Non OTU: Rimward Bound

[Timerover51]

The background to my own Traveller Universe.

MANKIND TO THE STARS

When mankind’s diaspora to the universe began, it started slowly. The early hyperdrive ships could only travel a parsec in a month, and the time lag hindered rapid response to any problems, if indeed, any knowledge of such reached Earth. However, the realization that interstellar drive testing needed to be carried out at a distance from a mass concentration such as a planet or large star led to the swift development of first the Jump One drive and then Jump Two. The ability to cover a parsec in a week massively speeded up communications, and the initial diaspora began. Begun first by governments, and then with reports of other inhabited planets, large companies, the majority of ships headed toward the Galactic Core, seeking inhabitable planets and trade with the newly discovered galactic civilizations. While the improving hyperdrive ships did the initial scouting, the ability of the Jump Drive ships to respond quickly soon displaced the slower hyperdrive vessels to strictly long-range exploration and scouting.

This replacement of the hyperdrive by the Jump Drive had an unexpected side effect. The hyperdrive ships, especially the slower ones of one parsec a month were sold off cheaply, but with a different class of purchaser. No longer the preferred choice of the large government or corporation, the purchasers were small countries looking for places for their growing population, and small groups looking to escape what they viewed as the restrictions of an over industrialized society: society’s misfits, the malcontents, the discontented, and the adventurers. These groups, especially the small groups looking for planets to call their own, headed not for the Galactic Core, but for the Galactic Rim, seeking unexplored areas or those with no prior inhabitants to contest a claim of sovereignty. Small companies, realizing that the was a demand for knowledge of the Rimward areas, purchased surplus hyperdrive exploration scouts or small surplus trading vessels, and began to head deep into the Rim. The number that did not return simply added more than a bit of spice and adventure to the Rim Scouts, as did the fictional exploits portrayed in prose and video. Tales that became all the more tantalizing by discoveries of vanished civilizations and ruins of much earlier space explorers.

While many of the colonizing efforts failed, or were marginal successes, some did flourish, and provide encouragement for even more efforts. Slowly, out into the Rim, a network of settled planets and way stations developed, giving the Rim Scouts rest and repair bases in the Rim, allowing still more distance exploration. The way stations also functioned as the trading forts and posts of the American Frontier, giving a rest stop for small colonizing groups heading deeper out after unsettled or presumed greener pastures. The efforts by smaller planetary governments to establish colonies deep in the Rim encountered the inherent problem of communication lag, and the colonies rapidly grew to separate from the founding country, while still maintaining relations with it.

 

[Timerover51]

Rimward Bound (Continued)

Not all groups were peaceful though, as one group of Icelanders along with Norwegians and Swedes set out to create a modern version of the Vikings, heading for areas near where the lion-derived Aslan had been found, but not above raiding human planets as well. Their use of long-range hyperdrive ships, covering a parsec a week, gave them the ability to strike a great distance from base, beyond the ability of even Jump Six ships to strike back. Raids taking several months to accomplish would be tolerated if the return was good.

As exploratory ships penetrated deeper into the Rim, odd reports began to filter back, of strange contacts and inexplicable occurrences. One ship suddenly came out of hyperspace at Terra itself, with the crew having no memory of their most recent voyage, and only incoherent garbage in the ships computer drives. The only thing known was that the scout had departed a base 85 parsecs to the Rimward of Terra several weeks prior to its appearance at Terra, heading out into the Rim. Another ship reported a “lost colony” of humans, claiming to have been transported from Terra by unknown means to a watery planet over two sectors from the Solomani Sphere, but attempts to bring a few of the so-called “Terran” colonists back were defeated when the colonists disappeared from the scout just prior to entering hyperspace, while again, the records on computer drives were a hopeless, contradictory jumble. The scout’s crew at least had their memories, and reported that one consistent report of all of the possible Terran was that they or their ancestors were in the vicinity of an area of Terra called “The Bermuda Triangle” when they suddenly found themselves elsewhere.

 

[Timerover51]

Hyperspace Drive vs. Jump Drive

Hyperdrive verses Jump Drive in My Traveller Universe.

Jump Drive functions pretty much as Classic LBB/The Traveller Book/Starter Traveller, with a couple of changes. First, the power plant number has to equal the number of the maneuver drive without regard to the jump drive. A Maneuver drive of 1 requires a Power Plant of 1, whatever the ship requires, while the Jump Drive can be of a higher level. So one could have Power Plant 1 and Maneuver Drive 1 of "E" for a 1000 Ton ship, along with a Jump Drive 2 of "K". This would add up to 80 dTons of volume, leaving an additional 85 dTons of unused engineering space to be put to other uses. The fuel required for jump stays the same, while Power Plant fuel is 1dTon of Liquid Hydrogen per power plant number per year, while Maneuver Drive fuel is 10 dTons per Maneuver drive number per Jump.

