So Where Do the Express Boat Tenders Stay

[coliver988]

I think this deserves its own thread so as to not interfere with the traffic control thread. Stuck it in this forum as, well, it is the Scouts we're talking about.

Several things came up I think that warrant discussion:

1. Where do the tenders stay?
2. How much flexibility / extra XBoats are ready to handle slack
3. Do they need protection or not?

There were a few more ideas that percolated in that thread.

For me, I see the tenders pretty far outside the 100D limit. The issue as pointed out is fuel: refueling those J4 ships and keeping the tender fueled is not really ideal as is. I'd also posit the Scout fuel tender that just moves fuel from its source to the tender. Another boring Scout job - fuel tender pilot. I stick the tenders far outside the 100D limit because the XBoats, lacking M drives, could be a potential shipping hazard if inside "shipping lanes". Though this does bring up an interesting point: can you exit jump at a specific point in space that does not have a gravity well? (sorry, that would be another thread!). As mentioned in the original thread, I'd have them orbit a gas giant if there was one, or a big rock in a belt if that system does not have a gas giant, and failing both, just a few hundred diameters out from the main port.

As for flexibility, knowing that they want to move as fast as possible for this version of the poni express, I do see a spare XBoat waiting at t-17 hours far enough away from the tender to be able to jump once the incoming boat appears and the data has been transmitted. If the boat is carrying physical mail, that would have to be transferred as well, possibly adding some time. I think also that there would be a small fleet of tenders at the nodes that carry a lot of traffic, and in fact would not be surprised to have a much larger station instead of a tender as that would not require jump drives and only station keeping engines.

As for protection, certainly a MTU thing I think. The Imperial Navy would come down like a hammer should something happen, but, supposing that somehow the data being carried was worth enough for the risk? And again. depending on your universe, could a corsair or some large enough ship be hanging out near by (just pilot casually) and grab the entire boat? T5 has large enough gravity wells can affect the jump: so stick a big enough ship along the line for the incoming XBoat and you could have it come out of jump an AU or more away from where it was supposed to come out (which is not a thing in MTU as that sort of thing to me disrupts things a lot more than you would think). But possibly a node near the border may have Navy or other resources for protection for as we all know, knowledge is power. And those boats are transporting a lot of knowledge.

(and hey, my 1st post on the new boards. Hopefully the correct forum, if not, please move to where it should be - thanks!)

 

[Spinward Flow]

1. Where do the tenders stay?

Shortest possible answer is ... orbit.
Their close structure configuration makes atmospheric entry (UWP code: 2+) a No Go.

Orbit around what is the next question of course, to which the obvious answer is "a planetary body that can be used as a fuel source" with a preference for gas giants (and an even stronger preference for "out of the way" gas giants that no one else is inclined to visit) since J4 Tenders can skim gas giants for fuel themselves. Planetary bodies with liquid water oceans will require fuel shuttle services from the surface to the J4 Tenders in orbit, which ironically is a job that even Type-S Scout/Couriers are capable of performing if needed (they'll just make a lot of trips). Since Type-S Scout/Couriers will be needed ANYWAY so as to transmit communications to systems that are "off route" from the XBoat Network (now that I think about it more deeply). It would therefore make sense to have an attachment of multiple Type-S Scout/Couriers at every system along the XBoat Network, which could "rotate" through fuel shuttle duty around systems lacking a gas giant before being dispatched outbound "off network" to nearby star systems with communications received through the XBoat Network.

2. How much flexibility / extra XBoats are ready to handle slack

Depends on location, location, location.

Some nodes on the Express Network will have multiple systems within Jump-4 range. Any time an XBoat arrives in that system, communications will need to be sent outbound to all of the other systems within Jump-4 range except the system where the communications originated from.

Let's take Regina/Regina/Spinward Marches as an example.

If an XBoat arrives from say ... Roup ... then in order to forward the communications on to all the other systems on the Network simultaneously, then XBoats will need to be dispatched from Regina to Extolay, Jenghe and Dinomn so as to forward all communications bound for those systems from Roup through Regina. So the simplest way to think of how this would work is that for every 1 XBoat that comes into Regina from Roup, 3 XBoats need to be dispatched outbound.

The same however is NOT true in all directions.

