[BasicT5] Fast Starship Design

[robject]

This process fits on one page -- except for the "shopping lists". The design elements are stripped down to their basics.

Using these shortcuts results in valid Traveller5 ship designs, which can be built quickly.

They may be sub-optimal, but when you more-or-less need a basic ship to move things thru space, this gets you there. I know referees who run games this way. And, don't forget that this is part of the staying power of Classic Traveller's Book 2 ship design system.



Step 1. (p. 330) Determine mission (e.g. "Trader") and TL (7 thru 33, but typically 9-15 of course).

Step 2. (p. 333) Determine hull volume (100 to 2400 tons) and the configuration: Streamlined or Planetoid.

Streamlined is MCr2 + MCr6 per 100 tons. It may land on a tarmac. Armor Value = TL.
Planetoid is MCr1 per 100 tons. It cannot reenter. Armor Value = 20.

(p.383) Default electronics are included in the hull cost.

Step 3. (p. 340,338) Use Drive Potential Tables, in Book 2 fashion, on pp. 340 and 338.

(p. 339) Fuel. Power plant fuel is 1% hull vol per power plant rating. Jump fuel is 10% hull vol per jump drive rating.

Step 4. (pp. 342-343) Defenses. Mount these on hardpoints. Maximum number of hardpoints = 1 per 100 tons. Select one defense on one emplacement per hardpoint, and note volume, total cost, TL, and weapon range.

TL minimums are listed with the defenses. Actual TL is the TL of the ship.

[B][U]Weapon/Defense-TL        MCr  Range  Notes             [/U][/B]
Particle Accelerator-11  2.5  S=7    Barbette or larger
Missile Launcher-7       0.2  S=7
Mining Laser-8           0.5  R=7
Pulse Laser-9            0.3  R=7
Beam Laser-10            0.5  R=7
Sandcaster-9             0.1  R=7
Hybrid S-L-M-10          1.0  R=7    Triple Turret only
Meson Screen-11          1.0  -
Nuclear Damper-12        1.0  -      Requires TWO mounts
Black Globe-16           4.0  -

[B][U]Emplacement              MCr [/U][/B]
1t Single Turret         0.2
1t Dual Turret           0.5
1t Triple Turret         1.0
3t Single Barbette       3.0
5t Dual Barbette         4.0
50t Bay                  5.0
100t Large Bay          10.0

Step 5. (p. 344) Operations.

10 person-months' life support costs 1 ton and MCr1.
Luxury life support for 10 high passengers is 1 ton and MCr1.

Add vehicles and small craft as needed (shopping lists for vehicles, small craft). Hangar space is craft tonnage plus 10 tons, no cost. Or, stow the craft in the cargo hold for the craft tonnage only.

Step 6. (p. 345) Bridge and Computer.

Bridge tonnage = 8 tons
+2 tons per weapon or defense
+2 tons per 35 tons of drives (round down)
...for a Spacious bridge, with 2 tons per console. Cost is MCr 0.1 per ton of bridge.

The ship's computer controls the ship. The bigger the model, the more autonomous the ship. Ship's Computer is 1 ton per Model rating, and some unknown, aggressively increasing, geometric formula for the cost (table on p. 345).

Step 7. (pp. 347-348) Crew and Payload. Living space per crew member and passenger is 5 tons and MCr 0.5. Allocate space for low berths and cargo, as needed (refer to shopping lists on p. 347).

 

[robject]

Similarly, here's some notes to bring a Book 2 starship "up to spec".

1. Landing gear. Note that the ship has Landing Skids.
2. Jump Field. Note that the jump field is "Bubble".
3. Armor. Note that AV=TL.
4. Sensors. Note that the ship has "default" sensors.
5. Weapons. Note that missiles are "Attack Range", and lasers and sand are "VDistant" Range.

The rest doesn't need tweaking. Some of it favors Book 2, some of it favors T5, but it more or less balances out, unless you're a min-maxer.

 

[Vladika]

Let me throw a wrench in the gears...

How does Armor value=TL relate to Armor value in HG?

 

[robject]

Please, no monkey wrenches.

That's an exercise for the reader

 

[Vladika]

Sans Wrench

OK...No wrench...

How does Armor value=TL relate to Armor value in HG?

