CT Only: Spinward Flex Courier

[Spinward Flow]

Spinward Flex Courier
TL=13 (LBB5.80)
Ship Type: XF (Express, Fast)

Tonnage: 194 (custom hull)
Configuration: 6 (Streamlined, 15.52 MCr)
Fuel Scoops (MCr 0.194)
Armor: 0

Jump-2 (5.82 tons, MCr 23.28, Capacitor storage: 69.84 EP maximum)
Maneuver-6 (32.98 tons, MCr 16.49, Agility: 6 requires 11.64 EP)
Power Plant-6 (23.28 tons, MCr 69.84, EP: 11.64)
Fuel: 50.5 tons (2 parsecs = 38.8 tons, 4 weeks operations = 11.64 tons, up to 24 weeks powered down)
Fuel Purification Plant: 200 ton fuel capacity (5 tons, MCr 0.03) (LBB5.80, p27, 36)

Dual Turret (1 ton)
Missile Rack: 1 (Code: 2, Battery: 1, MCr 0.75)
Sandcaster: 1 (Code: 3, Battery: 1, MCr 0.25)
Bridge (20 tons, MCr 0.97)
Computer: 2 (Code: 2, 2 ton, MCr 9, TL: 7, EP: 0)

Crew: 2 (Pilot, Gunner)
Staterooms: 2 (8 tons, MCr 1)
Cargo: 45 tons (5 ton Mail Vault, 40 tons internal cargo remaining)
Collapsible Fuel Tank: 40 ton capacity (0.4 tons, MCr 0.02)
Waste Space: 0.02 tons

Spinward Flex Courier  XF-1626621-030000-00002-0   MCr 109.8752  194 tons
    batt bearing                   1         1                     TL=13.
    batteries                      1         1                    Crew=2.
Passengers=0 (1 possible). Cargo=45. Fuel=50.5. EP=11.64. Agility=6. FPP.
Jump-1, Maneuver-5 with 0.1-41.5 tons external cargo added.
Jump-1, Maneuver-4 with 41.6-97 tons external cargo added.
Jump-0, Maneuver-4 with 97.1-105.8 tons external cargo added.
Jump-0, Maneuver-3 with 105.9-218.2 tons external cargo added.
Jump-0, Maneuver-2 with 218.3-465.6 tons external cargo added.
Jump-0, Maneuver-1 with 465.7-1455 tons external cargo added.

Interplanetary Travel (distance, acceleration, time) (link)

 

[Spinward Flow]

Total Cost (first in class): MCr 137.344
20% Down Payment (first in class): MCr 27.4688
Architect Fees (first in class): MCr 1.37344
Construction Time (first in class): 47 weeks
Annual Overhaul (first in class): Cr 137,344 (LBB2.81, p8)

Additional Ships Cost: MCr 109.8752
Additional Ships 20% Down Payment: MCr 21.97504
Additional Ships Construction Time: 38 weeks
Additional Ships Annual Overhaul: Cr 109,876 (LBB2.81, p8)



Bank Financing (1st ship): Cr 286,134 per 2 weeks for 50 weeks per year
Bank Financing (2nd+ ships): Cr 228,907 per 2 weeks for 50 weeks per year
Maintenance (1st ship): Cr 5494 per 2 weeks for 50 weeks per year
Maintenance (2nd+ ships): Cr 4396 per 2 weeks for 50 weeks per year

Life Support: Cr 4,000 per 2 weeks (LBB2.81, p7-8)
Crew Salaries: Cr 3640 per 2 weeks (including 2 weeks annual overhaul) (LBB2.81, p8, 11, 16, 23)

Berthing Costs: Cr 100 for 6 days, plus Cr 100 per day after 6 days (LBB2.81, p8)
Surface to Orbit Shuttle Costs: Cr 10 per cargo ton, Cr 20 to 120 per passenger (LBB2.81, p9)
Fuel: Cr 500 per ton (refined), Cr100 per ton (unrefined), Cr 0 (skimmed) (LBB2.81, p7)

Mail Delivery: Cr 25,000 revenue per delivery (LBB2.81, p9)
Interstellar Cargo Transport: Cr 1000 per ton (LBB2.81, p8-9)
Interplanetary Charters: Cr 1 per hour per ton of ship (Cr 194 per hour), minimum 12 hours (LBB2.81, p9)
Interstellar Charters (2 weeks): Cr 900 per ton of cargo, Cr 900 per low passage berth, Cr 9000 per high passage berth (LBB2.81, p9)
Subsidy reduces gross revenue receipts by 50% for passengers, cargo and mail (LBB2.81, p7)


First Ship in Class

New Financing: Cr 299,368 per 2 weeks / Cr 891 per hour

Break Even: Cr 6860 per ton @ 40 tons internal cargo + 1 mail delivery per 2 weeks
Unrefined Fuel Break Even): 45 tons (2 parsecs, 14.9 days power plant operation) = 5.05 hours

Break Even: Cr 3430 per ton @ 40 tons internal cargo + 40 tons external cargo + 1 mail delivery per 2 weeks
Unrefined Fuel Break Even): 30 tons (1 parsec, 15.8 days power plant operation) = 3.36 hours

Break Even: Cr 2111 per ton @ 40 tons internal cargo + 90 tons external cargo + 1 mail delivery per 2 weeks
Unrefined Fuel Break Even: 35 tons (1 parsec, 15.8 days power plant operation) = 3.93 hours

+1 Additional Mail only delivery in-system: Cr 24,900 (27.9h between deliveries break even)​

Paid Off or Subsidized: Cr 13,234 per 2 weeks / Cr 40 per hour

Break Even (private only): Cr 25,000 for 1 mail delivery per 2 weeks = Cr 11,766 profit for 1 mail delivery per 2 weeks
Standard Cargo Transport: Cr 1000 per ton pure profit (40 tons internal and up to 97 tons external)
Unrefined Fuel Break Even: 45 tons (2 parsecs, 14.9 days power plant operations) = 112.5 hours
+1 Additional Mail only delivery in-system: Cr 24,900 (622.5h/3.7 weeks between deliveries break even)

Break Even (subsidized only): Cr 12,500 for 1 mail delivery per 2 weeks = 1.5 tons of cargo shipping at Cr 500 per ton revenue standard for crew under subsidy to break even at Cr 16 profit
50% Receipts for cargo in excess of 1.5 tons carried is pure profit(!)
+1 Additional Mail delivery in-system: Cr 12,400 (310h between deliveries break even)​

Additional Ships in Volume Production

New Financing: Cr 241,043 per 2 weeks / Cr 718 per hour

Break Even: Cr 5402 per ton @ 40 tons internal cargo + 1 mail delivery per 2 weeks
Unrefined Fuel Break Even: 45 tons (2 parsecs, 14.9 days power plant operation) = 6.26 hours

Break Even: Cr 2701 per ton @ 40 tons internal cargo + 40 tons external cargo + 1 mail delivery per 2 weeks
Unrefined Fuel Break Even: 30 tons (1 parsec, 15.8 days power plant operation) = 4.17 hours

Break Even: Cr 1662 per ton @ 40 tons internal cargo + 90 tons external cargo + 1 mail delivery per 2 weeks
Unrefined Fuel Break Even: 35 tons (1 parsec, 15.8 days power plant operation) = 4.87 hours

+1 Additional Mail only delivery in-system: Cr 24,900 (34.6h between deliveries break even)​

Paid Off or Subsidized: Cr 12,136 per 2 weeks / Cr 37 per hour

Break Even (private only): Cr 25,000 for 1 mail delivery per 2 weeks = Cr 12,864 profit for 1 mail delivery per 2 weeks
Standard Cargo Transport: Cr 1000 per ton pure profit (up to 40 tons internal and up to 97 tons external)
Unrefined Fuel Break Even: 45 tons (2 parsecs, 14.9 days power plant operations) = 121.6 hours
+1 Additional Mail only delivery in-system: Cr 24,900 (673h/4 weeks between deliveries break even)

