Old Ships ideas for Traveller

[Tyrant]

I just absolutely LOVE the mechanics for getting a discount on the price of ships by having them be old and acquire quirks over the years.
I've decided that each of my four players gets to roll each in turn clockwise for every 10 years of service, and they each get to roll 1D6 to see how many ship shares they have. I'll allow them to go around as often as they like, until one of them decides that they don't want to go, at which point, the rolling stops and we count up the ship shares.

I know this means that they might end up owning the ship if they rack up one hundred ship shares among them, but I'm guessing the ship will be one hell of a quirky boat by then, as I've decided that everything stacks. So if they get "increase maintenance cost by 50%" 4 times, then the ship's maintenance cost will be 200% normal : ) If they get "Psychic echoes" multiple time, I just might have to get nasty :twisted:

I'm wondering though, has anyone seen any sort of expanded table for effects to apply to Old ships ? Or even perhaps from another source I might be able to adapt to MT?

 

[aspqrz]

I know its not particularly helpful, but its sort of peripherally relevant.

In the Darrians sourcebook from, lo, these many years ago, there is a comment to the effect that the difference between TL16 Starships (even civilian ones) and earlier TL starships is that the TL16 ones are a) still in service after 1000 years and b) are still economically viable to keep in service after 1000 years ... and the kicker then is, as it further states by asking how many TL15 Starships will still be in service/economically viable to keep in service after 1000 years? The answer, as you might expect, is ... none. Zero. Nada. Nil. :shock:

So, how old can a ship get before it really has to be scrapped? You've done a good job of describing one that would be scrapped

Just a thought :wink:

Phil

 

[towerwarlock]

I do know that I have had an old ship or two. I had one that had so many sensor mods, engine upgrades, and more smuggling compartments than entire navies put together that it was rediculous. To top it off you should have seen the reputation it had as a honest trader.

 

[Golan2072]

I've always considered the "official" life expectancy of a typical Traveller ship to be around 100-200 years, with TNE using mostly rickety tin-buckets at the far edge of their safe work-life. Anything beyond 150 or so years would probably require a whole new table of troubles to the desperate folk who dare use them instead of selling them for scrap.

 

[BP]

Sometimes older can be better

Not to mention, the ship may have been well taken care of and sheltered from stellar winds, etc. most of her life...

'Yep - she's got'a few jumps behind her. But my grandpappy pretty much kept her parked in this here 'stroid since the war... heck I wasn't even dust in my momma's eye then...'
'Let's see thats over 20 orbs now - some 160 of your years. He kept her purring tho - ain't a seal not tight on her. Since he passed - 'bouts a quarter orb back - me and pops have kept up on her, but we ain't really got a use for her and not like we got the school'n to take her out system...'
'Well I'm no spring chicken - and pops done come down with the damplung - sures could use them new credits. Don't think grands would mind - he'da liked you guys...'

 

[Tyrant]

You know, I hadn't thought about the fact that ships can get too old to be of any use...

Bah, I don't care. I like the idea of a ship that's over a century old. Gives it character. I've never been one to allow "logic" or what's "plausible" to get in the way of a good game : )

Besides, if the darn thing is plagued with problems, that explains why a motely crew of broke, would be bounty hunters (my PC's) would be able to scrounge up the fund for their own ship. After the initial design, the thing would have cost over 140 Million credits. No way they could have gotten it new. However, if they rack up 100 ship shares, or close to 100 shares, it can be explained by them finding said ship in a lot of discarded space wrecks, having been abandoned there after a century (or more) of service.

And if it ends up needing a lot of funds to maintain, well that's great, as it's a powerful motivator for getting work, no matter how dangerous or unpleasant : )