F**ckin' Big Honky Tonky Starships

[RandyT0001]

I don't think a captain of a big battleship is going to allow a 200 dT free trader to get too close without interception by a escorting ship. The escorting ship would discourage the free trader from entering a restricted radius around heavily armed warships and call for local SDB's. If pressed the Captain would send a minimal rescue team aboard a small craft inherent on the battleship. The battleship would continue on it's course and call for local SDB's to assist. Probably, only the presence of a subsector duke or higher noble or a flag rank naval officer aboard the ship in distress could compel the battleship to turn around.

Well, IMTU anyway.....

Randy

 

[Rodina]

Originally posted by Uncle Bob:
I wouldn't take that to far.

I presume ships in the Empire are under the same obligation to render assistance they are on the sea today. That means the captain of a 100,000 ton battleship who ignores an SOS from a 200 ton free trader under attack from pirates is subject to civil prosecution as well as court martial.

Oh, boy, not IMTU! : ) The Imperial Navy is a very different institution than you seem to hint at. I've always seen the IN as being about as connected to the Emperor as the Imperial Navy was in Japan. Which is to say, not very. The Imperial Navy operates according to its own agenda and does so, nominally, in the name of the Emperor, but it's not always a nice clean alliance. Fleet Admirals often are at odds with Dukes and Dukes who challenge the Navy can get away with in the short term, but it's not easy. I see the sacking of Admiral Sanantocheev (sp!) during the 5th Frontier War as being a very, very dicey decision by Norris - one which, IMTU, could have just as easily ended up with Sanantocheev seizing civil authority as Norris being in charge of the fleet.

 

[Shadow Bear]

Political considerations can cause capital vessels to be in system for various reasons. As long as there is no war in progress and it does not put Imperial fleet resources at risk, many admirals would quickly kiss the sector Duke's ass to advance their our careers.

 

[Shadow Bear]

Originally posted by Simon Jester:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by BenBell:
Why what would you like to see in a Fighting Ships III or equivalent?

I'd like more coverage of all the auxiliary and non-combat craft, like the following:

1. Salvage and repair ships that recover damaged or disabled warships. Tugs, tenders and mobile docks would be covered by this;

2. Assault ships, both vehicular and troop ships. The stuff the Imperial Marines get to call home for most of their careers;

3. Stores and Hospital ships. The ships that allow the Fleet to stay on the frontlines despite combat expenditures (both munitions and men);

4. Orbital fortresses. Does the Imperium even have non-mobile spaceborne weapons platforms? Do the K'Kree or any other alien race?

5. Details (primarily roleplaying-oriented rather than stats) regarding the weapon systems installed in the various warships. Okay, the destroyer has a Particle Accelerator bay and missile tubes. Which manufacturer has the most accurate PA system? The most reliable? The hardest to repair? What are the details about the missiles? Can the missiles' warheads be changed for new warheads as the need warrants, or do you need an entirely new missile? Etc., etc., etc.

6. Logical and reasonable designs and illustrations for whatever type of ship presented. I remember the Fleet Carrier from MT's FSOTSL as looking particularly idiotic.

These are just my thoughts. Take them or leave them.

Simon Jester

</font>[/QUOTE]Sounds like a very good set of ideas.

 

[Ben W Bell]

The way I saw it was as having the fighting ships initially in a supplement on their own, with fleet organisations and all the large, and not so large, combat vessels.
Then a second supplement on specialist and support vessels of the navy. These would included repair vessels, fuel and supply tenders, construction ships, Naval scout vessels, hospital ships, troop and assault ships, research vessel and the like.
Then maybe a third covering bases, depot and other naval systems and installations.

 

[Simon Jester]

Originally posted by BenBell:
The way I saw it was as having the fighting ships initially in a supplement on their own, with fleet organisations and all the large, and not so large, combat vessels.
Then a second supplement on specialist and support vessels of the navy. These would included repair vessels, fuel and supply tenders, construction ships, Naval scout vessels, hospital ships, troop and assault ships, research vessel and the like.
Then maybe a third covering bases, depot and other naval systems and installations.

This might work if the books were only going to run about $10 each, but much more than that and I'd suggest lumping them all together as "Imperial Navy" and pricing it as a standard product (i.e., about $25 ~ $30). Also include the ship construction rules including any expansions to those rules. I realize this would be duplicating material already covered in the main rulebook, but where better? Besides it puts all the ship stuff in one place for those who don't wish to buy more than this.

Simon Jester

 

[Ben W Bell]

I believe Martin's idea for these books is actually to have them as Traveller's Aides rather than proper print books. I did query about having a larger Navy sourcebook but there are so many other setting sourcebooks that they wish to release, and the Traveller's Aides are easier for them to get out the door.

 

[Simon Jester]

Originally posted by BenBell:
I believe Martin's idea for these books is actually to have them as Traveller's Aides rather than proper print books. I did query about having a larger Navy sourcebook but there are so many other setting sourcebooks that they wish to release, and the Traveller's Aides are easier for them to get out the door.

