Step 9: Command and Control

CONTROL SYSTEMS

Sometimes referred to as “C-4” (command, communication, computers, and control), command systems represent the brains of a ship. Power, armor, shields, and weapons are important, but the command systems dictate just how effectively the warship can employ its armament.

Cockpit (PL 6)

The cockpit is the nerve center of a small ship. For half a hull point, it includes one control station or seat. The maximum size of a cockpit is four seats or stations (2 hull points).

Anything larger than that is more accurately described as a small command deck. While it’s theoretically possible for a ship of several hundred hull points to be controlled by a single pilot in a one-seat cockpit through heavy automation, in practice a cockpit is just too small to handle anything larger than 50 hull points. The cockpit includes a hatch (or sliding canopy) for access, but it’s not a full airlock.

It also provides life support to its occupants, with a maximum duration of three days. Ships requiring more endurance than that must purchase a normal life support system.

Power: The number of power points required by one unit of this type.

Cost: The cost for one unit of this system, or per hull point of a system based on a percentage of the hull. Some systems

are more expensive in larger installations.

Command Deck (PL 6)

Every ship requires either a cockpit or a command deck. A command deck begins at 2 hull points, and requires 1 extra hull point for each 100 hull points after the first 100 (a total of 3 hull points for a ship of 100 or more hull points, 4 for a ship of 200 or more, and so on). However, a command deck of 10 hull points can handle a ship of any size.

A command deck includes three seats or stations per hull point. In a pitched battle, enemy fire may knock out the ship’s bridge or command deck. Many ships install an auxiliary command deck as a little bit of insurance against that lucky hit.

All command functions are duplicated in the auxiliary bridge. It takes one round to switch command from one bridge to another. The command deck includes an airlock for exterior access, if the ship designer wants one there.

Flag Bridge (PL 6)

Many armored cruisers, battleships, carriers, or dreadnoughts are equipped with a flag bridge—a command deck with facilities for coordinating the actions of an entire fleet of ships. The flag bridge eliminates penalties applied to Tactics skill checks by the squadron commander or fleet admiral due to command and control limitations; see Chapter 3.

Progress Level 6: Fusion Age

Progress Level 7: Gravity Age

Progress Level 8: Energy Age

• Per hull point of the system the computer is dedicated to. Tech: The technology type necessary to build this device. Hull: The number of hull points required by the system.

Launch Tower (PL 6)

Carriers and other ships that carry a large number of embarked small craft usually set aside special facilities for controlling the launch and recovery of their fighters and bombers. The launch tower is a center for coordinating the activities of small craft squadrons and maintaining “traffic control” in the vicinity of the ship.

The Computer Core

Basic systems monitoring, navigation, and engineering controls require some amount of computer support. Any ship equipped with a cockpit or command deck possesses builtin computers with the bare minimum of computing power necessary to fly the ship. However, it’s possible to install computers that add substantially to the ship’s combat abilities.

You can install a computer core of Ordinary or better quality if you so choose. A computer core is necessary to support dedicated control computers, which are computers that enhance the functioning of one particular system. For example, a fire control computer may be installed to provide bonuses to attack rolls with one particular weapon system.

The quality of the control computer can’t exceed the quality of the ship’s computer core. In other words, if you want to install a Good

fire control system for your ship’s strong force guns, you 92 have to install a Good or Amazing computer core; an Ordinary computer core just isn’t up to snuff.

Computer Core (PL 6-9)

While the most advanced computer cores are available at the higher Progress Levels, you don’t have to install the best computer core available into a ship. It’s perfectly acceptable to install no computer core at all in a PL 9 ship, especially if the ship is a bulk freighter or hauler that isn’t intended to come anywhere near a fight. However, most

some kind of tactical display—a flat screen or holo display. The tac control computer adds a –1, –2, or –3 step bonus to Tactics checks.

Nav Control (PL 6-8)

The nav computer adds a –1, –2, or –3 step bonus to maneuver checks and Navigation-system astrogation or Navigation-drivespace astrogation skill checks. It continuously calculates potential course changes and helps the pilot to evaluate the effectiveness of various maneuvers in midround.

warships carry the best computers they can fit into the hull.

