Not A Snark

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====== Civilian Ships ======
{{ :ft:crimson_nebula_1.jpg?nolink |}}
Countless traders, merchants, holiday makers and other civilians travel from world to world every day, and there is a huge market for civilian vessels to fill these roles. Civilian vessels are generally weaker for their size compared to military vessels, and tend to have little or no armaments. It is generally more productive for a trader to hire armed escort vessels if there is perceived danger, than it is to rely on second rate weapons and unskilled gunners to try and defend against pirates and privateers themselves.

===== Rules Modifications =====

==== PDS ====

It is assumed that PDS systems can fire on other ships without requiring a fire control system. This allows merchant shipping to have light weapons for defence without needing a full set of fire control systems (at which point they may as well use Class-1 beam batteries).

===== Classifications =====

The following classifications are used for civilian vessels:

^ Classification     ^ Code ^ Mass      ^
^ Landing Craft      | LC   | 1 - 50    ^
^ Free Trader        | MF   | 1 - 50    ^
^ Light Freighter    | ML   | 1 - 50    ^
^ Medium Freighter   | MM   | 51 - 150  ^
^ Heavy Freighter    | MH   | 151 +     ^

A //freighter// is a civilian vessel which has the majority of space dedicated to cargo. If the bulk of space is dedicated to passengers, then it is considered a //liner//, and has the 'ML' prefix rather than 'M', e.g. MLL, MLM or MLH for light, medium or heavy.

//Private// vessels may be suited for cargo or passenger use in terms of design, but are used for private activities rather than commercial. Luxury yachts are the most common type. These have the 'MP' prefix, e.g. MPL, MPM or MPH, however MPL are by far the most common since such vessels tend to be small.

===== Landing Craft =====

Landing Craft are designed to ferry cargo (either passengers or goods) to and from a planet's surface. Many are streamlined to allow landing within an atmosphere.

Most landing craft are actually small [[../shuttles|shuttles]], and are treated in a way similar to fighters.

==== Antares Shuttle ====

{{:ft:merchants:designs:antares_shuttle.png?direct |Antares Shuttle}}
{{ :ft:merchants:photos:antares_shuttle.jpg?60|Antares Shuttle}}
**Class:** Landing Craft (LC)\\ **Mass:** 40\\ **Points:** 64\\ 

The //Antares Shuttle// is a jump capable transport designed for landing on planets with atmospheres. It is often used as a military support vessel, though has no defences so relies on fighter escorts for landings around hot targets. It has full streamlining, allowing it to move 2" in an atmosphere, and has powerful enough engines to enable taking off from most worlds smaller than Earth which do not have an atmosphere. There are variant designs (the //Antares/B//) which has smaller engines to allow for greater cargo capacity, but they have a greater reliance on an atmosphere to get into orbit.
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===== Free Traders =====

//Free Traders// are generally privately owned vessels of small size, which don't make scheduled runs but perform whatever work is available. They are the most likely to be armed.

==== Wraith Free Trader ====

{{:ft:merchants:designs:wraith.png?direct |Wraith Free Trader}}
{{ :ft:merchants:photos:wraith.png|Wraith Free Trader}}
**Class:** Free Trader (MF)\\ **Mass:** 30\\ **Points:** 65\\ 

The most common of the Free Traders, it mixes a good cargo hold with armaments and a fast drive.
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===== Freighters =====

Freighters are designed to carry large amounts of freight on regular runs. The following ship classes are commonly found in civilised space. They are little more than a hull wrapped around cargo containers, with a drive at one end and a crew section at the other.

==== Atlas Light Freighter ====

{{:ft:merchants:designs:atlas.png?direct |Atlas Light Freighter}}
{{ :ft:merchants:photos:atlas.png|Atlas Light Freighter}}
**Class:** Light Freighter (ML)\\ **Mass:** 40\\ **Points:** 64\\ 

A small freighter.
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==== Resolution In-system Cargo Hauler ====

{{:ft:merchants:designs:resolution.png?direct |Resolution In-system Freighter}}
{{ :ft:merchants:photos:resolution.jpg?100|Resolution In-system Freighter}}
**Class:** Medium Freighter (ML)\\ **Mass:** 60\\ **Points:** 69\\ 
The //Resolution// class of In-system hauler is a common sight in many systems. Designed to ship low value goods around a system, it has no jump drive and only the barest minimum of standard drives. It may not be fast, but it is cheap and reliable.
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==== Centaur Medium Freighter ====

