Design a 200 ton Yacht the way you think it should be designed.
Guidelines and Scoring
I will rate designs with a point value. And: the points don't matter.
1. SIZE(20 points) It must displace 200 tons.
2. RULES-FOLLOWER(20 points) It must follow (any) published design system -- even a non-Traveller one.
3. UNIQUENESS(20 points) It must differ from the published 200t Yacht that we all know and dislike.
4. DESCRIPTION(20 points) Add a descriptive paragraph if you want to explain your design intent.
5. LIMITATION(20 points) Extra points if it's Jump-1, Maneuver-1.
OK here are the results.
PERFECT SCORE
There is one perfect score -- Spinward Yacht. It's got everything I wanted in a design.
SCALE
100 would be a perfect score. Because I didn't clearly explain my expectations, the resulting scores are relatively unfair.
SCORING RATIONALE
I docked 10 points for minor size deviations (100t to 400t). I also docked 10 points for multi-ship solutions.
I docked 5 points for each additional rule set or external rule grafted in; 0 points if no system was detectable.
Points off the "Differences" were pretty subjective.
Points off of "Description" was pretty strict, in that if I couldn't grok your design parameters near the first paragraph, I got cranky. For a good example of what I'm looking for in a description, see Jame's entry, or for that matter any "standard" LBB2 paragraph description.
For the limited drive performance, I docked 5 points for every bump in J or M rating.
THE SCORES
Name
Size (200t)
Rule-Follower
Differences
Description
Limited (J1M1)
POINTS
Ranking
The Black Jack
20
20 (MT)
20
10
5
75
4
Enoki's Ship
10 (400t)
0
20
10
10
50
7
Y Plus
20
15
20
5
20
80
1
Dilbert's Contempo
20
20 (T5)
20
5
20
85
2
Mobile Hotel
10 (150t)
0
10
5
20
45
8
Sneljacht
20
10 (HG?)
20
5
0
55
6
Black Sails
?
?
?
?
?
-
-
Mediation Ship
20
20 (MgT?)
20
5
0
65
5
Collector Yacht
10
10
20
15
0
55
6
Type SY
10 (150t)
20 (HGS)
20
5
15
70
4
Jame's Fast Yacht
20
20 (LBB2)*
20
20
0
80
3
Buffing Collector
10
10?
20
15
0
55
6
Encapsulated
20
10
20
20
10
80
3
Spinward Yacht
20
20
20
20
20
100
1
* If it weren't for the maneuver fuel, I'd have said this was a T5 design.
Named after ancient Terran card games, the Black Jack class yacht is luxury wrapped up in a small package. The owner is provided a double stateroom suite for their use and six staterooms are available for their guests. A standard crew is four (pilot, navigator, engineer and steward) but the ship has enough crew quarters to carry a gunner and an additional steward if needed. In addition to 15 dtons of cargo space, the Black Jack has a 10 dton vehicle garage and an additional 10 dtons of custom space (lounge, theatre, swimming pool, etc.) built to the owners’ specifications.
The Black Jack is capable of long cruises. With the ship slowly cruising at 1G, she enjoys 120 days of operation. If needed, the ship has enough fuel for two consecutive jump-2, but duration is reduced to fifteen days at 3G or forty-five days at 1G.
To date, Glisten Yard 102 has only produced a handful of Black Jacks.
I did a 400 ton design that came out well. Can't find the spec sheet atm, but I did find the deck plan. 4 guest cabins + 1 master suite. 7 person crew in smaller cabins.
The ship is deliberately split between the owner and guests and crew such that the later only have to interact with the owner and guests as necessary to serve them.
The guest cabins are like double the size of normal staterooms while the master suite is close about four times the normal size and includes a large bath and walk-in closet. An executive office for the owner about 1.5 times the size of a stateroom is included.
There is a large hold with perfunctory wine cellar, two galleys, one for the crew, one for the owner and passengers. Two large common areas on the guest deck and owner's deck are for entertaining.
There is a observation deck on the top of the ship with unimpeded views of space or wherever the ship is. A veranda is included off the master suite for the owner to have an unobstructed outside view.
A ship's boat / air raft hanger can hold a 20 ton ship's boat and air raft--air limo?
If I recall it's a J3 M1 design and the outer hull looks like a lozenge.
Rectified-class Yacht
Specs as standard Type Y (LBB2 '81 build) with the following variances:
1. Put 20Td of fuel (J1) into a collapsible fuel tank (A:5 / TCS, p. 13), assume it takes up 0.5Td in the retracted position (It's less than that, but I'm rounding up for convenience).
