Monday, September 16, 2013

XXVc- A New Rocketship

This isn't complete, but really, who gives a shit, right?


Battle Sphere - Deep Space Destroyer (from the Buck Rogers comic strip)
Names: numbered 01-20
Tons: 60, Lng: 60 ft, Wd: 60 ft, Crg: 10 tons
 HP = ( H: 240, S/C: 60, C: 60, LS: 120, F: 180, E: 180 )
 AC: 4(x), Crew: x, Speed: 3, RB: 0, DB: 0
 Weapons(8): 20 tons of cargo converted to weapon space (+2 slots.)

Destroyers are a new class of rocketship that takes a spherical configuration. It differs from other classes primarily by being constructed for use only in space, ideally outside the gravity well of planetary bodies. Martian Battle Spheres are reliant on fleet tenders (q.v.) for refueling and resupply which takes four hours to complete plus any repair time.

There are currently 20 Battle Spheres in service, operating between the orbits of Mars and Venus. One Martian Battler is currently being retrofitted to accommodate destroyers, pending their initial shakedown period.

Typically, Battle Spheres are fitted with Light Cyclorators, but plans are on the table to fit at least one ship with a Light Graser.


Tuesday, September 3, 2013

XXVc Tech Forecast

I've been thinking a lot lately about how Xbox One's "big brother box," Google Glass, and the current advancements in thought-controlled technology and how they might all combine in the future. To keep it simple, I've decided to apply all this to just personal transportation (i.e. a car) and see where that takes me.

Well, let's see... if we combine those things with the advancements that have already been made with cars today, you might end up with a car that you'd never have to operate manually. Everything would be handled by thought command or computer prediction (sensing what you intend to do. simply approaching the car may cause it to open the door for you, assuming you match the operator's profile), or, if for some reason those options are unavailable, by voice command.

The fanciest version would be available on Luna, Highland Venus, and Mars, with the majority of manual and voice operated vehicles available on Earth and the rest of the inhabited planets and the Belt.

Conceivably, you wouldn't even need to steer the vehicle. I could see something like the cars in the movie Demolition Man, where you simply tell the car where you want to go (or, in this case, think it) and if you want to take the wheel (which would probably be considered "roughing it") simply give the command and it will relinquish control.

I would limit the thought control aspect, though, to only one-word or very short commands. In other words, asking the car's computer via thought interface to recommend the best restaurant in the area might be overdoing it. That kind of thing is something I'll cover later when I return to the Inner Worlds supplement.

Hacking these systems is another matter entirely and is something I'll probably get around to examining at a later date.

I'll probably come back to this topic later and apply it to other items like weapons and smart suits, but I just wanted to establish the idea of it as a pervasive technology with this post. I also just realized I never got around to the "Google Glass" part of this, but it'll have to wait till then.