Break Even (subsidized only): Cr 12,500 for 1 mail delivery per 2 weeks = Cr 364 profit for 1 mail delivery per 2 weeks
50% Receipts for ALL cargo carried is pure profit(!)
+1 Additional Mail only delivery in-system: Cr 12,400 (335h/2 weeks between deliveries break even)​

Spinward Marches systems with type A or B starports and Tech Level 13+ in 1105 capable of performing annual maintenance (19 total in the sector):

1. (type A, TL=13) Chronor / Cronor
2. (type A, TL=13) Jacent / Darrian
3. (type A, TL=16) Darrian / Darrian
4. (type B, TL=13) Collace / District 268
5. (type A, TL=13) Efate / Regina
6. (type B, TL=13) Uakye / Regina
7. (type A, TL=13) Pixie / Regina
8. (type A, TL=13) Boughene / Regina
9. (type B, TL=13) D'Ganzio / Lanth
10. (type A, TL=14) Tenalphi / Lunion
11. (type A, TL=13) Lunion / Lunion
12. (type A, TL=13) Strouden / Lunion
13. (type A, TL=15) Glisten / Glisten
14. (type B, TL=14) Macene / Rhylanor
15. (type A, TL=13) Fulacin / Rhylanor
16. (type A, TL=15) Rhylanor / Rhylanor
17. (type A, TL=14) Palique / Mora
18. (type A, TL=15) Mora / Mora
19. (type A, TL=15) Trin / Trin's Veil

 

[Spinward Flow]

So … the CHALLENGE … :coffeesip:
Design a starship that can generate profits simply by traveling to star systems and never have to lose money at any port of call as a matter of routine operations.

My first attempt to meet this challenge (to self) yielded a 100 ton starship design that succeeded at the task of being able to operate at a profit in every star system it jumped into simply by delivering only X-mail … even if there was only a single world to deliver that X-mail to in-system … provided the ship was either paid off or subsidized, since either condition "negated" the need to make mortgage payments to a bank at what I personally consider to be usury financing rates over 40 years. So in my mind, the 100 ton design was a "success" … but as others pointed out in the thread, it was also limited by being overly specialized for its role as a fast X-mail courier.

So the 100 ton design "worked" for its intended niche role … but was limited to that niche role almost exclusively, leading to excessive design specialization. The 100 ton Spinward Courier lacked flexibility (mainly because I was keeping the ship as small as possible to maximize profit potential from a fixed income revenue stream of almost exclusively X-mail). As a test case for the starship economics, it passed the challenge, but it would have been nice to be able to do … MORE … with the ship.

So … back to the Naval Architect office I went to draw up some additional "feature requests" that would increase both the profit AND the potential roles a high-G fast courier starship could fulfill.



The new requirements, building upon the previous success, were:

• Between 100-199 tons displacement, but no longer needed to be limited to only 100 tons
• Jump-2, Maneuver-6, Power Plant-6 at TL=13
• 2 parsecs of jump fuel and 4 weeks of power plant fuel internal tankage plus fuel purification plant
• Bridge (required) plus Model/2 computer
• 1x Dual Turret with Missile Rack and Sandcaster
• Crew of 2 with single occupancy staterooms
• 45 tons of cargo capacity (5 tons for Mail Vault and 40 tons remaining for cargo)
• 40 tons of collapsible fuel tank capacity to allow "flex fueling" using the internal cargo bay for extended range

The smallest starship displacement that allows all of those goals to be met is … 193.82 tons … so I just rounded up to 194 tons o: and counted myself lucky to be able to squeeze everything into a package of less than 200 tons (albeit just barely!).

Yes, I know … 194 seems like an utterly whacktastic number when we're so accustomed to sticking to multiples of 100 for starships, but hear me out on the benefits of picking this decidedly ODD displacement number.



The 194 ton displacement, as already mentioned, makes it possible for a Mail Vault (5 tons) plus another 40 tons to be allocated internally for cargo space. 40 tons of cargo is a useful size because of the variety of things it can flexibly be used for … such as the transport of multiple vehicles (ATVs are 10 tons each, while Air/rafts are 4 tons each, for example), a variety of major (1D x 10 ton increments) and minor (1D x 5 ton increments) cargo consignments per CT LBB RAW, as well as other uses. However, having the option(!) of being able to fill the cargo bay with a collapsible fuel bladder instead of cargo to double the ship's range potential makes it possible to "stockpile" fuel before jumping to star systems where fuel may be difficult to obtain (no liquid water oceans, no gas giant and type E or X starport) or even needing to ferry the ship across expanses of deep space away from Jump-1 mains of star systems (being able to do 2 Jump-2 without needing to refuel means the ship can go anywhere the XBoat Network can go).

Having 40 tons of internal cargo space available also makes it possible to fill the cargo bay with up to 10 staterooms so as to hire a Steward (required for high passengers) plus a Medic (required for passengers) and give the ship a secondary role as a high passenger transport for additional profit potential above and beyond the revenue generated by X-mail deliveries. Alternatively, the cargo bay can be converted into a low passenger transport by filling it with 1 stateroom (for a Medic with Medical-2 skill for +1 DM on revival rolls) and up to 72 low berths.

But the real kicker for the change from a 100 ton hull to a 194 ton hull while maintaining drive performance (and making it possible to carry additional fuel in the internal cargo bay) is that the larger 194 ton starship has a greater "jump tug" capacity for being able to "tow" external cargo loads through jump space at Jump-1. A 100 ton hull with Jump-2 drives can "jump tug" an external load of up to 50 tons outside the ship at Jump-1 … but a 194 ton hull with Jump-2 drives can "jump tug" an external load of up to 97 tons outside the ship at Jump-1. This then gives the 194 ton version a significant capacity for transport of standard containerization of (external) cargo well in excess of its purely internal cargo capacity, creating yet another possible revenue stream, such as being able to act as a tender transport to deliver small craft from one star system to another without needing to dock such small craft internally. Additionally, the "cargo flex fuel" option then makes it possible to "jump tug" up to 97 tons of external cargo through 2 Jump-1 in order to reach a destination 2 parsecs away, which would not be possible on either internal cargo alone (40 ton limit) or main internal fuel tanks alone (2 Jump-1 at 194+97=291 tons requires 58.2 tons of jump fuel and designed internal fuel tankage is only 50.5 tons, so additional fuel is needed for the jump drive and power plant operations during both jumps)

The ship's powerful 6G maneuver drives are even more impressive at being able to "maneuver tug" external loads over interplanetary distances, which can include anything from towing planetoids to avert strikes on populated areas or deliver a planetoid to a shipyard for the beginning of construction on a new ship or boat. In local disaster relief situations, the ship can tow extremely large external loads to orbital staging points so as to get bulk supplies where they are most needed quickly, including making orbital transfers between worlds within a star system (and their moons and lagrange points, if any). If those disaster relief supplies can be loaded into the 40 ton internal cargo bay at an orbital staging point, the ship can even quickly shuttle those relief supplies from orbit to planetfall on a world wherever they are needed, provided there is enough cleared space to VTOL safely on the surface for loading and unloading.

However, in more routine normal operations, after any external cargo has been delivered, the 6G acceleration is used to rapidly deliver X-mail to any additional worlds that have been colonized beyond the mainworld within star systems, increasing the quantity of deliveries the ship makes per jump and consequently multiplying the profits generated from this revenue stream. Star systems with multiple populated worlds (and/or moons) in relatively close orbital patterns to each other allow deliveries of X-mail, cargo and/or passengers (depending on internal cargo bay outfitting) to multiple ports of call at a remarkably fast operational tempo.



