My First LBB2 Ship Design

[SOCOM242]

OK, gang, it’s time to see if I can handle Ship Design. Just so I can handle the time when my players decide that their standard Free Trader isn’t “hardcore” enuff and they wanna make their own “Space Wagon of Utter Annihilation and Economic Dominance” or SWUAED for short.

So let me see if I got starship design using ONLY LBB2, and nothing else.

I’ll start with a 200-ton standard design, which gives me 185 tons for the Main unit and 15 tons for the Drive unit (Cost 2 MCr)

With 15 tons of Drive space, I pick the standard 1-G Maneuver, 1-J Jump Drive and 1-PP Power Plant, taking 15 tons total. (Cost 22 MCr)

Question: If I decide to allocate more tonnage to drive space, can I increase the engine ratings? And, does the Power Plant rating have to be equal or greater than the Maneuver or Jump Drive ratings (whichever of the two is highest)?

Fuel Tankage is 0.1MJn+10Pn, which in my case would mean (0.1 x 200 x 1) + (10 x 1) = 22 tons. (no Cost)

Question: Allocating more tonnage to fuel (like twice the amount) would let the ship perform more jumps, right?

I grab a 2/bis Computer. 2 tons (18 MCr)

I throw in 16 Staterooms. 64 tons (8 MCr)

I install 2 Single Turret Hardpoints with a Pulse Laser and Fire Control in each. 2 tons (1.6 MCr)

So far I’ve used up 90 tons of my available 185 tons, leaving me 95 more tons.

I tack on another 22 tons of fuel.
Add 4 Air/Rafts – 16 tons total
And leave the remaining 47 tons as Cargo Space.

All that’s left is cleaning up this mes on a ship stat card and the little fine things like streamlining, crew allotment, computer programs, final cost, construction time, etc.

Did I miss anything? Did I get it right? Am I on the right path?

I await your grade.

 

[Golan2072]

Originally posted by SOCOM242:
Question: If I decide to allocate more tonnage to drive space, can I increase the engine ratings? And, does the Power Plant rating have to be equal or greater than the Maneuver or Jump Drive ratings (whichever of the two is highest)?

If you use higher-letter drives (they'll increase both cost and tonnage spent on drives), the performance will increase in accordance with the LBB2 drive tables. And about the Power Plant, its rating must be equal or grater to the highest drive rating.

Question: Allocating more tonnage to fuel (like twice the amount) would let the ship perform more jumps, right?

Yes.

 

[The Oz]

Check your math for fuel needed: A 200-dton ship that is J-1 and Powerplant-1 would need 30 dtons of fuel (20 dtons for J-1; 10% of ship tonnage) and 10 dtons for the Powerplant-1.

Doubling the Jump fuel (20 dtons) would double the number of jumps before refueling. If you have a total of 50 dtons of fuel your ship would have 30 days endurance and could jump-1 twice without refueling.

This ship probably can't make an honest living: not enough cargo space (even with all those staterooms for passengers) but would serve well as a base for adventurers.

You can increase the size of the drives to increase ship performance, but then you won't be able to use the standard 200-dton hull and will have to pay a little more for a custom hull.

Is there a reason for having four air/rafts? Most small ships make do with only one.

 

[boomslang]

Originally posted by SOCOM242:
I grab a 2/bis Computer. 2 tons (18 MCr)

This is an unusual (and perhaps non-optimal) choice.

You only really need a Model/1 (to make your Jump-1).

If you're looking to run a little more software, such as in a combat situation, the cheaper, plain vanilla Model/2 actually has a higher overall capacity than the Model/2bis, although it's limited in how much it can do in any given single phase of combat. If, OTOH, you want to spend the money, your MCr18 can buy you a lovely Model/3, with even more software capacity, for an additional 1 dton of space (3 total). The Model/2bis is primariliy used in Jump-3 ships in which available space is at such a premium that only 2 dtons can be spared for the computer and combat is expected to occur only rarely.

 

[GypsyComet]

Originally posted by SOCOM242:
Question: If I decide to allocate more tonnage to drive space, can I increase the engine ratings? And, does the Power Plant rating have to be equal or greater than the Maneuver or Jump Drive ratings (whichever of the two is highest)?

To allocate more volume to drive space, you have to look at the "custom" hulls, slighty more expensive, but more versatile as well. The "standard" hulls are fixed, and nothing crosses that bulkhead to the other side. This can mean wasted drive space, yes.

The answer to the second question is "yes". If you have a Manuever-B and a Jump-D, your Powerplant needs to be a D as well.

