Notebook 11: SciFi Props Catalog - Ships
Enigma
Enigma - 06-01-2016, 01:01 AM
This is the discussion thread for Science Fiction Ships
Guerilla Gaming: SF: Basics of Spaceship & Starship Design
by Enigma, 03-01-2013 at 03:24 AM (16 Views)
So you've decided you're going to run a science fiction game that takes place in space. And for that you're going to need a ship. Here are a few things I'd like you to consider.
1. FUNCTION
The purpose of a ship is to transport some sort of payload to a destination. The nature of that payload will dictate a large part of the ship's design.
A cargo ship's payload is its cargo. Capacity is usually more important than speed, and you only need a large enough crew to handle the ship and the cargo. If your cargo is packed in some sort of standardized container, then fewer crew members are needed to handle it. The crew could be a single pilot or it could be a robot ship that doesn't have to worry too much about life support. That is not to say you couldn't also carry passengers, you simply do not have as much room for them.
NOTE: A few movies/tv series have suggested a 'space rig', where a tractor module connects in some way to one or more separate trailer modules. The movie Alien had the Nostromo connected to a massive robotic refinery that processes the raw cargo into a usable form while the crew is hibernating. The movie Space Truckers and the anime Cowboy Bebop episode "Heavy Metal Queen" have a tractor module that connects to modular cargo pods. The Eagle from Space: 1999 is another example of a space rig.
A passenger ship's payload is people. People who will eat, sleep, breathe, and demand more in the way of entertainment if they are not in hibernation. The more people you are transporting, the larger your crew will need to be. This is not to say you cannot carry cargo, it's just with the passenger needs, you will not have as much room available.
A Military Battlewagon's payload is weapons. Larger warships are usually more heavily armored and have bigger weapons - more guns and missiles, but tend to be slower as a result of all that mass they have to move around. Smaller ships depend more on speed than armor to protect them and may not be as heavily armed.
Some warships are more specialized. Carriers carry fighters, which greatly extends the reach of a battle group, but the carriers themselves are usually only lightly armed, depending on their fighters and the support of the rest of the battle group to protect it. Carriers in today's modern navy are considered to be capital ships, and as such they usually are escorted by destroyers or cruisers - they never go anywhere by themselves.
NOTE: Drones are becoming an important part of modern warfare. Future space navies may depend more on ship-controlled drones to take the fight to an enemy rather than a manned fighter. If you decide you want to have a ship that combines heavy weapons with fighters, treat the fighters as a secondary weapon system.
Another specialized warship is the Assault ship, which uses shuttles to transport troops and armored cars to the surface. Once again, only lightly armed, so they depend on another warship such as a cruiser or destroyer to help protect it from a threat. Assault ships may have fighters (or drones) to give it and the shuttles some protection.
Military ships tend towards larger crews, to allow for crew loss during battles, damage control & repair, as well as 24x7 monitoring of the area around them.
There are also support ships that may be in a military fleet - carriers with small fightercraft, hospital ships, tenders to repair ship damage and perform routine maintenance, and manufacturing ships to convert raw materials into standardized parts and supplies, everything from battle lanterns, ration packs, and missiles.
2. SETTING
The setting of your game is also important, as it will determine what's available for you to use. If this is an interplanetary game, you don't need an interstellar drive. Going into an atmosphere? Then the ship has to be sufficiently streamlined or the characters need to use something else like shuttles or teleports to get to the surface.
No teleport? Shuttles then.
What about gravity? In zero gravity, astronauts start losing bone density, so for something long-term, you want some sort of gravity. Centrifugal force works, but it requires a portion of your ship to be spinning. Or do you have a gravity generator?
Communication - how do you talk to someone on another ship or on a planet's surface? How do you contact someone who's on a different planet in a different system? Or a different compartment on your own ship?
Is there special equipment to worry about, like powered armor or armored cars? Or ISO cargo containers?
Knowing the setting helps you design your ship.
3. HABITABILITY
Crews and passengers will want a lot of the same things - a comfortable environment that's not too hot or cold, air to breathe, food to eat, a way to relieve themselves, and someplace to sleep or sit down as needed.
Environmental Systems regulate temperature and air.
The Hull is the outer layer of the ship. Some ships may have an inner hull, separated from the outer hull by a gap. Hulls are usually armored to protect against radiation and micrometeor damage. There may be a separate heat shield to protect the ship during re-entry.
Bulkheads are vertical walls that separate the ship into multiple sections, at least three, as a way to contain damage and to prevent loss of atmosphere if one section becomes open to space.
Decks are like the floors in your house or a building.
Compartments are the rooms inside a ship.
