Type X Starports

[Pickles]

Originally posted by atpollard:
To convert a Type X starport to a Type E starport requires a gallon of paint and a brush to paint a line marking a landing spot onto a natural flat spot. Perhaps it is only in a red zone that landings are "officially" impossible.

Although LBB3 says "a marked spot of bedrock", I would think something more than a spot of paint is required to make it noticeable (and thus useable) from orbit. IIRC several published E starports at least had automated beacons, which I would see as aminimum requirement.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by the Bromgrev:
Although LBB3 says "a marked spot of bedrock", I would think something more than a spot of paint is required to make it noticeable (and thus useable) from orbit. IIRC several published E starports at least had automated beacons, which I would see as aminimum requirement.

Makes sense, but I would think that it's not mandatory.

On a low tech world, all the ship's pilot may have is latitude and longitude coordinates. He might rely solely on the terrain following computer to get him there.

A GM could even give the ship's navigator a roll to find the place if there are no large land marks (like a city or town around it).

S4

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by the Bromgrev:
Although LBB3 says "a marked spot of bedrock", I would think something more than a spot of paint is required to make it noticeable (and thus useable) from orbit. IIRC several published E starports at least had automated beacons, which I would see as aminimum requirement.

Makes sense, but I would think that it's not mandatory.

On a low tech world, all the ship's pilot may have is latitude and longitude coordinates. He might rely solely on the terrain following computer to get him there.

A GM could even give the ship's navigator a roll to find the place if there are no large land marks (like a city or town around it).

S4

 

[hunter]

While many if not most X starport worlds are interdicted, it is not a hard and fast rule for the Imperium. There are plenty of instances outside of the Marches where this is the case.

Hunter

 

[hunter]

While many if not most X starport worlds are interdicted, it is not a hard and fast rule for the Imperium. There are plenty of instances outside of the Marches where this is the case.

Hunter

 

[far-trader]

Just another quick thought on the whole Class X and Red Zone (the whole UWP in fact) and Interdiction.

My take has always been that these are notations supplied by the Traveller's Aid Society as a benefit to members, and generally available as part of the ship's Library program (though not always as up to date as through a TAS membership).

They are merely the latest information the TAS has, condensed of course, and you have to take them with that caveat.

So an Interdicted world may be listed as Class X simply because the TAS has no current information about the actual facilities available and the traveller should take it as a double warning.

Imagine the PCs actually slip through the IN Interdiction only to have heavily armed space interceptors slide in behind them as they approach the planet and demand they follow the beacon down or they will be destroyed. Imagine when they do land at the Class X starport and find it is a Class A starport in full production swing and they are going to be held as Imperial Spies.

How do you think the IN is going to respond to them if they are ever allowed to leave?

And you wonder why the TAS has no current information about the world

 

[far-trader]

Just another quick thought on the whole Class X and Red Zone (the whole UWP in fact) and Interdiction.

My take has always been that these are notations supplied by the Traveller's Aid Society as a benefit to members, and generally available as part of the ship's Library program (though not always as up to date as through a TAS membership).

They are merely the latest information the TAS has, condensed of course, and you have to take them with that caveat.

So an Interdicted world may be listed as Class X simply because the TAS has no current information about the actual facilities available and the traveller should take it as a double warning.

Imagine the PCs actually slip through the IN Interdiction only to have heavily armed space interceptors slide in behind them as they approach the planet and demand they follow the beacon down or they will be destroyed. Imagine when they do land at the Class X starport and find it is a Class A starport in full production swing and they are going to be held as Imperial Spies.

How do you think the IN is going to respond to them if they are ever allowed to leave?

And you wonder why the TAS has no current information about the world

 

[atpollard]

Originally posted by atpollard:
To convert a Type X starport to a Type E starport requires a gallon of paint and a brush to paint a line marking a landing spot onto a natural flat spot. Perhaps it is only in a red zone that landings are "officially" impossible.

Originally posted by the Bromgrev:
Although LBB3 says "a marked spot of bedrock", I would think something more than a spot of paint is required to make it noticeable (and thus useable) from orbit. IIRC several published E starports at least had automated beacons, which I would see as a minimum requirement.

Many small airfields and most heliports do not have any navigation aids beyond painted markings in the real world. A Type E starport is pretty far down the food chain. A beacon and landing lights would be nice, but they are not essential.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by hunter:
While many if not most X starport worlds are interdicted, it is not a hard and fast rule for the Imperium. There are plenty of instances outside of the Marches where this is the case.

And, let's not forget that the Imperium is a BIG place. Communication is not instant. It's reasonable to assume that different "cultures" exist in the same organization. The IISS of the trailing sectors may have a lot of policies that don't jive with the IISS directorate of the spinward sectors.

It could simply be that the Spinward Marches IISS HQ has one policy for recording (or maybe coupling) X starports with Red Zones, whereas the IISS in other regions do it differently.

