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.

 

[Terry Mixon]

In theory, you could place an airlock between two docking clamps, which, in theory, would double capacity, and give a two point contact stabilization.

Or the clamps in a single clamp could be placed all around the airlock.

 

[Hardwire]

I’m not trying to force anyone down any road. Those of us building ships need to know if there are included airlocks (and if so, what the tonnage is) so we can account for everything.

I’m not saying a docking clamp can’t have an airlock. Just that we need to account for it as a separate system as it isn’t included by default.

If a docking clamp includes an airlock, what is its base tonnage? 2-tons and suitable for people? 10-tons and suitable for cargo? Is the default airlock for a Type I Docking Clamp different than the one for a Type V Docking Clamp?

The lack of mentioning an airlock at all makes me sure they need to be accounted for separately. Also, docking clamps, airlocks, and high-speed fuel transfer (via drop tank mounts) are all accounted for separately, have their own tonnage requirements, and costs. I believe they can all be added, if desired, but need to be calculated as discrete elements.

And, frankly, there are valid use cases for docking clamps without airlocks. Say a small freighter with ten Type I Docking Clamps to secure external cargo pods during transit. No access required or desired. Should they pay KCr100 per ton of airlock when it isn’t wanted?

Seriously, it’s a lot simpler if this is à la cart. Want vanilla docking clamps? Just get them. Need an airlock? Add that in. Want high speed fuel transfer? Put a drop tank mounts (minus the explosives, please) on the tray. Check out and be done with it. That means only a sentence added to make this clear.

I feel the same about drop tank speed fuel transfer equipment. Slow fuel transfer and power don’t have a separate cost in ship building and can be (I believe) assumed to be present and free unless Mongoose says not.

How about it @MongooseMatt? Do airlocks need to be accounted for separately (free 2-ton if available or being purchased if needed) or does some level of airlock (what tonnage?) come gratis (separate from the free 2-ton versions that come from something’s base tonnage) with the purchase of a docking clamp? It it exists, does the base airlock tonnage change as the docking clamp goes up in size?

If there is a default level of airlock, we need to pay for any extra airlock tonnage beyond that we desire, correct? Do power transfer couplings and slow speed fuel transfer come free? Do we need to pay for a drop tank mount (I think we do) to get jump speed fuel transfer speeds?

I know Mongoose likes to keep things vague in many cases, but this needs to be clarified because docking clamps either allow airlock access or they don’t, and we need to know how they work. Please give us some clarity.

If you’d like to also clarify if there is a free power coupling (I would think that is trivial) and the ability to transfer fuel (slow being free and drop tank speed requiring you pay for a drop tank mount?) that would be great, too.

Side issue: Do Type V Docking Clamps really go up to infinity? We know they can carry 50,000 tons of Hadrian Battle Rider but shouldn’t there be a maximum? Or additional pre-stated increments for Type V and larger to allow for more with ever increasing tonnage requirements and costs?

Do higher tonnages require multiple Type V Docking Clamps? Like 1 additional Type V per 50,000 tons (or part thereof) over 50,000 tons? Or does a Hadrian need more than a single Type V? (I actually favor one Type V for each 10,000 tons or part thereof, so a Hadrian would need five Type V Docking Clamps.)

If not, can a station dock a million-ton Warmonger Battle Tender with a single Type V Docking Clamp? Could a ten million ton station dock to another ten million ton station with but a single Type V Docking Clamp?

See the problem? The upper end needs to be clearly spelled out.

Clarifying this all before @paltrysum does the minor High Guard Update would be helpful to everyone designing ships.

Ok, but to have more and more of this minutia added to the core rules you are telling everyone to develop a ship you now need to consider these guideline, and that complicates thing, further dividing the "I don't know how" from those of us that do understand. Make a game to complicated and you start loosing those that want to play as a hobby rather then needing a degree and treating it as a full time job.

There is a reason very few people play SFB.

 

[MasterGwydion]

Ok, but to have more and more of this minutia added to the core rules you are telling everyone to develop a ship you now need to consider these guideline, and that complicates thing, further dividing the "I don't know how" from those of us that do understand. Make a game to complicated and you start loosing those that want to play as a hobby rather then needing a degree and treating it as a full time job.

There is a reason very few people play SFB.

That is why all of the ship construction rules should be in one book, nicely organized and streamlined. Then you have the "base" rules chapter for the people who don't really care, and you have the expanded equipment chapter which goes into more detail on the options. Has stuff for everyone and it is all in one place. No muss, no fuss.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Ok, but to have more and more of this minutia added to the core rules you are telling everyone to develop a ship you now need to consider these guideline, and that complicates thing, further dividing the "I don't know how" from those of us that do understand. Make a game to complicated and you start loosing those that want to play as a hobby rather then needing a degree and treating it as a full time job.

There is a reason very few people play SFB.

I disagree that this makes it more complicated or that it is minutia. Clarifying what a system does is a basic thing and necessary. A few sentences would clarify it one way or another.

As the Internet say, "Not a problem; Barely and inconvenience."

 

[MasterGwydion]

I disagree that this makes it more complicated or that it is minutia. Clarifying what a system does is a basic thing and necessary. A few sentences would clarify it one way or another.

As the Internet say, "Not a problem; Barely and inconvenience."

Isn't that kind of the point of sourcebooks like High Guard? To expand on the basics?

I can play Traveller just fine with just the CRB. I don't need High Guard or the Robot Handbook, or any of the other books to play the game. I only need those books if I want to increase My options. If I want to keep it totally simple, I stick with just the CRB. I often do this with new players who are not familiar with the Traveller system. Usually after a few months of playing, most of them are chomping at the bit to be able to buy some of the equipment and use some of the design sequences in the other books.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Isn't that kind of the point of sourcebooks like High Guard? To expand on the basics?

I can play Traveller just fine with just the CRB. I don't need High Guard or the Robot Handbook, or any of the other books to play the game. I only need those books if I want to increase My options. If I want to keep it totally simple, I stick with just the CRB. I often do this with new players who are not familiar with the Traveller system. Usually after a few months of playing, most of them are chomping at the bit to be able to buy some of the equipment and use some of the design sequences in the other books.

Good point!

 

[MasterGwydion]

Good point!

Although, along this same train of thought, somewhere in the many books that supply us with new ships and such, under each new ship description, there should be a few words of what ship in the CRB to use (the generic substitution ship, if you will) if you are not using any of the expanded books. As not all of Us have all of the books that contain the many different ship components, in any new publication, there should be a roughly (very, very roughly) equivalent ship listed in its description from the CRB that could be used instead.

Just My 2Cr, so ignore at will.