Although standard crew manning regulations stipulate that a crew of only 2 is required (Pilot and Gunner), it is strongly recommended that the Pilot also have Navigation skill and the Gunner should also have Engineering skill. Since the default ship configuration is for a crew of only 2, it is not uncommon for crews to become "pair bonded" over time and form enduring relationships (up to and including marriage to each other). The degree of trust, acceptance and understanding crews need for each other aboard these ships mean that conflicts and friction between crew members tend to get resolved by one or both members of the crew arranging for their replacement by new crew members to take over their role so as to permanently exit from the ship and seek out other opportunities.

Crews running a regular route, either as a private enterprise or subsidized by a government along their route, will tend to learn where the opportunities for speculative trading in cargo can be found and can then use the cargo capacity of their 194 ton ship to pile increased profits on top of their already guaranteed profits derived from delivering X-mail along their route. This economic reality then allows crews to indulge in speculative trading (with their own money, of course) and/or passenger services in the hopes of being able to generate even more profits for themselves (and the government subsidizing them if operating under subsidy). So X-mail deliveries still are the core of the business model for the 194 ton starship presented here … but the increased cargo capacity (both internal and external) offers a path to an even greater gravy train of lucrative trading possibilities and potential for even more profits to be enjoyed by all with a financial stake in these courier starships.



Enjoy.

 

[Spinward Flow]

I'm getting the feeling, due to the lack of responses in this thread, that people aren't really catching on to what I'm doing with the 194 ton Spinward Flex Courier design here (either that or "it's always September on the net"). There's a sort of a sense of … yeah, yeah, whatever … since I'm talking about a starship that on the face of things costs basically 2x the purchase price (in mass production) of an unarmed Far Trader while having only 2/3 the internal cargo volume available and no passenger capacity. That means double the cost and less profit potential from cargo and passengers, right?

Well, in a world where everything is "equal" that's a reasonable assumption to have … in a vacuum … right up until you encounter the cold hard reality of putting those assumptions into practice.

So I'm thinking that a straight up demonstration of economic advantage and viability is in order. Such a "competition" ought to be between a stock and standard unarmed Type A2 Far Trader (LBB S7, p23-27 and p46) and a Spinward Flex Courier as I've designed here.

For the purposes of this "merchant prince" competition, I'm going to use the Ficant/Vilis to D'Ganzio/Lanth route already detailed here in the previous thread on the subject of running a Mail Courier service through backwater systems (poor starports, low population, etc.) on the frontier. To permit an apples to apples cross-comparison, all of the dice rolls for running the route will be identical (so passenger availability, cargo availability, starship encounters, etc.) will use common results for both ships … Far Trader versus Spinward Flex Courier. That way, any competitive economic advantages come down to the capabilities and capacities of each ship, rather than randomized results favoring one ship over the other thanks to capricious chance results.

I will be attempting to provide as complete of a "berth to berth" enumeration of what the two ship types can do, and how profitable they are at hauling loads (passengers, cargo, x-mail, etc.) around a specified trade route. This means taking into account things like remaining orbital versus planetfall, wilderness refueling (ocean or gas giant) versus purchasing fuel at a starport (along with unrefined vs refined fuel and misjumsp opportunities), operational overhead costs (life support, minimum salaries allowed, annual maintenance accounting, berthing fees, shuttle fees, etc.), detailing the opportunities for speculative cargo transport along with normal bulk freight cargo amounts, passenger transport … THE LOT.

Time accounting for both ships will also include maneuver times to 100 diameters in order to jump to the next star system. For convenience, I'll be using the distance to 100 diameters using the maneuver drive formulas provided on LBB2.81 p10, with the caveat of "ignoring" gravity effects, even with planetfall, by simply taking the distance, calculating the time per the formula, and then just doubling that time to account for both descent time on arrival and ascent time on departure (so a fast descent due to high gravity balances out with a slow ascent later due to the same high gravity). Yes, it's a shortcut, but I'm doing it for the convenience of not needing to do starship vector movement in order to account for the maneuvering time involved, because the Spinward Flex Courier is going to be far faster at these transits to 100 diameters distant than a Far Trader will be (6G vs 1G). This time accounting will be done in blocks of 1 hour, with any fractions over 1 hour rounded up to the next hour (so 136 minutes of maneuvering counts as 3 hours, for example) so as to allow for "squoosh factor" around such maneuvers in terms of timing.

Note that technically speaking, a Far Trader with a 1G maneuver drive ought to have significant challenges making planetfall at a world size 8+ with 1G surface gravity. On the D'Ganzio to Ficant route, only Saurus with its type D starport (meaning no orbital facilities) presents this specific problem to a crew of a Far Trader, which lacks a small craft to interface with planetary surfaces on large size high gravity worlds. For the purposes of this competition I'll be "hand waving" that specific problem (because I don't want the Far Trader to get "stranded" at Saurus, unable to lift off from the ground, since that would END the race!). However, this does mean that for a Far Trader, descending and ascending through the gravity well of Saurus is totally a High Guard styled circumstance with no margin for error. In terms of a pirate attack, delivery and pickup of cargo and passengers on Saurus would necessarily be a very risky and therefore highly vulnerable maneuver. However, I am going to rule that a Far Trader would not be capable of wilderness refueling from the ocean on Saurus with only a 1G maneuver drive, meaning the Far Trader would have no choice but to purchase unrefined fuel from the type D starport, while the Spinward Flex Courier would have no issue with wilderness refueling (for free) on Saurus.

Also, just for clarity, I'm going to rule that for any refueling operation (wilderness or at a starport) takes 1 minute per ton of fuel intake, which given the 1 hour blocks of time I'm working with functionally translates into a minimum of 1 hour per refueling, regardless of fuel state, for both starships.

Likewise, offloading and taking on cargo will take 1 minute per ton of cargo at type A starports. Increase this cargo marshaling time by +1 minute per ton for each rank of starport below A (so 2 minutes per ton at type B starports, 3 minutes per ton for type C starports, and so on). In other words, starport type is relevant to how quickly cargo can be loaded and unloaded, since poorer facilities have less in the way of labor saving devices and facilities/staffing to support the movement of cargo (it can still be done, it's just more labor and time intensive for the ship's crew). Boarding and deboarding of passengers will take 1 hour to handle all particulars and paperwork.

The important thing I want everyone to realize is that for the purposes of this competition, I'll be pretending that I'm a Referee playing two parallel campaigns where the only meaningful difference between the two campaigns is … what starships are being used … and how those differences translate into profit margins and risks.

 

[Spinward Flow]

The competition will involve a single linear run from D'Ganzio (orbit) to Ficant and then reversing course from Ficant back to D'Ganzio (orbit).

Just to keep everything both "fair" (and as challenging as possible for both ships) … both the Far Trader and the Spinward Flex Courier will be subsidized starships. This means that only 50% of the gross revenue from cargo, passengers, etc. will be "earned" by the ship (the other 50% of the revenue goes to the subsidizing government to pay off the purchase price of the ship) which then needs to pay for all operating expenses (life support, salaries, fuel, berthing fees, orbital shuttle fees, annual overhaul, etc.) leaving only the remainder after expenses are paid as profit for the captain and crew.

Furthermore, I will give the Spinward Flex Courier a "handicap" of sorts so as to make this competition as balanced/equal as possible. There will be no interplanetary deliveries made in any systems along the route. All trade and deliveries will be made to the mainworld ONLY, thereby treating each system as though it had a single "island" mainworld within it, wherein the only trade available is mainworld to mainworld between systems (so interstellar trade only, interplanetary trade "doesn't exist" for the purposes of this competition). The reason for imposing this "handicap" is simply because Far Traders with their 1G maneuver drives simply cannot compete with a 6G maneuver drive Spinward Flex Courier for interplanetary trade, the time to deliver differential is simply too great (and the details for each star system involved is simply too demanding).

