TL11 Exploration Cruiser online...

[Flynn]

Fellow Sophonts,

I've posted a TL11 Exploration Cruiser in T20 format for use in my campaign, which starts after the holidays. If you are interested, I invite you to review it, and share your thoughts.

TL11 Exploration Cruiser <http://www.geocities.com/flynnwd/trav/ship_discovery.html>

Enjoy,
Flynn

 

[manley_t]

How can you have an exploration ship with only a duration of 4 weeks?

Hell, modern subs have a longer duration than that.....

 

[Flynn]

Easy.

15 tons of cargo space can be used to carry extended life support for just over 13 four-week months for 23 crew members. That covers life support.

Fuel scoops and fuel purification plants cover the acquisition of fuel, to power the power plant, etc, thus taking advantage of renewable resources.

The duration of the vessel gives one jump and three weeks to do survey and renew the fuel for the next system.

Does that help?

Okay, besides that comment, do you have any other observations or discussions about the design itself?

-Flynn

 

[RabidVargr]

yah, what happens when they jump to a system that has 3 lumps of no atmosphere or water rock orbiting a crappy little sun? Nowhere to refuel, that boat is SOL.

RV

 

[RabidVargr]

IMHO, you can't build an exploration ship without enough fuel to get back. That's my biggest gripe about the type-s, if it's scouting, and ends up a long ways away, they better hope their maneuver drives and low berth's are in pristine shape or else....

Type S is only a courier IMTU.

RV

 

[Flynn]

Excellent thought. Let's hope that they can detect gas giants before they make such a reckless decision to jump there.

Seriously, from what I understand, a ship trapped in that position would have to locate a cometary body, and pull ice from it before they ran out. In your example, however, the ship doesn't have that option. So they're like any other ship that jumps into such a system: all ship designs I've seen so far would be screwed. (Even the Donosev of the CT universe, the one that does the same kind of things that the Discovery-class does, would be lost...)

Ultimately, I guess it depends on why they jumped there in the first place. Presumably such a worthless system wouldn't be chosen as a target of exploration, but if it were, I'd presume that precautions would have to be made to install fuel bladders inside the cargo bay with sufficient fuel to enable a return jump, when combined with the remaining power plant fuel that hadn't been used (depending on whether it was a Jump-1 or a Jump-2.)

So what are you proposing?

-Flynn

 

[Flynn]

Ah, you are proposing that the ship have enough fuel to make two two-parsec jumps. Okay.

I can cut back a bit on the armor, and make room for the fuel required for two two-parsec jumps.

Anything else?

-Flynn

 

[Flynn]

Okay, done! I've reduced the armor and removed a significant amount of cargo space, to enable the ship to have enough fuel for two two-parsec jumps.

Anything else?

-Flynn

 

[themink]

Since it isn't a dedicated combat vessel, I wouldn't bother with the agility. That drops the power requirement almost in half. This leads to savings all round (particularly as the power plant is a large fraction of the total cost).

I would include enough low berths for all of the crew (in case of emergencies)

I would swap one of the pulse laser batteries for a beam laser battery. It increases general flexibility and the improved USP is nice. It also seems that you can;t use pulse lasers for defensive fire against missiles, so two incoming missiles currently swamps it's defences.

I would tend to give them an extra engineer - the book numbers are for "short duration" trips and is suitable for merchant vessels. I tend to give my "long duration" craft at least a couple of extras.

I would only include two flight crew. I only do "dual crew" for carriers. I'm not sure what the rules say about it.

I would swap one of the weapon turrets for a mining laser turret - used for spectral analysis and, if there is a real problem, they can mine for metals - to be fabricated into parts in the machine shop.

If it were my ship, I would reduce the armaments from triple turrets to duals - but my ships are generally more lightly armed than a standard trav universe, so it's upto you.

Is there a non-military version? This one is clearly a naval vessel.

I would tend to swap one of the GCarriers for a pair of Air rafts (or even an air raft and a speeder)

For a mil ship - I would include a couple of nuclear missiles in the magazine (not actually in the weapons) - for when you really need to put your best foot forward.

All just thoughts.

 

[BigBadRon]

I think the heavier armament is valid in this design. The background states that only the military have access to J2 systems, so that makes this a military vessel, and we know how much the military likes its guns.
Even on a supposedly peaceful exploratory mission they'd want to make sure that anybody they ran into didn't get any ideas about conquering the homeworld...
Beam lasers would be better than pulse. If anybody at home objected to all the fire power on an exploration vessel the military could always claim they were only to be used on reduced power for range-finding and spectrographic analysis.
Similarly missile launchers could be used to launch non-combat probes packed with sensors.
The fact that the same systems are also viable weapons could be passed off as just one of those unfortunate coincidences...

 

[RandyT0001]

I would use collapsilbe fuel tanks in a cargo area as opposed to having dedicated fuel tankage for the return trip. They occupy 1% of their volume when collapsed and cost 500Cr per rated dTon. This would give you more cargo space to carry abducted "cows" and the like for study and return to the homeworld.

Maybe a 20 dTon lifeboat outfitted with emergency low berths and a small craft cabin in case you have to abondon(sp) ship.

I would add a mining module for the cutter(with it's mining laser) for prospecting (and acquiring replacement metals for broken parts).

Change all of the pulse lasers to beam lasers to get more point defense from missile attacks.

I'm sure if the locals in the newly explored system start to shoot at the Discovery it jumps back to it's orgin point in order to notify the navy so they can send in bigger ships to deal with the hostilities.

Keep as much agility and maneuver as possible for space combat.

IMO

 

[Flynn]

Thanks for all the comments, guys.

Wow! Lots of good feedback.

Yes, it's a military vehicle, and the higher-ups are aware that First Contact is very likely with this class of vessel, with both the Vegans and the Fornacians. While the military has discovered a misjumped Vegan vessel, and thus know at least a little about them, they do not know what to expect from the Fornacians. Thus, agility and armor stays as is.

I will go back and change the pulse lasers to beam lasers. Good arguments in support of those, btw.

I will also have a set or two of nuclear missiles added, because I can imagine the tension that could result from an over-zealous security officer during First Contact. Hehehe.

RapidVargr made a great point about the fuel capacity, so I'm going to keep it as a rigid structure instead of a collapsible tank.

The eight low berths are for Frozen Watch, which basically gives me an excuse to introduce other PCs into the campaign once they are away from civilization. The biggest part of the missions for this ship's class will be to RETURN with the data, so I'm hoping that it never comes down to having to deep freeze the entire crew. Anything that prevents them from leaving will probably destroy them in the process, so no need for more than a Frozen Watch. (Confed military thinking, anyway...)

GCarriers carry 14 personnel per vessel, so two of them can transport the entire crew. Neither the air-raft nor the speeder are armed, and this is a military vessel.

The modular cutter is a nod to the Donosev, and opens up some longer range in-system adventuring. The mining module could replace the open one, though I'm kinda loathe to give up the transport capacity it represents.

All of this, of course, will have to wait just a bit. I am packing today for a trip to see the folks this weekend with my son, and won't have the time to focus on making these changes immediately. By Monday, however....

Thanks for the input, guys,
Flynn

 

[trader jim]

i like it..cant wait to post my Rebuilt "King Richard".....and tethys....and fenris...