Is T5 a game in itself?

[Spinward Scout]

I don't know any of us who have built Traveller ships that haven't designed one "if only" you could get a ship to jump on half as much fuel.

There was an optional rule, maybe in T20?, that if you build a lower Jump Drive at a higher TL, it doesn't need as much fuel. Example: J-2 drives are from TL-11, but you built one at TL-12, it would only need half as much fuel. One at TL-13 would only need half the fuel of a TL-12 Jump-2 drive and so on... A TL-13 Jump-2 drive would then get 4 Jump 2's out of the same amount of fuel necessary for a TL-11 Jump-2 drive.

It would change the dynamic of the game, tho.

Sorry about the tangent.

 

[KDLadage]

I could see subtle variations in the *standard* designs -- "A J-2 drive from MegaDriveCorp is 10% larger than normal, but uses 10% less fuel."

 

[robject]

There was an optional rule, maybe in T20?, that if you build a lower Jump Drive at a higher TL, it doesn't need as much fuel.

Sound like Marc borrowed that concept into T5, just not as game-changing. Stage effects on jump drives reduce fuel per jump. The tradeoff is a variable quality per drive. A bit of a gamble, but typically worth it for player characters.

 

[DickNervous]

There was an optional rule, maybe in T20?, that if you build a lower Jump Drive at a higher TL, it doesn't need as much fuel. Example: J-2 drives are from TL-11, but you built one at TL-12, it would only need half as much fuel. One at TL-13 would only need half the fuel of a TL-12 Jump-2 drive and so on... A TL-13 Jump-2 drive would then get 4 Jump 2's out of the same amount of fuel necessary for a TL-11 Jump-2 drive.

It would change the dynamic of the game, tho.

Sorry about the tangent.

I know that Mongoose has a rule similar to that, but it only relates to size and cost and is detailed in Book 2 - High Guard. Essentially it details that manufacturing something at a TL above it's invention level will allow you to make it smaller, but more expensive. It ranges from 95% of the tonnage for a drive at 110% cost at TL+1 up to 75% size for 200% at TL+3.

They have that for drives, power plants, and weapons, but you could apply it to other things as well.

I haven't dug into the T5 starship design yet (still working on understanding all the careers and skills) but from what I have seen there does appear to be a similar mechanic. But like I have always said, one of the beautiful things about Traveller (and pretty much all RPGs) is that the Referee/Game Master is the boss and you can do whatever you want.

Just be careful though, experience tells me that if a player asks "can I do this", it is almost guaranteed that they have already thought of 5 ways of using "this" that you will never imagine. :rofl:

 

[aramis]

MegaTraveller has a reduced fuel requirement for very high TL jump drives, but caps development at J6.

T5 does allow reduced fuel requirements for Jump, Hop, Skip, Leap, Bound, and Vault drives. At least in the latest revised draft I've seen.

 

[atpollard]

Unless your research is pushing past TL 15 into TL 16+, I suggest that Jump Fuel volume is a universal constant and cannot be reduced by simple 'research'.
It has too great an impact on the rules and assumptions of the universe.

Sure a higher TL drive might be smaller and more expensive, but 10%xJN is sort of hard wired into both the rules and settings.

 

[aramis]

Unless your research is pushing past TL 15 into TL 16+, I suggest that Jump Fuel volume is a universal constant and cannot be reduced by simple 'research'.
It has too great an impact on the rules and assumptions of the universe.

Sure a higher TL drive might be smaller and more expensive, but 10%xJN is sort of hard wired into both the rules and settings.

Not in T5 RAW...

Improved uses x0.9 fuel, costs the same, has 110% efficiency, and is +1 TL.
Generic is half cost, uses x1.1 fuel, is 90% efficient and is +1 TL.
Improved generic would be x1/2 cost, +2 TL, and uses x0.99 fuel, x0.99 efficiency.

See page 338.

 

[Ulsyus]

Not in T5 RAW...

Improved uses x0.9 fuel, costs the same, has 110% efficiency, and is +1 TL.
Generic is half cost, uses x1.1 fuel, is 90% efficient and is +1 TL.
Improved generic would be x1/2 cost, +2 TL, and uses x0.99 fuel, x0.99 efficiency.

See page 338.

You're spot on with that stuff of course, but what's the effect on game play? Is that just penny and dime savings that has little impact on all but the most penny-pinching tramp freighters?

 

[aramis]

You're spot on with that stuff of course, but what's the effect on game play? Is that just penny and dime savings that has little impact on all but the most penny-pinching tramp freighters?

I can't get a firm enough grasp on the design sequence to tell overall, but given the improved drive requires 91% of the space for the drive (due to 110% efficiency) and 90% as much fuel, with no cost increase, going to increase cargo by about 11% so probably about 15% more profit.

Just looking at a basic round numbers kind of figure...

if a ship is 10% J-fuel, 2% JD, and 50% cargo, and the JD is 30% of the overall cost, using generic drives cuts the costs by 15% of overall, and reduces cargo by 1.2% of hull or 2.4% of cargo... for 0.85/0.976=87% the monthly payment as a fraction of tonnage; refined fuel generally costs about 1/10 the monthly payment for J1 ships, and goes up 10%, so overall about 88% to 90% the costs to operate overall.

So, it matters enough for merchants to want to use generic drives. Generic improved are even better... 0.85/1 = 85% the monthly payment and no fuel increase.

 

[WistfulD]

Which is right where we want technological breakthroughs--enough to be the exciting thing that fortunes and adventures are made of, but not such that it changes the way things work in terms of what can be accessed by whom.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

I am actually interested to see someone take a shot at using "Thing-Maker" to build a TARDIS (with a working chameleon-circuit, preferably).

As far as I can see, all of the necessary component technologies are listed somewhere on the TL22-TL33 charts.

I believe that the "Third Paradigm Shift" which allows redo of an event may be the key. Unless I am mistaken on what they refer to as a redo. However in the book, there are no items or components listed. After all, there was always the Heat Death of the Universe campaign mentioned in T4. How to survive or profit from that...