The Navigator

[Supplement Four]

Note that a navigator is only needed on ships greater than 200 tons.

So, a 200 ton starship gets by with a pilot only.

What happens, do you think, around that size of ship to where a navigator is needed?

A 300 ton starship would require a navigator. Yet a 200 ton vessel gets by just fine without one.

The pilot can handle the nav duties on a 200 ton ship? Must be.

How does the work load get bigger at 250 tons or 300, or even 400 tons?

 

[Supplement Four]

Note that a navigator is only needed on ships greater than 200 tons.

So, a 200 ton starship gets by with a pilot only.

What happens, do you think, around that size of ship to where a navigator is needed?

A 300 ton starship would require a navigator. Yet a 200 ton vessel gets by just fine without one.

The pilot can handle the nav duties on a 200 ton ship? Must be.

How does the work load get bigger at 250 tons or 300, or even 400 tons?

 

[far-trader]

Legal issues I expect

Maybe licensing and union regs

B2 specifically says iirc that on small ships (200tons and under) the Pilot is capable of handling the Navigation detail as well. Maybe it's more easily automated too for small ships.

 

[far-trader]

Legal issues I expect

Maybe licensing and union regs

B2 specifically says iirc that on small ships (200tons and under) the Pilot is capable of handling the Navigation detail as well. Maybe it's more easily automated too for small ships.

 

[Supplement Four]

Which brings up the description of the Sensor Ops skill.

In my game, Navigation expertise is interchangeable with Sensor Ops since nav officers do most of their work with the sensors.

Obviously, Pilot skill holds some correlation to Sensor Ops too.

Here are some thoughts on including the Sensor Ops skill in CT:

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Navigaton = Sensor Ops
Pilot minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Ship's Boat minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Gunner minus 1 = Sensor Ops</pre>[/QUOTE]All of those jobs have sensors as an integral part of their function on a vessel.

Thus, a character with any of these skills should be appropriate for operating ship's sensors if needed.

Thoughts?

 

[Supplement Four]

Which brings up the description of the Sensor Ops skill.

In my game, Navigation expertise is interchangeable with Sensor Ops since nav officers do most of their work with the sensors.

Obviously, Pilot skill holds some correlation to Sensor Ops too.

Here are some thoughts on including the Sensor Ops skill in CT:

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Navigaton = Sensor Ops
Pilot minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Ship's Boat minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Gunner minus 1 = Sensor Ops</pre>[/QUOTE]All of those jobs have sensors as an integral part of their function on a vessel.

Thus, a character with any of these skills should be appropriate for operating ship's sensors if needed.

Thoughts?

 

[tinker123]

Also likely to be insurance related. All those big ships are mortgaged to the bank, and they'd be really upset if some unqualified / unlicensed have-a-go-Joe decided to jump one a bit too close in-system and crashed it.

If he's licensed to make that call then at least the insurance might pay out.

 

[tinker123]

Also likely to be insurance related. All those big ships are mortgaged to the bank, and they'd be really upset if some unqualified / unlicensed have-a-go-Joe decided to jump one a bit too close in-system and crashed it.

If he's licensed to make that call then at least the insurance might pay out.

 

[Redcap]

On the insurance side, I ran a game a few years back that had the insurance firm embargoing the lift of a 200-ton Far Trader without the properly qualified crew to staff her; recognised qualification "papers" were required for each crew member; since only the Ships' Master was qualified, they wouldn't let the ship lift until the rest of the crew got certified to the local requirements, which was the source of an adventure in and of itself ("OK, I can't afford the bloody papers, how do we forge these?" "Don't even think about it - get another job together here before we lift, get the funds, and do it legally!!") Needless to say, the - ahem - job was shall we say, on the shady side

 

[Redcap]

On the insurance side, I ran a game a few years back that had the insurance firm embargoing the lift of a 200-ton Far Trader without the properly qualified crew to staff her; recognised qualification "papers" were required for each crew member; since only the Ships' Master was qualified, they wouldn't let the ship lift until the rest of the crew got certified to the local requirements, which was the source of an adventure in and of itself ("OK, I can't afford the bloody papers, how do we forge these?" "Don't even think about it - get another job together here before we lift, get the funds, and do it legally!!") Needless to say, the - ahem - job was shall we say, on the shady side

 

[BlackBat242]

The DGP supplement Grand Survey described the Sensor Operation skill [page 13].

In addition to making Sensor Ops a stand-alone skill, it allows Navigation, Recon, and Survey skills to substitute for Sensor Ops at 1 level lower than the primary skill.