2. 2.5Td are used for furniture and partition storage; when the collapsible fuel tank is retracted (typically after lighting off the Jump Drive, but for J1 sorties it can be left retracted), the furniture and partitions are set up inside the now-vacant 19.5Td space. This provides no additional life support capacity, just extra space for the passengers.
3. Replace Air/Raft and ATV with an 10Td Grav Limo (see below). This saves 4Td of which 3 were just used in the preceding modifications.
4. The ship thus has 1Td more cargo than the stock Type Y.
5. Keep the Ship's Boat.
The ship is a series of stacked discs (decks) in tailsitter orientation on a central cylindrical core. It looks kind of like an Art Deco barber pole if you squint a bit...
(If there's interest, I'll draw deck plans up in MS Paint.)
Grav Limo: 10Td, MCr 1.65. Seats 6 including driver plus 1000kg cargo, or up to 10 personnel total with minimal cargo and more than a little crowding. It has an airlock that is normally used as a luggage compartment. There is life support for 6 persons indefinitely, or 10 persons for 18 hours. Top speed in standard atmosphere is 600kph and it can largely ignore wind and turbulence. It can reach orbit in 30 minutes times the planet's size code, plus 30 minutes.
Build system: I winged it from LBB3 '81. It's literally a stretch limo version of the Speeder (p. 23) , with the "stretch" section being an air/raft (ibid), and the whole thing wrapped in an Advanced Base (p. 19) to represent pressurization and life support. Performance is an average of the two vehicles.
EDIT TO ADD: A useful negotiating tactic to convince your counterparty that you're willing to walk away from a negotiation is to jump in using drop tanks so the onboard tanks stay full. It'll be obvious that you've done so because the collapsible tank will be full instead of retracted to provide additional space. (This only works if you're doing some of the negotiations on board rather than at a site of the host's choosing.) If you're just using LBB2, bring in a Type S modified to carry as much fuel as possible (1 stateroom, no air/raft) as a tanker to top off the yacht as soon as you arrive, in place of drop tanks.
EDIT II:The Ship's Boat's controls can be slaved to the Yacht's bridge so it can basically fly in formation with the Yacht while docked externally. The yacht is then still 1G even while "towing" the Ship's Boat, allowing the small craft bay to be repurposed as living area when the ship isn't in Jumpspace. Bring along another 3Td of furniture and partitions to make it comfortable. Still doesn't add to the nameplate passenger capacity, though.
If we're not limiting it to 200Td, I did the 600Td Lovshaag yacht variant of the Shugushaag J5 freighter. I've only done deck plans for the freighter version, so far.
200 Dt, J-1, M-1, MCr 100.
With overpowered drives it can jump with over 200 Dt external load, equipped with 6 grapples rated at 35 Dt each.
No internal jump fuel, but each 35 Dt fuel pod is enough for J-1.
By default a Ship's Boat is included, carried externally in grapples.
Extra luggage, fuel, vehicles, or smallcraft can be carried in pods.
Here presented with four luxury suites (Demand +5) [40 Dt], eight staff staterooms (Demand ±0) [40 Dt], and five crew staterooms (Comfort +4) [20 Dt]. Other configurations available on request.
Five Dt cargo and a small vault.
Default crew of Pilot, Astrogator, two Engineers, and a Steward/Medic.
Consoles with fairly smart brains for automatic operation.
Long term life support for 200% of complement, so up to six months at rated complement, or up to three months at double complement.
One hardpoint with one Dt and a gunnery console reserved for future upgrades.
Three firmpoints with point defence mounts (anti-missile & anti-beam) and a CommCaster to ensure the owners communication needs.
With wings, fins, and landing wheels it can go and land everywhere, even underwater. Good radiation and heat protection allows trips where other ships can't go.
Refuelling with full refining is possible from gas giants, water, and ice.