Well, then, they sure qualify for the $10 limiit I stated above.

But I'd still like print versions, rather than just PDFs. I've tried the PDF way for a couple of things now, not just T20, and I think it definitely has it's uses. But I still prefer the feel of having that slick-cover feel and weight of a perfect-bound softcovergamebook in my hand, even if it cost a good bit more.

Simon Jester

P.s.: Would any who read this and any of my other posts please rate how I'm doing? I'd kind of like to know how my ideas and presentations are received by others, especially if I'm going to be trying to write stuff for the CotI webzine. Thank you.

 

[Ben W Bell]

Well as I say, I'm writing them as the PDF Traveller's Aides but who knows. Maybe if you pester them long and hard enough they'll be put into print, not that I have any say in this.
But remember Hunter has promised there will be a best of Travellers Aide printed version each year so who knows, you may get lucky.

 

[vegascat]

We can expect to see many supplements coming out. The going cost of most supplements for other games actualy runs in the $12 to $18 range.
Three sups for just the Navy would get pricy. The Aux vessels would not sell near as good because who cares about the workhorse, if the big shiny fancy big guns book is setting right by it.

-------------------------------
In the end, Murphy will rule

 

[Simon Jester]

Originally posted by vegascat:
We can expect to see many supplements coming out. The going cost of most supplements for other games actualy runs in the $12 to $18 range.
Three sups for just the Navy would get pricy. The Aux vessels would not sell near as good because who cares about the workhorse, if the big shiny fancy big guns book is setting right by it.

-------------------------------
In the end, Murphy will rule

Read above. These Navy books look to be coming out as internet PDF releases, like the other Traveller's Aide books. So far they've run US$6 each. At that price, all three together would still be competitive.

And since I worked on one of those workhorses in RL in the US Navy, I've always liked seeing how the ships I'm used to translate over into science-fiction/gaming.

Simon Jester :devil:

 

[Ben W Bell]

Glad to see someone else is interested in the little guys. You know, the ones that actually allow the navy to run and operate. That's why I floated it past Martin in the first place.

Aw well, better go and get those ship statistics finished off.

 

[vegascat]

I still want to see the aux ships in print, These are the ships most of the naval characters would have spent time on, and are the ships players will most likely be able get get their greedy paws on. I would love to see deck plans for these ships.

 

[RabidVargr]

Originally posted by vegascat:
I still want to see the aux ships in print, These are the ships most of the naval characters would have spent time on, and are the ships players will most likely be able get get their greedy paws on. I would love to see deck plans for these ships.

Once I get the T20 design rules, I'll see what I can do about putting out some smaller tenders and support craft. (Destroyer tenders and the like, no way I can do deckplans on anything over 5-10ktons, yet)

RV

 

[Ben W Bell]

I've got the design rules (Thanks Martin) but I'm working on the fighting ships at the moment. After I finish that I'll be starting the auxillary and support craft.

 

[savage]

I'd rather see a limited number of good designs than a huge number of starship stat monsters. And how about refits, upgrades. Each version of the game introduces a new set of ships.

In this CT, was the best at building some background and understanding of the starships.

Savage

 

[tim_manley]

Originally posted by Rodina:
I try to use an analogy to the US Navy, circa 1992 - ..

Really? I kind of thought of it as akin to the 19th Century British Navy and generally played my games as such. You either had the lone warship prowling about or you had the fleet, broken into task forces, moving from place to place.

 

[kafka47]

Also where could we find some great illustrations of new Traveller ships. I realize that T20 will be reworking some old designs. I have everything that GDW, DGP, GW, FASA, IG have published on the subject. But, still I crave more...especially, as Jessie only takes existing ships and does his magic to them...ok, he has created a few originals...

 

[Rodina]

Originally posted by tim:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Rodina:
I try to use an analogy to the US Navy, circa 1992 - ..

Really? I kind of thought of it as akin to the 19th Century British Navy and generally played my games as such. You either had the lone warship prowling about or you had the fleet, broken into task forces, moving from place to place.</font>[/QUOTE]I mean that only in as much as the US Navy doesn't deal, as a first line matter, with smuggling or anti-piracy (rather the coast guard does), and that Imperial Navy ships don't usually bother, IMTU, with mere civilians.

Other than that, yes, the IN is for me a cross between the 19th century British Royal Navy (from an operational standpoint) and the Japanese Imperial Navy (circa 1940)(from a political standpoint).

 

[Shadow Bear]

Originally posted by BenBell:
I've got the design rules (Thanks Martin) but I'm working on the fighting ships at the moment. After I finish that I'll be starting the auxillary and support craft.

Are you working with the play test rules or do you have the final version. If you are working with the fianl version I would dearly like to get a copy to check against my T20 designs from the play test rules.

Also I would need the star ship combat rules as there were some problems with the play test rules: squadrons of spinal mount class vessels for one (no maximum size for squardon ships noted).