Ship Design Philosophy

[Condottiere]

Starships: Engineering, Jump Drives, and a One Shot Venture Drive variant

V. Which does leave us with the bug out ship.

W. This isn't supposed to be widely known about, and thereof, unlikely to be much exercised, except in ensuring that ship systems are operational, just in case.

X. So it would be sitting in it's secret hangar, pristine condition, until you feel the need for speed, and a quick departure.

Y. While trying to jump while under ten diameters seems unnecessarily risky, it might seem less so depending on what's immediately behind you.

Z. Otherwise, ten diameters out, and it's manageable.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

1. We'll continue to assume that the Venture Drive remains the cheapest, viable, jump drive.

2. Cost modified by mass production from nine to eight and one tenth megastarbux.

3. With greater economies of scale, dropping that, or rounding off, to eight megastarbux.

4. Noting that engineering is going to be the most expensive aspect of the design.

5. At one hundred twenty parsec tonnes, you can't use it for anything but a monoparsec transition.

6. Technological level nine means that spare parts could be printed at any interstellar capable industrial base.

7. Not necessarily as cheap as original parts.

8. With an artisanal build, you'd need to roll ones twenty four times, to have a cost of 4'200'000 starbux.

9. The odds of rolling twenty-four 1s in a row with standard six-sided dice are approximately 1 in 4.7 quintillion (\(4,738,381,338,321,616,896\)).

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

A. If you think about it, you can better the odds with tonnage deflation.

B. Technological level/twelve highly technologized would be thirty percent, from ten to seven tonnes.

C. Cost increases from fifteen to twenty two and a half megastarbux.

D. You still roll twenty four dice, but times that by seven tonnes.

E. Average forty two times thirty five kilostarbux times seven, equals 10'290'000 starbux.

F. Bespoke it is.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

G. Anyway, manoeuvre drives have a greater relative propulsive output than jump drives.

H. Which means that for lower tonned spacecraft, I can't really pull a rabbit out of the hat with a standardized drive size.

I. Assuming technological level nine, that caps acceleration to factor/one, and that would be one and one fifth tonnes, presuming on one hundred twenty tonne spacecraft.

J. Budget variant, inflated size, increases volume to one and a half tonnes, at one and four fifths megastarbux.

K. Could distribute that to six quarter tonne modules, but then I'd have to find a smallcraft from which they'd originate from.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

L. One hundred twenty thrust tonnes divided by six is twenty.

M. Which normally would be a twenty tonne rather slow gig, or a lifeboat.

N. Awkward, since I have Confederation Navy standard light smallcraft at seventeen and a half tonnes.

O. Seven times seventeen and a half thrust tonnes is one hundred twenty two and a half thrust tonnes, which is probably within budgetary constraints.

P. Or six, at 0.875 gee.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

Q. Optionally, nine times 0.175 tonnes equals 1.56 tonnes.

R. Budget/inflated size 0.175 tonne equals 14 thrust tonnes at 262'500 starbux and one and two fifths power points.

S. Nine modules would produce one hundred twenty six tonnes of thrust, at fourteen power points, and 2'362'500 starbux.

T. Which would be one and one twentieth gees.

U. Ten percent discount would be 236'250 starbux each, or 2'126'250 starbux total..

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

V. Using a cluster of nine 0.175 tonne manoeuvre drivelets would be a later development, after the establishment of the Solomani Confederation.

W. The cluster allows both redundancy, and individual replacement of the drivelets, without coughing up for a complete refit.

X. While using multiple manoeuvre drive modules wouldn't be exactly be unknown, the number and size used was the result of trying to lower the cost of maintenance over the entire lifespan of the flea trader.

Y. You couldn't pull this off with the jump drive, since the Venture Drive is the about as small as you can lower the volume of a budget, or the default, versions.

Z. In theory, you could overclcok each drivelet separately, though that does bring into question exactly how this works with lower capped acceleration modules.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

1. Power plants depend on how the spacecraft consumes in energy, at any given round.

2. In our case, it would default to nineteen and one fifth power points for basic services, twelve for the jump drive, and twelve for the manoeuvre drive.

3. Other considerations would be sensors, weapon systems, fuel processor, and other spacecraft components.

4. For basic services, you can half that, without losing artificial gravity, or, presumably, climate control.

5. Oxygen regeneration very much tied to life support costs, and localized to accommodation types.

6. You can, further, disconnect spacecraft compartments from the power grid.

7. Though, doing so to specific accommodation types, also switches off oxygen regeneration.

8. Also, that includes compartments that engineering components are installed.

9. Since, presumably, it's what powers the control interface and background lighting.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

A. Which leads me to the conclusion, that thirtyish power points per round is probably sufficient for this particular starship to be fully operational.

B. Since we won't bother with either chemical or prefusion variants, obvious choice would be budget/inflated size, for eight power points per tonne at three tenths megastarbux.

C. Four tonnes should be enough, with a distributed power grid of four monotonners.

D. In theory, you could install them into one or more modules, which would allow for easy replacement, without a major refit.

E. But it's somewhat unclear if there is a minimum volume for modules, since my particular view is that if it's a spacecraft hull, design rules would make that five tonnes.

F. Though, you could have multiple modules, all five tonnes each, and use them to reconfigure the interior, sans the spacecraft organic drives.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

G. Accommodations depends on on what compromises you're willing to go in, for that recycled breath of oxygen.

H. Stables seems default, since it can cater for twenty mouth breathers, at an operating cost of twenty five hundred starbux per month, but a minimum tonnage of ten, and twenty five kilostarbux, plus one squatting toilet (which, presumably, can be upgraded).

I. Staterooms seem the staple, four tonnes at half a megastarbux, plus fresher, at a kilostarbux per month for life support, unoccupied; each person costs an additional kilostarbux per month, and double occupancy, I would guess, means that's capped at two occupants per stateroom.

