All these old High Guard postings lately have got me in the mood
to do a ship design. But since I haven't seen many designs here
using the new system yet, I thought I'd try to "convert" the old
xboat to the new rules, yet try to keep the old feel and stats.
With one stat tweak to the size, it worked, and here's the result:
_Dinimbue_-class Express Boat ("Xboat")
GENERAL
Displacement: 20 tons Hull Armor: 10
Length: 8 meters Volume: 280 cu. meters
Target Size: VS Tech Level: 13
Config'n.: Sphere SL Price: MCr 58.12 (MCr 46.50 in qty.)
Mass (Loaded/Empty): 126.259/121.353 metric tonnes
ENGINEERING
Power Plant: 16 MW Fusion (8 MW/hit), 1 month duration
Jump Performance: 4 (70 kL fuel)
G-Rating: nil
Maint: 2
ELECTRONICS
Computer: 6 x TL13Fb (0.9 MW ea.)
Commo: 3 x 1000 AU maser (infinite, 0.6 MW)
1 x 30 Mm radio (1 hex, 1.0 MW)
Sensors: PEMS fixed array 30 Mm (1 hex, 0.03 MW)
AEMS 3000 km (0 hex; use long range, 8.0 MW)
Controls: 2 x workstations
ACCOMODATIONS
Life Support: Extended (0.056 MW)
Artificial Grav (4G, 1.4 MW)
Crew: 1 (1 x Maneuver)
Accomodations: 1 x Lg Stateroom
Cargo: 400 kg
Airlocks: 1
SYSTEMS
JD 1H; LSR 1H; PP (4h); LS (4h); ELS (2h); Others (1h)
DAMAGE TABLES:
AREA (1d20) SURFACE INT. EXPLOSION
1 1-4: Ant. Electronics
2-5 1-6: Ant. Electronics
6 1-3: Airlock 1-4: Qtrs.; 5-19: Elec.; 20: Cargo
7-9 1-4: Qtrs.; 5-20: Elec.
10-11 1-15: Elec.; 16-20 Fuel
12-15 1-14: Elec.; 15-20 Fuel
16-19 1-5: Engrg.; 6-20: Fuel
20 1-8: Engrg.; 9-20: Fuel
The _Dinimbue_-class express boat, or "xboat", has been used by the
IISS Communications Office for centuries as one of the workhorses of
the Imperial communications network. Optimized for their job, the
ships are unsuited for almost any task besides carrying electronic
xmail. The ship carries extensive databanks and a powerful and
triply backed-up maser communicator. Only one communicator is
meant to be powered at a time; the radio is for emergencies and
xboat tender retrieval operations only. The class is named after
the professor at the University of Sylea who, in 624, designed the
infamous "Poni Express" insignia which has since adorned all IISS
Communications Office ships and crews.
DESIGNER'S NOTES: This is an attempt to capture the spirit of
the old CT xboat design using the FF&S/Brilliant Lances ship design
rules. Since any size ship may now carry jump drives, the ship
was simply reduced in size by a factor of five, to the minimum
possible size. The ship is state-of-the-art for the late 600s
Imperial, when the xboat net was started. To accurately reflect
the high proportion of fuel to cargo, those hits have been spelled
out explicitly in the damage table rather than using the standard
"Hold" result. (Typical practice in my designs...a little more
realistic.) Since the sensors are a bit sub-par (which seems to
fit well with the concept and GDW's typical designs), I assume that
the tender has a beacon which makes it easy for the xboat to
to center its' commaser. The old "80% for quantity purchase of
class ships discount" is applied in parentheses under price.
Like the classic xboat, it's a sitting duck.
Steve Bonneville
[email removed]