--- On Tue, 10/9/12, Onno Meyer <[email protected]> wrote: > Brandon wrote: > > The FTL component really needs some STL capability, > even if it's just for > > minimal maneuvering when docking/undocking with the STL > component. > > If you can dock with unpowered containers, you can dock > with non-STL-capable stardrive components.
Most containers don't carry expensive FTL drives or crew. For safety, if nothing else, the FTL component needs some thrusters, although a fraction of a G (say, 0.1G where 1G is common for commercial ships) should be adequate. > > This does remind me of Traveller's jump shuttle. Theses > are intended to > > transfer system defense boats (no FTL capacity) from > one system to another. > > There really isn't a reason the concept can't be > applied to a similar > > arrangement for commercial ship. > > Jump shuttles are fully capable starships, and the system > is designed to carry STL ships from time to time, not run > a FTL transport network. Maneuver drives can be reduced to the minimum for safety. White the jump shuttle for SBDs don't have a regular network, those for commercial ships could. > That is, the SDBs are cargo, not > components of a FTL transport system. What if the jump shuttle was carrying a merchant ship without jump drives but loaded with cargo and passengers instead of a SDB? > > One issue is how much it costs a STL ship to use a FTL > ship. > > Calculate operating costs according to GURPS ... Which makes me wonder if the divided ship approach is cheaper than a single ship design. Brandon _______________________________________________ GurpsNet-L mailing list <[email protected]> http://mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l
