 February 26, 2012 - 8:40pm | Being an older Frontier, there needs to be a list of devices that are not as developed as what you see in the SF books. Equipment is going to ether look really simple, or funny and bulky. In most cases, simple tools will be like modern equivalents. That is, tool kits will still look like a mechanics' tool belt. Computing may not be as reliable or compact to be mounted on ships, so spacers might rely more on slide rulers - this is it in keeping with classic sci-fi, plus that is as basic as you can get, and it would make the characters look like savvy spacemen. Until gyrojets get developed, simple chemically propelled slug-throwers (basically, modern guns) are used. An energy weapon is nothing more then a crude blunderbuss of raw energy projection (like a heat-ray). Armor is typically simple ablative plating. The Vrusk-developed Polyvox was originally made to communicate with Dralasites, but still has to be programed manually. I would love to hear any additional ideas or suggestions about this. |
 February 27, 2012 - 6:14am | Well, for myself I'd say just use the AD equipment list with a few deletions: no personal lasers, no robots over level 3, but slide rule? There is quite a bit of tech that seemed current 30 years ago but aught to be revamped today, for instance the grenade rifle was based on Vietnam era grenade rifles but today the state of the art in grenade rifles is a six round revolver magazine that can fire six grenade shells in 3 seconds. Introducing that to the game is a massive game changer as one of those with all fragmentation grenades could easily turn every combat into a one turn combat. But still I think a lot of tech aught to be rethought. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 February 27, 2012 - 8:17am | Here's my suggestions: Consider some items to be inefficient. For instance, parabatteris have 1/2 the listed SEU. Subspace radios travel 2 hours per light year. Ships travel 5 days each light year. Etc. Modern earth weapons would be wide-spread during this time. Hunting rifles to M-16's with all the snazzy stuff our current military puts out. When you introduce laser and sonic weapons, hold off on the defenses for these weapons. Albedo suits and screens can come much later. |
 February 27, 2012 - 7:24pm | And definitely no energy melee devices. |
February 27, 2012 - 10:29pm | I'm actually excited about this portion of the project. Going to have to dig up my old AD excel sheet, should put it on google so we can all edit. |
February 27, 2012 - 10:42pm | Great ideas, guys! The lack of ship computers was an aesthetic choice to keep things retro, as most of the classic sci-fi witters did not perceive who useful or ubiquitous the portable computer. The best rationality to omit computers (at least in space) is that electronic systems in this era way to vulnerable to the effects of space. It was noted in canon that electronics used in the game can deal with anything short of a nova burst or black hole (or something like that). They have yet to develop anything as sophisticated. Plus there is nothing wrong with "slipsticks." Even with all the fancy talking computers, Spock still whips out his old slide rule when the Tribble hits the fan:  And we used them to land on the moon:  So don't count them out!  |
February 27, 2012 - 11:15pm | There should be less deck space all around in ships. You can still have the same size ship, but with less habital space. The electronics, power plants, life support should take up more room. Quarters will be smaller as a result. Even the weapons should be bulkier. I think there should be computers, but keep them similar to 60's sci fi computers. Lots of lights for indicators instead of digital readouts and things like that. Malcadon, your picture of Spock above is what I would picture of retro SF. Computers should be dumbed down. |
February 27, 2012 - 11:29pm | I can't imagine SF w/o computers. As a thought, what if there was a computer malfunction table. When ships are in-system or too close to a star and skipped the yearly maint period, you rolll on this table. |
February 28, 2012 - 11:05am | As per my reasoning and propositions in the Toxy rad gauge thread this device does not exist but geiger counters do. 25 Cr, 1 kg. if there is a need for a geological, vapor or what have you scanner make it large and clunky- about 3 or more kg. and 200-300 cr in cost. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
March 2, 2012 - 11:59am | During this time period I don't think their would be a "standard energy unit" or SEU. Characters would need to record their energy weapons manufacture and purchase the power cells form them. There also many not be beltpacks and power backpacks. |
March 2, 2012 - 12:41pm | During this time period I don't think their would be a "standard energy unit" or SEU. Characters would need to record their energy weapons manufacture and purchase the power cells form them.
There is a lot of merit to this idea. Very likely that along with establishing Galactic Standard Time, the credit, Pan-Gal, that PGC also established the SEU. Power cells should very by race and be a pain to recharge without the right adaptor. On the same track, auto-pistols made by yazirians are a slightly different caliber then those by humans making ammo from those two sources non interchangeable.There also many not be beltpacks and power backpacks. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
March 2, 2012 - 3:23pm | Also the concept of "universal" equipment and weapons may just be starting to see markets. Gear fit for a human might not be adaptable to other races. Without getting in the weeds it might be interesting to either use the "alien tech" modifier of -20 when using other races gear, or a straight -10. PC's will be looking for the gear that fits their race, might lead to some interesting stories. :-) Languages could be fun to role-play out as well. Poly-vox may be a lot of money during this period. |
March 2, 2012 - 5:05pm | Dralasite can use most anybody's tech since they simply adapt themselves. Human and yazirian hands are close enough that there would be no penalty. However vrusk tech is -10 for non vrusk and vice versa. What could be for sale would be pistol and rifle grip conversion kits for vrusk style or human/Yaz style. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
March 2, 2012 - 11:07pm | There should at least be a learning curve penalty for using another races weapons/tech at first. Even if that penalty goes away with time. A yazirian using a human weapon would have to become familiar with it. A sword is a sword, but if you go from one tech to another it would create some confusion. Maybe start out at -10 then after a d10 amount of using that piece of equipment the penalty goes away? Maybe a modifier for LOG score in amount of time to lose the modifier? As an example, my wife and I got new smart phones. She is struggling to adapt to using it. I on the other hand am learning faster than her. She will get it soon enough. Maybe |
 March 3, 2012 - 5:59pm | And definitely no energy melee devices.