The computer core itself does not add any bonuses to the

Attack Computer (PL 7)

ship’s combat rolls, but it enables dedicated control systems

(the rest of the computers described here) to do so. In addition, a computer core is the equivalent of the following computer types described in Chapter 10 of the ALTERNITY Player’s Handbook: Computer cores require 1 hull point per 200 hull points of the ship. For example, a battlecruiser (1000 basic hull points) requires a computer core of 5 hull points.

The cost in hull points reflects networking, work stations, wiring closets, shock mountings, climate control, and other paraphenalia.

Fire Control (PL 6-9)

A dedicated fire control computer adds a –1, –2, or –3 step bonus to attack rolls made with one weapon battery. A weapon battery is defined as all weapon installations that are identical to each other. For example, a ship with three hypermass cannons, six plasma cannons, and one launch cell array could define three different batteries: the hypermass cannons, the plasma cannons, and the launch cell array.

Similarly, a ship armed with two launch racks could combine both under the same fire control computer. Large weapon systems require a more expensive fire con-

This unit combines a small computer core with a small fire control computer slaved to one single weapon system. The dedicated weapons gain a –1 step bonus to all attack rolls. Weapons totaling more than 5 hull points are simply too big for the attack computer to handle; this system is designed for fighters, bombers, and other small craft in which space is at a premium.

Communications

A large ship may require dozens of transceivers to coordinate a task force, maintain communications with nearby ships, and maintain control over a distant flight of strike fighters.

Laser Transceiver (PL 6)

The signal laser uses a beam of coherent light to transmit messages. The laser is extremely directional; the signal can’t be intercepted or jammed unless it’s beamed directly at a hostile ship or station. If the comm officer doesn’t know exactly where the receiving station is, the laser transceiver is a waste of power—you can’t use this for a general distress call to all stations in the area, for instance.

A ship can’t receive laser communications unless it is equipped with the transceiver. Lasers are limited to the speed of light (8 AU or 1 million megameters per hour).

Radio Transceiver (PL 6)

trol installation, although it doesn’t take any more hull points.

Sensor Control (PL 6-8)

A dedicated sensor control computer adds a –1, –2, or –3 step bonus to sensor checks made with one sensor system. Special filter and enhancement routines account for the superior sensor sensitivity.

Tac Control (PL 6-8)

This computer collects data from a number of different sources and presents a synthesized diagram or summary in

The radio transceiver is an advanced, frequency-agile set that transmits in either LOS (line of sight) or omnidirectional mode. Like the laser, it’s limited to the speed of light. A radio transceiver can handle up to ten simultaneous two-way conversations, so ships with unusually large comm demands often purchase multiple transceivers.

Mass Transceiver (PL 7)

This device can transmit instantaneously to any point in the same star system, with no “lag” due to FTL limitations. However, its range is limited to about 1,000 AU, so the signal

can’t cross interstellar space. A ship must be equipped with a mass transceiver to receive mass-burst communications.

Drivesat Comm Array (PL 7)

This massive installation provides Gravity Age ships or stations with a very potent capability—interstellar communications. The drivesat array consists of a constellation of dozens of drive satellites, small stardrive-equipped transmitters that enter drivespace, transmit and receive messages, and then surface again. It enables FTL comms with a range of 50 light-years.

Any signal takes 11 hours to reach its destination. Naturally, only a ship or station similarly equipped can receive the drivesat’s signal. To transmit and receive messages, the ship must remain stationary.

If the ship moves while its drivesats are cycling, 10–40 percent (d4 x 10 percent) of its constellation will be lost in drivespace. The ship cannot transmit or receive while it’s in drivespace itself. Despite these limitations, the drivesat array is about the best way to send a message to another star system at PL 7.

Drive Transceiver (PL 8)

The drive transceiver is the first interstellar communication device that’s practical for small ships or second-rate colonies. Like the drivesat comm array of PL 7, it can send a signal up to 50 light-years distant. It takes 11 hours for the signal to reach the target station, which must also be equipped with a drive transceiver.

