So Where Do the Express Boat Tenders Stay

[whartung]

I thought post delivery by courier was as and when, or maybe once a month to keep the system connected to the rest of the Impeium.

It seems that there's a history of giving (and trusting) mail to complete strangers heading from the frontier back toward civilization.

It's curious how this manifests.

It's not so hard going back from the frontier. The local post system routes mail to the local starport, and any ships leaving with some space for a few bags just naturally toss 'em in with the canned meat and a crate of fresh veggies to haul them to the next starport.

While there's that formal mechanic of paying for the mail, ships would just do it on an space available basis as it's no risk, no cost kind of thing. "Go check us in, and drop of the mail bag while you're at it." "Ok, Capt!"

But the real quandry is outgoing mail. How is that routed, how is it discovered?

i.e. how does a ship leaving HiTech A Staport Beta learn that there's a sack of mail for LoTech D Starport Colony Gamma that the ship happens to be flying to that day.

Do the pilots simply routinely know "We're heading to the frontier, any mail?" Do they make a specific stop at the post office, or can it be done organically when they file the flight plan. "Oh I see, you're heading to Gamma. We have some mail waiting for them, care to take it along?" "Sure, no problem".

Now, that could easily be the trigger for it. Ship files their flightplan, the controller notes "Will take mail" and notifies the Post Office that the ship "Drunk and Disorderly" is leaving bay 9 at 17:00 for Gamma, and it's up to the Post Office to get a sack of mail to them in time.

The underlying point being that at this level, the mail flow is casual, flowing on an as needed/as available basis, vs a formal, established routine. And it's also for messaging and, perhaps, very small packaged. Anything considered "freight" is a different problem entirely. This is no to low volume messages. It could be purely electronic.

It's not guaranteed, it's based on Good Will that the ships will deliver the mail, there's an underlying trust to it. They deliver the mail unmolested because, like everyone else, they like their mail delivered unmolested. It's just good practice to leave the bags sealed, leave the messages encrypted, and just move it because you can.

 

[whulorigan]

My understanding is that a ship (usually a subsidized merchant or liner) must have a dedicated mail vault, and must be armed as a prerequisite to getting a mail contract.

 

[Spinward Flow]

I thought post delivery by courier was as and when, or maybe once a month to keep the system connected to the rest of the Imperium.

To be honest, I've never seen any kind of in depth analysis of how the assets of the IISS Communications Office are intended to be set up and deployed to run communications around the Third Imperium. We have scratch the surface references to how things work (XBoats and Tenders operate ON routes, while Scout/Couriers carry communications OFF routes to everywhere else) and the idea that systems with "heavy traffic" have multiple Tenders and XBoats running through them to turn over communication cycles faster out of places like high population worlds and/or subsector capitals (to name a couple of examples).

So if you look at the rimward region of the Lanth/Spinward Marches sector, you'll see a part of the map that looks like this to the IISS Communications Office.

The XBoats circulate between systems on the Express Network (white arrows) while the Scout/Couriers carry communications out to systems off the Express Network (yellow arrows). Interdicted systems do not receive "regular" Scout/Courier communications runs (so Asgard, Victoria and Ylaven "don't count" for this analysis of routine) and worlds with no population also do not receive "regular" Scout/Courier communications runs (meaning Tavonni on this map). The XBoats form the communications backbone and the Scout/Couriers disseminate those communications outwards from the Express Network to systems off the network.

Well ... that's the theory anyway.

So then, what kind of operational tempo (or flow bandwidth if you prefer) for these movements of starships would be a reasonable assumption to make?

Let's start with the legacy TL=10 J4 XBoats and Tenders.

Each Tender is capable of having up to 4 XBoats docked in its hangar bay at any given time, but the real limitation is that the onboard fuel tankage is only 150 tons, which is enough to refuel 3 XBoats for Jump-4 (40 tons each) outbound before the Tender itself needs to refuel in order to continue operations. Use of Scout/Couriers as makeshift tankers transporting fuel out to Tenders on station will help to increase the "uptime" of Tenders on station (especially if there is only 1 Tender for a single star system) by helping to "balance the load" of refueling the Tenders operating on station for XBoat recoveries (which could happen at ANY time due to the variable duration of jumps from 150-175 hours). So pulling a Tender off station for refueling is a least desirable option if there are no other Tenders available to sustain operations.

Ideally speaking, you would want to have 2+ Tenders (with 3 or more being better for rotations on station) in order to have continuous coverage of a Tender always being on station ready to handle incoming and outgoing XBoat traffic at all times (because they don't arrive at predictably regular intervals like a Just In Time logistics operation due to variables in jump durations).

So each Tender can "house" up to 4 XBoats in their hangar bay (usually for maintenance work) but in terms of the Express Network itself, each Tender can be "home base" for more than 4 XBoats.

Consider that the D'Ganzio to Ivendo "loop" run (shown above) will involve 150-175 hours in jump (one way). After breakout from jump, the XBoat transmits its communications to the Tender and awaits pickup, followed by the Tender at Ivendo needing to maneuver to dock with the XBoat from D'Ganzio (presume multiple hours at 1G by the Tender). The safer assumption to make is that the Tender brings the XBoat onboard for routine maintenance checks after a jump (16 hours) during which the Tender's engineering staff verify and sign off on the XBoat being fit for launch and return to D'Ganzio. So figure a good 24 hours after breakout from jump into the Ivendo system, the XBoat from D'Ganzio will be ready for launch (new pilot optional) for a return trip to D'Ganzio. The D'Ganzio XBoat is launched into space a readied for departure to D'Ganzio by its pilot.

