Build:Flight Control Systems

8.11 Flight Control Systems

Ultimately, starships are vehicles—a way physically to get from one part of the galaxy to another. That means they have many systems for steering or maneuvering them, or to assist with related tasks such as navigation.

8.11.1 Autopilot

Cost: Varies (see table)
Power Requirement: 1 Power per round of use

In situations when a ship’s pilot or pilots are disabled or cannot fly the ship, the autopilot can be activated. Using sophisticated computer subroutines, the autopilot flies the ship. The most advanced autopilot systems are as good as, or better than, the average humanoid pilot.

In game terms, an autopilot system is simulated with an Autopilot rating and Coordination upgrade. The SU cost is 3 SUs per level of rating (minimum of 0, maximum of 4) plus 1 SU per upgrade of Coordination (minimum of 0, maximum of 3). An autopilot’s skill may only be used to pilot the ship; it does not count as a Specialization or allow the autopilot to operate other ship systems.

Example: A scout ship has an autopilot with an Autopilot rating of 3 (+30%) and Coordination upgrade of 2 (+6%). When the autopilot must make a Routine Skill Test to fly the ship, it must roll a 61 or lower.

TOS-era ships’ autopilots cannot have a rating higher than Shipboard Systems (Flight Control) 2 and Coordination 2.

Auto-pilots operate with differing function routines, depending upon the type of navigation computer technology utilized:

• Silicon: may operate up to 3 lightyears before navigational routing must be manually updated; ship's pilot must make manual corrections when alerted
• Duotronic (2243): may operate up to 10 lightyears before navigational routing must be manually updated; ship's pilot must make manual corrections when alerted
• Isolinear (2329): may operate up to 20 lightyears before navigational routing must be manually updated; autopilot may provide multiple adjustments to course, though the ship's pilot must approve the changes
• Bio-neural (2371): may operate up to 20 lightyears before navigational routing must be manually updated; autopilot may be pre-authorized to make up to one of ten pre-programmed course corrections and/or evasive maneuvers

Note: The differing function routines of the autopilots based upon their base computer technology came from an uncited source, but not LUG. The replacement of the autopilot system's original Control and Coordination ratings to the d100-based skill method and the below table were derived by me to better fit the d100-based system used for the crew and command skill tests.

Table

Table 8.11.1:
Autopilot

Rating	Upgrade	SU Cost	Autopilot Skill	Year Available
0	0	3	25	-
0	1	4	28	2005
0	2	5	31	2031
0	3	6	34	2051
1	0	6	35	2064
1	1	7	38	2092
1	2	8	41	2162
1	3	9	44	2208
2	0	9	45	2243
2	1	10	48	2261
2	2	11	51	2287
2	3	12	54	2316
3	0	12	55	2329
3	1	13	58	2337
3	2	14	61	2351
3	3	15	64	2366
4	0	15	65	2371
4	1	16	68	2380
4	2	17	71	2392
4	3	18	74	2401

8.11.2 Navigational Computers & Backup

(Required)
Cost: Varies (see table); 1 SU for each backup computer
Power Requirement: Varies (see table); 1 Power per round of use for backup navigational computer

Because flight control is such an important aspect of ship operations, it has its own dedicated computer system, the navigation computer, to assist the Flight Control officer. The standard nav computer does not provide any benefits. But some ships, due to their engines or main computers or assigned missions, need better navigational computers to improve the Flight Control officer’s ability to fly the ship. This means uprating the nav computer. The accompanying table lists the SU cost and benefits of uprating packages. The bonus provided improves the Flight Control officer’s Crew Skill Results by +10% for a Class 2 and +19% for a Class 3, while a downgrade reduces by 10%. Navigational computers are not cumulative; a ship can only have one in effect, and cannot have both an uprating and a downgrade.

Most ships have at least one backup navigational computer as well, to take over for the main nav computer if it’s damaged or malfunctions. A backup nav computer occupies 1 SU (or 0 SU if the basic computer is a Class 1) and provides no Test bonuses.

Table

Table 8.11.2:
Navigational Computers

Strength Package	SU	Power	Strength Rating	Year
Class 1	1	0	+0	-
Class 2	2	1	+10%	2158
Class 3	4	2	+19%	2326
Downgrade	-1	0	-10%

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SFC Technology Index

Flight Control Systems:

• Autopilot: Index
• Navigational Computer: Index

Construction Rules Index

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