A communication routed through Extolay (from Denotam/Vilis) will arrive at Jenghe, Regina and Dinomn at the same time (again, 1 inbound, 3 outbound from Extolay) and so only 1 XBoat would need to be dispatched from Regina to Roup in that instance.

Same deal with a communication routed through Dinomn from Ghandi/Lanth, since that communication would arrive at Denotam/Vilis (which is 4 parsecs away from Ghandi/Lanth), Extolay, Jenghe and Regina at the same time (again, 1 inbound, 3 outbound from Dinomn) and again only 1 XBoat would need to be dispatched from Regina to Roup in that instance as well.

From this very simplistic example, my napkin math sense is that depending on the "route density" of destinations around specific nodes along the Network, you're probably looking at needing 4-10 XBoats per Tender (call it 7-8 on average across the entire Network) as just a rough first order estimate of the logistics involved, so as to provide relatively continuous communications coverage. Obviously, especially "dense" parts of the Network will have multiple Tenders in a system, quite possibly operating in different orbits/volumes of space so as to deconflict incoming and outgoing XBoat operations to and from specific star systems.

Obviously the logistics involved gets rather messy in a hurry, and you want to have some "slack" in the system to allow for downtime and maintenance of individual XBoats between jumps yet still have "enough" XBoats ready and waiting on standby to jump outbound after an XBoat jumps in-system to keep the relay going.

3. Do they need protection or not?

Short answer ... YES.

LBB S7 p15 details the "unofficial variant" of the legacy J4 Tender as a ... Corsair.
The write up specifically states that Tenders are a prime target for hijackers and that Tenders make excellent Corsairs, particularly if upgunned. If a Tender is captured with an XBoat and/or Scout/Courier aboard that's even better for the hijackers/pirates, since those vessels make it a LOT easier to masquerade as legitimate operators within sensor range of the unwary.

So the LBB source material comes right out and says that XBoats, Tenders and Scout/Courier operations are vulnerable to attack and takeover by hostile and/or mercenary forces. This is why in my J6 Express Boat Network Ships designs I went out of my way to introduce what amounts to small craft fighter support and thus larger crew sizes for the Tenders so as to make them much less tempting targets for would be hijackers and/or pirates. J4 Tenders do have some self defense capability, but this can be compromised by docking maneuvers with XBoats for recovery and launch (during which Tender maneuverability is severely limited, essentially rendering them "sitting waterfowl") and their armament (if any) isn't particularly powerful. If a J4 Tender is boarded, there is a LOT of starship to protect with not a lot of crew aboard (6 people for 1000 tons of ship) which can make "divide and conquer" boarding strategies especially effective, particularly if the hijackers hold the reserve pilots in low berths hostage to compel the Tender crew to surrender control of the Tender to the hijackers. Defending against a boarding by hijackers on a J4 Tender would be an absolutely miserable affair, I'm thinking.

A lot of star systems lack "adequate" system defense patrols to eliminate piracy within their space lanes.
Just looking at the above map around Regina/Regina, both Jenghe and Roup have type C starports ... meaning pirate encounters (per LBB2.81 starship encounter tables) are possible in those systems.

So yes ... the Express Network ships DO need protection.
In a lot of places, that means system defense assets will be assigned to protect XBoat operations ... but that won't be the case everywhere. So in places where there aren't enough system defense assets to protect XBoat operations, the "safest" place to be in those systems is going to be "away from where everyone else is going" ... leading to setting up shop around otherwise "unwanted" parts of the system in order to at least attempt a "moat" strategy for defense, where if you're going to attack XBoat operations you'll need to go out of your way in order to make the attempt.

 

[mike wightman]

People often miss an important component of the xboat network - they remember the xboats and the tenders, and also the presence of scout bases in some systems, but if you go and read the sources again you will find the missing pieces.

By the way S7 clearly states that the tenders roam the outer system where the xboats jump to and from - I take this to mean the edge of the 100D limit rather than the outer system suggested by High Guard which would be deep space between planets etc.

 

[Spinward Scout]

I think I did the Maintenance out of order, but this might help:

X-BOAT ACTIVITY CHECKLIST

I. Prepare for Launch
.A. Board Crew
.B. Refuel
.C. Power to Full
.D. Access local communicator directory
..1. Request Clearance for Departure
.E. Clear all external moorings

II.Lift-off
.A. Achieve orbit.
..1. Possible ship encounter.
.B. Set course to Jump Point.
.C. Arrive at Jump Point
..1. Scan area for X-Boats
...a. Range = Interplanetary
..2. Scan area for potential danger, problems, or other data
...a. Range = System
..3. Possible ship encounter.

