Say Theoretically...

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

Say theoretically that you had an A class Starport that you could produce a Imperial Navy warship design with, with the goal of making a profit, what type of ship would you produce? And I mean produce as in a fat military contract produce. What kind of ship would you get the most bang for your credit?

In my example, I am definitely doing a 6000 ton Destroyer Class, and a 1500 ton Squadron Escort, geared mostly for defense on a Subsector Level...

 

[far-trader]

I suppose you'd want to build a ship with technology that only your shipyard could service. The big profits would be in the annual maintenance and repairs. The profit margin in the actual building seems to be pretty thin while repairs and maintenance are almost all profit. Much like real life.

The only other big profit area in shipbuilding would be in computer programming. With a paltry budget of 1MCr per model number as long as you keep the computer right around the minimum required model/4 you can easily pad your design with a few MCr of required programs.

With an eye to programs as the profit angle you'd want carriers (every small craft needs programs) of some kind.

So, off the top of my head, I'd be looking at a small carrier group, each maybe 5000tons with 20+ heavy fighters each. That gives you 21 program packages for profit per defense unit instead of just 1 program package per defense unit with a destroyer model.

Of course the IN actually using carriers and fighters will depend on your view of their efficacy.

 

[Anthony]

Originally posted by Baron Saarthuran von Gushiddan:
Say theoretically that you had an A class Starport that you could produce a Imperial Navy warship design with, with the goal of making a profit, what type of ship would you produce?

Depends on what the buyers want. I would start by going out and soliciting contracts. When I got a contract, I would start production...

 

[sgbrown]

Admirals Yachts - lot's of high end luxury markups.

 

[far-trader]

The Admiral's Yachts idea is a good one SGB

Or you could be crooked...

Sell em Pulse Lasers but call em Beam Lasers and charge them the extra MCr0.5 each.

Sell em FIB computers but only put the standard ones in and fill the rest of the space with junk.

Sell em buggy programs (write them yourself in your spare time) but charge them for Genuine Brand Programs.

Sell em a 3Xtons TL9 Powerplant but install a 1Xtons TL15 Powerplant and pocket the cost difference. Fill the wasted space with more junk.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

Assume that dirty dealing would be out of the question. The Imperium would be in the ship buying business for a few centuries, so it would be hard to fool in that regard. Plus, you'd be assuming you want a good reputation to insure future orders.

 

[far-trader]

Yeah, kinda figured the crooked angle wouldn't work. Not long term and too high up anyway. I was thinking some middle management subcontractor looking to make a big score and then disappear offworld.

Anyway, are we in the right frame of reference for you otherwise? Giving you any helpful ideas? Or do we need to look in a different direction?

 

[far-trader]

Another thought, perhaps the profit won't lie with the ship itself at all. Maybe the big credits are to made as a shore leave port.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

All suggestions are good ones, this is a case of "what does the Imperial Navy need?" more than anything. This would be a contract that would place and sell a TL 15 fleet weapon system into preferably heavy use across several subsectors or a sector or two.

The frame of time is roughly 1100.

 

[far-trader]

OK, just some more free thought...

I think what I'd be looking at/for from the IN perspective, what's gonna make me pick your yard is probably the TL and the location.

Starting with the presumption that it's the highest TL of the sector(s) that helps. So it should be central to the area of operations and/or remote for security. Make it at least a J4 from any other system and you are pretty secure from casual visits and enemy attack.

This gets you a bonus profit area too supplying and recovering drop tanks in at least the primary system. Sell the IN on equipping all the ships with drop tanks so they can jump out and arrive with a full fuel load at the outbound end.

Another thought, maybe have the core of the fleet offer something more than the fleet standard J4, go all the way to J6 supported by drop tanks.

Last thought for now, perhaps the main world is an ancient site, a secret the local government or shipyard owner has managed to keep from The Imperium but they use the knowledge gained to provide reverse engineered Black Globes and maybe other edges.