 

[parmasson]

And about the Power Plant, its rating must be equal or grater to the highest drive rating.

Don’t forget the LBB2, 1st edition "option" of making the power plant the lower of the two drive letters. I use this when I need a bit of room.

If you want this forum has a CT ship builder in the CT Utility program.

 

[parmasson]

If you want to expand your options you can always include a robot for a few MCr more. They take up less room and could also be used for repairs and serving cold drinks.

 

[GypsyComet]

Actually, my 5th Printing Book 2 (in which the Type C still has Pinnaces) says the powerplant has to be at least equal to the Manuever Drive. The Jump Drive doesn't enter into it. Dunno about later versions.

 

[boomslang]

Originally posted by GypsyComet:
Actually, my 5th Printing Book 2 (in which the Type C still has Pinnaces) says the powerplant has to be at least equal to the Manuever Drive. The Jump Drive doesn't enter into it. Dunno about later versions.

It's a fairly deprecated rule that only appeared in the earliest edition of the LBBs (which few Travellers have ever heard of, much less seen). But it does explain how in the heck the Xboat came to be the way it is.

There are also discrepancies early on regarding the Drive Potential Table (which went through several versions) and Computer Program sizes, and the lost-in-editing rule about exactly how Pulse Lasers are more effective at inflicting damage while Beam Lasers are better at hitting their target. [Pulse Lasers were originally defined as taking a -1 To Hit DM, but getting two Damage rolls for each hit they do score, if you're curious... this explains why they get special consideration under 2nd Ed. High Guard...]

In the interest of consistency (and sanity), I generally recommend fledglings stick with either TTB or BFB editions of B2, as they are the "latest" editions...

 

[mike wightman]

The original version of CT came out in 1977 and had a total print run of 64,320 copies - according to the FFE reprints

The revised version that changed the power plant rule - and quite a few others as well - first appeared in 1981. Since quite a few CT supplements pre-date this release they used first edition for their ship design system - Traders and Gunboats and the ships in Citizens of the Imperium are first edition designs.

II have found that there are several designs in later supplements that can only be built as first edition designs too - so at least one person at GDW must have stuck to first edition (or they were lazy and just used old designs )

The T&G and CotI ships were not updated to revised edition Traveller, and there is the curious case of the Far Trader in T&G which has a text description of a LBB2 first edition design, and a data box stat block for a revised edition design.

 

[mike wightman]

Originally posted by boomslang:
[Pulse Lasers were originally defined as taking a -1 To Hit DM, but getting two Damage rolls for each hit they do score, if you're curious... this explains why they get special consideration under 2nd Ed. High Guard...]

The only place I've found a full description of the way pulse lasers work is in the last version of CT made - Starter Edition.

In the copies of first edition I have the pulse laser is -1 to hit, but there is no mention of extra damage. This is probably why the pulse laser is cheaper.
First Edition High Guard grants a pulse laser battery a -3 DM, but the battery does get two damage rolls.

It still strikes me as odd that in the later rules the pulse laser is still half the price, and yet it can now do double the damage of the beam laser.

In the interest of consistency (and sanity), I generally recommend fledglings stick with either TTB or BFB editions of B2, as they are the "latest" editions...

Good advice

 

[GypsyComet]

I've been putting off buying any of the BFB reprints. I should probably stop putting it off, just so I can see the changes from start to finish in CT.

 

[mike wightman]

Originally posted by SOCOM242:
OK, gang, it’s time to see if I can handle Ship Design. Just so I can handle the time when my players decide that their standard Free Trader isn’t “hardcore” enuff and they wanna make their own “Space Wagon of Utter Annihilation and Economic Dominance” or SWUAED for short.

[snip]

Did I miss anything? Did I get it right? Am I on the right path?

I await your grade.

Not bad

- it reminds me of a noble's yacht or hunting expedition ship.

As others have mentioned, the fuel is a bit off (add more cargo), and I would also go with either a smaller computer model or upgrade yo a model 3 if they want the computer power for combat.

 

[SOCOM242]

Originally posted by The Oz:
Check your math for fuel needed: A 200-dton ship that is J-1 and Powerplant-1 would need 30 dtons of fuel (20 dtons for J-1; 10% of ship tonnage) and 10 dtons for the Powerplant-1.

OK, so fuel tonnage is ALWAYS 10% of the ship’s tonnage, and that’s enough to keep the ship running for 3 weeks (including it’s single jump capacity). So the formula I used from pg 15 of LBB2 is wrong or outdated or I calculated it wrong? Please let me know.

