Okay, so before our horrendously-expensive starships can start blowing each other up, they need 'data cards.' Or, if you prefer, a character sheet for the ship. This page is all about how to prepare this data card in a standard format to make it easy to write up a ship's statistics. Well, I suppose it's got to be done. Let's see how this works.
First, name the ship. Easy enough. Make a list of the ship's basic sections, one through six, and include their capabilities or values. The Maneuvering drive is first, followed by the Jump drive, then the power plant, then the fuel tank, the cargo hold, and the bridge. It's interesting that they are all to be done in that specific order. And I'm sure it's a total coincidence that there are exactly six sections, which just happen to correspond to the number of sides on a Traveller die.
After that, list the turrets, including their weapons. Remember, a turret can have up to three weapons. The weapons are listed with single letters; B for beam laser, P for pulse laser, M for missile launcher, and...S for Beach Blanket Bingo. Then you add the expertise of the weapon's assigned gunner, as well as how many missiles are in the launch racks.
On the right-hand side of the card, list the computer's information, including whatever programs are carried on board. Note that it doesn't say 'stored,' since the computer can only handle so many programs at a time, so some of them are sitting on memory tapes or compact discs, waiting to be uploaded. Man, computer tech has to be the absolute worst part of Traveller. But then, how would they have known in 1977 that within 40 years we would be light-years ahead in terms of computer tech? Anyway, leave room by the computer programs to mark which ones are actually in use at any particular time. Use a pencil.
Next we get an example card for a 'typical Type S Scout'. Because this was 1977, they used index cards. Now, of course, we use spreadsheets and database programs for this kind of thing. This card is a good example of the issues with computer programs: The computer is a Model-1, which means it can only store four programs at a time and run two. That's rough in a firefight. But the list of programs is more than four; it's ten. So, while you can ignore some of them in a fight, such as the jump programs and the library, that still leaves seven to work with: Target, Return Fire, Launch, Predict-1, Navigation (probably skippable in battle as well), Auto/Evade and Anti-Missile programs. Remember, you can store four of these at once, and run only two. So if you've got the Auto-Evade going, you're going to have to choose between targeting an enemy ship, or launching those counter-missiles at the incoming firepower. And that's if you've got them both programmed at the time.
Alright, so now we have our ship's character record sheet. Hopefully we'll see what we do with this next time.
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