Fuel transfer question, piracy questions

[Putraack]

So, I'm about to take the plunge and RUN Traveller for the first time. I've been reading pieces since, well, Tom Clancy was a new author back then, let's just say.

I've been eyeing the "Pirates of Drinax" campaign since it started, and I've sold my group on trying that. Some questions arise after reading through the rules and adventures.

1. How long to transfer fuel into a ship? Not talking about skimming & refining, but already refined fuel from either a station, or another ship? It seems to me that a pirate ship, with only enough fuel in the tanks for one jump at a time, might want to suck from a prey ship.

2. The encounter setup rules seem awfully sparse to me, so this is more a question for GMs, and less a rules question. When encountering potential prey, how far away would you start the target? How far from the jump limit? How far to help?

3. I think I saw something that ships need to be at or near zero velocity when jumping, so that they are accelerating away from the planet/port, turning over and decelerating towards the 100d limit. Did my brain just make that up, or is it from somewhere else?

3a. I probably shouldn't try to inflict vector math on my players right away, but that's what seems logical to me. I may need minis and/or a map to carry this off.

3b. Does a starship need a particular heading when jumping? Can one be pointing/moving in any direction when jumping, or does one need to be actively heading for the target star system? Thus, one's vector when heading out of a gravity well should indicate the destination.

I seem to be heading down the "simulationist" path, to which I readily agree.

 

[aramis]

So, I'm about to take the plunge and RUN Traveller for the first time. I've been reading pieces since, well, Tom Clancy was a new author back then, let's just say.

I've been eyeing the "Pirates of Drinax" campaign since it started, and I've sold my group on trying that. Some questions arise after reading through the rules and adventures.

1. How long to transfer fuel into a ship? Not talking about skimming & refining, but already refined fuel from either a station, or another ship? It seems to me that a pirate ship, with only enough fuel in the tanks for one jump at a time, might want to suck from a prey ship.

I think we figured out something about a fuel port capable of sucking (Jn)/10 the ship's own tonnage in 6 minutes. Limit it by the smaller limit of the two ships, and you should be golden. Why that requirement? It's the required rate for drop tanks!

2. The encounter setup rules seem awfully sparse to me, so this is more a question for GMs, and less a rules question. When encountering potential prey, how far away would you start the target? How far from the jump limit? How far to help?

I consider an encounter for ships to be something that you can't avoid being in their theoretical weapons range. I start them 1 turn from weapons range.

3. I think I saw something that ships need to be at or near zero velocity when jumping, so that they are accelerating away from the planet/port, turning over and decelerating towards the 100d limit. Did my brain just make that up, or is it from somewhere else?

Neither true nor something you made up. It's common to be at near-zero-vector at jump, but not required.

3a. I probably shouldn't try to inflict vector math on my players right away, but that's what seems logical to me. I may need minis and/or a map to carry this off.

Counters on hexmap works really well. use the mayday movement rules (if you don't have CT mayday, nor the CT CD, it's only a few $ on DTRPG to get mayday alone...)

3b. Does a starship need a particular heading when jumping? Can one be pointing/moving in any direction when jumping, or does one need to be actively heading for the target star system? Thus, one's vector when heading out of a gravity well should indicate the destination.

If jumping with near-zero velocity to the target system, the vector direction is pretty much meaningless, but your departure vector is considerable, and needs to be in a very specific directional cone.

If jumping with zero velocity relative to the source system, your exit point matters far more than your departure point.

I seem to be heading down the "simulationist" path, to which I readily agree.

Yep!

It's worth noting tho': traveller maps don't list the vector of the systems...

 

[Putraack]

I think we figured out something about a fuel port capable of sucking (Jn)/10 the ship's own tonnage in 6 minutes. Limit it by the smaller limit of the two ships, and you should be golden.

I think I missed something- for Jn =2 and a 100 ton ship, did you mean 2/10*100? 20 tons in 6 minutes?

I consider an encounter for ships to be something that you can't avoid being in their theoretical weapons range. I start them 1 turn from weapons range.

OK.

Counters on hexmap works really well. use the mayday movement rules (if you don't have CT mayday, nor the CT CD, it's only a few $ on DTRPG to get mayday alone...)

Don't have that, I sprung for the CT reprint books, which didn't get the adventures. Counters and starfield-background hexmaps I have in plenty.

It's worth noting tho': traveller maps don't list the vector of the systems...

That's OK, it fits my understanding of things if the raider is able to say, "We're hanging out near the jump route towards System Z." For them to just say, "We're somewhere inside the 100d line, but it doesn't matter if the target is heading for/coming from Systems Y or Z, they'll be coming by us no matter what," seems ludicrous to me.

I've played a lot of starship tactical games, Star Fleet Battles being a favorite, and I've yet to run into one that plays well outside weapons range. That is, how captains maneuver to set up a fight, or avoid one. The closest IMO has been Imperial Starfire (Task Force Games' late '80s edition).