Mega Trade

I started thinking about the J-3 haulers running the Anthorann/Gamelea – Anar/Lymethius route and about the sheer amount of cargo involved in the trade between star systems.

The Bryak – Anthorann Run has a Bilateral Trade Number of 10.5. The Anthorann – Anar Route has a BTN of 10, as does the Rimward Run from Gamelea to Gaidon and from Gamelea to Miazan. The 10.5 BTN-rated Spinward Run from Bryak doesn’t actually end at Anthorann. It doglegs Rimward via Kalar-Wi and then Spinward to Yuakteisye in the Huiha Esoyatre. After downgrading to a BTN of 10, the route then turns Coreward for ten parsecs before terminating at Lysarnor in the Geithurian Republic.

So, what do these numbers mean? According to GURPS: Traveller Far Trader, a route with a BTN of 10.5 generates 5 – 10 million tons of cargo per year, or 100,000 – 500,000 tons per week. A BTN 10 trade route has 1 – 5 million tons of cargo per year, or 50,000 – 100,000 tons per week.

If a standard Type A2 200-ton J-2 freighter, such as the Empress Marava from Supplement 7 - Traders and Gunboats, has a 46 ton cargo bay, then we would need between 2174 and 10,870 ship movements per week to move all freight on a BTN 10.5 route, or 1087 – 2174 ship movements per week on a BTN 10 route.

Now most of the routes I described above are Jump-2, and so could be serviced with multiple small ships, but there are a couple of J-3 gaps which either have to be bridged or weeks added to shipping times. It’s this necessity to bridge the Anthorann – Anar Gap, or the Gamelea – Rimbaud II Gap, that opens the door to higher Jump capable freighters. And if one is already paying for Jump-3 on a high-traffic route, then one might as well move as much cargo as possible at one time – so, enter the Megahauler.

These ships were built using High Guard Shipyard 1.13.

Ship: Karuthara
Class: Daiishaluur
Type: Megahauler
Architect: David Billinghurst
Tech Level: 12

USP	AH-	L431343-	090000-	60000-0	MCr 11,348.916	20 KTons
Bat Bear			1	A	Crew: 144
Bat			1	A	TL: 12

Cargo: 7,402.000 Passengers: 150 Low: 100 Fuel: 6,600.000 EP: 600.000 Agility: 1 Shipboard Security Detail: 20 Craft: 5 x 200T Mechamaarii Lighter
Fuel Treatment: On Board Fuel Purification

Architects Fee: MCr 108.603 Cost in Quantity: MCr 9,176.865

Detailed Description

HULL
20,000.000 tons standard, 280,000.000 cubic meters, Close Structure Configuration

CREW
17 Officers, 127 Ratings

ENGINEERING
Jump-3, 1G Manuever, Power plant-3, 600.000 EP, Agility 1

AVIONICS
Bridge, Model/4 Computer

HARDPOINTS
70 Hardpoints

ARMAMENT
50 Triple Beam Laser Turrets organised into 10 Batteries (Factor-6)

DEFENCES
20 Triple Sandcaster Turrets organised into 1 Battery (Factor-9)

CRAFT
5 200.000 ton Mechamaarii Lighters (Crew of 5, Cost of MCr 97.732)

FUEL
6,600.000 Tons Fuel (3 parsecs jump and 28 days endurance)
No Fuel Scoops, On Board Fuel Purification Plant

MISCELLANEOUS
294.0 Staterooms, 100 Low Berths, 50 High Passengers, 100 Middle Passengers, 100 Low Passengers, 7,402.000 Tons Cargo

USER DEFINED COMPONENTS
None

COST
MCr 10,968.859 Singly (incl. Architects fees of MCr 108.603), MCr 8,688.205 in Quantity, plus MCr 488.660 of Carried Craft

CONSTRUCTION TIME
172 Weeks Singly, 138 Weeks in Quantity

COMMENTS
Tech Level 12 Mega Merchant ship with 5 x 200 ton lighters

Each Daiishaluur carries five 200-ton non-jump capable Mechamaarii Class Lighters for both fueling and surface-to-space cargo lift.

