[gurps] Starship Troopers, open questions

[Onno Meyer]

Hal replied to me:

> > Unless there is a typo in my spreadsheet, I think I have the bones of a
> > suit. I'll try to turn it into a basic marauder unit.
> 
> I should dig up my copy of STARSHIP TROOPERS and sleuth as well, so as to
> try and spot things to add or suggest.  If you want, I'll dig up my copy
> of Avalon Hill's version of the game - because I think it gives a speed
> for those suits for land travel.

Ground movement would be 15 to 17 mph. Anything over 20 mph becomes
prohibitive.

> Considering that much of the book was written before today's techological
> toys were developed, you may want to go with the unwritten assumption that
> the IFF functions that were clearly his intent with the "radar" would be
> operative, and that the suits would have been designed for high
> survivability on the battlefield.  If you read the information on the drop
> capsules (sp?), you can see that it was designed with every trick they
> could come up with for survivability against the defenses of the enemy. 
> So, to answer the question above?  I'd include both versions, however...
> 
> Maruader & Command suits with basic stealth
> Scout with advanced...

Stealth vehicles always have the question of going active or not, thereby
gaining better information at the expense of stealth. You could argue that
the suits are designed for short, high-intensity, "active" ops. With more 
cost/weight for radar than thermograph, perhaps laser reflec armor, 
and a few more pounds of ordnance rather than RAM coatings.

> Doesn't seem to cause any real problems as yet.  I'm trying to remember. 
> During the Skinny raid, wasn't there a passage about punching through a
> wall with the suit and Rico finding himself in a "skinny congregation" or
> something?  That is when he used that bomb that said "I'm a 30 second
> bomb, I'm a 29 second bomb, I'm a 28 second bomb" as he watched the
> skinnies clear out?  Sounds like a psych ops weapon ;)

And before that, he dropped a time-delay grenade. Comes under 
"a couple dozen pounds of odds and ends".