Hatches are reinforced doors that allow a bulkhead, deck, or compartment to be sealed to prevent loss of atmosphere.
Airlocks are small chambers with hatches at either end, with pumps that can remove air from the chamber to allow crew access to and from the ship from the outside. Most airlocks are set up so that for one hatch to be opened, the other must be closed.
Bathrooms on board ship are referred to as the "Head", dating back to ancient sailing ships where the "bathrooms' ' were all the way forward on the ship, on either side of the bowspirit where the figurehead was fastened.
The Galley is the ship's kitchen. Officers have their own kitchen known as the Pantry.
The Crews' Mess or Mess Decks is the crew dining compartment. Officers have a separate compartment known as the Wardroom.
Sick Bay - the ship's hospital or medical clinic.
Berthing is a compartment that has sleeping berths (bunk beds) and lockers for the crew. A ship typically will divide the crew between several berthings to minimize loss. Each berthing compartment will have its own bathroom or "head".
Cabins are officer offices/sleeping compartments. Typically, only senior officers will have their own private bathroom or "head", the rest share a common bathroom.
The Bridge is where the ship is controlled. The Captain usually has a cabin near the bridge.
Turret - this is a weapon pod, usually situated on a reinforced section of the hull known as a "hard point". Turrets are usually remotely controlled by an operator at a dedicated console inside the ship, not in the turret.
4. THE "WOW" FACTOR
Sometimes called the "Cool" factor, this is some aspect of the ship's appearance that will hopefully make your players want to have their characters on board.
This is just a brief introduction, I will be discussing more on ship design in future entries.
Updated 03-01-2013 at 04:16 AM by Enigma
Tags: design, guerilla gaming, roleplay, scifi, tips
Categories Uncategorized
Enigma - 06-15-2016, 10:25 PM
Galley Idea
I'd like to propose a simple system for food for travelers.
For large groups:
Individual servings (entree, side dishes, deserts, etc.) are placed in little paper trays and sealed onto a larger tray that is then frozen. Cooking is simple - a tray is removed from the freezer, heated according to directions, then the served, with people taking one of the individual servings from each tray so they have an entree, side dishes, deserts, etc.
These can be supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables from a hydroponics section or for smaller ships, small portable hydroponic units that mount onto the wall. Also, some food like canned soup that can be reheated.
For smaller groups or special dietary needs (like for a member of an alien race):
Individual frozen meals like today's TV dinners that can be placed in a microwave.
Alternately, a small box that's like a classier MRE that holds shelf-stable packaged foods and can be eaten cold or reheated. May include drink and soup mixes that require heated or chilled water. May require a specialized individual "cooking" station in the galley or crew's mess.
Or some combination of that. I've used TravelRation for the more basic shelf-stable boxed MRE, and Seares Standard Rations for fancier packaged meals. Each race has a range of numbers that allows them to select the correct ration pack for them, and may have a selection of both kinds for variety.
UPDATE:
Food printers - need four patties, you "print" four patties.
Enigma - 06-15-2016, 10:43 PM
Ship's Crews
Larger ship crews should be divided into various departments.
Shipmasters or Captains represent the interests of owners of a ship (or may be the owner) and should have a Master's license.
Deck department is in charge of the daily command operations of a ship - piloting, navigation, ship safety and cargo. Also for any auxiliary craft like shuttles and lifeboats.
Deck Officers hold Mates licenses and are authorized to take command of the ship if something happens to the captain.
Pilots hold Pilot licenses and are authorized to operate auxiliary craft such as passenger shuttles and trans-atmospheric fighters.
Deck hands are unlicensed crew members who are responsible for basic ship-handling duties, cargo, ship's safety and security, rigging and general maintenance.
Coxswains are certified crew members who handle auxiliary craft such as space tugs and transports.
Engineering department is in charge of the ship's engineering section; maintaining and repairing the engines and hull structure. This can include communications.
Engineering Officers hold Engineer licenses and are in charge of the ship's engines, auxiliary systems, environmental systems, fuel, tanks and bilges. The chief engineer reports directly to the captain.
Engineering Hands are unlicensed crew members responsible for maintaining and repairing the engines, auxiliary systems, electrical and electronic systems, and structural repairs to the hull.
Steward Department is in charge of ship administration, finances and supply, and for the health and welfare of the crew and passengers.
The Chief Steward and Pursers are the licensed officers for the Steward department, as is the ship's doctor.
Cooks and stewards are the unlicensed crew members responsible for preparing food, stores, cleaning, and crew welfare.
Medical techs are certified crew members responsible for assisting in the medical care of crew and passengers.
https://role-player.net/forum/group....823&do=discuss
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