Also, there will be no charters … interplanetary or otherwise. This competition is meant to highlight "bog standard" profit potential for both starships in "ordinary" service.

This then means that both ships will (usually) be operating on a 2 weeks between jumps cycle, except for the Saurus to Lanth run through the Tavonni system, which has no population in it, so the only thing happening there is a refueling run (under normal circumstances). However, under most nominal circumstances, the quantity of cargo and passengers to transport from either Saurus or Lanth to Tavonni ought to be minimal to none, and if there is some they will be considered "standby" transport only offered if there is unused capacity from the Saurus to Lanth runs, since Tavonni is "on the way" in between Saurus and Lanth. Since Tavonni has a population of zero, Tavonni can be a destination for cargo and passengers, but will originate no cargo and passengers for other star systems (LBB2.81, p11). So anything and anyone going to Tavonni as cargo and/or passengers is functionally a "one way trip" as far as the economics of plying this particular trade route is concerned in a "merchant prince" styled context.

The "winner" of the competition between the two ship designs will be the one that ends the route at D'Ganzio with the largest amount of profit after operating costs have been paid for along the entirety of the route.

For convenience of the purposes of the competition, both the Far Trader and the Spinward Flex Courier will begin the competition "empty" of fuel, cargo or passengers to transport after having completed an annual overhaul (already paid for) the day prior, with both ships in orbit around D'Ganzio (type B starport, so orbital as well as ground starport facilities are available). The starting date for the competition will be "hour zero" on 001-1105, so both ships will need to be fueled and conduct business prior to departure from D'Ganzio to Lanth for the first leg of the race to profitability.

Since running the full route from D'Ganzio to Ficant and back to D'Ganzio ought to take a minimum of at least 34 weeks, and D'Ganzio is the only starport along the route that can perform annual overhaul maintenance, attempting to make 2 runs of the route before submitting a starship to annual overhaul maintenance will easily exceed 52 weeks of operations in a year before an annual overhaul is due. Consequently, both starships will be required to pay for a new annual overhaul (and crew salaries during those 2 weeks) at D'Ganzio after each run of the entire route in order to not fall behind on annual maintenance needs.

The race will be considered "finished" when both ships have completed their annual overhauls at D'Ganzio, returning them to the condition that they started the race in (maintained but empty). Although the starting date for the competition may be identical, the ending date for both ships may diverge over time over the course of the race, so as an additional consideration, both the total profit (in absolute terms) and the rate of profit (per day spent during the entire run) from D'Ganzio (orbit) to D'Ganzio (orbit) will be considered as an extra data point of cross-comparison that would be important to the bean counters in accounting departments of megacorporations as well as fledgling lines alike … because what matters is not just how MUCH profit a starship can make (absolute value), but how FAST it can make those profits (accumulation rate value).

 

[Spinward Flow]

Star systems on the Express Network have an ^X notation for easy reference.

• Ficant/Vilis to D'Ganzio/Lanth (16 parsecs, 10 systems one way, reverse)
  • Annual maintenance can be performed at D'Ganzio.
  • Subsidy from Vilis.
    1. Ficant / Vilis (jump2)
    2. Arkadia / Vilis (jump1)
    3. Garda-Vilis ^X / Vilis (jump1)
    4. Cholesti / Vilis (jump2)
    5. Margesi / Vilis (jump2)
    6. Vilis / Vilis (jump2)
    7. Saurus / Vilis (jump2)
    8. Tavonni / Vilis (jump2)
    9. Lanth ^X / Lanth (jump2)
    10. D'Ganzio ^X / Lanth (reverse)

Trade route map (imgur link)
Traveller Map link (convenient reference)

Recommended background reading on theorycrafting Traveller economics from this forum:

• Starships Comparative Potential Mercantile Revenue
• Jump 1 vs Jump 2 ships in the CT Imperium

Starship economics, interplanetary travel, trade and speculation rules sourced from:
LBB2.81, p7-11, 35-37, 46-48

T = 2√(D/A)

T = seconds
D = meters
A = G * 10 meters/s²​

 

[Matt123]

Like where you are taking this

 

[The Oz]

it's a good idea, but taking the loan payments out of the picture skews the results to the Courier, since everything else is towards the faster ship.

Perhaps you might figure out what interest rate the Spinward Courier could afford to pay, instead of the 'traditional' 240%?

 

[Spinward Flow]

Type A2 Far Trader overhead costs and revenue (unarmed)

Additional Ships (Empress Nicholle) Cost: MCr 59.56
Additional Ships 20% Down Payment: MCr 11.912
Additional Ships Construction Time: 44 weeks
Additional Ships Annual Overhaul: Cr 59,560 (LBB2.81, p8)

Life Support: Cr 2,000 per 2 weeks per occupied stateroom (max Cr 20,000 per 2 weeks) (LBB2.81, p7-8)
Crew Salaries: Cr 6,950 per 2 weeks (Pilot-1, Engineer-1, Steward-1/Medic-2) (LBB2.81, p8, 11, 16, 23)
Berthing Costs: Cr 100 for 6 days, plus Cr 100 per day after 6 days (LBB2.81, p8)
Surface to Orbit Shuttle Costs (type A, B or C starports): Cr 10 per cargo ton, Cr 20 to 120 per passenger (LBB2.81, p9)
Fuel: Cr 500 per ton (refined), Cr100 per ton (unrefined), Cr 0 (skimmed) (LBB2.81, p7)

Interstellar Cargo Transport: Cr 1000 per ton (LBB2.81, p8-9 and 11)
Passenger Transport: Cr 10,000 High, Cr 8000 Middle, Cr 1000 Low (LBB2.81, p9 and 11)
Subsidy reduces gross revenue receipts by 50% for passengers, cargo and mail (LBB2.81, p7)



Spinward Flex Courier overhead costs and revenue

Additional Ships Cost: MCr 109.8752
Additional Ships 20% Down Payment: MCr 21.97504
Additional Ships Construction Time: 38 weeks
Additional Ships Annual Overhaul: Cr 109,876 (LBB2.81, p8)

Life Support: Cr 4,000 per 2 weeks (LBB2.81, p7-8)
Crew Salaries: Cr 3500 per 2 weeks (Pilot-1, Gunner-1) (LBB2.81, p8, 11, 16, 23)
Berthing Costs: Cr 100 for 6 days, plus Cr 100 per day after 6 days (LBB2.81, p8)
Surface to Orbit Shuttle Costs (type A, B or C starports): Cr 10 per cargo ton, Cr 20 to 120 per passenger (LBB2.81, p9)
Fuel: Cr 500 per ton (refined), Cr100 per ton (unrefined), Cr 0 (skimmed) (LBB2.81, p7)

Mail Delivery: Cr 25,000 revenue per delivery (LBB2.81, p9)
Interstellar Cargo Transport: Cr 1000 per ton (LBB2.81, p8-9)
Subsidy reduces gross revenue receipts by 50% for passengers, cargo and mail (LBB2.81, p7)

 

[Spinward Flow]

:alpha: Race to Profitability "merchant prince" reference data for the outbound run from D'Ganzio/Lanth to Ficant/Vilis

Trade route map (imgur link)
Traveller Map link (convenient reference)

