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CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 16174
Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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 Posted: Sun May 04, 2014 12:59 am Post subject: |
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| Mikael Hasselstein wrote: | | Sure. Now the thing that we should think about regarding comm vessels is that, in communication, it takes two to tango. Not only does there have to be a fleet HQ vessel to send out orders, there have to be ships capable of receiving those messages. |
That's more of a power issue. On my CB, I pick up transmissions all the time from hundreds of miles away, broadcast by guys who are running thousands of watts through custom systems. My stock 4-watt CB in my truck doesn't have a prayer of talking back to these guys, but I hear them loud and clear. Plus, the amplifiers these guys use work both ways, not only do they amplify the outgoing signal, they boost the incoming signal as well, so that fainter signals can be more easily detected. A comm / control ship would be capable of broadcasting signals over much greater ranges than the transceivers on standard ships, even if they knew they likely would not be able to hear a response.
| Quote: | | I was talking about hypercomm. |
| Quote: | | But does that mean that they can't be tampered with and thus need replacement or repair? |
Depends on the nature of the tampering. Direct physical tampering would be impossible, but a slicer could conceivably hack the access codes and force a satellite to drop into realspace...
| Quote: | | But what tests would this roll count for? |
Simple dice bonus to Piloting and Gunnery, since the pilot would be getting precise instructions on when to maneuver, dodge or shoot.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14031
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Sun May 04, 2014 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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| crmcneill wrote: | | garhkal wrote: | | In battle tech, a mech within the C3 link (4 mechs, 1 master-3 slaves) gets to use the targetting data from any other mech in the link, which ever is closer. So your to hit #s drop down based on that, but don't get penalized by any minimum range issues unless you are also that close. |
That might be a good basis for a rule for using another ship's targeting data, as seen in the X-Wing novels in at least two instances. |
i can't remember if i ever actually posted my C3 system here (though i do remember posting it to the holonet). That is what it does do. Gives everyone the benefit of better targetting data.
| Quote: | | I was thinking more along the lines of using a comms ship as a flight controller, but if all the ships in the link could download their sensor data to the central comms system (which I think was mentioned with regard to the Battle Analysis Computer in The Truce At Bakura), it could definitely enhance the ability of the comms ship to generate a clear picture of the battlefield, thus allowing commanders and flight controllers to issue clearer instructions. |
That is something we see eye to eye on.
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Mikael Hasselstein
Line Captain
Joined: 20 Jul 2011
Posts: 809
Location: Sweden
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| Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 12:09 am Post subject: |
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| crmcneill wrote: | | That's more of a power issue. On my CB, I pick up transmissions all the time from hundreds of miles away, broadcast by guys who are running thousands of watts through custom systems. My stock 4-watt CB in my truck doesn't have a prayer of talking back to these guys, but I hear them loud and clear. Plus, the amplifiers these guys use work both ways, not only do they amplify the outgoing signal, they boost the incoming signal as well, so that fainter signals can be more easily detected. A comm / control ship would be capable of broadcasting signals over much greater ranges than the transceivers on standard ships, even if they knew they likely would not be able to hear a response. |
Huh, I was under the impression that reception was entirely a passive thing.
| crmcneill wrote: | | Depends on the nature of the tampering. Direct physical tampering would be impossible, but a slicer could conceivably hack the access codes and force a satellite to drop into realspace... |
That doesn't sound like an impossibility to me. I'm still wrapping my mind around the concept, though.
| crmcneill wrote: | | Quote: | | But what tests would this roll count for? |
Simple dice bonus to Piloting and Gunnery, since the pilot would be getting precise instructions on when to maneuver, dodge or shoot. |
But what wisdom would a HQ/comm ship have for them, if said HQ/comm ship is all the way in another system, and the receiving ships would have to have their shields down to receive the signal? |
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CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 16174
Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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| Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 12:14 am Post subject: |
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| Mikael Hasselstein wrote: | | Huh, I was under the impression that reception was entirely a passive thing. |
I was surprised, too, but a good friend and fellow trucker who has forgotten more about CB radios than most people will ever know assured me that an incoming signal can be amplified just as easily as an outgoing signal. The amplification will, of course, also amplify any static, distortion or background noise, which must then be filtered out, but in both cases, all you are doing is turning a weak signal into a strong one.
