Stripping down ships

[MonkeyX]

So my Traveller guys are picking up ships and are intent on selling them rather than building a fleet. Because of the vagaries of transponders, which seem to be part of the main frame I’ve been thinking of allowing them to strip the components out and sell those, Probably at Theev. Would the fence percentage be a good place to start for value? The Treasure Ship components would be worth 20% of the total, a few 100 Mcr. Does this sound fair?

 

[JMISBEST]

Sounds fair to me

But its your campaign, do it your way. You could even have them sell it to Theevs Navy and get a lot bigger percentage of its value to put towards a vasly discounted ship or, if they put in enough over long enough, even a free ship. Your choice

 

[DickTurpin]

The transponder is more likely a part of comms or sensors although it could be a separate unit. Removing, replacing or reconfiguring the transponder should be possible but I have not seen any information on doing so in Traveller. New ships get built new transponders so any shipyard should be able put in a new one just like any other damaged device. I can see such a request being questioned in a law abiding 'yard, but there must be thousands of places across the galaxy where it could be done with the right payment. Theeve being a prime example. They probably change ships' transponder codes a dozen times a week.

 

[MonkeyX]

I would like qlsomecsolud info published about transponders. Some say it’s almost impossible to change, Drinax says it’s possible to block transponder detection with a sensors roll and I think it also mentions that ships not broadcasting a transponder signal are viewed with suspicion. I suppose the signal box could be changed from the original but if the Imperium can add atomic level tags to electronics they could do the same with ship frames too but the discovery of those would actually need a closeup inspection.

 

[MonkeyX]

I would like some solid info published about transponders. Some say it’s almost impossible to change, Drinax says it’s possible to block transponder detection with a sensors roll and I think it also mentions that ships not broadcasting a transponder signal are viewed with suspicion. I suppose the signal box could be changed from the original but if the Imperium can add atomic level tags to electronics they could do the same with ship frames too but the discovery of those would actually need a closeup inspection.

 

[Condottiere]

I don't think it would be too difficult to hack the transponder; pirates and warships during covert missions are likely to do it all the time.

In The Expanse, doing so would disable the ship; I'm inclined to think that it should severely cripple a spaceship, allowing it to limp back to port. Sort of implies it's in the controls, though what happens when you have an extra set?

For a commercial starship, place it within the jump drive core.

 

[Reynard]

Transponders are supposed to be very difficult to alter or hack for normal people. Governments and people with the right resources should have little problem BUT getting caught with a hacked, altered or fake transponder, say during a customs boarding, is where your troubles begin.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Notable features on the corsair are large cargo doors and variable identification features. The large clamshell doors can open to reveal the entire cargo bay; the ship can accept a 100 ton ship into its cargo bay. The ship has several centrally controlled identification features which can alter the shape and configuration of the ship at a moment's notice; fins retract or extend, modules appear or disappear, and radio emissions alter frequency and content. The ship's transponders can be altered to identify the vessel as having any of a variety of missions and identities.

If you can do it in CT...

 

[Reynard]

It's been mentioned over the lifespan of Traveller just no real specifics how it's done. Space is vast and so are the means to fake a transponder. It's up to gamers to make use of the tech for their own ends. Quite often plot and story driven devices. Hacking and making transponders should be probably on the Formidable level of a task needing time, resources and a skill pool to accomplish.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Actually, of course, transponders are neither tamper-proof nor unbeatable. But it takes excellent resources or very good connections to aIter a transponder.

You can't manipulate the transponder with some duct tape, but megacorps can.

 

[Reynard]

And they own the duct tape.

 

[phavoc]

So my Traveller guys are picking up ships and are intent on selling them rather than building a fleet. Because of the vagaries of transponders, which seem to be part of the main frame I’ve been thinking of allowing them to strip the components out and sell those, Probably at Theev. Would the fence percentage be a good place to start for value? The Treasure Ship components would be worth 20% of the total, a few 100 Mcr. Does this sound fair?

A number of variables here that you could use to roleplay with your characters - especially those that had skills like engineering, streetwise, carousing, etc. Selling stolen goods is profitable only because you don't have to invest in the goods - usually just your time. So it can be a great risk/reward thing. But, that fence can't sell them necessarily at full used-book prices, so he won't pay full used prices. Plus he needs a cut himself.

For example, a used component that cost 1Mcr brand new might only have a lightly used sales price of .75MCr. Depending on age and condition that price could drop to say .5MCr. So the selling price of the used component might only be .1MCr, with the buyer taking on the risk of re-selling, so he wants a outsized reward. Your players, if they have soft skills like that above, might be able to find a better fence, convince him otherwise they deserve a higher price, or maybe do some simple repairs to make it look/act like it's in better shape.

You also could use factors like TL - higher or lower will affect pricing. The number of parts currently available can also affect it up or down. If a lot of parts are available, cost goes down. If there is a shortage cost goes up. If the local police force is cracking down on the sales front, there's more risk for the buyer, hence a lower price to the players. Finally, if pirates or other groups have been very successful they could be flooding the market with parts to sell (conversely, there could be a seller's market due to all the damaged ships that need parts).

You would only be limited by how much fun you want to have with your players and whether or not you want/need to roleplay such things. You could make an entire adventure up surrounding them trying to unload the parts and get away with their profits. Or if the group just likes to shoot em up, then give them a flat rate and assume everything just works based on that sort of economy.

 

[Condottiere]

If you combine the transponder to what I'll assume is the unique jump signature of a starship, it would be hard to fake it.

 

[Linwood]

Possibly the m-drive signature as well.

 

[Condottiere]

Those are probably easier to manufacture and replace.

I'd suggest power plants, but they can be split up into small sizes and still get the same potential output.

 

[Linwood]

I would expect organizations like the Imperial Navy to maintain EM emissions profiles for every transponder code their ships run across, if for no other reason than to aid in ship type identification. To do an exact match to a specific vessel might take a more detailed survey, but if the navy crew’s a bit bored or the captain decides that ship on the sensors is flying a bit too “casually”...

 

[paltrysum]

If I'd just sorted back a week or so past all of JMISBEST's topics, I would have seen this thread and not started a new one on the same subject. :roll: