Hammer Class 100 ton Merchant

[flykiller]

How about the 'grow new clone body and download last personality copy into it' model.

heh. respawn machine.

 

[Condottiere]

It's on stand by in a low berth, awaiting de-popsicling.

Kinda embarrassing when there's a power outage and it awakens and starts wandering about the ship, and you have to go and catch it.

 

[flykiller]

It's on stand by in a low berth, awaiting de-popsicling.

so, there's a dozen on standby, and they all wake up and start acting like the pc, and when the other characters ask "who's the legitimate on-line guy", they all answer "me" ....

 

[pendragonman]

TANSTAAFL.

IMTU, Automation beyond the standard/base hull design increases the maintenance costs AT LEAST as much as hiring a crew person, even when you add in the additional LS for that crewperson.

If it is some automation that gets used regularly, that dispenses expendables beyond regular LS items (like medical treatments would be beyond regular LS), there is additional cost for resupply, and since most ships won't have an autodoc, resupplying them require contacting the local factory rep to be contacted and come out to repair. Kind of like getting a Kodak copier repair guy out to visit your office when it breaks down or the toner runs out.

As was mentioned previously, med bays would be an optional item. Like robot stewards, robotic/automated gunners, or increased engineering automation to reduce the # of engineers required.

After all, there are few enough space going jobs as it is. And with many systems having tens and hundreds of billions of inhabitants, even one ten-thousandth of one percent populations making a life in space is still a large number of "professional" spacers.

 

[flykiller]

As others have mentioned, a medic can go in to the field.

also, a medic can do other things besides medic.

increased engineering automation to reduce the # of engineers required.

if you go by hg2's 1 engineer per 100 dtons engineering, it's clear that it's mostly automated and the engineers are there mostly for damage control.

 

[pendragonman]

also, a medic can do other things besides medic.



if you go by hg2's 1 engineer per 100 dtons engineering, it's clear that it's mostly automated and the engineers are there mostly for damage control.

For ships under 1000 dtons, I believe the tradition is to follow CT book 2. This requires, on ships 200 dtons or more, 1 engineer per 35 tons of drive. Which implies, to me at least, that small ships are less automated than battlewagons.

 

[Selandia]

Yatch are expensive toys. As , a private corporate courrier the model has a market.

Pilot/nav + Eng/gun + steward(the boss like to feel important)/medic. One 6 t suite, 2x4 ton rooms for staffer, air raft compartment into office space (include safe), 1 t luggage

Players may own it or be hired by a "Limo" (more or less tactical) service to operate it , exposing them to various patron and mission. "Special duties" do not work with the usual free trader framework. So that kind of ship may still earn a living.

have fun

Selandia

 

[Travellerspud]

heh. respawn machine.

"Who is Senior here?"

 

[BlackBat242]

So what are everyone's thoughts about having and autodoc in place of a paid medic? I don't have any cost or volume stats in front of me, but I recall in my earliest gaming days we often had an autodoc. I'm guessing even that could be given up in lieu of a ship's locker well stocked with Fast Drug. Any thoughts?

Have a good week everyone!

The stats I have are from the Paranoia Press Merchants and Merchandise book, I posted them here (the mods removed the drawing as copyrighted material):
http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showpost.php?p=375237&postcount=12


That post is from a 3-page thread about autodocs, with several people's house rules about them:
http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=24640&highlight=autodoc

And a two-pager, which also mentions the TNE autodoc:
http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=24807&highlight=autodoc

And a 3-pager on Med Bays & Missile Storage (interesting combination):
http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=34986&highlight=autodoc

 

[Whipsnade]

Then what is the benefit, if any, of the autodoc?

Among other things, the medic/doc PC doesn't get stuck playing Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy shifting bed pans, spooning soup, and giving sponge baths while the rest of the PCs are out having an adventure.

IMTU autodocs were a straight rip from Niven and thus "coffin" type machines you either entered on your own power or were place in. Once in the autodoc's "care", you were unconscious and all anyone had to do was check the telltales once in a while. You could safely use the 'doc solo if you wished.

If running an adventure or campaign now, my autodocs would be more like those shown in Drake's RCN series.

As others have mentioned, a medic can go in to the field. Which means the medic can drag your sorry butt home from the bar after a night of carousing.

Exactly. I'll also point out again that no player really wants to be perceived by his fellows as little more than the walking first aid kit. Look at clerics in D&D for example.

What levels of autodocs do you have? The "take 2 aspirin and call me in the morning"? The "It's strep, or an ear infection -- here's an anti-biotic" version? A "trauma doc", flop the unconscious, bleeding form on the bed, and press the button while the doc starts cutting off clothes, clamping, suturing, warming, defibrillating until the patient is stable?

I had one "level" that did it all. You either told the autodoc what you wanted done before entering "Hangover, knocked out tooth, and black eye" or the autodoc performed it's own diagnosis and kept you under as long as needed to "repair" you. Again, my version was stolen from Niven.

Repeating what I wrote in the earlier post; I never was happy with the various autodoc "rules" I came up with.

 

[Whipsnade]

IMTU, Automation beyond the standard/base hull design increases the maintenance costs AT LEAST as much as hiring a crew person, even when you add in the additional LS for that crewperson.

Maintenance is the sticking point for whole scale automation IMTU also. That's not to say such automation doesn't exist, but it exists where the skills, parts, and supplies needed to properly maintain such automation also exists.

Riffing on "Who watches the watchers", it's a case of "Who fixes the fixers?"

IMTU there are heavily automated vessels and they fly those routes where they can be properly maintained.

 

[atpollard]

Maintenance is the sticking point for whole scale automation IMTU also. That's not to say such automation doesn't exist, but it exists where the skills, parts, and supplies needed to properly maintain such automation also exists.

