Excel Ship Designer v2025.07.22

[Terry Mixon]

If you are using robots as crew, you would be using the custom crew option for actual numbers. The recommended military and commercial numbers are still there for reference, but it is up to you to fill those spots.

I thought about that after I would you. You’re right and the auto counting of them for crew doesn’t work because they can have multiple skills that would count.

 

[J. L. Brown]

One approach may be to add two columns 'Robots Available' and 'Robots assigned'. The 'Available' column is just a tally of all robots with the skill listed, while the 'Assigned' column is manually filled out to a number less than or equal to the 'Available' column.

If either 'Commercial' or 'Military' crew is selected, then the 'Assigned' column is just a direct subtraction on the crew number on that line.

 

[Arkathan]

For downtime, maintenance or critical hit casualties, I would use just a few cheap robots with skill level one in each skill you use for robots. You don't need them often and can schedule to ensure it is not an issue

 

[Arkathan]

One approach may be to add two columns 'Robots Available' and 'Robots assigned'. The 'Available' column is just a tally of all robots with the skill listed, while the 'Assigned' column is manually filled out to a number less than or equal to the 'Available' column.

If either 'Commercial' or 'Military' crew is selected, then the 'Assigned' column is just a direct subtraction on the crew number on that line.

An inactive reserve field could subtract from the total

 

[ResslynHalvik]

You maintain both with your workshop as that is where the "Maintenance tools" are kept. Better if you have a Robotics Lab, but it is not actually needed.

 

[Galadrion]

If you are doing maintenance, you are probably not using the Pilot Robot to fly around with the engines open. The Pilot would need maintained on the same schedule as the ship.

Edit - Or the self-maintenance function to never require them to be maintained.

Robot Handbook Update, p 108 makes it clear that 'maintenance' is only needed once per year and takes only 1D6 hours. Having even just one extra Robot crew for each position seems like overkill.

Scheduled maintenance, yes... but I have long since learned that not everything (especially not anything maintenance-related!) happens to schedule. (This is both in-game - evil game-masters! - and IRL - just as evil managers!), and that if possible, I want to keep a spare in reserve. Because you can never be completely certain...

 

[Terry Mixon]

You maintain both with your workshop as that is where the "Maintenance tools" are kept. Better if you have a Robotics Lab, but it is not actually needed.

And you need specific skills, not just mechanic.

This maintenance can be performed by a properly skilled Traveller, with an Average (8+) Profession (robotics) or Science (robotics) check (1D hours, EDU), although Electronics (computers) can be used at DM-2.

 

[MasterGwydion]

And you need specific skills, not just mechanic.

This maintenance can be performed by a properly skilled Traveller, with an Average (8+) Profession (robotics) or Science (robotics) check (1D hours, EDU), although Electronics (computers) can be used at DM-2.

True, but only two things mention having maintenance toolsets, Workshops and Robotics Labs.