For my part I've largely abandoned the CT computer game anyway as none of my gamers have had the slightest interest in it.
That's the best - and only - reason anyone needs to do so.
My groups loved the OSR resource management aspect of the computer rules, especially during combat. Discussions about which programs to "upload" between combat turns could get quite heated. Run a Generate program aboard your free trader or run Jump1 and Navigation to use resulting jump plot and you're doing nothing else that phase. I remember on more than one occasion the group deciding they couldn't jump that turn because they couldn't risk not shooting at an incoming missile.
Other groups would find all that beyond tedious because different groups have fun in different ways.
This thread reminded me of the listed program "load outs" in
Mayday. Looking at them while remembering the "Included with ship purchase" rule in
LBB:2 was interesting. You have a budget for program purchases equal to your computer code in MCr. A
Beowulf gets all of one million credits to spend and that is no where near enough. In
Mayday the free trader presented has: Anti-Missile, Auto-Evade, Gunner Interact, Jump1, Launch, Maneuver, Navigation, Return Fire, and Target at a cost of 6.6 MCr.
Of course,
Mayday is all about ship combat and you need those programs to make combat interesting. It's interesting that you need over six times your "starting" program budget to give a ship average capabilities. And that
Mayday list still doesn't include Generate!
Finally, the use of jump ta...
cassettes (Hi Mike!) would be a good way for organizations to prevent barratry by subsidized merchant crews. A Type-R might not have a Generate program aboard and instead use cassettes provided by the owners at every stop. The ship would literally be locked into the route it serves.
Withholding a Generate program could also be a nasty way for subsidizing organizations to control subbie crews during those crews' off periods;
"So, you saved up 40 weeks off time and are going to spend it trade elsewhere in the Cluster? To bad the ship doesn't have a Generate program, huh? If you'd be interested in renting one however...."