Would Travellers buy surplus X-Boats?

[Spinward Scout]

Would Travellers buy surplus X-Boats?

If a Corp or more likely a MegaCorp started a service where a surplus/civilian X-Boat Jumps into a system, and calls for an add-on module that robotically flies out to the X-Boat and latches on to it, giving the X-Boat a Maneuver Drive, extra fuel tankage, a static discharge probe, and landing gear - do you think this would be feasible?

I'm picturing it as the opposite of the external hyperdrive module in the Prequel Star Wars movies.

If Travellers could get this rent-an-M-Drive service, I think that surplus X-Boats could be used in the more civilized areas of the Imperium.

Jump-4 in a week is faster than a lot of normal transports. Maybe this could even be something the lower Nobility would use? Possibly even with armament?

Or has someone already tried this?

What do you think?

 

[Grav_Moped]

Would Travellers buy surplus X-Boats?

If a Corp or more likely a MegaCorp started a service where a surplus/civilian X-Boat Jumps into a system, and calls for an add-on module that robotically flies out to the X-Boat and latches on to it, giving the X-Boat a Maneuver Drive, extra fuel tankage, a static discharge probe, and landing gear - do you think this would be feasible?

I'm picturing it as the opposite of the external hyperdrive module in the Prequel Star Wars movies.

If Travellers could get this rent-an-M-Drive service, I think that surplus X-Boats could be used in the more civilized areas of the Imperium.

Jump-4 in a week is faster than a lot of normal transports. Maybe this could even be something the lower Nobility would use? Possibly even with armament?

Or has someone already tried this?

What do you think?

The usual premise is to take an XBoat and hang 100Td of extra stuff off it -- cargo, a maneuver drive, maybe some more fuel. The resulting ship is Jump-2.

The thing is, it works if it's a LBB2 design. High Guard jump drives don't scale quite the same, so it'll only tow 66 tons at Jump-2 under those rules.

In any case, they're a cheap source of Size B Jump Drives and Power Plants.

 

[Condottiere]

I don't know if the Scout Service has it's own depots where they dump their surplus or outdated ships, and then remove usable components, but I suspect if they do sell ecks boats, it's likely because there are a couple of things wrong with it, especially that the jump drive has degraded in performance.

 

[Vargr Breath]

I would think they would be more like the old M-151 MUTTs. When they got done with them they would cut them in half or into four pieces to sell them. Then lots of starships would be built using the Jump Drives, Power Plants, Electronics, and other parts from the X-Boat and adding a M-drive . You would not end up with a jump-4 ship but you would end up with something more useful.

 

[Spinward Scout]

What I'm thinking is something that detaches before you Jump to the next system, where you get a new rent-an-M-drive. That way you can retain the Jump-4 capability, but gain a Maneuver drive in-system.

 

[Vargr Breath]

Then you mis jump into a system with a gas giant only a few hours away at 1G.

 

[Enoki]

It'd only be useful to someone if it had a maneuver drive. If it's the sort that has to be recovered, it's unlikely anyone would want one.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Then you mis jump into a system with a gas giant only a few hours away at 1G.

I get your point, but that's not something I'd think the Imperium would plan for. Wouldn't they consider that a mistake on the Astrogator's part?

It'd only be useful to someone if it had a maneuver drive. If it's the sort that has to be recovered, it's unlikely anyone would want one.

That's the idea! The M-Drive can come to you, after you exit Jump.

 

[Grav_Moped]

Heck yeah, they'd buy one!

Strip out the Jump Drive and put it into a Far Trader with only a 1G maneuver drive.

Saves MCr 12 and frees up 15Td cargo compared to the J2/2G standard A2.


... because the XBoat's Jump Drive doesn't need a power plant. The Far Trader then only needs a Size A power plant for the 1G maneuver drive -- and only 10Td fuel for it. :CoW:


(Yes, this only really matters for LBB2 second edition.)

 

[Enoki]

That's the idea! The M-Drive can come to you, after you exit Jump.

Right up until it doesn't or the M drive owner wants serious money, up front, to provide it...

 

[Spinward Scout]

Right up until it doesn't or the M drive owner wants serious money, up front, to provide it...

How often will that happen?

This would be a business, like renting a car. They wouldn't refuse if they want to stay in business. Especially if the company providing has competition.

