[ooc]Traveller T20 - Full

[doghead]

Re Data Link Service

I remember in one of the books they mentioned how many months (years) it would take for information to cross the Imperium by Jump 6 Courier.

My thinking was this. TL8+ worlds would have service providers much like ours, with a service much like what we have. However, some of those providers would offer intersystem service for people travelling outsystem. This could either be through the same company or via tie ups. Usually, they would be limited to systems in reasonably close proximity, or of sufficient size and importance. If a destination is given to the provider, Messages/Mail could be forwarded to the destination world by Jump ship. (The speed and frequency of these updates would be determined by the regularity of Jump ship services between the systems, a nd the distance.) Alternatively, at a new world, you could send back a request for any M/M to be forwarded (but it would take two weeks minimum - one Jump there and back). At least, that is how I would organise it.

Given the above, I assumed that as Duhk and Daaramm are both major Sector worlds in close proximity, there would be a fair chance of finding a provider that covered both. There would be a fair degree of traffic between them, as well as people shuttling between the two.

Anyway, let me know.

Afterthought: Guilds of various types seem to be quite commom in Traveller. They could also offer some form of mailbox/message forwarding thing.

If no such service exist, then maybe I've found a new market.

 

[Wilphe]

The fastest standard communication service in the Imperium is run by the scouts, known as the X-Boat Service, its eponymous vessals are single person 100 ton jump vessals containing little else other than a jump drive, life support and living space for the pilot, jump fuel and data storage and transmission device. They don't even have maneveur drives.

They jump out from their departure system at J4, take a week or so in jump and then emerge into their destination system. They transmit data (up to 150 terabytes or so) to a waiting X-Boat which in turn jumps to the next system in the line. Then they drift and wait to be picked up by a waiting tender.

 

[doghead]

X-Boats. Thats what I was thinking about. Its only J4? Outta curiousity, how long would it take for information to cross the Imperium? Does it mention it?

 

[Wilphe]

The Edge of the Imperium is about 44 weeks from Core and Capital by X-Boat. This is about 50% less than normal travel time.

The Express Boats can only carry data however, and only along their routes - which typically go through major worlds. Communication to worlds off the X-Boat routes is by local traffic, and as such is highly variable.

 

[doghead]

44 weeks. Thats nearly a year. A year and a half for information to get out and an answer back.

 

[Maerdwyn]

44 weeks. Thats nearly a year. A year and a half for information to get out and an answer back.

That's probably a limiting factor in the growth of the Imperium. Difficult to govern or hold together an empire when a coordinated response to a threat on periphery takes so long to put together. You can grant a lot of independance in your remote fleets, but too far out and they start getting ideas leaving the Imperium altogether.

 

[Maerdwyn]

Seonaid, I edited my last post in the IC thread - just letting you know.

 

[doghead]

Maerdwyn, Saanath went outside.

He had been thinking about it before. But after Seonaids comment, I was a bit uncertain about whether I should (as I know more than he does) but I read back over the IC thread and felt that he had reason enough to do so. It was a kind of tricky call. If you want to veto it, no problems. I'll edit the post.

 

[Maerdwyn]

Maerdwyn, Saanath went outside.

He had been thinking about it before. But after Seonaids comment, I was a bit uncertain about whether I should (as I know more than he does) but I read back over the IC thread and felt that he had reason enough to do so. It was a kind of tricky call. If you want to veto it, no problems. I'll edit the post.

I think it's a bit close to table talk, but I'll handle it in-game (Hergvaer and Kreug were going to do the same thing anyway). No need to edit.

 

[Seonaid]

It's always good to start a campaign in trouble with the authorities . . . I may never make it to the starport!