Xboats

W. Dow Rieder writes:
> 	I don't know if anyone else has tried to design Xboats
> using the MT design rules, but I got some interesting results
> so I thought I would post them.
> 	When I built my first Xboat according to the specs from
> Traders and Gunboats (Jump-4, no manuver drive, 2 staterooms, etc),
> I ended up with room left over. A LOT of room left over -- more
> than half the ship!

It depends on two things:
1. MegaT does not require a ship to have a bridge. That's 270 kl extra to
play with.
2. MegaT jumpdrives draw much less fuel than before. But, fuel for one jump-2
does *not* equal fuel for two jump-1 anymore!

Regarding Xboats:
There is enough room to easily fit a Jump-6 drive, and perhaps, enough
fuel to power *yet another* jump at jump-6. It all depends on whether the
manueverdrive runs at full power during jump, or if it just powers the
Environ and Controls, and if you refrain from installing certain parts of
the environment stuff in relatively unusable parts of the ship like the
fueltanks. (May have som effects by non-smooth feed of the jumpdrive and
resulting higher frequency of misjumps, though)

Regarding this Xboat:
I am not sure, but shouldn't a ship have a computer with a number equal to the
max jump it can perform? I'm sure this was the case in {Old|Classic|Version1}
Traveller, and I assume that this have not changed...

> CraftID: Xboat, TL15, Mcr 23.366
> Hull:	90/225, Disp=100, Config=4USL, Armor=40G
> 	Unloaded=500 tons, Loaded=~1200 tons (with cargo)
> Power:	1/2, Fusion=252 Mw, Duration=30/90
> Loco:	2/4, Manuver=1, 5/10, Jump=4, Agility=0
> Commo:	Radio=System, Maser=System
> Sensors: PassEMS=Interstellar, ActEMS=FarOrbit
> 	Densitometer=250m, Neutrino=10kw
> Off/Def: DefDM= +2
> Control: Computer=1bis x3, Large Holodisplay
> 	Environ=basic env, basic ls, extend ls, grav plates,
> 	inertial comp
> Accomm:	Crew=1 (Bridge/Engineer=1), Staterooms=2
> Other:	Fuel=429 kliters, Cargo=650 kliters (!)
> 	ObjSize=average, EMLevel=Faint

I'll try to post the very strange design I got on file at home: The proof that
is is possible to make a scoutship with Jump-6 Manuever-6 and Agility-6,
What? Cargospace? Weapons? Well, no, not really, but is such things really
necessary? :-)
(It is a design that assumes that the fuel consumption en-route in jumpspace
is low.)

Obligatory Joke:

Paranoid Player: "All this is really yet another proof that the *real* reason
behind why the Xboats is just Jump-4 is that the Imperium wishes to keep
the great unwashed in the dark when issues of importance arise!"

Other Player: "Oh, I always thought that 'the great unwashed' was a K'Kree
vaccsuit!"

- --
Bertil K K Jonell @ Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg
NET: [email removed]
VOICE: [phone removed] / +46 300 61004     "Don't worry,I've got Pilot-7"
[address removed]                             (Famous last words)
"During the high point of the Downes Age, they put Ming the Merciless in charge
of designing California gas stations" W.Gibson "The Gernsback Continuum"

All opinions and material above is the responsibility of the originator.
Submissions: [email removed], or [email removed]
Administrator: [email removed] (James Perkins)
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by Tektronix, Inc.

 In message: [email removed] William Dow Rieder writes:
 >
 >     Xboats in Megatraveller
 >
 >     I don't know if anyone else has tried to design Xboats using the MT
 >design rules, but I got some interesting results so I thought I would post
 >them.
 >     When I built my first Xboat according to the specs from Traders and
 >Gunboats (Jump-4, no manuver drive, 2 staterooms, etc), I ended up with room
 >left over.  A LOT of room left over--more than half the ship!  I added a 1G
 >manuver drive, since the reason the original Xboat didn't have one was lack of
 >space.  There is still a lot of space left over, so you can put more stuff in
 >if you want.  Maybe it could be used as a cargo carrier...:-)
 >
 >CraftID:  Xboat, TL15, Mcr 23.366
                   ^^^^

     I just took a look at Supplement 9, Fighting Ships, and the Xboat was
listed as a *TL10* design.  I haven't had any time to check this out with the
design rules (and won't, for that matter, for several days), but would this
make a difference?

