Newish GM, system travel time?

[Putraack]

I'm starting my 2nd-ever Traveller game, so I am working my way through things as I think of them. Today, it's travel across a system. FWIW, I have both Mongoose and Classic books in front of me.

This is mostly, I think, a question of detail and how other referees play this.

Assume a spaceship:
1) leaves orbit,
2) Jumps to another system, ending up near the gas giant,
3) tanks up there,
4) and travels to the main world of the new system.

I can use tables and formulae to determine the amount of time 1, 2, 3 take, but not 4, unless I use the Scout book to work up the entire system's data, and then WAG the actual distance between the gas giant and main world.

With all of that, I could work up, to the hour or even to the minute, how long it takes to do all that travelling. I understand that the resource-management element of the game requires keeping of track time for fuel usage, pay rates, maintenance and mortgage on the ships.

So, my question for other refs: Do YOU keep track of time, working out how much is needed to travel hither and yon? Or is it just a handwave, "You spend a week in jump, and about another week zooming about normal space; pay the requisite credits"?

I usually am the kind of referee that requires counting encumbrance and tracking fuel usage and time spent on tasks. If I think it's necessary, I will figure out n-space travel requirements or each system my players visit and log them for later use (and I'll likely enjoy it, it's like space exploring for me). Before I spend that time, should I bother, or will it all even out in the end? I ask the more experienced refs and players out here.

 

[HG_B]

I use accurate time as it is very easy to do. If you have the planetary data you know the distance to the 100D line. Time in jump space is a die roll. Travel to another planet in system? Decide the distance and using the M-drive rating calc the travel time. Easy peasy.

 

[Supplement Four]

Not all systems have gas giants, and in that case, the travel time from jump exit to world is probably equal to the world's diameter times 100.

If the world is an inner system world, then maybe it is masked by the system's star. You can use Book 6 to figure the 100 diam limit of the system's star minus the orbit of the main world.

The SOM has a neat chart that easily determines probably orbital positions that you can use to figure longer or shorter distances based on relative position in the system. For example, if the system is in the jump shadow of the star, the main world may be close to jump exit or the main world may be on the far side of the sun, which means travel time is a lot, lot longer.

But...really...

Just use whatever you feel best suits your game. Pre-game, get a round number and add or subtract to it as you think your games needs for maximum roleplaying enjoyment.

If you want to plan out each system using Book 6, then have at it. I like doing stuff like that. But, sometimes, there's not a lot of time.

In that case, just wing it. Then, record it. And, remember it if you ever do create the entire system because you'll want to retcon and adjust some dice throws to make what you've previously established in the game fit with what you create.

 

[rancke]

Assume a spaceship:
1) leaves orbit,
2) Jumps to another system, ending up near the gas giant,
3) tanks up there,
4) and travels to the main world of the new system.

It's usually better to jump directly to the system mainworld and pay for the fuel, especially if you get a small fuel purifier plant and buy unrefined fuel. The time you spend doing the gas giant refuelling and then moving from the gas giant to the mainworld costs you more in lost earnings than you save on fuel bills.


Hans

 

[SpaceBadger]

It's usually better to jump directly to the system mainworld and pay for the fuel, especially if you get a small fuel purifier plant and buy unrefined fuel. The time you spend doing the gas giant refuelling and then moving from the gas giant to the mainworld costs you more in lost earnings than you save on fuel bills.

Plus gas giant moons are a nice place for pirates to hide-out, waiting for someone to come dip fuel without a squadron doing High Guard for them.

 

[darue]

here's a good tool:

this map has some great features:
http://www.utzig.com/cgi-bin/iai/map_top.pl

if you zoom in on a system, the entry for the star has a link on it "system details"
if you follow that, you get the entire system info of all planets and belts, and a tool to calculate accurate travel times. enjoy

oh, it also shows you the lightspeed triptime between planets on a given date, to use for communication delays.

 

[whulorigan]

here's a good tool:

this map has some great features:
http://www.utzig.com/cgi-bin/iai/map_top.pl

if you zoom in on a system, the entry for the star has a link on it "system details"
if you follow that, you get the entire system info of all planets and belts, and a tool to calculate accurate travel times. enjoy

oh, it also shows you the lightspeed triptime between planets on a given date, to use for communication delays.