BTW – The formula as written is 0.1MJn+10Pn

[/QUOTE] Is there a reason for having four air/rafts? Most small ships make do with only one. [/QB][/QUOTE]

No reason at all. I just wanted to use up the tonnage and finish the design. Once I’m sure I get the process down, I’ll start learning how a “good” ship should be designed.

 

[SOCOM242]

Originally posted by boomslang:
This is an unusual (and perhaps non-optimal) choice. You only really need a Model/1 (to make your Jump-1).

OK, so a capacity number of 2/4 (for a Model 1 Computer) means I can run 2 programs simultaneously AND have a max capacity of 4? AND the Model number must be equal to the Jump Rating?

If so, what does a capacity number of 4/0 reflect (as stated on a Model 1bis Computer)?

 

[SOCOM242]

Originally posted by boomslang:
In the interest of consistency (and sanity), I generally recommend fledglings stick with either TTB or BFB editions of B2, as they are the "latest" editions...

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
The original version of CT came out in 1977 and had a total print run of 64,320 copies - according to the FFE reprints

I’m only using the Far Future Classic Book Reprint of the LBB’s. Are they considered to be the “original” unaltered, unupdated canon rules from 1977?

BTW – A million thanks to all who replied to this post. Busy weekend kept me from checking the forums.

 

[mike wightman]

The rules in the FFE reprints are the revised version of CT, ©1981.
They are almost exactly the same as those printed in the Traveller Book and the Starter Edition.

 

[boomslang]

Originally posted by SOCOM242:
OK, so a capacity number of 2/4 (for a Model 1 Computer) means I can run 2 programs simultaneously AND have a max capacity of 4? AND the Model number must be equal to the Jump Rating?

If so, what does a capacity number of 4/0 reflect (as stated on a Model 1bis Computer)?

Um, yes and no.

(I recommend you re-read the rules under "Computers" and "Space Combat" for the best answer, but I'll try and summarize...)

Each application program takes up a certain amount of space; the more-powerful programs take up more than one space. The two numbers of a computer's capacity reflect the amount of programming that it can run during a full turn of combat. Computers may only load different software between turns in combat; this requires you to plan ahead and load up what you'll need beforehand.

The two numbers (2/4 for a Mod/1 and 4/0 for a Mod/1bis) represent the active CPU and temporary storage capacities, respectively, of that computer model. So a Mod/1 has room to load up to 6 "spaces" of programs total for the combat turn, but only 2 spaces' worth can be active during any given combat phase. The Mod/1bis has room for only 4 total spaces of programs at any time, but they can all be active at once during a combat phase.

You'll need to run through some combat drills to familiarize yourself with all the program shuffling and combining that B2 calls for.

And yes, computer model number must be equal to or greater than jump rating, bis models excepted (note that the Mod/1bis, at 4/0, has just enough room to run Generate, Navigate, and Jump-2 all at the same time; at 3/6, the Mod/2 has to do some hot-swapping before/after the Movement Phase, but that's OK so long as Generate can be crammed into active storage and only run for a few moments outside the Movement Phase as per its description).

The complexity and challenge of juggling one's software load-out is just about my favorite part of B2 combat, BTW...

 

[SOCOM242]

Originally posted by boomslang:
The two numbers (2/4 for a Mod/1 and 4/0 for a Mod/1bis) represent the active CPU and temporary storage capacities, respectively, of that computer model. So a Mod/1 has room to load up to 6 "spaces" of programs total for the combat turn, but only 2 spaces' worth can be active during any given combat phase. The Mod/1bis has room for only 4 total spaces of programs at any time, but they can all be active at once during a combat phase.

You'll need to run through some combat drills to familiarize yourself with all the program shuffling and combining that B2 calls for.

The complexity and challenge of juggling one's software load-out is just about my favorite part of B2 combat, BTW...

Ahhhh!

Many thanks. I'll definitely read up on the computer use section. I just threw anything that came my way into this design.

 

[mike wightman]

Just to clarify fuel use.

The jump drive requires 10% of the hull size in fuel per jump number.

So a jump 3 200t ship requires 60t of fuel to make a 3 parsec jump, 40 tons for a 2 parsec jump, and 20 tons if it only jumps 1 parsec.

The power plant requires 10 tons of fuel per power plant number (that's the number you get from the drive potential table).

So a power plant C in a 200ton ship, rated at 3, requires 30 tons of fuel. This fuel lasts for 4 weeks.