A different model for Traveller Cargo ships

MaxTac Transfer

Banded Mongoose
The common idea for the player operated cargo ship is an ocean going tramp frighter. But to me the ships are more the cargo ships on a river or channel network. Short hauls (1 week max between stopovers), no bad weather and the occasional channel man doing a "stand and deliver". This would also fit with the owner aboard and family operated vibes that many ships have
 
The common idea for the player operated cargo ship is an ocean going tramp frighter. But to me the ships are more the cargo ships on a river or channel network. Short hauls (1 week max between stopovers), no bad weather and the occasional channel man doing a "stand and deliver". This would also fit with the owner aboard and family operated vibes that many ships have
A riverboat can pull over to the shore at any time on their journey. Try and pull your ship over mid-jump, let Me know how that works out for you all. lol. That is why ocean-going is more accurate, because you are literally alone in the middle of nowhere (jumpspace). I use 17th and 18th century Caribbean as My analog for the feel of how Traveller plays out. Most of your destinations are reachable in a week or 3 of Traveller and you can take any route that you want, unlike river travel where everyone has to follow the same route, but at the same time, once you are out of sight of the shore, you might as well be alone on a different planet.

Also, in Traveller, one week, between stopovers is the minimum, not the maximum or the average. A 2-jump trip is 2 to 3 weeks of travel time where you may not be refueling at a port.
 
A riverboat can pull over to the shore at any time on their journey. Try and pull your ship over mid-jump, let Me know how that works out for you all. lol. That is why ocean-going is more accurate, because you are literally alone in the middle of nowhere (jumpspace). I use 17th and 18th century Caribbean as My analog for the feel of how Traveller plays out. Most of your destinations are reachable in a week or 3 of Traveller and you can take any route that you want, unlike river travel where everyone has to follow the same route, but at the same time, once you are out of sight of the shore, you might as well be alone on a different planet.

Also, in Traveller, one week, between stopovers is the minimum, not the maximum or the average. A 2-jump trip is 2 to 3 weeks of travel time where you may not be refueling at a port.
Once you are in jump - nothing happens for the average ship. It is only there to slow the universe. One might just as well have a different time scale for "in jump" (feels like instant) and outside (takes 1 week) without changing the setting.
 
Once you are in jump - nothing happens for the average ship. It is only there to slow the universe. One might just as well have a different time scale for "in jump" (feels like instant) and outside (takes 1 week) without changing the setting.
That's an idea... also means scouts in the Communications Branch get almost-anagathics for free... from a timeline perspective - so it would explain why scouts don't get pensions....
 
Once you are in jump - nothing happens for the average ship. It is only there to slow the universe. One might just as well have a different time scale for "in jump" (feels like instant) and outside (takes 1 week) without changing the setting.
It does almost eliminate the need for the Steward Skill also.
 
Thought about that a while back i but figured it was a can of worms none of the traditionalists would want opening.
Now it's open... I suspect at least a partial.
💩
🌧️
 
Once you are in jump - nothing happens for the average ship. It is only there to slow the universe. One might just as well have a different time scale for "in jump" (feels like instant) and outside (takes 1 week) without changing the setting.
I've used that before as misjump result. OK so it benefited the players that time, but they spent a LOT of time trying to figure out how to repeat that kind of misjump and not the more catastrophic kind :)

IIRC Bryan Gibson (of Traveller art fame) created a setting where this was the case, although I don't remember it being published.
 
That's an idea... also means scouts in the Communications Branch get almost-anagathics for free... from a timeline perspective - so it would explain why scouts don't get pensions....
It would allow an x-boat pilot to make multiple jumps per day from HIS perspective.
If the scout service has any kind of union, we'd need to add a zero to all cash benefits rolled by scouts. Two zeros if they're courier branch.
 
Back
Top