 >     The only change needed at TL13 is to double the size and cost of the
 >powerplant, with a slight increase in fuel.

     Again, the reference I have handy (right under my Amiga, as a matter
of fact, in the keyboard garage) says TL10.  Then again, it also gives TL9
for the Type S Scout/Courier.  I can remember getting a substantial
improvement on that by upping the Tech Level to 15 just with High Guard
rules.


- --
     Brent

INTERNET:  [email removed]           /  [email removed]
USENET:  [email removed]
FIDONET:  [email removed]                           (from Internet)  or
          Brent Woods@1:201/40.303  (from FidoNet)
[address removed]
PHONE:  [phone removed] (voice)


All opinions and material above is the responsibility of the originator.
Submissions: [email removed], or [email removed]
Administrator: [email removed] (James Perkins)
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by Tektronix, Inc.

In your article (W. Dow Rieder), you states that there is LOTS of room left
over in the Xboat.  I don't have the new MT rules, but there is still lots
of room left over in the old High Gaurd rules.  As I recal in Traders and
Gunboats, it says that all that extra space is used for a VERY big computer
to store and encrypt/decrypt the mail that is being sent along the route.

So if you were to take out the computer(which as I percieved, was around
20 tons), you would have room for a manuever drive and cargo.  But also
don't forget that the X-boat is not streamlined.

                 Dave
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Nuke 'um Till They Glow	     |	Money Talks.
       Then Shoot Them in the Dark   |	   Mine Only knows how to say bye.
- -------------------------------------+------------------------------------
   Peace through superior firepower  |


All opinions and material above is the responsibility of the originator.
Submissions: [email removed], or [email removed]
Administrator: [email removed] (James Perkins)
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by Tektronix, Inc.

[email removed] writes:
>      I just took a look at Supplement 9, Fighting Ships, and the Xboat was
> listed as a *TL10* design.  I haven't had any time to check this out with the
> design rules (and won't, for that matter, for several days), but would this
> make a difference?

The major difference would be that it couldn't be jump4! The TL-Jump progression
is something like this (typing from memory, but 90% certain :-):

 Jump1  Jump2  Jump3  Jump4  Jump5  Jump6
  TL9    TL11   TL12   Tl13   Tl14   TL15

So the Xboats would have to be TL13 in order to have Jump4. But I don't think
that would make them significantly "larger" internally than a TL15 xboat.
The Jumpdrive is not TL dependent.
The Powerplant is heavily dependent by TL.. but it will be very small on an
Xboat.
A quick estimate gives that a Jump4, 1Gee Xboat would have to spend around
45 percent of its tonnage to Drives, and enviro and fuel and stuff.
That would leave 740 kl. Minus 2 staterooms and a 20 ton (big as a launch)
databank and some controls, this would leave about 350 kl as excess space.
This is just enough space for fuel to fuel an additional Jump-4!
So even a TL13 Xboat should be able to make 2 Jump-4...
(Hmm, Jump4+4, is that Rift capability?)

- -bertil-
- --
Bertil K K Jonell @ Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg
NET: [email removed]
VOICE: [phone removed] / +46 300 61004     "Don't worry,I've got Pilot-7"
[address removed]                             (Famous last words)
"During the high point of the Downes Age, they put Ming the Merciless in charge
of designing California gas stations" W.Gibson "The Gernsback Continuum"

All opinions and material above is the responsibility of the originator.
Submissions: [email removed], or [email removed]
Administrator: [email removed] (James Perkins)
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by Tektronix, Inc.

 In message: [email removed] Bertil Jonell writes:
 >
 >[email removed] writes:
 >>      I just took a look at Supplement 9, Fighting Ships, and the Xboat was
 >> listed as a *TL10* design.  I haven't had any time to check this out with
 >> the design rules (and won't, for that matter, for several days), but would
 >> this make a difference?
 >
 >The major difference would be that it couldn't be jump4! The TL-Jump
 >progression is something like this (typing from memory, but 90% certain :-):
 >
 > Jump1  Jump2  Jump3  Jump4  Jump5  Jump6
 >  TL9    TL11   TL12   Tl13   Tl14   TL15

     I just took at look at my original copy of Book 2 (eleventh printing)
and I noticed something...  Tech levels aren't mentioned at all in reference
to drives.  Not at all.  The only mention of tech level I saw in Book 2 was
for *drugs* (what *they're* doing in Book 2:  Starships, I don't know).

