Remove ads

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

Reader mode
[ ] Plan Quality Expansion
-[ ]Write-in; Combine the properties of the Deep Space Surveyor Type-1 and 'Quad Jump' into a larger and more capable ship. If also possible, expand the jump fuel stores to allow five or even six jumps.
-[ ] There must be a Navy segment, with docking and service support for the Flotilla Support Ship.
-[ ] The Navy will also provide a bonus incentive and the equipment for establishing either somewhat heavier armor or a defensive weapon suite on the Deep Hope station/colony.
 
Last edited:
4WheelSword said:
That is not currently possible on a sub-capital ship.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

4WheelSword said:
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.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...


Interesting. So, we either really want to stay at 500 tonnes for our scouts/surveyors to ensure a 1:1 ratio of ship to pilot, or jump up to the next 501-10k bracket and maximise the tonnage for the 2 pilots the ship needs.

There'd be no point having a 1000 tonne scout when we could have x2 500 tonne scouts for the same number of pilots.

Then again, we are also limited on yard space.

To me, this certainly encourages laying down larger and more effective vessels in our yards, making sure we get as much utility out of our limited number of pilots.

I would argue we should perhaps be ambitious and design a capital-class scout cruiser of at least 2001+ tonnes. This would enable plenty of tank space for additional jump fuel, space for an upgraded observatory, and room for shuttles for planetary surveys.

Essentially, this would also allow us to fit fuel scoops to collect and refine our own fuel.

This would potentially allow for indefinite fuel range, as long as perishable stores allow.

Can jump fuel only be refined from gas giants or can asteroids also provide the requisite materials? If so, we would also want the ship to be able to mine, and refine asteroids.
 
Last edited:
So here's what I'm thinking

[ ] The Deep Space Surveyor type-1, requiring sixty-four weeks to build.

I'd rather have the increased mission duration over distance. There's still plenty in the immediate neighborhood to explore. Inastead of popping there and back, a ship like this can stay the distance and properly survey a system it's in.

[ ] There must be a Navy segment, with docking and service support for the Flotilla Support Ship.

This seems like the right compromise. We want it to support the Navy, but it need not be Navy.
 
[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.
 
WallFly said:
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.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I assume that's because there's no moratiorium.
Tallhart said:
I would argue we should perhaps be ambitious and design a capital-class scout cruiser of at least 2001+ tonnes. This would enable plenty of tank space for additional jump fuel, space for an upgraded observatory, and room for shuttles for planetary surveys.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Agreed. Especially since 2000 tonnes allows us to do Hexa-Jump designs. Assuming we go with something simple, one 600 tonnes drop tank detachable after the third jump we need just 1020 tonnes fuel total, which leaves us with 980 tonnes to play around with.

EDIT: Notice that Penta-Jump without drop tanks isn't too bad either. There's nothing that requires us to explore in a straight line.
 
Last edited:
[X] The Deep Space Surveyor 'Quad Jump', requiring sixty-four weeks to build.
sixty-four weeks to build.
[X] There must be a Navy segment, with docking and service support for the Flotilla Support Ship.
 
Tallhart said:
I would argue we should perhaps be ambitious and design a capital-class scout cruiser of at least 2001+ tonnes. This would enable plenty of tank space for additional jump fuel, space for an upgraded observatory, and room for shuttles for planetary surveys.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

The classic Type-S that the Imperium pumps out in Traveller is the opposite of this philosophy, a cheap ship (relatively) with minimal crew meant to be able to be called on as needed. Of course they're operating on a higher tech level and don't necessarily have the same needs as a micro state, but I do think maybe there's something in the idea of starting with a small scout and only sending a follow-up big ship once there has already been confirmed to be something worthwhile in system. Otherwise you're devoting a lot of space and personnel to a mission where they may sit idle if the system is a bust with nothing interesting.

Tallhart said:
Can jump fuel only be refined from gas giants or can asteroids also provide the requisite materials? If so, we would also want the ship to be able to mine, and refine asteroids.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Not so much asteroids as comets, since what you're looking for is hydrogen. But the thing is, gas giants are easy to find. They're very big and their gravitational effects on a system means they are hard to miss. Comets on the other hand are tiny, not putting off radiation, and tend to be hard to find. (Rocky worlds with liquid water oceans like earth also work.) If your scout ship is having to chase down comets on its own to refuel, you'd really prefer they not have to do that.

[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.
 
I'm in favor of the Type-1 as a long endurance scout; right now we can work on shorter jumps or set up fueling stations. I don't see a benefit to doing two or three hex jump while essentially blind.

Also in favor of asking them to maintain a section for our naval craft.
 
In the meantime, below is how I imagine our flag to be. Angular and impersonal. Perhaps on the lookout to add additional hexes to optically balance it. ;)

 
[x] The Deep Space Surveyor 'Quad Jump', requiring sixty-four weeks to build.
[x] There must be a Navy segment, with docking and service support for the Flotilla Support Ship.
2 out and 2 back would hugely change the game for a surveyor. With Deep Hope and Xyri, we could push out quite a large perimeter, as well as exploring south without needing to immediately build refueling stations. What we're looking for right now is "is there a place to refuel" and "does someone live here", which shouldn't take that many sensors.
 
