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INS Scissors - a worked example of High Guard 1st edition design

I was asked to create a "how to" article on creating a High Guard 1st edition ship, particularly focussing on the weapons sequence. The following is my response to this request. Please note that all page references are to the 1st edition of High Guard, and will not necessarily coincide with the equivalent page references in the 2nd edition (which is the more common version). The block references are to the fields in IN Form 3 on page 35

I will follow the Design Checklist on page 34.

Determine tech level (block 4) of building shipyard.
Select hull; determine tonnage (block 8), and configuration (block 9).
Select drives (blocks 10, 11, 12).
Determine fuel tankage (blocks 29a, 29b) requirements.
1. a. Consider L-Hyd Tanks and Fuel Scoops.
2. b. Consider Fuel Purification Plant (block 29c).
5. Select major weaponry (block 23 or 24).
6. Consider fighter launch tube and on-board fighters (block 26).
1. a. If necessary, design fighters and note USP in block 26.
2. b. Note total quantity of fighters carried in USP.
7. Select bay weaponry (blocks 20, 22, 23, 24, and 25a).
8. Select turret weaponry (blocks 16, 21, 22, and 25a).
9. Select ship armor (block 15).
10. Select screens (blocks 17, 18, and 19).
11. Select on-board computer (blocks 13a, 13b).
12. Select ship's vehicles (block 27).
1. a. If necessary, design vehicles required
2. b. Allocate ship tonnage for garaging or hangaring.
13. Allocate crew for ship (block 14).
1. a. If frozen watch is carried, note in (block 14).
2. b. If ship's troops are carried, note in (block 28).
14. Consider magazines (block 25b) for planetary bombardment.
15. Designate ship type (block 7).
16. Indicate dates required on form (blocks 1, 5, and 6).
17. Determine ship name and class (blocks 2 and 3).
18. Insure tonnage does not exceed hull, and cost does not overrun budget.

Since the primary objective of this is to explore the weapons design function, a medium sized military ship has been chosen as the object of the design. The initial guess at total tonnage and cost will be 20000 tons and MCr15000.

1. This will be a tech level 15 ship, produced at the Rhylanor/Rhylanor/Spinward Marches shipyards. Enter F in block 4. Totals so far: 0 tons used, MCr0. See page 21.
2. This will be a 20000 ton hull with a configuration of 1 (Needle). This will cost MCr2000 for the basic hull plus MCr400 for the configuration. This configuration hull is streamlined, and happens to be fairly difficult to hit with Meson Gun fire. Enter L in block 8, and 1 in block 9. Totals so far: 0 tons used, MCr2400. See pages 22-23.
3. This design is intended to keep up with the Imperial Navy standard battle fleets, so needs jump 4 and 6 G capable drives. The jump drive will take 1000 tons and cost MCr4000. The maneuver drive will take 4000 tons and cost MCr1600. The power plant must be the larger of the jump or maneuver drive, so will be 6 in this case, taking 1200 tons and costing MCr3600. Enter 4 in block 10, 6 in block 11, and 6 in block 12. Totals so far: 6200 tons used, MCr11600. See page 23.
4. Jump fuel will take 8000 tons and does not cost anything. Power plant fuel will take 1200 tons and does not cost anything. Enter 9200 in block 29a, and 1 in block 29b. Totals so far: 15400 tons used, MCr11600. See pages 23-24.
1. a. This ship will not be fitted for L-Hyd tanks, but will have fuel scoops installed. Fuel scoops don't take tonnage, but will add MCr20. Totals so far: 15400 tons used, MCr11620. See page 32.
2. b. A fuel purification plant is rated in tons of fuel processed per minute (of gas, per 10 minutes of water). To process a full load of fuel from gas with one unit of fuel purification plant would take 6.39 days (6 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes). To process a full load of fuel from gas in 6.13 hours (to pull a number out of the air) will take 25 units. 25 units of tech level 15 fuel purification plant will take 375 tons and costs MCr3.25. Check the Yes box in block 29c. Totals so far: 15775 tons used, MCr11623.25. See page 32.

