Merchant ship Jump ratings

[rancke]

The drop tank idea date back to The Gazelle Close Escort. It was however provided with a crude rule and likely to upset the Economic of Free Trader play balance. So all kind of home rules were set-up (if you trust the talk here). Those that liked the idea made the tank reusable and easy to fit back, those that did not like it insisted that they had to be custom design, fitted in yards, (time and money).... By and large, there was no rules to play balance the advantage and that would upset the OTU.

Except that it was made clear that drop tanks (or rather, the capacitors that enabled their use) were a recent invention in the OTU. So while it may change shipping costs in the future, currently (Classic Era) there are no contradictions involved).


Hans

 

[Selandia]

Station

ZEN Shipping tried Stations.

The math of the micro-economic works in such that it is usually cheaper to bring the supplies strait to the Jumper than to bring the supplies to the Station and then foward them to the Jumper. There is a margin of error at re-entry, the Jumper don't just reappear on the door matt.

Emphasis is on --Usually--, since ZEN is building a Coaling Station (why Zumwalt insist on those obsolete terms infuriate Neuart, but that is between them) at Rethe and it was essential on the Forine blockade running operation (more later)

As to ACE
Free Traders are built with an equivalence J-Drive J-fuel. Demountable tanks in the cargo hold allow them to move J-1+ J-1 W/O dropable tanks of jump tankers. Using a Jump tanker for the first jump and onboard fuel for the second is economical only if you do not have 20t of cargo hold to spare. Free traders are not designed for drop tank operations. That would involve been over priced (excess J-Drive) for casual operations. Only regular liner on high volumes route could use them profiatbly

However, FLASH (Free Lighter Aboard SHip, allows odd shapped object rather than purpose designed Habitat, Barges or Pods) would happily load a Free trader at 200,000 Cr (1,000 cr a ton, open to negociation) as cargo over a J-3.

When the TI wanted to open TI trade with Forine (district 268) despite a local cartel (IMTU), :CoW: there was a resurgence of Corsair operating on the J-1 route leading to Forine:devil: ZEN was tasked by the TI to operate a FLASH service between Forine and the Imperial world of Lydia (Glisten). The Imperial subsidized J-2 was charged only 100 cr/ton to Imerial shipping. This was from a Station since Lydia could not support the operation and every supplies had to be brought in anyway by Jumpers from Weiss(Glisten) or skimmed at the gas giant.

have fun

Selandia

 

[Selandia]

Except that it was made clear that drop tanks (or rather, the capacitors that enabled their use) were a recent invention in the OTU. So while it may change shipping costs in the future, currently (Classic Era) there are no contradictions involved).


Hans

agreed, no contradiction was involved and the OTU did not choke out. I decided IMTU it was time for the future. As pointed above, not everybody agreed, and in the absence of canonical examples, nothing could be forced upon the OTU.

T5 just provided enough canon on critical matters for me to says The Future Is Now (actually, t'was last night) in the OTU. It is an ACE, micro and macro economic workable proposition now. Might be wrong of course, 5.1 is not out, but it is so much fun for an heretical prophet like me to witness the coming... I plan to enjoy that cup while it last:coffeesip:

have fun

Selandia