Code:
TL-11 Y-BA11 Ergo 2 Comfort 4 Demand 5 Agility 1
Yacht Total: 0 100,3 Stability 2
SYSTEM # DTON COST
Hull 200
Config: Airframe 15
Structure: Plate Dense AV=11 ( 110 vs Blast, 2200 vs Heat/Beam, 220 vs Pres, 1100 vs Rad, 0 vs EMP )
Coating: Reflec AV= 0 ( 1100 vs Heat/Beam )
Armour Std Anti-Rad 1 AV=11 ( 110 vs Blast, 1100 vs H/B, 1100 vs Rad, 0 vs EMP )
Landing Wheels Wilderness
Wings Incr Perform
Fins Incr Agility
Submersible Water Landing 4 4
Lifters Installed 1
Pods & Subhulls
Grapple Pod 35 Dt 5 5 5
External Pods&Subhulls 175 0 Pods & Subhulls
External Craft 30 0 External Craft
Total Drive Capacity 405 0 Over/undertonnage: Agility ±0
Jump Field: Jump Bubble D=278 m, Flash 7
Mod J Drive B J-1, 220 EP 1 10 10
Mod M Drive B 1 G, 220 EP 1 2 4
Mod P Plant B P 1, 220 EP 1 4 4
Fuel, Power 4,4 weeks 4,0
Transfer Pump 1 1 0,5
Purifier 3 3 1,5
Scoops 1 1 0,1
Water Intake 1 1 0,1
Ice Bin 1 1 0,1
Console, Control Gen C+S=15 4 8 3,8 Brain: INT=10, EDU=10
Console, Operati Gen C+S=12 10 20 2,2 Brain: INT=8, EDU=2
Computer Gen m/1 1 1 0,8
Computer Gen m/0/bis 1 0,5 0,3
Sensors
Mod AR Surf Commu-10 +12A+7 PA( 1 1,5
Mod AR Surf Radar-11 +13A+7 PA( 1 1,5 ACS S=6
Mod AR Surf Scope-11 +13A-- P(P 1 1,5 ACS S=4
Gen AR Surf Neutr-11 +11A-- P(G 1 1,5 ACS S=7
Crew: 4
Stateroom for 1 5 10 0,5
Freshers Shared 2 1 1
Common Areas 9 9
Passengers: 5
High:Luxury Stateroom (1) for 1 4 24 1,6
Freshers Shared 2 1 1
Common Areas 15 15
Passengers: 0
Mid :Stateroom (1) for 1 8 16 0,8
Freshers Shared 4 2 2
Common Areas 22 22
Life Support:
Med Console 1 0,5 0,5
Auto-counsellor 1 1 0,2
Clinic 1 2 1
Life Support, Luxury 200% 8 16 16 960 person-days
Life Support, Long term 200% 3 5,2 5,2 3120 person-days
Ship's Locker 1
Payload, Sophisticated 1 1
Standard Air Lock 2
Cargo 5,3
Weapons
Mod SR T3 Comm-11 +13 H:3 1 0,5 3
Mod D T3 Beam-11 +15 H:3 Def+3 1 0,5 0,8
Mod D T3 Sand-11 +13 H:3 Def+3 1 0,5 0,6
Carried Craft
Grapple Slow Ship's Boa 30 Dt 1 1 7
Crew Consoles Panels
Crew 5 14 26
Bridge Crew 2 0
Pilot 1 1 3
Astrogator 1 1 0
Sensor Ops 0 2 4
Engineer 2 0
Engineer 1 4 8
Maintenance 1
Service Crew 1 0
Operations 0 1 1
Steward 1 0 0
Gunner 0 0
Gunner 0 2 4
Flight Crew 0 3 6
Generic Pod: 33 Dt free, MCr 3.7:
Code:
TL-11 P-3S00 Ergo 0 Comfort 0 Demand 0 Agility 0
Pod Total: 0 3,7 Stability 1
SYSTEM # DTON COST
Hull 35
Config: Streamlined 1,8
Structure: Plate Dense AV=11 ( 110 vs Blast, 2200 vs Heat/Beam, 220 vs Pres, 1100 vs Rad, 0 vs EMP )
Coating: Reflec AV= 0 ( 1100 vs Heat/Beam )
Armour Std Anti-Rad 1 AV=11 ( 110 vs Blast, 1100 vs H/B, 1100 vs Rad, 0 vs EMP )
Landing Skids Tarmac
Submersible Water Landing 0,7 0,7
Lifters Installed 0,2
Grapple Can be carried in grapp 1 1 1
Cargo 33,3
Leaning into my conception of a yacht being a mobile hotel suite as much as anything else:
150Td hull, as a box exactly the size and shape of the cargo hold of a Type R2 Far Subsidized Merchant (assuming its additional fuel tankage over the canon Type R goes on either side of the central cargo tunnel). It's specifically intended to be transported by a type R, or R2 on trips beyond 1 parsec.
Specifications are as the canon Type Y except delete the following:
1. 25Td fuel (the second J1, plus 5Td because J1 takes 15Td instead of 20).