D'Ganzio ^X B420410 – D N (Desert, Non-industrial, Poor, G) to Lanth ^X A879533 – B 2 (Non-industrial, Subsector Capital)
Origin (D'Ganzio): Starport B - Naval Base, Size 4, Population 4
Destination (Lanth): Starport A - Naval and Scout Bases, Size 8, Population 5
DM: +0 (passenger), +0 (cargo), +2 (tech level), -1 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 2D-1D High, 2D-1D Middle, 3D-1D Low
Cargo: 1D Major, 1D+1 Minor, No Incidental
Starship Encounters: B 2D+2 (departure), A 2D+3 (arrival)
Gas Giant: D'Ganzio data entry contains no information on distance to gas giants (2) from the mainworld

Lanth ^X A879533 – B 2 (Non-industrial, Subsector Capital) to Tavonni E567000 – 0 (Barren, G) to Saurus D888588 – 7 (Agricultural, Non-industrial)
Origin (Lanth): Starport A - Naval and Scout Bases, Size 8, Population 5
Midpoint (Tavonni): Starport E, Size 5, Population 0
Destination (Saurus): Starport D, Size 8, Population 5
DM (Lanth to Saurus): +0 (passenger), +0 (cargo), +4 (tech level), -1 first die (speculative cargo)
DM (Lanth to Tavonni): -3 (passenger), -4 (cargo), +11 (tech level), -1 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 2D-1D High, 3D-2D Middle, 3D-1D Low
Cargo: 1D+1 Major, 1D+2 Minor, No Incidental
Starship Encounters: A 2D+3 (departure, Lanth), E 2D (arrival/departure, Tavonni, 11-12 is pirate), D 2D (arrival Saurus, 9 is pirate)
Gas Giant: Tavonni data entry contains no information on distance to gas giants (4) from the mainworld

Saurus D888588 – 7 (Agricultural, Non-industrial) to Vilis A593943 – A (Industrial)
Origin (Saurus): Starport D, Size 8, Population 5
Destination (Vilis): Starport A, Size 5, Population 9
DM: +3 (passenger), +1 (cargo), -3 (tech level), -1 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 2D-1D High, 3D-2D Middle, 3D-1D Low
Cargo: 1D+1 Major, 1D+2 Minor, No Incidental
Starship Encounters: D 2D (departure, 9 is pirate), A 2D (arrival)

Vilis A593943 – A (Industrial) to Margesi C575677 – 6 (Agricultural, Non-industrial, A)
Origin (Vilis): Starport A, Size 5, Population 9
Destination (Margesi): Starport C, Size 5, Population 6, Amber Zone
DM: -6 (passenger), +0 (cargo), +4 (tech level), +1 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 3D-1D High, 3D Middle, 5D Low
Cargo: No Major, 1D+6 Minor, 1D-2 Incidental
Starship Encounters: A 2D (departure), C 2D (arrival, 10 is pirate)

Margesi C575677 – 6 (Agricultural, Non-industrial, A) to Cholesti C200100 – 9 (Non-industrial, Vacuum World, G)
Origin (Margesi): Starport C, Size 5, Population 6, Amber Zone
Destination (Cholesti): Starport C, Size 2, Population 1
DM: -3 (passenger), -4 (cargo), -3 (tech level), +0 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 3D-2D High, 3D-2D Middle, 3D Low
Cargo: 1D+2 Major, 1D+3 Minor, 1D-3 Incidental
Starship Encounters: C 2D (departure, 10 is pirate), C 2D (arrival, 10 is pirate)

Cholesti C200100 – 9 (Non-industrial, Vacuum World, G) to Garda-Vilis ^X B978868 – A S (G)
Origin (Cholesti): Starport C, Size 2, Population 1
Destination (Garda-Vilis): Starport B - Scout Base, Size 9, Population 8
DM: +3 (passenger), +1 (cargo), -1 (tech level), -1 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: No High, 1D-2 Middle, 2D-6 Low
Cargo: 1D-4 Major, 1D-4 Minor, No Incidental
Starship Encounters: C 2D (departure, 10 is pirate), B 2D+1 (arrival)
Gas Giant: Cholesti data specifies the mainworld is a moon of the gas giant (1) in-system.

Garda-Vilis ^X B978868 – A S (G) to Arkadia E546845 – 6 (G)
Origin (Garda-Vilis): Starport B - Scout Base, Size 9, Population 8
Destination (Arkadia): Starport E, Size 5, Population 8
DM: +3 (passenger), +1 (cargo), +4 (tech level), +0 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 3D-1D High, 3D-1D Middle, 4D Low
Cargo: 1D+4 Major, 1D+5 Minor, 1D-2 Incidental
Starship Encounters: B 2D+1 (departure), E 2D (arrival, 11-12 is pirate)
Gas Giant: Garda-Vilis data entry contains no information on distance to gas giants (2) from the mainworld

Arkadia E546845 – 6 (G) to Ficant E567353 – 5 (Non-industrial)
Origin (Arkadia): Starport E, Size 5, Population 8
Destination (Ficant): Starport E, Size 5, Population 3
DM: -3 (passenger), -4 (cargo), +1 (tech level), +0 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 3D-1D High, 3D-1D Middle, 4D Low
Cargo: 1D+4 Major, 1D+5 Minor, 1D-2 Incidental
Starship Encounters: E 2D (departure, 11-12 is pirate), E 2D (arrival, 11-12 is pirate)
Gas Giant: Arkadia data entry contains no information on distance to gas giants (2) from the mainworld

 

[Spinward Flow]

:alpha: Race to Profitability "merchant prince" reference data for the inbound run from Ficant/Vilis to D'Ganzio/Lanth

Trade route map (imgur link)
Traveller Map link (convenient reference)

Ficant E567353 – 5 (Non-industrial) to Arkadia E546845 – 6 (G)
Origin (Ficant): Starport E, Size 5, Population 3
Destination (Arkadia): Starport E, Size 5, Population 8
DM: +3 (passenger), +1 (cargo), -1 (tech level), -1 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 2D-2D High, 2D-1D Middle, 2D Low
Cargo: 1D-1 Major, 1D Minor, No Incidental
Starship Encounters: E 2D (departure, 11-12 is pirate), E 2D (arrival, 11-12 is pirate)

Arkadia E546845 – 6 (G) to Garda-Vilis ^X B978868 – A S (G)
Origin (Arkadia): Starport E, Size 5, Population 8
Destination (Garda-Vilis): Starport B - Scout Base, Size 9, Population 8
DM: +3 (passenger), +1 (cargo), -4 (tech level), +0 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 3D-1D High, 3D-1D Middle, 4D Low
Cargo: 1D+4 Major, 1D+5 Minor, 1D-2 Incidental
Starship Encounters: E 2D (departure, 11-12 is pirate), B 2D+1 (arrival)
Gas Giant: Arkadia data entry contains no information on distance to gas giants (2) from the mainworld

Garda-Vilis ^X B978868 – A S (G) to Cholesti C200100 – 9 (Non-industrial, Vacuum World, G)
Origin (Garda-Vilis): Starport B - Scout Base, Size 9, Population 8
Destination (Cholesti): Starport C, Size 2, Population 1
DM: -3 (passenger), -4 (cargo), +1 (tech level), +0 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 3D-1D High, 3D-1D Middle, 4D Low
Cargo: 1D+4 Major, 1D+5 Minor, 1D-2 Incidental
Starship Encounters: B 2D+1 (departure), C 2D (arrival, 10 is pirate)
Gas Giant: Garda-Vilis data entry contains no information on distance to gas giants (2) from the mainworld

Cholesti C200100 – 9 (Non-industrial, Vacuum World, G) to Margesi C575677 – 6 (Agricultural, Non-industrial, A)
Origin (Cholesti): Starport C, Size 2, Population 1
Destination (Margesi): Starport C, Size 5, Population 6, Amber Zone
DM: -6 (passenger), +0 (cargo), +3 (tech level), -1 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: No High, 1D-2 Middle, 2D-6 Low
Cargo: No Major, 1D-4 Minor, No Incidental
Starship Encounters: C 2D (departure, 10 is pirate), C 2D (arrival, 10 is pirate)
Gas Giant: Cholesti data specifies the mainworld is a moon of the gas giant (1) in-system.

