Crew of the fat trader

[McPerth]

I was reviewing the crew of a fat trader and found some (IMHO) ilogical thigs:

Listed crew is:

1. Pilot: no problem here
2. Navigator: his/her work will be limited to calculating jump (so just a few hours per jump at most). Better using an expert program.
3. Engineer: being alone, he/she will need 5 skill levels to keep all ship systems at skill level 1. Otherwise, some specialties will be used at level 0.
4. Medic: like the Navigator, medic's work will be (hopely) too scarce for a dedicated crewmemeber (hopely his/her main mission will be caring low passengers), but regulations might require it...
5. Steward: as the ship has 8 passenger staterooms, minimum skill level is 3 if there's any hope to fill them with high passengers. Skill 1 would allow to fill it with middle pasengers, while skill 2 will allow for a mix of them.

Possible solutions:

1. Forfeit the dedicated medic and fill its position with a second steward with some medical skill. Even if both stewards have level 1, they will be able to care for 8 high passengers, and I guess medical skill 1 will sufice for routine work, andy too ill/injuried person taht cannot be cared will be put in cold sleep (even if that means awakening a low passenger and carrying him/her awake the rest of the trip)
2. Either forfeit the Navigator (using an expert program) and taking a second engineer or having him/her to double as engineer for those systems that must not be critically cared while jump (when the Navigator is busy), as are electronics or life support.

See that MgT has no rules for a crewmember filling two positions at once, but in most cases the doublings I talk about will not too harshly degrade the main function, so, IMHO, don't deserve skill reduction.

Thoughts and oppinions?

 

[HG_B]

See that MgT has no rules for a crewmember filling two positions at once,

It has rules in the for doing two jobs and the penalty (skill wise) involved. In MRB.

 

[McPerth]

It has rules in the for doing two jobs and the penalty (skill wise) involved. In MRB.

I guess you refer to the rule about multiple actions in page 51 of the CB (I asume MRB means Main Rules Book).

If so, I don't see them as equivalent, as it refers to performing multiple actions at once (as driving a car while firing a gun), but not ot the long term effect of occuping two positions in a ship (as whould be acting as both pilot and engineer in a Scout/seeker).

See also that this rule gives you negative modifiers, but does not diminish your skill, so you'd be able to perform the task even if your modifier becomes negative, while the one in CT reduced the skill, so (as I understand it), you cannot fill the position if your skill became less than needed for it (0 for steward, 1 for any other).

 

[HG_B]

I guess you refer to the rule about multiple actions in page 51 of the CB (I asume MRB means Main Rules Book).

If so, I don't see them as equivalent, as it refers to performing multiple actions at once (as driving a car while firing a gun), but not ot the long term effect of occuping two positions in a ship (as whould be acting as both pilot and engineer in a Scout/seeker).

Well, that all we got that is canon for that version. It works well.

 

[CosmicGamer]

1. Either forfeit the Navigator (using an expert program)

1. Certainly doable in the rules:

   The number of crew on a ship varies depending on its level of automation and complexity.

   and probably not uncommon
   

   Independent traders and scouts tend to run with as small a crew as possible.

   The minimum requirement for Navigator is listed as "Expert Astronavigation program".
   
   Minimum requirement for a Medic is none. Average is one per 120 passengers. Up to the GM to interpret for their TU if there is a governing body that requires ships to have a medic and if even taking on just one passenger means you need a medic or if only ships that can carry at least 120 passengers need a medic or whatever.
   
   I think for the Independant ships carrying a small # of passengers you'd need a steward, or at least one crew member, to have basic medical skills. Tending low passengers might have certain requirements.

 

[HG_B]

Minimum requirement for a Medic is none. Average is one per 120 passengers. Up to the GM to interpret for their TU if there is a governing body that requires ships to have a medic and if even taking on just one passenger means you need a medic or if only ships that can carry at least 120 passengers need a medic or whatever.

I think for the Independant ships carrying a small # of passengers you'd need a steward, or at least one crew member, to have basic medical skills. Tending low passengers might have certain requirements.

In the real world cargo ships carry passengers. I believe there is no medic requirement if 10 or less passengers are carried.

 

[McPerth]

In the real world cargo ships carry passengers. I believe there is no medic requirement if 10 or less passengers are carried.

But no low passengers have to be carried, and those might require more medical care, at least to freeze/awaken them.

 

[Jame]

My solution to the Engineer problem is to take out the Engineer (Jump), (Power) and (Life Support) specialties and use Engineer (Ship). That way the three specializations are combined, and you don't have to split your skill levels for it unless you take some skill in Engineer (Electronics). This is 'cause I prefer the CT variation of the skill instead of the MgT one.

 

[McPerth]

My solution to the Engineer problem is to take out the Engineer (Jump), (Power) and (Life Support) specialties and use Engineer (Ship). That way the three specializations are combined, and you don't have to split your skill levels for it unless you take some skill in Engineer (Electronics). This is 'cause I prefer the CT variation of the skill instead of the MgT one.

(emphasis is mine)

And do you keep Engineer (maneover Drive) out of this skill?

What you do in practice is recovering the skills in CT/MT were called Engineering and Electronics, just making them as a cascade skill encomprising both. Did I read you well?

 

[Vladika]

I like CT because Engineer means ENGINEER

 

[Jame]

(emphasis is mine)

And do you keep Engineer (maneover Drive) out of this skill?

No, as it would also be subsumed into Engineer (Ship). I don't like the thought of Engineering skill being split into so many specializations, at least when it comes to shipboard systems - a ship system is a ship system is a ship system, at least to me.