Ship: Number 7
Class: Mechamaarii
Type: Lighter
Architect: David Billinghurst
Tech Level: 12

USP		WY-	2202311-	050000-	00000-0	MCr 97.732	200 Tons
Bat Bear				1		Crew: 5
Bat				1		TL: 12

Cargo: 64.000 Passengers: 10 Fuel: 6.000 EP: 6.000 Agility: 2
Fuel Treatment: Fuel Scoops and On Board Fuel Purification

Architects Fee: MCr 0.977 Cost in Quantity: MCr 78.186

Detailed Description

HULL
200.000 tons standard, 2,800.000 cubic meters, Cone Configuration

CREW
Pilot, Engineer, Steward, Medic, Gunner

ENGINEERING
Jump-0, 2G Manuever, Power plant-3, 6.000 EP, Agility 2

AVIONICS
Bridge, Model/1 Computer

HARDPOINTS
2 Hardpoints

ARMAMENT
None

DEFENCES
2 Triple Sandcaster Turrets organised into 1 Battery (Factor-5)

CRAFT
None

FUEL
6.000 Tons Fuel (0 parsecs jump and 28 days endurance)
On Board Fuel Scoops, On Board Fuel Purification Plant

MISCELLANEOUS
17.0 Staterooms, 10 Low Berths, 5 High Passengers, 5 Middle Passengers, 64.000 Tons Cargo

USER DEFINED COMPONENTS
None

COST
MCr 98.709 Singly (incl. Architects fees of MCr 0.977), MCr 78.186 in Quantity

CONSTRUCTION TIME
57 Weeks Singly, 46 Weeks in Quantity

With a cargo capacity of 7400 tons, only 14 – 68 movements by a Daiishaluur Class vessel are required each week on the 10.5 BTN routes, or 7 – 14 movements on the 10 BTN routes. With a Daiishaluur and its five Lighters costing MCr 9,176.865, some 138.7 times more than the MCr 66.175 for a Far Trader, but a Daiishaluur’s cargo capacity of 7400 tons massing 160.9 times the A2’s 46 tons, one would hope for a saving on these routes by shifting cargo in mega bulk. When you factor in the Daiishaluur’s J-3 range against the A2’s J-2, then on the longer hauls, the Daiishaluur should begin to pull ahead.

I opted for a basic TL12 build for the Daiishaluur Class as, given the average Tech Level of the Border Worlds, I surmised that the Daiishaluurs could be serviced at most Class A or B ports, much like Type-S Scouts and the ubiquitous Type-A2 Merchant ships. Upon checking system Tech Levels against Starport types and Yard capacity, I found that very few TL 12 systems in the Border Worlds had an A-Class Starport (required to build jump-capable starships), and of those that did, only Miazan/Miazan possessed enough capacity to build a 20, 000 ton ship. In fact, given that Miazan has a Yard capacity of 6.3 million tons; it is more than likely that several Daiishaluurs are building at any one time to claim the discount for quantity.

It would seem, then, that the Daiishaluur Class Megahauler would be seen operating the Miazan – Exxilon – Tonivar – Celephais – Rimbaud II – Gamelea Run and it’s possible that some might do a grand circle from Miazan out into Cabria Subsector via Lo Taisang – Yuar – Brol – Gyffd – Tonivar – Exxilon – Miazan, which scoops up most of the 5,000 tons – 10,000 tons of trade a week from Lo-Taisang – Yuar and a chunk of the 10,000 tons to 50,000 tons going between Yuar and Brol. While most of the Grand Circle is beyond the Imperial Border, the Gyffd – Tonivar leg neatly over-jumps Kalar-Wi space in the event of tensions in that region. Alternatively, a savvy ship-owner could offer an alternate run from Gyffd to Yuakteisye in the Huiha Esoyatre that would cut at least two weeks off the standard J-2 route through Atlasiykh.