Riffing on "Who watches the watchers", it's a case of "Who fixes the fixers?"

IMTU there are heavily automated vessels and they fly those routes where they can be properly maintained.

I like simple, so I repurpose existing rules for all sorts of things. One of my favorite rules to re-purpose is Starship finance. I read somewhere that there was a robot crewman that cost about Cr 100,000. So applying starship finance's 1/240 per month yields 416 credits per month for any device that replaces a crewman. Just assume that it is never paid off because it needs replacing when it would be paid off. I also assume that it is only skill-1 and just multiply the skill by the 416 credits per month for better models.

Applying this broad rule of thumb to autodocs, you have the initial cost for a stateroom (or any other figure chosen by the rules or the Ref) plus 416 credits per month for a Medic-1 autodoc. Much cheaper than a Human Medic, but less versatile. It can't travel. It can't help load the missile launcher. It has no secondary skills. It sits inert in a corner until needed sucking 416 credits per month, every month. An auto-loader for the missile launcher would cost the same amount. So would a basic auto-chef for the common area. Any 'robotic' device that replaces one person doing one task.

A Medic-1 AutoDoc would cost 416 credits/month.
A Medic-2 AutoDoc would cost 832 credits/month.
A Medic-3 AutoDoc would cost 1248 credits/month.

Like I said, simple rules for lots of stuff based on existing rules.

 

[Whipsnade]

Like I said, simple rules for lots of stuff based on existing rules.

I like that. I really, really, really like that.

It reminds me of a nice simple rule posted here some time back regarding the Ship's Locker. Instead of spending game time "shopping" for and stocking specific items, the players simply drop a chunk of money "into" the Locker. Whenever parts are needed, the cost is simply deducted from the money set aside.

Occasionally, there are questions about what can be in the Locker. Simple stuff like extra ammo or vacc suit repair kits is a no-brainer. Whether more specialized items were bought beforehand could simply depend on a discussion between referee and player or could depend on a roll against a PC's skill; i.e. whether a left-handed frommitz is aboard depends on rolling against a PC's Engineering, Electronics, or whatever skill.

 

[casquilho]

Autodocs are pretty much the same; a one time purchase that eventually is cheaper than keeping a medic on the payroll. There might be a "cost" in the form of dedicated volume, but autodocs are small-scale Santa Claus machines in that they "earn" the PCs money.

IMTU, autodocs require specialized supplies in regular intervals - whether the 'doc has been used or not. IMTU, autodocs require specialized maintenance and overhauls at regular intervals. IMTU, autodocs are going to cost you about the same as having a medic on the payroll. TANSTAAFL.

Just a side note, I think this depends on the edition of Traveller. An often overlooked element in Mongoose Traveller was:

"AutoDoc (TL 13): An autodoc is a small self-contained diagnostic,
pharmaceutical and surgical system about the size of a Low Berth
chamber or large coffi n. Often found on starships, it is capable
of diagnosing and treating disease, infection, injuries and other
medical conditions as if a qualifi ed doctor (treat as Medical 3 skill)
was attending the patient. A restock of basic supplies for an autodoc
costs Cr. 100,000. "

They weren't a one time expense even in the game as written. While they didn't do a good job of implementation, the intent was clearly that an Autodoc required additional costs on a regular basis.

 

[Selandia]

I like simple, so I repurpose existing rules for all sorts of things. One of my favorite rules to re-purpose is Starship finance. I read somewhere that there was a robot crewman that cost about Cr 100,000. So applying starship finance's 1/240 per month yields 416 credits per month for any device that replaces a crewman. Just assume that it is never paid off because it needs replacing when it would be paid off. I also assume that it is only skill-1 and just multiply the skill by the 416 credits per month for better models.


Like I said, simple rules for lots of stuff based on existing rules.

Very good rule,

simply consider that you must amortize (paying the acquisition cost over the replacement period) in 10 years (120 payments instead of 240), have maintenance cost (expendable & al) equal to life support cost for a crew member, throw in some yearly inspection/maintenance/certification cost at a TL 12(?) class B starport, and automatons (autodoc for this conversation) become costly enough to explain why they are no so present in canon while they remain available to players if convenient for them.

A lot of small annoyances can be thrown in to prevent abuse of autodoc: the model you bought know how to use only the gauze made by the bot maker (proprietary supply) not available on the world where you must resupply. Bigger things would be a difficulty in adapting treatment to local plague (even within certified medic-1 design, there are cheapo sold to unwary buyers).

Have fun

Selandia

 

[Beerfume]

Hammer Class Passenger Variant Deckplans

For anyone interested, I've created a new passenger variant of the 100 ton Hammer Class using some of the steerage designs I've been creating for the upcoming geomorph book. You can find deckplans on my blog here: Hammer Class Passenger Variant

 

[agorski]

Excellent steerage renderings. Useful, since T5 includes steerage in starship design.

 

[mactavish]

His work is exceptionally good. My Traveller Universe is rife with his starship designs.

The latest - suggested by another blog reader - introduces Steerage Passage (a step above Low Beth but lower than Standard Passage) to Classic Traveller. Think lower decks of the Titanic and you'll get the idea.

The blog also contains some nifty charts related to Steerage Passengers as well.

mactavish out.

 

[Vargr Breath]

Hi
How about a Scout variant of the original Hammer Class Merchant ? Keep the Med-Bay and use some of the cargo bay for a laboratory and sensors equipment bay.
Use a 3 man crew .
Pilot / Navigator
Engineer / Gunner
Medic / Survey

 

[Old School]

I love this little ship design! Valid points regarding its practicality, but so what? I love it!