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.

 

[Spartan159]

Feeling a bit sheepish, but... Um, where is the entry cell for inputting ship's tonnage? I'm looking at the Ship Info tab.

 

[Spartan159]

Feeling a bit sheepish, but... Um, where is the entry cell for inputting ship's tonnage? I'm looking at the Ship Info tab.

Nevermind, found it on the Hull tab.

 

[Spartan159]

Has the Self Maintenance modification from Deepnight been discussed?

From page 25 of the Campaign Guide:



From the Ship information sheet on page 27:




Would it be reasonable to ask for this to be added?

 

[Endie]

Even by MJD standards this is surely crazily off-the-cuff, one-off and nonsensical. And it’s competing in a strong field in that race.

 

[Condottiere]

Why exactly do we need mini cranes outside the hull?

Space barnacles?

 

[Arkathan]

252.52% repeating is an odd multiple of the hull.
Which is to say, even after you posted the snippet, I still don't have a rule to implement.

 

[Spartan159]

252.52% repeating is an odd multiple of the hull.
Which is to say, even after you posted the snippet, I still don't have a rule to implement.

Actual Hull with all sub stuff is 75,000 tons. I'll go digging again and see what I can find. And Ththpppbbtt to the doubters

 

[Technetium 98]

252.52% repeating is an odd multiple of the hull.

It's just MCr0.1/ton, the original Element classes were a bit weird. Not modules, separate 'ships' that were welded together over weeks.

 

[Arkathan]

It's just MCr0.1/ton, the original Element classes were a bit weird. Not modules, separate 'ships' that were welded together over weeks.

Thanks. I've implemented pods, the .1 was what I needed.

 

[EccentRick]

They also buried in the campaign's Referee Handbook that Deepnight Revelation needs 1,000 SU per day instead of the typical 750 as "The needs of keeping a ship operational without starport visits and regular dockside maintenance increases the consumption of supplies, offset by advanced recycling and the ability of a dedicated crew to operate in a very lean supply situation."
It's not explicitly connected to the Self-Maintenance modification as described in the campaign book, this seems to be the abstraction of dealing with the standard 'while we're docked and not in space' maintenances vs. the 'annual' maintenance of the modification text, but for the use cases when a feature that expensive (and crew unfriendly) is installed I'd be surprised if this piece wasn't also a consideration.

 

[MasterGwydion]

Has the Self Maintenance modification from Deepnight been discussed?

From page 25 of the Campaign Guide:

View attachment 5821

From the Ship information sheet on page 27:

View attachment 5820


Would it be reasonable to ask for this to be added?

I don't use it as it is poorly written and poorly implemented garbage.

What gravity are the repair bots pulling against that they require derricks on the outside of the ship to accomplish it?

I can accomplish the same thing as this, by the rules, with 1% of the hull dedicated to Repair Drones or Repair Bots and a workshop. Way cheaper and way less complicated.

 

[Spartan159]

The problem I run into is the fanatical devotion of more than a few to the annual maintenance rules. This was the *only* even close to the rules option I have seen allowing something like long distance exploration without being tied to a class A starport of the appropriate tech level. Mind you, I am playing solo, and can rule whatever I like, but I prefer to stay as close to RAW as I can. I have strong opinions on the situation but I will not voice them here. Frustration level is running redline on the reactor though.

Oh, and I agree about the silliness rating on the "cranes in space" deal. Uh, yeah.