I like the features/tools on this site. The only unfortunate (amusing?) thing is that it also generates "random" data for the Terra system in the Solomani Rim . . .

The site-owner needs to go into the code and deliberately alter the data for that system. Haven't checked for other known Traveller-canon systems (i.e. if the data is entirely random or meshes with canon-material).

 

[Supplement Four]

I'm starting my 2nd-ever Traveller game, so I am working my way through things as I think of them. Today, it's travel across a system.

@Putraack

You may want to check out the "Reading A Subsector" thread, linked in my sig below. There's lots of info there that gives a subsector "character".

 

[McPerth]

I can use tables and formulae to determine the amount of time 1, 2, 3 take, but not 4, unless I use the Scout book to work up the entire system's data, and then WAG the actual distance between the gas giant and main world.

As for that, the talble in page 54 of TTB gives us 600 MKm as typical distance to a close GG, and 900 MKm as the typical distance for a far one. I hope that may help you in point 4...

So, my question for other refs: Do YOU keep track of time, working out how much is needed to travel hither and yon? Or is it just a handwave, "You spend a week in jump, and about another week zooming about normal space; pay the requisite credits"?

As for me as referee, it will depend on the kind of camapign I play. I had counted every hour in campaigns where it was needed (as a trader one where each day the ship was not carrying cargo/freight/passengers counted, or if they are pursuing some other ship) or just tell the players two months have passed and you find yourselves at ****, in a campaign (MT in this case) where they crossed all the Imperium, having adventures along the trip.

 

[Supplement Four]

So, my question for other refs: Do YOU keep track of time, working out how much is needed to travel hither and yon?

I usually keep track of time using the Imperial Calendar, but I don't always keep track to the minute or hour.

I usually estimate days worth of time. In jump, I'll mark off a week. I typically don't roll the + or - 10%. I only use that detail when it's necessary in the game.

After an adventure on a world is over, I'll estimate that "about 4 days were spent there" and mark them off the calendar.

 

[whulorigan]

So, my question for other refs: Do YOU keep track of time, working out how much is needed to travel hither and yon? Or is it just a handwave, "You spend a week in jump, and about another week zooming about normal space; pay the requisite credits"?

Since for an average "Travelling" campaign you will spend approximately 50% of any month in Jumpspace, I think I would at least bring up the issue of asking what the players are doing during Jump (other than the typical maintenance on ships systems, routine tasks, and going stir-crazy in their spare time watching HoloVids). Two weeks per month is a lot of time to be able to be doing things (advance planning, studying for skill certifications, working on some type of project, etc.). You don't need to draw anything out ad nauseam, but I think I would at least bring the topic up during each Jump so that the players have the opportunity to think about what they could be doing with their time. It also creates for the players a sense of the length of time it takes to get around when they are occupied with something while in Jump.

Plus, if a particular adventure calls for something odd happening during a Jump, you don't immediately alert the players that something is up when you ask them out of the blue what their characters are doing.

So, in a sense, it depends . . .

 

[robject]

To the point of the OP, here's how I would do it.

Express the distance in time. "At your ship's maneuver rating, it takes 4 days to go from the GG to the mainworld".

Problem avoided.


As a guesstimate, assume the Gas Giant is a "few" AUs from your target world. Travelling, say, 5 AUs at 1G takes 6 days, or 4.5 days at 2G, and 3 days at 5G. In other words, figure it will take at least 3 days to travel from the GG to the mainworld, and could take longer -- 9 days for 10 AU at 1G.

 

[Highorbit_drifter]

Here is a nice calculator to give in-system travel times.

I'm not sure if it calculates a full acceleration for the entire trip, so you arrive at the destination going thousands of miles a second, inconvienent, or if you do the traditional accelerate to mid point, do turnover, then deccelerate until you reach your destination at 'zero'.

What is interesting to me with this calculator is that a 1g trip over a parsec only takes 4.8 years, and only 3.1 years ship time (time dilation). Sublight cultures with Mdrives should have star travel. Or some crazy loner in a Scout ship could take the long way to the next system.