| Quote: | | But what wisdom would a HQ/comm ship have for them, if said HQ/comm ship is all the way in another system, and the receiving ships would have to have their shields down to receive the signal? |
Again, the idea of flight control is at a tactical, in-system level, so its not something that really falls under the aegis of interstellar comms. However, it is a mission that communication ships would be particularly useful for, in addition to whatever roles we can devise for them in the long-range comms department.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
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CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 16174
Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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| Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 12:19 am Post subject: |
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| garhkal wrote: | | i can't remember if i ever actually posted my C3 system here (though i do remember posting it to the holonet). That is what it does do. Gives everyone the benefit of better targetting data. |
Have you read the X-Wing novels? They do something similar, with ships making a run in sequence and the first ship sending its navigation and targeting information back to the other ships. They also have linked data, so that one ship can target a proton torpedo using guidance from a squadron mate.
| Quote: | | That is something we see eye to eye on. |
I'll mark it down on my calendar. 
Considering that Mikael is starting to ask what this has to do with long range comms, you should post your C3 system in another topic so we can move it there. Technically, since the fighters in the network are providing information back to the central command unit, it would be a C3I system, wouldn't it?
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14031
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 12:30 am Post subject: |
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Nope.. The base C3 system from btech has the master-slaves. C3I has all being equal. So if something's being sent from one station up the 'chain' its more akin to the base C3..
AS for posting it. Will do.
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CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 16174
Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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| Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2015 2:15 am Post subject: |
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Some thread necromancy here.
It occurred to me that news broadcasts might take the equivalent form of news-reels from the early to mid 1900s. News reports, holo-films, serial holodramas and the like could all be transported in physical or hard-data storage form to local transmission hubs and broadcast "live" to the rest of a region or sector.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index
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CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 16174
Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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| Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2015 4:52 am Post subject: |
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And while I'm thinking about it...
Craft: Sienar Fleet Systems Raven-X
Type: Unmanned Message Drone
Scale: Starfighter
Length: 6 meters
Skill: Starship Piloting
Crew: None; Automated
Crew Skill:
Astrogation 3D
Piloting 4D
Sensors 3D
Cargo Capacity: 100 kilograms
Consumables: 1 month
Hyperdrive Multiplier: x1/2
Nav Computer: Limited (2 jump maximum)
Maneuverability: 5D
Space: 15 (7D+2 Flight)
Atmosphere: 505; 1,450 km/h
Hull: 2D
Sensors:
Passive 50/1D
Weapons:
Self-Destruct System
Effect: Upon detonation, the drone is instantly and completely destroyed, and any and all messages and data are unretrievable by any means. Any ship or object in the same space unit at the time of detonation takes 5D Starfighter-Scale damage.
Capsule: While the upper echelons of the Imperial armed forces retain access to the real-time communication capacity of the Holonet, field commanders are often limited to modes of communication that are little faster than the ships carrying the messages. As a practical solution, the Imperial military (both Army and Navy) use dispatch drones as couriers, conveying routine messages from base to base. These dispatch drones are little more than a droid strapped to a powerful stardrive, with a databank for message storage and a small cargo bay for transfer of message chips or other objects, but that simplicity allows the drones to travel at extreme velocities, sufficient to outrun even the fastest pursuit. Dispatch drones are pre-programmed with two sets of nav coordinates; the first is their primary destination, with a planned alternate should the drone prove unable to make its planned delivery. If unable to make the alternate rendezvous, the drone will go into a holding pattern and activate a homing beacon, requesting retrieval from any nearby Imperial ship or installation. In the event that unauthorized personnel attempt to retrieve or capture the drone, it activates its self destruct system.
Dispatch drones are deployed by the millions across the galaxy, and are found at virtually every Imperial military installation of sufficient size to host them. When a drone arrives and delivers its cargo of messages, it is serviced, refueled, registered with the base computer system, and then added to the bases' own store of existing dispatch drones. A drone rarely remains at any given base longer than a day or two before it is sent out again with another dispatch. Dispatch drones are a common sight on the star lanes of the Empire.