There are two types of Hyperdrive that can be purchased. Hyperdrive-1 covers a parsec a month, and corresponds with Jump/Maneuver/Power Plant 1 in the construction charts, while Hyperdrive-2 covers a parsec a week, and corresponds to Jump/Maneuver/Power Plant 2 in the construction charts. However, the Hyperspace Drive Two requires twice the mass and costs twice as much as the corresponding Jump Drive, and must have a Power Plant of 2 to maintain the hyperspace field in hyperspace. For example, a 1000 ton ship using Hyperdrive 2 would require a Drive "K" needing 110 tons of space and a Power Plant "K" requiring 31 tons of space. A Maneuver Drive of "E" would give one G of acceleration, and require 9 tons of space. The total volume required would be 150 tons of a standard hull design of 165 tons, so 15 tons could be used for other things. There is no requirement for additional Liquid Hydrogen for a Hyperspace Bubble, For Hyperdrive Operation, the Power Plant will use 0.1 (one-tenth) the mass of the ship per year of operation of Liquid Hydrogen per drive number. The would mean that a Hyperdrive 2 ship of 1000 tons would require 200 tons of Liquid Hydrogen per year of operation, while a Hyperdrive 1 ship of 1000 tons would require 100 tons of Liquid Hydrogen per year of operations. The Power Plant fuel requirement is 1dTon of Liquid Hydrogen per year per power plant number for ship's power, and the Maneuver drive fuel requirement is 20 dTons per Maneuver Drive number per month. Note, the ship does not use the Maneuver Drive while in Hyperspace.

 

[SnichtheWalrus]

Funding

I like what I am seeing. Did some of the bigger governments or corporations sponsor or fund the 'misfit' settlements to create markets for goods/services?

 

[Timerover51]

I like what I am seeing. Did some of the bigger governments or corporations sponsor or fund the 'misfit' settlements to create markets for goods/services?

The problems the government-sponsored colonization efforts ran into were primarily two-fold. First, the communications lag, especially early on, forced the issue of the local government having to have a large amount of independent decision making, which was accentuated by the second factor. That was the persons sent out were either conscripted to go, and therefore were not exactly happy, or they were the ones already discontented with the existing status quo. The resultant combination led to rapid movements for independence from the "mother country". The country-supported expeditions also headed towards the Core, with the possibility of contact with other star-faring groups, the Rim did not look that inviting.

Corporation efforts only worked if the planet was sufficiently dependent on outside support, i.e. was not really habitable without outside shipments, and focused a lot on rare resources. Again, they also headed coreward.

The colonies founded by the "misfits" in many cases were opposed to large corporations or governments, and in some cases were also anti-technology. Think of Amish and Mennonite groups looking for new areas to spread out with their large families, or historic re-enactors looking to really turn the clock back, or those fed up with the constant irritations of overly-populated areas. Then you have that certain number who simply like to look out and not see another sign of human life, or who prefer the smoke of their nearest neighbor's fire to be a couple of miles away. Then there are the romantics who think a water world makes a great case for recreating the Golden Age of Piracy, as long as you can get someone to be the pirated.

You also have the planets where conditions are tough, but the tough can make a go of it. Read "Four Day Planet" by H. Beam Piper at Project Gutenberg to get an idea of that.

And then you have the really "odd" planets.

 

[Straybow]

PP and MD fuel should be based on plant/drive size (dT or letter) rather than resulting power/maneuver rating. It takes more to power and move a large ship than a smaller ship.

That's my two CR.

 

[Timerover51]

PP and MD fuel should be based on plant/drive size (dT or letter) rather than resulting power/maneuver rating. It takes more to power and move a large ship than a smaller ship.

That's my two CR.

The Power Plant operation during hyperspace is based on the displacement of the ship. As Hyperdrive operation could be extended, that is going to use up Liquid H at a fair rate. If the ship is in orbit or on-planet, then Power Plant operation shifts to 1dTon of Liquid H per year, again as orbiting or on-planet could be extended. If a ship is will to pay say 10,000 Credits for a cubic meter of Heavy Water, that would supply for more than a year. For a ship to have 10 Megawatts of power available 24/7 for an entire year would take 51.65 ounces of Deuterium per year.

