Re: [TML] Starports Alex Goodwin 22 Aug 2020 09:25 UTC

On 22/8/20 12:28 am, Thomas RUX wrote:
> <snip>
> Regardless of the distance that Badass-Moustache conducted the scan of a system the act of gathering, examining, and adding the information to the navigational data base is doing a survey.
>
> Unfortunately, I checked out MgT CRB 2e World and Universe Creation a while back which resulted in my not being able to follow the overview of how the scan was conducted. I did go back and start to review the chapter and I ran into a problem with gas giants. On PDF p. 225 is this portion of text:
>
> "Gas giants are relatively common. As indicated on the system contents table, roll 10+ for a gas giant not to be present in the system. If one is present, mark the system hex in accordance with the world format."
>
> I'm not able figure out what page "the system contents table" is on.
>
> MgT CRB 2e p. 225 has the same list of ports as CT LBB 3 does and I would use the port code of X at the interstellar range. Once Das Boote dropped into the system the scanners would still be collecting data and IIRC Badass-Moustache still reviewed the data. If the data did not indicate the presence of a landing beacon or the crew did not land on any planets the starport code would be X. If the merry band landed and marked the coordinates or left a beacon then the code would be E.
>
> Tom Rux
> -----

Tom,

I think I see where we talked past each other.  I was connoting "survey"
as "full up, all singing, all dancing, even most hazards to navigation"
system mapping", rather than "casing the joint, to any extent" that you
seemed to.

I was using the survey rules from The Great Rift Book 4 - Deep Space
Exploration Handbook, pp 3-5.

As for not being able to find a "system contents table" in the MGT2
core, you're not alone.

On reflection, I'd still argue for a ? starport code until definitive
data comes in either way.  Frinstance, casing Sol from Prometheus c 2126
in the PA-verse - going up to Survey Index 10 (or 11, that matter) would
let an interstellar-range snooper rumble the A-class port(s) around
Terra (ntm the traffic). By contrast, a downport-only setup (E, D,
lower-end C) could not be positively confirmed from extrasystem and
would remain ?.

Alex