The encounter tables for ships really don't make much sense. They don't take space lanes into account at all and they don't make any sort of logical sense for traffic.
I made some modified encounter tables to at least make some accommodation for how ships had to travel. Like it makes no sense to have more encounters in a system with a Class-A star port than the adjacent systems that the ships at the Class-A MUST have come through.
It also only generates a single encounter. At least on some worlds there should be several ships in port.
I know GURPS Traveller has some stuff in Far Trader, but that doesn't really generate encounter tables as more computes the volume of trade.
One thought is to actually stick with the Book 2 encounter tables and use those to represent the probability of some kind of interaction beyond normal courtesies in port. Then what I should do is develop a table for each encounter type that helps determine what kind of encounter it is. Or I could just make a reaction and go from there.
That still leaves me with coming up with a way to determine what ships might be in port or in orbit.
I want to keep artifacts like Pirate ships are most active in systems with a Class A or B star port (6 or 8 on 2D) and not active at all in systems with a Class D or worse star port, while Patrols are only common in Class A and again, not at all in Class D or worse.
My players are always wanting to know who's in port so they can talk to them...
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I would think pirates would frequent places where the patrols aren't, thus D starports.
+Brett Slocum good point. But also perhaps they aren’t acting as pirates there. Its a “friendly” port so they dont sh#t in their backyard.
Likewise patrol ships there might be undercover.
+Brett Slocum I think the pirates hit A and B star ports for the richer takings. Patrols obviously follow.
I’m taking the setting implications of 1977 as is.
I’m taking the setting implications of 1977 as is.
"it makes no sense to have more encounters in a system with a Class-A star port than the adjacent systems that the ships at the Class-A MUST have come through"
Maybe… but there's also the matter of in-system traffic.
I'm still thinking about the implications of the 77 vs 81 encounter tables. The universes obviously have some different assumptions. I think that the main adjustments that I'd be happy seeing in 77 would be adding the useful ships from 81/Supp7: type T, A2, and so on.
Maybe… but there's also the matter of in-system traffic.
I'm still thinking about the implications of the 77 vs 81 encounter tables. The universes obviously have some different assumptions. I think that the main adjustments that I'd be happy seeing in 77 would be adding the useful ships from 81/Supp7: type T, A2, and so on.
I'm thinking systems with A ports supply their own system patrols for the very reason that traffic is heavier and having stable routes is important.
+Chris Vermeers Yea, somehow additional ships need to be added (since I use Supplement 4, the Lab Ship and Safari Ship are also in play, including my Type KS Safari Scout). 1981 adds the useful Type T patrol, and yea, we also have the Far Trader. I'd add some of the other smaller ships that were added over time also.
If I had the time, I’d start working up a subsector based just on this discussion to see what sort of things came of it. I like the idea of the 77 Rules philosophy with the extras from 81. I’ll have to save this idea for later.
I would think a class B or C port system, one jump from a class A port could have far less traffic than the A port system. A central A port distributes that traffic across its neighboring systems. It would naturally draw more trade as the tech is going to be better and more available. Also more available would be possible cargoes.
This assumes it’s not an Imperial Jump Route. If it’s on a standard jump route traffic would naturally be higher with more tenders, x-boats, navy and scout ships too.
Just my thinking.
This assumes it’s not an Imperial Jump Route. If it’s on a standard jump route traffic would naturally be higher with more tenders, x-boats, navy and scout ships too.
Just my thinking.
Perhaps distance from a space lane is the determiner for number of ships in space, while spaceports are indicators of ships on the ground engaging in repairs, resupply, and trade?
+Robert Fedick Sure, a Class B, C, D, or E star port would have less traffic than a Class A - IF the Class A traffic didn't have to go through there. In the portion of my Wine Dark Rift setting that belongs to my Imperium (NOT the 3I, and for one thing, my Imperium does not have X-Boats or communication routes) is at the end of the line, with an adjacent Class E star port the only neighboring system. ALL J1 traffic to Tegel (the Class A) MUST go through Fogbound (the Class E).
Now, yea, there may be some in system traffic, though how much of that is jump capable ships (another thing 1977 encounter charts don't have, and even the later encounter charts just have sub-100 dTon in system traffic if I remember).
Now of course J2 and J3 traffic skips Fogbound, and in fact there's a Class B at least every 2 parsecs along the space lanes, so I assume the Type M subsidized liner only visits the Class A and B star ports. Type A2 Far Traders might well only visit Class A and B star ports also, allowing them to have somewhat more traffic than the Class C, D, and E star ports along the space lanes.
One way to figure out the traffic might actually be to decide what all ships are in the region and then figure out their routes and then create a traffic map accordingly, and then from there, create encounter tables. Of course the encounter tables would allow for some non-regular ships also (and maybe even 50% of the shipping might be such). They still have to contribute logically to traffic across the region.
Now, yea, there may be some in system traffic, though how much of that is jump capable ships (another thing 1977 encounter charts don't have, and even the later encounter charts just have sub-100 dTon in system traffic if I remember).
Now of course J2 and J3 traffic skips Fogbound, and in fact there's a Class B at least every 2 parsecs along the space lanes, so I assume the Type M subsidized liner only visits the Class A and B star ports. Type A2 Far Traders might well only visit Class A and B star ports also, allowing them to have somewhat more traffic than the Class C, D, and E star ports along the space lanes.
One way to figure out the traffic might actually be to decide what all ships are in the region and then figure out their routes and then create a traffic map accordingly, and then from there, create encounter tables. Of course the encounter tables would allow for some non-regular ships also (and maybe even 50% of the shipping might be such). They still have to contribute logically to traffic across the region.
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