OOC

[Lance]

Customization sounds nice, but the vehicle fitting would cost 25k, if I understand it correctly. We could get about 1 fitting each.

[Faanku]

Customization sounds nice, but the vehicle fitting would cost 25k, if I understand it correctly. We could get about 1 fitting each.

Vehicle Transport Fittings is a one-off fitting that halves the tonnage of ALL vehicles carried by the ship, and allows you to offload them very rapidly; it's intended for ships built around carrying several cars/gravtanks etc to land and unload them in a matter of seconds. Would honestly be a huge waste of mass/power just for half a dozen gravbikes; it's a really niche fitting I think mostly intended for NPC military craft.

[shaidar]

So, I think I've caught up with the ships gear, so we have to multiply prices by 10 for our ship?.

I was going to suggest we all chip in for some of the cheaper items, like extended nedbay, but with that multiplier...

Of course, we should ask the AI if he has any money left to spend on 'upgrades'.

[Lance]

I was going to suggest we all chip in for some of the cheaper items, like extended nedbay, but with that multiplier...

See, someone gets what I was saying.

[Marullus]

Free Merchant Class
Offensive Capabilities
Reaper Battery+AB (3d4) Clumsy
AB = the gunner's BAB + INT/DEX + Shoot

Defensive Capabilities
Speed 3
AC14
Armor 2
HP 20 / 20
Other Specs
Minimum Crew: 1
Maximum Crew: # of PC's + 2
Power: 10 / 6 free
Mass: 15 / 14 free resulting in 280 tons of cargo space
Hardpoints: 2 / 1 free

Fittings
Genuine ICD-1 Spike Drive
Reaper Battery

Yeah, we definitely need to see if the AI can get more included for it's 1.2m price tag!

As far as death traps go... this ship makes a one-way trip (no fuel bunker to get back home), no longer than one hex (drive-1), no ability to refuel itself (no fuel scoops), can't land on a planet (no atmospheric configuration), has no orbital shuttle to get to a planet (no cargo lighter)... so if we are going to a known system only to visit orbital stations with refueling capabilities on them, never to planets, we're okay. Otherwise this is a wreck.
(Edit: I checked the map. Once we get a shuttle to orbit around Mer to meet this ship at the Jama 8 refueling station, we can only take it to the neighboring Cou system [1 hop] to visit the refueling station in the Asteroid Belt. There's two space stations, a research station, and an asteroid base to visit in the system, then back to Mer. If we go the other direction to the Mankira Niti system [1 hop] it is a one-way trip with no way to refuel. The only orbital station is the Novara 7 Research Base orbiting Mavrokola, then hope for a solution from there.)

Prioritized things:
This ship isn't worth it without at least Atmpsoheric Configuration and a Fuel Bunker. (+50K, +25K)
Next, we can navigate only about 1/3 of routes. We want to upgrade to a Drive-2 if it can. (100K)
...if the AI wants to be hooked up in an unmolested place, then it should really want us to get to a Drive-2 accessible world.
Power: 10 / 4 free
Mass: 15 / 9 free

Then the nice-to-haves are:
Armory (100K)
Ship's Locker (20K)
Workshop (5K, 1 Mass)
Extended Medbay (50K, 1 power, 1 mass)
...if we had all those things, we would still have 7 mass left, or 140 tons of cargo space, to hold our six gravcycles.

I'll let someone else comment on this IC.

Edit: upon reconsideration, this crew should totally aspire to addinga Drop Pod, even at the expense of atmospheric configuration. A stealth shuttlecraft for orbital troop insertion and which doubles as an armed gravtank... that has style.

[shaidar]

I was going to suggest fuel scoops, but looking closer I don't think it's worth it, just get a second fuel bunker fitted.

But I agree, we at least need atmospheric configuration (or a shuttle) and at least one fuel bunker. Unfortunately I don't think atmospheric configuration can be retrofitted, so we need a shuttle.

As for bringing it up IC, Jonas doesn't know much about interstellar travel (his hobby piloting experience is mainly on-planet) , apart from as a passenger, perhaps one of our professional pilots should bring if up

[Lance]

Note the price difference between fuel scoops and a shuttle!

