In Cepheus a 1 person cockpit is 1.5 tons.
Cepheus deluxe. Yes, and sorting out old carry over rules from prior editions that don't work with a latter group of rules is mainly what I'm doing. Or rules that were written that make no sense because whomever wrote them didn't understand the subject (like aeronautics) when writing rules about rules for lifting body space ships. That type of thing.
So the BRIDGE on a 100 dTon SCOUT should be identical in SCOPE (if not configuration) to the BRIDGE on an 800 dTon Mercenary Cruiser ... but the deckplans say it ain't even close. Hence my "rants".
Your "rants" are well earned in this.So the BRIDGE on a 100 dTon SCOUT should be identical in SCOPE (if not configuration) to the BRIDGE on an 800 dTon Mercenary Cruiser ... but the deckplans say it ain't even close. Hence my "rants".
I like the -1 step [RAW] and your -2 step [proposed] to the computer model as the COMP takes up more of the "slack" for specialized controls/equipment. That's a simple, elegant solution.
Depending on what you define as "controls/equipment" some items are fixed size [a radio is a radio irrespective of the hull you stuff it into] and some things scale with the ship [3D pitch/yaw control; hull leak sensors; life support]. We have 20 dTons as the point where "variable" tonnage components overpower the "fixed" tonnage components [which occurs at a 1000 dTon hull]. From some other versions (not CT) we have 10 dTons as the point where "fixed" tonnage components overpower the "variable" tonnage components and create a minimum Bridge Tonnage [which occurs at a 100 dTon hull]. So we know that the 10 dTon variation in Bridge tonnage occurs between 100 dT and 1000 dT (RAW typically place a hard break somewhere around 200-300 dTons). I just like 10 dTon fixed and 10 dTon variable with a linear progression because a 50/50% split between fixed/variable and a 1% of tonnage for variable linear progression appeals to my natural bent towards simplicity.
So, like FF&S? It had controls as a fixed (small) portion of volume, computers as a separate thing, and the crew's control positions also separate. MegaTraveller was similar, for that matter (it just had fiddlier rules for the crews' control systems). A 100 DTons ship needs under 3 DTons of controls, computers, etc. A 10 DTon one that skimps on computer redundancy could be by with less than 2 DTons.
In Star Wars (always a risky source of inspiration), there is some sort of a "jump shuttle" that bolts onto an X-Wing Fighter to allow FTL travel. That always reminded me of the Traveller SDB and its "Jump Shuttle" for moving a SDB to a new system.
But note that a 20% volume, minimum 4 DTon small craft bridge also provides most of that (no room to walk around, no jump calculations, no weapon controls), as does a computer plus a 1/2 DTon couch (and it allows weapons, and should allow jump). So a civilian small craft can get by with 4-20 DTons of bridge at kCr100-500, and a military craft (or gold-plated civilian craft) can use a computer plus couch at MCr 1.025+, possibly saving space in exchange for a lot of money.
I think Crew Control positions are included (like CT). They just changed the 20 dT min to 10 dT min.
People sail yachts around the world solo. Aside from storms the big risks come from crossing major shipping lanes (commercial shipping being notorious for keeping terrible watches) and confined waters - places where having only one person available and thus times when nobody is on watch is a risk.
Really? The minimum crewing requirements for ocean-going merchant ships (as governed by SOLAS) is quite a bit more than the crew requirements for small ships in Traveller. For ships in the 500-3000 Gross tons range (134.5-763.7 dTons) and 750-3000 kW engines (with Unattended Machinery Space (UMS)), the minimum crew would be:
I said nothing about SOLAS merchant ships. reread EXACTLY what I wrote
Yes, I watched a great YT series of vids where a guy did around the world in a 30' sloop. Fortunately ships now have to squawk with all location and heading info. He had a receiver system that tied into this an using his boats GPS & warned him of any ships. His biggest problem was storms and unforeseen wave patterns. I've seen large yachts where just the husband and wife crew it trans oceanic.
I'll be trying to redo the 10 ton right away. It might not be possible even using the high TL drive size adjustment. I'll probably have to make a 20 ton ship. The Type S has room for 4 staterooms, air raft, turret and some cargo not to mention M2 and J2. All at ~MCr32. I don't think the small craft will better that deal as far as performance and versatility.
It's kind of my point. In that variant (and, to be clear, it's mostly a thought exercise) I am deliberately making the 10-12Td torpedo-derived ships mostly useless (it's a TL-15 self-propelled half-stateroom with a jump-1 drive and that's it.) The silly-expensive reduced-size bridge option is taking a similar approach to make 25-100Td starships vaguely workable. The idea needs some nerfing in larger ships though, to better align with existing rules.I understand rules wise but it makes it all but impossible at 40% of hull being bridge