Margesi C575677 – 6 (Agricultural, Non-industrial, A) to Vilis A593943 – A (Industrial)
Origin (Margesi): Starport C, Size 5, Population 6, Amber Zone
Destination (Vilis): Starport A, Size 5, Population 9
DM: +3 (passenger), +1 (cargo), -4 (tech level), +0 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 3D-2D High, 3D-2D Middle, 3D Low
Cargo: 1D+2 Major, 1D+3 Minor, 1D-3 Incidental
Starship Encounters: C 2D (departure, 10 is pirate), A 2D (arrival)

Vilis A593943 – A (Industrial) to Saurus D888588 – 7 (Agricultural, Non-industrial)
Origin (Vilis): Starport A, Size 5, Population 9
Destination (Saurus): Starport D, Size 8, Population 5
DM: +0 (passenger), +0 (cargo), +3 (tech level), +1 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 3D-1D High, 3D Middle, 5D Low
Cargo: 1D+5 Major, 1D+6 Minor, 1D-2 Incidental
Starship Encounters: A 2D (departure), D 2D (arrival, 9 is pirate)

Saurus D888588 – 7 (Agricultural, Non-industrial) to Tavonni E567000 – 0 (Barren, G) to Lanth ^X A879533 – B 2 (Non-industrial, Subsector Capital)
Origin (Saurus): Starport D, Size 8, Population 5
Destination (Lanth): Starport A - Naval and Scout Bases, Size 8, Population 5
DM (Saurus to Lanth): +0 (passenger), +0 (cargo), -4 (tech level), -1 first die (speculative cargo)
DM (Saurus to Tavonni): -3 (passenger), -4 (cargo), +7 (tech level), -1 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 2D-1D High, 3D-2D Middle, 3D-1D Low
Cargo: 1D+1 Major, 1D+2 Minor, No Incidental
Starship Encounters: D 2D (departure Saurus, 9 is pirate), E 2D (arrival/departure, Tavonni, 11-12 is pirate), A 2D+3 (arrival, Lanth)
Gas Giant: Tavonni data entry contains no information on distance to gas giants (4) from the mainworld

Lanth ^X A879533 – B 2 (Non-industrial, Subsector Capital) to D'Ganzio ^X B420410 – D N (Desert, Non-industrial, Poor, G)
Origin (Lanth): Starport A - Naval and Scout Bases, Size 8, Population 5
Destination (D'Ganzio): Starport B - Naval Base, Size 4, Population 4
DM: -3 (passenger), -4 (cargo), -2 (tech level), -1 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 2D-1D High, 3D-2D Middle, 3D-1D Low
Cargo: 1D+1 Major, 1D+2 Minor, No Incidental
Starship Encounters: A 2D+3 (departure), B 2D+2 (arrival)
Gas Giant: D'Ganzio data entry contains no information on distance to gas giants (2) from the mainworld

 

[Spinward Flow]

Like where you are taking this

Hence why I'm doing it (when the forums aren't down like they were for days!:rant.

it's a good idea, but taking the loan payments out of the picture skews the results to the Courier, since everything else is towards the faster ship.

Are you sure about that?
Yes, the Spinward Flex Courier has a much more powerful maneuver drive, but the rules for the "race to profitability" have been set up in such a way as to minimize this advantage. Why do I claim that? Because just about the only reason for interplanetary travel (beyond 100 diameters) to happen is for gas giant refueling.

Since both time AND money(!) are factors in this race, one of the considerations that is going to be involved is computing how long it would take to maneuver to a gas giant for refueling, rather than simply buying fuel from a starport. Depending on the circumstances in-system, the "time is money" consideration may create situations where it is more expensive, yet still more profitable, to purchase fuel from a starport than it is to maneuver to a gas giant for "free" fuel (orbits, orbital mechanics and all that Navigator skill nonsense depending).

So yes, the Spinward Flex Courier might finish the "race" earlier than the Far Trader does ... but the Spinward Flex Courier also has a much higher annual overhaul fee cost (nearly 2x) compared to the Far Trader. And this "race" isn't merely about getting to the finish line first (meaning it's not a "speed race") ... it's about reaching the finish line having earned the largest amount of profit (absolute terms) in addition to having earned more profit per day of operations (rate terms) over the course of the entire run from start to finish. So it's not about pure speed ... it's about the bottom line and the rate of return over time (you know, accounting office BS).

In other words, rather than just assuming before running the test that I know (all) the answer(s), I would rather run the test and draw conclusions afterwards ... if you don't mind. :coffeesip:
And yes, this means I don't know the outcome of this competition in advance when I'm posting this. I haven't even started rolling any dice yet (I was waiting for the forums to come back online first).
I have my suspicions for how this race will turn out ... but I don't have any proof yet that what I suspect to be the case will be borne out in actual (game campaign) practice. This is why, rather than simply hand waving and talking about generalities in a vacuum, I'm interested in taking this head to head test case and put it into practice so as to see (conclusively) for myself if I've created a serious competitor starship design that would be as in demand as I think it ought to be.

I mean, if a starship that costs 2x as much to purchase, has 2/3 the cargo capacity and NONE of the passenger capacity of a Far Trader can earn more profit while on a trade route like the one I've detailed here, running through marginal economic backwater star systems ... that ought to tell you something economically important, right?

So rather than just Mk I Eyeball the question from the next sector over, let's test the proposition.
After all ... what have you got to lose?
Aside from your entrenched preconceptions and assumptions that you already know the outcome, of course.

Furthermore, the subsidized condition (no loan payments, 50% gross revenue rake) most accurately tests a Paid Off financial condition state while at the same time creating the highest "burden" on profit generation from revenue earnings. Starships that are profitable under subsidy will be even more profitable when paid off and/or not under subsidy, meaning that for a "merchant prince" there is good value for money. Basic notion that if the ship is profitable under these obviously less than ideal conditions, it shouldn't be that difficult to obtain subsidies for a large variety of other possible routes, no?

Perhaps you might figure out what interest rate the Spinward Courier could afford to pay, instead of the 'traditional' 240%?

There is no "haggling for interest rates" allowed in the CT LBB rules.
There is no "shopping around" between banks for better/more favorable interest rates.

What you are suggesting is an option that is simply not available per Rules As Written (RAW). :toast:
What you are suggesting is (at best) a House Rule ... and (at worst) something that would require precognition to determine before starship purchase based on intended business after starship delivery by the shipyard so as to find a break even point at which bank interest consumes all available profit for 40 years o: (no more, no less).

Um ... yeah ... about that ... there seems to be a Flaw™ in your plan, starting with the need for psionics (in the Third Imperium) ...

 

[Baroun Tardis]

Why 6G?

I'm confused about the need for a 6G drive...

I suspect the cost would drop a fair bit with 2 G.

What's the logic behind the 6G requirement?

 

[Spinward Flow]

I'm confused about the need for a 6G drive...
I suspect the cost would drop a fair bit with 2 G.
What's the logic behind the 6G requirement?

My first response to this question can be summed up with an emoticon.

o:

But that was just my first response.
Upon reflection, I realized that you may be coming "late" to this particular conversation ... which has A LOT of context behind it (in a previous thread I wrote).



The backstory for why the 194 ton Spinward Flex Courier has a 6G maneuver drive can be found in this thread in which I started with a 100 ton version of the idea, as a proof of concept/test, which over the course of that thread "evolved" based on feedback into the even more capable (albeit, more expensive) 194 ton version presented in this thread (because when tonnage increases, costs tend to increase too).

