jump fuel economizer

[JAFARR]

I am working on an idea for a campaign. It has a couple of high tech items in limited supply that the PCs can acquire/interact with. One of those items is a fuel economizer for jump drives which essentially reduces jump drive fuel consumption by 75%, i.e. each 100 dTon of hull requires 2.5 tons of fuel per jump. the unit is 10 dTons in volume and must have connections to the fuel feed lines and the computer. It requires 5 jumps after being installed to reach full efficiency. (any size jump regardless of drive capability)

One of these economizers will be installed in the PC's ship and they will be able to acquire several more (less than 10 total units) filling up their cargo space before returning to the OTU mapped area in MTU. Assume a working lifetime of 200 years.

Question: Would all of the extra units justify awarding them a 1000 dton J6 TL15 economizer equipped ship if they were turned over to Imperial research?

 

[JAFARR]

I worked up 2 ships, both 1000 dTons, J6, M3, PP6 per HG. TL15, wedge configuration as follows: Model 6 computer. Fuel scoops and purifer with extra fuel tankage for an additional jump 3 jump. Weapons; 10 triple turrets (5 beam, 2 missile, and 3 sand) and 2 half ton magazines with autoloaders, 1 suppling the missile turrets and 1 for the sand turrets. Vehicles; 2 - 4 ton enclosed air rafts and a 30 ton standard ship's boat per book 2. 10 spare EP.

1. Freighter: Minimum crew - 10, 20 SR & 20 low berths. Storage allotted for 18 removable small craft couches for the ship's boat. Cost 714.37 MCr (731.14 including assigned craft). Cargo 308.
2. Freighter/liner: Minimum crew - 13, 15 SR for crew, 24 passenger SR & 20 low berths. Storage allotted for 25 removable small craft couches for the ship's boat. Cost 724.04 MCr (740.82 including assigned craft). Cargo 225.

Change to flattened sphere configuration and you get costs as follows:

1. Freighter: 674.37 MCr. (691.14)
2. Freighter/liner: 646.08 MCr. (700.82)

edit: forgot to allow room for the economizer installation

 

[ThunderChilde]

As long as they also coughed up there source to the IISS. Or, have it as the compensation from a MegaCorp for giving up the information.

His Imperial Majesty has granted to you for your service, permition for you to retian one of the units. His Imperial Majest has also seen fit to arrange a genourus exchange in your favour with Imperial Lines. They will grant you free and clear ownership of a 1000 ton HighLiner just completed for Rift Span service in exchange for the trade intelligence that you've acquired.

Sign Here

 

[JAFARR]

That was the idea. You build us the ship and you get the rest of these neat gadgets to do what ever you want with them.

BTW, their origin is a previous high tech civilization, but not the one refereed to as "The Ancients".

 

[Seriayne]

If they weren't too beyond the pale technology wise, they'd be worth a hundred times that price in 'reward' money.

If they could be reverse engineered, it'd make a bigger impact on the OTU than say Jump 5 to Jump 6.

Jump 5 and 6 -merchant- craft become plausible with these.

Military ships get more efficient by a huge factor. Cruisers become cruiser/carriers or carry enough fuel for multiple J4's, with some of the extra spare fuel going to powerplant extension.

Megatraveller naval ships might even get enough space to get a few points of agility again. :rofl:

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Two things.

Seriously (for those that know me ).

One 75% Fuel savings is a bit excessive and that is using the new T5 [ACS] rules. I personally would only crank it up to fifty to the max (and bribes are in order :devil and more honestly 15-30%.

The limit is just not as I am sure the resident experts will soon inform you just because that kind of saving seems sure to muss up the local and eventually Charted Space's economies, but also nothing gets players to get into some serious Trade and Commerce like the ratio of cargo to fuel.

Seriously, as I have heard Traveller is a game about trade offs. TANSAFL!

Just my thoughts.

Laterness,
Magnus.

 

[BlackBat242]

Just imagine... a 25% reduction in fuel use means every J3 ship just became a J3+J1 ship, and every J6 ship is now a J6+J2/J4x2 ship.

A merchant ship with a J2 drive and J3 fuel (I've seen a couple of designs like that) is now a J2x2 ship.

Even if you don't boost the range of your ships, you just gained 2.5% per jump number of the ship's total volume in new cargo/equipment space!


Imagine what that alone would do to economics & trade. Then think about a 50% usage gain.

Every ship would double its range, or add 5% of total volume to cargo.

Game-changing... this would reshape the entire Imperium!



Unless the tech is like Black Globes... a limited supply and cannot be properly duplicated (any "copies" are less efficient & less reliable than the originals), then prepare for major shake-ups Imperium-wide (and beyond).

Mega-corps who are tied into current shipping routes and levels stand to lose massively... the cost of a "contract" on the PCs would be peanuts to them.

Other Mega-corps see the opportunity for massive profit... if they can gain exclusive rights and control of this tech... kidnapping and "disappearing" the PCs would look very appealing to them.

Criminal syndicates... better smuggling/etc ships that can outrun the Law Enforcement ships... you know what they would do to get sole possession of that.


"Corporate Wars would erupt... and so would Military Wars, as each Empire/Confederation/whatever tries to get it for themselves and deny it to the other sides.

 

[JAFARR]

Per BlackBat242

Unless the tech is like Black Globes... a limited supply and cannot be properly duplicated (any "copies" are less efficient & less reliable than the originals), then prepare for major shake-ups Imperium-wide (and beyond).

That is half the gimmick. The other half is being not able to return to the source. And there are only 9 of them total. Sort of like the items from "Secret of the Ancients".

Essentially, the PCs would have a one of a kind ship that would never be duplicated in their lifetimes.