Hello everybody, I'm thinking about archetypes and memes for a series of "Fast Courier" starships. What does "Fast Courier" mean?
* Speed over payload. * Not a scout. She carries people or cargo from planet A to planet B, she doesn't map the destination world first. * Not a warship. If she is armed, that is for self-defense, since she might carry valuable cargo. So what does that leave as concepts? * The Serenity and the Millenium Falcon were freighters were flexibility and speed counted for more than big cargo bays, but I've covered those memes with the TL10 and TL11 Light Transports. * Corporate Courier. Accountants will watch the bottom line, but if it makes sense to spend some real money, this ship does it. Possibly VIP quarters for a CEO or Executive VP. * Parcel Service. One of thousands of similar ships, with high speed and cargo rather than passengers. Still, few amenities and large engines. * Secure Armored Transport. Speed is important, but so is security. * Diplomatic Courier. Not a warship, but the crew might be seconded from the military. Good defenses, but no offense and no stealth -- "here I am, I'm legit". * Criminal Courier ska smuggler. Might be disguised as a Parcel Service ship. Memes include the blockade runner, which tries to break through with high speed, and the real smuggler, which tries to pass an inspection. Partly covered by my TL11 Light Transport and an earlier TL11 ship. * Spy Ship. Either a "normal" Parcel Service ship with a few hidden sensors and commo systems (think black van) or a shiny VIP Courier with pop-up weapons (think Bond). * Bounty Hunter. No proper badge, so the ship isn't armed, but there are detention facilities inside. * Corporate Troubleshooter. Base 08/15 doesn't answer, and the bosses don't want to call the Marines. Again a ship which expects trouble, but isn't legally supposed to be armed. Maybe this is better handled as a Scout or Salvage Tug variant. * Medevac Ship. Not search and rescue, but rather the kind of ship which takes injured people from a frontier world clinic to a proper core world clinic, if they can afford it. * In many settings, civilian starships routinely go armed. In that case, replace "unarmed" with "light, legal guns". Any thoughts? There are more than enough concepts to cover seven TLs from 10 to 16, if all work out. Regards, Onno _______________________________________________ GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]> http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l