5. This ship will use a USP J Meson Gun as a major weapon, taking 1000 tons and costing MCr40. This takes up one of the 20 possible spaces for bay weapons on this size ship. Enter J in block 24. Totals so far: 16775 tons used, MCr11663.25. See pages 24-25.

6. We will not have fighters in this design. Totals so far: 16775 tons used, MCr11663.25. See page 25.

a. No fighters will be assigned to this design, so none need be designed.
b. Total quantity of fighters in this design is 0. Enter 0 in block 26.

7. There is a possible total of 20 bay weapons in this size ship, but one has already been used for a major weapon, leaving 19 possible to assign.

a. Since the major weapon is a meson gun, there can't be any meson gun bays.
b. Ten of the possible bays will be designated as 10 ton particle accelerator bays. This will take 100 tons and cost MCr120. Ten 10 ton tech level 15 particle bay weapons, each providing 16 points of weapon strength, total 160 points towards the weapon rating. The total number of points is then divided by the number of kilotons of ship (20 in this case), giving a result of 8. The result of 8 is found in the weapon rating chart and a USP code of 5 is found. Enter 5 in block 23. Totals so far: 16875 tons used, MCr11783.25. See page 25-27.
c. Five of the possible bays will be designated as 100 ton repulsor bays. This will take 500 tons and cost MCr20. Five 100 ton tech level 15 repulsor bays, each providing 40 points of weapon strength, total 200 points towards the weapon rating. The total number of points is then divided by the number of kilotons of ship (20 in this case), giving a result of 10. The result of 10 is found in the weapon rating chart and a USP code of 3 is found. Enter 3 in block 20. Totals so far: 17375 tons used, MCr11803.25. See pages 25-27.
d. The four remaining possible bays will be designated as 100 ton missile rack bays. This will take 400 tons and cost MCr48. . Four 100 ton tech level 15 missile rack bays, each providing 50 points of weapon strength, total 200 points towards the weapon rating. The total number of points is then divided by the number of kilotons of ship (20 in this case), giving a result of 10. The result of 10 is found in the weapon rating chart and a USP code of 4 is found. Enter 4 in block 25a. Totals so far: 17775 tons used, MCr11851.25. See pages 25-27.

e. There are no remaining possible bays to be designated as fusion gun or plasma gun bays. Enter 0 in block 22. Totals so far: 17775 tons used, MCr11851.25. See pages 25-27.

8. There are initially 200 turret weapons possible on a ship this size (1 per 100 tons of ship). The tonnage used for bay weapons reduces the number of possible turrets (the major weapon counts as a bay weapon for this purpose). The total used for bay weapons on this ship is 2000 tons, which reduces the number of possible turrets by 20 leaving 180 possible turrets.

a. 45 of the possible turrets will be designated as triple turrets with three beam lasers each. This will take 45 tons and cost MCr135 for the lasers and MCr45 for the turrets. 45 tech level 15 triple beam laser turrets, each laser providing 3 points of weapon strength, total 405 points towards the weapon rating. The total number of points is then divided by the number of kilotons of ship (20 in this case), giving a result of 20.25. The result of 20.25 is found in the weapon rating chart and a USP code of 5 is found. Enter 5 in block 21. Totals so far: 17820 tons used, MCr12031.25. See pages 25-27.
b. 50 of the possible turrets will be designated as double turrets with two fusion guns each. This will take 50 tons and cost MCr100 for the fusion guns, and MCr25 for the turrets. 50 tech level 15 double fusion gun turrets, each fusion gun providing 12 points of weapon strength, total 1200 points towards the weapon rating. The total number of points is then divided by the number of kilotons of ship (20 in this case), giving a result of 60. The result of 60 is found in the weapon rating chart and a USP code of 4 is found. Change block 22 from 0 to 4. Totals so far: 17870 tons used, MCr12156.25. See pages 25-27.
c. 45 of the possible turrets will be designated as triple turrets with three sandcasters each. This will take 45 tons and cost MCr33.75 for the sandcasters and MCr45 for the turrets. 45 tech level 15 triple sandcaster turrets, each sandcaster providing 3 points of weapon strength, total 405 points towards the weapon rating. The total number of points is then divided by the number of kilotons of ship (20 in this case), giving a result of 20.25. The result of 20.25 is found in the weapon rating chart and a USP code of 6 is found. Enter 6 in block 16. Totals so far: 17915 tons used, MCr12235. See pages 25-27.
d. 34 of the possible turrets will be designated as triple turrets with three missile racks each. This will take 34 tons and cost MCr76.5 for the missile racks and MCr34 for the turrets. 34 tech level 15 triple sandcaster turrets, each missile rack providing 1 point of weapon strength, total 102 points towards the weapon rating. This number of points for the turret missile racks is added to the number of points from the missile rack bays, for a grand total of 302 points towards the weapon rating. The total number of points is then divided by the number of kilotons of ship (20 in this case), giving a result of 15.1. The result of 15.1 is found in the weapon rating chart and a USP code of 5 is found. Change the 4 to a 5 in block 25a. Totals so far: 17949 tons used, MCr12345.5. See pages 25-27.
e. There are 6 possible turrets left, and though the will not be utilized at this point, the hardpoints will be designated for possible future use and the tonnage of 6 tons alloted for them. Totals so far: 17955 tons used, MCr12345.5. See pages 25-27.