So then, what would be the triggering event for dispatching the XBoat from D'Ganzio back to D'Ganzio?
Answer ... an XBoat arriving at Ivendo from either Equus or Icetina (1 parsec trailing, or in my opinion also Resten and Fosey 4 parsecs rimward) with communications bound for D'Ganzio and further down the Express Network (Lanth, Vilis subsector, Regina subsector, Jewell subsector, you get the idea). An incoming XBoat from either Equus or Icetina (or Resten or Fosey) could happen at any time, so the outbound to D'Ganzio XBoat is kept on standby ready for departure. Periodically, the Tender will maneuver to use their external probe to "top up" the XBoat's reserves (mainly fuel and life support) while waiting for an incoming XBoat without needing to bring the XBoat onboard into the hangar bay.

Once an XBoat breaks out of jump from either Equus or Icetina (or Resten or Fosey) and transmits their communications data to the Tender, the communications specialist onboard the Tender consolidates all communications bound for D'Ganzio and uploads the communications data to the XBoat on standby waiting for departure clearance to jump to D'Ganzio. The XBoat pilot jumps once clearance is granted, spends 150-175 hours in jump (one way) and after breakout from jump transmits communications to the Tender at D'Ganzio before awaiting pickup by the Tender maneuvering to dock.

Using this very simplistic scenario of "holding" departing XBoats until the most up to date communications have been received for forwarding model of operations then dictates that although the communications themselves spend remarkably little time not being carried through jump space (baton hand off in 7 minutes to 4 hours) the XBoats themselves take longer to turn around on each end due to the maneuver for recovery, berth in the hangar bay, engineering routine maintenance, relaunch into space, wait for incoming XBoat before departure system of operations means that a single XBoat could take anywhere from 332-382 hours (13.83-15.92 days) just in jumpspace and receiving 16 hour routine maintenance per round trip, with the maneuvering time for the Tender to recover the XBoat not included. Add in maneuvering time of the Tender and recovery/launching of the XBoat and the turnaround time for a single XBoat making a round trip between 2 star systems can easily become 14.5-16.5 days per round trip (on average), a significant amount of variance ... before even accounting for the delay in waiting for another XBoat to breakout from jump for the "baton pass" of their communications along the Express Network. So an actual round trip time between 2 star systems for a single XBoat can easily turn into a 16-18 day average.

This in turn means that in order to have communications being received once per week (or less, preferably) as a matter of operational tempo, there needs to be at least two and by strong preference at least three XBoats on rotation between 2 star systems. With 3 XBoats assigned to making round trips (say, between D'Ganzio and Ivendo) communications updates can be received every 5-6 days (which for our purposes amounts to "once a week" in this discussion). Adding more XBoats will allow for more outbound/inbound jumps to occur, increasing the operational tempo ... such that with 4 XBoats in a rotation between 2 star systems, communications updates can be received every ~4 days instead of every 5-6 days. With 5 XBoats in the rotation between 2 star systems, communications updates can be received every ~3 days instead of every 5-6 days. There is, of course, going to be a "saturation limit" of how many XBoats can usefully be assigned to a round trip between 2 star systems due to the limitations of the logistics of recovery, engineering maintenance and launch by Tenders ... although adding more Tenders to a duty station helps alleviate those problems quite significantly.

My point here being that although a single Tender can only accommodate up to 4 XBoats inside their hangar bay ... that single Tender could be operated as a support and supply point for up to 10 XBoats on routine outbound/inbound round trips on a pair of legs of the Express Network (say, Lanth to D'Ganzio to Ivendo), possibly even more if there are more than 2 outbound systems to dispatch XBoats to (like Ivendo has to deal with). So it is in my opinion a mistake to assume that a single Tender ought to be responsible for no more than 4 XBoats per Tender ... mainly because those individual XBoats aren't going to be occupying the hangar space in the Tender for all that long (less than a day each per round trip for routine 16 hour maintenance after jumping).

 

[Spinward Flow]

Note that this arrangement means that with 3-5 XBoats assigned to each segment of the Express Network, communications along the network are relatively "steady" because the discrete communications packets get forwarded along the network "faster" than the individual XBoats themselves get turned around for dispatches, with more XBoats "cycling" through each leg of the network improving the frequency of how often communications are forwarded to each node along the network. So in order to achieve the fastest transmission speed along the network, there needs to be some "slack" or overcapacity of XBoats cycling through each portion of the network in order to achieve those superior transmission times. That way, there's always an XBoat ready and awaiting departure with the absolute LATEST information to forward on.

Of course, at really high levels of saturation of capacity, the "wait" for an incoming XBoat from other systems can be waived such that outbound XBoats get dispatched as fast as they can be turned around so as to take whatever communications are ready to go as fast as the XBoat's maintenance and launch can be completed ... simply because it's better to "dispatch now" with communications that are ready to go than "wait" for new communications updates to arrive, owing to the fact that the operational tempo is high enough (due to saturation of capacity) that another XBoat ought to be arriving "soon enough" that it no longer makes sense to keep the current one waiting.

