How ships land

[Icosahedron]

Another being the misjump, they never seem to arrive in settled systems do they? Always somewhere back of beyond Robin Hoods barn it seems. Without the means to gather and process whatever fuel they can find they are in a tight spot.

Statistically, with a random jump, the surprise would be arriving in a starsystem at all. You're much more likely to emerge a light year or two from the nearest star. Now THAT's a tight spot.

 

[aramis]

Now I am not sure how I will handle cost. As the Mongoose Traveller ship building rules assume VTOL capability (as you confirmed), the logical thing would be to construct the Serenity ships using the rules as written and making existing Traveller ships with streamline hulls cheaper (to compensate for lacking VTOL).
Labourwise, leaving the Traveller ships as they are and making the Serenity ships more expensive would be better...

Any ship capable of holding itself on end and capable of ≥G_local is capable of VTOL; Most ships are capable of vertical launch and land even without a "VTOL kit." What you won't wind up with is good atmospheric mobility in tail-down types.

And we don't see many Tail-down types in Traveller nor Serenity; but we see some in each.

 

[mbrinkhues]

IMTU (using MegaTraveller as the tech base mostly)

Distributed/open structures simply lack the stability/bracing for the stress operating in athmosphere (There are still turbulences, winds and athmo resistance)

Non-Streamlined craft use gravitics and the M-Drive to enter athmosphere at "speed null" similar to Leviathan in "Torch of Honor". They have problems maneuvering in athmosphere since they lack control surfaces and basically can only do the "lift" thingy (straight up/down) and anything else requires a VERY good pilot

Streamlined means additional thrusters/control surfaces/Darrian pushed into the airflow to add more control. They are still using the above technology to enter athmosphere but can make some more controlled maneuvers. They are still not as maneuverable as a true airplane or a grav supported airplane

Airframe is the type used for ships that spend a lot of time in athmosphere. Defence fighters are using this to be truely dual mode

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All athmosphere capabel crafts CAN make aerobreaking entries without being destroyed but they normally do not since the "thrust for energy" and "cheap fusion energy" universe of Traveller can easily do without. Aerobreaking and runway landings are for emergency situations and very primitive (TL8-9) starships or STL barges that have limited gravitics