{{:ft:merchants:designs:centaur.png?direct |Centaur Medium Freighter}}
{{ :ft:merchants:photos:centaur.jpg?110|Centaur Medium Freighter}}
**Class:** Medium Freighter (MM)\\ **Mass:** 80\\ **Points:** 128\\ 

A medium freighter, designed to carry hazardous material. The crew compartment is far from the cargo hold, providing some measure of safety in case of an accident.
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==== Tradewind Freighter ====

{{:ft:merchants:designs:tradewind-freighter.png?direct |Tradewind Freighter}}
{{ :ft:merchants:photos:tradewind-freighter.jpg?90|Tradewind Freighter}}
**Class:** Medium Freighter (MM)\\ **Mass:** 80\\ **Points:** 128\\ 
The //Tradewind// class of medium freighters were built in a number of different configurations. This, the standard cargo model, was the basic design from which the others were based. It is a typical medium freighter, with no frills, and a good sized cargo hold.
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==== Tradewind Tanker ====

{{:ft:merchants:designs:tradewind-tanker.png?direct |Tradewind Tanker}}
{{ :ft:merchants:photos:tradewind-tanker.jpg?90|Tradewind Tanker}}
**Class:** Medium Freighter (MM)\\ **Mass:** 80\\ **Points:** 128\\ 
The //Tradewind// class of medium freighters were built in a number of different configurations, of which this example is the tanker variant. Modified to allow easy refuelling of ships 'in flight', the Tradewind Tanker is a common sight around major spaceports.
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==== Marlow Freighter ====

{{:ft:merchants:designs:marlow.png?direct |Marlow Freighter}}
{{ :ft:merchants:photos:marlow.jpg?100|Marlow Freighter}}
**Class:** Medium Freighter (MM)\\ **Mass:** 110\\ **Points:** 166\\ 
The //Marlow// class of modular freighters can be configured to carry a wide range of loads. The independent external loading mechanisms makes for easy attachment/detachment of cargo modules.
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==== Behemoth Medium Freighter ====

{{:ft:merchants:designs:behemoth.png?direct |Behemoth Medium Freighter}}
{{ :ft:merchants:photos:behemoth.jpg?110|Behemoth Medium Freighter}}
**Class:** Medium Freighter (MM)\\ **Mass:** 120\\ **Points:** 206\\ 
The largest of the medium freighters, the Behemoth is capable of shipping 8,000 tonnes of cargo. For a freighter, it is surprisingly tough and well armed, carrying two class 1 beam weapons as well as anti-fighter point defence systems. Designed to carry cargo at the edges of civilisation, it is capable of fighting off small scale pirate attacks. However, it is not a military class vessel, and several have been lost when their crew assumed that just because they could fight, that they should.
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===== Passenger =====

==== Vantage Luxury Yacht ====

{{:ft:merchants:designs:vantage.png?direct |Vantage Yacht}}
{{ :ft:merchants:photos:vantage.jpg|Vantage Yacht}}
**Class:** Light Private (MPL)\\ **Mass:** 32\\ **Points:** 66\\ 
The //Vantage// class of luxury yacht is a spacious vessel designed for private use and ownership. It is fast, much faster than most civilian vessels not specifically designed for racing. Most owners are company executives, rich playboys or nobility. It has plenty of room for staff accommodation as well as staterooms for the owners. A few variants include defensive systems at the expense of living space.
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==== Horizon Liner ====

{{:ft:merchants:designs:horizon.png?direct |Horizon Liner}}
{{ :ft:merchants:photos:horizon.jpg?65|Horizon Liner}}
**Class:** Light Liner (MLL)\\ **Mass:** 40\\ **Points:** 76\\ 
The //Horizon// class of passenger liner is typical for its type, though has a reputation of being more robust and reliable compared to alternatives such as the //Olympus//. Because of this it has slightly less passenger space, and is a bit more expensive, so tends to get limited in use to long range cruises which are further from the core systems.
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==== Olympus Liner ====

{{:ft:merchants:designs:olympus.png?direct |Olympus Liner}}
{{ :ft:merchants:photos:olympus.jpg|Olympus Liner}}
**Class:** Light Liner (MLL)\\ **Mass:** 40\\ **Points:** 72\\ 
The //Olympus class Passenger Liner// is a small, fast liner designed to cater to the upper class. It is comfortable on the inside, with spacious staterooms, along with the support infrastructure to keep such passengers happy.
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