 

[sgbrown]

Don't be TOO logical though. People just don't make logical decisions all the time - particularly were money, politics, bureaucracy and contracts come into play. I don't see that changing just cause a couple of thousand years have passed. - So I'm figuring if you've got ties to the Arch Duke it'll do you more good than having the best product line.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

That was the angle I was speculating from.. that the yard in question would also be the seat of power for a subsector Duke and also a Count of 4 worlds. Politics would be the foundation on what this contract would be made. Marketing such a weapon system would take some wheeling and dealing I would suspect...

 

[sgbrown]

Of course if you can match politics with a good product - then you've really got profits!

If you not doing yachts what about patrol ships, escorts and destroyers for volume work? (big enough for profits - small enough for a lot of orders.)

And what about repair parts and missiles as a side line (always needing spare parts and missiles are by design expendables)?

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

Three yacht designs are planned (the returns on such a ship are too good to pass up) in three grades:

(light) 500 tons
(medium) 1000 tons
(heavy)1500 tons

The military vessels and craft planned so far are:

a 25 ton system defense interceptor
a 300 ton non-jump elecronic warfare monitor
a 500 ton patrol escort
a 1000 ton mercenary cruiser
a 1500 ton squadron escort
a 6000 ton destroyer
a 50 ton armored troop transport

 

[BillDowns]

You know, a few "extra" 500-ton escorts could be built on the side.


And sold off to "militia"

 

[redwalker]

Originally posted by Baron Saarthuran von Gushiddan:
Say theoretically that you had an A class Starport that you could produce a Imperial Navy warship design with, with the goal of making a profit, what type of ship would you produce? And I mean produce as in a fat military contract produce. What kind of ship would you get the most bang for your credit?

In my example, I am definitely doing a 6000 ton Destroyer Class, and a 1500 ton Squadron Escort, geared mostly for defense on a Subsector Level...

IMHO the most interesting thing to do would be to analyze what it is about starports that makes them able to install, build, and repair things that can't be done elsewhere.

If I owned a starport I would analyze its operations and see what the vital resources are (financial capital? numerous employees? know-how? rare minerals?) that allow the Class A starport to do what can't be done on a pirate's asteroid.

That information would be extremely valuable to any pirate or upstart noble trying to build a pocket empire.

 

[kafka47]

System Defence Boats would always be in high demand, similarly workhorses like Gigs, Cutters and Tugs. I always pictured the Navy had its own shipyards and would not allow private concerns anywhere near its facilities. Contractors were expected to deliver parts but it was the Navy's job to put it all together.

 

[Straybow]

Originally posted by far-trader:
I suppose you'd want to build a ship with technology that only your shipyard could service. The big profits would be in the annual maintenance and repairs. The profit margin in the actual building seems to be pretty thin while repairs and maintenance are almost all profit. Much like real life.

That's what the standardization is designed to prevent. You can't build an IN vessel with proprietary or "experimental" tech. That ship has to be maintained and repaired wherever it may be sent and by crews trained wherever they came from.

Yes, civvy vessels can benefit from "experimental" (not meeting current Imperial specs) tech that outperforms the "official" TL. Likewise SBDs and any locally-owned patrol vessels.

 

[Pickles]

If you want to pursue the "politics over technology" angle further, you could actually make the ships unreliable or even dangerous. The F104G deal comes to mind.

What was that song ... "Catch a falling Starfighter"? There was a whole album by Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters (one of the people behind Hawkwind). Some very interesting ideas behind it all, which could make for a more life-like Traveller situation than simply producing the best possible ship for the IN.

 

[Greg]

I would build the biggest, most advanced ships within my starport's abilities. That's where the smallest number of my competitors can operate, and scarcity means profit. Conversely, anyone who builds a dreadnought-capable shipyard and then does not produce dreadnoughts just throws a lot of money away.

If I want to produce destroyers or couriers, I go shopping for a starport with much more limited abilities. That saves me a bundle, and I can the pass the savings on to the customer. Or better yet, keep them for myself.