X-Boat and Tenders

[dm_dracos]

I know this is kinda silly, but a player and I were working up an idea and he asked me what the specs on the X-Boat and Tenders are, and as im new to the game i had to tell him "I Dont Know" the three words any GM hates to say. would anyone have the specs, or could you tell me were they are located? btw Im playing the T20 version of traveller.
Thanks in advance
Dracos

 

[Spinward Scout]

They're in Traders and Gunboats, Supplement 7 for CT. I'm not sure for the rest of the versions.

 

[Flynn]

I created T20 stats for these about three years ago and gave them to Martin for a Gateway supplement. Don't really know what happened to them, but if he says it's okay, I'll post them.

More Later,
Flynn

 

[Plankowner]

In general, X-boats are Jump 4 ships with no M-Drive. They make a jump, transmit the info to another X-boat and wait for the tender to pick them up.

The Tender is a bigger ship (1000tns I think) that is at every stop on the network and resupplies the X-boats. Don't remember if it had a Jump Drive, but I don't think so. I am sure others will quickly correct any mistakes I made in this post...

 

[mike wightman]

The x-boat is a 100t ship fitted with a jump 4 drive and no maneuver drive. It is fitted out with extensive commo equipment and data banks for message transfer.

The tender is a 1000t jump 1, maneuver 1 ship that refuels and services the x-boats.

 

[Plankowner]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
The x-boat is a 100t ship fitted with a jump 4 drive and no maneuver drive. It is fitted out with extensive commo equipment and data banks for message transfer.

The tender is a 1000t jump 1, maneuver 1 ship that refuels and services the x-boats.

Told ya...

 

[dm_dracos]

thank you all for the info. it is appriciated greatly.

 

[cheepicus]

It's true they lack a maneuver drive, but they also lack a power plant! It's not clear to me how they get around that (probably handwavium batteries). Also they have a mere model/1bis computer and are doing jump-4. Huh.

This is CT Supp7, not sure how other editions do xboats.

 

[mike wightman]

They get around it by being designed using ©1977 LBB2 first edition. The rules changed quite a bit when ©1981 revised edition was produced.

 

[cheepicus]

Does the 77LBB2 really allow a model/1bis to do jump-4? More to the point, is the xboat really a legit design even by the 1977 rules? It'd be nice if an 81LBB2 xboat was designable, but it's not even close.

 

[robject]

By the LBB version 1 rules it's legit. The computer must be a specialized military job, and by Version 1 the jump drive had its own integral miniature power plant (I still think that's a good idea). In fact, a lot of Classic Traveller ships in the various supplements are LBB version 1, and the small craft aren't even that (probably something like proto High Guard designs).

I note that none of these variances hinder the actual playing of Traveller in the slightest.

 

[tjoneslo]

GURPS Traveller First In has stats, and deckplans for both the x-boat and the tender.

 

[mike wightman]

Originally posted by Genjuro:
Does the 77LBB2 really allow a model/1bis to do jump-4?

Yes, it does. In first edition the computer didn't have to be the same model number as the jump drive, it just had to be able to run the appropriate jump program - and jump 4 only takes 2 spaces

More to the point, is the xboat really a legit design even by the 1977 rules?

Yep, totally legit.

It'd be nice if an 81LBB2 xboat was designable, but it's not even close.

The computer can be upgraded, but the power plant 4 - or more to the point its fuel - breaks the design

 

[FlightCommanderSolitude]

I found an article on the web a while ago titled "Rethinking the Xboat System" written by a Chad W. Russell; I can no longer locate the article, but it had all kinds of great ideas in it about fiddling the Xboat design, as well as associated vessels.

 

[daryen]

Originally posted by Genjuro:
It's true they lack a maneuver drive, but they also lack a power plant! It's not clear to me how they get around that (probably handwavium batteries). Also they have a mere model/1bis computer and are doing jump-4. Huh.

This is CT Supp7, not sure how other editions do xboats.

Actually, Supp7 is inconsistent on what computer it uses. The diagram indeed does show it using an anamolous Model/1bis, but the actual text writeup shows it using a Model/4. The Book 5 listings in the back also show a Model/4.

 

[cheepicus]

Originally posted by robject:
I note that none of these variances hinder the actual playing of Traveller in the slightest.

Unfortunately some players will notice and complain such inconsistencies. *mutters under breath*

 

[robject]

Originally posted by Genjuro:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by robject:
I note that none of these variances hinder the actual playing of Traveller in the slightest.

Unfortunately some players will notice and complain such inconsistencies. *mutters under breath* </font>[/QUOTE]Quite so. Frankly, it bothers me as well. If I have any say on the matter, T5 will allow proper X-Boat design.

Originally posted by FlightCommanderSolitude:
I found an article on the web a while ago titled "Rethinking the Xboat System" written by a Chad W. Russell; I can no longer locate the article, but it had all kinds of great ideas in it about fiddling the Xboat design, as well as associated vessels.

Did you know? Chad is none other than COTI's very own Boomslang.

 

[FlightCommanderSolitude]

Well tell him to post that article, stat!

 

[Qstor2]

Originally posted by FlightCommanderSolitude:
Well tell him to post that article, stat!

Flynn did you hear back from Hunter about the T20 stats?

Hunter glad your back

Mike