9. This ship will be armored at it's tech level. This will take 15 tons and MCr0.4 per thousand tons of ship, for a total of 300 tons and MCr8. Enter 9 in block 15. Totals so far: 18255 tons used, MCr12353.5. See pages 27-28.

10. This ship will have a nuclear damper of USP code 7, taking 10 tons and costing MCr30. This ship will have a meson screen of USP code 7, taking 20 tons and costing MCr40. This ship will not have a force field (a.k.a. black globe). Enter 7 in block 17, 7 in block 18, and 0 in block 19. Totals so far: 18285 tons used, MCr12423.5. See pages 27-28.

11. This ship will use a Model/G computer, (a Model/7 computer with integral fibre optic backup). This will take 5 tons and cost MCr90. Enter G in block 13a and check the Yes box in block 13b. Totals so far: 18290 tons used, MCr12513.5. See page 29.

12. Vehicles will consist of a complement of 2 pinnaces, taking 80 tons and costing MCr40. Totals so far: 18370 tons used, MCr12553.5. See pages 29-30.

13. A first approximation for crew is arrived at by dividing the total tonnage of the drives by 35, which gives a figure of (6200/35=) 177.1 personnel. The specific number and type of crew for this ship is: Command section of 10; Engineering section of 86; Medical section of 2; Gunnery section of 253 (11 overhead, 10 MG, 38 bay, 174 turret, 12 magazine, 8 screens); Flight section of 5; Crew section of 0; Ship's Troops section of 40; Frozen Watch section of 0. The total number of crew is 396, requiring 204 staterooms taking 816 tons and costing MCr102. A bridge of 400 tons and MCr100 is specified. Totals so far: 19586 tons used, MCr12755.5. See pages 30-32.

14. A missile magazine is installed, which takes as many tons as the total number of weapon rating points from missile racks installed in bays and turrets, taking 302 tons and costing MCr3.02. Because this ship uses drives as calculated in these rules, it does not need a jump governor. There is 112 tons of cargo space, which does not cost anything. Totals so far: 20000 tons used, MCr 12758.52. See page 32.

15. This ship will be designated as a fleet destroyer (in this case meaning a destroyer that is intended to be used as part of a fleet). The primary ship type code is a D for destroyer, and the qualifier is an F for Fleet, giving a combined code of DF. Enter DF in block 7.

16. The date fields (blocks 1, 5, and 6) don't affect performance of the ship, but are part of constructing a history or background for the ship. Setting the ship in the Classic Traveller timeframe is appropriate based on when the first edition of High Guard was published (1979). Laid down 110-1099 (block 5), first flight 86-1103 (block 6), date of document preparation 88-1103 (block 1).

17. The name and class fields (blocks 2 and 3) don't affect performance of the ship, but are part of constructing a history or background for the ship. The name of the ship is the INS Scissors, which is part of the Knife class fleet destroyers. This class is typically named for objects with which one should not run

18. The totals for this design ended up as 20000 tons and MCr12758.52. These numbers fit within our initial requirements for tonnage and cost.

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