While messing around with High Guard Shipyard, I reran the Daiishaluur Class design parameters for a TL15 ship. The result is the High Veenoir Class Megahauler:

Ship: Masasanaii
Class: High Veenoir
Type: Megahauler
Architect: David Billinghurst
Tech Level: 15

USP	AH-	L431343-	090000-	70000-0	MCr 7,493.110 20 KTons
Bat Bear			1	A	Crew: 132
Bat			1	A	TL: 15

Cargo: 8,749.000 Passengers: 150 Low: 100 Fuel: 6,600.000 EP: 600.000 Agility: 1 Shipboard Security Detail: 20 Craft: 5 x 200T Calurmajurii Lighter
Fuel Treatment: On Board Fuel Purification

Architects Fee: MCr 72.542 Cost in Quantity: MCr 6,042.272


Detailed Description

HULL
20,000.000 tons standard, 280,000.000 cubic meters, Close Structure Configuration

CREW
16 Officers, 116 Ratings

ENGINEERING
Jump-3, 1G Manuever, Power plant-3, 600.000 EP, Agility 1

AVIONICS
Bridge, Model/4 Computer

HARDPOINTS
70 Hardpoints

ARMAMENT
50 Triple Beam Laser Turrets organised into 10 Batteries (Factor-7)

DEFENCES
20 Triple Sandcaster Turrets organised into 1 Battery (Factor-9)

CRAFT
5 200.000 ton Calurmajurii Lighters (Crew of 5, Cost of MCr 47.784)

FUEL
6,600.000 Tons Fuel (3 parsecs jump and 28 days endurance)
No Fuel Scoops, On Board Fuel Purification Plant

MISCELLANEOUS
282.0 Staterooms, 100 Low Berths, 50 High Passengers, 100 Middle Passengers, 100 Low Passengers, 8,749.000 Tons Cargo

USER DEFINED COMPONENTS
None

COST
MCr 7,326.732 Singly (incl. Architects fees of MCr 72.542), MCr 5,803.352 in Quantity, plus MCr 238.920 of Carried Craft

CONSTRUCTION TIME
172 Weeks Singly, 138 Weeks in Quantity

COMMENTS
Tech Level 15 Mega Merchant ship with 5 x 200 ton lighters

Much like the Daiishaluur Class, the High Veenoir carries five 200 ton non-jump capable lighters to fuel or lift cargo for the ‘hauler.

Ship: Number 4
Class: Calurmajurii
Type: Lighter
Architect: David Billinghurst
Tech Level: 15

USP	WY-	2202311-	050000-	00000-0	MCr 59.730	200 Tons
Bat Bear			1		Crew: 5
Bat			1		TL: 15

Cargo: 95.000 Passengers: 10 Low: 10 Fuel: 6.000 EP: 6.000 Agility: 2
Fuel Treatment: Fuel Scoops and On Board Fuel Purification

Architects Fee: MCr 0.597 Cost in Quantity: MCr 47.784

Detailed Description

HULL
200.000 tons standard, 2,800.000 cubic meters, Cone Configuration

CREW
Pilot, Engineer, Steward, Medic, Gunner

ENGINEERING
Jump-0, 2G Manuever, Power plant-3, 6.000 EP, Agility 2

AVIONICS
Bridge, Model/1 Computer

HARDPOINTS
2 Hardpoints

ARMAMENT
None

DEFENCES
2 Triple Sandcaster Turrets organised into 1 Battery (Factor-5)

CRAFT
None

FUEL
6.000 Tons Fuel (0 parsecs jump and 28 days endurance)
On Board Fuel Scoops, On Board Fuel Purification Plant

MISCELLANEOUS
13.0 Staterooms, 10 Low Berths, 5 High Passengers, 5 Middle Passengers, 10 Low Passengers, 95.000 Tons Cargo

USER DEFINED COMPONENTS
None

COST
MCr 60.327 Singly (incl. Architects fees of MCr 0.597), MCr 47.784 in Quantity

CONSTRUCTION TIME
57 Weeks Singly, 46 Weeks in Quantity

COMMENTS
Non-Jump Capable fuel and cargo lighter for a megahauler.

This was quite an interesting little exercise. At TL15, the 20,000 Megahauler is about MCr 3,000 cheaper, has 12 fewer crew, 1,300 extra tons of cargo, and the laser batteries are more effective. Also, the Lighters are MCr 31 cheaper and can lift 31 more tons of cargo. Gamalea/Gamelea has a Yard capacity of over 35 million tons and so could pop these out like melon seeds. The Bryak – Anar Run is the most obvious place to encounter these ships and they could also make the three parsec jump from Anar to Jul’ni in the Geithurian Republic and pick up the major trade route running Coreward towards Lysarnor.