III. X-Boat Encounter
.A. Confirm X-Boat by EMS Active and EMS Passive
..1. Abort if non-X-Boat
..2. Evade and Signal GK if Hostile Ship
.B. Set course to X-Boat
.C. Arrive at X-Boat

IV. X-Boat Docking
.A. Maneuver to Dock with X-Boat
.B. Secure Tender Connections
..1. Begin Refuel
..2. Download incoming X-Mail
...a. Transmit incoming X-Mail to Scout Base or Way Station
..3. Upload outgoing X-Mail
..4. Replenish Life Support
..5. Swap Pilot Crew, if needed

V. Maintenance
.A. Review Maintenance checklist
.B. If no problem, Green Light for Departure
.C. If problem, Hold for Departure
..1. If able to repair problem, Green Light for Departure
..2. If unable to repair problem, Red Light for Departure
...a. Pull X-Boat for Service at Scout Base or Way Station

VI. X-Boat Undocking
.A. Release Tender Connections
.B. Maneuver to Undock with X-Boat
.C. Maneuver away from X-Boat
..1. Scan X-Boat for problems until Jump

VII. Maneuver to next Assignment
.A. Next X-Boat at Jump Point, go to II.C. or
.B. Local Gas Giant.
..1. Move to orbit
...a. Possible ship encounter
..2. Refuel and return to orbit
..3. Set course back to Jump Point, go to II.C., or
.C. Return to Scout Base or Way Station with Red Light Ship for Service, or
.D. Return to Scout Base or Way Station at End of Shift

Let me know if you see anything I missed. Based on the Activity Checklists in MegaTraveller Referee's Companion.

 

[Spinward Flow]

III. X-Boat Encounter
.A. Confirm X-Boat by EMS Active and EMS Passive
..1. Abort if non-X-Boat
..2. Evade and Signal GK if Hostile Ship
.B. Set course to X-Boat
.C. Arrive at X-Boat

IV. X-Boat Docking
.A. Maneuver to Dock with X-Boat
.B. Secure Tender Connections
..1. Begin Refuel
..2. Download incoming X-Mail
...a. Transmit incoming X-Mail to Scout Base or Way Station
..3. Upload outgoing X-Mail
..4. Replenish Life Support
..5. Swap Pilot Crew, if needed

You have some items here that don't fit or don't work.

When an XBoat breaks out from jump, it automatically searches for the nearest Tender immediately.
Upon "handshake" acquisition of the Tender's range and bearing from the XBoat, the XBoat begins transmitting data to the Tender.
So data transmission does not wait for docking with the Tender.

Likewise, for outbound jumps, the data transmission is not done prior to undocking the XBoat from the Tender.
Instead, the data transmission to the outbound XBoat is done after the outbound XBoat is ready to jump as the last step prior to jumping.
That way, the outbound XBoat is carrying communications received right up until the final moments prior to jump.

Immediate receive of data transmission after breakout for fast turnaround transmit of data to the next outbound XBoat is the only way it is possible to have a data transmission delay of under 7 minutes as per the wiki page.

Time between jumps is almost always less than four hours and has been recorded at under seven minutes, making the speed of communication nearly the speed of jump

Additionally, the communications carried by the Express Network are data only. There simply isn't room allocated onboard XBoats for a 5 ton Mail Vault to carry physical Mail Cargo. They're a tight enough squeeze fit as it is with a Jump-4 drive. The standard design can carry up to 1 ton of cargo and 1 passenger along routes via XBoat.

 

[coliver988]

Though not called out anywhere, in looking at Spinward Flow's example of Regina and the need for multiple XBoats, I'd imagine the Scouts have a larger ship or even small station to handle the volume of boat traffic. And being the moon of a gas giant, in this particular case I'd even have that station in orbit around the same gas giant Assiniboia, just further out. And I think actual fuel tenders vs using a Scout ship would be a lot more efficient if this was going to be a normal thing: they are a lot cheaper as they don't need jump drives and are just a giant fuel tank, scoops and fuel processors, along with the bridge.