What you do in practice is recovering the skills in CT/MT were called Engineering and Electronics, just making them as a cascade skill encomprising both. Did I read you well?

If I read you well, yes. I am like Vladika in that Engineering, for starships, should be one skill (though I will accept Electronics as a type of Engineer which can be taken - it would be used for commo and sensor gear plus computer systems).

 

[HG_B]

But no low passengers have to be carried, and those might require more medical care, at least to freeze/awaken them.

Yes, correct. However, it would be a very wasteful practice to carry a medic for that if one was going Starport to Starport as services would develop that would supply a medic to ships arriving with popcycles. For a small fee per low passenger. Unless insane gov policies distorted the market, that is what would develop.

 

[CosmicGamer]

In the real world cargo ships carry passengers. I believe there is no medic requirement if 10 or less passengers are carried.

For US, I believe to carry any paying passengers you need a license and to get the license you need first aid & CPR certification.

 

[Marchand]

For US, I believe to carry any paying passengers you need a license and to get the license you need first aid & CPR certification.

Sounds like medic-1 to me

The CSC has a TL13 automated medical facility that runs Medic-3 - which could meet minimum medic requirements.

 

[Xenon]

don't forget the Broker! a good broker is the single most profitable member of any trading ship. and being able to hire a NPC broker for a % means lost profits long run.

a steward is only needed if you want to carry passengers. most brokers will have steward trained if they started as a merchant. but passengers are also a risk.

medical is very important, but not to make money- lets face it, PCs do dangerous and risky things. and when the dice decide they hate you, you need a doctor to stay alive.

 

[HG_B]

For US, I believe to carry any paying passengers you need a license and to get the license you need first aid & CPR certification.

Incorrect. Those regulations (for sea going passenger carriers) are covered under international treaty. They aren't separate for the US.

 

[McPerth]

If I read you well, yes. I am like Vladika in that Engineering, for starships, should be one skill (though I will accept Electronics as a type of Engineer which can be taken - it would be used for commo and sensor gear plus computer systems).

I also like engineering to cover all ship functions (electronics aside), as in CT/MT, but we're talking about MgT here. Allowing (as I understand you say) Engineering to have just two specialties (Ship and Electronics) will be the equivalent to MT just adding a reciprocal Serves as XXX 0 to both skills.

See that in CT/MT one of the stated uses for Electronics was also the repair and maintenace of energy weapons. I guess this can be assumed in MgT too...

And IIRC (I cannot find it ), in MT:SOM it was told that the pursuer could alter the gravity to make passengers accostumed to what they will find in their new destination, so, as I read it, hinting that he/she was in charge of life support (probably with engineer help).

don't forget the Broker! a good broker is the single most profitable member of any trading ship. and being able to hire a NPC broker for a % means lost profits long run.

a steward is only needed if you want to carry passengers. most brokers will have steward trained if they started as a merchant. but passengers are also a risk.

I guess that's a good seccondary skill for the captain (usually the pilot) or any other crewmember (maybe the pursuer, so the main steward). See that when he's using broker skill he's not using most ship skills.

And see that passengers are an integral use of the Fat trader, so Steward position is, again IMHO, a needed one.

medical is very important, but not to make money- lets face it, PCs do dangerous and risky things. and when the dice decide they hate you, you need a doctor to stay alive.

Also remember about medics (no need for them to be doctor, so medic 1 is enough to fill the post) that, unlike RL seagoing ships, the ship is out of any contact/help for the main part of passenger carrying time, and that the ports where you're calling have quite different biospheres and health needs, and that might well be another of its functions (such as any needed vaccine, etc...)

 

[Jame]

I also like engineering to cover all ship functions (electronics aside), as in CT/MT, but we're talking about MgT here. Allowing (as I understand you say) Engineering to have just two specialties (Ship and Electronics) will be the equivalent to MT just adding a reciprocal Serves as XXX 0 to both skills.

I don't understand what you mean.

See that in CT/MT one of the stated uses for Electronics was also the repair and maintenace of energy weapons. I guess this can be assumed in MgT too...

And IIRC (I cannot find it

), in MT:SOM it was told that the pursuer could alter the gravity to make passengers accostumed to what they will find in their new destination, so, as I read it, hinting that he(she) was in charge of life support (probably with engineer help).

I like that use of Electronics, so consider it borrowed with thanks.

And that's also a good use of the ship's gravity. Good idea, thank you.

 

[McPerth]

I don't understand what you mean.

I meant that in CT/MT Engineering was a more broad skill (all ship funcitons) but unrelated with Electronics, that was a distinct skill, while, if we make again all ship engineering functions a single skill (Engineering (ship)) while keeping Electronics as a spearate specialty, we give any ship engineer Electronics at level 0 and vice versa, as in MT were skills listed as serve as (e.g. Battledress serving as vacc suit, or Pilot serving as Ship's boat at skill level -1), making them reciprocally giving the character the other skill at 0.

Not judging if this is good or bad, just pointing it...

I like that use of Electronics, so consider it borrowed with thanks.

And that's also a good use of the ship's gravity. Good idea, thank you.

Glad you like it, but not my merit, but CT rules in the first case and GDP MT:SOM in the latter one

 

[aramis]

For US, I believe to carry any paying passengers you need a license and to get the license you need first aid & CPR certification.

Not in all states.

Locally, the chauffer's license didn't require one, nor does the Commercial air pilot. The insurance companies, however, required it. Have several friends who were cabbies, and was a student pilot.

International sailing treaties require a minimum of first aid.
And they're also not always enforced for small passenger craft in national waters. Like 40' charters...