Dark Mass Jumps?

[Knan]

Hello!

Question inspired by Cherryh's Tripoint: in the stock Traveller universe, is it possible to jump to a dark mass? A brown dwarf or rogue planetoid in deep space that you have good astrographic data for.

You'd need to do tanker runs there to use it, of course, but could be useful as a faction-only or private secret shortcut on an otherwise-jump-3+ route. Thoughts?

 

[Whipsnade]

Hello!

Knan,

Hello, and welcome to COTI.

Question inspired by Cherryh's Tripoint...

Cherryh's Merchanter Universe is a wonderful setting. It is not Traveller however.

... in the stock Traveller universe, is it possible to jump to a dark mass? A brown dwarf or rogue planetoid in deep space that you have good astrographic data for.

In stock Traveller it has always been possible to jump wherever you want to an accuracy of 3,000km per parsec jumped.

You can jump anywhere you want.


Regards,
Bill

 

[robject]

As Bill mentioned, if it exists, you can jump to it.

For Brown Dwarfs, you'll have something like a 100-diameter limit that will stop a jump drive; it'd be the same as jumping to a huge gas giant or a tiny cold red star.

For an asteroid or planetoid, the same rules would apply, although once a body is sufficiently "small" I'd ignore any 100D rules...

 

[Knan]

Knan,
Hello, and welcome to COTI.

Thanks!

Cherryh's Merchanter Universe is a wonderful setting. It is not Traveller however.

Certainly not, but good for stealing trader & intrigue plot ideas nevertheless.

In stock Traveller it has always been possible to jump wherever you want to an accuracy of 3,000km per parsec jumped.

Nice to know. It's not quite clear how you would astrogate to an arbitrary point in space one-parsec-plus away you can't see real well, due to there being no convenient star nearby. Though in the Traveller universe, the equations tell you, I suppose.

 

[Whipsnade]

It's not quite clear how you would astrogate to an arbitrary point in space one-parsec-plus away you can't see real well...

Knan,

Jump navigation, along with all it's attendant oddities, is best understood if you think of it in artillery terms.

Just as a forward observer calculates the position of his target in reference to the gun firing at it. a 57th Century navigator does much the same when plotting a jump. When jumping between Regina and Ruie, a navigator doesn't plot his exit point in relation to Ruie. Instead, he plots it in relation to Regina.

... due to there being no convenient star nearby.

Once again, no nearby star or other body are necessary. You leave jump after the requisite time within 3,000 km of your plotted exit point per parsec jumped.


Regards,
Bill

 

[epicenter00]

Hello!

Question inspired by Cherryh's Tripoint: in the stock Traveller universe, is it possible to jump to a dark mass? A brown dwarf or rogue planetoid in deep space that you have good astrographic data for.

You'd need to do tanker runs there to use it, of course, but could be useful as a faction-only or private secret shortcut on an otherwise-jump-3+ route. Thoughts?

The concept actually comes out (the first I know of) in the Regency Sourcebook for TNE. Now I'm sure some Traveller grognard will be like, "oh that idea was in some supplement put out by DGP in 1982" or something. Regardless, it talks about "Calibration Points" where there are deep-space fuel caches pretty much in the middle of nowhere - like in uncharted stars or literally nowhere. There's essentially an unmanned fuel tank out there and they're used to get around the star-sparse regions in the rifts. Considering that chances of someone just happening to stumble on your Calibration Point by accident are so low as to be described as "impossible" you don't really need much except for a fuel tank there. The supplement hints there's other Calibration Points in Regency space itself between stars, to bridge and shortcut between stars.

 

[Whipsnade]

Now I'm sure some Traveller grognard will be like...

Epicenter,

Then allow this old grognard to "be all like"...

The concept is at least as old as 1983's The Traveller Adventure. While employed by Oberlindes, the crew of the March Harrier engage in a week's worth of piracy at a deep space refueling point belonging to the Tukera regional subsidiary Arekut. This calibration point is used by jump1 Arekut ships travelling between Aramanx and Feneteman in the Aramis subsector.


Regards,
Bill

 

[aramis]

Moreover, TTA provides (in the chapter In Search of Longer Legs) that you can jump to an empty hex. Not useful unless you can jump out again...

AM1 also points out you can detect GG's at over a parsec in a week with a standard ship's sensor suite. (So it's not spectral shifting...)

