Adventure Class Ships Preview - The Extended Merchant

[MongooseMatt]

Can’t fit enough cargo in your Subbie? Cut it in half, fill in the middle, and set out for the stars in the 500-ton Extended Merchant – featured in Adventure Class Ships coming at the end of the week!


There is always a desire amongst ship architects to tinker with well-trodden and beloved designs, and it rarely takes time for someone to wonder what a vessel would be like if it were just bigger. The extended merchant is a stretched version of the much-trusted subsidised merchant, using the additional tonnage for a secure vault, a ship’s boat and, of course, more cargo space. The ship’s boat is provided with its own hangar, allowing much easier transfer of cargo and passengers from the interior of the merchant.

 

[Condottiere]

Literally?

Or do you have to order a custom made model?

 

[Galadrion]

I suspect that it's a variant model, similar to the Type J Seeker or the 150 Dt variant of the Type S. A design based on the predecessor model, but built to a variant blueprint, rather than a ship which actually started as a subbie and was chop-modified to be 20% larger. (Personally, I wouldn't care to trust my one-and-only hide to a shade-tree-mechanic modified starship!) Anyway, looking forward to this one... oh, and the other ships as well.

 

[MongooseMatt]

rather than a ship which actually started as a subbie and was chop-modified to be 20% larger.

Depends very much on where you buy it...

 

[Condottiere]

It's pretty clear in the rules you can't make major changes to the hull.

The C-141 proved to “bulk out” before it “massed out”, meaning that it often had additional lift capacity that went wasted because the cargo hold was too full. To correct the perceived deficiencies of the original model and utilize the C-141 to the fullest of its capabilities, the entire fleet of 270 in-service C-141As were stretched, adding needed payload volume. These modified aircraft were designated C-141B. Additional fuselage “plug” sections were added before and after the wings, lengthening the fuselage by 23 ft 4 in (7.11 m) and allowing the carriage of 103 litters for wounded, 13 standard pallets, 205 troops, 168 paratroopers, or an equivalent increase in other loads. Also added at this time was a boom receptacle for inflight refueling. The conversion program took place between 1977 and 1982, with first delivery taking place in December 1979. It was estimated that this stretching program was the equivalent of buying 90 new aircraft, in terms of increased capacity.

 

[alex_greene]

Can’t fit enough cargo in your Subbie? Cut it in half, fill in the middle, and set out for the stars in the 500-ton Extended Merchant – featured in Adventure Class Ships coming at the end of the week!

View attachment 1340
There is always a desire amongst ship architects to tinker with well-trodden and beloved designs, and it rarely takes time for someone to wonder what a vessel would be like if it were just bigger. The extended merchant is a stretched version of the much-trusted subsidised merchant, using the additional tonnage for a secure vault, a ship’s boat and, of course, more cargo space. The ship’s boat is provided with its own hangar, allowing much easier transfer of cargo and passengers from the interior of the merchant.

It's a subbie limo.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

We might not have any rules for it, but:

Built by the Covenant of Sufren from cannibalized TL-14 Gazelle and TL-15 Scout hulls, with locally manufactured TL-12 components.

A Gazelle and a Suleiman welded together... (Brilliant Lances, Technical Booklet, p45)

 

[Condottiere]

Star War Uglies are kit bashes and sometimes you get fascinating combinations.


Armour and other parts of the ship integral to the hull (such as configuration or reinforced structure) cannot be changed under any refit.

 

[Alqualonde]

We might not have any rules for it, but:
View attachment 1343


A Gazelle and a Suleiman welded together... (Brilliant Lances, Technical Booklet, p45)

I like the Covenanter, the only issue to convert it is the armor. It is different between the Scout & the Gazelle.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

I like the Covenanter, the only issue to convert it is the armor. It is different between the Scout & the Gazelle.

TNE (&T5) doesn't have a problem with that:

Surface hit locations 1-5 have armor 30, all others have 62.

In CT or MgT I guess you'd have to average the armour?

 

[GypsyComet]

We might not have any rules for it, but:
View attachment 1343


A Gazelle and a Suleiman welded together... (Brilliant Lances, Technical Booklet, p45)

Very much a ship of its Era

 

[GypsyComet]

It's a subbie limo.

And based on a Mongoose variant of the R already. The Classic R is three decks high (the cargo deck is double height) and this art gives off two deck hints. Being only two decks is also why it's reallllly loooooong.

 

[Condottiere]

If you standardize the diameter, you can add frames.

 

[Anstett]

If you standardize the diameter, you can add frames.

It took three tries for me to read this correctly....

Could swear is was "... if you standardize the diameter, you can add flames..."

 

[Condottiere]

1. What you do is, pick a configuration, I'm thinking circle.

2. Pick a standard diameter.

3. Cut it to desired internal tonnage.

4. Add a nose and cap the rear.

5. Let's say it's streamlined and gravitated, which means sixty kilostarbux per tonne.

6. Because it's the exact same diameter, just a question of length, hull costs should be a lot cheaper.

7. If you modularize the internals, that becomes aftermarket.

8. While configuration of drives is unknown, for more powerful manoeuvre drives, the added on rear could flare out in order to contain them.

9. You could probably squeeze the bridges in order to fit them in.

 

[Yatima]

...

1. What you do is, pick a configuration, I'm thinking circle.

2. Pick a standard diameter.

3. Cut it to desired internal tonnage.

4. Add a nose and cap the rear.

5. Let's say it's streamlined and gravitated, which means sixty kilostarbux per tonne.

6. Because it's the exact same diameter, just a question of length, hull costs should be a lot cheaper.

7. If you modularize the internals, that becomes aftermarket.

8. While configuration of drives is unknown, for more powerful manoeuvre drives, the added on rear could flare out in order to contain them.

9. You could probably squeeze the bridges in order to fit them in.

This is literally the ship design system used by the Jovian faction in DreamPod 9's Jovian Chronicles RPG (and associated wargames). Ships are pieced together from forward hulls, centrifuges, drive sections, cargo racks etc, all around a standardised spine with data and power conduits. It's an excellent concept, though the tech level differs a lot from Traveller.

 

[Condottiere]

It's a pretty clear demonstration of modular construction.

Though, in my example, the main body of the hull is a sausage with a fixed diameter, that gets capped in the front and rear, and the sausage hull main section, can be any length, than viably be considered structurally sound.

 

[Yatima]

They also have the best ship minis, too <3

 

[alex_greene]

Oh, I adore this Dachshund class subbie. So much extra cargo space. It's just showing off.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Do any of the Jovian Chronicles books have ship construction rules? And where are the rules for space combat?

I only have two of their books, the Spacer's Guide and the Space Equipment book.