[Faanku]

Unfortunately I don't think atmospheric configuration can be retrofitted, so we need a shuttle

Yeah, a cargo lighter would be the only way to make planetfall, which is really not ideal. I think this ship might be more hassle than it's worth, and we should source something better entirely.

[shaidar]

Yeah, maybe we need to see what else is out there because I don't see how this can work with what it has.

[Marullus]

Yeah, a cargo lighter would be the only way to make planetfall, which is really not ideal.

*chanting in a whisper*
Drop Ship. Drop Ship. Drop Ship.


Honestly, and optimistically, if the AI can negotiate a fuel bunker and cargo lighter/drop ship into the purchase this could be a fun story for a first ship. The Cou system has a surprising amount of space-based locales and with the bunker we could get to the Mavrokolan planetary system and back: that's a fair amount of potential stories and possibilities, even if not ideal. It is probably not going to give a place to install the AI, but if the AI owns the ship and pilots it while we are on away missions with the shuttlecraft, that in itself is an interesting story arc.

[Lance]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but why would the AI need a giant frigate to move it's miniscule frame?

[Faanku]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but why would the AI need a giant frigate to move it's miniscule frame?

Maybe it likes to put its feet up.

[Marullus]

Why would it BE a tiny wheelbot when it can BE a Frigate?


While I think I am funny, I also mean it. It needs our help to get offworld to the ship, and (while we don't know it's strategic goals or how they will inevitably trend into insanity) its situation is improved plugged into a starship because it has system-wide scanners at its control and the ability to monitor communications of the system to accumulate data, not just the frequencies on this planet. While it could pilot itself and perform duo- or trio-roles, it likely recognizes a specialist human has greater probability of success and if it encounters inevitable trouble it cannot fill ALL roles in space conflict simultaneously. Since the ship isn't atmospheric, it also needs our aid to get from the ship to its final desired destination, once it determines it. We are useful while it is the ship as long as it is confident it can plan several steps ahead of us to use us for our goals (which I am sure it is).

For our part, I think an unlandable ship works exceptionally well with the AI manning it while we are away. It has the start of a good story.

[The_Wanderer]

There was quite a bit of IC chatter for me to catch up to. I have not moved the story ahead so much as allowed the story to partially catch up with the crew. If there are any outstanding posts IC that it looks like I have not responded to, please let me know.

I will be pushing the story ahead likely in the next day or so.

[shaidar]

OK, does the Cou system provide us with the possibility of getting a fuel bunker fitted at one of the locations there? Would the AI be able to pay for it there? If not we'd have to pay for it ourselves (~4200 credits each).

How long does it take to fit fuel bunkers?. We could buy the ship and then have the bunker fitted before we leave Mer, assuming it doesn't take too long.

Why don't we get a cargo lighter here on Mer? If the AI's situation means that it can't buy one, then why don't we buy one legitimately, as they are 25k, so 4167 credits each. Would we need to buy some passenger space for it?

We may have to just accept a 10k investment each into the ship. I'm willing to do that and postpone my purchase that ties me up for two weeks.

I worry that if the Mer AI is looking, we should leave ASAP.

[Lance]

I'm willing to part with some of my funds, if we can't expect the AI to fund the whole shebang.

Though of the AI has to pay extra because of the shady nature of his not in person purchase, yet being present in person is needed anyway, maybe a trusted party could just find a more suitable vessel for a more agreeable price

[Marullus]

Though of the AI has to pay extra because of the shady nature of his not in person purchase, yet being present in person is needed anyway, maybe a trusted party could just find a more suitable vessel for a more agreeable price

A solid point.

If there are any outstanding posts IC that it looks like I have not responded to, please let me know.

It looks like most of the outstanding concerns are purchases.

