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

[Joseph Paul]

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.

Well not if you are unlucky enough to have not kept an air reservoir
filled -  http://www.free-marine.com/i3lossair.htm . This article also
points out that when docked for an extended time the engines are shut down
and electrical power can be had from the port. On large ships there is also
the problem that multiple engines are being used per screw. I am betting
that you can’t just flick a switch and have them all start in concert.

<Power vs propulsion and fuel costs>

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

This is an issue with PC parties that Refs probably ought to think about
more. I question the idea that fuel skimming would be free in an inhabited
system that could exert traffic control over the gas giant. Charging them a
fee to be able to skim would happen shortly. Enforce it with SDBs.

< Initiating fusion.>

>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.

Running silent needs to be better defined as I am not familiar with the
canon for this. Can you give some examples? I can certainly see reducing
output to the bare minimum but not shutting down the powerplant. That is a
large difference. Canon aside, I am having trouble seeing how you can start
a fusion reaction with anything less than an enormous amount of energy so
this idea is a problem for me. The fact that canonical ports don’t offer
station power to ships is hardly evidence that the start up requirements are
insignificant.

> >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.

I can certainly see set ups that intentionally hold the ship in place until
the portmaster’s office has cleared that the bill has been paid. Trying to
leave early and wrecking the dock and umbilicals just gets charges thrown at
you on top of the default charge. Anything from willful destruction to
attempted murder could be levied. It is a different perspective, I will
grant but different assumptions in the law code would make it possible.

>> 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.

I would point out that tramp freghters sound an awful lot like PC crewed
ships. In a typical seaport what is the percentage of tramps and regular
freighters? The answer to that will set what the port actually operates
like. It will be set up to service the largest segment of the shipping
population and to pull every credit that it can out of those ships. The
rules and regulations will be set to accommodate that segment and if PCs
want to flaunt that they are a fly-by-night, one-step-ahead-of-the-law bunch
then they can go ahead and run their powerplant while in port. The idea that
in a busy star port you will be allowed to leave willy-nilly on a minute’s
notice is probably not a realistic notion anyway. I would look towards
systems that are in use by airports for traffic control. You can set when
you want to leave but traffic control has to be informed and will help guide
you out to make sure that there are no accidents near the station/port. If
all of the slots for 0900 departures are taken then you will have to wait
for the earliest opening. Seaports often use harbor pilots and frown on you
coming and going with out one so there is plenty of precedent against random
departures.

>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

Oh but things happen! Being sighted boarding the vessel by the slighted
person or worse having your captain address you in public and remind you
that the Empress Marava is leaving at 0700 etc. I did something similar to a
friend that was ‘making his move’ completely by accident. It was hilarious.

>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.

If it is an “adventurous situation” why would you shut down the engine? Shut
down seems to have been put forward as an SOP for routine situations. It is
a good excuse to give the engineer and associates some spotlight time.
Losing a ship only gives a reason to get that ship back
or steal a better
one. ;)