The drive transceiver can neither transmit nor receive while the ship itself is in drivespace. The drive transceiver is cheaper and smaller than its predecessor by an order of magnitude.

Psionic Transceiver (PL 8)

This device consists of a special array of psi-enhancing devices that make it possible for a mindwalker with the Telepathy broad skill to communicate over interstellar distances. The receiving station must also have a telepath equipped with a psionic transceiver, or the ship’s mindwalker is wasting his time. Monitoring the transceiver for incoming messages requires the mindwalker’s attention, although he can go about other duties as long as he wears the headset that links him to the transceiver.

Guarding the psionic frequencies counts

Design Tip: Sensors

Purchase at least two comm systems and three sensor systems, even for fairly small ships. They don’t take up many hull points, and it’s critical to have redundancy for these vital systems. Large warships should set aside 10 to 20 hull points for command and sensor systems to ensure that they’ve got the capability to fight effectively in a pitched space battle.

Smaller warships such as corvettes and destroyers may get away with 5 or 6 hull points of command and sensor systems.

as psionic activity, so the character can’t recover psionic energy points while he’s on watch. Using the transceiver to send messages requires a successful Telepathy-contact skill check, with the following modifiers: It costs 1 PEP per 5 light-years for a communication of 1 minute. Communication is instantaneous and twoway, if the receiving character wishes to spend psionic energy points to respond; otherwise, communication is one-way.

Unlike the other communication systems described here, the psionic transceiver can’t transmit anything that a human character couldn’t transmit in speech. Compressed data files, technical diagrams, or tactical readouts can’t be sent—unless the ship’s mindwalker also has the datalink specialty skill, in which case he may make a skill check to successfully transmit the nonverbal material.

Ansible (PL 9)

The ansible is a device that induces precise energy state changes in atomic nuclei without regard to distance or time. In effect, it permits instantaneous interstellar communications—voice, video, or data transfer—to any other ship or station equipped with an ansible. Much like a radio, the receiving station has to be attentive to a particular “frequency”, so the two ansible-equipped stations must have some prearranged communications protocols; the ansible can’t pick up any transmissions not intended for that specific station.

Step 10: Sensors

Any experienced spacehand can tell you that winning the information battle is every bit as crucial as winning the armament battle. Without good information on the enemy’s course, speed, and capabilities, even the most powerful weapon system is virtually useless. It’s highly advisable to purchase at least one air/space radar set.

This is the minimum necessary to practice safe navigation in heavily trafficked areas and hazardous regions such as asteroid belts or ring systems. If you’re building anything more militant than an ore hauler, you probably want to equip your ship with the best sensors money can buy. Seeing the enemy before he sees you is simply too significant an advantage to skimp on sensors.

Progress Level 6: Fusion Age

Progress Level 7: Gravity Age

Progress Level 8: Energy Age

Tech: The technology type necessary to build this device. Hull: The number of hull points required by the system.

Hull

Sensor Arcs

Sensor systems have “arcs of fire”, much like weapons: forward, port, starboard, and aft. However, many sensors can cover more than one arc at a time. For example, the drive detector automatically covers all four sensor arcs; it’s an omnidirectional installation that doesn’t require any special provisions to achieve a 360 degree coverage of the surrounding area.

Extending the coverage of a sensor system from one arc to multiple arcs is simple: Just buy more. Four 1-arc systems provide coverage of all four sensor arcs, as do two 2arc systems. Obviously, a sensor system can’t make a sensor check against a target that’s outside its current arc, so it’s a good idea to provide plenty of coverage for search radars and threat receivers.

Tracking Capability

Unless otherwise stated in the system description, all sensor systems are limited in their ability to track multiple targets

at the same time. In most space battles, this isn’t a problem—there aren’t more than a half-dozen contacts that matter at any one time. In large battles, tracking capability becomes crucial.

If a sensor system is currently maxed out on its tracking capability and new targets appear, the sensor operator must choose whether or not he will “drop track” on an existing contact to attempt a sensor check against one of the new targets. See Chapter 2: Advanced Combat for details. Tracking capability is a function of the Progress Level at which the ship (not the sensor!) is constructed and the quality of any dedicated sensor control computer assigned to the system.

