Non-cannon Starships: X-boats

[Patron Zero]

I've always been of the mind there were other starships plying the Traveller spaceways that were lesser known and likely seldom seen but still in active service to different agencies-organizations.

IMTU the X-boat network operated 200 ton 'long rider' variant craft that outwardly appear as upsized-upscaled 100 ton 'standard' express boat design.

Internally the arrangement of decks and sections are quite similar, obviously more space for needed additional crew and support systems but the inclusion of small craft 'slips' and a dedicated maneuver drive not present in the original vessel. Said ships maintaining routes and services outside of the established support networks and are more self-reliant than having a dependence of 'traditional' arrangement of express boats and recovery tenders .

The trademark recognizable original ships also appear in service but being configured with a 'support' section giving a familiar but somehow different profile.

If one can picture the standard express boat set inside the 'ring' of a 100 ton 'reduced' version of a Type K Lab ship you have the general arrangement of hulls. The ring section houses M-drives, additional fuel tankage and minimal ordnance systems, also mounting the needed structural fittings to 'dock' the X-boat hull in a symbiotic utility 'relationship'.

Different sub-variants of 'long riders' exist, mission specific duties, hazardous environments or simple endurance-based tasks define the configurations. The presence or absence of internal-external fittings and operational equipment for the most part make those subtle but definite distinctions in this stable of 'new' herd of pony express breeds.

 

[Icosahedron]

IMATU, all X-boats are 200dT. The 100dT ones can't be built with the CT rules.

 

[Vargas]

IMATU, all X-boats are 200dT. The 100dT ones can't be built with the CT rules.

Two thoughts:

1) Which CT ship building system?

2) huh?

 

[atpollard]

Two thoughts:

1) Which CT ship building system?

2) huh?

Try designing the 100 ton x-boat with the LBB2 starship design system.
How did you do?

 

[Andrew Boulton]

IMATU, all X-boats are 200dT. The 100dT ones can't be built with the CT rules.

Works fine in HG. You can even give it a MD.

 

[robject]

Works fine in HG. You can even give it a MD.

And a weapon.

 

[far-trader]

Try designing the 100 ton x-boat with the LBB2 starship design system.
How did you do?

And it could be (and was originally) designed with the 1st printing of LBB2 rules which allowed it to work as Jump Drives didn't need a Power Plant, just fuel.

Of course it might have been wise to redesign it once that rule was changed

(actually I have posted somewhere here iirc a LBB2 2nd printing version of the xboat that worked ok)

Here it is: My unbroken(ish) X-Boat

 

[savage]

dumping x-boats

I've always had a hard time with the "I can send an airplane but not a radio signal approach".... So I've left X-Boats at TL13. I replaced them with a signaling system in MTU. Although, it could use a spit and polish re-write the concept is essentially better. Any ship can get off a message if it has the hardware.

Still takes forever but a system that's fine for the RC isn't running the Imperium.

http://www.angelfire.com/empire2/savage/1WorldOrder/Home-Rules/XBITS.html

On another note, I recall that a 400dt or 600dt courier design was also in CT.

I also dumped the 100dt jump rule suggesting you could go smaller but wasted energy in doing so. Of course, that leads to expensive jump torpedoes...etc.

 

[Patron Zero]

Message Torpedoes

I've always had a hard time with the "I can send an airplane but not a radio signal approach".... I also dumped the 100dt jump rule suggesting you could go smaller but wasted energy in doing so. Of course, that leads to expensive jump torpedoes...etc.

I've merged both concepts IMTU, essentially having 'jump' torpedoes that carry data rather than ordnance, such 'courier' service not restricted exclusively to the express boat network fleet but offered by merchants and other 'bonded' agents as well.

I see the 'expense' of such dedicated hardware and technologies as very likely to happen in contrast to the alternative of employing manned vessels on seldom-infrequently trafficked mail routes. That said, the X-boats are the backbone of the 'postal' system in Traveller but there's always room for a little competition from the private sector.

Just hoping the yellow and red liveried courier ships do better in their respective universe than such did in our modern world.

 

[Icosahedron]

My memory is hazy, this was twenty-odd years ago guys...
I seem to recall not being able to create the 100dT X-boat with either LBB2 or LBB5 and that's why I opted for 200dT standard. Maybe I was wrong, but I'm not about to change now.

I made a house-rule that the Jump drive for a 100dT ship is the smallest possible, but it could be shoehorned into a smaller ship. However, it would still require its normal amount of fuel and power. The minimum JD allocation is therefore 2 + 10 dT. It also needs a bridge as well as a computer if the ship is manned.
This gives a minimum 'jump torpedo' of 15dT: 1dT pp, 1dT ppfuel, 1dT comp, 2dT jd, 10dT jdfuel. More if you require a physical payload - I usually figure on a 5dT cargo bay for a total of 20dT.
The smallest manned 'Microstarship' is therefore a 25dT Cabin Cruiser with 15dT above components, a 5dT bridge, a 4dT jump-rated cabin, and 1dT 'TBA'.
Not for the claustrophobic!

 

[savage]

I've merged both concepts IMTU, essentially having 'jump' torpedoes that carry data rather than ordnance, such 'courier' service not restricted exclusively to the express boat network fleet but offered by merchants and other 'bonded' agents as well.

Yep that works too in my book. My concern was that we have this cold rule of 100dt (probably for sophonts). Seems that smaller unmanned, signal based technologies should be allowed to work. Or perhaps travel under 100dt should require more jump fuel? Either way a basic messaging system allows an 11000 system community to exist.

