Hello all,

While working with the TD #13 A MT Starship Design Example edited by Donald McKinney with I believe MT Consolidated Errata v2.14 and TD #21 design pointers I've put together a blank worksheet that includes planetoid and buffered planetoid hull configurations.

The transport and tunneling cost calculations on MT Referee's Manual p. 63 are, in my opinion, the same as in CT. Unfortunately, I'm not sure of why or how to do the weight modifier and I'm also unsure of how the calculations for the planetoid/buffered planetoid armor work.

1. Planetoid and Buffered Planetoid Weight modifiers

Q1. Why is there a weight modifier for planetoid and buffered planetoid configurations?

The only difference I can see is that the buffered planetoid leaves more of the original material in place than in the planetoid configuration. The fusion tunneling process has never been covered in any detail to my knowledge so I came up with how the process worked. Fusion tunneling liquefies the material which is pumped and dispersed around the surface of the planetoid. The amount of material that is lost is not significant enough to alter the weight of the planetoid.

Q2. How can the buffered planetoid configuration's weight increase by 1.75 and the planetoid configuration remain unchanged?

2. Planetoid and Buffered Planetoid Armor Value modification

MT Referee's Manual Craft Design page 63 1 - Basic Hull Design 2 Step 6 Planetoid Configurations: "Armor Values: Planetoid is armor value 50. Buffered Planetoid is armor value 56. Additional armor may be added to a planetoid: subtract the planetoid's current armor value modifier (from the Armor table) from the desired new armor value mass factor."

Q3. What armor type from Step 7 Armor table would a planetoid's natural material be classified as?

In my opinion since the armor is already there the weight and cost modifiers would be 1, which equates to hard steel.

Q4. Does applying a weight and cost modifier of 1 in Step 7 Armor sound reasonable along with weight and cost modifiers from Step 6 Planetoid Configurations?

2A. In Step 8 the minimum Armor value for a constructed hull is 40 that Step 9 shows a modifier of 33 that Step 10 applies to the constructed hull's weight and cost. In Step 6 a planetoid's natural armor value is 50 and a buffered planetoid's value is 56.

Q5. Shouldn't the protection modifier in Step 9 for both a planetoid and buffer planetoid be 1 since the armor was not added?

Q6. Is my understanding, below, for determining the weight and cost of adding additional armor to planetoid's correct.

Craft TL = 14

Step 4

Hull: UCP 4000

Volume: 54,000 kl

Weight: 1,200 MT

Price: Cr5,300,000

Step 5 Configuration & Streamlining

Configuration: Planetoid; Weight Mod = NA and Price Mod = NA

Streamlining: USL; Streamlining Price Mod = x 1

The Configuration Weight and Cost modifiers I consider to mean no changes to weight and cost which equates to a modifier of x 1.

Hull: UCP 4000

Volume: 54,000 kl

Weight: 1,200 MT x Configuration Weight Modifier 1

Price: Cr5,300,000 x Configuration Price Modifier 1 x Streamlining Price Modifier 1

Step 6 Planetoid Configurations:

     Special consideration exist for planetoid configurations:

     1. Planetoid hulls are usually free for the taking. But there is a transportation charge of Cr10 per kl of planetoid and a fusion tunneling charge of Cr75 per kl of planetoid.

     2. Planetoid hull's can only use 80% of its volume.

     3. Buffered planetoid hull's can only use 65% of its volume.

     4. Armor Values: Planetoid = 50 and Buffered Planetoid = 56

The transport and tunneling charges replace the Space Vessel Hull Table's price: Transport Charge = 54,000 kl x 10 = Cr540,000 + Tunneling Charge = 54,000 kl x 75 = Cr4,050,000 = Cr4,590,000

Hull: UCP 4000

Volume: 54,000 kl x 80% = 43,200 kl

Weight: 1,200 MT x Configuration Weight Modifier 1 x Planetoid Weight Modifier 1

Price: Cr4,590,000 x Configuration Price Modifier 1 x Streamlining Price Modifier 1

Step 7 Armor

     "Determine the armor type for the craft using the table below. Apply the weight and price modifiers to the hull weight and price."

Since the armor type for a planetoid is its own material I believe the modifier is 1 which on the Armor Type Table equates to Hard Steel unless I add a different armor type.

Hull: UCP 4000

Volume: 54,000 kl x 80% = 43,200 kl

Weight: 1,200 MT x Configuration Weight Modifier 1 x Planetoid Weight Modifier 1 x Armor Type Weight Modifier 1

Price: Cr4,590,000 x Configuration Price Modifier 1 x Streamlining Price Modifier 1 x Armor Type Price Modifier 1

Adding Bonded Superdense changes only the weight modifier, which in my opinion would have a modifier of 1.14 versus 0.14.