In other words, depending on "network loading" there are going to be different "modes" of operational tempo at different segments along the Express Network, all operating at different capacities ... and the key to making those different "modes" of operational tempo possible is going to be ... the number of Tenders assigned to a system, and the number of XBoats cycling in and out of that system on a regular routine basis.

---

Compare and contrast the above with how Scout/Couriers are (presumably) intended to operate.

The Scout/Couriers carrying communications off network are not intended to sustain the high tempo of the main "backbone" of the Express Network. I think it would be safe to assume that a single Scout/Courier cycling between systems on and off the network every 2-3 weeks would suffice, using perhaps only a single starship.

So between Lanth and Arba, there could be a single Scout/Courier assigned to run round trip laps between the two star systems on a semi-regular basis, perhaps taking as long as 3 weeks per round trip.

Same with D'Ganzio and Arba.
Same with Ivendo and Rhise.
You get the idea.

So while each "node" on the Express Network itself presumably has multiple XBoats (3-5?) servicing each round trip along the network in and out of the system (hopefully with multiple Tenders supporting those operations) … the off network responsibilities for dispatching Scout/Couriers will presumably be a lot more laid back and low tempo with only a fraction of the Scout/Couriers (1-2?) servicing each round trip between the network and off the network. That way, communications along the network backbone are kept relatively fast, while the dissemination of communications off that network are handled in a more leisurely fashion by use of Scout/Couriers.

The configuration of the Express Network itself is intentionally designed to place most star systems within "easy reach" of Scout/Couriers jumping off network in 1 or 2 jumps from the nearest system on the network.

There are some regions where the Express Network is ... sparse ... within a subsector, such as the Aramis subsector in the Spinward Marches (as an extreme example) ... and yet, within the Aramis subsector there is only a single system that is beyond 2J2 from the nearest system on the Express Network. That system is Lablon/Aramis/Spinward Marches, which as it turns out is 3J2 distant from Kinorb/Regina/Spinward Marches. There are a few other star systems that are 3J2 distant from the nearest Express Network system (Grote and Lydia in the Glisten subsector, along with Gitosy, Cipatwe, Vanejen and Powaza in the Rhylanor subsector being other examples), but they are relatively few and far between. So in that respect, the Express Network layout within the Spinward Marches offers relatively decent coverage from which the Scout/Couriers then fan out to reach the worlds off the network.

Once that operational model is understood, an interesting thing occurs when building in some "slack" or excess capacity into the number of Scout/Couriers in operation on communications courier duty. Instead of necessarily increasing the tempo of outbound/inbound jumps to cycle communications off the network faster, what can be done instead is to cycle those extra Scout/Couriers through fuel tanker and passenger/cargo duties interfacing with the Tenders on the network as a part of their regular operational support duties.

If you have 2 Scout/Couriers assigned to the D'Ganzio to Arba round trip run, you can have one Scout/Courier out of the system jumping to and back from Arba while the other Scout/Courier staying in D'Ganzio doing maneuver drive support work for the Tender (fuel tanker runs, maneuvering to assist with XBoat recoveries (2G drives better than 1G!, shuttling any passengers/crew between ground support or the scout base and the Tender, etc.). In other words, a Scout/Courier can be assigned to "runabout" duties in a system on the Express Network in support of the IISS Communications Office. Additionally, such a Scout/Courier would also be available for Search & Rescue/Recovery should disaster strike anywhere, while also providing sensor sweeping services for the Tender they're assigned to support to help provide early warning to a Tender if the Scout/Courier is nearby (making it harder for hijackers to board and take over a Tender). So having a Scout/Courier "ready" to assist a Tender with standard operations while the Tender is on station has a LOT of potential upsides.

The "nifty" thing you can do logistically then is rotate the 2 Scout/Couriers such that they "take turns" on outbound/inbound jumps and in-system runabout duties. The idea being that when the outbound Scout/Courier returns to their "home" system, the two of them swap places so the other Scout/Courier can jump out and the new arrival takes over runabout duties for the next couple/few weeks until their counterpart returns.

So just like how you want to have 2+ XBoats running a specific round trip loop on the Express Network (and ideally at least 5 per round trip!), there are advantages to having 2 Scout/Couriers per round trip off network so as to have one ship "making the rounds" of delivering communications off network while the second ship is on "runabout" duty on network in system, allowing the XBoats and Tenders to focus on their assigned tasks and missions so as to sustain their uptime and rapid response rates that keep the whole party going (and preventing the music from stopping). Such a scheme for Scout/Courier operations of mixing things up between jump space and normal space duties would help "change things up" from time to time so crews don't get too complacent/lazy with spending most of their time in jump space (with nothing to do like XBoat Pilots) and get in plenty of space navigation time to keep their skills sharp and their proficiency rating high at a variety of starship tasks. The Scout/Couriers would also have either the Tender engineering crew and/or scout base ground crew available to them for necessary maintenance of their starships, freeing up precious stateroom space for possible middle passenger accommodations on an as needed (read: surprise! ) basis.

 

[Spinward Flow]

The underlying point being that at this level, the mail flow is casual, flowing on an as needed/as available basis, vs a formal, established routine. And it's also for messaging and, perhaps, very small packaged. Anything considered "freight" is a different problem entirely. This is no to low volume messages. It could be purely electronic.

It's not guaranteed, it's based on Good Will that the ships will deliver the mail, there's an underlying trust to it. They deliver the mail unmolested because, like everyone else, they like their mail delivered unmolested. It's just good practice to leave the bags sealed, leave the messages encrypted, and just move it because you can.