 

[robject]

The problem is that the combat systems are so different, and the armor rules for each are tuned to mesh with combat.

ASSUME a TL15 Dreadnought won't typically have more than 24% volume dedicated to armor, which would be 7 total layers, which gives AV (15 x 7) = 105.

First approximation: Multiply the armor factor by 10, and add the TL.

AV = TL + F x 10.

Where

AV = Traveller5's Armor Value
TL = The High Guard ship's TL
F = The HG ship's armor factor (0-9)

EXAMPLE. Take a TL15 HG 2000t Cruiser which has Factor-9 armor (that's 15% volume dedicated to armor, by the way). It's AV would be:

AV = 15 + 9 x 10 = 105.

Not satisfying, but it's a start.

 

[robject]

Updated the OP a bit; tightened up the procedure, moved two more items into default status and reorganized the defaults.

Example

1. Type A Free Trader, TL 10.

2. 200 tons, Unstreamlined. MCr 8.

- Skids
- Jump bubble
- AV 10

3. Type A M-drive (2 tons, MCr 4), 1G
Type A J-drive (10 tons, MCr 10), Jump-1
Type A P-plant (4 tons, MCr 4)
Jump fuel = 10% = 20 tons
Power plant fuel = 1% = 2 tons.

- Default Sensors

4. One triple turret with a hybrid L-S-M. 1 ton, MCr 2. One unused hard point, 1 ton.

5. No small craft.

6. Controls: Pilot/Astrogator, Medic/Steward = 4 tons, KCr 200. Engineering room control = 2 tons, KCr 100.

7. Crew = 3, Passengers = 10: 65 tons, MCr 6.5.
Low berths = 10. 5 tons, MCr 0.5.
Long-term life support: 2 tons, MCr 2.

- Crew Comfort and Passenger Demand = 0

Cargo = 82 tons.

Total cost = MCr 37.3


Conclusion This process is as fast as Book 2.

 

[Murdoc]

Excellent stuff, thanks!

 

[pendragonman]

Excellent. Thanks Rob!

I have been toying with an "early" Type A example. One before regulations required silly things like spacious controls, at least a non-negative Sanity check, those complaining passengers and those useless survival bubbles!

You know, a Freightliner for space. Maximum cargo haulage, minimum comforts. So far, this is what I have (notice the 124 ton cargo bay + mail vault):

A-BS11 Space Freightliner MCr42.3 [Mars]

Designed to have a 2-3 day layover at each stop to allow shore leave and to unload/load cargo at primitive facilities



Crew comfort: -4
Passenger demand: -5

    Tons  TN  Component                             MCr  Notes
--------  --  --------------------------------- -------  --------------------
     200  12  Streamlined Hull, lifters              16  S, lifters
       2  9   Landing legs with pads                  2  
       1  9   Fins                                  0.5  
      20  12  Jump Fuel (1  parsec)                   0  J1, 20t/pc
       2  12  Plant Fuel (one month)                  0  one month
      10  9   Jump Drive-1 (A)                       10  J 1
       4  9   PowerPlant-1 (A)                        4  P 1
       2  9   Maneuver Drive-1 (A)                    4  1 G
       1  8   Fuel Scoops 100t/hr                   0.1  100t/hr
       1  8   Fuel Intakes 40t/hr                   0.1  40t/hr
       1  8   Fuel Purifiers 4t/hr                    1  4t/hr
       0  9   Default Sensor Suite                    0  
       1  10  Computer Model/1 phot                 0.7  
       7  9   Standard Controls                       0  
       2  9   Crew Stateroom                        0.1  1 crew
     0.5  9   Crew Shared Fresher                   0.5  4 crew
     1.5  9   Spacer Bunks (3)                      0.3  #3 1 crew
       4  9   Crew Lounge                             0  
       1  9   Life Support                            1  ten person/months
       1  9   Air Lock (2)                          0.2  #2 
       4  9   Cargo Lock (2)                          0  #2 
       1  9   Mail Vault                              0  for express contracts
       1  9   Container Handler                       1  12t/hr
     124  9   Cargo Hold Basic                        0  
       4  9   Vehicle Lock                            0  
       4  9   Air/Raft Enclosed                     0.1

 

[robject]

Updated OP. This is "Fast" ship design, as much as it is "Basic", because the actual purpose is speed of design, for when design detail is just not needed.