Last edited:
[X] The Deep Space Surveyor type-1, requiring sixty-four weeks to build. With the addition of drop tanks.
[x] The Deep Space Surveyor 'Quad Jump', requiring sixty-four weeks to build.
[X] There must be a Navy segment, with docking and service support for the Flotilla Support Ship.
 
[X] The Deep Space Surveyor type-1, requiring sixty-four weeks to build. With the addition of drop tanks.
[X] The Deep Space Surveyor 'Quad Jump', requiring sixty-four weeks to build.
[X] This should be a Navy station, operated by our crews.

It's been stated that Deep Home is a very finite resource given it's an asteroid even if it'll last us decades or more, at the moment we're consuming a miniscule amount of Hydrogen but in the future I can imagine it's going to quadruple every few years due to growth of military and civilian starship travel, I'd rather have full control over the station in charge of refining the asteroid into fuel and being able to dole out fuel as we see fit rather than our strategic resource being mined by a civilian company and sold off for profit instead of being maintained carefully as a fueling point for ships jumping in that direction and back home.
 
[X] The Deep Space Surveyor type-1, requiring sixty-four weeks to build. With the addition of drop tanks.
[X] There must be a Navy segment, with docking and service support for the Flotilla Support Ship.
 
4WheelSword said:
The Janus jumps back to the system containing the rogue planetoid, the ice ball that's even now considered Deep Hope. One day mining operations will allow ships to refuel here, the quadrillion tons of ice and rock a fine source of hydrogen for our interstellar vessels. We just need to find a way to do that refining work in deep space, away from any infrastructure support.

Janus begins a long, slow search of the heavens, far away from the radio noise and signal traffic of Home. Each segment of sky is given a label, a multi-digit code, and days are spent with telescopes, radar, lidar fixed on miniscule objects, tracking ever so slowly, listening for every scrap of information. Weeks of mission operation time pass, data-banks filled to bursting with information, garbled noise, indifferent blinking lights at great distance from the tiny little ship.

When she returns (03y03m00w), the Janus brings with her a message. A deep space scout needs two things: better reconnaissance and sensor equipment, and the ability to refuel from asteroids and similar to improve deployment and loitering times. In short, this particular kind of exploration will require a more specialised ship than the Janus and her ilk
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

So what did this mean exactly? I think when people voted for exploring beyond Deep Hope they thought a scout ship would be... jumping beyond Deep Hope. What actually seems to have happened was that the scout ship jumped into Deep Hope, scanned the sky, and then turned around and came home having discovered nothing.

But why did it do that? The Janus has the capability to jump two hexes and then jump back two hexes, right? Why didn't it jump to the hex "north" of Deep Hope, look around, and then jump back? Or is it because there was no sign of any star in that hex to jump to?

We kind of nodded our heads, but I guess I'm confused what actually happened here.
 
Briefvoice said:
But why did it do that? The Janus has the capability to jump two hexes and then jump back two hexes, right? Why didn't it jump to the hex "north" of Deep Hope, look around, and then jump back? Or is it because there was no sign of any star in that hex to jump to?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I don't think that's correct, I believe all our ships are 1 out 1 back right now, which is why the quad-jumper would be an improvement. If you take a look at the planned Culsans refit, which says it doesn't change the jump capability, it's only at 2 parsecs. Since we can't yet actually refuel in Deep Hope, the Janus just tried to scan for more systems and didn't find much because her sensors weren't good enough.
 
Briefvoice said:
But why did it do that? The Janus has the capability to jump two hexes and then jump back two hexes, right? Why didn't it jump to the hex "north" of Deep Hope, look around, and then jump back? Or is it because there was no sign of any star in that hex to jump to?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Raw is correct. Currently there is no way to go beyond Deep Hope. That will change, in time.
 
MordredRaal said:
[X] The Deep Space Surveyor 'Quad Jump', requiring sixty-four weeks to build.
sixty-four weeks to build.
[X] There must be a Navy segment, with docking and service support for the Flotilla Support Ship.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

[X]OPLAN: Long Haul Spacin'
-[X] The Deep Space Surveyor 'Quad Jump', requiring sixty-four weeks to build.
-[X] There must be a Navy segment, with docking and service support for the Flotilla Support Ship.

This is my vote as well, and I will say that @Rat King is on the money about empire-building.
 
[X] Plan Quality Expansion
-[X]Write-in; Combine the properties of the Deep Space Surveyor Type-1 and 'Quad Jump' into a larger and more capable ship. If also possible, expand the jump fuel stores to allow five or even six jumps.
-[X] There must be a Navy segment, with docking and service support for the Flotilla Support Ship.
-[X] The Navy will also provide a bonus incentive and the equipment for establishing either somewhat heavier armor or a defensive weapon suite on the Deep Hope station/colony.

Probably won't win, but eh
 
[X] The Deep Space Surveyor type-1, requiring sixty-four weeks to build. With the addition of drop tanks.
[X] The Deep Space Surveyor 'Quad Jump', requiring sixty-four weeks to build.
[X] This should be a Navy station, operated by our crews.
 
[X] The Deep Space Surveyor type-1, requiring sixty-four weeks to build. With the addition of drop tanks.
[X] The Deep Space Surveyor 'Quad Jump', requiring sixty-four weeks to build.
[X] This should be a Navy station, operated by our crews.
 
Reader mode
You must login or register to reply here.
Remove ads
Back
Top