As for data transfer times - if not written I'd also make those a tight beam aka laser type of communication that is also highly encrypted but a really high bandwidth (if any recalls the advantage of a station wagon full of floppies vs internet, only part of that problem has really been solved as you can only fit so much data in any data stream. But I'd imagine a multi-spectrum caste may work, and think T5 may have rules on that as well come to think of it: probably combining beamcast and burst mode (p145 T5.10 Bk 2), though I could not find anything about the actual amount of data).

And bouncing off that, I would also posit that the Scouts have some of the best communication protocols in the Imperium, particularly for data compression and transmission as I would think that the data being transferred is significant. There is a lot more than just the traditional "Hello, World!" sort of thing.

Anyway - I can see the arguments for a 100D orbit vs a much further out orbit. 1 AU takes about 8 minutes to transmit data so even if they are way out in the dark and XBoats pop in and out, getting the data to the main system (which is part of this, not just transferring data from one boat to another and sending it along) is still quite feasible.

And I agree that in many places there will be some sort of protection, ranging from the armored gigs to even small Naval vessels depending on location. I can see adventures wrapped around this: either to see about intercepting data if you like the illegal side of things. or finding out if things are getting intercepted. A good use for those surplus Scout ships.

And finally, way back I did plop in the Cyan Scout Way Station in a game I was running. No one went there... see my blog post https://traveller-ct.blogspot.com/2017/05/traveller-sunday-leaving-cyan.html if interested in that. I had a certain pulp reference for my naming conventions.

Thanks everyone - these are the things I like to think about and play with.

 

[mike wightman]

Correct - xboat routes have IISS space stations as well as tenders. They are mentioned in canon and MgT even has the designs for one.
These are in addition to any scout base or way station that is also present.

 

[Spinward Flow]

I'd imagine the Scouts have a larger ship or even small station to handle the volume of boat traffic.

You can actually see such things on the Traveller Map.
They're called Scout Bases.
They're represented by a little triangle next to the world icon on the map.

Notice that Jenghe, Regina, Dinomn and Roup all have markers for Scout Bases in those systems.
Extolay does not have a Scout Base, instead having a Naval Base.

Also of interest, Hefry has a Scout Base but is not a part of the Express Network route through the Regina subsector.
Just one of those things that makes you go ... hmmmmm ...

And I think actual fuel tenders vs using a Scout ship would be a lot more efficient if this was going to be a normal thing: they are a lot cheaper as they don't need jump drives and are just a giant fuel tank, scoops and fuel processors, along with the bridge.

To clarify (again), I was thinking that the Scout/Couriers would act as fuel tankers hauling fuel from worlds to Tenders, thereby allowing the Tender(s) to remain on station at 100+ diameters or more from the nearest wilderness refueling point or Scout Base. This increases the "uptime" of Tenders on station, allowing fewer Tenders to support XBoat operations while partially offloading responsibility for fuel transfer ops to Scout/Courier ships that are going to have to be present anyway.

Remember, the XBoat route lines on the maps are merely the backbone of the communications system run by the IISS. Systems that are "off network" are going to be served by J2 Scout/Couriers.

So using the map above, you wind up with the following dissemination patterns via Scout/Couriers to systems off the main Network routes.

• Roup: Whanga, Knorbes, Forboldn, Hefry, Wochiers ... (Pscias is Interdicted)
  

  
• Regina: Forboldn, Ruie, Dinom, Hefry, Wypoc, Yori ... (Djinni is Interdicted)
  
  

... and so on. So from each "node" along the Express Network, there are going to be Scout/Couriers running relay laps with communications to the systems off the routes. Since there are more systems off the Express Network than on it, the quantity of Scout/Couriers in service with the IISS Communications Office may equal or exceed the number of XBoats in service, just to keep the whole communications network running for worlds both on and off the routes. Consequently, I can easily imagine that there are in excess of 1000 Scout/Couriers in operation in a single sector of space simply to handle routine communications transfers between star systems off the Express Network (plus more involved in survey work, detached duty, so on and so forth).

Under those circumstances, including tasking Scout/Couriers as fuel runners for XBoat Tenders on a rotating basis as part of the routine for standard operations makes a lot of sense ... partly to give Scout/Courier crews plenty of flight hours in normal space to keep up proficiency ratings and to make use of a relatively "plentiful" resource that will already be present to keep Tenders supplied and on station.