- Askor's pilot training is hand-waived, narrative-only.
- Shion has 12 days of mod costs (not fully public)
- Alix and Jonas both implied private transactions
- Ekaterina was potentially negotiating for a bulk transaction on six gravcycles?
- Someone is handling the in-person purchase transaction for the ship

Sem's list is:
- Spending four days with Shion, also buying a factory-new Imani XM-86 assault rifle, and modding it to be Specialized when symbiotic with Shion. (Matching Shion's fervor and intensity, she also works full-out to halve the time, from one week to 3.5 days, but doesn't hire another assistant.) (300+500=800)
- Picking up 180 rounds of ammunition to go with it (two ready magizines, 120 rounds packed). (90)
- Spending five days on Elite Living out on the town with Askor, shopping, eating at exclusive restaurants, and goofing off to gain fun experiences. (1000)
- Common upkeep the four days with Shion, Good upkeep for the remaining days to complete two weeks (14-5-4= 5*25). (60+125)
Out of the 28,000, that leaves her 25,925.

- She will chip in whatever costs are decided for the ship that the AI can't pay (Shaidar suggested 4200+4167, assuming nobody can negotiate that down).
- She will pay her portion of a gravbike bulk transaction. If there is no bulk gravbike transaction, she purchases her own (5,000-negotiation?) She tries to goad Askor into doing the same.
- With what she has left, she wants to get the best deal she can on acquiring the two drones (one overwatch, one support) as previously spec'd or as close to it as is available.

Drone Specs:

Note that if options are dropped, the options on each drone are in priority-order.

Sleeper (2,500) (Total 10,750)
Observation Suite (250)
Sensor Transparency (5,000)
Holoskin (3,000)

Stalker (1,000) (Total 9,480)
Expert System (5,000)
Medical Support (2,000)
6 Lift (300) [1d8 healing]
6 Lazarus Patches (180)
Bomber (500)
2 Demo Charges (500) [3d10]

Stalker (1,000) (Can carry 60kg) (Total 7,000)
Heavy Lift (2,000)
Heavy Lift (2,000)
Heavy Lift (2,000)

Hovercycle (5,000)
2 Speed, 3 Armor, 10 HP, 1 Crew, 1 Tonnage
Black Hoverbike-small.jpg

[shaidar]

Yeah, my numbers are really 25k x 2 / 6, which is 8333.34 each I did some bad rounding.

The_Wanderer, can you confirm the time it would take to fit an additional fuel bunker?

[The_Wanderer]

This ship isn't worth it without at least Atmpsoheric Configuration and a Fuel Bunker.(+50K, +25K)

...let's assume that the atmospheric configuration is included. That may have been...ahem...overlooked in the seller's listing. New stat block below. Lack of a fuel bunker/fuel scoop is intentional as is the inclusion of only a level 1 spike drive. Basically the sector is split into east and west halves and you will need a level 2 drive to cross that. To travel the entire length of the east half though, you only need a level 1 drive to travel some of the secondary routes (they should show up as dashed lines in sectorswithoutnumber).

Free Merchant Class
Offensive Capabilities
Reaper Battery+AB (3d4) Clumsy
AB = the gunner's BAB + INT/DEX + Shoot

Defensive Capabilities
Speed 3
AC14
Armor 2
HP 20 / 20
Other Specs
Minimum Crew: 1
Maximum Crew: # of PC's + 2
Power: 10 / 6 free
Mass: 15 / 13 free resulting in 260 tons of cargo space
Hardpoints: 2 / 1 free

Fittings
Genuine ICD-1 Spike Drive
Reaper Battery
Atmospheric Configuration

[The_Wanderer]

OK, does the Cou system provide us with the possibility of getting a fuel bunker fitted at one of the locations there? Would the AI be able to pay for it there? If not we'd have to pay for it ourselves (~4200 credits each).

How long does it take to fit fuel bunkers?. We could buy the ship and then have the bunker fitted before we leave Mer, assuming it doesn't take too long.

Why don't we get a cargo lighter here on Mer? If the AI's situation means that it can't buy one, then why don't we buy one legitimately, as they are 25k, so 4167 credits each. Would we need to buy some passenger space for it?

We may have to just accept a 10k investment each into the ship. I'm willing to do that and postpone my purchase that ties me up for two weeks.

I worry that if the Mer AI is looking, we should leave ASAP.

Specifically within the Cou system, I'm not sure any of you have been there before - let me know if I specifically told you that you have.

Most major systems are a matter of weeks to install - I'm thinking 1d4 weeks. The cargo lighter is just transported mass though so would not require installation time.