The short answer is that X-mail can be delivered Interplanetary, not just (merely) Interstellar ... generating revenue for each delivery. Interplanetary deliveries can be made "faster" than interstellar ones (days, not weeks) with a high power maneuver drive, generating a "high revenue density" within a specific star system (if it has multiple populations to deliver to) before jumping on to the next star system on a preferred route (as opposed to Tramp Freighter routing that just wanders around here, there and everywhere).

The more involved answer is that having a powerful 6G maneuver drive makes the starship exceptionally difficult to maintain contact with (let alone disable and board) by pirates, offering a measure of defense/protection against piracy in less well patrolled backwater regions of the Third Imperium (meaning type C starports and below, per LBB2.81). This then offers a measure, or margin if you prefer, of safety and security in operations that reduces risk of delays and/or losses that can result from hostile ship or small craft encounters.

An even more detailed answer will require reading what I've written in this thread, which I will refrain from quoting at length here, so you can peruse the highly detailed explanation (along with challenges, questions and replies) at your own reading leisure, should you be so inclined.

The bumper sticker length answer is ... Because it works better than you'd think.



Now I'm attempting to "prove it" with this head to head Race To Profitability against a Far Trader, which is the nearest "standard" trade ship competitor to the capabilities of my Spinward Flex Courier, along a defined route through a "mercantile poor" selection of obviously backwater worlds (D'Ganzio/Lanth to Ficant/Vilis).

Only 4 of the mainworlds along the route are TL=10+.
Only 5 of the 10 star systems have gas giants in them. o:
1 mainworld has zero population along the route.
1 star system is an Amber zone (meaning no Major Cargo gets sent there).
4 starports along the route are type D or E.
(links to the route have been posted multiple times already)



Hope that helps.

 

[coliver988]

<snip> Because just about the only reason for interplanetary travel (beyond 100 diameters) to happen is for gas giant refueling. </snip>...

For LBB2, true. Which is (if I recall correctly) based on main worlds and gas giants only. Once you toss in Book 6/Scouts (which again, pretty sure you are aiming to LBB 1-3) then there are a lot of colonies, outposts and settled moons out there (way too many for me but hey, I just choose to not include those unless I think there is a reason when I do world/system write-ups). I've had a few adventures take place in system but far from the main world.

And, hmm, belts. Unless everyone clumps around the single main location, they can be pretty spread out. So another reason for M-6 engines.

And as per others, really enjoying this thread.

 

[Spinward Flow]

For LBB2, true. Which is (if I recall correctly) based on main worlds and gas giants only. Once you toss in Book 6/Scouts (which again, pretty sure you are aiming to LBB 1-3) then there are a lot of colonies, outposts and settled moons out there (way too many for me but hey, I just choose to not include those unless I think there is a reason when I do world/system write-ups). I've had a few adventures take place in system but far from the main world.

And, hmm, belts. Unless everyone clumps around the single main location, they can be pretty spread out. So another reason for M-6 engines.

Really it basically comes down to ... how detailed is Your Traveller Universe?

Most Traveller Universes are, for all intents and purposes, interstellar only ... by which I mean that you typically will only have LBB S3 styled maps (including the online Travellermap website) which details only the mainworld in each system. That then creates a situation of "maps" that contain a single island with everything else around them basically amounting to terra incognita (or latin words to that effect). As a Referee, it's only "easy" to go to places that the game has already defined for you, through either a LBB or other means held in common with other campaign resources.

Yes, LBB6 "entire star systems" can be generated ... and the Travellerwiki does include such information for star systems that have been canonically detailed in this fashion, but that's like perhaps maybe ~1% of all of the star systems plotted on the maps that have that level of detail. I mean, in terms of logic and expectation "we know" that there ought to be more than 1 world per star system (usually), but the record details we have on each star system usually only amounts to 1 world per star system, with only a few scant exceptions scattered hither and yon around the sector maps.

I would vastly prefer it if there were LBB6 styled UWP and orbit stats for ALL the worlds and moons within every star system, because only with such a level of fine grained detail does it become reasonable to expect there can be more to ships and starships than merely interstellar travel. I mean, the other planets and their moons kind of "need to be there" before you can go to them, let alone have a reason to go to them ... right? However, generating all that survey data for hundreds and hundreds of star systems per sector ... the very notion of the magnitude of scale required for the task is ... daunting, to say the least.

Creating detailed LBB6 data sheets for up to 12 systems on a regular trade route to be used in a campaign ... okay, that's something that might be doable in a reasonable amount of time by a single Referee (and then watch your Players immediately want to "leave" that area and go somewhere else!). :xh:
Trying to do it for all of the star systems in a sector (such as the Spinward Marches) crosses the border over into insanity if you haven't got access to automation tools and programming to do the system generation stuff for you.

But yes, ideally speaking in a LBB6 detailed Traveller universe, I would want to have powerful maneuver drives to complete interplanetary transit journeys at a faster pace and therefore higher potential profit margin per unit of time due to faster delivery rates (because time=money). If nothing else, being able to operate a ship as a "maneuver tug" for hauling bulk external cargo can at times wind up being either a lucrative opportunity or a dangling plot hook for the start of an adventure in a campaign. It really just depends on the Referee and the Players.

And as per others, really enjoying this thread.

Omelettes vs Eggs
Round 1
FIGHT!

 

[Fovean]

Really it basically comes down to ... how detailed is Your Traveller Universe?

…snip…

I would vastly prefer it if there were LBB6 styled UWP and orbit stats for ALL the worlds and moons within every star system, because only with such a level of fine grained detail does it become reasonable to expect there can be more to ships and starships than merely interstellar travel. I mean, the other planets and their moons kind of "need to be there" before you can go to them, let alone have a reason to go to them ... right? However, generating all that survey data for hundreds and hundreds of star systems per sector ... the very notion of the magnitude of scale required for the task is ... daunting, to say the least.

Well, truth be told travellermap.com has already done the lion’s share of this work, providing users with the number of gas giants, belts and other worlds in each system on the map, all just a click away. It uses the canonical PBG data from the extended world profile string.

Granted, the worlds and their moons are not populated or developed but it is a big reduction of the work required if one did want to detail a dozen systems for an in-depth economic analysis. YMMV.

Then again, there’s the GURPS data, which you may find interesting:

https://wiki.travellerrpg.com/World_Trade_Number

Beware! Deep rabbit hole ahead!

 

[Spinward Flow]

D'Ganzio ^X B420410 – D N (Desert, Non-industrial, Poor, G) to Lanth ^X A879533 – B 2 (Non-industrial, Subsector Capital)

Origin (D'Ganzio): Starport B - Naval Base, Size 4, Population 4
Destination (Lanth): Starport A - Naval and Scout Bases, Size 8, Population 5
DM: +0 (passenger), +0 (cargo), +2 (tech level), -1 first die (speculative cargo)
Passengers: 2D-1D High, 2D-1D Middle, 3D-1D Low
Cargo: 1D Major, 1D+1 Minor, No Incidental
Starship Encounters: B 2D+2 (D'Ganzio)
Gas Giant: D'Ganzio data entry contains no information on distance to gas giants (2) from the mainworld other than a brief mention of an inner gas giant

Passengers
2D-1D+2 = 3-5+2 = 0 High
2D-1D+2 = 11-6+2 = 7 Middle
3D-1D+2 = 9-5+2 = 12 Low

Cargo
1D+2 = 5+2 = 7 Major (60, 30, 60, 50, 30, 60, 20 ton lots)
1D+3 = 3+3 = 6 Minor (10, 25, 25, 15, 30, 10 ton lots)

Speculative Cargo
36 Pharmaceuticals. Cr 100,000 per ton (base price), DM: +3 price modifier. 6 tons
Buy price (2D+3=13): 200% base price



Far Trader

Starting Fuel State: 0 tons
Starting Cargo State: 0 tons
Starting Passengers State: none
Annual Overhaul Maintenance: just completed yesterday
Location: D'Ganzio orbital shipyard
Starting Net Profit: Cr 0
Starting Time/Date: 0h 001-1105

The captain of the Far Trader needs to negotiate for passengers and cargo to deliver from D'Ganzio to Lanth. Cargo negotiated for on 001-1105 will not be delivered until 4 days later on 005-1105 (standard rate), so day 1 will be spent on negotiations. Additionally, pre-booking arrangements for another annual overhaul in approximately 34+ weeks upon return to D'Ganzio are made to reduce scheduling delays upon return.

