Ask MongooseMatt ANYTHING!!!

[Terry Mixon]

Okay, not really anything, but when we post questions about the rules or potential typos in the feedback area, we often don't receive a response, so I'm creating this thread in the hopes of getting some response to questions we have, even if it is "we're looking at that" or some such.

I'll kick this off with a question I posted a few days ago. The emergency low berths in High Guard 2022 Update are listed at MC1 a pop. Seems real pricy since Mongoose 1e and all the previous versions of Traveller we checked had it being KCr100. In Mongoose 1e, it was listed as MCr.1 and we suspect a typo. Can we get some clartity on that so we can update the starship build sheet to reflect what we suspect if we're right? Thanks.

Also, allow me to suggest that adding KCr, BCr (or GCr to please @Geir), and TCr to your repertoire would be really helpful and would minimize the complaints about not having comma separation in your big numbers, too.

And sorry for all the wild AMA questions you're about to get @MongooseMatt.

 

[Condottiere]

You match and mate the cargo hatches and/or airlocks, which are somewhat adjustable.

What I forgot to mention, is that docking clamps likely need to grab the centre of gravity.

 

[Arkathan]

Way back when, someone posted that docking clamps had integrated airlocks.

I swallowed that.

Only years later, it occurred to me that it would be somewhat tough to stuff a two tonne airlock, into a one tonne docking clamp.

It is easy if the clamp's airlock is one of the free ones that take up no space.

 

[Terry Mixon]

 

[rinku]

I tend towards the view that if the clamps don't include those things, it's trivial to set up connectors between the two ships. Per the discussion in the other thread, it seems a no brainer that there would be standard utility ports for power, and for life support stuff, even if only for emergencies (although they would commonly be used while ship systems were offline during refit or maintenance).

Edit: further thought - it takes a while to unclamp. Plenty of scope there for part of the process being decoupling the power and such.

 

[hopsnbaer]

It is easy if the clamp's airlock is one of the free ones that take up no space.

I put an extra 2 Ton Airlock in next to the clamp.

 

[Condottiere]

It's not so much you couldn't add these things on, or something more imaginative.

It's more assumptions that are made about what something that it can do, when it seems likely it can't.

Beyond Traveller magic technology.

There's got to be a limit of how much capacity a given docking clamp can effectively hold.

 

[Terry Mixon]

It's not so much you couldn't add these things on, or something more imaginative.

It's more assumptions that are made about what something that it can do, when it seems likely it can't.

Beyond Traveller magic technology.

There's got to be a limit of how much capacity a given docking clamp can effectively hold.

Well, we know the Type V can hold 50,000 tons as the Hadrian Battle Rider uses it. That was why I picked that size for the largest pods I created.

Can they hold more? The rules don’t cap them but probably.

Perhaps the rules should change to scale up the larger ones and their capacity for it doesn’t stop at Type V. They just get beefier, more expensive, and can handle more as they grow.

 

[Terry Mixon]

I put an extra 2 Ton Airlock in next to the clamp.

Honestly, all the “included” airlocks could be beside them, no matter the size.

 

[Condottiere]

I think the impression is more that being integrated with the docking clamp, it would automatically synchronize with one on the docked hull.

 

[NOLATrav]

This is the beauty and the curse of the Traveller design system. We can gleefully accept FTL ships, gravity manipulation and handheld fusion weapons but it all breaks down when you try to mate a cargo ship to a Starport. And the Third Imperium is “built on trade between the stars.”

I love it. It’s a glorious mess.

At TL12 on/offloading cargo at a high port is probably as easy as grabbing your bag from the shuttle bus to the airport is today. How that happens is up to you, that’s the beauty of it. It certainly won’t be dangerous or overly time-consuming, otherwise trade wouldn’t be available to tramps/PCs.

Go nuts detailing the airlocks. Then do life support machinery. And true tracking of stores and spares. And landing gear for streamlined ships. And and and… and that’s the curse of it.

I say this as a friend because I’m worried about you. All of you

 

[Sigtrygg]

It was much simpler when a ship was hull - drives - bridge - computer - staterooms - cargo - hardpoints - vehicles

The more you drill down and complicate, the more parts you have that have to fit together, the greater the unintended consequence...

the 20t bridge really did a marvelous job of subsuming systems - airlocks - controls - avionics - sensors - comms - ship's locker

simpler times.

 

[ottarrus]

So is Armies 5FW coming out today?

 

[Hardwire]

My opinion on this is if a GM/Players want to drill down and get very detailed, then the should. Having suggestions and guidelines for such could make for an interesting supplement. But don't muddy up the base rules forcing everyone down that road.

 

[Sigtrygg]

So is Armies 5FW coming out today?

No

 

[Sigtrygg]

My opinion on this is if a GM/Players want to drill down and get very detailed, then the should. Having suggestions and guidelines for such could make for an interesting supplement. But don't muddy up the base rules forcing everyone down that road.

I agree. Using simple LBB:2 look up tables or HG80 percentages I can knock up a basic <hull - drives - bridge - computer - staterooms - cargo - hardpoints - vehicles> ship in a couple of minute.

But when I design a ship for PC use I dig out FF&S and by the end of it have a ship with deck plan and bespoke hit location table. Or if a player wants to go away and design such a ship I check it over and then say thanks.