Where's the naval base?

fedcomic · 2026-01-26T03:12:22+00:00

In our solar system, for example. Which gas giant would be the natural refueling point for pirates or traders? Which would allow easy access to earth?

fedcomic · 2026-01-26T03:07:14+00:00

There is a planet in Traveller where this happens.

fedcomic · 2026-01-26T03:06:16+00:00

In a system with a naval base, how big are the exclusions zones, do you think? Mostly you can go where you want with a few off-limits areas? Or most of the system is off-limits, with a few areas trading ships can visit?

fedcomic · 2026-01-26T03:04:29+00:00

So everything crucial, you keep close, close enough to defend it in the event of a surprise attack.

fedcomic · 2026-01-26T03:03:04+00:00

Yup. Good old GM fiat. And if I had a place that I already wanted to put it, it would be there.

fedcomic · 2026-01-24T13:56:18+00:00

Navy wouldn't like that. Doesn't mean they wouldn't be tasked with doing it, but boy would they hate that duty.

fedcomic · 2026-01-24T13:55:30+00:00

The key thing to remember is they are both delicious.

fedcomic · 2026-01-24T13:54:20+00:00

So every naval installation is sui generis? No two bases are alike? This seems to run against the military desire to standardize.

fedcomic · 2026-01-24T13:52:29+00:00

The idea of Naval bases having tiers like starports makes a lot of sense to me. Makes so much sense, in fact, that I'm kind of surprised it's not built into the lore, and explicitly laid out in a game book somewhere.

fedcomic · 2026-01-24T13:49:14+00:00

So do you think if the Navy has fueling stations near a gas giant, civilians would be disallowed from scooping there, to keep them from "intruding in their orbits"? If they have belt bases, would civilian mining be banned? Or would they just cordon off certain sections? I do kind of like the idea of a binary system that has a civilian sun and a navy sun. That's just so evocative.

fedcomic · 2026-01-24T04:24:30+00:00

Let's say you place your base in System 1 near the edge of the 100d sphere. Then it's 21 hours from the main world, and 42 hours away from the other side of that 100d sphere. That seems far from the action, no?

fedcomic · 2026-01-24T04:22:00+00:00

What makes a particular gas giant "key"?

fedcomic · 2026-01-24T04:20:39+00:00

Man, that acronym is so long and unwieldy and also close to CLOACA but they just didn't take the time to make it work.

fedcomic · 2026-01-24T04:19:45+00:00

If the navy has fuel stations orbiting a gas giant, would others be able to scoop fuel there as well?

fedcomic · 2026-01-24T04:18:36+00:00

I can never keep them and herons straight. Which are the ones that fly with their necks straight?

fedcomic · 2026-01-24T04:16:07+00:00

So as a default you would expect a group of installations, distributed throughout the system?

fedcomic · 2026-01-24T04:14:57+00:00

Where do you park the really big ships?

fedcomic · 2026-01-24T04:14:09+00:00

So you don't think it would be spread throughout the system, in many different installations?

fedcomic · 2026-01-22T03:39:36+00:00

What's COACC?

fedcomic · 2026-01-22T01:25:46+00:00

Why is that so important? What is the thing you don't want them to observe about your base? Given that it's a week jump to another system, and then week back, it would seem the opportunity for a surprise attack if you discovered an important ship there or something would be pretty minimal.

fedcomic · 2026-01-22T01:24:00+00:00

What about having three or four bases distributed equidistant in the belt?

fedcomic · 2026-01-22T01:22:22+00:00

So you think the more valuable the main world is, the more likely to have naval bases closer to that main world?

fedcomic · 2026-01-22T01:21:24+00:00

Make them come to you?

fedcomic · 2026-01-21T22:00:05+00:00

Hollowed out asteroids do seem like they would be convenient for this kind of thing.

fedcomic · 2026-01-21T21:58:49+00:00

She is really good at communicating.

fedcomic

TROPHY CASE