D'Ganzio is a Desert World with zero hydrographics, so the only wilderness refueling option available is from the gas giant. LBB2.81, p11 specifies that a Close Gas Giant is 600,000,000km distant from a mainworld. At 1G acceleration, it will take 137h (5.7 days) to interplanetary transit from D'Ganzio orbit to the orbit of a Close Gas Giant, plus an additional 1h to perform an orbital skim refueling, plus additional time to reach 100 diameters for jump, so the Far Trader cannot wilderness refuel at the Close Gas Giant in a reasonable amount of time. Additionally, the Far Trader does not have a fuel purification plant onboard to refine skimmed fuel.

The captain chooses to purchase 50 tons of refined fuel from the type B starport to prevent the opportunity for a misjump.

Refined Fuel Purchase (50 tons, 1 hour): Cr 25,000
Berthing Fees: Cr 100 for 6 days​

The Far Trader captain accepts bookings of 7 middle passengers and 4 low passengers and a single major cargo shipment of 60 tons, both of which are received in D'Ganzio/Lanth orbit to be delivered to Lanth/Lanth orbit (LBB2.81, p9). The captain declines the speculative price for the pharmaceuticals.

Life Support cost: Cr 20,000 (10 staterooms), Cr 400 (4 low berths)
Passenger revenue: Cr 56,000 (middle), Cr 4000 (low)
Cargo Transport revenue: Cr 60,000 (60 tons)​

Cargo loading of 60 tons requires 2 hours, from 14h 005-1105 to 16h 005-1105.

Clearance to depart D'Ganzio starport for transit to outbound jump point granted at 16h 005-1105, a distance of 54,000km. At 1G, the Far Trader can transit to this distance in 78 minutes. During the departure transit, the Far Trader has a starship encounter (2D6+2=12) with an 800-ton Mercenary Cruiser and their 50-ton Cutter. Since D'Ganzio is controlled by Instellarms, this encounter is both routine and expected, causing no delays in departure.

At 18h 005-1105, the Far Trader initiates jump-2 to Lanth/Lanth.
Time spent in jump will be 165 hours.
Breakout from jump at ~100 diameters from Lanth/Lanth will occur at 15h 012-1105.

Total gross costs in D'Ganzio system: Cr 45,500
Total gross revenue in D'Ganzio system: Cr 120,000
Remaining revenue after subsidy: Cr 60,000
Net profit in D'Ganzio system: Cr 14,500
Total net profit from 0h 001-1105 through 15h 012-1105: Cr 14,500​

Spinward Flex Courier

Starting Fuel State: 0 tons
Starting Cargo State: 0 tons
Annual Overhaul Maintenance: just completed yesterday
Location: D'Ganzio orbital shipyard
Starting Net Profit: Cr 0
Starting Time/Date: 0h 001-1105

The captain of the Spinward Flex Courier needs to negotiate for cargo to deliver from D'Ganzio to Lanth. Cargo negotiated for on 001-1105 will not be delivered until 4 days later on 005-1105 (standard rate), so day 1 will be spent on negotiations. Additionally, pre-booking arrangements for another annual overhaul in approximately 34+ weeks upon return to D'Ganzio are made to reduce scheduling delays upon return.

D'Ganzio is a Desert World with zero hydrographics, so the only wilderness refueling option available is from the gas giant. LBB2.81, p11 specifies that a Close Gas Giant is 600,000,000km distant from a mainworld. At 6G acceleration, it will take 56h (2.33 days) to interplanetary transit from D'Ganzio orbit to the orbit of a Close Gas Giant. The Spinward Flex Courier can negotiate for cargo remotely by trideo datalink during 001-1105 while navigating to the gas giant, spend 1 hour skimming fuel, purify the unrefined fuel during the return transit to the D'Ganzio highport for orbital pickup of cargo with time to spare before cargo delivery. However, berthing fees must still be paid for the full 6 days reservation.

The captain chooses to purchase 2 tons of unrefined fuel (4.8 days endurance) from the type B starport so as to have sufficient fuel to reach the Gas Giant and have enough reserve to return to D'Ganzio in the event of mishap or disaster.

Unefined Fuel Purchase (2 tons, 1 hour): Cr 200
Berthing Fees: Cr 100 for 6 days​

Clearance to depart D'Ganzio highport for transit to the Gas Giant is granted at 1h 001-1105, a distance of 600,000,000km. The starship completes the transit to Gas Giant orbit in 56 hours, arriving at 9h 003-1105, spends 1 hour orbital skimming to fill the fuel tanks to full (50.5 tons) completing the maneuver at 10h 003-1105, before returning 600,000,000km to D'Ganzio highport at 18h 005-1105 for docking in the original berth which was rented for 6 days. During this transit to and from the Gas Giant (2D6+2=7) a 100-ton Scout/Courier is encountered, without incident aside from communications and gossip sharing.

The Spinward Flex Courier captain accepts bookings of x-mail (up to 5 tons) a single major cargo shipment of 30 tons and a single minor cargo shipment of 10 tons, all of which are received in D'Ganzio/Lanth orbit to be delivered to Lanth/Lanth orbit (LBB2.81, p9). The captain declines the speculative price for the pharmaceuticals.

Life Support cost: Cr 4,000 (2 staterooms)
Cargo Transport revenue: Cr 40,000 (40 tons)​

Cargo loading of 45 tons requires 2 hours, from 18h 005-1105 to 20h 005-1105.

Clearance to depart D'Ganzio starport for transit to outbound jump point granted at 20h 005-1105, a distance of 54,000km. At 6G, the Spinward Flex Courier can transit to this distance in 32 minutes. During the departure transit, the Far Trader has a starship encounter (2D6+2=12) with an 800-ton Mercenary Cruiser and their 50-ton Cutter. Since D'Ganzio is controlled by Instellarms, this encounter is both routine and expected, causing no delays in departure.

At 21h 005-1105, the Far Trader initiates jump-2 to Lanth/Lanth.
Time spent in jump will be 165 hours.
Breakout from jump at Lanth/Lanth will occur at 18h 012-1105.

Total gross costs in D'Ganzio system: Cr 4300
Total gross revenue in D'Ganzio system: Cr 40,000
Remaining revenue after subsidy: Cr 20,000
Net profit in D'Ganzio system: Cr 15,700
Total net profit from 0h 001-1105 through 18h 012-1105: Cr 15,700​

 

[Spinward Flow]

Well, truth be told travellermap.com has already done the lion’s share of this work, providing users with the number of gas giants, belts and other worlds in each system on the map, all just a click away. It uses the canonical PBG data from the extended world profile string.

Granted, the worlds and their moons are not populated or developed but it is a big reduction of the work required if one did want to detail a dozen systems for an in-depth economic analysis. YMMV.

Which is why I'm providing links to the map and the wiki pages for easy access to that "gloss level" of detail about star systems, so as to at least help Referees interested in this kind of campaign detail have easier access to it by meeting them halfway.

 

[coliver988]

and Heaven & Earth do all the work for you, assuming you have a Windows PC. See the files section here (or just go to the files section on the board here and go to the software thread)