A lot of what's going on in the situations you describe are not as ad hoc as they might at first appear. In a lot of cases, you're going to need to be registered with some sort of Postal Union type of entity (singular) or entities (plural) before xmail cargo will be entrusted to your starship (meaning your ship needs to be up to code, current on all registrations, not stolen, etc.). This is where the "must have a 5 ton mail vault, the ship must be armed and have a gunner" part of things impinges on starship design, but the whole "backstory" of how xmail is generated to be loaded onto ships and hauled away is substantially handwaved so as to not bore Players (and, let's be honest, Referees) with the minutia of details.

The RAW gives us only as much as we "need to know" as Players in order to be able to interface with (and profit from) the xmail system without getting caught up in all the nitty gritty details of how it all WORKS under the hood.

My understanding is that a ship (usually a subsidized merchant or liner) must have a dedicated mail vault, and must be armed as a prerequisite to getting a mail contract.

Correct. Those are the requirements.

1. 5 Tons of dedicated cargo space (mail vault)
2. Armed with offensive weaponry (so sandcasters do not satisfy this requirement)
3. Gunner to man the weaponry (so the weapons can be used and aren't just for show)

Note that xmail isn't limited to subsidized starships ... they just happen to be the examples used (out of a VERY limited selection in LBB2!) for the types of ships that can carry xmail. Privately held (as opposed to publicly subsidized) starships can also carry xmail and operate as couriers.

Ironically, the nearly ubiquitous Scout/Courier cannot carry xmail without modification ... although such aftermarket modifications are simple enough to carry out and can be potentially quite profitable, particularly in a campaign where the Referee permits major cargo to be transported as (unstreamlined) external cargo outside the starship in a tug+barge arrangement (either interplanetary or interstellar).

 

[mike wightman]

Supplement 7:

The scout/courier is the final part of the network, although this type of ship is
not restricted to working with the express boat system. The xboat network is a
general framework of routes connecting major worlds and population centers with
other similar worlds. Economic considerations make it impossible for the network
to reach every single world in the Imperium; the scout/courier is used to fill the
gaps. When a message 'can no longer be forwarded by xboat along the major routes,
it is transferred to a scout/courier which then carries it to the specific world in
question. Main routes are plotted to come within several parsecs of every star
system in the Imperium, so the added transit time is rarely more than an extra three
or four weeks.

While the xboat system provides fast forwarding of messages and information
along the major xboat routes within the Imperium, it falls to the Scout Service's
fleet of scout1couriers to relay information from worlds along the routes to outlying
fringe worlds. The jump-2 capability of the scout/courier places nearly all
such worlds within its range

 

[Deldarius]

1. 5 Tons of dedicated cargo space (mail vault)
2. Armed with offensive weaponry (so sandcasters do not satisfy this requirement)
3. Gunner to man the weaponry (so the weapons can be used and aren't just for show)

Note that xmail isn't limited to subsidized starships ... they just happen to be the examples used (out of a VERY limited selection in LBB2!) for the types of ships that can carry xmail. Privately held (as opposed to publicly subsidized) starships can also carry xmail and operate as couriers.

Those requirements are for non scouts to carry mail. The scout/courier would be outfitted as needed for the assignment.

That 5 ton mail vault, how much of that thing actually holds mail? Is 2 tons of that 5 for the security arraignments and fittings to hold 3 toms of mail (say, an encrypted data cube and/or physical mail)?

The way I see it the scout/courier actually has those fittings built into the left side bay. just pop a few grav plates up and bolt the data cube to the floor, then bolt shelving to the walls as needed. When the scout is to do gas monkey duties the cube can be removed (if needed), then that bay and the cargo bay can be stuffed with a fuel bladders for a bit more fuel.

The Type S is the multitool of the Traveller verse!

Ironically, the nearly ubiquitous Scout/Courier cannot carry xmail without modification ... although such aftermarket modifications are simple enough to carry out and can be potentially quite profitable, particularly in a campaign where the Referee permits major cargo to be transported as (unstreamlined) external cargo outside the starship in a tug+barge arrangement (either interplanetary or interstellar).

Strapping pods and what not to a Type S bring images to mind of seeing your local postman hanging sacks of mail off the sides of his truck. Santa Claus he is not.

 

[Silverhawk]

The alternative with 2 scout/couriers is to run D'Ganzio - Arba - Lanth for one and Lanth - Arba - D'Ganzio. Stagger the departure days of each so that they don't arrive at the same day. Allows for necessary maintenance at the Scout Base at Lanth. Would likely actually have three scout /couriers in order to have protection for any major repair needs rather than delay a departure.

The airlines do this with smaller cities. For example Denver - Bismarck - Chicago and Chicago - Bismarck - Denver. Both Denver and Chicago are a hub for the airline in question.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Those requirements are for non scouts to carry mail. The scout/courier would be outfitted as needed for the assignment.

As I pointed out, it is perfectly possible to modify a stock Scout/Courier to have a 5 ton mail vault. They simply don't have one by default.

Also, this argument kinda sorta falls under the rubric of "Belters need to use a Pulse Laser for mining/prospecting on asteroids, but a Scout/Courier doesn't because it can be outfitted as needed for the assignment."

Either you have the supporting equipment needed for the task or you don't.
The base configuration of Scout/Courier can't do it ... but a modified Scout/Courier most definitely can.