For Hyperdrive Operation, the Power Plant will use 0.1 (one-tenth) the mass of the ship per year of operation of Liquid Hydrogen per drive number. The would mean that a Hyperdrive 2 ship of 1000 tons would require 200 tons of Liquid Hydrogen per year of operation, while a Hyperdrive 1 ship of 1000 tons would require 100 tons of Liquid Hydrogen per year of operations.

I will take your comments on the Maneuver Drive under advisement, and look at it again. The problem is a lack of real coordination be the displacement of a ship, and its actual mass.

I greatly appreciate any comments.

 

[Timerover51]

Back working on this, and as usual, my brain works best at night, like the middle of the night. For my Piper-Norton Out Rim Sector, I now have six out of sixteen sub-sector planet names laid out, with notes for some of them. I sort of do things in reverse, naming the planets and figuring out what they might be like based on the name, and the mapping them and adding the world profiles, which may or may not be randomly generated, as least completely. As this is a work in progress, some of my earlier ideas might have changed. I need to go back and re-read them.

The progress so far is Sword, Castaway, Kalevala, Aegir, Warlock, MacBeth sub-sectors are coming into shape, Aegir, named for the Norse Sea God, has a lot of water worlds, while the Kalevala, Warlock (what would you expect), and MacBeth sub-sector tend to be a bit "odd" at times. Then somewhere there is a wormhole which can toss a ship to an alternative universe planet, like Barsoom (John Carter of Mars meets Traveller) or the original version of Space: 1889 or the universe of H. Beam Piper.

The thing with naming the planets first is that I start getting a picture of what it will be like, and can start writing up the planet description, as I have done with El Paso. Each sub-sector will have between 13 and 20 planet locations, but may actually have more than that many planets possible, so that the Game Master can customize the sub-sector the way that they like. The idea is to make it as wide open as possible.

 

[wellis]

Back working on this, and as usual, my brain works best at night, like the middle of the night. For my Piper-Norton Out Rim Sector, I now have six out of sixteen sub-sector planet names laid out, with notes for some of them. I sort of do things in reverse, naming the planets and figuring out what they might be like based on the name, and the mapping them and adding the world profiles, which may or may not be randomly generated, as least completely. As this is a work in progress, some of my earlier ideas might have changed. I need to go back and re-read them.

The progress so far is Sword, Castaway, Kalevala, Aegir, Warlock, MacBeth sub-sectors are coming into shape, Aegir, named for the Norse Sea God, has a lot of water worlds, while the Kalevala, Warlock (what would you expect), and MacBeth sub-sector tend to be a bit "odd" at times. Then somewhere there is a wormhole which can toss a ship to an alternative universe planet, like Barsoom (John Carter of Mars meets Traveller) or the original version of Space: 1889 or the universe of H. Beam Piper.

The thing with naming the planets first is that I start getting a picture of what it will be like, and can start writing up the planet description, as I have done with El Paso. Each sub-sector will have between 13 and 20 planet locations, but may actually have more than that many planets possible, so that the Game Master can customize the sub-sector the way that they like. The idea is to make it as wide open as possible.

Considering how far rimward of Earth the sectors are, is there like a big gap of space in-between the Terran Confederation and the Piper-Norton sectors? Or are there like small groups of people one might find along the way to-and-from on the path?

Also, considering hyperdrives are a thing IYTU, were they a Terran-only invention or were they something other races or human groups had produced prior to Terrans bursting on the scene?

 

[Timerover51]

Considering how far rimward of Earth the sectors are, is there like a big gap of space in-between the Terran Confederation and the Piper-Norton sectors? Or are there like small groups of people one might find along the way to-and-from on the path?

Well, I had planned to locate it just rimward of the Ahriman sector on the Traveller Map. However, pretty much the entire human rimward area has been pre-empted by another individual, so that idea went out the window. Now, I am going with it located about 100 to 150 parsecs to the rimward of the Solomani Sphere, in an alternate Cepheus Engine Universe, and avoid the Traveller Map entirely. The assumption will be that there are a string of planets and refueling stops reaching back to the Solomani area, but I do not plan on trying to set up all of those sectors too. I am already looking at putting together a block of 4 sectors as it is.

Also, considering hyperdrives are a thing IYTU, were they a Terran-only invention or were they something other races or human groups had produced prior to Terrans bursting on the scene?

The Terrans developed the Hyperdrive-1 a little prior to the Jump Drive. The experience with needing to use the hyperdrive outside of the gravity well of a planet gave them the key to the Jump Drive, also needing to be used out of the gravity well of a planet. The Jump Drive was faster, needing only one week, but the hyperdrive could take one a lot farther, so was used for the initial exploration of an area, with the Jump Drive powered ships following.