 

[Gadrin]

Moreover, TTA provides (in the chapter In Search of Longer Legs) that you can jump to an empty hex. Not useful unless you can jump out again...

AM1 also points out you can detect GG's at over a parsec in a week with a standard ship's sensor suite. (So it's not spectral shifting...)

1. True

2. Is that what it says, or does the computer determine GG after the stars are found ?

The navigator now knows that there are worlds in hexes 15, 22, 26, 31, 42,
43, 51, and 66, and (of course) in the starred center hex. The players and
referee map the systems on their maps; the navigator uses the computer to
determine where gas giants are; the group prepares for its next jump.

I'm wondering if that passage means something like "after you know
what types of stars are present..."

It seems to me, if that were true (your steps) then you wouldn't have to
bother with the first step. Just have the computer analyze the region
and almost always where there's a GG... (not always though). It would
certainly let you always jump to a GG whether it had a star or not.

>

 

[mike wightman]

Jumping into empty hexes is firs mentioned in the A:3 Twilight's Peak narrative of the shipping convoys route IIRC.

 

[aramis]

Detection of systems in AM 1 is automatic within range; detection of gas giants is 1d+comp model for 10+. Range for both functions is 3 Pc. Irony: The type S can not detect Gas Giants!

Given the design limits (3 td cargo) it could be retrofit with a Model 4, or rip out 1 SR and up to a model 6 can be in.

 

[Gadrin]

Detection of systems in AM 1 is automatic within range; detection of gas giants is 1d+comp model for 10+. Range for both functions is 3 Pc. Irony: The type S can not detect Gas Giants!

Given the design limits (3 td cargo) it could be retrofit with a Model 4, or rip out 1 SR and up to a model 6 can be in.

:rofl:

I'd expect range to be = ship jump number
(that's for Type-S)

< waves hand > done!

>

 

[aramis]

The standard Type S has a model 1/bis... that means it can only find GG's on a roll of 9+ on 1d6...

 

[far-trader]

While the CT AM1 model is not TNE of course, I don't recall the specifics off hand but it's quite different iirc...

Under that (CT AM1) system I'd probably treat bis models as the next highest model number for DMs. So the Type S gets a +2. Still pretty poor for a Scout/Courier but I've generally figured the model in the hands of players and npcs was a stripped out version with just a minimal computer and sensors while the active duty model, and some DD mission models, had much more extensive equipment installed (part of the bridge tonnage, filling that attic and rear area on the old deckplans).

At the very least it might make sense to amend that simple system with a few obvious(?) house rules:

• DM -1 per range less than base (so at 3 parsecs roll 10+, at 2 parsecs roll 9+, and at 1 parsec roll 8+) And DM +1 per range beyond base.
• Make a roll once per (day, shift, hour, ?). It stands to reason the longer you collect data the more likely you'll find what you're after.
• Military ships have triple the range of other ships (just like the sensor rules from LBB2). Now, does that mean military ships are a base of 3 parsecs and others are limited to 1 parsec? Seems reasonable to me. Or are basic ships good for 3 parsecs and military ships are good for 9 parsecs? A bit excessive imo.

 

[Gadrin]

• DM -1 per range less than base (so at 3 parsecs roll 10+, at 2 parsecs roll 9+, and at 1 parsec roll 8+) And DM +1 per range beyond base.
• Make a roll once per (day, shift, hour, ?). It stands to reason the longer you collect data the more likely you'll find what you're after.
• Military ships have triple the range of other ships (just like the sensor rules from LBB2). Now, does that mean military ships are a base of 3 parsecs and others are limited to 1 parsec? Seems reasonable to me. Or are basic ships good for 3 parsecs and military ships are good for 9 parsecs? A bit excessive imo.

That's basically what I was going for. Scouts have better gear,
or at least gear that fits their assignment/duties.

Take a Donosev + Tender jump to the middle of the hex in AM1
have it (with it's high-end technology) conduct the long range
info, analyze it and then dispatch Type-S to do the up-close-and
personal surveys.

I've forgotten if the Scouts have a tender besides the x-boat one.
Something that can "milch kow" at least 6 Type-S.

I'd probably have a few A2-Traders "converted" to scout-duty to
handle not only survey chores but cargo as well for the other
ships they buddy-up with.

edit: GURPS:T:First In offers the 3000-ton Pytheas Cruiser for
scouts. It can carry 2 type-S. Seems a little inadequate; but
I've never read up on Grand Survey.

>