100t Imperial Modular Scout/Courier TL8-16

[mavikfelna]

For @Fluffy Bunny Feet I present the modular scout/courier series. This is just the 100 ton progression and I haven't worked up modules yet but it should get you started. My design thoughts are in the .zip file in the .doc file. But essentially, 100 ton, 200 ton, 400 ton and 1000 ton hulls with minimal setups and lots of space for modules. It should take 1D hours to swap a module in a yard or at a depot and 1D days to do it at a port or with a repair tender.

I'll post more as I work through them. What sorts of modules should I concentrate on?

 

[Terry Mixon]

How long with the self-maintenance setup from Deepnight Revelation?

 

[mavikfelna]

How long with the self-maintenance setup from Deepnight Revelation?

Um, that's a really good question. I've no idea but since it includes scaffolding and cranes apparently, I'd say 2D hours, but I don't know what the setup time for the scaffolding is so you'd need to add that. But now that I look at it, I think the time to switch is too long for starports. Make it 2D +10 hours?

 

[Shardan13]

Perhaps a survey module that has the various sensor options installed such as the extended array, extension net and other such goodies?

 

[mavikfelna]

Perhaps a survey module that has the various sensor options installed such as the extended array, extension net and other such goodies?

50 ton Advanced Sensor module for you. it's too small to make using an Extended Array practical but it's got the Extension Net and Advanced Probe Drones and all the goodies I could throw on. Also, more than half the cost is advanced software. You can actually drop most of the software if you're using it as an explorer rather than fleet scout and make the price much more reasonable but I threw it in there for completeness sake. It's a TL15 modules, but it'll fit in any of the 100 ton modular scouts so you could turn even a TL8 hull into a scout powerhouse.

 

[Shardan13]

Mavikfeina thanks. Here is another idea for a module.

This time it's for the courier role. It needs to be able to carry typically small but very important items to the people/places that require them. Sometimes these items may be a person with vital information so some type of stateroom for them and any personal security, it may be electronic stored database so perhaps the xboat transmitter, it may even be an ancient artifact or vital medicine for a VIP. Whatever it is it needs to be protected so perhaps a vault and get there fast so perhaps extra fuel for an extra jump?

 

[tytalan]

My suggestion would be instead of 50dt modules you run the 30dt modules that a modular cutter uses. That would give you a vast array of modules you could use and your specialized modules could be used by the modular cutter on the Survey Scout. This to me would be a more efficient way of doing this. Just a suggestion to think about

 

[mavikfelna]

My suggestion would be instead of 50dt modules you run the 30dt modules that a modular cutter uses. That would give you a vast array of modules you could use and your specialized modules could be used by the modular cutter on the Survey Scout. This to me would be a more efficient way of doing this. Just a suggestion to think about

I say in my write up that they use cutter modules, as well as 25 and 50 ton modules as well as 5 and 20 ton modules. A 5 ton module can be just a stateroom and common area, 20 could be 3 staterooms, common area for them, a lab and cargo space. 30 of course we have lots of and 50 we have an example above. The larger ships will also have the option of 100 and 400 ton. You can mix and match for what you need.

 

[tytalan]

I say in my write up that they use cutter modules, as well as 25 and 50 ton modules as well as 5 and 20 ton modules. A 5 ton module can be just a stateroom and common area, 20 could be 3 staterooms, common area for them, a lab and cargo space. 30 of course we have lots of and 50 we have an example above. The larger ships will also have the option of 100 and 400 ton. You can mix and match for what you need.

I think you’re missing my point standardization is very important especially in a bureaucracy like the IISS. I truly understand what you’re going for but using a standard size especially one that is so common as well as already being used only makes logical and economical sense. You can easily build a scout courier at the standard 100dt J2 M2 that replaces much of the existing systems with a 30dt cutter bay and the 400dt Donosev already carriers a modular cutter with a second module. With your system you have to has a large number of different size modules which just adds complexity and costs.

 

[mavikfelna]

Mavikfeina thanks. Here is another idea for a module.