Remember, you can buy 10 Scout/Couriers for the price of 1 J4 Tender (so they're both about the same price, ton for ton).
It's therefore "cheaper" to task a (cheap and plentiful) Scout/Courier with the job of bringing fuel to a (valuable and expensive) Tender so as to keep the Tender on station in the event of a breakout from jump by an incoming XBoat, rather than pulling the Tender from operations in order to have it spend some time skimming for fuel or returning to base. The Scout/Courier isn't an "ideal" tanker craft, but it is a cheap and plentiful one ... and the Scout/Couriers are often times going to need to interface with Tenders anyway for communications, priority passengers and/or vital cargo to transport off route from the Express Network ... so using them for fuel ferry services "makes sense" in that you don't need to acquire (and logistically support) another class of non-starship or small craft to do the job (which might even need to be imported into some systems with low tech levels and/or lower quality starport facilities).

 

[Spinward Flow]

And being the moon of a gas giant, in this particular case I'd even have that station in orbit around the same gas giant Assiniboia, just further out.

Gas Giants have relatively LARGE jump shadows.
100 diameters from 60,000+ km (large gas giant) can start getting ... distant ... meaning that there's going to be a long time under maneuvering power to cross 6,000,000+ km (start thinking in excess of 12 hours at 1G for a one way transit). So pulling a Tender off station to "splash for gas" would probably require that Tender being unavailable for XBoat support operations for 1-2 days, depending on whether the Tender is merely skimming for fuel itself or needing to make a "pit stop" to swap out crew/passengers/consumable stores/etc. either inbound or outbound to return to their station before resuming XBoat support operations. That's a potentially prohibitive quantity of downtime (especially if the Tender needs to make a fuel run after every outbound dispatch of multiple XBoats per incoming XBoat).

This is why I'm thinking that using a faster/cheaper ship like the plentiful Scout/Couriers as part time rotating fuel haulers makes more sense, even around gas giants, since doing so allows the more valuable Tenders to remain on station and available for XBoat support operations with more uptime, meaning fewer Tenders are needed at any particular "node" along the route.

 

[Spinward Scout]

You have some items here that don't fit or don't work.

When an XBoat breaks out from jump, it automatically searches for the nearest Tender immediately.
Upon "handshake" acquisition of the Tender's range and bearing from the XBoat, the XBoat begins transmitting data to the Tender.
So data transmission does not wait for docking with the Tender.

Likewise, for outbound jumps, the data transmission is not done prior to undocking the XBoat from the Tender.
Instead, the data transmission to the outbound XBoat is done after the outbound XBoat is ready to jump as the last step prior to jumping.
That way, the outbound XBoat is carrying communications received right up until the final moments prior to jump.

Immediate receive of data transmission after breakout for fast turnaround transmit of data to the next outbound XBoat is the only way it is possible to have a data transmission delay of under 7 minutes as per the wiki page.

Additionally, the communications carried by the Express Network are data only. There simply isn't room allocated onboard XBoats for a 5 ton Mail Vault to carry physical Mail Cargo. They're a tight enough squeeze fit as it is with a Jump-4 drive. The standard design can carry up to 1 ton of cargo and 1 passenger along routes via XBoat.

The X-Boat Tender should always be scanning for other ships. Civilians and Military are OK, but a Pirate intent on stealing a Tender or an X-Boat needs to be watched for. I understand what you mean about the X-Boat signaling, but this is about what the Tender does.

Communication that quickly only NEEDS to be done IF the X-Boat is in a hurry like you mentioned, but when it's not necessary, they would Transmit through the more secure Tender Connections to avoid Interference. There's no need to chance any Interference if they don't have to. If the X-Boat needs fueling or anything else, there's no point in not doing it through the Dock Connections.

I can throw an extra routine in there. Thanks.

Additionally, X-Mail is what they call the electronic packet that people use to send messages by X-Boat. It's not a physical package or letter.

 

[Spinward Flow]

The X-Boat Tender should always be scanning for other ships. Civilians and Military are OK, but a Pirate intent on stealing a Tender or an X-Boat needs to be watched for. I understand what you mean about the X-Boat signaling, but this is about what the Tender does.