2. Engineer and their stateroom (ship is under 200Td and no longer requires one).
3. The ATV (because it's just silly).
4. Double the cost of the air/raft and reduce its payload by 2000kg to represent enclosing it and adding life support, and adding thrusters to resist wind effects. Performance is otherwise unchanged.
5. Replace the Ship's Boat with a 20Td, 6G Fast Launch. (TL 9, MCr11, 7.8Td unused space -- HG2 design).
6. Reduce cargo by 1Td.
7. Use 2Td of cargo to store partitions and furniture. Total unobligated cargo is now 8Td.
When deployed on orbit at a destination, the Fast Launch is docked externally and the small craft bay repurposed as a lounge and additional working space using the 2Td of furniture and partitions. As with my Rectified Yacht, setting up the converted space takes 20 minutes for two personnel (steward and gunner), or 1 hour for one person -- in either case, playing with the artificial gravity helps. Repacking takes twice as long, except that in an emergency it's possible to simply jettison the fixtures from the converted small craft bay in a minute or so by opening the bay door...
This design optimizes for maneuver speed for competitive racing on many yacht courses. The ship is also equipped to be relatively heavily armed, both for VIP safety and to act rarely as a pirate hunter masquerading as luxury ship.
The Sneljacht-class yacht is TL13, boasts a 6-G maneuver drive, J-1 with fuel for one jump, a power plant 8 rating for extra power to computer and weapons, a Model/3 computer, a 5-ton purifier, and is streamlined in a needle configuration.
The yacht is highly configurable in terms of it's use space and weapons fit.
It has a 12-ton owner's suite, an 8-ton guest suite and two regular staterooms for additional guests or favored stewards/servants. A bar or study is usually carved out, featuring racing trophies and mementos.
The crew quarters are 8 staterooms and would be staffed very differently depending on the 'mission'.
Normally 4 staterooms would house the regular yacht crew of Pilot/Engineer/Medic/Steward.
For additional VIP operations the other 4 crew would be 2 gunners, small craft operators, security and/or more stewards.
For racing there would be two extra pilots, a navigator, and engineer. Some of the guest quarters may house additional support crew in lieu of guests.
For pirate hunting there would be a full set of gunners, fighter/gig pilots, no stewards and guest quarters housing command staff and boarding troops
There is a vehicle/mission bay of 20-tons. It is designed to fit in a mix of 2 10-ton craft- ATV, AFV, GCarrier, and/or fighter. Half of the vehicle bay acts as a ramp to drop off and pick up ground vehicles. There is an additional 7 tons of cargo/mission space adjoining the vehicle bay, airlocked to allow vehicles to access the outside without damaging the supplies.
For pirate hunting the vehicle loadout would typically be two fighters, or one fighter and a slow boarding gig.
For racing, there is often a specialized tool/engineering damage control/ parts shop loaded into at least 10 tons of the vehicle bay for rapid repair, when minutes matter between victory and defeat.
The ship has 2 hardpoints. Unusually for a ship this size, one of the hardpoints is a standard 1 ton and one is a 2 ton. It was determined that a fusion gun provides space-effective point defense and close-in punch in a pinch. The other turret is usually a mixed turret, sand/laser/missile. Other typical configurations include using the 2-ton space as an ersatz extra magazine for triple missile/sand turrets and the other turret as a triple laser. The PP-8 rating allows for 3 extra EP for energy weapons without impacting agility/acceleration. The ship does not come with turrets.
There was considerable debate amongst the naval architect team regarding whether the ship should be designed for TL10 vs. TL 13.
There would be wider starport support in areas like the Marches if a lower TL was specified. However, the design was already stringent and several compromises would have to be made- more importantly, by speccing at TL13 a more efficient power plant could be used and save the design 20 MCr in addition to onboard space. At that point the owner could ship the yacht 20 parsecs to a repair port and still 'only' cost 4 MCr. That and being able to mount the fusion gun settled the debate.
Without extra craft, mission equipment and weapons, the ship costs MCr 149.65.
Minor adjustments to the design could yield savings- going to Model/2, no refiner, 5G and PP-6 would shave off several millions and free up 10 tons. But this design is about no compromises in luxury, armament and competitive speed.
FINAL EDIT:
Revised version of the Composite Collector Yacht is HERE. It's still in work, but I expect to finish it well before that post's edit window expires.
The remainder of this post is now obsolete and I'm deleting it.