House Rule Notes:VELOCITY MODIFIER: 3D+2 Flight
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index
Last edited by CRMcNeill on Fri Jan 21, 2022 1:34 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Barrataria
Commander
Joined: 28 Dec 2005
Posts: 295
Location: Republic of California
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| Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2015 11:36 am Post subject: |
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| crmcneill wrote: | Some thread necromancy here.
It occurred to me that news broadcasts might take the equivalent form of news-reels from the early to mid 1900s. News reports, holo-films, serial holodramas and the like could all be transported in physical or hard-data storage form to local transmission hubs and broadcast "live" to the rest of a region or sector. |
Yep, I wanted this kind of a feature both for my Ancient Republic and post-Endor campaigns. In the Ancient Republic regular merchant liners carry a packet of data that they dump at the jump beacon on arrival, and outgoing ships pick up the same packet. (Of course, it might be corrupted, hacked, etc.)
Post-Endor I assume the Imperial and Alliance pockets have some transspace communication, but the holonet only works in small areas within those pockets. So, they're basically back to this sort of mail packet ship-type communication too (with even more hacking, signal pirating, etc.). Lots of stagecoaches to rob!
Thanks for bumping this thread as I've been thinking about this stuff lately too.
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CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 16174
Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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| Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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Another question: how far up (or down) the chain of command do Imperial officers have to be before they have access to Holonet communications? Sector level? Planetary governor level? Taskforce or Fleet Command? Corps or Garrison Command? Thoughts?
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
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garhkal
Sovereign Protector
Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 14031
Location: Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Ohio.
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| Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 3:15 am Post subject: |
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Sector level imo. Planetary govenors have to petition their higher ups to access it. That's why those hyperspace messenger droids exist.
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CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 16174
Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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| Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 3:22 am Post subject: |
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And what about on the military side?
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index
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Ning Leihrec
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 17 Apr 2015
Posts: 211
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| Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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| On the military side I imagine a Colonel would have access, and maybe even have a few extra holonet transceivers to outfit certain officers who command far reaching deployments. |
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CRMcNeill
Director of Engineering
Joined: 05 Apr 2010
Posts: 16174
Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.
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| Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Ning Leihrec wrote: | | On the military side I imagine a Colonel would have access, and maybe even have a few extra holonet transceivers to outfit certain officers who command far reaching deployments. |
A colonel is roughly equal in rank to a naval captain in command of a single vessel, and if WEG's version of the Tarkin doctrine is correct, only a handful of ships out of an entire sector group would have a Holonet transceiver on board. Unless we're ready to throw out WEG's restriction entirely, that would greatly imbalance the accessibility to the Holonet in favor of the Army (roughly one HoloComm unit per regiment).
Now that you've got me thinking about it, I would probably put Holocomm access at the Corps command level (major generals). WEG makes the point that the standard compliment of a prefabricated garrison base is basically the HQ section of an Imperial Army corps, and that common practice is to simply transfer units from planet to planet as needed, assigning them to the "corps" commanded by the staff of the garrison base. As such, there are many more corps commands than there are corps for them to command.
For the Navy, I would put Holocomms at the Systems Force level. The ImpSB states the following about Systems Forces: | Quote: | | A systems force is responsible for several systems, the admiral being in charge of organizing and coordinating all of his ships throughout a sphere of command spanning hundreds of light years and dozens of worlds, the normal method of communications being no faster than the ships themselves. It requires extensive planning and preparation. It often goes wrong. |
My thinking is that, while Hypercomms tend to streamline communications from the System Force level and up, anything lower (at the squadron and line level) must use more mundane forms of communication.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.
The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index
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Whill
Dark Lord of the Jedi (Owner/Admin)
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
Posts: 10297
Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA, Earth, The Solar System, The Milky Way Galaxy
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| Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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I would think Imperial Holonet access could also be on a need-to-have basis for lower ranks. Any time a unit has to receive orders from or communicate outside of the system they are currently in, which could be a captain of a small ship is some cases depending on the mission, they would need some kind of FTL communication.
It's not EU, but in Rebels local bars can receive news interstellar broadcasts, but presumably it is one-way communication (receive only).
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