Ship's Troops and Berthing Spaces

[Condottiere]

Depends on whether you need to fling the troops into action, immediately on arrival.

I sort of suspect you'd have similar concerns with thawing them out.

 

[tytalan]

Well, my discussion is specifically about transported troops, not 'ship's troops'.
Transported troops are, yes, 'cargo' in a sense, but they still need to be delivered to the deployment area in condition to fight.
Ship's troops are Marines or PROFORS trained Army troops part of the ship's complement. They're trained in damage control, act as masters-at-arms providing security for the ship, and man gunnery stations aboard some ships. While they are available for deployment at the captain's discretion, such deployments are usually very short term.

Every troop transport I’ve seen written up has large Common area, Training Areas, Briefing rooms (that also can be used for study) and Armories. Just because they sleep in Barracks doesn’t mean that’s the only area they have in fact just like real life bunks are for sleeping and that all. Barracks are sleeping areas for low rank enlisted be they crew or marines that’s all they are, what they are not it the only areas available for those enlisted personal. Common areas cover things like mess halls(which from personal experience is used for more than cooking and eating I’ve been in a platoon that did its PT in a mess hall durning a South Carolina monsoon) facility (depending on you view of the imperium either coed or with gender segregation of one kind or another) and others things. Training Areas are designed to be changeable from target range to PT Field to battlefield simulation. Briefing rooms can yes be used to give briefings about missions but they also are used for none physical training which troops do a lot of. You make it sound like the only space the troops have is their bunks and that’s simply not true. The Broadsword Merc cruiser for example has 30dt of barracks for its 30 troopers but it also has a extra 14dt of common area, 4dt of briefing rooms, 10 dt of Training facilities and a 7dt armory that’s 65dt dedicated to the 30 troopers.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Every troop transport I’ve seen written up has large Common area, Training Areas, Briefing rooms (that also can be used for study) and Armories. Just because they sleep in Barracks doesn’t mean that’s the only area they have in fact just like real life bunks are for sleeping and that all. Barracks are sleeping areas for low rank enlisted be they crew or marines that’s all they are, what they are not it the only areas available for those enlisted personal. Common areas cover things like mess halls(which from personal experience is used for more than cooking and eating I’ve been in a platoon that did its PT in a mess hall durning a South Carolina monsoon) facility (depending on you view of the imperium either coed or with gender segregation of one kind or another) and others things. Training Areas are designed to be changeable from target range to PT Field to battlefield simulation. Briefing rooms can yes be used to give briefings about missions but they also are used for none physical training which troops do a lot of. You make it sound like the only space the troops have is their bunks and that’s simply not true. The Broadsword Merc cruiser for example has 30dt of barracks for its 30 troopers but it also has a extra 14dt of common area, 4dt of briefing rooms, 10 dt of Training facilities and a 7dt armory that’s 65dt dedicated to the 30 troopers.

Concur.

 

[MonsterX]

Fast drug isn't supposed to be sleep. It is supposed to be greatly slowed metabolism so that 1 subjective week would be 60 weeks to non drugged individuals. Nothing says you need ANY medical support. You're able to eat and drink so dehydration is not an issue.

Please cite a source for these issues.

You don't need a source to realize that only being able to move at 1/60th speed is going to really affect your ability to do things a lot, and make everyday life very dangerous. You'd be almost like someone who is paralyzed, except with just enough ability to move to get yourself into trouble. A drug like this is also going to have massive side effects. Something messing with the human metabolism that much is going to do a number on you.

Here's a list that I came up with, no need to pile them all on at once, it might be better just to make Medic and endurance rolls:

Side effects may include Hallucinations, Memory Loss, Priapism, Blood Clots, Compulsive Behaviors, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, Frequent and Violent Bowl Movements, Loss of Bladder Control, Headaches, and Dizziness, Anxiety, Restlessness, Fast heartbeat, Fever, Sweating, Muscle spasms, Twitching, Nausea, and Vomiting, Do not drive or attempt to operate heavy machinery while on Fast Drug (TM).