The alternative with 2 scout/couriers is to run D'Ganzio - Arba - Lanth for one and Lanth - Arba - D'Ganzio. Stagger the departure days of each so that they don't arrive at the same day. Allows for necessary maintenance at the Scout Base at Lanth. Would likely actually have three scout /couriers in order to have protection for any major repair needs rather than delay a departure.

It would be a more complex tasking arrangement, but it could certainly be done.
I was wanting to focus on the more simple paradigm of here-there-here round trips for clarity and elimination of avenues for misunderstanding. After all, we've already had plenty of examples (in this thread) of people not understanding something as simple as what "Jump-4 bypassing intermediate systems" means when put into actual practice on hex maps.

After all ... when a bypass not a bypass?
When it leaves the rails (that aren't there in space)!

Once the basic concept of rotating out-system duties with in-system duties in order to provide adequate "flow" of communications off network while still interfacing with ships on network is implicitly and adequately understood ... then you can get into more complex arrangements of route tasking and rotations. Of course, such more complex arrangements are only possible with the implicit belief and realization that such arrangements of route can be changed at any time in the 387 years between 718 and 1105, rather than being "frozen" as their original initial operating capacity and never updated ever again at any time thereafter (because, why would anything ever need updating after service begins?).

My sense is that the IISS Communications Office responsibilities are so sprawling and the logistics are so complex that at a minimum there would need to be reviews of traffic load patterns every 10 years in each sector (kind of like a census, except of communications traffic flows in the past 10 years), and every 40 years (age out cycle for starship useful lifespan requiring replacement) for the Third Imperium as a whole so as to help rebalance the loading of communications resources as each sector and entire imperium adjusts and grows, with population growth and migration patterns changing over time. That way the IISS Communications Office can budget and plan for operations, logistics and sustainment needs across the sectors and all of imperial space without getting too far out of balance as the flows of communications shift and change over time.

Is that written anywhere that I've been able to find?
No.

Does it make sense for the IISS Communications Office to organize itself that way?
Certainly makes more sense than any flavor of "set and forget for centuries" style of standard operations.

After all, the IISS needs to replace EVERY SHIP IN THEIR INVENTORY every 40 years (on a rolling basis, granted, but still...).
Why wouldn't they take that opportunity for a review of every sector's operations and logistics every 40 years with an eye towards "rebalancing the load" their infrastructure has been put under in the past 40 years?

In other words, leadership in the IISS Communications Office should not have a requirement of ***22* on their UPPs (all others rejected).

 

[mike wightman]

The xboat doesn't have a mail 'vault'...

I would suggest that the mail 'vault; concept is for a planetary government sponsored/subsidised mail contract, while the IISS doesn't need a mail 'vault; as such because they are a branch of the empire wide government.

Mail and Incidentals: Subsidized merchants may receive mail delivery contracts,
usually as an adjunct to their established routes. Five tons of ship cargo capacity
must be committed to postal duty on a full time basis, the ship must be armed, and
a gunner must be a part of the crew. The starship is paid Cr25,OOO (Cr5,OOO per ton
of postal cargo area) for each trip made, regardless of the actual mail tonnage
carried. Such tonnage will not exceed 5 tons per trip.
Other ships may be approached to deliver private messages, at times through the
ship's owner or captain, and at times clandestinely through a crew member. Private
mail is usually intended for delivery to a specific point (such as the Travellers' Aid
Society building, or a tavern keeper), and is generally accompanied by a Cr20 to
Cr120 honorarium. Throw 9+ for a private message to be awaiting transmittal, and
determine randomly which crew member is approached to carry it. Serving as a
carrier for private mail also serves as an introduction to the recipient as a dependable,
trustworthy person.

 

[Spinward Flow]

The xboat doesn't have a mail 'vault'...

I would suggest that the mail 'vault; concept is for a planetary government sponsored/subsidised mail contract, while the IISS doesn't need a mail 'vault; as such because they are a branch of the empire wide government.

The 5 ton mail vault is explicitly for physical mail cargo.

X-mail (link)

X-mail, Xmail, or Express Mail is a term for interstellar mail carried in-between the stars (...and their associated mainworlds) by various kinds of mercantile starcraft.

• It is normally transported by X-boats although subsidized merchants, tramp freighters, couriers, and many other kinds of vessels may take mail contracts.
• It is often exchanged via Postal Unions and Free Trade Zones.
• It is a kind of cargo often carried in Mail Vaults or secure Staterooms.

A variety of mail types exist from old-fashioned paper missives, to bulky packages, to crates of message tablets, to electronic messages, and more. Mail is typically carried within a secure Mail Vault by contract specification although mail might be transported otherwise when vaults are not available. A very wide variety of messaging and communications technologies exists throughout Charted Space.

Mail Cargo
Mail Cargo is a special form of freight, typically consisting of large data storage drums which contain a vast amount of information that must be transported from one world to another, but is not vital enough to be entrusted to the X-Boat service or a private courier.

The important thing to remember is that not every world that mail is to be sent to/from has sufficient tech level for the means of communications to be compatible on the other end of the jump. Additionally, there's also the "amazon delivery" option of interstellar package delivery, rather than mere data transmission by data drum. So there isn't going to be a single optimized/only type of cargo to stuff the mail vault with ... there's going to be a staggeringly huge variety of "stuff" that will need to be (securely) put in there. Anything from fired clay tablets to quantum entangled photon holography and 3D memristor storage bricks could potentially need to be loaded and unloaded from the mail vault, because as advertised ... a very wide variety of messaging and communications technologies exist throughout Charted Space.