I see this type of thing in my own company, Merrill Lynch. Our downtown office has policies, practices, procedures that do vary from other regional ML offices. Sure, we have company-wide mandates, but we also have different "cultures" among the offices--you can even see it in the satellite offices here in Houston compared to us, the mother office.

I think it's more than reasonable to assume the same thing occurs over the vast distances associated with the Imperium, especially in light of the way communication is transported by starships.

S4

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by hunter:
While many if not most X starport worlds are interdicted, it is not a hard and fast rule for the Imperium. There are plenty of instances outside of the Marches where this is the case.

And, let's not forget that the Imperium is a BIG place. Communication is not instant. It's reasonable to assume that different "cultures" exist in the same organization. The IISS of the trailing sectors may have a lot of policies that don't jive with the IISS directorate of the spinward sectors.

It could simply be that the Spinward Marches IISS HQ has one policy for recording (or maybe coupling) X starports with Red Zones, whereas the IISS in other regions do it differently.

I see this type of thing in my own company, Merrill Lynch. Our downtown office has policies, practices, procedures that do vary from other regional ML offices. Sure, we have company-wide mandates, but we also have different "cultures" among the offices--you can even see it in the satellite offices here in Houston compared to us, the mother office.

I think it's more than reasonable to assume the same thing occurs over the vast distances associated with the Imperium, especially in light of the way communication is transported by starships.

S4

 

[BlackBat242]

Since I have primarily used the Reaver's Deep sector, and nearby areas, I was never aware that there was even an implied coupling between "X" and "RZ".

 

[BlackBat242]

Since I have primarily used the Reaver's Deep sector, and nearby areas, I was never aware that there was even an implied coupling between "X" and "RZ".

 

[far-trader]

Interesting. I'm sure I read that years ago, and probably simply dismissed it as incompatible with our game and older definitions, but the Spinward Marches Campaign book backs up the Red Zone = Interdicted. To quote:

"Red: Interdicted. Dangerous to life and limb. Prohibited."

So does that mean every Red Zone is Interdicted, or only that it is one possibility?

I also note that I now read the blurb below it differently:

"Travel codes are provided by the Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society, and are used with permission of that publication."

Where once I read that as simply a bit of in character colour I'm now wondering if it was meant as an actual Real Life aknowledgement of copyright?

Interesting, but I still don't see a rule there of Starport X = Red Zone.

 

[far-trader]

Interesting. I'm sure I read that years ago, and probably simply dismissed it as incompatible with our game and older definitions, but the Spinward Marches Campaign book backs up the Red Zone = Interdicted. To quote:

"Red: Interdicted. Dangerous to life and limb. Prohibited."

So does that mean every Red Zone is Interdicted, or only that it is one possibility?

I also note that I now read the blurb below it differently:

"Travel codes are provided by the Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society, and are used with permission of that publication."

Where once I read that as simply a bit of in character colour I'm now wondering if it was meant as an actual Real Life aknowledgement of copyright?

Interesting, but I still don't see a rule there of Starport X = Red Zone.

 

[Jame]

I think that, for me, "X" means "no port at all regardless of any bare patches of bedrock, even though there may be patches of bedrock if you look."

I would put "E" ports as being between beacon with bedrock and "beacon, port control module and a few (up to a couple dozen) structures; this may be spurred by having GT's Modular Cutter book.

 

[robject]

I'm with Jame. Class E tops out with the installation on "Mission On Mithril" - a beacon, a place to land, and a couple outbuildings.

 

[robject]

I'm with Jame. Class E tops out with the installation on "Mission On Mithril" - a beacon, a place to land, and a couple outbuildings.

 

[Jame]

Originally posted by robject:
I'm with Jame. Class E tops out with the installation on "Mission On Mithril" - a beacon, a place to land, and a couple outbuildings.

I would raid GT: Modular Cutter for ideas, even if they're not actual cutters: the beacon might include an actual facility, with sensors, radar and a comm, but nothing fancy (i.e. there's really one or two guys there for port, plus their assistants) and outbuildings which would be primarily warehouses (maybe there's one run by someone who sells supplies!), but might include a small hotel/hostel (which might be quarters for port personnel) and a fuel dump (probably unrefined).

Of course, I think I'm presuming either something someone put some effort into or a habitable planet.

 

[Pickles]

Originally posted by hunter:
While many if not most X starport worlds are interdicted, it is not a hard and fast rule for the Imperium.

Or, perhaps it is a hard and fast rule within the imperium - but not outside. There certainly seems to be a lot of variation between different polities.

 

[Pickles]

Originally posted by hunter:
While many if not most X starport worlds are interdicted, it is not a hard and fast rule for the Imperium.

Or, perhaps it is a hard and fast rule within the imperium - but not outside. There certainly seems to be a lot of variation between different polities.