Fighting aboard starships?

[Cheomesh]

Hi,

I've just discovered Traveller as a setting. I am not currently running any games in it (I have not purchased any books / pdf's), but I was playing with a setting idea and the GURPS Official Templates List lead me to the Interstellar Wars book (via Marine and Soldier).

Out of curriosity, how do combats aboard ships take place in the Traveller universe? Is it a full out gunbattle, or does it take a more hand-to-hand approach to limit hull / systems damage?

Thanks,

M.

[Anthony]

Canon is somewhat inconsistent on that, and the Azhanti High Lightning board game (which is pretty unrestricted combat) may not be typical.

[jason taylor]

The closest thing to a Traveller style boarding action would be urban warfare. The defenders, so long as they are willing to fight have advantages, such as the ability to control the ship from the bridge(which allows using hatches and grav plates as booby traps just to start with).

In a fleet engagement boarding actions would probably be rare. Most fighting would be at long range and even if the matter comes up capturing a large warship would be like capturing a fortified city by storm. This might apply even if it could be isolated from the rest of the fleet for a long enough time because the costs are just to much. There might be special reasons to attempt to capture it against resistance, for instance the target ship is from a new class, or the attackers simply think they have caught it by surprise. One unsuccessful attempt to capture an Imperial vessel during the Rim War was recorded in Ground Forces. However in most cases the easiest thing to do is simply to destroy the vessel if surrender is not forthcoming, and pass on.

Where most boarding actions would probably take place is in small-ship actions. Pirates and police(or naval vessels seconded to constabulary work) both have reasons to capture rather then destroy the ship, the ship will be smaller and will have fewer defenses and many targets will put up little resistance. And chances of isolating a ship in a small craft engagement are better.

The actual process of getting inside the target is not made clear. First it is necessary to bring the target into a position in which it can't simply elude it's pursuers. Then they have to get into the ship somehow(that is probably a process similar to breaking into a defended building on the surface, but has the complication of vacuum). After this the attacker has to take control of the ship. The defenders will have control of the environment and the gravity as well as any ingenious infernal devices they can leave. The attackers will have all the disadvantages of attackers of a building on the surface with the added difficulty of a hostile environment.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

The closest thing to a Traveller style boarding action would be urban warfare. The defenders, so long as they are willing to fight have advantages, such as the ability to control the ship from the bridge(which allows using hatches and grav plates as booby traps just to start with).

The main problem with such logic is that it's nearly impossible to board a ship capable of resistance in the first place, and a crippled ship probably isn't doing any of those things. In the rare case of a contested boarding action, I imagine the invaders will simply disable internal systems (including cameras, hatches, and grav plates) as they advance and will be prepared to cut through bulkheads as needed.

[ak_aramis]

The only canonical boarding actions of non-disabled ships I'm aware of are done by Zhodani Teleport Marines - who, in CT, can often reach 5km. (About 1/6 of ZTMs can reach a 5KM teleport with full gear... They can't get BACK, but they can get there. With Special booster, they can all make it across 50,000km.

And there's NO chance of failure under CT... And, due to the wording, one particular abuse of Special allows them, if they time it right, to make that 50Mm jump, and then 15 minutes later, repeat it.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Anthony

The main problem with such logic is that it's nearly impossible to board a ship capable of resistance in the first place, and a crippled ship probably isn't doing any of those things. In the rare case of a contested boarding action, I imagine the invaders will simply disable internal systems (including cameras, hatches, and grav plates) as they advance and will be prepared to cut through bulkheads as needed.

It can have it's maneuverability crippled without it's internal controls.

The process of disabling internal systems as described can be done. It is not however simple, certainly not when done against resistance.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

The process of disabling internal systems as described can be done. It is not however simple, certainly not when done against resistance.

How simple it is depends on how intact you want the ship to be. In any case, simple or not, there isn't really an acceptable alternative (leaving those capacities intact and in enemy hands is much too dangerous), so it will be done.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Anthony

How simple it is depends on how intact you want the ship to be. In any case, simple or not, there isn't really an acceptable alternative (leaving those capacities intact and in enemy hands is much too dangerous), so it will be done.

OK, I thought you were arguing that I was to pessimistic about the chances of the attackers.

Yeah I would agree with that.

I would further add that an opposed boarding is not likely to be taken in hand without a considerable superiority in numbers or training.

I sometimes wondered if the best counter-piracy technique for merchantmen is simply to hire a lot of ships' troops, come to a halt, and dare the pirate to come in. The pirate gets no profit from a destroyed ship. On the other hand they might blow it up out of spite, or more likely to keep their reputation.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

I sometimes wondered if the best counter-piracy technique for merchantmen is simply to hire a lot of ships' troops, come to a halt, and dare the pirate to come in. The pirate gets no profit from a destroyed ship. On the other hand they might blow it up out of spite, or more likely to keep their reputation.

"We're sending in two guys to inspect your cargo. Let them take what they want, or we destroy your ship and sell the remains as salvage". Hostile boarding actions are a very specialized situation, and one which pirates have very little reason to engage in.

[Apache]

While Azhanti High Lightning is, indeed, a great system to do boarding actions, I think Snapshot fits the bill for most players.

Plus, it has the deck plans for the scout and free trader.