 

[Condottiere]

1. I'm going to speculate that postal contracts are arranged by regional actors, either the local administrative aristocracy, or planetary governments, to ensure a regular and reliable service to their neighbours.

2. Scout couriers in service are the last mile; however, I rather suspect that retired Scouts are occasionally tasked to deliver mail with their loaned out starships.

3. What can, and probably does, happen, is that a merchantman captain, or a member of the crew, could be paid to deliver packages or a memory chip, somewhere along their scheduled stops.

 

[Spinward Flow]

1. I'm going to speculate that postal contracts are arranged by regional actors, either the local administrative aristocracy, or planetary governments, to ensure a regular and reliable service to their neighbours.

Agreed.
Subsidies make such arrangements with local/regional actors "easier" to complete, rather than being an exclusive path.

2. Scout couriers in service are the last mile; however, I rather suspect that retired Scouts are occasionally tasked to deliver mail with their loaned out starships.

Would not surprise me in the slightest if retired and/or detached duty Scouts are given "odd jobs" for courier delivery duties as they make their rounds or tramp their way across the sector. Something of a "going my way?" kind of opportunity for a little extra cash to transmit correspondence "on the down low" from place to place without needing to go through "official" channels.

Cue the grey market correspondence supply vs demand in interstellar communications ...

3. What can, and probably does, happen, is that a merchantman captain, or a member of the crew, could be paid to deliver packages or a memory chip, somewhere along their scheduled stops.

Individual contracts with patrons can certainly be handled on a case by case basis.
Doing it "on the regular" as a routine mail courier however would mean needing to sign up with and meet the contract specs of the Postal Unions involved in specific regions of Charted Space.

 

[Condottiere]

Private arrangements might not be declared, either to the authorities, or the captain.

 

[Silverhawk]

It would be a more complex tasking arrangement, but it could certainly be done.
I was wanting to focus on the more simple paradigm of here-there-here round trips for clarity and elimination of avenues for misunderstanding. After all, we've already had plenty of examples (in this thread) of people not understanding something as simple as what "Jump-4 bypassing intermediate systems" means when put into actual practice on hex maps.



After all, the IISS needs to replace EVERY SHIP IN THEIR INVENTORY every 40 years (on a rolling basis, granted, but still...).
Why wouldn't they take that opportunity for a review of every sector's operations and logistics every 40 years with an eye towards "rebalancing the load" their infrastructure has been put under in the past 40 years?

In other words, leadership in the IISS Communications Office should not have a requirement of ***22* on their UPPs (all others rejected).

The tasking arrangement isn't really that much more complex. It is part of the service design process. It makes sense because the ships involved are going to need maintenance and the base can provide that. It is the same for Transit Bus service, railroads, and airlines. And just because the financing is on a 40 year basis doesn't mean that the ship is going to be replaced. It is going to depend on the condition of the ship. Certainly maintaining a older model is more expensive but if the hull and frame are in serviceable condition then rebuilding the engines, avionics, and power plant are certainly an option. The railroads do this to locomotives all the time. One is currently in the middle of rebuilding several hundred locomotives from the mid 1990's. The basics are in good shape. In doing so they get a basically new locomotive for a significantly lower cost vs. a new locomotive.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Certainly maintaining a older model is more expensive but if the hull and frame are in serviceable condition then rebuilding the engines, avionics, and power plant are certainly an option.

You're talking about a SLEP (Service Life Extension Program). It's certainly an option, but everything I've read in CT indicates that once starships in Imperial service reach 40 years old they're either sold off as surplus into the second hand market (Scout/Couriers that survive 40 years usually end up this way), assigned as mustering out benefits to Scouts (again, Scout/Couriers are the poster boys for this) or they get sent to secure salvage yards to be broken up for industrial recycling of materials (don't want secure systems like comms equipment to fall into the wrong hands).

So while it might not be true in every individual case, it's a lot simpler to just assume that "most" starships used by the IISS will "age out" over 40 years and be replaced by a new starship. It makes more sense for this to be the standard practice when it comes to maintaining the inventory on a rolling basis.

 

[Spinward Flow]

My sense is that the IISS Communications Office responsibilities are so sprawling and the logistics are so complex that at a minimum there would need to be reviews of traffic load patterns every 10 years in each sector (kind of like a census, except of communications traffic flows in the past 10 years), and every 40 years (age out cycle for starship useful lifespan requiring replacement) for the Third Imperium as a whole so as to help rebalance the loading of communications resources as each sector and entire imperium adjusts and grows, with population growth and migration patterns changing over time. That way the IISS Communications Office can budget and plan for operations, logistics and sustainment needs across the sectors and all of imperial space without getting too far out of balance as the flows of communications shift and change over time.

To be even more specific about this notion of 10 year reviews for each sector and comprehensive 40 year reviews for the entire network across the whole Third Imperium ... let me put some dates on this (well, years, anyway).

So the Express Boat Network was established by Imperial decree in 624, with full build out to the entirety of imperial controlled space in 718.

The first sector wide reviews of the build out of capacity in each sector would have been therefore done during years that end in 4 ... so 634, 644, 654, 664 ... you get the idea. As more of the network got built out, more sectors would have been added to the network, generating more reporting data every 10 years. The last 10 year sector wide reviews completed before full build out to the entirety of imperial controlled space would have been in 714, with the entire network build out completed by 718. So the first time a 10 year review of all sectors included all of the network in all of imperial controlled space would have been in 724.