This ship was designed for service in the Mediation Office, one of the less known sub-branches of the IISS (in the Operations Branch), not because it’s secret, but because its work uses to be discreet.
The goal of the Office is to send small teams to mediate among various parts in conflict inside the Imperium (mostly petty wars), and the ship was the way to send those teams along with a neutral ground (the ship itself) where to negotiate.
Item
Notes
Tons
MCr
200 tons ship
Hull:4 Structure 4
200
8
Bonded Superdense armor
6 points
10
4
Jump Drive C
Jump: 3
20
10
Maneover Drive C
Thrust: 3
5
12
Power Plant C
Power: 3
10
24
Jump Fuel
1 jump 3
60
-
Power Plant Fuel
4 weeks
12
-
Computer model 5
Rating 25
-
25
Electronics
Basic Military (0)
2
1
Weapons
HP1: Particle Beam (Accurate, High Yeld)
1
9
-
HP2: Triple Blaser : Particle Beam (Accurate, High Yeld)
1
7
Diplomatic Suite
double stateroom
8
1
Guests staterooms
8 staterooms
24
4
Crew staterooms
5 double occuapncy staterooms
20
2.5
low berths
2 low berths
1
0.2
Extras
Repair Drones
2
0.4
-
Ship's locker
-
-
-
Brieffing Room
4
0.5
-
Luxuries
2
0.2
-
Lander
10
5
Software
Manover (rating 0)
.
.
.
Jump Control/3 (rating 15)
-
0.3
-
Auto repair/1 (rating 10)
-
5
-
Fire Control 3 (rating 15)
-
6
-
Evade/1 (rating 10)
-
1
-
Library
-
-
Totals
-
0
126.1
The usual practice is to send a high diplomat with two assistants, and invite a 3 person negotiating team from each side. One assistant is assigned to each team, and the Diplomat uses to arbiter the meetings.
It is unstreamlined, as its plan is to be kept in orbit, so that the “neutral ground” image in enhanced, so it depends on local resources or the Lander to take the negotiation teams aboard or to land the crew. Armament is mostly seen as defensive, and usually sealed once negotiations begin.
Crew is 10 person, pilot, navigator (also assistant and lander pilot), engineer, medic and 6 stewards. It does not take too much to see the stewards are overrated, but remember the goal is to make the negotiator teams comfortable. When used by the Mediators Office, 2 of those stewards double as needed as gunners, and the other 4 as security.
Lander (TL 15):
Item
Notes
Tons
MCr
10 ton hull
Huill: 0 Structure:
1
10
1
-
Streamlined
-
0.1
Maneover Drive sA
Thrust: 2
0.5
1
Power Pland Fusion sA
Power: 2
1.2
3
Power Plant Fuel
1 week
0.5
.
Computer
Model 1 (rating 5)
-
0.3
Electronics
Standard
-
-
Software
Maneover (raning 0)
-
-
Cockpit
-
1.5
0.1
Cabin space
4 passengers
6
0.3
Totals
-
0.3
5.03
It was not long until some nobles, beginning with some that have used it in the Mediation Office, began to buy them to be used as yacht, often with some interior alterations (reconverting the briefing room, removing some stewards to make place for some cargo, etc), his high jump capacity being appreciated by moving (on mission or pleasure) along the starlanes.
Side Note: the Mediation Office of the IISS has no canon source at all, being taken fully from my hat (so IMTU)
...and in T5 at TL15 you can get Collector-2 (Standard) with a jump governor so you don't have to blow the entire charge for just a J1 (without the carried craft). For this application (having the ability to do as many as 4J1 with the Collector Jump Shuttle or 2J1 while it's carrying the Shuttle Yacht) it provides the same effect (multiple jumps without recharging) that ANNIC NOVA had to use two LBB2 '77 jump drives to accomplish.
I'll re-attack that design with T5 collectors, a LBB2 Jump drive B and a TL 15 power plant from HG. Back-of-the-envelope calcs suggest that just barely works (pilot in half-stateroom, no weapons, no cargo). Mixing LBB2 and HG drives should be ok here since in this ship the power plant has nothing to do with the jump drive.
And TL 15 drives make the HG version of the 95Td Shuttle Yacht better than the house-ruled LBB2 one. I'll do it up as well.
Yeah, I could do both of them in T5 and it'd probably be even better, but that's too much like work.
General Overview:
The Composite Collector Yacht is a showcase of what can be accomplished with TL 15 Collector technology. Aside from that, it's intended for covert diplomatic missions.
