Blaster Array System

[CRMcNeill]

A long time ago, on an AOL ListServ Far, Far Away...

I wrote up stats for something I called the Blaster Array that could be fitted to a starship. Basically, it's an auto-synchronized system of blaster cannon place at equidistant points around a ship's hull, all controlled through a single gunner's station. The idea is to provide full weapons coverage in any direction on a ship with only 1 or 2 crew (as in, not enough to man two turrets and fly the ship).

I've come back around to it because I really like Frank Bonura's Loronar SkyBlind, and wanted to figure out a way to mount energy weapons on it without mucking up the awesome deck plan. But, while it is ideally suited to the design of the SkyBlind, it could potentially be fit to any light freighter, so long as the shape isn't too bizarre.

Anyway, here's the stats, as best as I can remember:

Blaster Array
This weapon system was developed to provide effective all-around defense coverage for small ships with minimal crew. It consists of eight blaster cannon mounted in automated, retractable turrets placed at equidistant points around the ship, all linked and controlled by a single central firing station. The placement of the cannon is such that at least four weapons can bear on any target, regardless of the target's location relative to the ship. The gunner designates a target and the system fires the four cannon with the best firing angle on the selected target. Current technology limits the array to a single target at a time, with the turrets whose fire arcs are masked by the body of the ship holding their fire until a target enter their field of view. However, there is an optional point defense mode where the individual cannon can engage small targets within their line of fire, such as meteorites or space mines. This mode can also be used for surface defense when the ship has landed.
Fire Arc: Turret
Scale: Starship (+6D)
Crew: 1
Fire Control: 3D
Range:
--Space: 1-5/10/17
--Atmosphere: 100m-500m/1km/1.7km
Rate of Fire: 2D Auto-Fire
Damage: 4D
Special: INDEPENDENT MODE
In this mode, each cannon is independently controlled by its own integrated gunnery droid brain (skill equivalent 3D) and will automatically engage any target within its arc of fire. Ship's crew can be equipped with an IFF transponder that will keep the cannon from firing on them.
Note: If one or more guns are damaged or destroyed, reduce the Damage in that Fire Arc by 1D per gun affected.

The only thing I don't have is a Cost and Availability. Obviously, the system is going to be more expensive than normal weapons emplacements, but coming up with realistic prices has never been my strong suit. I'd appreciate any suggestions, as well as your reasoning for why you picked the number you did.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[MrNexx]

TL;DR:
Cost: 33.2kc to buy, 43.16kc including permits
Availability: at least 2R, up to 3X depending on your mood. 4X is possible, but you can claim that for anything.

***

Start with Kuat Vonak Light Laser Cannon, 1.5kc each; 12kc total. Damage and Fire Control are 2D each. Fire linkage and two control stations for each is going to add 1.6kc to each, to 13.6kc. Fire Control is now 2D; damage is 4D (since 3 can fire-linked on any given target). Since 3 guns can coordinate on any single target, we can call Fire Control effectively 3D, but you don't just lose damage per damaged gun, you also lose 1 pip of Fire Control.

Now, the droid brains. We need 8 with Starship Gunnery at 3D, and they should likely have some Sensors as well (to interface with the ship's sensors). There are a few options, but it is cheaper to buy TraitWare (attributes) than it is to increase skills (Skillware). Crazy world. Cheapest is to use 2nd degree Droids, and buy them 3D in Mechanical and 3D in Perception, plus 1D in all other attributes (they don't NEED Dex, Str, Kno, or Tech, but I'm including them in the cost). That's 2450 per brain, or 19,600 all told (10,800 if you don't agree they need those other attributes). If you go 1D in all attributes and Starship Gunnery and Sensors at 3D, it's actually more expensive, because of Skillware multipliers, and they have 1D Perception to determine initiative. Going to be 4th Degree droids would be 300 more per brain. There's some fancy tricks we could pull, like Improved Coordination Circuitry, which would improve your skill, but that costs 1000 each brain while only saving you 150, and damaging your Sensors skill, to boot. Not worth it.

Availability would be at LEAST 2R (the legality of a droid capable of Starship Gunnery), but I'd lean towards 3R or 3X... this is a highly specialized system, needing ship, droid, and weapons facilities to put together and install. I don't think it would be necessarily illegal, but it's definitely going to require registration, since both the droid skills and the weapons do.

So, we get to 13.6+19.6kc, for a total of 33.2kc. Add in the permit and fees (30% of purchase price), and you have 43.16kc. This is pretty close to what you were looking for.

It's also going to be 16 tons (the weight of the guns; I'm assuming the other weight is negligible).
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[MrNexx]

[CRMcNeill]

[MrNexx]

[CRMcNeill]

[MrNexx]