 

[wellis]

I understand that about the hyperdrive.

My question is, is it a Terran-only invention, or did other human groups, or alien races, also invent it as well?

 

[Timerover51]

I understand that about the hyperdrive.

My question is, is it a Terran-only invention, or did other human groups, or alien races, also invent it as well?

Terran-only, mainly because the planets coreward of Terra do fine with the Jump Drive. When stars are on average 2 to 4 parsecs apart, exploring with the Jump Drive gets a bit chancy if you cannot find somewhere to refuel. The hyperdrive is slower at either one parsec a month or one parsec a week, but has a long endurance.

 

[wellis]

Terran-only, mainly because the planets coreward of Terra do fine with the Jump Drive. When stars are on average 2 to 4 parsecs apart, exploring with the Jump Drive gets a bit chancy if you cannot find somewhere to refuel. The hyperdrive is slower at either one parsec a month or one parsec a week, but has a long endurance.

Is the science behind the hyperdrive pretty difficult to figure out for most races? Or is it relatively easy and most races just had no reason to think up one?

And hmm considering what you just said, are there ships with both a jump drive and hyperdrive crammed in?

 

[Timerover51]

Is the science behind the hyperdrive pretty difficult to figure out for most races? Or is it relatively easy and most races just had no reason to think up one?

It is actually harder than the Jump Drive, which is why the Jump Drive was developed so quickly once the understanding that you cannot test in a planet's gravity well was understood.

And hmm considering what you just said, are there ships with both a jump drive and hyperdrive crammed in?

No ships have both a hyperdrive and a Jump Drive in the Drive Room.

 

[aramis]

No ships have both a hyperdrive and a Jump Drive in the Drive Room.

Why not?

 

[Timerover51]

Why not?

Because use of the one drive damages the components of the other drive. A bit of my own handwavium. Also, the hyperdrive components are a bit larger than the Jump Drive, so volume becomes a bit critical pretty fast. The Hyperdrive does not require all of the Liquid Hydrogen for the Jump Bubble, so there is compensation for the larger drive compartment.

 

[wellis]

What are militaries like out in the Piper-Norton sectors?

Is the general TL of this ATU lower than the OTU in some ways? Like sre grav-tanks a thing here?

 

[Timerover51]

What are militaries like out in the Piper-Norton sectors?

The militaries will be similar to what you find in H. Beam Piper's Space Viking. The Norton books do have energy weapons along with other hardware, including the sleep rods of the "Solar Queen" series, but I am not a fan of easily portable energy weapons. It would be best to assume only chemical energy weapons and explosives. However, with no over-riding central authority, nuclear weapons might be used a bit more, primarily as intimidation weapons. Remember, Space Vikings will want to "milk" the cow, not kill it. Most planets, if inhabited, will have some form of military, if only an organized militia such as exists on El Paso. As for those planets that appear uninhabited, surprises may easily occur. Then there is always the unconventional militaries and individuals.

Is the general TL of this ATU lower than the OTU in some ways? Like sre grav-tanks a thing here?

The probable top Tech Level for the sector will be about 12 on a few planets. Otherwise, the average level will likely be around 9 and lower. There will be some contra-gravity, to use Piper's term, but it will not be cheap. Air rafts and grav carriers are around, I have some questions about the whole idea of grav tanks. If a tank if flying, then the turret is on the wrong side of the vehicle, and if the turret is underneath, then that makes for landing problems. High Jump Drive requirements are somewhat reduced by the existence of the hyperdrive for longer range travel. It might take a little longer to get somewhere, but you do not need those enormous quantities of Liquid Hydrogen. Generally, the planet populations are going to be lower, and more planets are going to be worried about becoming dependent on off-world technology that they cannot maintain.

I am not saying that there will be no trade in machinery and equipment, but you should not expect to land on a Tech Level 6 planet with a cargo of air rafts and expect to sell them easily to the upper crust. There will be in some areas the "Grey Market" of material coming in from the Space Vikings through intermediaries.

The space ports might be a bit strange as well, with Class D star ports having refined fuel for Jump Drive ships and Heavy Water for the power plants of any ship, as they are basically refueling stops. Sort of a space version of a large truck stop, with fuel, supplies, some minor repair items, along with food and lodging.

 

[wellis]

The militaries will be similar to what you find in H. Beam Piper's Space Viking. The Norton books do have energy weapons along with other hardware, including the sleep rods of the "Solar Queen" series, but I am not a fan of easily portable energy weapons. It would be best to assume only chemical energy weapons and explosives. However, with no over-riding central authority, nuclear weapons might be used a bit more, primarily as intimidation weapons. Remember, Space Vikings will want to "milk" the cow, not kill it. Most planets, if inhabited, will have some form of military, if only an organized militia such as exists on El Paso. As for those planets that appear uninhabited, surprises may easily occur. Then there is always the unconventional militaries and individuals.