The 40 year reviews would be set up to be done at IISS Communications Office "central command" (or equivalent) on a slightly off-cycle basis from the 10 year reviews (so the first one wouldn't be in 664, 40 years after 624. I figure that the 40 year reviews ought to be undertaken 4 years after the most recent 10 year review cycle by the individual sectors so that all of the sector review information has time to "flow" along the network to the "central command" office, be received, collated, analyzed (sliced and diced) with enough (digital) paperwork generated from the effort to raze a natural forest bury any bureaucrat under and not have it classified as a crime scene. The "central command" office then takes 2 years to process all of the data they have received from the individual sector 10 year reviews for the past 40 years, reach decisions about priorities, capacity, budget, R&D ... the lot ... after which directives are then sent out from the "central command" office to each of the sectors. That then leaves 4 years for the directives from "central command" to reach their individual sectors and the execution of those directives to commence, with the effects of those centrally sourced directives only starting to impact the next individual sector 10 year review.

So the pattern of the reviews would look something like this from 624 through to 1150.

1. 634 = 10 year sector review
2. 644 = 10 year sector review
3. 654 = 10 year sector review
4. 664 = 10 year sector review
   • 668-670 = 40 year entire network centralized review
5. 674 = 10 year sector review
6. 684 = 10 year sector review
7. 694 = 10 year sector review
8. 704 = 10 year sector review
   • 708-710 = 40 year entire network centralized review
9. 714 = 10 year sector review
   718 Express Boat Network build out to all imperial controlled space completed
10. 724 = 10 year sector review
11. 734 = 10 year sector review
12. 744 = 10 year sector review
    • 748-750 = 40 year entire network centralized review
13. 754 = 10 year sector review
14. 764 = 10 year sector review
15. 774 = 10 year sector review
16. 784 = 10 year sector review
    • 788-790 = 40 year entire network centralized review
17. 794 = 10 year sector review
18. 804 = 10 year sector review
19. 814 = 10 year sector review
20. 824 = 10 year sector review
    • 828-830 = 40 year entire network centralized review
21. 834 = 10 year sector review
22. 844 = 10 year sector review
23. 854 = 10 year sector review
24. 864 = 10 year sector review
    • 868-870 = 40 year entire network centralized review
25. 874 = 10 year sector review
26. 884 = 10 year sector review
27. 894 = 10 year sector review
28. 904 = 10 year sector review
    • 908-910 = 40 year entire network centralized review
29. 914 = 10 year sector review
30. 924 = 10 year sector review
31. 934 = 10 year sector review
32. 944 = 10 year sector review
    • 948-950 = 40 year entire network centralized review
33. 954 = 10 year sector review
34. 964 = 10 year sector review
35. 974 = 10 year sector review
    979-986 Third Frontier War
36. 984 = 10 year sector review
    • 988-990 = 40 year entire network centralized review
    990-1002 Solomani Rim War
37. 994 = 10 year sector review
38. 1004 = 10 year sector review
39. 1014 = 10 year sector review
40. 1024 = 10 year sector review
    • 1028-1030 = 40 year entire network centralized review
41. 1034 = 10 year sector review
42. 1044 = 10 year sector review
43. 1054 = 10 year sector review
44. 1064 = 10 year sector review
    • 1068-1070 = 40 year entire network centralized review
45. 1074 = 10 year sector review
    1082-1084 Fourth Frontier War
46. 1084 = 10 year sector review
47. 1094 = 10 year sector review
48. 1104 = 10 year sector review
    1107-1109 Fifth Frontier War
    • 1108-1110 = 40 year entire network centralized review
49. 1114 = 10 year sector review
50. 1124 = 10 year sector review
51. 1134 = 10 year sector review
52. 1144 = 10 year sector review
    • 1148-1150 = 40 year entire network centralized review

Granted, the "plans for reviews" in the OTU post Fifth Frontier War got ... somewhat disrupted by the shattering of the Imperium ... but I wanted to give a sense of the scale and scope of the intended standard operating procedure if the Third Imperium hadn't gone through the turmoil (and Virus) detailed in later versions of the game after CT.

 

[Condottiere]

You could upgrade the ecks boat to technological level fourteen jump factor five at the same tonnage; six would be pushing it.

 

[Spinward Flow]

You could upgrade the ecks boat to technological level fourteen jump factor five at the same tonnage; six would be pushing it.

Agreed.

The whole Jump-4 @ TL=10 arrangement is a result of how drives worked in LBB2.77 ... later revised (thrice!) in CT ... LBB5.79, LBB5.80, LBB2.81 ... so it's a bit of a mess. LBB2 starship designs "don't allow" Jump-5 in a 100 ton hull because of how the stand drives chart system works ... although you could always "kitbash" your way to it using Jump-C (6) drives and only providing 50 tons of fuel.

As you point out, Jump-5 can be done at TL=14 using LBB5.80 with an even tighter fit (only 1 stateroom, so 1 passenger is possible with double occupancy). Taking a little bit of liberty with the design, I reduced the allowance for power plant fuel from 4 weeks to 2 weeks, making 2.5 tons of displacement available, which could then be used for an emergency escape system (1 drop capsule launcher with 2 capsules available, but built to civilian search & rescue standards rather than military opposed landing standards) for 1.5 tons, plus the requisite 1 ton of cargo space for exceptionally high value cargoes (such as the canonically cited medical vaccine samples and the like).