It is unusual for merchant vessels to have centralised fire control and their turrets organised into batteries. Given the strategic value of these megahaulers; the fact that some of the routes they travel – such as Celephais/Miazan – Tonivar/Cabria – are creations of Imperial Policy, and that the Imperial Army relies upon seconding these vessels to provide heavy lift capacity in wartime, then the provision of limited end-user certification for Navy surplus centralised fire control systems is a mutually beneficial action on the part of BuShips (the Imperial Navy Bureau of Shipping). And so, with the TL12 Daiishaluur Class Megahaulers coming out of Miazan and the High Veenoir Class Megahaulers coming out of Gamelea, the major trade routes are quite adequately serviced, trade is protected, and Ground Force Lift capacity is ensured.

The next step, for me, was to work out how much it costs to run these monsters and whether the freight hauling business could actually sustain ships of this size.

Website Update #15

Have just finished painting a number of 15mm figures, shipping containers, and a new vehicle. The piccs are up on the Modeling and Painting page of my website.

Revised Trade Map

The Trade Map redraw I decided upon last post, due to me inadvertently routing a major trade route through a dead system, is done. It is quite a discipline, when fixing trade routes, to keep within the Jump-2 parameters as “obvious” routes, as charted by X-Boats and military traffic, suddenly become unavailable. Systems such as Yuar/Cabria, providing a J-3 route across the Uedhkinthuez nakhae, begin to stand out as strategic choke points as the additional cost of either break bulking onto a J-3 carrier, or hiring a berth on a J-3 capable Carryall, outweighs the additional weeks required to transit around the end of such a Rift.

The Anthorann/Gamelea – Anar/Lymethius J-3 route is a product of the lack of refuelling in Nearo System. There is sufficient trade out-bound from the Gamelea Cluster towards the Geithurian Republic to keep J-3 haulers running between Anthorann and Anar. These haulers have also, in times of war, been quickly converted to Fleet Auxilaries so there may actually be an element of Sector Fleet sponsorship of this particular trade.

The Faiwawhwe/Lymethius – Jul’ni/Lymethius J-3 route is pretty much guaranteed by the Faiwawhwe – Appaer trade. The B-Class Starport at Jul’ni draws the faster ships away from the long haul through the Evikkim and Hiona Systems, though the bulk of the Spinward-bound trade from the Gamelea Cluster, and Coreward trade out of Miazan Subsector, still takes the longer route.

The Celephais/Miazan – Tonivar/Cabria J-3 route is a product of politics. In reality, the Rimward trade from Celephais invariably routes through Ektra in the Kamperalian Republic, while the Rimward/Spinward trade crosses into Cabria Subsector via Kalar-Wi space. The Celephais – Tonivar route is an attempt by Imperial authorities to keep Imperial trade within Imperial borders, rather than making the potential loss of trade a factor in ensuring peace beyond the borders.

Jump Transitions

I have started marking some of the trade links I generated, using GURPs: Far Trader, onto my sector map. So far, I’ve worked through all the Main and Feeder Routes for Lymethius, Gamelea, Cabria and Miazan Subsectors. I have a feeling that I’m not quite doing it right as I’m working off the BTN numbers, rather than the WTN numbers, as these seemed more logical to use.

The thick red lines, such as between Yuakteisye/Lymethius and Gamelea/Gamelea, are 10.5 BTN Main routes. This represents GCr50 – GCr100 (GigaCredits), or 5 – 10 million tons of trade per year, or 100 thousand – 500 thousand tons of trade per week.

The thinner red lines represent the 10 BTN Main routes, which see 50 thousand – 100 thousand tons of cargo per week and are worth ‘only’ GCr10 - GCr50 per annum.

The thick blue lines represent the 9.5 BTN Feeder routes while the thinner blue lines represent the 9 BTN Feeder routes. 5000 – 10 thousand tons of cargo needs shipping along the 9 BTN Feeder Routes each week, while 10 thousand - 50 thousand tons are shipped weekly along the 9.5 BTN Feeder Routes.

These numbers make interesting reading when trying to work out how many ships, and of what size, might be plying the trade routes of the sector. When the numbers are plotted on a map, we begin to see places where ships of a considerable size might be required just to move the available freight economically.