This time it's for the courier role. It needs to be able to carry typically small but very important items to the people/places that require them. Sometimes these items may be a person with vital information so some type of stateroom for them and any personal security, it may be electronic stored database so perhaps the xboat transmitter, it may even be an ancient artifact or vital medicine for a VIP. Whatever it is it needs to be protected so perhaps a vault and get there fast so perhaps extra fuel for an extra jump?

How about this? 50 ton module with an Advanced X-Boat Mail Distribution Array, a 10 Vault and a High Stateroom with a robot steward. and a 10 ton fuel/cargo container, though this only gives the 100 ton ship access to it's full jump-2. You need the external fuel tank to get extra unfueled range, but at the cost of only going jump-1.

 

[mavikfelna]

I think you’re missing my point standardization is very important especially in a bureaucracy like the IISS. I truly understand what you’re going for but using a standard size especially one that is so common as well as already being used only makes logical and economical sense. You can easily build a scout courier at the standard 100dt J2 M2 that replaces much of the existing systems with a 30dt cutter bay and the 400dt Donosev already carriers a modular cutter with a second module. With your system you have to has a large number of different size modules which just adds complexity and costs.

Ok, this is true. But I think it loses too much flexibility. I can take out the jump fuel of the ships and give it 60 tons of module space and then allow them to carry 2 modules. But I would still then also make 60 ton and 20 ton modules to make them more flexible.

 

[tytalan]

Ok, this is true. But I think it loses too much flexibility. I can take out the jump fuel of the ships and give it 60 tons of module space and then allow them to carry 2 modules. But I would still then also make 60 ton and 20 ton modules to make them more flexible.

Why do you need 2 modules? The IISS is going to keep it simple and with little extraneous systems they run on a shoestring budget. Your vault/mail/high passage module is a good example of an overly complex module. A module should be simple and mission specific/orientated a single 30dt module does this well without depriving the ship of needed jump fuel. You want a ground base there a 30dt module for that, you need a fuel module for an extra jump that’s easy enough. But there’s never going to be a mission that requires a high passage, vault and mail system at the same time. Actually it’s not likely that anything that need to be in a vault is going to be carried by a scout carrier anyway that’s more of a secured transports thing.

 

[Shardan13]

Mavikfelna that's great. The two modules cover the basic scouting and couriering roles that a modular scout/courier should cover.

Lets see. The scouts do first contact and diplomacy with the natives so a diplomacy module might be prudent. They also have ground teams exploring planets so they might need a ground team support module and a scout vehicle(s) module. I think that they also do basic intelligence gathering and covert operations? So a covert operations module though I have no idea what it would require.

 

[mavikfelna]

Why do you need 2 modules? The IISS is going to keep it simple and with little extraneous systems they run on a shoestring budget. Your vault/mail/high passage module is a good example of an overly complex module. A module should be simple and mission specific/orientated a single 30dt module does this well without depriving the ship of needed jump fuel. You want a ground base there a 30dt module for that, you need a fuel module for an extra jump that’s easy enough. But there’s never going to be a mission that requires a high passage, vault and mail system at the same time. Actually it’s not likely that anything that need to be in a vault is going to be carried by a scout carrier anyway that’s more of a secured transports thing.

The basis for this design was the idea put forward by @Fluffy Bunny Feet for a very modular courier. Limiting it to a single 30 ton module on a 100 ton or larger hull just doesn't give enough total flexibility. And the very modularity of the design with the larger sections makes it more cost effective for a large organization like the IISS. The base hulls are generally much cheaper to produce than the non-modular ones and the ability to put in a package of much higher tech level components in the module means refit and reuse is much greater with one of these hulls than a traditional scout/courier, even with the introduction of larger modules than 30 tons. And if you need simpler modules, they can be easily and cheaply made just about anywhere in the Imperium, And with no limitation on using the 30 ton modules, you're not missing out.
The IISS isn't on a shoestring budget, it's actually pretty well funded, it just has a huge area of coverage and so many different roles to fulfill that even that decent budget is stretched thin. That's why they allow retiring scouts to take older ships with them so they can still get extra work out of them.
So it's not to say I don't understand where you're coming from, I just don't think it fits with the idea I have or deal with the issue I'm trying to resolve. Of course, in the end, I'm just doing this for fun and it certainly involves my own interpretation of the Charted Space setting. Until I can afford to buy out Mongoose, I'll just have to settle for doing things in MTU.
Oh, and I just wanted mention in passing, the low tech and TL11 can be run profitably as cargo haulers as is, no modules needed. So that's one more role they're helping to fill. And with a fuel tank module and jump net module added, all of them are even the TL16 version, barely, are profitable.