 >So the Xboats would have to be TL13 in order to have Jump4. But I don't think
 >that would make them significantly "larger" internally than a TL15 xboat.
 >The Jumpdrive is not TL dependent.

     I don't know about that...  How about the *size* of the drive?  The
higher the tech level, the smaller the individual components are, and the
more room you have for goodies.  At least, that's how it was in High
Guard.  I don't have that much experience with MegaTraveller's craft
design system (yet).  A Jump 1 drive took less of a percentage of the total
volume of the ship at TL15 than at TL9, as I recall.

 >The Powerplant is heavily dependent by TL.. but it will be very small on an
 >Xboat.

     Didn't the original Xboat design *not* have a power plant?

 >A quick estimate gives that a Jump4, 1Gee Xboat would have to spend around
 >45 percent of its tonnage to Drives, and enviro and fuel and stuff.
 >That would leave 740 kl. Minus 2 staterooms and a 20 ton (big as a launch)
 >databank and some controls, this would leave about 350 kl as excess space.
 >This is just enough space for fuel to fuel an additional Jump-4!
 >So even a TL13 Xboat should be able to make 2 Jump-4...
 >(Hmm, Jump4+4, is that Rift capability?)

     Yup.  At least one Rift-crossing route can be done by Jump 5 ships.  If
a ship can cross eight parsecs on one load of fuel (even if it takes two
weeks), then it should be able to cross the Rift without too much trouble.


- --
     Brent

INTERNET:  [email removed]           /  [email removed]
USENET:  [email removed]
FIDONET:  [email removed]                           (from Internet)  or
          Brent Woods@1:201/40.303  (from FidoNet)
[address removed]
PHONE:  [phone removed] (voice)


All opinions and material above is the responsibility of the originator.
Submissions: [email removed], or [email removed]
Administrator: [email removed] (James Perkins)
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by Tektronix, Inc.

[email removed] writes:
>  [email removed] wrote:
>  >The Powerplant is heavily dependent by TL.. but it will be very small on an
>  >Xboat.
>
>      Didn't the original Xboat design *not* have a power plant?

Yes, but in MegaT every craft require a powerplant to power the computer
sensors, lifesupport and lots of other small components.

>  >A quick estimate gives that a Jump4, 1Gee Xboat would have to spend around
>  >45 percent of its tonnage to Drives, and enviro and fuel and stuff.
>  >That would leave 740 kl. Minus 2 staterooms and a 20 ton (big as a launch)
>  >databank and some controls, this would leave about 350 kl as excess space.
>  >This is just enough space for fuel to fuel an additional Jump-4!
>  >So even a TL13 Xboat should be able to make 2 Jump-4...
>  >(Hmm, Jump4+4, is that Rift capability?)
>
>      Yup.  At least one Rift-crossing route can be done by Jump 5 ships.  If
> a ship can cross eight parsecs on one load of fuel (even if it takes two
> weeks), then it should be able to cross the Rift without too much trouble.

It seems that the MegaT vehicle design system is incompatible with the
Traveller Universe Background, at least when it comes to questions about
Ships, Jumps and Rifts in various combinations.
This looks to me like a major bug.

- -bertil-
- --
Bertil K K Jonell @ Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg
NET: [email removed]
VOICE: [phone removed] / +46 300 61004     "Don't worry,I've got Pilot-7"
[address removed]                             (Famous last words)
"There's a sucker born every month, except february, which have 28!" Alf Tanner

All opinions and material above is the responsibility of the originator.
Submissions: [email removed], or [email removed]
Administrator: [email removed] (James Perkins)
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by Tektronix, Inc.

 In message: [email removed] Bertil Jonell writes:
 >
 >[email removed] writes:
 >>  [email removed] wrote:
 >>  >The Powerplant is heavily dependent by TL.. but it will be very small on
 >>  >an Xboat.
 >>
 >>      Didn't the original Xboat design *not* have a power plant?
 >
 >Yes, but in MegaT every craft require a powerplant to power the computer
 >sensors, lifesupport and lots of other small components.

