Requiem
11/15/22 07:50 AM
1.158.155.157
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https://www.sarna.net/wiki/DropShuttle_Bay
Question: Has anyone considered re-introducing the DropShuttle Bay into a DropShip Bay (via house rules) within larger warships? Thus within the central area of the warship is vast logistics centre where they can resupply / change over an attack group prior to / during a planetary assault? Etc
Thoughts
Get thee to Coventry … Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious by this daughter of Tharkad … Our army shall march through. Well to New Avalon tonight.
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Cray
11/15/22 08:47 PM
50.89.124.116
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DropShuttle bays are extremely slow to unload as they utilize the StratOps cargo loading/unloading rules. Militaries were the first phase out DropShuttle bays and eventually everyone ditched them in favor of docking collars because of that hours-long process of releasing small shuttles (no larger than 5,000 tons).
While it might be nice to have a big, pressurized spin-gravity shuttle bay like the Conestoga's, only civilians uninterested in saving time and money (like colonists) would revive DropShuttle bays.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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Requiem
11/15/22 11:58 PM
1.158.193.188
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Interesting points.
As we are discussing house rules – why do we have to remain with established dogma?
Drop shuttle bays were replaced as technology increased yes this is a valid point – however, as technology increases (by the end of the star league / time of the Clan invasion for example) again why not recognise that hours can be reduced to minutes, when discharging a dropship? They also allow for greater cargo transport – be it people or goods.
By allowing ships to transport more they will allow for mass transport that has been missing in one of the largest black holes of the game – be it any of the exoduses or export / import commerce that is seriously lacking in the game currently.
Personally, I believe by creating mass transport through such a system, such as this, it will open the game to new dimensions that are currently lost in my opinion.
Therefore I believe I will tinker with new ‘personal house rules’ where vast cargo / people carriers can exist.
Get thee to Coventry … Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious by this daughter of Tharkad … Our army shall march through. Well to New Avalon tonight.
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Cray
11/16/22 01:43 PM
136.226.19.182
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It's worth noting that "bay doors" on large spacecraft also count as docking points, if not docking points able to carry something through a hyperspace jump. This would allow transfer of troops, 'Mechs, etc. in a shirtsleeve, freefall environment.
Mike Miller, Materials Engineer
Disclaimer: Anything stated in this post is unofficial and non-canon unless directly quoted from a published book. Random internet musings of a BattleTech writer are not canon.
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ghostrider
11/17/22 11:48 AM
45.51.181.83
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Doesn't all ship including the jumpship, have a free fall state while just sitting at a jump point?
Unless spinning or using the thrusters to move the ship, the only difference between the docking collar and the normal bays should be the lack of restraints.
But the fact that bay doors count as docking points leads down a slippery slope. This would mean all dropships attached to a jumpship should be able to have another vessel 'dock' to it. This heads back to the daisy chaining of ships to move more then just the jumpship docking ports allow.
Which also goes back to how everything on the dropship is orientated while moving.
Spheroids supposedly spin, yet that means everything would be pushed outward, meaning towards the outside walls. As nothing moves to alter this, anything like fixing mechs while in flight, would mean the mechs are lying down. As there has been no place where I seen how fighters are orientated in their bays, I can say if they are nose out, aft out, or even sideways during this process.
This does also have a question of dropships supplying jumpships and stations that spin.
Does cargo move thru the nose? Aft? Sides?
Would these supply ships utilize the shuttle bays? Or just stick with the normal ones on most ships?
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