1. Hmm judging from what you say here, I guess electromagnetic guns might only be vehicle mounted? So stuff like ACRs would be top-of-the-line out there, regarding infantry small-arms I mean?

Do these same limitations also apply back in the sectors around Terra or the Vilani Imperium, and that other Imperium, back coreward?

Or are those three interstellar nations more advanced?

2. Are there certain Traveller techs that you feel wouldn't fit your overall setting (not just out in the Piper Sector but also even around the "core" areas of like Earth and such I mean)?

Like are meson weapons or nuclear/meson screens not a thing you'd say?

Do you have anything akin to collapsium in your overall universe or is that what Traveller calls Superdense armor?

The probable top Tech Level for the sector will be about 12 on a few planets. Otherwise, the average level will likely be around 9 and lower. There will be some contra-gravity, to use Piper's term, but it will not be cheap. Air rafts and grav carriers are around, I have some questions about the whole idea of grav tanks. If a tank if flying, then the turret is on the wrong side of the vehicle, and if the turret is underneath, then that makes for landing problems. High Jump Drive requirements are somewhat reduced by the existence of the hyperdrive for longer range travel. It might take a little longer to get somewhere, but you do not need those enormous quantities of Liquid Hydrogen. Generally, the planet populations are going to be lower, and more planets are going to be worried about becoming dependent on off-world technology that they cannot maintain.

I am not saying that there will be no trade in machinery and equipment, but you should not expect to land on a Tech Level 6 planet with a cargo of air rafts and expect to sell them easily to the upper crust. There will be in some areas the "Grey Market" of material coming in from the Space Vikings through intermediaries.

The space ports might be a bit strange as well, with Class D star ports having refined fuel for Jump Drive ships and Heavy Water for the power plants of any ship, as they are basically refueling stops. Sort of a space version of a large truck stop, with fuel, supplies, some minor repair items, along with food and lodging.

What would Class A ports be like out here?

Considering the tech level here, is the rest of "Charted Space" sort of similar in topping out at around TL12? Or is that mostly for the Piper-Norton sectors due to being sort of off the beaten track, so-to-speak?

 

[Timerover51]

1. Hmm judging from what you say here, I guess electromagnetic guns might only be vehicle mounted? So stuff like ACRs would be top-of-the-line out there, regarding infantry small-arms I mean?

I am not a fan of the Advanced Combat Rifle as presented in Traveller. Basically, it is a very lightweight Browning Automatic Rifle or a modified M-14. It cannot possibly be controlled in automatic fire. So, not really any ACR as per the books. Double the weight and it might be doable. As for rail guns, the verdict is out on that, but if used, they will be vehicle mounted and not on very small vehicles either.

Do these same limitations also apply back in the sectors around Terra or the Vilani Imperium, and that other Imperium, back coreward?

Or are those three interstellar nations more advanced?

No, not really. What happens in the OTU happens in the OTU. This sector is intended to be independent of the OTU, and rules there do not necessarily apply in my sector. View it as an alternate Modified Cepheus Engine Universe.

2. Are there certain Traveller techs that you feel wouldn't fit your overall setting (not just out in the Piper Sector but also even around the "core" areas of like Earth and such I mean)?

Like are meson weapons or nuclear/meson screens not a thing you'd say?

As stated, my changes apply only to this sector.

Do you have anything akin to collapsium in your overall universe or is that what Traveller calls Superdense armor?

I am still debating that. If I do add it, it is going to be a LOT more expensive than the OTU superdense armor.

What would Class A ports be like out here?

They would look pretty much like the standard Traveller and Cepheus Engine ones. A-class ports will require a fairly large population, so there are not that many of them. One of the major differences would be that B-class starports can also build starships, it just takes a bit longer to get the necessary items imported. C-class starports can occasionally build ships, but only ones of less that 1,000 Traveller dTons. D-class can be refueling stops or ones just like in the standard rules. E-class will be your frontier installations. X-class, choose your landing spot carefully.

Considering the tech level here, is the rest of "Charted Space" sort of similar in topping out at around TL12? Or is that mostly for the Piper-Norton sectors due to being sort of off the beaten track, so-to-speak?

That is due to the independence of the sector from the rest of the OTU. This is an alternate universe to the OTU. Back in Terra, the Imperium still rules, and it is the Official Traveller Universe.