I kept X-boats and submerchant communications as the low tech alternative limiting the interstellar governments size.

 

[Patron Zero]

My concern was that we have this cold rule of 100dt. Seems that smaller unmanned, signal based technologies should be allowed to work.

I think the 100dt is a reasonable as a general rule but as such may have it's exceptions, example given being jump torpedoes.

That said IMTU such sentiment has not allowed jump drive equipped 'snub' fighters or passenger torpedoes (as seen in ST:TNG-"Reunion"), 'technical issues' (read referee-spawned gremlins) have prevented ordnance payloads from becoming the ultimate in reach-out-and-touch-someone arsenal of options.

The above expressed, I see no objection to jump torpedoes carrying surveillance packages or other covert operation flavored mission gear, such extension of a fleet's ears and eyes would be quite welcome.

 

[sabredog]

IMTU these are the X-boats...

Mail Packet TL-12 (Book 2 design)

200 ton Streamlined wedge w/ scoops & purifiers

Jump Drive (B) Jump-2

Maneuver Drive (F) 6-G (Agility 5 / Emergency agility 6)

Power Plant (F)

Fuel = 100 tons Cargo = 20 tons w/ 1 ton of data storage banks
(Packets are equipped for 20-40 ton drop tanks)

Computer = Model 4 (CPU-8/ Storage-15)

Vehicles = 0

Weapons = 2 Triple Turrets (BBB / SSS)

Staterooms= 2

Crew: Pilot/Navigator
Engineer
2 Gunners (the gunners are commonly cross-trained in
engineering, piloting, and navigation)


With 20 ton drop tanks retained during maneuver acceleration is 4G
With 40 ton drop tanks retained during maneuver acceleration is 3G


++++ I have a chart I use to determine what agility is for Book 2 designs that penalizes heavily the bigger hulls regardless of the M-Drive rating. Agility is used as a quick n' dirty way to determine things like forced boardings and how a ship behaves in stressed non-Jump situations.++++


Mail Packets typically accelerate constantly when outbound to the jump point, and enter the system jumped into the same way. Packets have priority traffic corridors assigned only to them so as not to risk a hazard to regular traffic. This type of maneuvering makes it harder for the "highwaymen" types to try and intercept the Packets.

These versions run around the frontier subsectors but faster TL-15 versions are used inside the borders of Terran Empire. Most strings of worlds along the frontier are only Jump-1 or 2 apart...and clusters are typically only 2 or 3 parsecs arpart.

Using "pokey" Packets for the colony routes provides a lot of incentive for local captains with faster ships (read: player characters and rivals) to offer their services for the priority "when it absolutely, positively has to be there next week" mail.

 

[boomslang]

Crew: Pilot/Navigator
Engineer
2 Gunners (the gunners are commonly cross-trained in
engineering, piloting, and navigation)

You forgot the Medic, as required on all LBB2 ships 200 dtons and over.

IMTU, I use LBB2 and build a J-4, M-1, 195-dton Mail packet; I give up one hardpoint, but then I can ditch the Engineer (since I am under 200 dtons) and avoid needing a Medic (ditto).

But hey, at TL11, you can build a 400-dton LBB2 design that will make J-5; that will get your dispatches through with alacrity...

 

[Patron Zero]

Outposts

Mind a bit of old west flavor exists in MTU, specifically on the edges of the well traversed spacelanes, what I like to refer to as The Frontier.

The x-boat networks are often up to date versions of the pony express routes, and on such one will find the occasional 'watering hole' for said couriers, the ever welcome outpost or relay point.

Very often said facility being little more than a self-sufficient orbital platform offering berthing for a starship in need of fuel or the pilot wanting a fresh cup of joe and another 'human' (read sentient) face to exchange tales of the long dark highway between stars.

IMTU the Scout Service originally operated these oasis points, then as often happens in our world, private enterprise filled said niche when military relay stations were scaled back in peacetime.

That said, no two outposts will be identical in construction or the menu of services available likely be the same. Each facility catering to the particular needs of it's clientele or resources provided by it's location.

 

[Straybow]

You forgot the Medic, as required on all LBB2 ships 200 dtons and over.

IMTU, I use LBB2 and build a J-4, M-1, 195-dton Mail packet; I give up one hardpoint, but then I can ditch the Engineer (since I am under 200 dtons) and avoid needing a Medic (ditto).

:nonono: Anything over 100 counts as 200 in the rules. I'd use anything over 140 would be considered 200; anything over 120 would be penalized somehow.

OK, really I'd use a more flexible design system.

 

[far-trader]

:nonono: Anything over 100 counts as 200 in the rules.

Just for drives/performance as I've always understood it* More specifically anything between two listed tonnages in the table counts as the next higher tonnage.

* never really thought about it before but I can see how one could apply it to the crew rules too

...OK, really I'd use a more flexible design system.

Agreed (...most of the time )

 

[boomslang]

* never really thought about it before but I can see how one could apply it to the crew rules too

That is not implied by the text of the crew rules; it is, as you note, only for engine performance. Note also that hardpoint allowance explicitly does not round up like hull size does, nor do Engineering crew requirements. Note also also that Navigators are explicitly required on sstarhips over 200 dtons, and this would explicitly apply to, for example, a 240-dton starship.

If one wishes to interpret crewing rules like the engineering performance rules, that is certainly one's prerogative, but it is not what the rules actually say.