Starports and Minimum Populations

[Gruffty]

In other threads on CotI (and on the TML, I believe) reference has been made to T20 requiring worlds with certain Starport types to have certain population levels.

I can't find this in my copy of T20. Can anyone clarify this for me? Does this rule exist? And if so, where can I find it?

Muchos appreciatos

 

[Gruffty]

The rule went something like this:

"A world with Starport type A must have a minimum Population code of 3"

I think it covers other types of Starports as well.

 

[jasper]

I don't think the rule is used. If you search the threads here, I did a write up of my groups adventure. One planet had a pop code 2 I think.

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Gruffty:
I can't find this in my copy of T20.

I don't see it either.

May I ask why you're interested in tying starport classification to mainworld population?

 

[mike wightman]

[cough]Tenalphi[/cough]

 

[Gruffty]

Originally posted by Black Globe Generator:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Gruffty:
I can't find this in my copy of T20.

I don't see it either.

May I ask why you're interested in tying starport classification to mainworld population?</font>[/QUOTE]Yes, you may ask, but if I tell you, I'd have to kill you (and we wouldn't want that to happen, now, would we? )

Briefly, at about 3 a.m. during a Night shift, my brain comes up with the most unusual thoughts, questions and ideas. Some are far too strange to even contemplate posting here, but sometimes (especially if I've got a Trav book with me) they're Trav related. Then I gets to wondering if what I think is correct, real or just the product of a tired, addled brain.

It's the Traveller equivalent of waking up with a song in your head that just will not go away, or 'cos someone asked you "who played soandso in whtchamacallit?" and you can't for the life of you, remember the actor's name and it is really, really, really, bugging you. And so I want the truth....

<All: "You can't handle the truth!">

 

[Gruffty]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
[cough]Tenalphi[/cough]

Where dat den?

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
[cough]Tenalphi[/cough]

Ah, but this is where the JTAS article "From Port to Jump Point" comes to your rescue!

A downport has a number of berths equal to the population number minus a starport rating number (A=0, B=1, C=2, et cetera), times six. So the A class starport on Tenalphi has six berths (1 pop - 0 = 1 * 6 = 6).

So here we have a small, presumably highly automated starport capable of providing a full range of services to traders and other travellers.

Building starships, you say? This tiny port doesn't engage in commercial construction, of course - no way for it to be profitable for such a small, high-tech enterprise. Tenalphi is known for its experimental starships and its testing facilities, of course - if you want a prototype of a new starship, Tenalphi is the place to go!

How's that for a slice of fried gold?

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by Gruffty:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
[cough]Tenalphi[/cough]

Where dat den? </font>[/QUOTE]Lunion subsector, in the Marches - A starport, TL 14, pop 1.

 

[robject]

Um, Tenalphi's been officially "fixed".

And I presume that there could be starports orbiting barren worlds. But I guess they ought to be there for a pretty darn good reason.

 

[mike wightman]

It hasn't been fixed in any version of the Spinward Marches I've seen

The fix I have for Tenalphi is that it is a subsiduary of the LSP shipyards on Strouden.

Robotic factories, a race of "pre-sentient natives" exploited by megacorp overseers, and several hundred transient workers.

Most of the high TL components needed by the main shipyards on Lunion and Strouden are manufactured on Tenalphi, which has its own modest ship assembly facilities for R&D purposes - and the occasional one off design...

 

[Merxiless]

Gruffty, I have read this too, but I think it was in Gurps: First In or Gurps: Far Trader.

First In, p. 92 says a world with a (A or B) major port needs Pop 6+. It also has a chart to gen the port, a la old style CT, more or less.

Gurps: Interstellar Wars does it differently on p. 129. It gives a mod to a starport chart, based on Pop greater than Pr 4.

But I too have seen this rule that A Has min 4, B 3, C 2 or something, just can't recall the exact rule.

I actually prefer CT port generation, then I explain weird results.

 

[mike wightman]

Hey, I've just noticed Tenalphi is listed as an Ancients site in The Spinward Marches Campaign.

Looking in the TNE Regency sourcebook, Tenalphi in 1117 isn't an Ancients site, and yet by its 1202 stats it is.

The DGP Domain of Deneb stats don't mention an Ancients site, and yet the Spinward Marches data in the MT IE do have it listed as an Ancients site.

The mystery deepens...

 

[Whipsnade]

Sigg,

Tenalphi is also at one end of the OTU's only five parsec x-boat link.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[robject]

Ooooh...

 

[Chaos]

Regarding the OP:

I didn´t find any direct minimum Pop requirements, but in the world development charts of the T20 THB, the dice modifiers to starport act as a de facto minimum Pop requirement:

Pop 4+ for A starports
Pop 3+ for B starports
Pop 1+ for C, D and E starports

 

[veltyen]

These population figures seem to indicate nessersary crew.

Of course an bigotted organic suppremicist might not count automated personel

 

[Gruffty]

Originally posted by Chaos:
Regarding the OP:

I didn´t find any direct minimum Pop requirements, but in the world development charts of the T20 THB, the dice modifiers to starport act as a de facto minimum Pop requirement:

Pop 4+ for A starports
Pop 3+ for B starports
Pop 1+ for C, D and E starports

Hmmm, I wonder if that was what my addled and tired brain was trying to point me towards...

 

[Merxiless]

Flynn's tech regression article in SR # 3, gives minimum Tech levels. Might that be it?

 

[Gruffty]

Oh, I don't bloody know! Maybe I just dreamt the rule up in one of those half-awake/half-sleep states people can slip into on Nights.

I'll look at SR 3 again....