The Scout Service has taken an interest in the type for surveying in rifts and voids.
Characteristics Overview:
In its transport configuration, the Composite Collector Yacht is a TL 15 199Td ship capable of two consecutive Jump-2 before having to deploy its collector sails, and 0.1G safely (up to 3G in an emergency at the cost of ruining the Collector canopy). It has 14.5 staterooms, 1 Improved Air/Raft, and 4Td cargo. Its crew consists of a pilot, a small craft pilot, a medic, a steward, and a gunner.
On its own, the Collector Jump Shuttle is a 100Td ship capable of four consecutive Jump-2 before having to deploy its collector sails, no maneuver, and four weeks endurance on its 1Td fuel. It has a Model 1/bis computer. Its crew consists of a pilot, preferably with Navigation skill. It has half a stateroom, no weapons, no carried craft, and no cargo space.
On its own, the Shuttle Yacht is a 99Td small craft capable of 6G acceleration and four weeks of endurance on its base 6Td fuel tankage. It has 2 control couches, 14 staterooms, 1 Improved Air/Raft, 4Td cargo, and 1Td extra fuel tankage to refuel the Collector Jump Shuttle. It has a triple turret with a beam laser, missile launcher, and sandcaster dispenser. The Model/2 computer replaces a small craft bridge, downrating it to Model/1. Its crew consists of a Small Craft Pilot, Medic, Steward, and Gunner, each in a standard stateroom. While neither an engineer nor a navigator is required, one extra crew stateroom is provided for them. There are 9 passenger staterooms, but this small craft is only intended to carry 8 passengers -- two of the staterooms are combined into an owner's suite. It has 4Td of cargo space.
The Improved Air/Raft is 4Td and MCr 1.2, TL10. It seats 4 including the driver, and can carry 3000kg cargo or another 4 passengers. It is pressurized with extended life support for 4 persons (8 for short-term use). Top speed is 120kph, largely unaffected by weather conditions.
Concept of Operations: Drives:
- The Collector Jump Shuttle and Shuttle Yacht are almost never used independently.
- Journeys of up to 4 parsecs are flown directly or with back-to-back Jumps. If two (or more) Jumps are necessary, they pause at the last deep-space layover point to partially recharge (for a 1J1 microjump by the Jump Shuttle) before continuing to the destination.
- When possible, the Collectors are used one at a time for wear balancing. However, tactical considerations may dictate parallel partial charging and discharging.
- The ships' docking fixtures include provisions for transferring fuel and power between them. With a full fuel load in both ships, and the Shuttle Yacht's power plant at idle, the combined vessel has up to 6 months endurance without refueling.
- Up to 4 parsecs distance, the ship is Jump-2. Over extended distances, the ship travels at an average of Jump-1.33 (1 week charging then 4 parsecs in 2 weeks, so 4 parsecs every 3 weeks). It can take a straight-line route though, instead of following Mains. And with its 6-month endurance, it can travel up to 32 parsecs without any chance of contact whatsoever.
- The Shuttle Yacht can push the Jump Shuttle at up to 3Gs, but doing so will destroy the Collector Sails (any charge remaining in the Collectors can still be used but they can't recharge until the sails are replaced). 0.1G is the safe limit.
- The Jump Shuttle can really only be used independently with known safe logistical support. Not only does it need fuel every four weeks, the pilot has no way to get off the ship on his own! And for most purposes, an XBoat with a drop tank is superior...
Crew:
- While not required, an engineer and/or a navigator could prove useful. As noted below in the detailed descriptions, the Shuttle Yacht has an extra crew stateroom for this purpose. If neither is carried, the Jump Shuttle pilot will use it (and he'll probably hang out in the shuttle anyhow -- it gets lonely and cramped in there!)
- If the Ship's Boat Pilot has Navigation skill, he can use it for the Jump Shuttle without penalty because once the Shuttle Yacht is docked he's got nothing else to do.
Tactics:
This comes down to being ready to run at a moment's notice, for both craft.
The Shuttle Yacht really shouldn't attempt to stand and fight -- running for the Outer System is the only viable option, and with 6G acceleration the odds of getting away are pretty good. Determine success with either the "escape mini-game" contained in the LBB2 Small Craft Pilot skill description, or High Guard's rules for breaking off combat. Decelerating to dock with the Collector Jump Shuttle could allow adversaries to re-engage the battle and reveal the location of the carrier vessel. To prevent this, the carrier may need to make a micro-jump to a prearranged rendezvous point. The small craft will meet it there when it emerges from Jump a week later.