J. You can half a stateroom, at two tonnes, for half occupancy, but, presumably, still a kilostarbux for activation, and another, for the occupier.

K. You can upgrade to a six tonne four fifths megastarbux high variant, with an increased life support cost of three kilostarbux (though, presumably, the per body cost remains the same), or ten tonne one and a half megastarbux luxury variant, at a life support cost of five kilostarbux.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

L. The space is essentially a rectangular cuboid with space for one slave, minimal room for possessions and toiletry with a curtain or blind for privacy.

M. Slave quarters are typically arranged in blocks and stacked two or three units high and an extensive number of weeks or months spent in slave quarters can be wearying for those not accustomed to minimalism or hardship.

N. The enslaved humans of the Glorious Empire are used to the tight accommodations and suffer few ill effects.

O. Each slave quarters block consumes 0.5 tons and costs Cr25000.

P. In addition, life support costs Cr250 per slave per month.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

Q. Volume ratio is the same with stables, twenty humans per ten tonnes.

R. Cost, though, is twenty times more.

S. I think it is consensual that two hundred and fifty starbux life support provides sufficient oxygen, climate control, and hydration, for a human.

T. I rather doubt that the Aslan want to pay an additional kilostarbux for each of their human slaves.

U. Refreshers would probably have to be provided separately.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

Q. Adding cabin space gives the crew more room to move around and to access other components of the ship, such as the engines or cargo bay.

R. However, it does not provide comfortable living space and is generally only used in interplanetary craft where passengers are only expected to be on board for a few hours.

S. Every 1.5 tons dedicated to cabin space allows the ship to carry another passenger in moderate comfort.

T. Costs the same for life support, a quarter of a kilostarbux, as slave quarters and stables.

U. It's implied that cabin space is a quasi half stateroom, so we don't know if an additional kilostarbux per human is required for life support.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

V. Outside of the stables, it's probable that you have to provide a fresher, and even then, it might be advisable addition.

W. Or, optionally, there is always a bucket and the airlock.

X. Stables are an insulated environment, so the kilostarbux per human doesn't apply.

Y. Otherwise, you'd have an additional cost per cow in the text.

Z. Which, I would speculate, would be double the life support costs of a human.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

1. What's an interesting alternative is the brig.

2. It's basically a stateroom, repurposed for involuntary imprisonment.

3. This is a secure chamber with reinforced walls and a door that can be manually locked from the outside.

4. Designed to hold up to six prisoners, it can uncomfortably hold double that number if necessary.

5. There are no internal facilities or controls, save for a curtained fresher and six pull-down slabs that can be used as beds.

6. Although intended for restraining captives or crew held on a charge, a brig can double as a temporary office or storage area.

7. It costs half that of a stateroom.

8. It seems to have the same overhead life support costs, for upto twelve humans.

9. Whether that includes the kilostarbux per human, who knows?

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

A. A barracks may only be used to carry soldiers, basic passengers or other personnel who will put up with cramped conditions.

B. This includes marines, ship’s troops or other military personnel who have no other function aboard the ship.

C. Allocation is one tonne per human, with a cost of fifty kilostarbux.

D. Which is about the same of a lot of other accommodations, which quote twenty five kilostarbux per half tonne.

E. Life support is also at five hundred starbux per tonne, compared to two hundred fifty per half tonne.

F. Basically, double allocation of the minimum accommodation that can accommodate, somewhat, most humans.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

G. Four seat acceleration benches cost thirty kilostarbux, and take up a tonne, each.

H. Half tonne acceleration seats cost ten kilostarbux, each.

I. The obvious question that comes to mind, is, where's the life support?

J. While not luxurious, it is commonly used on commercial small craft designed for short haul flights to and from orbit and flights to close satellites.

K. I guess you calculate internal space, establish oxygen volume, and divide by number of humans, to get the manhours.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

L. A steerage block consists of tiny sleeping cubicles for up to 24 people plus a small general-purpose ‘exercise and recreation’ space, a minimal galley and a borderline inadequate set of freshers.

M. The block consumes four tons plus 1.5 tons per person to be accommodated, thus ranging from 5.5 to 40 tons, at a cost of MCr0.1 per ton.

N. Steerage passage is generally equivalent to basic passage as noted in the Traveller Core Rulebook, but prices can vary considerably.

O. Commonly a middle passage ticket can be exchanged for steerage passage for four people or possibly as many as six if the ship is not full and the passenger is persuasive.

P. Again, how is life support calculated?

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

Q. Some Solomani exploration ships employ small accommodation blocks to provide minimal living space for the crew of a vessel or craft.

R. Such blocks are not suitable for long deployments unless the ship has lavish recreation spaces but they are useful aboard small craft that might have to stay out for a few days, or to allow a few extra personnel to be crammed into a vessel at need.

S. The accommodation block contains two racks of three bunks, minimal storage space for personal effects, a fresher and a mini-galley, plus a ‘utility and recreation’ space separated from the sleeping area by a simple sliding door.

T. With ‘hot bunking’ – sleeping in shifts – a single accommodation block can accommodate 12 or even more personnel in the short term.

U. A few days of this, even aboard a small craft with little space to do anything, is not particularly harmful.

 

[Condottiere]

Starships: Cheapest Possible

V. In the long term, personnel will be fatigued or even suffer mental health issues unless they can get out and move around.

W. This might be working in less cramped areas of a ship, or outside a landed small craft serving as a surface base.

X. Its surrounding bulkhead is of a standard equivalent to starship internal components and the life support system can be isolated from the rest of a vessel.

Y. It will run on its own batteries for a week or more, even if the block is at capacity and for longer with a lower capacity.

Z. The outer door also has an emergency airlock system.