Armed Packet

[mike wightman]

This is from Wikipedia about historical packet boats:

Packet boats were medium-sized boats designed for domestic mail, passenger, and freight transportation in European countries and their colonies, including North American rivers and canals. They were used extensively during the 18th and 19th centuries and featured regularly scheduled service.
...
Packet craft were used extensively in European coastal mail services since the 17th century, and gradually added cramped passenger accommodation. As early as 1629, the Dutch East India Company was carrying some passengers...

 

[Maksim-Smelchak]

How about something like this...

Packet ships are a class of small merchantmen in the 200-400 ton range designed to fill the gaps left by the trade lanes that follow the x-boat routes. They may be operated by planetary governments, private individuals or corporations, they may even be assigned by a subsector duke concerned with developing the economy of their subsector.

Their purpose is to carry mail, passengers and high value cargo quickly from the trade hubs to the more distant worlds within a subsector, worlds often economically unreachable with smaller jump number drives.

A packet ship will typically be fully atmospheric capable, have a 2-3g drive for normal space operation and a jump 3 or 4 drive.

In order to qualify for mail contracts and planetary subsidies a frontier packet ship is routinely armed and is thus designated as an armed packet.

Originally packet ships were often military surplus couriers or dispatch ships, either purchased or leased for civilian use. They have proven so useful for stimulating the frontier economy that purpose built packets have all but replaced the older military designs.

I like it.

Shalom,
M.

 

[Maksim-Smelchak]

These are all useful comments -- I appreciate the thoughts. T5 is the only official source that I am aware of for the armed packet, and I'll use v5.09 as reference.

No, Randy. Forgive me for interjecting. I love your work.

I know that this type is in at least one Mongoose work and I seem to recall a MT-era cite.

This has it for sure:
http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Traveller_Ship_Font

I think it is one of these:
http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Mongoose_Traveller:_Traders_and_Gunboats

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Mongoose_Traveller:_Traders_&_Raiders

Shalom,
M.

 

[Maksim-Smelchak]

How about something like this...

Packet ships are a class of small merchantmen in the 200-400 ton range designed to fill the gaps left by the trade lanes that follow the x-boat routes. They may be operated by planetary governments, private individuals or corporations, they may even be assigned by a subsector duke concerned with developing the economy of their subsector.

Their purpose is to carry mail, passengers and high value cargo quickly from the trade hubs to the more distant worlds within a subsector, worlds often economically unreachable with smaller jump number drives.

A packet ship will typically be fully atmospheric capable, have a 2-3g drive for normal space operation and a jump 3 or 4 drive.

In order to qualify for mail contracts and planetary subsidies a frontier packet ship is routinely armed and is thus designated as an armed packet.

Originally packet ships were often military surplus couriers or dispatch ships, either purchased or leased for civilian use. They have proven so useful for stimulating the frontier economy that purpose built packets have all but replaced the older military designs.

Mike,

*** May I please quote you? ***

Shalom,
M.

 

[mike wightman]

Sure, no problem

You can quote anything I ever post, my thinking is that once it is posted to these boards it is for everyone and anyone to do with it what they will.

 

[Maksim-Smelchak]

These are all useful comments -- I appreciate the thoughts. T5 is the only official source that I am aware of for the armed packet, and I'll use v5.09 as reference. I think some of the incoherence around the ship mission is baked into T5. While the name of the ship type ("packet") implies a mail or courier service based on historical usage, the actual T5 descriptions suggest passenger transport.

Randy,

*** You have given permission before, but may Marc Miller's official Traveller rPG Wiki have permission to se your text, images, materials, and deck plans? Please. ***

I am supposed to ask to be sure.

Thank you for your consideration.

Shalom,
M.

 

[Maksim-Smelchak]

Sure, no problem

You can quote anything I ever post, my thinking is that once it is posted to these boards it is for everyone and anyone to do with it what they will.

Thank you. I still ask to be comprehensive.

Please review and approve:
http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Packet_Ship

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Mike_Wightman

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Type_XUA_class_Armed_Packet_Ship

Shalom,
M.

 

[mike wightman]

I very much approve

 

[Garnfellow]

Randy,

*** You have given permission before, but may Marc Miller's official Traveller rPG Wiki have permission to se your text, images, materials, and deck plans? Please. ***

I am supposed to ask to be sure.

Thank you for your consideration.

Shalom,
M.

Sure, I'm of the same mind as Mike.

 

[Maksim-Smelchak]

Sure, I'm of the same mind as Mike.

Thank you, sir.

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Packet_Ship

A fleshed out article has been developed using all of our materials.

Marc also contributed in the early stages, but has not had a chance to review the current iteration to my knowledge.

Please review and give feedback.

Thank you.

Shalom,
M.

 

[mike wightman]

Now that T5.10 fills in some details about the packet I would edit my statement to read 200-500 ton range.

 

[Garnfellow]

I've been steadily tweaking the design of the 300-ton armed packet, and I think this is my best iteration yet:

Revenge of the Revised Armed Packet

The biggest change is probably a simplified and condensed layout.