Automating ship crew roles...

[Traveller_without_a_home]

Hello everyone,

Just wondering if there are any rules for automatic ship crew roles in TNE, to bring down the unnecessarily large crews? Please just point me to book/page number etc.

I'd check myself, but I have to go to work now

Thanks very much!!!

 

[Jame]

I have no references (though I understand what you mean about overlarge crews). One problem - if a ship in TNE tried that, the corporation would be called a Virus-Lover...:devil:

 

[jawillroy]

I don't know what the TNE's take on it is, but I've always figured that, OUT of game, there's always been an imperative to keep PCs involved in all parts of a ship's operation so that one player didn't hog the game and so IN game, there's been an assumption based on an undefined "X" that live bodies are needed aboard a spacecraft in multiple duties.

Once you start automating your stewards, it's a slippery slope until you've got robots in the drive room, and on the bridge, and all of a sudden your Free Trader is one big Jump Torpedo.

IMTU, there's a widespread and deep fear of AI which keeps people from building robots with any sophistication (on most worlds.) The idea of putting a robot in any active crew position on a starship would fill any space traveler with dread. But then, that's just how I rationalize the non-automation of Jump. (That, and the notion that Jumpspace plays hell with delicate electronics, requiring VAST, ROBUST computers to crunch numbers while human/sophont crews man the controls. CAPTAIN: "Passengers, we are in the final procedures prior to engaging the jump drive. Please power down all electronic devices; we cannot be liable for any Jump Pulse damage or lost data. Thank you for understanding; the steward will be around with decks of cards, board games, alcohol and fast drug to help entertain you for the duration of the trip." REGULAR PASSENGER to NEWBIE: "I'd take the fast drug if I were you. For an extra fee, the drive hand'll give you a slide show of low-tech blue movie stills. Takes all week, but when you watch it on 'fast'? You never saw a girl do things like that...")

 

[rancke]

My approach would be to assume that TNE got it wrong and simply use HG manning rules.


Hans

 

[MarianLH]

Even then, you can't give the PCs something like a Gazelle or a Broadsword, unless you're willing to have NPC crew.

 

[aramis]

Even then, you can't give the PCs something like a Gazelle or a Broadsword, unless you're willing to have NPC crew.

Or two PC's a player and a largish group.

OTOH, I know a chap ran Kinunir with all crew being PCs... 1 PC per player.

 

[Sir Brad]

Pre-Virus ships had much greater Integrated Expert System Assist. meaning the guy on the bridge standing watch could keep a eye on the Engineering readouts and if need be wake the Engineer, the Computer was constantly running system diagnostics so the Tech Crew didn't have to run them manually every Watch eating up much of their time that could be used on maintenance and repairs, you had RC Drones to cover a lot of your EVA work. on Smaller ships the Coms and Sensors where routed through the Bridge Station of either the Pilot or Navigator depending on who was the Primary Helm at the time (or handled by Expert Systems) meaning you didn't need Electronics operators.

Post Virus you can't have your computers working as a integrated system running diagnostics and sending the Engineers "Fix Me!" Memos they have to do the checks themselves and their are so many to do you need extra guys just to get through them all, so they can't spend time fixing the Doors, Toilets or the Coffee Machine so you have to put on a Maintenance crew and hire more engineers to stand Engineering Watches and get through all the work since you Engineers can't rely on Expert Systems and Robot Assistants. Without the ability on one or two guys to RC a handful of Drones you need more guys to go EVA to do the Boson work and the EVA Drive Maintenance.

HG numbers are about right for the way things where, BL numbers are right for how things become thanks to the Virus, many tighter military designs and High Performance Civilian designs just don't work in the Post-Virus reality.

 

[robject]

Sir Brad's right -- after all, the Free Trader or Scout/Courier captain in 1105 could run his ship single-handedly. Thus there is a lot of computer control going on behind the scenes. T5 spells this out, and shows you how to do it, in its starship design system.

 

[Sir Brad]

Don't know about the Type A, in Non-Commercial Service maby you could Skeleton it with one guy (Hell I've done it with a Type R) but they better be darn skilled. but sure Type S's are meant to have 1 man crews.

 

[jawillroy]

Don't know about the Type A, in Non-Commercial Service maby you could Skeleton it with one guy (Hell I've done it with a Type R) but they better be darn skilled. but sure Type S's are meant to have 1 man crews.

I figure an A could be flown solo in a pinch; the minimal crew calls for Pilot, Engineer, Medic and Steward. If you're not hauling passengers, you can drop the medic and steward. Drop the engineer, and you'll risk drive malfunctions and (IIRC) misjumps - but if you're trying to fly thirty seven million credits worth of starship on your own, chances are you're in a reasonably desperate situation already.

 

[Jame]

I figure an A could be flown solo in a pinch; the minimal crew calls for Pilot, Engineer, Medic and Steward. If you're not hauling passengers, you can drop the medic and steward. Drop the engineer, and you'll risk drive malfunctions and (IIRC) misjumps - but if you're trying to fly thirty seven million credits worth of starship on your own, chances are you're in a reasonably desperate situation already.

And if you're doing passenger service with only 3, combine the medic and the steward into one crewmember.

 

[kafka47]

Why automate? Traveller is more interesting when there are lively NPCs. If you allow the players to automate the roles of the crew, you lose a great opportunity to plant traps, enigmas, backstories, pushes and pulls - as well as strife and joy. Computers do not have personalities even at TL F.

