Favorite Traveller Ship Design?

[Commander Drax]

For me it has to be the MegaTraveller Nishemani Class Corsair, as depicted in the Imperial Encyclopedia, with a close second being the humble Beowulf Type A merchant, trailing in third place is the super sexy Garu Class Far Trader from the Flaming Eye...

 

[casquilho]

I have always liked the classic scout myself. It caught my eye back in '80 and still yells adventure to me every time I see it.

Daniel

 

[Vargas]

For me it has to be the MegaTraveller Nishemani Class Corsair . . .

I'm not dinging you for your choice, I've just always found it amusing that there's a "class" of corsair ship.

 

[far-trader]

I'm not dinging you for your choice, I've just always found it amusing that there's a "class" of corsair ship.

Well, imtu (as an example) it's the Nishemii class Far-Trader. A now largely infamous and out of production design which once backed the dream of a safe regular interface line between non-Imperial and Imperial worlds along the border in the Marches.

Long story short, the line failed, several examples fell into the wrong hands, and it's now mostly used by pirates and not in favour for legitimate use due to the design faults that saw it so easily hijacked, and the fact that so many other Captains will tend to scream "CORSAIR!" every time you show up.

 

[Burocrate]

Lots of choices...for looks (not flame wars) I like the Valor Class Missile Carrier. Very tight quarters, tons of missiles! I also like the looks of that old picklefork-nosed Marva class trader, and I must say the Nishemii is also one of my favorites.

 

[Foxroe]

Well, imtu (as an example) it's the Nishemii class Far-Trader. A now largely infamous and out of production design which once backed the dream of a safe regular interface line between non-Imperial and Imperial worlds along the border in the Marches.

Long story short, the line failed, several examples fell into the wrong hands, and it's now mostly used by pirates and not in favour for legitimate use due to the design faults that saw it so easily hijacked, and the fact that so many other Captains will tend to scream "CORSAIR!" every time you show up.

Oooo! Gotta steal that idea! I agree with Vargas... it was always strange that it was considered a "legitimately" produced standard vessel. It makes sense that it was a vessel that had been produced for some other purpose (i.e. merchant, tender, yacht), and it was for whatever reason adapted as a preferred design for piracy. Hence its evolvement into a Corsair "class". I like it.

-Fox

 

[chshrkt]

I have to go with the Express Boat Tender, even with the silly pop turret (c'mon, NOBODY is going to be fooled by it).
The Marava is a very close second, with the Rhino/Hunter combo bringing up a very hot third place.

 

[Vargas]

Well, imtu (as an example) it's the Nishemii class Far-Trader.

I like that explanation as well.

 

[Morte]

Another vote for the Animal class Safari ship.

All aboard the Smitten Kitten!

 

[mbrinkhues]

The GT explanation for the "Corsair" was a small recovery vehicle. Explains the large hold and oversized engines (at least in GT)

 

[CGW]

IMTU, the Corsair is a set of "stock" blueprints that have folk hero status. It is sort of like an AK-47 situation, with the same basic design being built all over the place, and is the market's #2 "Kit" design after the Suliman.

Cops routinely raid out of the way docking berths where rouge starship crews cobble them together using normal Shipyard material overruns and scrap.

Though as you said it started life as some kind of towtruck or utility vessel, but urban myths about it actually being designed by Pirates spur on its romanticized popularity with off the track gearheads. Like you guys are saying here, there is a slice of population that is drawn to it, the same way people like Choppers.

The real irony is a lot of the builders often get ripped off by real pirates looking for a replacement ship.

 

[Brian Smaller]

I have two. The A2. My players had one called "Neeko's Pride". One of the guys actually built a floorplan model of it. Ah, those were the days.

They other was the Chrysanthanum DE. I used to make a 1500ton replacement for the Kinunir class. It became the focal point of a three year long Traveller campaign played at least twice a month set in a backdrop of the Fifth Frontier War.