, light, and XL (both versions) rows from the table.
What …
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Goose
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A. Lurker

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Re: Compact Engines on Aerospace Fighters?
« Reply #17 on: 01 July 2012, 00:22:23 »
Quote from: Goose on 30 June 2012, 18:56:42
What …

Quote from: Tactical Operations v3.02 2012-04-26.pdf
* Advanced Engine Master Table (p. 308)
Delete the “Compact Fusion”, “Light Fusion”, “XL Fusion (IS)” and “XL Fusion (Clan)” rows from the table.

That.
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