"Vehicles" for bases or vehicles

[cbullard]

[Moving thread here from Star Hero forum, since it pertains to more of a "superheroic" game level.]

I'm curious -- how does your table handle the "vehicles for vehicles/bases" rules when designing bases or vehicles?

Some thoughts...

At one end of the spectrum, "The Ultimate Vehicle" includes an example of an elevator on p. 167 as a vehicle.  This seems unnecessary to me: surely an elevator or a turbolift can be considered "everyvehicle/everybase" equipment? 

As a more central position, that same book describes defining missiles as vehicles, and gives examples of various types of munitions-as-vehicles on pp 130-133.  These would in turn be carried by a larger vehicle.

At the other end of the spectrum, we get into something that would be permitted under the rules but could become abusive, IMO: having these secondary vehicles be fully-functional vehicles in their own right.  So you might end up with something like Battlestar Galactica, which served as a carrier for quite a few Viper fighters.  This would mean you could purchase the Galactica at 1/5 cost, since it is a vehicle... then have Galactica "buy herself" one or more Vipers, again at 1/5 cost, which means whoever built Galactica is actually paying only 1/25 cost for the Vipers. 

Vipers Sale, 96% off, today only!  ;-)

But a Viper isn't intrinsically tied to Galactica, you say?

I agree.  A missile isn't intrinsically tied to the vehicle that launches it, either.  A lifeboat also isn't intrinsically tied to the vessel that carries it, yet that "...is perhaps the best example..." according to "The Ultimate Vehicle" p. 166.

Let's scale up.  Enterprise-D with her separate saucer section.  Wouldn't this sort of arrangement let you put all of your "expensive" items into the "subordinate" vehicle and get your Galaxy-class cruiser much more cheaply?

Or consider any deep space vessel with all those systems that have to be duplicated for close-proximity and mega-range use -- Radar, HRRP, weapons, scanners, and/or whatever else you want to equip your ship with.  Why not put the proximity versions on board your "primary" vessel, and the mega-scale/mega-range versions onto a secondary hull?  The two can travel together for zipping over to the Talos system, but the secondary hull would handle subspace communications back to Earth, keeping an eye on that unstable star in the next solar system, etc. while the primary hull is orbiting the planet Talos IV and doing detailed sensor studies of the planet, or even making a landing if it is called for.  Even if you split your point costs right down the middle between the two hulls, you're still getting your ship at a 40% discount vs buying it as one ship.

How do you guys handle this at your tables?  Is there anything in RAW that would prevent the sort of "ship discounts" I've mentioned here?

Thanks, and have a great day!

[assault]

Short version: no double discount.

 

The smaller vehicles would either get the 1/5 for being components of the larger one or be built as separate vehicles depending mainly on readability.

 

No double dipping.

 

I have no idea if that is strictly RAW, but it is compatible with the general approach used in the rules.

Edited April 18, 2023 by assault

[cbullard]

10 hours ago, assault said:

Short version: no double discount.

 

The smaller vehicles would either get the 1/5 for being components of the larger one or be built as separate vehicles depending mainly on readability.

 

No double dipping.

 

I have no idea if that is strictly RAW, but it is compatible with the general approach used in the rules.

Thank you, and I agree that it seems wrong (thus the reason for this post asking how others handle it).

I could even see it being allowed to purchase munitions-as-vehicles, such as missiles for a vehicle's launchers, especially when you have to replenish those after a fight.  Otherwise, munitions are too expensive to fire.  ("Wow, I got 5 experience points for that scenario!  Now I only need 25 more before I can replace ONE of the AIM-7 Sparrow missiles I fired!")

AIM-7 Sparrow missile (UV pp. 131-132).  Base cost: 150
Purchased as a vehicle: 150 / 5 = 30
Purchased as a vehicle-for-a-vehicle: 30 / 5 = 6

I could see justification for them being automatically replaced in between scenarios, like bullets for a gun, arrows for a quiver, or just about any sort of charges.  Maybe you pay full price for them at vehicle creation/upgrade, but not every time you have to reload one.