Hull: UCP 4000

Volume: 54,000 kl x 80% = 43,200 kl

Weight: 1,200 MT x Configuration Weight Modifier 1 x Planetoid Weight Modifier 1 x Bonded Superdense Armor Type Weight Modifier 0.14

Price: Cr4,590,000 x Configuration Price Modifier 1 x Streamlining Price Modifier 1 x Bonded Superdense Armor Type Price Modifier 1

Step 8 Minimum Armor:

     Per Step 6-4 the minimum planetoid Armor Value = 50

Hull: UCP 4000

Volume: 54,000 kl x 80% = 43,200 kl

Weight: 1,200 MT x Configuration Weight Modifier 1 x Planetoid Weight Modifier 1 x Armor Type Weight Modifier 1

Price: Cr4,590,000 x Configuration Price Modifier 1 x Streamlining Price Modifier 1 x Armor Type Price Modifier 1

Minimum Armor Value = 50

With Bonded Superdense:

Hull: UCP 4000

Volume: 54,000 kl x 80% = 43,200 kl

Weight: 1,200 MT x Configuration Weight Modifier 1 x Planetoid Weight Modifier 1 x Bonded Superdense Armor Type Weight Modifier 0.14

Price: Cr4,590,000 x Configuration Price Modifier 1 x Streamlining Price Modifier 1 x Bonded Superdense Armor Type Price Modifier 1

Minimum Armor Value = 50

Step 9 Armor: Select the armor protection using the table below:

     Here is another point I guessing at how proceed when using a planetoid  or buffered planetoid hull.

The planetoid or buffered planetoid hull with the minimum armor value in my opinion should not change either the weight or cost since the hull material is also the armor.

Without additional armor I believe Step 13 Hull Totals should be:

Hull: UCP 4000

Volume: 54,000 kl x 80% = 43,200 kl

Weight: 1,200 MT x Configuration Weight Modifier 1 x Planetoid Weight Modifier 1 x Armor Type Weight Modifier 1 x Armor Table Weight Modifier 1 = 1,200 MT

Price: Cr4,590,000 x Configuration Price Modifier 1 x Streamlining Price Modifier 1 x Armor Type Price Modifier 1 x Armor Table Price Modifier 1 = Cr4,590,000

However, the directions as written have the Minimum Armor Value per Step 9 Armor modifier as 80.

Hull: UCP 4000

Volume: 54,000 kl x 80% = 43,200 kl

Weight: 1,200 MT x Configuration Weight Modifier 1 x Planetoid Weight Modifier 1 x Armor Type Weight Modifier 1 x Armor Table Weight Modifier 80 = 96,000 MT

Price: Cr4,590,000 x Configuration Price Modifier 1 x Streamlining Price Modifier 1 x Armor Type Price Modifier 1 x Armor Table Weight Modifier 80 = Cr36,720,000

Minimum Armor Value = 50

Adding Bonded Superdense using Step 9 as written:

Hull: UCP 4000

Volume: 54,000 kl x 80% = 43,200 kl

Weight: 1,200 MT x Configuration Weight Modifier 1 x Planetoid Weight Modifier 1 x Bonded Superdense Armor Type Weight Modifier 0.14 x Armor Table Weight Modifier 80 = 13,440 MT

Price: Cr4,590,000 x Configuration Price Modifier 1 x Streamlining Price Modifier 1 x Bonded Superdense Armor Type Price Modifier 1 x Armor Table Price Modifier 80 = Cr36,720,000

Minimum Armor Value = 50

Increasing the Planetoid hull's Armor Value from 50 to 56 per Step 6-4 changes the modifier as follows:

Armor Value 56 Modifier of 135 - Armor Value 50 of 80 = Step 9 Armor weight and price modifier of 55.

Hull: UCP 4000

Volume: 54,000 kl x 80% = 43,200 kl

Weight: 1,200 MT x Configuration Weight Modifier 1 x Planetoid Weight Modifier 1 x Armor Type Weight Modifier 1 x Armor Table Weight Modifier 55 = 66,000 MT

Price: Cr4,590,000 x Configuration Price Modifier 1 x Streamlining Price Modifier 1 x Armor Type Price Modifier 1 x Armor Table Weight Modifier 55 = Cr25,245,000

Armor Value = 56

Adding Bonded Superdense using Step 9 as written:

Hull: UCP 4000

Volume: 54,000 kl x 80% = 43,200 kl

Weight: 1,200 MT x Configuration Weight Modifier 1 x Planetoid Weight Modifier 1 x Bonded Superdense Armor Type Weight Modifier 0.14 x Armor Table Weight Modifier 55 = 9,240 MT

Price: Cr4,590,000 x Configuration Price Modifier 1 x Streamlining Price Modifier 1 x Bonded Superdense Armor Type Price Modifier 1 x Armor Table Price Modifier 55 = Cr25,245,000

Armor Value = 56

Hopefully my math is correct and I haven't typed badly. I'm currently having to use an eye patch to eliminate double vision until I get new eye glasses.

Tom Rux