Travel Times in the Third Imperium

[Reynard]

I happen to be browsing Traveller:TNE core book and read how it took about a year before everyone got the message. Making me more curious to this thread, I found an excellent map in the MegaTraveller Rebellion Sourcebook "Ripples in the Imperium" chapter showing the date when the news of the assassination (132-1116) arrives by Jump 6 all around and outside the Imperium. As an example, relative to our discussion, Regina receives the news on 328-1116. This is good as Kusyu receives it around 342-1116 so Norris has time to decide what to do when the kitties come. The rest of the chapter describes the Imperial communication network in great detail.

Oh, by the way, Imperiallines TJ uses hundreds of 2000 ton type TI Frontier Transports normally J2 but half have J6. Goes well for the other 2000 to freighter thread.

 

[AndrewW]

You can do creative things with drop tanks of course but the supply ship drop tanks are sacrificed and thrown away on every single journey. Should be fun doing the calculations and totaling up the cumulative costs involved.

Drop tanks have a chance of survival. TL14+ drop tanks automatically survive and can be recovered.

 

[jscott991]

I happen to be browsing Traveller:TNE core book and read how it took about a year before everyone got the message. Making me more curious to this thread, I found an excellent map in the MegaTraveller Rebellion Sourcebook "Ripples in the Imperium" chapter showing the date when the news of the assassination (132-1116) arrives by Jump 6 all around and outside the Imperium. As an example, relative to our discussion, Regina receives the news on 328-1116. This is good as Kusyu receives it around 342-1116 so Norris has time to decide what to do when the kitties come. The rest of the chapter describes the Imperial communication network in great detail.

Oh, by the way, Imperiallines TJ uses hundreds of 2000 ton type TI Frontier Transports normally J2 but half have J6. Goes well for the other 2000 to freighter thread.

I just got this book and it is an interesting read.

This works much better than the answer you get counting hexes or the incredibly long timelines given elsewhere.

I also noticed in GURPS Traveller, they imply that it only took Norris a few months to get back to the Marches after being invested as archduke on 1-1117.

 

[Solomani666]

How far are the Spinward Marches from Capital?

I've been trying to figure this information for the last day or so, but I can't seem to find anything all that exact in the Spinward Marches sourcebook or on the Wiki. I read somewhere that travel by XBoat to the capital takes almost a year, but is that really right?

Would news from Capital really take 12 months to make it to the Spinward Marches? So if the Emperor was assassinated and Norris wanted to do something about it, he would arrive 2 years after the event (1 year for the news to reach him, 1 year for him to travel back)?

I tried counting hexes based on a Jump 6 drive, but the Traveller map I found was too big.

It would be nice if this information were summarized somewhere (like the Wiki). I was considering designing a scenario where the Emperor is assassinated (much like the Shattered Imperium setting) and figuring how long each Archduke would have to react.

There does exist a secret jump 6 courier service that traverses the rift. The ships in question have two versions that appear identical, a jump 6 version and a lower jump version.

 

[Reynard]

That's the Frontier Transports I mentioned. Page 84 of Rebellion Sourcebook has the MegaTraveller stats. Does anyone know if any of the MgT books have it too?

Just a summary for the Type TJ: TL 15, MCr588, Minimum armor, J6, M2, 3x HP - missile/beam/Sandcaster, 21 crew, 12 staterooms, 5 low berths, 300 tons cargo, fuel scoops, fuel purification.

 

[simonh]

You can do creative things with drop tanks of course but the supply ship drop tanks are sacrificed and thrown away on every single journey. Should be fun doing the calculations and totaling up the cumulative costs involved.

Drop tanks have a chance of survival. TL14+ drop tanks automatically survive and can be recovered.

It's not a matter of survival of the tank, it's a matter of recovery. After all it's stuck in an empty hex. To recover one drop tank you've got to jump to the empty hex station several times, dropping tanks every time, to deliver enough fuel to recover that one drop tank.

If the tanks are collapsible, it might possibly be worth it to recover them.

Simon Hibbs

 

[F33D]

You can do creative things with drop tanks of course but the supply ship drop tanks are sacrificed and thrown away on every single journey. Should be fun doing the calculations and totaling up the cumulative costs involved.

Drop tanks have a chance of survival. TL14+ drop tanks automatically survive and can be recovered.

It's not a matter of survival of the tank, it's a matter of recovery. After all it's stuck in an empty hex. To recover one drop tank you've got to jump to the empty hex station several times, dropping tanks every time, to deliver enough fuel to recover that one drop tank.

If the tanks are collapsible, it might possibly be worth it to recover them.

Simon Hibbs

Now I know why the General who was in charge of logs during the 1st Gulf War was so highly praised. Talk about a headache inducing job!

 

[AndrewW]

It's not a matter of survival of the tank, it's a matter of recovery. After all it's stuck in an empty hex. To recover one drop tank you've got to jump to the empty hex station several times, dropping tanks every time, to deliver enough fuel to recover that one drop tank.

If the tanks are collapsible, it might possibly be worth it to recover them.

The drop tanks would be used on the jump out to the station, not for the jump back, or your just carrying more you have to use.