[TML] [Merchant Shipping] Some ideas I came up with tomake merchant shipping more interesing

[Jerry W Barrington]

On 4/10/08 11:43 PM, "Joseph Paul" <josephnjody at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> <Jerry protests shutting down the powerplant when docked>
> 
> What do modern diesels do in seaports? Run the big engine or switch to a
> standby generator?

Not a good comparison, as the diesels start like a car, ie. push a button
and it starts up.  Whereas the Traveller power plant takes an hour or more
of nursemaiding by the engineer.

> Do they even use the big engine for power or only
> propulsion? The fuel still costs credits and cutting every cost to the bone
> is in the interests of the crew.

PCs generally go with gas giant or ocean fueling where possibly.  When fuel
is free, that issue is gone.

> As for start up how long are we talking
> here? And just what do you use to initiate a fusion reaction and what powers
> it if the powerplant is down? That may be a reason for the ship to go on
> station power.

Given that running silent is a documented maneuver, the ship must be able to
start it up on it's own.  Ergo, no need for station power.  And many
lower-class ports don't even *offer* power.

> As for reasons for the ship to be leaving fast it may be in
> the best interests of the station to discourage that. It should save on
> tracking deadbeat captains and the inevitable docking bay damage that occurs
> when Johnny Hotrod forgets to disengage the umbilicals before leaving in a
> hurry to escape his latest romantic conquest.

Spending an hour or more warming up the plant still leaves the need to
disengage umbilicals.  Which should auto-disconnect anyway!  Not
disconnecting when there is a significant force on the airlock and
umbilicals endangers everybody aboard the station.

> Normal ships (as opposed to PC
> run travesties of commerce) have schedules and stick to them. They aren't
> leaving for two weeks and that is final, Cap'n said so, so go and face the
> music Johnny.

I refer you to the post about riding on freighters.  The web page mentions
*real* tramp freighters that *don't* have set schedules.

Besides, if you are in the habit of that sort of conquest, you don't tend to
give your real name and ship address.  :P

Besides, I was talking about true emergencies.  There are a lot of
"adventurous" situations where having a ship stuck on the ground is a good
way to lose the ship.