 

[Gray Lensman]

I'll just leave this here ;-)

 

[robject]

What I'm thinking is something that detaches before you Jump to the next system, where you get a new rent-an-M-drive. That way you can retain the Jump-4 capability, but gain a Maneuver drive in-system.

I *love* the idea.

My players, on the other hand, wouldn't rely on someone presumed to honor an agreement made elsewhere which directly impacts their ability to reach a starport safely.

Because they don't trust the referee.



That said, *I* like the idea. I imagine the Imperium might do this for some of their Xboat routes too.

 

[coliver988]

There are a few options in the image section, though I thought there was another like the Star Wars Reference: a ring that fit around the XBoat that had M-Drives and fuel and stuff. Sadly not tagged as XBoat if that is where I saw it (seems like a Beerfume thing if I recall, from yet another Traveller blog. But memory and me are not always on good speaking terms!)

 

[Timerover51]

With respect to buying a surplus X-Boat, I would happily buy one for the Jump Drive and Power Plant as long as the price was significantly lower, like at least 50%, than the cost of a new equivalent Jump Drive and Power Plant.

As for the idea of renting a Maneuver Drive, I can readily imagine the rent-a-Drive ship arriving with the Maneuver Drive attached to a crew-ship carrying sufficient firepower to take out the personnel section of the X-boat and thereby acquiring a Jump Drive and Power Plant for resale elsewhere for free. The Vargr, Aslan, and Sword Worlders would love the idea.

 

[Vargr Breath]

The surplus ship to pick up would be the Express Boat Tender. Think of all the fun you could have with one of those.
Friends don't let Friends drive Starships without M-drive

 

[Spinward Scout]

Because they don't trust the referee.

Now what could have made them not trust the Referee?

As for the idea of renting a Maneuver Drive, I can readily imagine the rent-a-Drive ship arriving with the Maneuver Drive attached to a crew-ship carrying sufficient firepower to take out the personnel section of the X-boat and thereby acquiring a Jump Drive and Power Plant for resale elsewhere for free. The Vargr, Aslan, and Sword Worlders would love the idea.

That sounds like a great idea for an Adventure.

So, here's the question: if you think it could happen with a civilian owned X-Boat, can't it happen to currently in service X-Boats?

The Admiral clears his throat and says: "So we think that Vargr Pirates are starship-jacking some of our X-Boats near the border. The Imperial Navy has been dealing with some Pirates with Jump-4 capability and at the same time we've had some X-Boats disappear. Sometimes with a bit of debris leftover - like only the personnel section was shot out.

We need you and your crew to infiltrate the Pirates to find out what's been happening."

 

[Spinward Scout]

So, this is a list of everyone's replies (I think I got everybody) of what could go wrong with either creating a Rent-a-Drive service or what could happen if someone actually started this business. Sure looks like the beginning of Mishap Tables to me.

Rent-a-Drive Mishaps
Old and/or Faulty Equipment causing a Starship Malfunction
Attacked by Space Pirates who want only the Jump Drive and Power Plant
Extortion by Rent-a-Drive Franchise Personnel
MisJump into a system without Rent-a-Drive service
Miscommunication and the Rent-a-Drive never shows up

Starting a Rent-a-Drive Service Mishaps
Lack of Surplus X-Boats
The Scout Service not selling Complete Ships - only parts
Possibly cheaper ways to accomplish the same thing?

I guess one other problem could be a 'Complete Lack of Customers Interested'. I think that would mean that no one is interested in Travelling at Jump-4.

But that's not the name of the game.

 

[Grav_Moped]

The surplus ship to pick up would be the Express Boat Tender. Think of all the fun you could have with one of those.
Friends don't let Friends drive Starships without M-drive

It's a 1000 Td nonstreamlined freighter.

Carry a Shuttle or a few Cutters to shift cargo to and from dirtside. You'll probably want to modify the cargo bay so you don't have to expose cargo to vacuum when launching the small craft.

Give the small craft collapsible fuel tanks and scoops so they can double as fuel-skimming tankers. It's a Scout ship, so the drives can handle unrefined fuel.

It's kind of light on weaponry, so maybe add a few fighters while you're at it.


I could work with that...

The cargo rules don't work with it, though -- they simply can't produce enough cargo to fill the hold on most routes. (So you'll need to house-rule massive quantities of bulk cargo or something -- not a big deal with a cooperative referee who understands the limits of the cargo rules.)