Which Marava ?

[Gadrin]

Probably an undead topic on the TML or even here, but...

I was reading Supplement 7 Traders & Gunboats the other day and took a look at the nice stat block for the Marava Far Trader (probably my favorite Traveller ship).

Then I read Double Adventure 6 Night of Conquest and it mentions the Scotian Huntress an "unmodified" Marava with much different stats, most noticeably the cargo up from 46 to 61 tons and a few others.

Is the one in Night of Conquest the High Guard version or something?

It turns out there is High Guard stats in Supp 7 in the back, but they differ
from those earlier in the book.

Or is there errata for CT someplace ? (all or any books)

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[far-trader]

Yes, maybe, no.



Yes it's been covered, maybe the Huntress is High Guard*, no there is no errata for CT.

* after a quick look, I think not, looks like B2 1st ed (see below)

There was talk and a little done about doing errata for CT here on CotI.

The S7 version of the Marava actually has a mix of B2 and B5 numbers. The text seems to be B2 and only 1G (1st ed if the 50tons fuel is correct*) while the block in the deckplans seems to be B5.

* B2 1st ed didn't need to match the powerplant to the jump drive so you could have J2 M1 P1, and thus 50tons fuel (40tons J2 and 10tons P1)

The NoC version text also has the 1G and 50tons fuel which suggests B2 1st ed.

I don't recall which way the cargo shook out in each for sure but I think the B2 1st ed version was the 61tons (or thereabout) while the B5 version was the 46tons (or so).

 

[far-trader]

And of course you know the deckplans in S7 are more like 400tons than 200tons right?

 

[Supplement Four]

Then I read Double Adventure 6 Night of Conquest and it mentions the Scotian Huntress an "unmodified" Marava with much different stats, most noticeably the cargo up from 46 to 61 tons and a few others.

Just FYI, the Scotian Huntress makes an appearance in at least 3 other Keith adventures. There's a whole campaign centering around that ship and her crew. DA6 is just one scenario of the bunch (and the only one published by GDW).

 

[Gadrin]

And of course you know the deckplans in S7 are more like 400tons than 200tons right?

I'm not that big a gearhead, but the deckplan did look a little gigantic this morning.

I might have read parts of S7 waaaaay back when, but I never owned it and only recently got the CD-Rom which put all this CT goodness at my fingertips.

Almost every RPG has warts so I'm not trying to bag on it, I'm just wondering which way to go with the CT version.

I also have GURPS Traveller which seems to have deckplans on her someplace. GURPS and CT are different enough that I'm not worried about the actual details. I tend to be rules lite. If the Marava is part of canon that's more or less all I need, I just want to know which version of the stats most of the CT grognards go with; without getting into the TML flamewar type of approach. The one nice thing about GURPS Traveller is that they usually try to faithfully recreate a CT design with their own version. I believe GURPS cargo is 49 + 6 in the turrets or something close
to that.


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[Gadrin]

Just FYI, the Scotian Huntress makes an appearance in at least 3 other Keith adventures. There's a whole campaign centering around that ship and her crew. DA6 is just one scenario of the bunch (and the only one published by GDW).

Yes I know.

I just found out that the Flare Star adventure was sold to the Space Gamer which is Steve Jackson Games, and they offer 3 of the Marischal series of adventures in a free PDF. Flare Star features the Scotian Huntress.

I always liked the Keith Bros stuff and I have several original FASA items, well maybe not several -- a few -- might be a better description. But they're nicely done IMHO. Rescue on Galatea, Fate of the Skyraiders, Uruagyadn (?) of the 7 Pillars, Ordeal on Eschar and Pilots Guide to the Drexilthar Subsector. Trouble was most people were into D&D not Traveller.
Oh well.

I bought the Keith reprints from Cargonaut 8 or 9 years ago, but it's not very good production-wise, rather a cheapo product, but the content is
interesting.


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[Gadrin]

BTW I was looking at the summary block in Traders & Gunboats for the Far Trader and saw this...

Range: Four weeks maneuver. One jump-2. Three months.

So I assume it can thrust for 4 weeks and jump, but what is the "Three months" exactly -- Life support and provisions ?

 

[jawillroy]

I was wondering about that myself. I just assumed that it was something left over from a previous edit - just like the first edition LBB2 power plant & fuel.