 

[mavikfelna]

Mavikfelna that's great. The two modules cover the basic scouting and couriering roles that a modular scout/courier should cover.

Lets see. The scouts do first contact and diplomacy with the natives so a diplomacy module might be prudent. They also have ground teams exploring planets so they might need a ground team support module and a scout vehicle(s) module. I think that they also do basic intelligence gathering and covert operations? So a covert operations module though I have no idea what it would require.

Not sure how to do a covert ops module so I'll have to think on that. Here is a Diplomatic mission module, a Launch hanger module and an Outpost you can leave on the planet.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Not sure how to do a covert ops module so I'll have to think on that. Here is a Diplomatic mission module, a Launch hanger module and an Outpost you can leave on the planet.

Maybe this can give you some ideas.

 

[mavikfelna]

Maybe this can give you some ideas.

View attachment 6243

Dang. Can't compete with that on this level. Not sure how to pull off an analytics module. The sensor module above covers the best sensor setup I can do so that sort of qualifies.
I guess housing and labs? With a big computer.

 

[Shardan13]

Mavikfelna thanks fr your hard work.

One tiny issue the outpost module has got the diplomatic module heading.

With the covert ops module perhaps go in another direction such as spy insertion from orbit. I think most of the planets that the scouts spy on are typically low tech first contact/re-contact societies.

The first edition mongoose traveller has a book called scouts that gives details of the typical types of missions that the scouts do.

 

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

For @Fluffy Bunny Feet I present the modular scout/courier series. This is just the 100 ton progression and I haven't worked up modules yet but it should get you started. My design thoughts are in the .zip file in the .doc file. But essentially, 100 ton, 200 ton, 400 ton and 1000 ton hulls with minimal setups and lots of space for modules. It should take 1D hours to swap a module in a yard or at a depot and 1D days to do it at a port or with a repair tender.

I'll post more as I work through them. What sorts of modules should I concentrate on?

Interesting designs. Major flaw (IMO) is not having a standardized module that can be used across TLs. Even with them being compatible with the standard 30 ton module they lose space when not using a standard module.

MTU has 15 (for launches) 30, 50, 100, 500, 2500, 10000 and 25000 tons modules. I do allow the 30 and 50 ton modules to be the same diameter and fittings to allow such things as a 30 ton being carried in a 50 ton bay or custom bays like 60 ton carrying 2x30 ton or 80 ton carry a 30 and a 50 ton module.

My personal scout replacement is 180 tons (TL 11) and carries a 100 ton module which includes Jump Fuel. It is divided into Explorer (outside the Empire) with Basic Stealth and Surveyor (inside the Empire) without stealth. Just changing the module allows them to perform a wide variety of roles such a courier, freighter and yacht. Both designs have Improved Signal Processing and a 15bis computer to allow use of other programs such as evade while preparing to jump. Their one real defect is they can't jump without the fuel in the module (either enough for J-1 or J-2 depending on role and territory) so they can't drop a base. Maybe I should redesign them so they can't use standard 100 ton modules but paired 50 ton to get past that? This larger ship can have Labs, probes, Med bays, air/rafts and more in the module depending which they are carrying

There is a derivative design called a Slim Trader with lesser sensors and no stealth but basically the same otherwise
I love all the discussion as it has made me look again at some ideas I considered settled. Thanks to all.

 

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

Perhaps a survey module that has the various sensor options installed such as the extended array, extension net and other such goodies?

Personally my 180 ton TL 11 Explorer/Survey ship keeps the military sensors and has Improved Signal Processing but the probes are on the module (if needed). A base version of the module can be landed by a 500 ton (with 2x100 ton modules both can be deployed as jump fuel is on the ship) which has its own sensors and probes which can be left wherever needed (the 180 ton needs the module for jump fuel). Labs and sometimes Medical bays as well as crew quarters and planetary vehicles are in the base module.