For example, a PL 7 ship with a Good-quality sensor control computer can track 20 targets simultaneously. A shipbuilder can increase the tracking capability of his ship’s sensors by purchasing multiple sensor systems. For example, a PL 6 cruiser with an EM detector can track up to 6 targets with that sensor, but if the shipbuilder installs 4 EM detectors, he increases the ship’s tracking capability to 24 targets with the EM detector.

Purchasing extra sensor sets to cover additional arcs counts toward increasing the ship’s tracking capability with that type of sensor. In other words, you can increase from one to two arcs and double your tracking capability by purchasing one extra sensor set instead of three extra sensor sets.

Sensor Range

Like weapons, sensor systems possess short, medium, and long ranges. sensor checks at medium range suffer a +1 step penalty, and sensor checks at long range suffer a +3 step penalty.

Sensor Systems

For ships of 30 hull points or less, it’s a good idea to set aside 1 or 2 hull points for sensor systems requiring hull space. Larger ships should set aside anywhere from 2 to 10 hull points for sensors. Redundant sensors are also a good idea—you don’t want your super-dreadnought to be incapacitated by the lucky hit that takes out its only sensor system.

Air/Space Radar (PL 6)

The minimal sensor system acceptable on a spaceship hull, the air/space radar is the most common sensor system of the Fusion Age. It works equally well in atmospheres or open space.

EM Detector (PL 6)

The electronmagnetic detector is an antennae array designed to detect and localize EM emissions such as radio signals and radar beams. If the target is using active sensors, the EM detector gains a –2 step bonus on the sensor check. It’s possible to detect targets that aren’t active by listening for drive emissions and miscellaneous radio noise, but it’s harder—the EM detector suffers a +2 step penalty when used against nonradiating targets.

Hi-Res Video (PL 6)

This is a high-powered camera system designed to spot targets by their visual profile. It includes a very powerful zoom feature, allowing close inspection of far-off targets. It’s not a very good targeting or sensor system, but it’s perfect for evaluating damage the target has suffered.

It’s hard to find a system that provides a better look at an object of interest.

IR Detector (PL 6)

Also known as a heat sensor, the infrared detector looks for targets that are radiating infrared energy—heat. It confers a –2 step bonus to sensor checks against targets maneuvering with a fission rocket, fusion torch, ion engine, or antimatter rocket.

Ladar (PL 6)

A laser detection and ranging system uses low-powered laser beams to pinpoint the target. Ladar ignores jamming, and it’s considered a passive sensor if the target does not itself possess ladar or a laser transceiver.

Probe (PL 6)

The sensor probe is a small rocket fitted with a video camera and a small air/space radar set. It has an acceleration of .05 Mpp per phase (or 50 KPH per phase) and enough fuel to operate for up to 48 hours after launch. The probe’s telemetry package allows it to transmit its video and radar data up to 100 Mm without degradation, and up to 1,000 Mm (1 million kilometers) with reasonably clear results.

A common tactic in Fusion Age space battles is to launch several probes before contact and activate the probe radar sets, while leaving the ship on passive sensors. This allows the ship to gain the benefits of active targeting without making itself easier to detect. Each probe bay contains four probes.

They can be replaced at a cost of 40 K each.

Sensor Control Computer

PL: The Progress Level at which the ship is built.

Sensor Control Computer: The quality of the sensor control computer dedicated to the system.

#: The number of contacts the system can track simultaneously.

Mass Detector (PL 7)

This device detects targets through their gravitational signatures. Even though a spaceship has an infinitesimal mass compared to a planet, a sufficiently sensitive sensor can determine its bearing and approximate range by measuring the target’s influence on the sensing ship.

Multiband Radar (PL 7)

This is a more powerful and sophisticated version of the air/space radar.

Probe, Advanced (PL 7)

Obviously, this is a PL 7 version of the probe. It has an acceleration of 2 Mpp per phase (or 2000 KPH per phase) and enough power to operate for up to 72 hours after launch. The probe’s telemetry package allows it to transmit its video and radar data up to 1,000 Mm without degradation, and up to 1 AU (150 million kilometers) with a reasonably clear results.