---

J5 Express Boat, Boat Express
100 ton, TL 14 Civilian Design, 107.06 MCr
1 crew (Pilot)

__Ton._____MCr.____EP.____
| ___.__ | __7.00 | _.__ | Sphere (min 20 MCr), partially streamlined, fuel scoops
| _20.00 | __0.50 | _.__ | bridge
| __5.00 | _45.00 | 3.00 | computer model 5
| __6.00 | _24.00 | _.__ | drive jump #5
| _10.00 | _30.00 | _.__ | power plant #5
| __2.50 | ___.__ | _.__ | fuel, PP endurance 2 weeks (10 weeks powered down)
| _50.00 | ___.__ | _.__ | fuel, jump range 5 parsecs
| __4.00 | __0.50 | _.__ | stateroom  x1
| __1.00 | ___.__ | _.__ | 1 ton cargo capacity
| __1.00 | __0.05 | _.__ | search & rescue civilian manned jump capsule plus launcher
| __0.50 | __0.01 | _.__ | search & rescue civilian manned jump capsule, launch-ready
‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒
| 100.00 | 107.06 | 3.00 EP used, PP generates 5.00 EPs

108.13 MCr (first ship, includes architect fees) built in 40 weeks
85.65 MCr (20% discount in volume, TCS) built in 32 weeks
CT Ship Designer by Matt. Visit https://tca-2014-12.herokuapp.com

---

Note that such a design would still require Tender support for recovery/refueling after breakout from jumpspace, but on balance it would be an extremely compelling design upgrade relative to the Jump-4 @ TL=10 legacy design. After all, there are a large number of locations just on the Spinward Marches sector map where a Jump-5 Express Boat capacity would have incredibly massive implications for increasing the speed of communications along the Express Network.

• Regina to Inthe is 5 parsecs direct
• D'Ganzio to Lunion is 5 parsecs direct
• Fosey to Mora is 5 parsecs direct
• Tenalphi to Caladbolg is 5 parsecs direct ... bypassing Biter in the Sword Worlds territory in 1105
• Echiste/Lanth is exactly 5 parsecs away from both Regina/Regina and Rhylanor/Rhylanor, which could reduce a 7 jump relay through Lanth/Lanth down to a mere 2 Jump-5(!)

In other words, the gains to be had from such an upgrade from Jump-4 (MCr 70.65 per ship in volume) to Jump-5 (MCr 85.65 per ship in volume) would be marginal (+21%) while the potential streamlining of network routes for faster communications would be potentially staggering in their implications (and no L-Hyd drop tanks required).

Indeed, I would even argue that such a TL=14 J5 Express Boat design ought to be something that major races in Charted Space would be wanting to put into service within their own borders if their civilizations can support the logistics necessary to maintain TL=14 engineering deployed on a scale as wide as that needed by an Express Boat Network.

Hmmm ... ... might need to post a new thread over in The Fleet detailing such an upgrade to Boats, Tenders and supporting craft (think Scout/Courier type starships and fighters/maneuver tugs) like I did for the J6 Express Boat Network set of ships already. Could be interesting, particularly given everything I've learned making those and everything I've learned from this thread ... and thinking about the question in a broader context than being limited to the IISS exclusively.

• Zhodani
• Aslan
• Vargr
• K'kree
• Hiver

The applications for a J5 Express Boat Network ... both within and outside of the Third Imperium ... is something worth thinking about.

The J4 Express Boat Network of the Third Imperium was just the prototype.
A J5 Express Boat Network ought to be the logical "next step" in the evolution of the idea, especially for civilizations that need to deal with crossing rifts to sustain their hegemony over their territorial gains in Charted Space.

Sounds like a fun little project to play with for a while.

 

[Silverhawk]

You're talking about a SLEP (Service Life Extension Program). It's certainly an option, but everything I've read in CT indicates that once starships in Imperial service reach 40 years old they're either sold off as surplus into the second hand market (Scout/Couriers that survive 40 years usually end up this way), assigned as mustering out benefits to Scouts (again, Scout/Couriers are the poster boys for this) or they get sent to secure salvage yards to be broken up for industrial recycling of materials (don't want secure systems like comms equipment to fall into the wrong hands).

So while it might not be true in every individual case, it's a lot simpler to just assume that "most" starships used by the IISS will "age out" over 40 years and be replaced by a new starship. It makes more sense for this to be the standard practice when it comes to maintaining the inventory on a rolling basis.

Yes. while I cannot say that I haven't seen the 40 year limit (and looking right now isn't possible as the majority of my CT books are stored due to a remodeling project), I did find a copy of the list of Ashanti High Lighting ships that I had copied for another project when I didn't want to carry the whole book.

The AHL Class were built between 993 and 1003. Going through the disposition notes accounts for 61 of 91 removed from service due to loss in war, scrapping due to battle damage, scrapping due to unsuitable for reactivation or conversion. By my count that leaves as many as 30 AHL cruisers still active in 1107. The notes state 11 as in active service as of 1107. The youngest of those scrapped from service not because of battle damage is 47 years on the cusp of your 40 year line.

So I would say that a rebuild or SLEP program in not out of the question depending on the needs of the service and the condition of the ship(s).