Cargo is infinite, cargo has purpose, what type cargo?

[truetanker]

I've run into cargo issues...

I've got a large drop collar'd fleet that has enormously large amounts of cargo...

I've reduced myself to using 2n D&D miscellaneous item rolls.

But even that is enormously copious amounts.

What types do you associate with when you hear Civil Cargo?

Any specifics stand out? General means crap to me. Like it's brainwashed nonsense, detail meat and veggies are needed.

For example, 2 Small warships Vincent/ Pinto), 57 jumpships and 151 dropships (88 civvie, rest miltech)

Any help please, I've asked a hand full already via PMs.

Thanks,
TT

[Daryk]

Mostly, it will be repair parts.  The kind ships can't make for themselves.

[truetanker]

Except that'll come to the amount of 25% or so in repair/foodstuffs/fuel.

The rest in miltech would be more ammo/armor and military replacements.

This is for Civilian cargo.

Same 25% for repair/foodstuffs/fuel.

But for the regular transports...

I'm looking for variety cargo here.

TT

[Daryk]

Interstellar transports would still be skewed toward things their destinations couldn't make on their own.  Fusion engine parts, Industrial 'Mechs, etc.

[DevianID]

I always default to navy numbers.  Pulled from the big 50k ton supply ship wiki...

the Supply-class became the largest combat logistics ship in the United States. They can carry more than 177,000 barrels of oil, 2,150 tons of ammunition, 500 tons of dry stores, and 250 tons of refrigerated stores. They receive petroleum products, ammunition, and stores from various shuttle ships and redistributes these items when needed to ships in the carrier strike group.

So the main supply ships will look like this, and make up the bulk of the fleet.  Hydrogen is a pain to store, so having specific dropships that specialize in it that can top off ammo and stores at the same time just makes sense.  The big ones would be the nucleus of your resupply fleet, coming and going from the base planet to the space fleet, topping multiple ships off, and then heading home to refill.

For repair stuff, you should have some tugs and yardship specialized dropships... you probably want to concentrate the technical people anyway when making repairs, so having designated ships is just good.

Then there are medial specialized ships, converted for hospital duties.  Again, gotta have these be specialized cause having a full hospital and surgical wing on each and every ship doesnt make sense.

Finally there is the equipment transfer specialized ships... so if a union/triumph dropship is more or less a littoral combat vessel, there would be cargo ships that can transport new mechs or tanks and ground teams to a union/triumph that would be specialized for that transfer.  Like a mule with the ability to transfer mechs to a union in space safely, whatever cowling or belt it uses you would want crew of that supply ship specialized in the procedure.

[AlphaMirage]

Your question is a bit vague but perhaps this might help

Natural Products -
Fruit and Trees (Donegal Apple-Pear, Kincha, Naranji)
Grain (New Avalon, Terra, or Shipely Wheats, Quillar)
Vegetables {Cholach (BT Potato), Dried Darkweed, Chava (BT Coffee)}, Herbs, and Spices (Medicinal or Culinary).
Useful Animals (Agrat, Brockway Goat, Berry Ants, Odessan Raxx, Tharkan Gazelle, Turin Horse, Tuktu, Tarise)
Frozen food (Blue Snapper, Jewel Bass, Sauget, and Ironfin Tuna filets, Denkaika Calamari, Grumium Clams, Hoyleton Forest Steer and Range-Bull Steaks)
Exotic Pets (Alrakis Tigerfalcon, Canopian Chihuaha, Khogs, Lesser Branth, Scarlet Shrike, Space Cats, Surats, Tariqs, Ghost Bears)
Invasive Species (Crana, some kind of Tubeworms that eat spaceship insulation, Grausian Bloodsuckers, Clamp Leechs, Vrikk)

Processed Products or Cultural Goods
Hardwoods (Kaumberg Oak Stocks, Titan Palm Posts)
Gemstones, Precious, or Rare Earth Metals, Jewelry or items made thereof
Dead Animals or their Parts (Kyotan Armor Bear, Rapier Fish, Crocale Hides, Bones, Ivory, Horns, Scales, Leathers, and Feathers), Jewelry or items made therof
Exotic Spirits
Designer and Mundane Clothing or Textiles
Medical Supplies

Fuel - Ammonia, Natural Gas, Petrol, Diesel, Denatured Alcohol, Cryogenic Hydrogen, Fuel Grade Fissile Material

Spare Parts - Nuclear (Fusion or Fission) Reactors, Fuel Cell Engines, Gyros, Thrusters, Limbs, Armor Panels, Base Structure, Myomer, Ammunition, Lift Equipment, Tracks, Tires, Rotors, Life Support, Sensors (Remote and Integrated)

Durable Goods
Small Arms,
Support Weapons,
Telecommunications Equipment (Fiber Optics, Radio Equipment, Microwave Transmitter, etc...),
Computers (Semiconductors, Sub-Assemblies, etc...),
Scientific Apparatus, Other Capital Goods/Industrial Machinery,
Light Support Vehicles (Bulldog, Pintel, etc...),
Exoskeletons/Power Armor,
Heavier Support Vehicles (Mech Recovery Vehicle, Engineering Vehicle, J-27, 135-Ks, MASH, Artillery Gun Carriers),
Combat Vehicles, Aircraft, Battlemechs, IndustrialMechs

Illicit/Contraband/Gray Market Goods
Fancy Drugs (Brace, Quikstim, X-Quick, Rage, Spazz, LD-512, K-Z, Can-Do)
Regular Drugs
Banned Media (Whether for your own good or the state's depends)
Assassin's Weapons (Radium Sniper Rifle)
Forged Documents
Stolen Secrets (Civil, Scientific, Military, Intelligence, past or present)
Non-Military Lostech (like Stasis Tubes or parts for Terraforming equipment) or ClanTech (smuggled in from the Dark Caste)
'Recovered' Cybernetics (Particularly BlakeTech)
Scientific 'Experiments' (Genetically Engineered Organisms, DNA or other Biologicals from People or other things, Bio/Chemical Weapons) and Poisons
Weapons Grade Fissile Material

[Daryk]

Nice list AM! :)

[AlphaMirage]

Nice list AM! :)

Thanks, I put some more stuff in there, might cross-post it into my Free Trader's Guide

[truetanker]

 

Yes...

Ideas.

Though I'll modify some, but thanks.

Several PMs in bound...

TT

[RifleMech]

Building/Art Materials - different types of woods, stone, and metals used to make things (Buildings, furniture, art, etc.) would be the bulkiest but there's also other art supplies.
Appliances - refrigerators, freezers, stoves, ovens, microwaves, AC units, etc.
Consumer Electronics - TVs, Radios, etc.
Civilian Vehicles - cars, trucks, boats, etc.
Livestock - to start, move, or add to a farm/ranch, or as part of a new colony.
People - Just making a trip to moving everything they own.
Housing - prefab kits, mobile homes, RVs, Trailers.
Medical Supplies, Clothing, Books, personal items.
Water Purification and Air Purification Systems.
Generators
Beer - Timbiqui Dark
Water
Food and spices

Pretty much everything that gets shipped by plane, truck, train, or ship now.

[truetanker]

Surprised you didn't mention a furry fuzzy grain eater, tribleustes ventricosus... under Invasive Species.

TT

[idea weenie]

Rare elements might be transported as well.  Iron would be mined and refined in-system, but a Mule hauling 8,000 tons consisting of of Tellurium (2200 tons mined on Earth per year), Palladium (208 t/yr), Rhenium (47.2 tons/yr), and Thallium (10 t/y) will be extremely valuable.