 

[Sir Brad]

I figure an A could be flown solo in a pinch; the minimal crew calls for Pilot, Engineer, Medic and Steward. If you're not hauling passengers, you can drop the medic and steward. Drop the engineer, and you'll risk drive malfunctions and (IIRC) misjumps - but if you're trying to fly thirty seven million credits worth of starship on your own, chances are you're in a reasonably desperate situation already.

or Yes You are That Good (Pilot 5, Navigation 4, Engineering 3, Electronics 2, Mechanic 2 and a good few levels of Business, Social & Extra-Legal skills, all in CT)

 

[jawillroy]

or Yes You are That Good (Pilot 5, Navigation 4, Engineering 3, Electronics 2, Mechanic 2 and a good few levels of Business, Social & Extra-Legal skills, all in CT)

Were I this player's Ref, I'd say that our boy here can certainly pilot, navigate and engineer anything with drive tonnage lower than 35 tons. Whether he'll be able to convince passengers to pay passage lacking the medic and the waitstaff is another thing entirely! But he might not be in that business at all...

 

[Sir Brad]

The PC (who was a Girl) also had Steward 3 & Medic 2 along with Admin, Broker, Trader, Grav, Ship Tactics, Leadership & Streetwise in the 2-3 range and Liaison 4. She was a Line Capitan with her own Type R-2 (Jump 2 Fat Trader), Cant recall her Combat skills off the top of my head but she had three passes through Ship Security School.

 

[jawillroy]

The PC (who was a Girl) also had Steward 3 & Medic 2 along with Admin, Broker, Trader, Grav, Ship Tactics, Leadership & Streetwise in the 2-3 range and Liaison 4. She was a Line Capitan with her own Type R-2 (Jump 2 Fat Trader), Cant recall her Combat skills off the top of my head but she had three passes through Ship Security School.

<rant>
And this is why I hate Merchant Prince. I used to think that Mercenary and High Guard made munchkin characters too easily, but they've got nothing on Book 7. That book is broken, mainly for granting skills automatically with promotions. None of the other advanced chargen methods had done that; I can only imagine it was an oversight.

Not even rigorous application of survival failure can save Book 7 CharGen.

That character should never even have happened with Book 7 as written: what's that, thirty skill levels? This is why book 7 introduced the Int+Edu skill limit.

I took one look at LBB7 and went back to LBB1 CharGen, exclusively.
</rant>

 

[E.D.Quibell]

Sir Brad's right -- after all, the Free Trader or Scout/Courier captain in 1105 could run his ship single-handedly. Thus there is a lot of computer control going on behind the scenes. T5 spells this out, and shows you how to do it, in its starship design system.

Doesn't TNE have a calculation for the amount of man hours maintnance that needs to be done to keep a starship running?

And isn't this what you use to work out how you can run the ship with a minimum crew?

Or is my memory deteriorating due to advancing years?

Best regards,

Ewan

 

[aramis]

Doesn't TNE have a calculation for the amount of man hours maintnance that needs to be done to keep a starship running?

And isn't this what you use to work out how you can run the ship with a minimum crew?

Yes, it does.
Yes, you can... even rules for how many hours a man can work in TNE.

 

[Sir Brad]

<rant>
And this is why I hate Merchant Prince. I used to think that Mercenary and High Guard made munchkin characters too easily, but they've got nothing on Book 7. That book is broken, mainly for granting skills automatically with promotions. None of the other advanced chargen methods had done that; I can only imagine it was an oversight.

Not even rigorous application of survival failure can save Book 7 CharGen.

That character should never even have happened with Book 7 as written: what's that, thirty skill levels? This is why book 7 introduced the Int+Edu skill limit.

I took one look at LBB7 and went back to LBB1 CharGen, exclusively.
</rant>

For years we lacked LBB7 and no one played merchants after we got LBB7 the first few attempts at merchants got 4-5 term planet bound characters with SFA skills and no Cash or Benefits compared to the Marine & Scouts characters every one else where doing, until that character came along, she wasn't allowed on the Bridge of her own ship the scout with Pilot 3 Nav 2 or the Navy Admiral/Duke with Pilot 1 Fleet tactics 2 got those jobs and no one still played merchants (except me), because they sucked in everyone else's opinion.

 

[jawillroy]

she wasn't allowed on the Bridge of her own ship the scout with Pilot 3 Nav 2 or the Navy Admiral/Duke with Pilot 1 Fleet tactics 2 got those jobs and no one still played merchants (except me), because they sucked in everyone else's opinion.

Fleet tactician in a free trader? Huevos on a Heifer, son...

(In this reenactment, the The NAVIGATOR will be played by John Cleese circa nineteen sixty nine, and the CAPTAIN will be played by the Late Graham Chapman.)

CAPTAIN: "Pirates? RIGHT! Form up line ABREAST!"
AUDIENCE: *puerile tittering*
C, exasperated: "It MEANS lining up side by side FACING the ENEMY. NOW, Form up.."
NAVIGATOR: "Captain..."
C: "ADMIRAL!"
N: "Admiral, there is only us. I'll try to get us prepped for jump, we're already sanding."
C: "SAND? WHO ORDERED THE GUNNER TO FIRE?"
N: "Owner aboard, Admiral."
C: "DAMN! Close to pulse laser range and fire on my mark."
N: "Jumping now, Admiral."
C: "JUMP? Who engaged the jump drive?"
N: "Engineer, Admiral."
C "ON WHOSE ORDERS?"
N "Owner aboard, Admiral. Would you like some tea?"
C "DAMN. Yes. One lump?"
N: "WELL YOU CAN BLEEDING GO ASK STEWARD LIKE EVERY BLOODY BODY ELSE, can't you?" *muttering to camera* "And they gave that pillock a society membership? They wouldn't have ME, the blackballing bastards... and now, for something completely different:"