Right, and this is where I start to have problems with the standard TL=10 J4 Tender design that has only 6-9 crew assigned to it (captain/pilot, navigator/medic, communication specialist, 3x engineers) with an additional 3 gunners optional if the Tender is armed. Tender operations on station are going to require 24/7 manning (an XBoat could break out of jump at any time!) and if you've got a 3 watch rotation schedule for the crew, that means a crew of 1 on the bridge and a crew of 1 in engineering at all times, with an optional crew of 1 for the turrets (if any are installed, not all Tenders are armed) on duty at any time. A call to action would of course rouse the rest of the crew to man their stations, but there are going to be LONG hours where nothing is happening and man will it get BORING ... and people who are bored out of their minds aren't going to be the most attentive, alert or motivated.

This makes a hijacking a serious threat, since all it really requires is a successful bribe to the 1 member of the bridge crew on a particular watch cycle to deliberately NOT pay attention to a pirate/hijacker getting close enough to dock and board the J4 Tender. If there's only 1 person on the bridge and they do not raise the alarm when a ship (or boat) approaches the Tender, allowing a boarding party to enter the Tender with surprise on their side, it becomes an almost trivial matter for a raiding party to subdue the crew onboard and take over the Tender. My point here being that the crew on the J4 Tender is small enough to permit this kind of single point of failure scenario to be possible.

Compare and contrast that with the crew of 20(!) that I designed the J6 Tenders for ... 4 Officers: Navigator, Flight Ops, Medic, Purse ... 16 Ratings: Pilot, 4 Engineers, 2 Stewards, 1 Medic, 3 Ship's Boat Pilots, 3 Gunners, 3 Communications Specialists.

For the J6 Tender design, the bridge would be continuously manned by watch rotations of the navigator, flight ops or pilot on 8 hour watch rotations, with one of the three communications specialists on the bridge at all times ... meaning there are 2 people on the bridge 24/7 (not just 1). Additionally, there are 3 Armored Gigs assigned to the J6 Tenders where one is kept outside orbiting around the J6 Tender at all times on a rotation of 3 patrols, so that's a pilot+gunner outside the J6 Tender that can alert the Tender crew and quickly intercept any incoming craft maneuvering towards the Tender.

In other words, rather than needing to bribe a single bridge officer in order to make an "unannounced" boarding for a hijacking attempt on a J4 Tender ... my J6 Tender design would have two crew members on the bridge at all times plus an armed small craft (with a crew of 2) deployed outside the J6 Tender, all of which would need to be bribed in order to permit an "unannounced" boarding for a hijacking attempt. Now, obviously, in the event of a conspiracy to capture a J6 Tender, all of those crew members could be bribed to make it possible for a boarding party to enter the J6 Tender unchallenged ... but it would be so much harder to retain the element of surprise necessary for a successful capture, since the crew size is so much larger (20 instead of 6-9), making it a MUCH more "expensive" and complex operation to attempt to hijack a J6 Tender.

So it definitely CAN be done ... but it's a lot harder to "win" against a larger crew than it will be against a smaller crew (small enough that a single point of failure in crew loyalty is adequate to compromise the security of the entire Tender).

In other words, having sufficient crew redundancy is its own countermeasure to the hijacking threat.

Communication that quickly only NEEDS to be done IF the X-Boat is in a hurry like you mentioned, but when it's not necessary, they would Transmit through the more secure Tender Connections to avoid Interference. There's no need to chance any Interference if they don't have to. If the X-Boat needs fueling or anything else, there's no point in not doing it through the Dock Connections.

Huh?
Fast communication across interstellar distances is the whole point and purpose of the network!

Standard operating procedure is to begin broadcasting data after completing the "handshake" with the Tender in the area for "common" communications (which will be the supermajority bulk of transmissions in most cases) so as to speed up the forwarding of communications along the network.

The exception to that would be "high security" communications which for security reasons cannot be transmitted by either broadcast (think radio) or narrowcast (think laser comm). In those instances, communications would require a physical connection to reduce/prevent eavesdropping. So the XBoat would need to dock with the Tender before such communications data gets transferred to the Tender.