 

[BlackBat242]

The DGP supplement Grand Survey described the Sensor Operation skill [page 13].

In addition to making Sensor Ops a stand-alone skill, it allows Navigation, Recon, and Survey skills to substitute for Sensor Ops at 1 level lower than the primary skill.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by BlackBat242:
The DGP supplement Grand Survey described the Sensor Operation skill [page 13].

In addition to making Sensor Ops a stand-alone skill, it allows Navigation, Recon, and Survey skills to substitute for Sensor Ops at 1 level lower than the primary skill.

I knew about that but neglected to reference it.

So...our list is growing...

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Navigaton = Sensor Ops
Pilot minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Ship's Boat minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Gunner minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Recon minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Survey = Sensor Ops</pre>[/QUOTE]I'd make two changes to the DGP rule:

1) Navigation and Survey are used at the same level when used as Sensor Ops.

2) Add Gunner, Ship's Boat, and Pilot to Recon on the "minus one" list.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by BlackBat242:
The DGP supplement Grand Survey described the Sensor Operation skill [page 13].

In addition to making Sensor Ops a stand-alone skill, it allows Navigation, Recon, and Survey skills to substitute for Sensor Ops at 1 level lower than the primary skill.

I knew about that but neglected to reference it.

So...our list is growing...

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Navigaton = Sensor Ops
Pilot minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Ship's Boat minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Gunner minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Recon minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Survey = Sensor Ops</pre>[/QUOTE]I'd make two changes to the DGP rule:

1) Navigation and Survey are used at the same level when used as Sensor Ops.

2) Add Gunner, Ship's Boat, and Pilot to Recon on the "minus one" list.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:


</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Navigaton = Sensor Ops
Pilot minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Ship's Boat minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Gunner minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Recon minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Survey = Sensor Ops</pre>

[/quote]And, what about computer skill? Certainly, any character with expertise in any of these skills will also have at least Computer-0.

Don't cha think?

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:


</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Navigaton = Sensor Ops
Pilot minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Ship's Boat minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Gunner minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Recon minus 1 = Sensor Ops
Survey = Sensor Ops</pre>

[/quote]And, what about computer skill? Certainly, any character with expertise in any of these skills will also have at least Computer-0.

Don't cha think?

 

[boomslang]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
So, a 200 ton starship gets by with a pilot only.

Plus a Medic, and sometimes an Engineer.

How does the work load get bigger at 250 tons or 300, or even 400 tons?

It's a regulatory/insurance thing (h/t Tinker above), just like the fact that you "need" to tote a full four weeks' worth of powerplant fuel to get your spaceworthiness certificate (another reason to oppose drop tanks: you can skirt this requirement if you're fitted for them but don't bother to mount them).

See Alien Module 1: Aslan for a "whatever the captain can get away with (or whatever his sister will let him get away with)" different take on crewing requirements.

Typically, in most TUs, a "skeleton crew" would be a Pilot and as many Engineers as needed to keep the drives working; everybody else is just for convenience & safety...

 

[boomslang]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
So, a 200 ton starship gets by with a pilot only.

Plus a Medic, and sometimes an Engineer.

How does the work load get bigger at 250 tons or 300, or even 400 tons?

It's a regulatory/insurance thing (h/t Tinker above), just like the fact that you "need" to tote a full four weeks' worth of powerplant fuel to get your spaceworthiness certificate (another reason to oppose drop tanks: you can skirt this requirement if you're fitted for them but don't bother to mount them).

See Alien Module 1: Aslan for a "whatever the captain can get away with (or whatever his sister will let him get away with)" different take on crewing requirements.

Typically, in most TUs, a "skeleton crew" would be a Pilot and as many Engineers as needed to keep the drives working; everybody else is just for convenience & safety...

 

[atpollard]

Originally posted by boomslang:
Typically, in most TUs, a "skeleton crew" would be a Pilot and as many Engineers as needed to keep the drives working; everybody else is just for convenience & safety...

And even the pilot is over rated - how hard can it be to go straight up? How different can it be from an air/raft (which everyone has and is also space capable). Remember the early space flights, NASA required lots of engineers, but debated whether they needed an Air Force Pilot or a monkey in the driver's seat.

 

[atpollard]

Originally posted by boomslang:
Typically, in most TUs, a "skeleton crew" would be a Pilot and as many Engineers as needed to keep the drives working; everybody else is just for convenience & safety...

And even the pilot is over rated - how hard can it be to go straight up? How different can it be from an air/raft (which everyone has and is also space capable). Remember the early space flights, NASA required lots of engineers, but debated whether they needed an Air Force Pilot or a monkey in the driver's seat.