A request for assistance...

[jwdh71]

I am finally getting the greenlight to start my MageLight campaign in my Saturday night group. (I discussed the idea behind MageLight in the IMTU section several months ago.) The usual GM is getting a bit burnt out, and nobody else has anything close to being able to run, so I get to try this out.

My problem, and hence my request for assistance, is ships. Not design, but deckplans. I'm using the T20 design rules, with modifications for the game universe, and I've run into the problem that I really can't use the majority of the deckplans out there, as they are designed for the regular Traveller universe, and there are significant differences from that to the MageLight universe, most importantly fuel.

MageLight ships don't use fuel, so the large areas of most Traveller ships blacked out as fuel tanks are, in this universe, wasted space. Now with most groups, this wouldn't be a problem, as I would just tell them it was equipment space and it wasn't important, but there are some very perceptive and experienced role-players in this group, and that won't wash with them.

Since I have NO artistic skills at all, drawing up my own deckplans is right out, so my request is, does anyone have or know about deckplans out there for small adventurer class ships, some light patrol ships and cargo vessels, that don't have big swaths of the interior taken up with fuel tanks? If pointed in the right direction, I can come up with stats for the ship in a snap, but the plans are vitally needed.

Any help is greatly appreciated...

 

[far-trader]

A quick and dirty trick to satisfy your needs occurs to me.

1 - Take any deckplan and simply "erase" the fuel voids. It will result in many ships becoming unstreamlined which may or may not be an issue but it will change them up a bit too which could be seen as a bonus. Example:

My Type A deckplan Lower Deck - on the left with fuel on the right with fuel "erased"

The result is a blockier less streamlined type A that looks kinda cool in it's own respect imo

 

[fredofmars]

As far-trader says, just erasing the fuel can be a simple fix. Trading fuel for more cargo space could work in some cases.

http://www.geocities.com/fredofmars/tanzanite/tanzanit.htm
This deckplan of mine for a 600 ton Type-M variant has large fuel spaces on decks 3 and 4 that could be erased or turned into more cargo space easily.

http://www.geocities.com/fredofmars/courier.htm
This deckplan of mine for a 400 ton fleet courier has a huge fuel space in the nose. That again could be either stripped or "cargoized."

 

[Icosahedron]

Two possibilities occur to me:

1) The fuel space is bracing/radiation shielding/armour.

2) "What ya wanna do, enjoy a fun game or flap ya jaws on nitpicking all night?"

 

[Hans_vermeylen]

I usually don't do into advertising, but this might be what you're looking for...

Future Armada produces 11 great sets of deckplans (without fueltanks) wich are sold about 5 bucks each on various rpg pdf sites...

- Drake is a 100 m, 18 crews and 6 fighters 'exploration frigate'
- Mercury, Remora and Valkryn come as one set and are a mixed human-alien technology adventurer class prototype, a assault boarding craft and a 4 crews heavy fighter
- Vanguard Station is a small 'listening post' station with a small complement of 10
- Exeter is an adventurer class no frill tramp freighter
- Jo Lynn is nearly a sister ship to Exeter but is a gunboat
- The 3 Midgard variants are a carrier, a larger carrier and a frigate built around the same set of alien plans
- The Wayfarer is an adventurer class scout
- The Venture is a Millenium Falconish fast freighter
- The Morning Star is patrol heavy corvette suited for police and border action with a complement of 30
- Invictus is a huge carrier, the only potential issue being a centrifuge wheel used to produce gravity wich might be out of place in some universes...
- Argos III is a huge space station with, again, a spin section

13 ships and 2 space station at 55 bucks, in my book it's quite a good deal... Certainly when considering that those are among the best looking deckplans I've come across... To bad they're not Traveller. But then, that's just what YOU're looking for.

 

[jwdh71]

Dan, that's a very good idea, and something I can do with my limited skillz. ;-) I will try this on a few designs and see what I can come up with. The only proble I can forsee is that I won't be able to use any standard pics of the outside of the ships, but that's a minos issue.

BTW, how did you do that to your deckplan, take the fuel tank parts off of it? What program do you use for ship plans?

 

[far-trader]

Dan... BTW, how did you do that to your deckplan, take the fuel tank parts off of it? What program do you use for ship plans?

That old thing The latest iteration (more or less) was done up in MS Paint (a couple or more years back) and taking the fuel tanks off was just a little eraser and select/delete work in Paint.

I've used a number of programs over the years, AppleWorks back on my old Apple 2, then Claris Works (same game, new name)*, then AppleWorks (same game, old name)* on a procession of Macs. Then MS Paint on the PCs (and some dabbling in other various draw and cad programs that were all too much work, too much money, and too little function)* but now I'm playing with (for the last year plus) Google Sketchup when I have time.