The other exception to that would be "top security" communications which for security reasons are not to leave the confines of a specific XBoat between source and destination. In such an instance the XBoat would need to be refueled and keep jumping after every breakout until reaching the destination where the communication is to be delivered by physical connection to the Tender at the destination. Security protocols at the destination then take over for relaying that communications within that destination system to wherever they need to go ... presumably via Scout/Courier (completely unbeknownst to the crew) for maneuvering between locations in-system, with only the communication specialists on each end "in the know" about the fact that the communication was transmitted at all.

So I agree that security protocols will require that SOME data transfers be make only via hardlink when docked with a Tender, but the vast majority of data transfers will be by broadcast/narrowcast upon "handshake" with the Tender after breakout so as to keep the data moving along the network as quickly as possible.

Additionally, X-Mail is what they call the electronic packet that people use to send messages by X-Boat. It's not a physical package or letter.

Understood. I was merely clarifying that x-mail also includes what amounts to Mail Cargo (which requires the 5 ton Mail Vault strongroom) which XBoats do not have room for to carry physical mail. Obviously, Mail Cargo cannot be transmitted like a data connection can and requires a hard docking and physical transfer of cargo, unlike a data transmission by comm channels.

 

[Spinward Scout]

I'm not sure where a J-4 Tender would be.

The standard Tender is a Jump-1 ship.

Purcell class Express Boat Tender - Traveller

wiki.travellerrpg.com

I think you might be talking about the X-Boat itself which is Jump-4. The Imperial Navy has a Jump-6 Courier and Imperialines has a secret Jump-6 Freighter.

Alarm systems would have to be automated and tamper-proof.

You're not wrong about fast communication being the point, but intelligible and understandable communications are necessary for the system to work. There has to be some system in place to counteract or avoid interference, otherwise a star's mass ejection could completely ruin and fry the X-Boat's entire data packet. Other interference could cause problems as well.

A world like Efate only has 2 incoming X-Boats and 2 outgoing (which may be the same ships). If the news is only sent once a day, that's not a lot of work for the crew. Regina would have multiple Tenders for being Subsector Capital, probably.

Boredom would be a huge problem, offset by drills, just like the Military.

My fault. I thought X-Mail was just the data part.

 

[Condottiere]

If the mail train gets robbed, they won't send a posse after you, it would be the Cavalry.

 

[Spinward Flow]

I'm not sure where a J-4 Tender would be.

My intent was clarity on the type of XBoats the Tender was designed to service.
The legacy TL=10 Tenders are designed to service J4 XBoats. Yes those Tenders are themselves Jump-1, but they are a part of the Jump-4 Network backbone, hence why I was calling them J4 Tenders so as to differentiate them from any other scale of Express Network operation (such as a Jump-2 or a Jump-6 network).

Alarm systems would have to be automated and tamper-proof.

When you can bribe your way to an inside job though a single individual selling out their crewmates ... you're going to find that "automated and tamper-proof" aren't as effective as you might like (especially for manually operated access points, like hatches, as opposed to iris valves).

There has to be some system in place to counteract or avoid interference

There is.
We call it TL=10.

A world like Efate only has 2 incoming X-Boats and 2 outgoing (which may be the same ships).

Wrong.

Lysen, Pixie, Boughene, Feri and Roup are all on the Express Network within 4 parsecs of Efate.
If 1 XBoat arrives from Lysen then 4 XBoats gets dispatched to Pixie, Boughene, Feri and Roup as a result of that arrival.

 

[Grav_Moped]

When you can bribe your way to an inside job though a single individual selling out their crewmates ... you're going to find that "automated and tamper-proof" aren't as effective as you might like (especially for manually operated access points, like hatches, as opposed to iris valves).

"Automated and tamper-proof" can be quite effective if "tamper-proof" is implemented actively enough. Life is cheap in the OTU, and Scouts have high survival rolls...

Also, this is a network involving gigacredits (if not more) of trade communications. Personnel screening is going to be appropriately strict.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Also, this is a network involving gigacredits (if not more) of trade communications. Personnel screening is going to be appropriately strict.

For the communication specialists ... sure.
For eveyone else aboard ... not so much (captain/pilot, navigator/medic, communication specialist, 3x engineers and an optional up to 3 gunners).

And just as a reminder, in the IISS a pilot is a rating, not an officer, usually.
Other services, someone with pilot skill tends to be an officer ... but not in the IISS. Grunt crew in the IISS will ALL have pilot skill as ratings (see LBB6) because pilot skill is their default skill as a Scout.

