Beowulf Free Trader, Intro and Step 1: Mission

[robject]

I have started a ship design walkthru for the Free Trader, with the intent to expand on the text where it's too terse, and add explanation where it's missing. This might be a good time to post parts of it "publicly", and open it up for suggestions.

First, here's the text description of the finished Beowulf:

The Beowulf Free Trader is a TL10 elementary transport used for moving passengers and cargo. It has Type 'A' drives for a performance of Jump-1 and 1G; there is enough fuel for 1 jump and 1 month's operations. It has fuel scoops and intakes, permitting it to refuel via skimming a gas giant or gathering water from a planet's surface. Attached to the bridge is a computer Model/2bis. There are two hardpoints, unequipped. The ship is streamlined, and has landing skids for landing on a tarmac or other flat, stable surface.

The Free Trader has accommodations for 4 crew: pilot/astrogator, engineer, steward, and medic. There are six staterooms for high or medium passengers, and 20 low berths. Gunners may be added by displacing passenger staterooms. There are no carried vehicles. There is an 80 ton cargo hold. The Beowulf costs MCr 49.7.

Attached is a PDF of a slightly outdated ship design sheet for the Beowulf Free Trader. It is not T5 compliant in a couple of areas (the QSP is incorrect, and the prices for bridge controls are not included); in other respects it is current.

To make the document complete, I would attach some line art with the description, and add deckplans on a subsequent page.


Mission (pp. 314, table on p. 330)

Starships are primarily defined by Mission. When you sit down and design a starship, you have a certain type of ship in mind: a trader, or a cruiser, or a scout, for example. That is the ship’s Mission. The first step in the design process, then, is to select a Mission Code (p. 314). The mission code tables are on page 330. In the case of the Free Trader, the Mission Code is 'A'. If the ship were to have a greater range, it could be considered a Far Trader (‘AA’, 'A2', or 'AF'). If it were designed only to carry passengers, it could be called a Liner ('R') or, perhaps, a Packet ('U'). Conversely, if it were designed only to carry freight, it could be called a Freighter ('F'). You get the idea.

We’ll list the Mission code, the design class and Mission full name in parentheses, then the TL:

A (Beowulf-class Free Trader) TL 10

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[GRNDL]

This is a very cool and welcome idea. I know that when I went through ship design for my homebrew "story ship" the Latent Pulse, I was bogged down in figuring out certain parts of the overall process.

Might I suggest that when you're done, would you mind slapping all the parts into a .PDF file and upload it to Files, as an all-in-one go to reference?

I feel that other processes in T5 might benefit from the same thing.

Thanks for your dedication and patience!

 

[robject]

As a matter of fact, these sections are pulled from a draft PDF, and resulting improvements will feed back into the PDF, which will, when acceptable to Marc and Don and a rather impartial third-party, be made available at no cost.

 

[pendragonman]

Awesome idea Rob. Exactly what is needed for this section. Now, if this can be done with the makers and the combat sections (personal and ship)...

Not that I am piling on or anything.

 

[robject]

Attached a (nearly accurate but not quite) PDF of the Beowulf's design data to the OP.

 

[SpaceBadger]

Attached a (nearly accurate but not quite) PDF of the Beowulf's design data to the OP.

Very nice, compact and informative. Is this a standard format for T5?

 

[robject]

It's an older format, actually, so no, it's not compliant.

 

[heckj]

To make the document complete, I would attach some line art with the description, and add deckplans on a subsequent page.

Would you consider running through the example of filling out the hit location shipsheet that includes damage areas and hardpoints and such with your example? (I'm looking at the one on pg. 356 from the penultimate draft PDF)

I've been curious to see how that works out, and wanted to compare it to my own run at the same task

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Seconded!

Would you consider running through the example of filling out the hit location shipsheet that includes damage areas and hardpoints and such with your example? (I'm looking at the one on pg. 356 from the penultimate draft PDF)

I've been curious to see how that works out, and wanted to compare it to my own run at the same task

I wouldn't mind seeing that either.