Google Sketchup is great. Gentle learning curve, excellent tutorial and help, functional free package, and when I can justify the cost I'm gonna upgrade to the full deal. It's that good, for me anyway. With my little talent I can have fun putting my imagination to pixels and print in 3D

* Apple fans will know what I mean, AppleWorks beat all comers, until I found Google Sketchup.

 

[jwdh71]

Fred, your Tanzanite deckplans are just what the Dr. ordered! I can easily change those fuel tanks over to cargo, and that's it. Since I'm making ships substantially cheaper in the MageLight universe (approx. 10-20% of the cost in normal Traveller) that ship is easily a character class ship, especially further discounted for a used vessel. Thanks!

 

[fredofmars]

Fred, your Tanzanite deckplans are just what the Dr. ordered! I can easily change those fuel tanks over to cargo, and that's it. Since I'm making ships substantially cheaper in the MageLight universe (approx. 10-20% of the cost in normal Traveller) that ship is easily a character class ship, especially further discounted for a used vessel. Thanks!

Glad you like the Tanzanite! It's designed to be at least somewhat secure from a crew standpoint. The way I imagine it, the passengers can use the lift, but not the ladder next to it. The ladder is only accessible to crew, and with a bit of exercise the non-steward part of the crew doesn't have to even see passengers for days at a time. The lift is computer controlled, and won't let passengers go beyond the two passenger decks without a crewmember authorizing it except for embarking/debarking times.

For the fleet courier, you could just shave off the big nose and assume the front slopes down and forward just like it starts to. Assume the nose is some oddity in the picture, and doesn't really exist.

 

[Icosahedron]

AppleWorks beat all comers, until I found Google Sketchup.

Temporary thread hijack:
You've got me interested there, FT, I've used Claris for deckplans (I didn't know it had any other names). Its ability to scale things was a boon, but nothing else would talk to it, so import and adaptation of existing plans was hopeless.

I've also used Paint - gets a bit tedious drawing things a few pixels at a time, though

Like you, I've experimented with other big clunky nutcracking sledgehammers without being impressed. I'm still looking for the perfect deckplanner.

Sounds like I ought to check out this Google Sketchup, cheers. If you care to sell it to me further, I'm all ears.

 

[Scott Martin]

Sketchup (basic) is also free...
<edit>Look on the google site</edit>

As for deckplans, you may see ifyou can find the old Space Opera deckplans: SO ships tended to be ~1% fuel, especially for the merchant designs. Military and quasi-military designs tended to have pretty large engineering spaces though...

Scott Martin

 

[aramis]

Sketchup is pretty easy, and allows you to walk through, too. That is a really nice feature.

I downloaded it today, and did up my type-A plans in 3d pretty quick.

 

[ranger2261]

Hey Far-Trader,
Any chance we could see the main deck of that A2 on page 1?
That's a very cool design, you teased us with it some time ago.
Thanks.

 

[far-trader]

Temporary thread hijack:

Sounds like I ought to check out this Google Sketchup, cheers. If you care to sell it to me further, I'm all ears.

A spot of thread resurrection sounds in order to answer this...

http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=11711

...it's in there along with some other stuff

 

[far-trader]

Hey Far-Trader,
Any chance we could see the main deck of that A2 on page 1?
That's a very cool design, you teased us with it some time ago.
Thanks.

I did didn't I. Quite some time ago I think :smirk:

Would you believe I blew it up and crashed it into the wilderness of a backwater planet outside the Imperium

I keep meaning to "finish" it a bit more. Had a small error pointed out recently (thanks ) and still need to do a proper keying of it. I'll see what free time I can steal this week to get it done enough and posted.

 

[ranger2261]

Hey thats awesome.
Don't worry about putting to much polish on it, the bottom deck style is fine.
I can pretty much guess on where stuff goes.
I copied your half bottom deck with topside view and loved a new way to see the way it was laid out.
Thanks again.

 

[LordVince]

Just say the "fuel" tanks are Water Tanks.

Y'know...WATER! Ya drink it, ya bathe in it, ya sometimes dump it on unsuspecting villages as ya fly over. WATER!

Another idea, fill some of those tanks with AIR...y'know, as backup lifesupport, or any of the other gasses a ship might want -- fire suppression, anti-hijack knockout gas, exotic air mixes that can be pumped into Staterooms/compartments to make it comfortable for "Aliens".

OR, say that that space is filled with more of the gravitic flight systems -- the "Hovering" Engines, or the "Landing" Engines, or the "Gravitic Flight Verniers" that let you turn.

And when those sharp-eyed characters say "Hey, ain't THESE supposed to be FUEL tanks?"

You just answer "No, those are Machine Spaces that can only be accessed through maintenance panels outside on the hull -- SUIT UP!"

 

[Merxiless]

Have the picky guys draw it, or cease.