Differences

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--- traveller:spacecraft [2013/12/23 13:43] – sam
+++ traveller:spacecraft [2019/11/10 11:18] (current) – [Civilian Starships] sam
@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 The following lists commercial Solomani spacecraft common to each technology level.
-===== Technology Level 9 =====
+For related pages, see [[space stations]] and the [[./spacecraft/]].
-==== Albatross Freighter (80dt) ====
+===== Terminology =====
-{{ :traveller:ships:albatross.jpg?nolink&150|}}
-A small conical hull with an engine on one end and a bridge and crew quarters at the front. Most of the rest of the ship is given over to cargo. In some designs the cargo area is left unpressurised. It is 30m long, 18m wide and 9m tall.
-A simple intra-system transport freighter, typical of early pre-jump cultures. It was constructed in Solomani space towards the end of the Long Night, but prior to the formation of the Third Imperium.
+==== Small Craft ====
-It is incapable of landing on most planets, and its slow drives make it unsuited for long haul in-system flights. As such it is only found in back water systems where the technology to support anything more complex doesn't exist. However, some variants replace the old style ion drives with updated plasma torch designs, which improves performance considerably.
+//Small craft// are less than 100dt and lack a jump drive.
-===== Technology Level 10 ====
+=== Boat ===
-Spacecraft which pre-date jump drives.
+Anything designed for ferrying passengers and light cargo between ships, normally within a few kilometres of each other. Rarely have life support for more than a few days, and have less than 1km/s delta-v. They are often carried by larger ships.
-==== Olympus Frigate (450dt) ====
+=== Shuttle ===
-{{ :traveller:ships:olympus.jpg?nolink&150|}}
-The Olympus is a typical TL 10 design, a 50m long cylinder 12m in diameter, with main drives at the rear and command and control in an external bridge towards the front. Weapon systems are arrayed along the length.
-It is a combat vessel designed for escort and support duties within a system. Lacking a jump drive, it must rely on jump tenders to reach other systems. Its combat effectiveness is much higher because of this however, and it was one of the most common light military vessels of the period.
+A small craft designed for ferrying passengers and cargo between a planet and low orbit. Similar to boats, with limited life support but considerably greater delta-v due to the need to reach orbit. Most shuttles have the ability to land on a planet and return to orbit, though this doesn't become possible until TL10+.
-Later variants tend to swap rail guns and mass drivers for laser weapon systems, or possible extra missile launchers. Early in TL10, lasers were still expensive and mostly untested in real combat. Having such a wide range of different weapon types in such a small ship increases maintenance and supply costs.
+=== Fighter ===
-==== Zeus Heavy Cruiser (2500dt) ====
+A fighter is a small one or two man craft, generally less than 20dt, designed for combat engagements. They have high acceleration and a delta-v in km/s or tens of km/s depending on tech level. A day or two of life support is common, though some can support missions of a week or more. They are heavily armed, often mostly with single shot weapons such as missiles.
-{{ :traveller:ships:zeus.jpg?nolink&150|}}
-The //Zeus// is a bulky cylindrical design, 80m in length, 32m wide and 16m tall. The bottom of the ship bristles with heavy missile turrets, with beam and rail guns mounted on the side and top respectively.
-One of the largest type of military craft available at this technology level. It is a cruiser class vessel, designed for deep patrol and rapid response.
+=== Gunboat ===
-It's main armament consists of 8 missile launchers, with a total of 64 heavy missiles. General tactics are to try and destroy targets at a distance with missiles, before closing to use beam lasers and rail guns. Designed to use these sorts of tactics makes it strictly a military vessel, not designed for boarding actions or customs checks.
+Larger than a fighter, but still smaller than 100dt. They have longer life support duration (weeks or months), and are designed for patrolling a star system, requiring a high delta-v and moderate thrust. They normally support up to half a dozen crew, so they can have multiple shifts.
-==== Eagle Bulk Freighter (3200dt) ====
+=== Yacht ===
-{{ :traveller:ships:eagle.jpg?nolink&150|}}
-The Eagle class Bulk Freighter is an ugly block design. The oversized engines at the rear, kept external to the hull to simplify shielding, are quite distinctive. It mounts two heavy turrets on top (one fore, one aft) for basic defence.
-One of the earliest interstellar freighters that was built in Sol shipyards following the Long Night, the Eagle class (and its many variants) stayed around for several hundred years before being superseded by newer and better designs.
+A small civilian craft designed for interplanetary travel within a system. Have weeks or months of life support, and moderate delta-v and thrust. Generally unarmed and lightweight. Some of the larger varieties can be greater than 100dt in size, but they are rare.
-Capable of carrying 500dt of cargo, and having a jump range of 1 parsec, it was an expensive way to ship goods around, but it was the best available at the time.
+==== Civilian Starships ====
-Fitted with two dorsal mounted heavy turrets, the //Eagle// has some defensive capability. It's low thrust and limited range greatly reduce it's ability to run from attackers however, and it was often seen as a juicy target if found in less secure systems.
+=== Free Trader ===
-===== Technology Level 11 =====
+A jump capable craft generally up to about 300dt in size. The fact that the crew are also the owners tends to be the main definition of a //Free Trader//.
-==== Albatross ====
+=== Light Freighter ===
-==== Condor ====
+A jump capable cargo freighter up to 1,000dt in size.
-==== Heron ====
+=== Medium Freighter ===
-==== Kestrel ====
+A jump capable cargo freighter up to 10,000dt in size.
-==== Partridge ====
+=== Heavy Freighter ===
-==== Shrike ====
+A jump capable cargo freighter up to 30,000dt in size.
+=== Super Freighter ===
+A jump capable cargo freighter over 30,000dt in size.
+==== Military Starships ====
+Military terminology has been inherited from the ancient wet navies of various civilisations. The design and use of spacecraft doesn't map one to one to wet navy craft, so though many terms are the same, their meanings are often different.
+=== Cruiser ===
+Tend to be lightly armoured, optimised for long range patrols and prioritising a large delta-v other high thrust. Equipped for long range combat, they make heavy use of missiles with a few long range direct energy weapons. Point defence capability tends to be high
+=== Destroyer ===
+A heavily armed and armoured spacecraft which prioritises thrust over delta-v. They tend to prioritise short term engagements rather than long term patrols.
+=== Frigate ===
+Designed for use close in to worlds, or escorting transports. They tend to be moderately good at multiple roles, rather than being heavily specialised. They tend to be smaller craft, generally less than a 1000dt.
-==== Swallow ====