Deep Space Jumps: Easier than you think

[rust]

Yeah, thus my comment on MTU. Actually, I'm not sure if Classic Traveller has one explicitly - I think it may be finessed by the lower limit on ships allowed in hyperspace (100dt). (I'd be curious to hear otherwise, tho)

Mongoose Traveller also has the rule that only a craft of 100+ dtons can
have a jump drive, but a drone can of course also have 100+ dtons, it
does not have to be a small craft - in fact, there could be 100,000 dton
drone battleships controlled by high tech computers and / or crewed by
robots.

 

[captainjack23]

Yeah, thus my comment on MTU. Actually, I'm not sure if Classic Traveller has one explicitly - I think it may be finessed by the lower limit on ships allowed in hyperspace (100dt). (I'd be curious to hear otherwise, tho)

Mongoose Traveller also has the rule that only a craft of 100+ dtons can
have a jump drive, but a drone can of course also have 100+ dtons, it
does not have to be a small craft - in fact, there could be 100,000 dton
drone battleships controlled by high tech computers and / or crewed by
robots.

Oh yeah. Robots with battleships. That'll work out well.

Now where did I hear of some kind of cautionary tale on that matter ? :shock:

 

[rust]

Now where did I hear of some kind of cautionary tale on that matter ? :shock:

As long as THE COMPUTER IS YOUR FRIEND, there is no reason to get
paranoid, citizen. :twisted:

 

[AndrewW]

Then again, I realize that I wouldnt need it, 'cause I'm always right about my TU........

Rules:

#1 The referee is always right
#2 If the referee is wrong see rule #1

 

[locarno24]

Mongoose Traveller also has the rule that only a craft of 100+ dtons can have a jump drive, but a drone can of course also have 100+ dtons, it does not have to be a small craft - in fact, there could be 100,000 dton drone battleships controlled by high tech computers and / or crewed by robots.

True, but the 'counts as crewman' drone command unit is a small-craft thing. Not sure what you'd need - Multiple computers running Intellect software and Expert programmes, I guess.

 

[rust]

True, but the 'counts as crewman' drone command unit is a small-craft thing. Not sure what you'd need - Multiple computers running Intellect software and Expert programmes, I guess.

A single immobile robot on the bridge and the usual repair robots should
do nicely, I think.

 

[Fovean]

IMTU I've been toying with 100 dton jump drones as advance scouts to unexplored systems (MTU is pretty small, just a few subsectors). Cylinders jam-packed with sensors and Expert programs, they can spend a month in-system before jumping back home. It's a cool way to set up meta-trends like future trade routes and impending resource wars.

But I feel you have to accept stronger computers and AI than the Traveller norm for the paradigm to make sense - which means stronger computers and some AI are a part of everyday life. I mean, if an unmanned probe can jump 2 parsecs, take densitometer, distance, climate and gravity readings and then jump back with the data and possibly samples from the local asteroid belt, why do the Scouts need an Exploration branch?

This has led to a sense that computers, robots and AI actually do most mundane tasks, so the characters have to be especially good, clever or stupid to make their mark in the universe :twisted:

 

[rust]

I mean, if an unmanned probe can jump 2 parsecs, take densitometer, distance, climate and gravity readings and then jump back with the data and possibly samples from the local asteroid belt, why do the Scouts need an Exploration branch?

You still need someone who lands on a planet to take samples and do re-
search there. There is a game named Expendables which has this as its
focus: Probes discover planets and gather the basic sensor data, then "ex-
pendables" (in fact well trained scouts) are sent there to explore the pla-
nets in depth and find out whether humans can live there - and what the
probes have missed to detect.

 

[DFW]

Not sure what you'd need - Multiple computers running Intellect software and Expert programmes, I guess.

Yes, that for pilot & astrogation + a repair robot running Expert Engineer (J-Drive). That's it according to star ship rules.