Remove ads

Traveller, The Rise of Empire: A Naval Design, Procurement and Command Quest

Reader mode
I want to stress, I'm not voting "no" because I'm against overthrowing governments. I'm voting "no" because I think supporting a bunch of ambitious people to take over would maybe not work out as great as we might think in terms of dominating the system.
 
Magnificate said:
It's our job as the military to prepare against such an event. It might be remote, but there's no other visible threat yet.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I would argue there is a difference between preparing defensive measures and preparing to place puppet governments (or conquer) them. We can make defensive preparations without trying to make power plays in someone else's backyard.
 
Rat King said:
I would argue there is a difference between preparing defensive measures and preparing to place puppet governments (or conquer) them. We can make defensive preparations without trying to make power plays in someone else's backyard.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
We need to do powerplays, because without them we cannot station warships on their systems. No one will allow us to do that without them being significantly weaker or aligned with us. Why the need to station ships? Because that way we're keeping an eye on things and can react without waiting for explicit orders from Home.
 
Magnificate said:
We need to do powerplays, because without them we cannot station warships on their systems. No one will allow us to do that without them being significantly weaker or aligned with us. Why the need to station ships? Because that way we're keeping an eye on things and can react without waiting for explicit orders from Home.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

We should not be in the business of military occupying someone else's system, unless we're actually at war. This is just asking for us to earn resentment further on down the line.
 
[X] Continue explorations 'East', out beyond Xyri.
[X] Refit the Culsans while she is still in the yards.
[X] Yes

I for one will happily welcome in a vassal state, if only because they're more advanced then us and I prefer not being the vassal.
 
just one more regime change, please bro I swear just one more regime change it'll fix this I promise, please


I think it'd be better to make a new scout class.

Thinking a sort of deep-range recon group with a system scout or two, a logistics ship with onsite refining facilities, a survey vessel and a cruiser or two for escort. Eventually multiple for multiple directions.
A five-year mission, to boldly go etc. etc.

Or at least a survey ship that can roam the edges of known space for months or years, pushing back the veil of ignorance while the system scouts do what they do. No reason fuel collection and refining and sky survey couldn't be on the same ship I guess, both roles are a 'base camp' sort of thing.

The pilot thing certainly incentives building bigger, more capable ships.
 
Last edited:
I think an important capability for the new recon ship would to be able to locally refine fuel from gas giants, both to extend survey range and to leave supply dumps for our other scouts to follow behind.

EDIT: It occurs to me that kind of overlaps with the logistics ship, but I suppose there's no reason we couldn't have a ship for hauling and repair collaborate with a ship for on-site refining, if we should so like.
 
Last edited:
Ye but don't scoops need refining? Or is the refinery kit to turn water asteroids into fuel? Or to convert wrong-gas atmosphere into fuel? Not getting it.
 
[X] Continue explorations 'East', out beyond Xyri.
[X] Refit the Culsans while she is still in the yards.
[X] No
 
Currently the only equipment available requires quite large machinery, as would normally be mounted on a station or capital ship. For the purposes of this quest, the 'standard' fuel scoops and processors are a TL-10 tech with prototypes at TL-9.
 
Remove ads
2-8: Expanding the Grip
  • Threadmarks
    • Adhoc vote count started by 4WheelSword on Jul 23, 2024 at 5:25 AM, finished with 49 posts and 18 votes.
    Click to expand...


    How does the Navy respond to this result? Continue explorations 'East', out beyond Xyri, Refit the Culsans while she is still in the yards, Plan and design a new deep space scout.
    Will the Senior leadership hear out the Citizens Council? No.


    Deep Space Scouting
    With the need for a better deep space observer and scout, several new designs have been presented to us. Two are variations of a new class based on the hull of the S'Taxu system boat but with vastly different internal systems. The third is a refit of the Interstellar Surveyor-class which would be applied to the currently under construction Culsans.

    The Culsans-refit barely touches the main equipment aboard the ship, maintaining the speed and jump capability the Interstellar Surveyor is currently known for. The crew shrinks slightly, the shuttle is removed, and other equipment is re-organised in order to fit a deep-space observatory and enhanced sensors that should enable the Culsans to perform much more capable in her new role. However, she loses a lot of capability that the Janus has made use of thus far, up to and including her ability to land an away team on alien planets. She would be a focused ship, which may not suit the Navy's plans, but she would also be available much more quickly than a new ship.
    ​

    The Deep Space Surveyor is a purpose-built long-duration specialist craft, which utilises a large fission power plant and deep stores to ensure a potential maximum mission duration of almost a year. The small, streamlined design would allow her to operate independently of the fleet for significant periods, and doesn't preclude the ship from landing horizontally on any world with a thick enough atmosphere for gliding flight. She would be an extremely capable deep space scout and her size would mean she only requires a single pilot from our limited stock.
    ​

    The 'Quad Jump' variant design of the DSS does exactly what the name implies - It cuts armour, endurance and crew comforts for the ability to jump up to four parsecs. It is expected that this would be two out and two back, allowing for deep penetration scouting into the abyss that is deep space. This ship would only have 6 months of endurance, limited by her spares and supplies, but that's more than enough time for a round trip to distant systems.
    ​

    Please select one design to proceed with:
    [ ] The Culsans refit, extending her date of completion by 24 weeks/half a year.
    [ ] The Deep Space Surveyor type-1, requiring sixty-four weeks to build.
    [ ] The Deep Space Surveyor 'Quad Jump', requiring sixty-four weeks to build.
    [ ] Write-in adjustments or changes.


    Excursions of the Janus - (03y03m02w)
    The Janus departs Home on the longest expedition planned by the HSWS to date - an eighteen week tour of unexplored systems 'East' of Xyri, using the small, under-populated world as a refuelling station. Once more they hope to find evidence of stars beyond our own micro-cluster, and evidence of habitable worlds around those stars, though few of the scientists are expecting to find anything particularly compelling. The Janus simply doesn't carry good enough sensors to create actionable intelligence - but the value in the mission to the scientific community will be huge.

    When the ship returns, circa 03y08m00w, it will be to a strengthened Home system, a new sister ship to replace the Heimdall, and civilian trade crossing interstellar distances for the first time. The last point has, in point of fact, raised an additional question; Energence Heavy has noted the missions to Deep Hope and recognises a potential profit when it sees one. They seek government funding and yard space to construct a station in 400-ton segments that can be transported and assembled by an Interstellar Conveyor. It would be intended for two things; the mining of the Deep Hope rogue comet and acting as a way-station for Navy ships travelling further out into the black.

    Exemplar Interstellar Surveyor, the Bintang Harapan, intended for bulk conveyance between Home and Xyri.
    ​
    Does the Navy have any requirements to impose on Energence Heavy's work?
    [ ] This should be a Navy station, operated by our crews.
    [ ] There must be a Navy segment, with docking and service support for the Flotilla Support Ship.
    [ ] So long as we can refuel, we are content.
    [ ] We do not want this.
    [ ] Write-in.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Question: Suppose a 1000 tonnes ship jumps twice. Does it burn 200 or 190 jump fuel?

    [X] The Deep Space Surveyor 'Quad Jump', requiring sixty-four weeks to build.
    sixty-four weeks to build.
    [X] 'Hexa Jump', long-endurance, noticeably larger than previous Surveyors.
    [X] There must be a Navy segment, with docking and service support for the Flotilla Support Ship.
     
    They're wondering if reducing the amount of fuel carried in cargo reduces the effective ship mass for calculating how much fuel you need to burn in order to jump.
     
    [X] The Deep Space Surveyor type-1, requiring sixty-four weeks to build.
    [X] There must be a Navy segment, with docking and service support for the Flotilla Support Ship.
     
    @4WheelSword, what would the pilot requirements be on a per tonnage basis? Additionally, what are the scientific communities thoughts on more efficient Jump Drives at this time (J-2 drives)? Also, how are the civilian ships able to get Pilots?

    As for my vote, Write-in for the new jump ship, essentially combining the two proposals into 1 more capable ship. And,
    [ ] There must be a Navy segment, with docking and service support for the Flotilla Support Ship.
    to gain most of essential control, pave the way for civilian trade, and offload some of the cost to Energence Heavy.

    Edit;
    I'm not actually voting at this time so that we can actually talk about the choices. It's wild to me that some people just immediately put that little X on the quest without really talking about anything.
     
    Last edited:
    WallFly said:
    @4WheelSword, what would the pilot requirements be on a per tonnage basis? Additionally, what are the scientific communities thoughts on more efficient Jump Drives at this time (J-2 drives)? Also, how are the civilian ships able to get Pilots?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    1) 0-500 = 1, 501-10k = 2, 10,001-100k = 3, 100,001+ - 4
    2) Currently outside the scope of possibility (TL11)
    3) Wibbly wobbly bullshit about lower standards.
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top