Actually, I think that a stun gun would be considered a energy mele device and definitely fits the tech or the era. However it would have short range or require direct contact with the advessary to work. So I wouldnt rule them out entirely but would reduce effectiveness to things we are already familiar with such as Tazers, cattle prods, stuff like that. |
March 3, 2012 - 6:19pm | In response to the earlier comment about grenade launchers There are modern day single shot grenade launchers, essentially they are the M203 with a pistol grip and composite stock or metal stock. They are essentially improved versions of the vietnam era weapon. In SF the grenade launcher represents a weapon that could be acquired by either the military or police and thus is seen in the game as something the characters could possibly acquire from their corporate ties, military connections, or star law associates, and possibly on the open market on worlds with liberal weapons laws. The more modern military street sweeper version of the grenade launcher with revolving magazine would be a strictly military weapon that would be difficult to obtain, illegal to poses, difficult to obtain ammo, and require training to use effectively. The average joe picking one up could possibly fire it off but would have penalties for aiming and reloading as grenade launcers dont aim like a hand gun or rifle. So it wouldnt be that great of a game changer. I would stat the weapon as having a rate of fire of 3 shots per turn as shots will have to be aimed to avoid bounce back, richoett, or damage from ones own fire as you have to fire them with minimum safe clearance. Sure you could try to unload the whole gun but it would just make a lot of mayhem and would not come close to hitting your target acurately. So if you violate the ROF I would give the player substantial pentalty to hit. Wow you leveled the used skimmer lot but the hover cycle gang is still intact and now you have a empty street sweeper that requires 1 to 2 rounds of uninterupted concentration to reload without blowing yourself up. Or better yet, role damage, your last grenade salvo arc was too high and the last two grenades landed in proximity to your position. Anything can be adjusted with a balanced house rule to make it playable, strategy is the key to using a very powerful weapon, if you use it foolishly you risk hurting yourself, damaging the weapon, or expending your hard to get ammo. Another factor you could work in is heat, sure the gun holds six grenades but you can only fire two or three per turn without overheating the barrell and risking damaging the weapon or cooking off a round in the barrell. Remember how they use to have to cool down the mortars in vietnam in between shots or risk blowing themselves up. |
March 16, 2012 - 1:16pm | bio-cort- universal quick heal- not realistic for four races but lets imagine that it was developed by PGC labs to save on costs and supply difficulties during fround operations in SW1. Thus it would not exist in the early Frontier. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
March 17, 2012 - 12:13am | Equipment that are still used: Allweather Blanket, Compass, Coveralls, Doze Grenade, Everflame, First Aid Pack, Flashlight, Gas Mask, IR Goggles, IR Jammer, Machete, Parawing, Radiophone, Pocket Tool, Rope, Sungoggles, Survival Rations, Variable Timer/Detonator, Vtiasalt Pills, Water Pack. These items are different: Binoculars are used instead if Magnigoggles. Instead of Chronocoms, people use Porticoms: a belt- or armband-mounted radio-set the size of an old 70s "peeper" pager with a black-and-white mini-screen. It has no calculator. Freeze Fields are highly specialized devices that require medical training to use. They weigh 12kg. Holoflares are rods that fire a flare when a cord is pulled - otherwise works the same. Poly-voxs are specialized devices developed by the Vrusk to help with communications between them and the Dralasites. They are preprogrammed for one language, and the user must switch cassettes for any other language. This device looks like a chest-mounted speaker with a funnel-shaped microphone facing the user's mouth (like what a WWII aviator would use). Its speaks in a modulated, monotone voice, and tents to cause confusion with translations (e.g. it would not convey humor). This rig weighs 3kg, and is not comfortable after awhile. A language cassette is the size of an 8-Track cassette (but safe to keep it on the dashboard  ).Tornadium D-17 is treated like Tornadium D-19 (Tornadium D-19 remains stable a lot longer then D-17, which has a shelf-life of about 20-30 years). Different ID Cards are used on different planets, as the info is held not on the card, but within a planet's financial database. They look like a photo I.D. but with punch-card holes. Hard currency is used as a widely used means of exchange by spacers. They take the form of ceramic coins or foil sheets. Radtabs, Atmotabs, and Toxitabs are used instead a Toxirad Gauge. They are like a Toxirad Gauge, but turn color for only one type of condition, and work only once (they are throwaway items). Tool Kits are like the Alpha Dawn equivalents, but are not sold as a complete set (but cost and weigh the same for simplicity's sake). They are carried on belts, pockets, and tool boxes. This list is still a work-it-progress. |
March 17, 2012 - 3:56pm | Excellent start, when you have it finalized I'll add it to the Documents section. :-) |
March 18, 2012 - 5:40pm | I just happened to be taking a stroll on the internet and.... over at Starbase HellHound there is this about plasma weapons as the precursor to modern frontier laser weapons: http://thehound.tripod.com/plasma.html I like the idea of innaccurate slow firing energy hogs as a hvy beam weapon for this period. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