     Hmm.  Yeah, as I recall, the powered systems on an Xboat were supposed
to sort of "parasitize" power off the jump drive (from the jump capacitors,
presumably).  Nowadays, of course, that idea won't work (as per the Starship
Operator's Manual [Vol. I]).  Sounds like the Xboat network needs some
overhaul...  :-)

 >>  >(Hmm, Jump4+4, is that Rift capability?)
 >>
 >>      Yup.  At least one Rift-crossing route can be done by Jump 5 ships.  If
 >> a ship can cross eight parsecs on one load of fuel (even if it takes two
 >> weeks), then it should be able to cross the Rift without too much trouble.
 >
 >It seems that the MegaT vehicle design system is incompatible with the
 >Traveller Universe Background, at least when it comes to questions about
 >Ships, Jumps and Rifts in various combinations.
 >This looks to me like a major bug.

     Why?  The Rift is just a region of space where stars (and, hence the
important commodities, like planets, that can be found near them) are
unusually sparse.  The J-5 route is simply a path across the Rift where
the worlds are "only" 5 parsecs apart.  Many ships don't have jump drives
that good, and won't be carrying any extra fuel.

     There are good reasons for not carrying that much fuel (enough for two
jumps, that is).  For a commercial ship, more fuel means less cargo, therefore
less revenue.  Remember, to a trader, not making money is a Bad Thing.  From
the military viewpoint, well, having that much fuel (which is singularly
bulky--one metric ton of liquid hydrogen takes up 13.5 cubic meters; one metric
ton of *water* only takes up *one* cubic meter) means having fewer weapons
and smaller magazines--not good, especially in extended battle conditions.
Check the combat advantages of battleriders over battleships for an example.


- --
     Brent

INTERNET:  [email removed]           /  [email removed]
USENET:  [email removed]
FIDONET:  [email removed]                           (from Internet)  or
          Brent Woods@1:201/40.303  (from FidoNet)
[address removed]
PHONE:  [phone removed] (voice)


All opinions and material above is the responsibility of the originator.
Submissions: [email removed], or [email removed]
Administrator: [email removed] (James Perkins)
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by Tektronix, Inc.

Brent Woods writes:
>  In message: [email removed] Bertil Jonell writes:
>  >
>  >[email removed] writes:
>  >>      I just took a look at Supplement 9, Fighting Ships, and the Xboat was
>  >> listed as a *TL10* design.
>  >
>  >The major difference would be that it couldn't be jump4! The TL-Jump
>  >progression is something like this (typing from memory, but 90% certain :-):
>  >
>  > Jump1  Jump2  Jump3  Jump4  Jump5  Jump6
>  >  TL9    TL11   TL12   Tl13   Tl14   TL15
>
>      I just took at look at my original copy of Book 2 (eleventh printing)
> and I noticed something...  Tech levels aren't mentioned at all in reference
> to drives.

They are in Book 3, "Worlds and Adventures".  At TL9, you can have drives A-D.
At TL 10, you get drives E-H.  And so on.  Going to book 2, this means that a
100 ton ship can be given a jump 4 at TL9!  All it needs is a drive class B.
This, however, takes no account of computers.  For a jump 4, you need a model
4 computer, and they first appear at TL 10.

>  >The Powerplant is heavily dependent by TL.. but it will be very small on an
>  >Xboat.
>
>      Didn't the original Xboat design *not* have a power plant?

Correct.  It took power from the jump capacitors, which were charged up by the
X-boat tender.  If an X-boat misjumped, it was up a well known creek without a
paddle.

There is one problem which MegaTraveller has overlooked.  It's great fun
designing all these ships at TL 15.  You get super-powerful scout/couriers,
X-boats with power and manoeuvre, nice neat power plants, etc.  Until your
nice neat TL 15 power plant breaks down.  Then you have to find a nice neat
TL 15 starport to fix it.  And there aren't that many.  On the other hand,
the good old TL 9 scout/courier can get its spares anywhere that can make a
jump drive.

 "Keyboard? How quaint!" - M. Scott

 Adrian Hurt			     |	JANET:  [email removed]
 UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian     |  ARPA:   [email removed]

All opinions and material above is the responsibility of the originator.
Submissions: [email removed], or [email removed]
Administrator: [email removed] (James Perkins)
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by Tektronix, Inc.