Spaceship: The Carter

LucasC · Apr 5, 2014

The Carter is a customized freighter.

I mapped The Carter using the 1 CU = 4 squares. Not visible on the floorplan are:

5 CU given to SS
3 CU given to computers, scanners, etc.
10 CUs given to shields
5 CUs given to the tractor beam

Luxury was not a problem, although having so many cabins helped. I needed all the cabins because this will be the PCs primary ship and there are seven of them.

As FTL is highly restrictive in my setting, engines were easy and actually the ship engines technically produce more than I'll allow. The computers make up for that though, dropping the engines back down to 2 (from 3).

I created a new "add on" item for the ship.

Navigational Computers: Each nav computer costs 1MC and takes up .25 space. Each computer reduces required crew by 1 for the purposes of flying the starship. That allows the ship to fly with just one person. It cannot use any of the guns or sensors and such without an actual crew.

Bridge (incidentally, this doesn't take any CUs technically)
Observation lounge
(more of the) Observation lounge and poor quality cabins (x6)
Standard quality cabin
Subluminal engines
Rail guns - set on tracks so they can pivot up and down the side of the ship
Cargo space (a/b are ramps that can be lowered for getting onto the ship)
FTL engines

Morrus · Apr 5, 2014

Very cool. Be sure to add it to the database!

I notice you don't tend to specify component names and the like. Do you feel that part of the process is too fiddly?

(BTW, I see you have the old DEFENSE value there; not that I've decided one way or the other yet!)

LucasC · Apr 6, 2014

I leave out the manufacturer names and such because they tend to clutter up the stats without adding any value.

I envision countless generically manufactured engines, guns, computers, etc. Too many to name. The thing they will share in common is a cap on technology level, for example, FTL engines can only reach FTL 2. When eventually I give one a name, like the Stellar Co Corp Mark IV Viper Engine, I'll stat that one out in some fashion to break the rules, maybe it can fly at FTL 3. But I'll restrict that to the ones that matter.

I don't have all the details on the sheet above but, excepting names, those details are in my Excel sheet. Things like the subluminal engines being liquid fuel and hyperdrive for FTL. The weapons are projectile rail guns. Etc. These details are used to differentiate species in my setting. For instance, The Carter is a human ship and as such it uses propulsion engines and projectile weapons. If it were a tayvaak ship it would use disruptors and if it were a durog ship it uses an unknown type of engine, power and weaponry.

I skip those pages in the book that have all the pre-built component parts and generate my ships using the charts (engines pg 176, shields pg 182, weapons pg 187, etc.).

I intend to add it to the db.