Remember that many star systems will have to deal with the 100D limit of the primary sun, so you can't jump directly to the main world. If its in the life zone, that is - an ice ball world would likely be much further out, that just depends on setting.

 

[Putraack]

here's a good tool:

this map has some great features:
http://www.utzig.com/cgi-bin/iai/map_top.pl

if you zoom in on a system, the entry for the star has a link on it "system details"
if you follow that, you get the entire system info of all planets and belts, and a tool to calculate accurate travel times. enjoy

Wow, that's shiny! The only thing I don't see is the 100d lines for the stars, which might affect planets, too. Ditto for Gas Giants, too.

@whulorigan:

The site-owner needs to go into the code and deliberately alter the data for that system. Haven't checked for other known Traveller-canon systems (i.e. if the data is entirely random or meshes with canon-material).

I'm using the Trojan Reaches ("Pirates of Drinax" campaign for a starting point), and the subsector maps seem to match up, but the system/mainworld data is off on the handful of systems I checked. No matter, I already have that data in print.

@Supplement Four: I will get to that thread next.

@McPerth: TTB?

 

[esampson]

. . .
What is interesting to me with this calculator is that a 1g trip over a parsec only takes 4.8 years, and only 3.1 years ship time (time dilation). Sublight cultures with Mdrives should have star travel. Or some crazy loner in a Scout ship could take the long way to the next system. . .

Only if they can figure out how to make a ship where 500% of the ship is fuel.

Maneuver drives/power plants don't take much fuel relative to a jump drive, but to run one for nearly 5 years all of that adds up.

(Of course if it turns out that relativistic effects means the ship was only running for 3 years then only 300% of the ship would need to be fuel)

 

[Supplement Four]

@McPerth: TTB?

The Traveller Book.

 

[HG_B]

Only if they can figure out how to make a ship where 500% of the ship is fuel.

In MGT you can use fission PP's. Probably have enough space to power it that long. Not 100% sure though.

 

[Highorbit_drifter]

Only if they can figure out how to make a ship where 500% of the ship is fuel.

Maneuver drives/power plants don't take much fuel relative to a jump drive, but to run one for nearly 5 years all of that adds up.

(Of course if it turns out that relativistic effects means the ship was only running for 3 years then only 300% of the ship would need to be fuel)

You've already saved 200%, so a little more should be no problem.

 

[darue]

I like the features/tools on this site. The only unfortunate (amusing?) thing is that it also generates "random" data for the Terra system in the Solomani Rim . . .

The site-owner needs to go into the code and deliberately alter the data for that system. Haven't checked for other known Traveller-canon systems (i.e. if the data is entirely random or meshes with canon-material).

the generation of the system data was done once (it looks like to me). Regina is a trinary system every time I go back and look. So at least it doesn't regenerate every time. At least it's consistent. Not too sure how "cannon" it is beyond the mainworld, but I don't think full system data is presented anywhere. Of course, for Terra system it's clearly wrong, but I can live with that.

If only that map and travelllermap can be mated together some day. Ideally each person could go in and make notes, or change systems. Maybe someday a publisher would be able to take such development in-house, or something

 

[GrayPennell]

Since for an average "Travelling" campaign you will spend approximately 50% of any month in Jumpspace, I think I would at least bring up the issue of asking what the players are doing during Jump (other than the typical maintenance on ships systems, routine tasks, and going stir-crazy in their spare time watching HoloVids). Two weeks per month is a lot of time to be able to be doing things (advance planning, studying for skill certifications, working on some type of project, etc.). You don't need to draw anything out ad nauseam, but I think I would at least bring the topic up during each Jump so that the players have the opportunity to think about what they could be doing with their time. It also creates for the players a sense of the length of time it takes to get around when they are occupied with something while in Jump.

Plus, if a particular adventure calls for something odd happening during a Jump, you don't immediately alert the players that something is up when you ask them out of the blue what their characters are doing.

So, in a sense, it depends . . .

I agree. I once tried to get players to do story telling rping in jump space. I encouraged water cooler talk about their past. This is also a great time to have flash back adventures using a story telling approach vs a heavy mechanics of a typical game. This approach isnt for everyone but if you have the right group you can really bond and create deep characters. Jump space is a void in space never a void in the adventure.