The Shuttle Yacht carries one sensor drone missile (rated at 6G, 6 turns), dubbed "The Doorbell". On the way from the Jump Shuttle to the system's mainworld, it fires the missile directly back toward the carrier. The missile uses most of its fuel to bring itself to a full stop slightly beyond the distance the small craft covered in an hour, then extends its passive sensor array. This provides the Jump Shuttle at least an hour's warning of incoming ships -- enough time to retract the Collectors then Jump if needed. It's no defense against a strafing attack, but will allow avoiding anyone wanting to knock on the door (that's why it's "The Doorbell"). The sensor drone is recovered on the final return trip before system departure.
The Collector Jump Shuttle is unarmed and cannot maneuver -- its only defense is to Jump. It will always attempt to arrive at its destination with at least enough energy in its accumulators to make an in-system microjump to a prearranged rendezvous point in the outer system. This takes a 12.5% charge (100Td*1Jn of energy). Parallel charging enables charging to 12.5% capacity in 17 hours including Collector sail deployment and retraction. If possible, retaining 37.5%-50% charge (one escape micro-jump plus J1-J2 with shuttle yacht attached) on system entry is much preferred.
It's worth noting that the Jump Shuttle can be difficult to find if it so chooses. The basic hull is only 70Td, and that sits between two near-perfect EM-spectrum absorbent Collector sails.
Collector Jump Shuttle:
100Td, 4J2/0G/Collector-2(x2)/Pn-1 alone; 199Td, 2J2/0.1G when 99Td Shuttle Yacht is attached.
(In an emergency, the shuttle can push the combination to 3G but this will ruin the collector sails.)
Crew=1 (pilot/navigator) in half-stateroom, Cargo=0
MCr 62.94
TL is 15.
Computer limits Jn to J2, Collectors cannot be combined for Cn=4 because TL limits them to Cn=2.
Jump Drive is sized for J2 with shuttle attached.
Pn<Jn because the Jump Drive is powered by Collectors, not the power plant.
Collectors are Nexus-linked for parallel charge and discharge, but still cannot exceed an output rating of 2.
Collectors are from T5, Jump Drive is from LBB2, Power Plant and hull are from High Guard '80.
Line item breakdown under the spoiler tag:
Code:
Item Tons MCr Comments
Bridge 20 0.5
Mod1/bis 1 4 Limits ship to J2
Stateroom 2 0.25 Half-stateroom
Jump-B 15 20 Jump-4 (J-2 when carrying 99Td small craft)
Power 1(HG TL 15) 1 3 J-Drive powered by Collectors, no M-Drive
Collector-B(2 ea) 60 30 800 Ton-parsecs range. Limited to "Cn"=2. Nexus linked for parallel discharge.
Fuel 1 0 30 days of Pn=1
Hull (Disp Str) 5
Docking Fixtures 0.19 Hull=7 needs no additional fittings (HG '80 p.32)
Totals: 100 62.94
Shuttle Yacht:
99Td, 6G, Pn=6
Crew=4 (pilot, gunnner, medic, steward -- engineer and/or navigator optional) (5 crew SR provided)
Passengers=8 (one pax gets two staterooms)
Fuel=7Td (1Td is to refuel Collector Jump Shuttle)
1 Improved Air/Raft
Cargo=4Td
TL is 15.
Craft is built entirely under High Guard '80.
Line item breakdown under the spoiler tag:
Code:
Item Tons MCr Comments
2 seats 1 0.05 Seats and comp replace S/C bridge
Comp Mod/2 2 9 Effectively Mod/1
Staterooms x 14 56 7 5 for crew, 9 for pax but 2 are half-occupancy
M-Drive 6G 18 9 3G if pushing Jump Carrier. Pushing it over 0.1G wrecks sails.
Fuel 7 Includes 1Td to refuel Jump Carrier's power plant
Turret (MLS) 1 3.1 (Weapons, turret, hardpoint)
Improved Air/Raft 4 1.2 Enclosed w/life suppport, ignores weather, only 2000kg cargo.
Cargo 4 (or another stateroom for the optional engineer or navigator)
Hull (Wedge) 12
Totals: 95 58.31
I've mostly finished the writeup on the Composite Collector Yacht in the preceding post *scroll up!*
The Collector Jump Shuttle component would almost certainly be better if done entirely under the T5 design system. Also, it might not really need two Collector-B drives, in which case there would be room for it to have a small craft of its own so it wouldn't be so dependent on the Shuttle Yacht. Oh, and a lot more fuel to take advantage of the indefinite range the Collectors provide.