 

[Silverhawk]

My intent was clarity on the type of XBoats the Tender was designed to service.
The legacy TL=10 Tenders are designed to service J4 XBoats. Yes those Tenders are themselves Jump-1, but they are a part of the Jump-4 Network backbone, hence why I was calling them J4 Tenders so as to differentiate them from any other scale of Express Network operation (such as a Jump-2 or a Jump-6 network).

When you can bribe your way to an inside job though a single individual selling out their crewmates ... you're going to find that "automated and tamper-proof" aren't as effective as you might like (especially for manually operated access points, like hatches, as opposed to iris valves).

There is.
We call it TL=10.

Wrong.

Lysen, Pixie, Boughene, Feri and Roup are all on the Express Network within 4 parsecs of Efate.
If 1 XBoat arrives from Lysen then 4 XBoats gets dispatched to Pixie, Boughene, Feri and Roup as a result of that arrival.

Well, I'm not sure that your interpretation is necessarily right or wrong for the OTU. But my understanding was that the lines represent the XBoat routes. If a boat arrival in Efate triggers sending to Pixie direct rather than the longer routing through Boughene then why is it not marked. I saw the routes as more like the Interstate System of information. A message to Uakye from Lysen gets the high speed treatment to Efate where it goes on a Scout/Courier to Uakye.

As with anything this is just my view. It isn't right or wrong and I'm not telling you how to do it. Just to be clear.

Now maybe (this hit me a I was reviewing) there will be something that requires the extra speed of going direct to Pixie from Efate. Clearly the route is doable. So in those cases maybe they run a special non regular trip.

Ultimately, do what you want.

 

[Spinward Flow]

But my understanding was that the lines represent the XBoat routes.

The lines on the maps DO represent the routes ... but they're simplified so you don't have a crazy tangle of lines covering up the map everywhere.

Point being that XBoats are not "limited" to following the lines exactly/strictly.

Using this specific example, sending a message from Lysen to Roup does not go ...
Lysen -> Efate -> Boughene -> Feri -> Roup (4 jumps)

Instead the communication from Lysen to Roup goes ...
Lysen -> Efate -> Roup (2 jumps)

Yes, I know ... there is not a direct line drawn on the map between Efate and Roup, but that's simply a convenience for clarity of presentation.
Here's what the map would look like with all of the extra Jump-4 destination lines drawn in on the map ...

Starts looking pretty messy, doesn't it?
So the decision was made (WAY back when) to simplify the way the lines appear on the maps, while simultaneously having an understanding that the XBoats can jump FROM any network system TO any other system on the network that is within 4 parsecs. Incidentally, this "from any to any within 4 parsecs" rule is explicitly stated (with example and typo for it!) on page 12 of the Fifth Frontier War wargame box set. The specific example used is moving an Admiral (so, a passenger) via XBoat from Pixie to Feri directly without needing to route through Boughene (the typo calls the system Roughened, an early example of auto correct getting a little too aggressive?).

If the XBoat Network can do that for transporting an Admiral ... it can do it as a matter of everyday standard operating procedure for (data only) x-mail forwarding along the network.

Once you have that intrinsic understanding, everything else falls into place that the lines drawn on the maps we see are simply the most convenient/least intrusive into the map presentation available to us. The alternative routes around the network (represented in purple lines above) are simply "understood" rather than being explicitly depicted on the maps.

 

[mike wightman]

The only routes are the ones marked. Which is why an early fluff item talks about establishing a new link - not necessary with your incorrect understanding.

It is expected that Tureded will be upgraded to a class B starport within the next decade. The Scout Service is currently negotiating the establishment of a Scout base, with the apparent intention of an xboat link from Rhylanor to Dinomn and Regina

In addition S3 has this to say:

Xboat links are represented by grey lines showing the established communications
routes. Generally, these routes are also the major freight and passenger
carrying lines. Imperial routes are solid; non-Imperial routes are dashed.

Your interpretation of the FFW xboat movement of Admirals is the flaw - the Admiral may move up to 4 hexes along printed xboat lines - the movement from Efate can get to Feri in one turn but not to Roup.

 

[whartung]

I guess the point is that they could have simply indicated systems with tender operations for XBoats rather than showing XBoat "routes".

When you go back to the Pony Express analogy, it was a point to point system, rather than a spoke and hub system.