Starship Ergonomics & Comfort

[exedore6]

Let me see if I'm getting this right.

I've got a starship with 6 spacious consoles (each taking up 2 dTons/4 squares)
That puts the Ship Ergonomics Rating(E) at E = (24 / 6) - 5 = 4 - 5 = -1

Does that mean that -1 is the baseline, or could I space out those consoles a bit (like adding 6 dTons of elbow room for example) and get a better mod here? There's got to be a limit where that 'free space' doesn't count, doesn't there?

On a related note, do Freshers count as crew/passenger space for the purposes of Comfort & Demand?

 

[Ulsyus]

I've got a starship with 6 spacious consoles (each taking up 2 dTons/4 squares)
That puts the Ship Ergonomics Rating(E) at E = (24 / 6) - 5 = 4 - 5 = -1

Does that mean that -1 is the baseline, or could I space out those consoles a bit (like adding 6 dTons of elbow room for example) and get a better mod here? There's got to be a limit where that 'free space' doesn't count, doesn't there?

On a related note, do Freshers count as crew/passenger space for the purposes of Comfort & Demand?

Yeah, there's something missing from the equation. It even lists, further down the column in the BBB p348 that if there is no bridge the Ergonomics rating is 2. Therefore how is any additional space factored in for the bridge meant to be included in calculation? If it was dT of bridge space that was in addition to the consoles, that could work, but on large vessels could make the Erg. rating quite high. It could be mitigated by having F equal to the total deck squares occupied by the consoles plus the squares of free bridge space.

If that was the case, and you allocated 0.5dT per console as free bridge space then you'd end up with 30/6-5=0, which still means that the mishap roll is a 42/58 proposition.

With 2dT of bridge space per console (a really spacious bridge!) that gives you 48/6-5=+3, so only an 8% chance of a mishap, which is closer to what we may expect form an spacious and advanced set of ship controls.

It wouldn't be so daunting if it wasn't for the writing that said on a mishap EVERY console had to do a quality check.

 

[exedore6]

I'll be going for "In the room", so the bridge and engineering, extra space counts (because it's easier to move around and stuff with the space. Going through it, thinking like a navy, just like they use standardized parts, I'd think they'd at least set standards for ergonomics and comfort, for the operational advantages.

Is it really super spacious compared to the classic 20 dT bridge you see on the smaller, non-Mongoose ships? Assuming 6 consoles, that'd have an ergonomic rating of 1 (1.6 actually, not sure how it souls round, or if it's an integer at all (when used as a mod, I'd assume it is)

 

[The Pakkrat]

300 tons of Cushy Crew

In another example, I am designing a 300 ton, TL 15 starship with five Vargr crew soon to launch for its shakedown cruise featuring a Collector Drive designed at Serue (Knoellighz 1221). The Scholar who designed it is eager to see the fruits of his work, but the Captain and crew are taking no chances.

Regarding Comfort:

I count all squares from tonnage allocated to Crew, e.g. Common Area, Fresher(s), Crew Suites. Anything that a crew sophont can use in terms of free space is theirs in the Comfort equation.

Common Areas cost 0.0MCr and provide you with the squares needed to keep down Tension. You just have to balance them with available Payload Cargo you're willing to sacrifice to make the equation come out with a positive number.

On the ship I am designing:

Comfort = (26 squares / 5 Vargr) -5
Comfort = 5.2 - 5
Comfort = 0 or a flush Comfort which may or may not test the Charisma of the Captain or subordinates. S'why I put in an AI Counsellor booth and the Medic, a Marine "Chaplain" on board offered Counsellor Skill on her resume.

Though I am unsure of their applicability, a Medic Console and a Clinic might also count as squares for use by the Crew as they are "standing room" even if not in use. My Marine "Chaplain" can have a serious talk with the Captain there or treat a Passenger. I did not add those squares into the equation, but it is something to consider as those squares are optional space for crew and/or Passengers. YMMV. JMHO. <insert another acronym like GTS (Get The Stick)>

On Ergonomics:

I splurged for the Portable Controllers in addition to the Consoles on the Bridge (Bridge adds +2 to the equation). A crew sophont with a Portable jacked into any cabin, galley seating, Common Area, turns that square into a work area. It also means that a hit to the Bridge doesn't incapacitate everyone present. For my ship, that means I get to count the squares that the Portable Controllers can make available. On the ship I am designing, that means my crew of five Vargr with:

Captain's Helm Controller Console: Spacious P 2 tons, 4 squares
Four Operating Consoles: Standard S 4 tons, 8 squares
Five Portable Consoles: 0 tons, but 1 square each
Three Gunnery Controller Consoles: Standard S, 3 tons, 6 squares

EDIT: Crew-to-Consoles
Ergonomics = (23 squares / 5 Consoles) -5
Ergonomics = (4.6 squares per Console) - 5
Ergonomics = -1 (+2 for Bridge)
Ergonomics = +1, the Mod for the daily Mishap roll

So, the Captain tells his four other crew to make use of the Portable Controllers as often as they can. This means that the Astrogator can crunch his calculations while sipping coffee in the Common Area, the Engineer can tune the Jump Drive while standing in Engineering, the Steward can optimize the cargo distribution at the airlock, Captain in the head who peruses mail contracts, et cetera. Getting to add squares for zero tons is a boon to crews.

Again, I did not add in the present squares of the Medic Console and the Clinic as above.

EDIT: If you do purchase the Portable Controllers and a crew sophont uses one, remember to add +1 Difficulty to their Task. Ex: The Astrogator in the galley who is plotting a Jump-2 route now throws three Dice instead of two. It's a trade-off for reducing Mishap, but the Captain hired someone who Majored in Astrogation in College.

With a 40 ton Collector on board, the crew will have to step around and growl under their breath about the "elephant in the room", despite the fact that they have saved many tons of fuel space for the Jump-2 parsec range of this "stretched" Surveyor I am designing.

I hope this example helps.

Live from Serue (Knoellighz 1221), this is the Pakkrat for Net-7 News.

 

[exedore6]

Ergonomics = (23 squares / 5 crew) -5
Ergonomics = (4.6 squares per Vargr) - 5
Ergonomics = -1 (+2 for Bridge)
Ergonomics = +1, the Mod for the daily Mishap roll

Ergonomics is keyed off of consoles, not crew number. Not sure if a 'controller' counts as a console (they're on the same table on p345, titled Consoles and Controllers).

I like the idea of portable controllers (and hand controllers) let you claim the space when in use at least a square (possibly a free square).

 

[The Pakkrat]

Edit: Consoles vs. Crew

Quite right, sir. Will Edit at opportunity.

EDIT: Given that the number of Consoles was equal to the Crew, the equation result was the same. With a Bridge tying everything together, including the Ship's Computer, the Mishap roll is still only Mod +1.