Collectors need some love.
I did up the Improved Air Raft because the one from canon needed some high TL upgrades. Doubled the cost to make up for it...
And I like T5's design system in theory, but it really needs an app.
Hmm, given that I am largely ditching the small craft escape meme, I'm thinking I really need to install a set of Emergency Low Berths. Works for all three roles- racing accidents and survival, VIP safety, putting captured pirates or battle wounded on ice.
Could go mini-Frozen Watch too, going to think that one through.
This ship was designed for service in the Mediation Office, one of the less known sub-branches of the IISS (in the Operations Branch), not because it’s secret, but because its work uses to be discreet.
The goal of the Office is to send small teams to mediate among various parts in conflict inside the Imperium (mostly petty wars), and the ship was the way to send those teams along with a neutral ground (the ship itself) where to negotiate.
...
Side Note: the Mediation Office of the IISS has no canon source at all, being taken fully from my hat (so IMTU)
Hmm, given that I am largely ditching the small craft escape meme, I'm thinking I really need to install a set of Emergency Low Berths. Works for all three roles- racing accidents and survival, VIP safety, putting captured pirates or battle wounded on ice.
Could go mini-Frozen Watch too, going to think that one through.
Your ship is itself 6G and Jump-capable -- it doesn't need to carry a go-fast boat as an escape pod. Just keep fuel for a J1 in the tanks on arrival. Doesn't mean that emergency low berths are a bad idea, though!
One use for Corpsicle Crewmember Storage could be to allow freezing a large passenger-service/catering crew during transit. Only the crew actually flying the thing needs to be awake. Allocate double-occupancy staterooms for the whole crew, but the ship-handling crew are single-occupancy when the passenger-support crew is in cold storage. They're only doubled-up when the boss is on board.
This is most useful if you're using the paradigm of the slow yacht cruising around, with the owner flying out to visit it occasionally via much faster transportation.
On the other hand, if the guest suites are vacant most of the time, there's room for everyone. Just need to make sure you clean up before the owners arrive...
Glad you like it. I like to give any ship a history and "raison d'être", even when used for a secondary role (as is in this case).
As all material published here, it is freely given to anyone who wants to use it...
BTW, about my design, I never understood why the Yacht was jump 1. I believe nobles who want to travel (be it for pleasure or work) would like them with longer legs (despite giving less points in this contest).
Unlike current times, where Yachts are only for pleasure, and speed is not a factor (private jets cover this niche), I see Traveler Yachts to doublé the roles of current real life Yacht and private jet.
Glad you like it. I like to give any ship a history and "raison d'être", even when used for a secondary role (as is in this case).
As all material published here, it is freely given to anyone who wants to use it...
BTW, about my design, I never understood why the Yacht was jump 1. I believe nobles who want to travel (be it for pleasure or work) would like them with longer legs (despite giving less points in this contest).
Unlike current times, where Yachts are only for pleasure, and speed is not a factor (private jets cover this niche), I see Traveler Yachts to doublé the roles of current real life Yacht and private jet.
The canon Type Y is ok as a game tool -- something you run across on the starship encounter table, a potential employer (in addition to the normal starship jobs, it has openings for a small craft pilot, an ATV driver, and an air/raft driver), or as a not-overpowered mustering out award. It's also an example of "this is how a yacht is different from a free trader or scoutship".
It might even make sense in the context of CT '77, where starships were small and not particularly common. I'm not sure that it did, though -- and once ships could be huge and the setting changed to make interstellar travel almost commonplace, it's a bit of an artifact. And it's not all that good at executing on its design brief. As you point out, it could be a yacht plus private jet. As-is it's a floating hotel suite with a bus, helicopter, and a landing craft to take the other two vehicles to shore. Ditch the ATV and most of the cargo space, and it could be J2/2G -- and probably should be. Still not terribly impressive if being impressive is an objective, but more useful.
It's an artifact of early Traveller being a simulation of classical science fiction rather than being a system for using science fiction to simulate a future universe.
That said, it's probably worth noting that if you consider the "payload" of a Yacht to be 9 staterooms (one double-size SR, 7 passenger SR, and one SR for the steward) and 44Td of carried craft/vehicles, LBB2 '81 needs 400Td for that in a J2 or J3 ship, and 600Td for it to fit into a J4 ship.
