MT: RM Hull Configurations Planetoid & Buffered Planetoid and Small Craft

[snrdg082102]

Per MT: RM Configuration Note p. 63

Vehicles and small craft may not use any planetoid configurations (configuration 8 and 9).

I think there is a conflict with the quoted design note above since there is an overlap occurring at the 1350 kl/100-dton hull size between small craft and space vessels.

Add this little snippet of information from per p. 57

Small craft commonly travel in space.

In my opinion a small craft designed to operate in space and has a hull size of 1350 kl/100-dtons should be able to use Planetoid configurations of 8 or 9.

I do have a recommendation that may keep vehicles and 99% of small craft from using Hull configurations 8 and 9.

Change

Vehicles and small craft may not use any planetoid configurations (configuration 8 and 9).

to

Craft with hull sizes smaller than 1350 kl/100-dtons may not use any planetoid configurations (configuration 8 and 9).

 

[DonM]

Do we have any canonical examples of planetoid small craft?

 

[snrdg082102]

Do we have any canonical examples of planetoid small craft?

Evening DonM,

As far as I have been able to determine there are no canonical examples of a 100-dton/1350 kl hull in either the small craft or space vessel categories using a planetoid hull configuration.

What is the difference between a 100-dton small craft that

commonly travel in space

per MT: RM p. 57 and a 100-dton spacecraft?

As far as I can tell both have a maneuver drive and can perform the same functions in space. Under the rules I can design a 100-dton planetoid spacecraft or even a starship.

If there were a division between small craft and space vessels instead of an overlap my question and suggestion would never have come about.

Thank you for the reply DonM.

 

[AramisSockPuppet]

other editions are clear... 100 Td or more are not small craft. The100 Td small craft entry should be noted as "for interpolation purposes only."

 

[Swiftbrook]

I really don't care what you call the craft, but I have two points:
1) 100 dt is the minimum size needed for jump capable ship.
2) Due to physical size and structural integrity, the 'believability' of a planetoid ship below 100 dt begins to diminish. I'd probably house rule that any planetoid ship less than 100 dt must be buffered because there's just not that much material there to work with and what's there you need for structural integrity. Also, I would have an absolute minimum size of 40 dt. (or roughly a 10 m diameter sphere) for a planetoid ship.

-Swiftbrook

 

[snrdg082102]

other editions are clear... 100 Td or more are not small craft. The 100 Td small craft entry should be noted as "for interpolation purposes only."

Morning AramisSockPuppet,

Thanks AramisSockPuppet for pointing out that other Traveller editions define the small craft size range. So far I've found that CT, GT and MGT state that small craft are under 100 d-tons. Unfortunately, I must not awake enough or need more coffee since I can't seem to find anything in TNE and T4. In the case of T4 I may have grab the wrong book.

Unfortunately MT: RM states that a small craft is

any craft with a volume of 270 and 1350 kiloliters....

plus the definition for Vessel

any craft with a volume of 1350 kiloliters or more (100 tons displacement or more). Vessels may be spaceships, starships, or other craft

only helps fuel my confusion

Thanks for the information.

 

[aramis]

Just take the definition as non-inclusive (ie "a displacement between" rather than "a displacement of" and you fix your error, Tom. Besides, the p.62 flowchart is explicit: "2 Craft Size Cateaorv
Determine the craft’s size category
Vehicle: Less than 20 tons displacement (less than 270 kiloliters volume). Vehicles are generally restricted to a world.
Small Craft: Between 20 tons and 100 tons displacement (between 270 and 1350 kiloliters volume). Small craft are generally restricted to a planet or stellar system.
Space Vessel: 100 tons or more (1350 kiloliters or more). Space vessels may be spaceships or starships."

So, based upon this quote, since a vehicle is under 20 tons, that means 19.999999 is a vehicle, but 20 is not. 100 tons is not between 20 tons and 100 tons.
CT is explicit: 100TD or more is a Large Craft, and CT is the definitive source for correction of MT's poor wordings.

A 1350KL craft is a Spacecraft of Spaceship, NOT a small craft.

Don, that needs to be in the errata; Ref for source is TTB 61 LC:
"Vessels under 100 tons are considered to be small craft."
and TTB 56:
"Definitions: The words vessel, ship, starship, non-starship, and small craft are used with special significance when referring to space travel. A vessel is any interplanetary or interstellar vehicle. A ship is any vessel of 100 tons or more. A starship is a ship which has jump drives and can travel on interstellar voyages. A non-starship is a ship without jump drives. A small craft is any vessel under 100 tons; all small craft are incapable of jump."

Likewise, MT pages 62 and 57 need to be rationalized to match CT definition (which, IIRC, is also the word for word definition in T4). Further, page 62 UCP tables need to note the 100Td small craft and 20Td vehicle lines are for interpolation only.

 

[snrdg082102]

Evening Aramis,

I'm very confused by the following item

100 tons is not between 20 tons and 100 tons.

If 100 tons is not between 20 tons and 100 tons, then 20 can't be between 20 and 100 tons.o:

I'm still pondering on the rest of the reply so I'll get back after awhile

I've pulled my copies of T4 Book 1, Book 2, and Book B without finding any definitions for any craft. I'll keep looking.