In my professional life I work in Transportation and Logistics, and one of my favorite things has always been Merchants and their ships. I know about and have Supplement 10 but it doesn't have what I am looking for. What I am wanting to see is bigger ships like the ones in the back of GURPS Far Trader, since I dislike the GURPS rules does anyone know or have stats for the big guys? In particular I am looking for stuff such as a Lighter which makes loading and unloading much quicker for a faster turn around.
Merchant Starships
- Thread starter JBRocky
- Start date
Condottiere
Emperor Mongoose
You have to figure out trade flows first, and what niche in that traffic it occupies.
Yep, the same with me. I always wondered how a new colony is founded in the Traveller universe, because in my view this would require ships able to transport thousands of colonists plus all of their equipment and vehicles. I know of a couple of truly big warship designs, but I am not aware of any designs of equally big civilian ships.JBRocky said:
AnotherDilbert
Emperor Mongoose
I made a back of the envelope estimate of a major trade route, as between a few population A subsector capitals and came up with this:
Heavy Long-Haul Freighter
70 000 dT (excluding jump fuel in external tanks)
J-3, M-1 (while carrying a 30 000 dT external tank)
Partially streamlined with scoops and purification plant for wilderness refuelling.
Carries 53 000 dT cargo in 1000 dT modules.
Cost: GCr 18, or GCr 16 in quantity.
It is dependent on major starports to shift the cargo modules, but can refuel itself in the wilderness.
This is approximately the same cargo capacity as:
According to my estimate J-3 was cheapest on long trade routes. Less took too many jumps, meaning less cargo carried per year.
Heavy Long-Haul Freighter
70 000 dT (excluding jump fuel in external tanks)
J-3, M-1 (while carrying a 30 000 dT external tank)
Partially streamlined with scoops and purification plant for wilderness refuelling.
Carries 53 000 dT cargo in 1000 dT modules.
Cost: GCr 18, or GCr 16 in quantity.
It is dependent on major starports to shift the cargo modules, but can refuel itself in the wilderness.
Code:
TL 12 Hull 31500 18 035,6
Desired ∆TL Rat # dTon Cost Power
Hull 70000 14000
Config Sphere 3 3 3383
Hull strength Light 1 1
Repair Drones 1 1 700 140
JumpD Budget 3 -0 3 1 7505 8443 39000 Energy Inefficient
ManœuvreD Budget 1 -0 2 1 1000 1500 13000 Energy Inefficient
PowerP TL8 High Technology 3 1 3710 2783 53007
Emergency Power 1 1 371 278
Drop Tank Collar 30 000 dT 1 1 1 120 60
Drop Tanks 30 000 dT 3 750
Fuel, Jump
Fuel, Power 4 4 1 371
Fuel Purification 24 h 24 h 1 1500 75
Bridge 1 1 60 350
Comp CORE/40 8 40 1 45
Backup Comp m/15fib 3 15 1 3
Sensors Improved 3 1 3 4 4
Array Distributed 3 1 6 9
Signal Processing Improved 1 1 1 4 1
Shallow Pen Suite 1 10 5 1
Staterooms 100% 180 180 720 90
Common Areas 50% 50% 1 360 36
Escape Capsule 1 360 180 7
Library 1 1 4 4
Medical Bay 5% of crew 1 2 8 4
Workshop 1 1 6 1
Low Berths 10 10 1 5 1 1
Cargo 199
Module 1 000 dT 53 53000
Craft 40 dT 2 2 160 32
Software 15
Intellect/1 10 9 1 1 1
Jump Control/3 15 3 3 1 0,3
Evade/2 15 9 2 1 2
Virtual Crew/0 5 9 1 1 1
Anti-Hijack/2 12 9 2 1 14
Auto-Repair/2 20 9 2 1 10
Expert Systems 1
Crew 165
Command 24
Bridge 6
Pilot 1
Astrogator 1
Sensor & EW 4
Engineer 420
Engineer 349
Maintenance 70
Service 40
Admin 35
Medic 4,00125
Steward 0,15
Gunner
Flight 4
Troops 0
Passengers
High 0
Mid 5
Low 0This is approximately the same cargo capacity as:
According to my estimate J-3 was cheapest on long trade routes. Less took too many jumps, meaning less cargo carried per year.
ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
Have you looked at Star Trader from Zozer Games? Or is that too small of ships than what you're looking for?JBRocky said:
Reynard
Emperor Mongoose
I've never got around to actually designing the superhaulers but I have always assumed they are common background in star systems along jump routes and planetary stations. Players could get the description of these huge behemoths lumbering at their 1G speeds dwarfing the usual adventure ship with their bulk and at times blotting out the star as they pass. Coming into port would give players the image of what mass is as these things hang in the void taking what feels like tremendous amounts of local space. More often the size of the tanker, cargo hauler and people mover will depend on the size of the starport and the local product demands making those multi hundred thousand ton monsters swarming above the skies awesome yet a bit frightening like Swords of Damocles. The most common merchant superhauler might be hydrogen tankers both for local transport to starports and planetary facilities and to send fuel to systems without their own sources.
The most useful design. in my opinion, would be dedicated colony ships meant to haul all the needs, both people, equipment, supplies and facilities for initial development then, later, additional resources to expand the colony. Costs for such ships would be part of a colonization department.
The most useful design. in my opinion, would be dedicated colony ships meant to haul all the needs, both people, equipment, supplies and facilities for initial development then, later, additional resources to expand the colony. Costs for such ships would be part of a colonization department.
Annatar Giftbringer
Emperor Mongoose
Star trader is a good book for trading and playing with oneself- um I mean solo gaming 
In the current high guard there's also a 100,000 dton mega-freighter if that's what you're after?
In the current high guard there's also a 100,000 dton mega-freighter if that's what you're after?
ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
Annatar Giftbringer said:Star trader is a good book for trading and playing with oneself- um I mean solo gaming
I use the rules for my "real-time" Imperium markets. It just runs in the background, along with my starport/highport/lowport and city sims and world and jump/xboat route apps. That way, I have info on my screen I can zoom in on when needed during a game session.
ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
Me, too. All I can do is watch other peoples apps shown on their YouTube channels from afar. I keep hoping that full-on Traveller apps will be allowed for download some day by either Mongoose or FFE.SSWarlock said:
Annatar Giftbringer
Emperor Mongoose
ShawnDriscoll said:Annatar Giftbringer said:Star trader is a good book for trading and playing with oneself- um I mean solo gaming
I use the rules for my "real-time" Imperium markets. It just runs in the background, along with my starport/highport/lowport and city sims and world and jump/xboat route apps. That way, I have info on my screen I can zoom in on when needed during a game session.
Woah, hang on... You've got a computer running star trader simulations in the background, so that if and when you at any time during your sessions need fresh trade data, it's right there and you don't even have to lift a finger? Dude, that's awesome!
(And apparently it does other things too?! Sweet)
ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
It's like those screens you see at stock exchange and airline terminals. Readouts of prices/freight/commodities/arrival/departure/jump times from various cities/worlds/mainworlds/systems. With law and tech levels and travel zones listed out in real-time. I'd put it on a phone if I had one. For now, it's just Python 2.5 code on Windows 10, that I have running during games in G+ Hangout. My favorite part is watching the speed of mail across the sectors when set at fast speed.Annatar Giftbringer said:
Well in the The Traveller Adventure for CT there were Merchantmen in the 1 to 5k dTon range. In years of online discussion in various venues the common assumed freighter was 10k dTons, with ship's up to 50k dTons not being uncommon.
Though a most of the largest ships would be on specific dedicated runs just as they are here. (The new Triple E plus class services 3 ports in the far east and two in Europe, with only one port here in NA being dredged to accommodate it's size...)
When I have done plans for 4k+ dTon freighters they all have tended to look like Highliners from Dune.....
Though a most of the largest ships would be on specific dedicated runs just as they are here. (The new Triple E plus class services 3 ports in the far east and two in Europe, with only one port here in NA being dredged to accommodate it's size...)
When I have done plans for 4k+ dTon freighters they all have tended to look like Highliners from Dune.....