Each probe bay contains four probes. They can be replaced at a cost of 100 K each.

Remote Network (PL 7)

The remote network is a constellation of sensor probes that can be deployed in a ring or globe thousands of kilometers in diameter. This doubles the range of one other sensor system designated at the time the remote network is installed, so it’s possible to have a network that doubles the range of the ship’s EM detector, or its air/space radar, or its mass detector. It only takes one round to deploy the remote sensors.

The remotes stay active for one day before their batteries are exhausted. Since the constellation of sensors can’t maneuver, the ship loses its remote network if it changes course or speed after deployment. The remote network system holds six constellations in its two hull points.

The shipbuilder can provide three additional deployments of the remote network per additional hull point assigned to the system. Each extra hull point costs 250 K.

Drive Detection Array (PL 7)

Based on the same technology as the drivesat comm relay, the drive detection array provides a ship with the ability to detect events occurring across interstellar distances—specifically, the starfalls and starrises of ships traveling by means of a stardrive, drivewave generator, or jump drive. The drive detection array has a range of fifty light-years. It takes eleven hours for the “splash” of the ship entering or emerging from drivespace to propagate, so the drive detection array doesn’t provide real-time information. However, it does indicate the class of ship traveling (small, light, medium, heavy, or super-heavy) and the number of ships traveling. The location of the arrival or departure is also recorded, although the sensor operator can’t tell where the arriving ship came from, or the departing ship is heading to. The detection array does not function while the array-equipped ship is traveling in drivespace itself.

Spectroanalyzer (PL 7)

While the spectroanalyzer isn’t useful as a targeting sensor, it is a powerful analytical tool. It combines spectrum analysis of visible light, radar mapping, and precise mass measurements to create a profile of a planet or space object. The spectroanalyzer is an active sensor that confers a –2 step bonus on sensor checks for Battle Damage Assessment (see Chapter 2) and any Physical Science—astronomy or planetology skill checks for the purpose of determining the mass, composition, or characteristics of a space object.

Ship-sized objects may be examined at distances of 2/4/16 Mm for short/medium/long range on the sensor check; planets may be examined at ranges of 1/5/25 AUs for short/medium/long range.

CE Passive Array (PL 8)

This system collates and analyzes all electromagnetic energy received by the sensor. It combines the properties of an EM, IR, and video scan and receives a –4 step bonus to detect a target using active sensors.

Drive Detector (PL 8)

The drive detector works much like the drive detection array of the Gravity Age, but it’s much smaller and cheaper.

Mass Radar (PL 8)

Sometimes abbreviated as “madar”, the mass radar uses pulses of gravitational energy to precisely range and pinpoint objects. It also has the ability to detect objects buried beneath radar-reflective surfaces. The mass radar can penetrate up to 100 kilometers of ice or water, 20 kilometers of normal stone or rock, or 2 kilometers of nickel-iron or similarly dense and metal-rich rock.

This makes the mass radar ideal for locating bases or facilities buried deep underground.

Multiphase Radar (PL 8)

This radar system works much like the multiband radar of PL 7, but it’s even more powerful and sophisticated. Due to its track-with-scan capabilities, the multiphase radar has a tracking capability 50 percent higher than normal.

Omniscience Sphere (PL 8)

Based on rare psi-technology, the omniscience sphere is a sensor device that automatically detects any and all objects

that approach within 50 megameters of the ship or station. No sensor checks are required. Sophisticated neural filters and data-feed programs allow the operator to instantly relay his findings to the ship’s computers for fire control solutions and detailed tracking predictions.

The omniscience sphere must be manned by a psionic character who possesses the broad skill of ESP. The character cannot rest or meditate while plugged in to the sphere. Operating the sphere requires 2 psionic energy points per hour.

Usually, ships with this sensor system will employ a team of “ESPers” to continuously man the sphere while underway.

Table 5-14: Command, Control, and Communication Systems

Table 5-14a: Computers

Table 5-15: Sensors

Table 5-16: Tracking Capability