The issues that cath my eye into my head after some time to consider.
1. I rescind my orignal comemnt about the poor cargo tonnage as it appears that Tech Manual has either an error or retcon that places a standard cargo container at 10 tons rather than the 25 tons it was back in the FASA days.
Makes my insistence on a 10 ton minimum cargo load actually make sense! ;D
2. Armor is waay to light. Your first flubbed atmospheric reentry roll is likely to result in the craft breaking up since teh damage is equal to 5 points X the MoF.
What would you suggest then? Don't want to throw too much weight into armor. Where are the rules for it so I can read up and better balance out the armor.
I could trim down the fuel tanks a bit. I've got enough to spare. Or I could just change the armor so its 20/4/4... the 20 being indicative of a generously thick reentry shield while the rest is there mostly to protect against debris and the like.
3. Speed is probably a bit too high. High speed courier is a specialized market niche with an associated infrastructure premium that regular shippers don't want to pay for. Most shippers will be more than happy with the cheaper 3/5 craft since it's exo-atmospheric capability means even at that thrust curve it can be anywhere o nthe planet within 90 minutes via a sub-orbital hop.
Reason for the 4/6 was it was suggested long ago in a previous incarnation that I raise it up from 3/5 to 4/6 so you don't have to go to over thrust to enter orbit... which is somewhat important because when you exceed your SI you have to make a control roll, and you don't want to risk failing a control roll while passing through the space/surface interface... It's better to pay the ton and not risk crashing and burning every time you break atmo.
4. Again, I think the small laser is a waste of tonnage and money. If you look at the availability codes fo weapons, you quickly realize that in the major powers, weapons are fairly tightly regulated as are almsot certainly their licensed operators.
Oh? A small Laser has an availability code of "B".
It's not such a big deal for a mid-sized shipping firm to to pay the licensing fee for the weaps on a half dozen droppers and their crew, but it's quite another both economically and administratively to a mid-sized delivery firm to license the hundreds to thousands of Hoppers and their pilots.
Any idea where the legality code of a standard vehicular small laser is listed? That's something I'd like to look into. All else fails I could make the small laser a design option. Doesn't have to be standard issue. Maybe mention in the fluff that many pilots due to local licensing restrictions opt to go without the laser. Or even sarcastically modify the design so it mounts a searchlight with a wink and a nod, and an easily modified mounting... a good old nod back to the good old YT-1300 Light Stock Freighter's wink and a nod design style.;)
Though I'd like to note, this vehicle to some probably is seen the same way Mechwarriors see their 'Mechs. It's a way of life. On these Periphery world's I could see entire families who's lifestyle is built around keeping great grandpa's shuttle functioning.
"Families been runnin' cargo to the prospectors, homesteaders, and folk in them there hills for better part of 150 years, boy. Good life, kept you fed and dressed, and I ain't seein' no reason for you to do no different. Now I know there ain't much 'citement in it, but I gotta tell ya, ain't nothin' comes from 'citement 'cept a whole lotta trouble and a good chance o' dead!" ;D
This is excerbated by the ineffectiveness of the weapon. It does nothing mroe than keep the honest honest. Any significant threat be it pirates or megafauna would require heavier weaponary and therefore an escort.
I think you're falling into the large scale perception trap.
The pirates you're going to have to worry about aren't going to be the ones in a battered old Locust, but rather a battered old Toyota Pickup truck who've bolted a machine gun to the roof. Keeping people honest is exactly what its for.
Well, that and keeping the pilot from getting overly nervous when he's landing in a clearing in the middle of the woods 500km from the closest thing resembling civilization to deliver supplies to a group of large, surly looking fellows of questionable lineage lead by a man named 'Grizzly' :D
FWIW, ask yourself if you have the small laser ebcause its' really needed or simply because this is Battletech and everything is armed in Battletech. You'd be amazed how many people don't realize it's the latter until they think about it.
Half of one, two thirds of the other.
It was originally added in due to the fact I had .5 tons to left over once I was finished and decided to put a defensive pop-gun on it for that "authentic frontier feel".
5. Design Quirks: My suggestion: Atmospheric Flyer (3), Easy to Maintain (1), Fast Reload (1)No Ejection System (-2), and Poor Performance (-3). A cargo ship that's not moving is a money sink rather than a revenue generator so halving cargo loading via Fast Reload is a no brainer. Likewise, Poor Performance nicely mimics the feel of a "lumbering" freighter without really hindering the ship except in possible RP situations where a shrewd GM can use to build tension.
Fast Reload is a pretty good idea... didn't like Easy to Pilot and Improved Life Support?
I don't have to completely balance the quirks.
6. I persoanlly would look for slightly different art. General break cargo (as opposed to bulk cargo) has roughly a volume of 1 cubic foot for every 50 lbs so a meteric ton is ~45 cubic feet. So, 10 tons is roughly a cube that's 8 feet on a side though I'd probably go with a 10 -20 ft. cargo bay so odd-sized loads can be hauled.
Maybe if I find something better, but I'm pretty fond if this piece.
Thanks for all the suggestions though. Really.
A lto of criticism there, but pelase don't think I hate the design. It has promize, you're filling a niche that needs addressed, I just personally think it needs just a bit of tweaking to realistically fill that niche. Try it again as a 3/5 design and you'll find that you have a cheaper, better armored design with a smidge more payload.
-Jackmc
I went with 4/6 for the reasons listed above. Screwing up a piloting roll while breaking atmo is a mistake you make once and only once...
If I read it wrong, feel free to point it out, but in general it's too dangerous to risk IMHO...