Talk with your physician about whether Fast Drug (TM) is right for you!

 

[swordtart]

Well, my discussion is specifically about transported troops, not 'ship's troops'.
Transported troops are, yes, 'cargo' in a sense, but they still need to be delivered to the deployment area in condition to fight.
Ship's troops are Marines or PROFORS trained Army troops part of the ship's complement. They're trained in damage control, act as masters-at-arms providing security for the ship, and man gunnery stations aboard some ships. While they are available for deployment at the captain's discretion, such deployments are usually very short term.

Except at #45 (and you original post) you specifically mentioned Marines needing the same accommodation as other ships crewmembers. Later you started talking about packing other troops like cargo.

I am not sure why you consider the short term transportation of non-ships troops in barracks is materially different to the transport of marines. If a deployment is longer term then the accommodation the troops have en-route to that deployment is even less relevant as it forms a shorter proportion of the overall deployment time.

I am having trouble envisaging a scenario where "space dragoons" - i.e. army troops who ride space/star ships to the theatre of operations would need to spend a significant amount of time onboard. If they are conducting planetary operations I would assume space superiority has already been established (or they would be too vulnerable) and in that case there might well be options for in system reserve bases (or even at remote locations on the main world). At worst they would be brought from a system a jump away, so time aboard would be limited to no more than a single jump plus a few days transit time.

What problem are we trying to solve here?

 

[ottarrus]

Except at #45 (and you original post) you specifically mentioned Marines needing the same accommodation as other ships crewmembers. Later you started talking about packing other troops like cargo.

I am not sure why you consider the short term transportation of non-ships troops in barracks is materially different to the transport of marines. If a deployment is longer term then the accommodation the troops have en-route to that deployment is even less relevant as it forms a shorter proportion of the overall deployment time.

I am having trouble envisaging a scenario where "space dragoons" - i.e. army troops who ride space/star ships to the theatre of operations would need to spend a significant amount of time onboard. If they are conducting planetary operations I would assume space superiority has already been established (or they would be too vulnerable) and in that case there might well be options for in system reserve bases (or even at remote locations on the main world). At worst they would be brought from a system a jump away, so time aboard would be limited to no more than a single jump plus a few days transit time.

What problem are we trying to solve here?

Let me clarify.
There are two kinds of troops transported aboard Navy vessels, ship's troops and, for lack of a better term, 'troop contingents'.

- Ship's troops 'belong' to the ship's complement just like the spacehands do. PFC Alpha is assigned to 1010th Marine Regiment and the Regiment is assigned as Ship's Troops for the 12th Battle Squadron of the Spinward Marches Fleet. Alpha's battalion is specifically assigned to the INS Outrageous. Able Spacehand Bravo is likewise assigned to the Outrageous as a gunner's mate. While they arrive at their duty stations by administratively different routes, PFC Alpha and ASH Bravo still turn wrenches on Outrageous' Missile Bay 3 and both are permanently part of the ship's listed complement.
Alpha is under the orders of both his Marine Force Commander and the Captain of Outrageous, though the Captain will likely route any orders to the Marines aboard through the Force Commander. Bravo is under the orders of Outrageous' Captain, and is not normally in a chain of command that includes Marines.

- Troop contingents are Army or Marine units being transported to their deployment zones by Navy ships. They are 'cargo' in the sense that they are temporary occupants of the ship's troop berthing. Once the ship reaches its destination, the troop contingent and all it's equipment will permanently disembark the ship for whatever campaign they're assigned to fight. At no point are troop contingents subordinate to the transporting ship's captain other than safety matters.

What I'm saying is that troops of both types ought to have the same berthing arrangements as the naval spacehands AND that troops of both types require space to train and maintain their equipment in addition to enough common space to mess and recreate. Why does a spacehand rate the comparative luxury of having just one roomate when troops are wedged into barracks stacked three to a bunk tier?