For example, if 100 thousand – 500 thousand tons of trade per week needs to be moved between Yuakteisye/Lymethius, in the Huiha Esoyatre, and Gamelea/Gamelea, in Imperial Space – or Bryak/Gamelea, as this system is part of the 10.5 BTN route – then how many ships ply this route? And looking more closely at the route, I see a problem. In this case, trade is supposed to stage through Nearo – Jump-3 from Yuakteisye – except there is a small problem. Nearo is a dead system; all higher life forms on its primary world were destroyed in a nuclear and biological attack during the 1st Outrim War, 200 years ago. Oh, and there are no gas giants for refuelling in the system, either.

Bother.

It looks like I will have to swing the Yuakteisye – Bryak route rimward through Kidan, Kalar-Wi and Varch. This has the advantage of reducing the stages to Jump-2 as well as ensuring refuelling is available, but exposes Huiha Esoyatre/Imperial trade to the vagurities of Kalar-Wi factional politics.

More thought required, as well as a map redraw.

Widening the View

My cunning plans for finishing off a bunch of figures crashed and burned today as I was called upon to be dutiful son-in-law. I did manage to finish off a project I started last night - an updated sector map of the RimWorlds with all statted systems named. I also added Outrim Void Sector, as some systems in the Hunt of Rronurl lie rimward of Cabria Subsector, and some of the spinward trade routes from the rimward end of Gazul Subsector pass to rimward of Miazan Subsector.

With this map in place, I can begin adding some of the trade routes I have been working out, using GURPS: Far Trader.

Once again, I generated the Outrim Void Sector map using Heaven and Earth. I set the initial system distribution to "Rift", which represents a 4% coverage. For the "B" and "C" subsectors, I regenerated these with a "Sparse" system distribution (16% coverage) which allowed me to link from spinward to trailing. I then added the extra systems I needed, rimward of Breknor/Cabria, to complete the Vargr polity of the Hunt of Rronurl, and another one further rimward to allow J-2 access out as far as "J" Subsector, some 30 parsecs rimward of Breknor.

I probably need to add a strip of at least two subsectors to spinward of Entorth Subsector to fully flesh out some of the Outrim polities I have mentioned in my notes, and give them sufficient depth to resist Imperial encroachments, while also allowing some Rift space around the edges.

Harook! Again!

After the epic fail of yesterday's photos, I took another batch today in natural light. They came out a lot better but I really need to make a proper lightbox.



Again, you can see the difference in height between a Harook and a Basic/Human/Solomani. If the GZG UNSC Marine is about 5'10" (1.78m), then the Harook must be around 8'6" to 9' tall (2.7m).



Getting the flash to work did not help with picture clarity.



Pallet used: GW Liche Purple for the body armour; Tamiya Olive Green for crest/facial "feathers" and tail; GW Scab Red and Tamiya Red for tips of crest and tail feathers; GW Blazing Orange for beaks; Tamiya Medium Blue for weapons; GW Scab Red for fingers and toes; Tamiya Metallic Grey over Black undercoat base (street/tarmac mix); GW Yellow eye orbs. GW Badab black wash over armour and faces. Squad flashes on left shoulder.

Not a terribly sophisticated pallet when I see some of the works of art that Sonny of Imitation of Life or Spacejacker of Tiny Solitary Soldiers create, and my style is more "colour inside the lines", but I'm happy with how the Harook came out, and I'm looking forward to gaming with them.

I've been thinking further about the Matchbox Smart Car I used in the previous post, and am wondering how it would look if I ripped off the wheels and replaced them with GZG grav plates and whacked a load of filler around to make it a bit more aerodynamic. I could end up with the grav equivalent of the bumblebee (insect, not Transformer) which could be rather cool.

Harook!

First pictures of some of my completed Harook from Mad Robot Miniatures.


Of course, my camera then decided to play up and by the time I took these shots with my wife's camera, I discovered that the two angle-poise lamps I was using had a distinctively yellowy-orange cast. I'll try and take some more shots in daylight tomorrow.

The Harook are very nice models, standing around 20mm in height and towering over my UNSC marine.


They do, however, make this slightly oversized Matchbox Smartcar look almost in scale.