 

[far-trader]

I always figured it was the the extra power plant endurance if you included the jump fuel. PP2 = 20tons for 4 weeks, JD2 = 40tons for 2 parsecs or 8 weeks of power. Sure it doesn't seem like a useful bit of data but there it is

 

[Gadrin]

:rofl:Huh ? FYI it's 3 Months = 12 weeks.

 

[far-trader]

:rofl:Huh ? FYI it's 3 Months = 12 weeks.

Sure, 4 weeks regular, plus 8 weeks from jump = 12 weeks total

(kind of mistake I make sometimes but not this time )

 

[Gadrin]

Sure, 4 weeks regular, plus 8 weeks from jump = 12 weeks total

(kind of mistake I make sometimes but not this time )

I still don't get you, by your logic the 4 weeks = Jump-1, which we know can't happen after all the jump fuel is used. Maneuver is somehow "different".

So something's not adding up.

It might be why GURPS went to a reactor + reactionless drives for maneuver in their version. You can maneuver as long as your reactor can make the required energy.


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[far-trader]

Yeah, I still wasn't clear enough I think. I noted the data seemed a bit odd as it appears to presume the ship not jumping, just maneuvering, for 3 months. I think the Captain's gone a bit bonkers o:

 

[Gadrin]

Yeah, I still wasn't clear enough I think. I noted the data seemed a bit odd as it appears to presume the ship not jumping, just maneuvering, for 3 months. I think the Captain's gone a bit bonkers o:

Well come on now, you remember your fusion powerplant physics class to be right ?

Seriously, I was just looking at Milieu-Zero book and it's got a little techno-babble logic about using deuterium to power the Fusion+ so I may just go with that and retconn it to CT

"It's been there all along, that's the ticket!"

 

[jawillroy]

I always figured it was the the extra power plant endurance if you included the jump fuel. PP2 = 20tons for 4 weeks, JD2 = 40tons for 2 parsecs or 8 weeks of power. Sure it doesn't seem like a useful bit of data but there it is

I think you've got it there, Dan.

One thing that struck me in S7 is that the Fat Trader is specifically noted to have fuel purification, whereas the Marava is said only to have fuel scoops for skimming. (So, for that matter, is the Scout!)

Also, the S7 Fat Trader is listed a couple of MCr cheaper than the one in LBB2. Can't seem to figure why, as (apart from the fuel purification note) they appear to stat out the same.

 

[Gadrin]

Yes it's been covered, maybe the Huntress is High Guard*, no there is no errata for CT.

* after a quick look, I think not, looks like B2 1st ed (see below)

There was talk and a little done about doing errata for CT here on CotI.

Actually there is some errata for CT...

Upgrade- Scouts Errata, Miller, Marc, JTAS-19- 35
Upgrade- Striker Errata, Chadwick, Frank, JTAS-12- 40

The term "errata" also pops-up in all of these pdfs and the Challenge 28 actually has a small section by Loren Wiseman on "E&C". There's also some errata for FASA stuff too.

Challenge28.pdf
JTAS11.pdf
JTAS12.pdf
JTAS13.pdf
JTAS19.pdf
JTAS20.pdf
JTAS22.pdf
JTASIndex.pdf


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[GypsyComet]

While the Marava is normally configured as a Far Trader, it can also be configured as a regular Type A, with only J1.

 

[jawillroy]

While the Marava is normally configured as a Far Trader, it can also be configured as a regular Type A, with only J1.

I've never really understood why one would do that... unless the j-drive got forcibly retired, and the skipper couldn't afford to put in anything more than an A drive to replace it? It doesn't sound like anything one would do deliberately - although the higher fuel capacity would allow two successive jumps, which is worth something I suppose.

 

[aramis]

Under Bk2, it's 5 tons of hidden storage!
(Only 2 under Bk5, T20, MT, TNE)

 

[jawillroy]

Ah yes that - hm. Does not the subbie have the same problem/advantage? I seem to remember it having a standard hull, and I don't think the drives add up to fifty tons...

Of course, it wouldn't be much of a hiding space... trouble with standard designs, don't you know. "There now, Lieutenant. You've been through the hold, and everything checks just like I told you." "That's fine, Captain Fnagl. Now I'd like to see the other hold."