BCS or ACS universe

[pendragonman]

I think they can certainly run parallel, though I do question the disparity in size between ACS and BCS. Currently I'm experimenting with the idea of mixing the extrapolated CT charts (brings the max ship to 10K dtons) with ganging engines together and the MgT partitioning rules for oversize ships - which gives me a 60K dton maximum size ship.

This actually works well in my brain - still very large compared to ACS ships (so much better at cargo transport and weapon mounting), but far less than the 500k dton battleships of HG and the like.

D.

If you have T5, you will see that the T5 ship design system actually has mechanics for this.

 

[aramis]

Sounds like misnomers to me. I find it difficult to consider anything much bigger thanb 600T as suitable for adventurers (the Leviathan to the contrary notwithstanding) and big ships are not always battle type ships (e.g. the 5000T Hercules class).

Though come to think of it, I once ran an adventure where a noble had a converted 1000T Tukera Longliner for a yacht. But an awful lot of 2500T ships would not be suitable for most adventurers.


Hans

Ships up to 5000Td are within the affordable range for solo-play merchanting, and are readily bought using CT Bk2 T&C.

That said, if you ignore the minimums for crewing under book 2 (that "minimum 10 per 1000Td" line), Merchant ships up to 5000Td are well within the "1 PC per player, 1PC per crewman, all the crew". Mind you, that's a large group (up to 12 players), but not the largest I've seen run.

Another Hans I know has run campaigns with 25 players.

I've run games (not of traveller, but Star Trek) up to 13 players, myself.

Further, even martial ships up to about 5000Td are within range to have the cadre all be PC's.

And, as is traditional for certain genres, the senior cadre being the PC's allows playing with ships having crews in the hundreds or thousands.

 

[Selandia]

I think they can certainly run parallel, though I do question the disparity in size between ACS and BCS. Currently I'm experimenting with the idea of mixing the extrapolated CT charts (brings the max ship to 10K dtons) with ganging engines together and the MgT partitioning rules for oversize ships - which gives me a 60K dton maximum size ship.

This actually works well in my brain - still very large compared to ACS ships (so much better at cargo transport and weapon mounting), but far less than the 500k dton battleships of HG and the like.

D.

It is all about load factor. Look at the4 Worlds are within J2 of Heguz (Spin 2706,E66A224-9):
Pavanne (Spin 2905, E310000-0)
Carsten (Spin 2906, C427402)
Focaline (Spin2607, EA88544-7)
Violante (Spin 2708,C669452-A)

If you try to build routes between those world and Heguz, you will not justify any large freighter. Few hundreds on Heguz live about the E starport, used as refuelling point since it is a waterworld without gas giant. It is a pit stop on the J-4 route between the Paya Naval base and Nazemine Scout base. Those Imperial ship do not carry civilian cargo to Heguz. The J2 route between Inthe and Nazemind Scout bases (5 jumps for S courrier rather than 10 via X-boat)also stop at Heguz

To supply Heguz and keep the subsector capital in the loop you most likely have a monthly subsidized M class J-3 trader that jump to Zila then to the subsector capital Aramis. A runing mate is departing Aramis at the same time. Because Moughas (Spin 2406) is another waterworld, some problem specific high TL gear may be acquired there by a clever Far Trader that knows the problems of Heguz. He will J-2 to Focaline and pick if possible some vegies before J-2 to Heguz. Since 60 dt of canned food would represent 30,000cubic feet, that is 500 deadweight tons for 500 inhabitants, each will have 1000 kilo at 5 kilo a day, that is more than 6 month of foods. The far trader might actually be very hapy with a 1 dT of popcorn and 100 old movies CD.

This mean that there must be small scale trade,

At the same time, Focaline would be able to sell at least 200,000 dtons of food a month to Rethe if its 700,000 inhabitants were able and willing to. Even if Z type engine were the final frontier of Jump drive, you would use 150 x 2,400ships (1,400 dt cargo each) rather than 3,000 Far trader.

Have fun

Selandia

 

[kilemall]

Recall, Mags, that I was in a game you ran.

In your game, even as the rich, powerful types we had to go get our hands dirty in the overthrow of a local government. We even toyed with some assassination operations. That kind of thing is very personal.

OTOH, if what you really want to play is JP Morgan's "Stockbrokers and Bankers", that is what I was talking about. As personal as that kind of game gets is outcompeting the other trillionaire for some megacorp purchase, or mineral rights purchase. No one is going to die except by heart attack.

Doesn't have to be that way.

Corporate Wars is a relatively common trope, and nothing beats knocking off the top guys for confusing or demoralizing your opposition.

A common side theme to that is kidnapping/liberating key opposing personnel.

Kanly between Nobles as in Dune can be a VERY personal threat, with entire planetary fiefdoms at stake and stylized dueling as a dramatic resolution meme.

 

[kilemall]

An unarmed 100,000T freighter. Since the Imperium (unlike modern governments) don't mind civilian ships mounting laser turrets, the analogy is unlikely to apply.


Hans

Shrug. Different world, just pointing out a VERY RL interaction where small ships do indeed 'interact' with large ones and one could create combinations of environmental conditions that create different game effects then Traveller Reality.

One does have to think through jiggering with that sort of thing, because players will home in on unanticipated advantage like a missile.

 

[Quint]

I'd be interested in this. If you make a document of it I'd be happy to try to design a few ships.

Let me see if I can gather it all up in a coherent document from the mess of notes it is in right now and I'll figure out where to post it.

D.

 

[Quint]

If you have T5, you will see that the T5 ship design system actually has mechanics for this.

For MTU at least some of what I'm pulling from was T5 (I'm enjoying the rules for Collectors and Antimatter). I can't remember at the moment if that portion of ship design is part of what I was drawing from.

Of course, this may also be one of those places where T5 and MgT are in concord.

D.

 

[rancke]

Shrug. Different world, just pointing out a VERY RL interaction where small ships do indeed 'interact' with large ones and one could create combinations of environmental conditions that create different game effects then Traveller Reality.

Didn't I read somewhere that some of the ships going through the straits had started carrying a couple of submachine guns, leading to the pirates avoiding them like the plague? Or am I mistaken? Now imagine them mounting half a dozen autocannons.


Hans