Reflec Coating

[Boomer]

A player recently brought up the notion of coating a capital ship in reflec coating like a Storm Troopers armor.

What are the rules behind this. Can it truly be done "with ease" as they claim?
_________________
My backpack has jets!
I'm Boba the Fett!
And I bounty hunt for Jabba Hutt,
to finance my 'vette!

[Jedi Skyler]

I would imagine that it could be done at great expense and not at all easily. I mean, in the novels, the Millennium Falcon got painted with a matte black substance... I don't remember if it was simply paint or if it was something like the reflec. I DO remember that Booster Terrik, upon reaching an agreement with the New Republic that allowed him to keep his newly named Errant Venture, tried to get enough red paint to coat the ship in. The only color he could lay hands on in sufficient quantities (not to mention not quite so exhorbitant cost) was Imperial White. I'd have to say that if it was so prohibitive to simply get a different color paint, it'd be near impossible to get a special coating of reflec... unless the characters happen to have control of a facility producing the stuff in mass quantities, AND are able to commandeer as much of it as they want without causing the facility to be shut down due to bankruptcy...

[cheshire]

For a capital ship it's 50,000 per ship hull die to use sensor baffling countermeasure coating. I would use this as a guideline for developing a rule for coating a ship. Determine the value of the material you're working with relative to sensor baffling, and then work from there.

[Boomer]

Ok, thanks for the info.
_________________
My backpack has jets!
I'm Boba the Fett!
And I bounty hunt for Jabba Hutt,
to finance my 'vette!

[KageRyu]

Hmmm, I would imagine coating a ship in reflec material would not only be cost prohibitive, but also of limited effect, as there are areas of the hull that could not be protected (sensor blisters, weapons mountings, thruster ports, etc...). It may grant limited bonus at best, and would hardly be worth the expense. Not to mention, I am sure there are unforseen side effects to this (sensor noise caused by ambient energy reflecting off the hull, causing an almost perpetual Ion-corona, etc...). If it were simple, effective, and reliable, it would have already been done. Also, keep in mind, that carbon scoring, damage from micro-particle impacts, atmospheric entries, and the like will play havoc on that reflec paint job, requiring constant maintenance for it's continual effectiveness. By making such a modification, you increase maintenance times almost 100 fold (depending on the size of the vessel), making continued service and operation of the vessel no longer cost-effective or efficient in man hours.

Just a few thoughts.
_________________
"There's a set way to gain new Force Points and it represents a very nice system, where you're rewarded for heroism, not for being a poor conductor to electricity." ~Jachra

[garhkal]

[Jedi Skyler]

Absolutely, Kage! Great points. (Honestly, I hadn't even thought it that far out. Given the problems Booster Terrik had with just trying to get regular old RED paint to coat his Impstar Deuce with made me figure that something useful like reflec would be absolutely impossible to get, especially in that kind of quantities.)

[TarlSS]

Capital ships are also large enough that the minor benefits granted by the coating wouldn't be worth the cost. What's +1d to a sensor sneak roll if your size grants the operator a +5d bonus? And it's easy to detect you? Yeah.

[Jedi Skyler]

You got it. The only possible bonuses would probably come at extreme range. Definitely NOT worth the cost...