Back to the main page

Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Paul Gettle <RunnerPaul@*****.COM>
Subject: Sentry [TM] Gun System Question
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1998 13:11:06 -0500
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

The Ares Sentry [TM] System is based off of a Tactical Computer.
A Tactical Computer shows increased performance with each additional
sensor hooked in on it.

Rigger 2 introduced the Sentry II, which allowed the Sentry Guns to be
run by a rigger's remote control network. The Sentry II can also make
use of the information sharing capabilities of a BattleTac IVIS,
"which can multiply the firepower of the system when more than one
Sentry II system is used."

My question is, in addition to the normal bonuses of an IVIS Pool, do
you think there should be any additional bonuses to a network of
Sentry Guns, since each gun's Tactical Computer is sharing it's
sensory data with the other Tactical Computers on the network?

Perhaps counting each additional gun on the network as an additional
"sensor" for purposes of determining the rating of the Tactical
Computer? For example, with 4 guns networked together, each gun's
Tactical Computer is treated as if it were hooked into 3 additional
"sensors" above the actual sensors already in place?

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: PGP for Personal Privacy 5.5.3

iQCVAwUBNk3Hp6PbvUVI86rNAQG5cQQAirfAd+lC1/g/8pE+lds6KoDyZXFuJxF0
3R13WE2xw6PcH8NQGYvNZ1OQBcb+jzN+1bSyCuxDQcqW3Ml/MbE9fqrvdBkM94eC
yJDoJo0JMn1SKAda4cvIQd8J43Q093aI3O1JTBUN3qZ635aryxanpimbdfQG/hSN
UbRjefxbUZg=
=VHuq
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

--
-- Paul Gettle, #970 of 1000 (RunnerPaul@*****.com)
PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:0x48F3AACD (RSA 1024, created 98/06/26)
C260 94B3 6722 6A25 63F8 0690 9EA2 3344
Message no. 2
From: Mike Bobroff <Airwasp@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Sentry [TM] Gun System Question
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1998 11:01:46 EST
In a message dated 11/14/98 1:12:03 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
RunnerPaul@*****.COM writes:

> My question is, in addition to the normal bonuses of an IVIS Pool, do
> you think there should be any additional bonuses to a network of
> Sentry Guns, since each gun's Tactical Computer is sharing it's
> sensory data with the other Tactical Computers on the network?
>
> Perhaps counting each additional gun on the network as an additional
> "sensor" for purposes of determining the rating of the Tactical
> Computer? For example, with 4 guns networked together, each gun's
> Tactical Computer is treated as if it were hooked into 3 additional
> "sensors" above the actual sensors already in place?

IMHO, the networked sentry gun systems would not enhance the sensor rating of
the vehicle they are in. What you could do is take the lowest Intelligence
rated Sentry gun system and use it as the base stats, then for each additional
Sentry gun beyond the first, add another point to the main Sentry gun system
(a system is only as strong as it's weakest link).

You could link in the vehicle's sensors into the Sentry gun system and then
you can begin to see (sometimes) the rating of a Sentry gun system go through
the roof, even though the vehicle's sensors will effectively override the
Sentry gun's own sensors systems, unless you decide to have the sentry guns
run around with their own sensors as limited in range that they are.

Oh, and don't forget to give each of the Sentry drones a BattleTAC FDDM, this
would greatly enhance their collective firepower when a bigger gun needs to be
pointed in a certain direction.

Currently in the games here, I have my pc (Herc) who has three Small Walker
drones which sole purpose is to act as spotters for other drones which
actually carry the bigger guns. Then there is also the Sentry gun system for
Beauty (the panzer) which when all else is added in has an Intelligence rating
of 14+, and a Gunnery skill of 13+.

Which reminds me, has anyone else out there considered that the 'firing' skill
of a sentry gun system needs to be something more than just Firearms (I also
use Gunnery, Launch Weapons, and Projectile Weaponry).

-Mike
Message no. 3
From: K in the Shadows <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Sentry [TM] Gun System Question
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 00:41:59 EST
In a message dated 11/14/1998 1:12:05 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
RunnerPaul@*****.COM writes:

> The Ares Sentry [TM] System is based off of a Tactical Computer.
> A Tactical Computer shows increased performance with each additional
> sensor hooked in on it.

Well, it's sort of based off of the Tactical Computer.

> Rigger 2 introduced the Sentry II, which allowed the Sentry Guns to be
> run by a rigger's remote control network. The Sentry II can also make
> use of the information sharing capabilities of a BattleTac IVIS,
> "which can multiply the firepower of the system when more than one
> Sentry II system is used."

Ah yes, the truly fun beginnings of the nightmare.

> My question is, in addition to the normal bonuses of an IVIS Pool, do
> you think there should be any additional bonuses to a network of
> Sentry Guns, since each gun's Tactical Computer is sharing it's
> sensory data with the other Tactical Computers on the network?

IF the rules for Designators (Laser or Otherwise) or achieving a Tactical
Lock-On are used, there are LOTS of bonuses, ranging from reductions of
various target numbers to additional dice for other systems to use for Lock-
On/Tracking/Perception tests.

> Perhaps counting each additional gun on the network as an additional
> "sensor" for purposes of determining the rating of the Tactical
> Computer? For example, with 4 guns networked together, each gun's
> Tactical Computer is treated as if it were hooked into 3 additional
> "sensors" above the actual sensors already in place?

That is actually the most advisable solution, as if you try and turbo up each
gun, then add all of those dice pools into one IVIS/FDDM pool, you will get
really screwed up in the math and beyond even our levels of Power Gaming here.

-K

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about Sentry [TM] Gun System Question, you may also be interested in:

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!