Freelance Traveller / the RICE Archives

by Jeff Zeitlin

This article was originally posted to the pre-magazine website in 1996, and was reprinted in the May 2013 issue.

Introduction

Starports tend to take on a certain importance to a frequent Traveller. They are a focus for certain necessary activities, and they provide services that Travellers of all types find desirable. However, the typical Universal World Profile provides only for a single-character descriptor for a starport - the familiar A, B, C, D, E, X ratings, and the ratings for spaceport types F, G, and H. These ratings give enough information for routine activities - they answer the questions "Can I get fixed here?" and "Can I get fuel here?".

There are other activities that take place at a starport - Quarantine, on the Frontier and inter-polity borders is one such activity; cargo loading and unloading is another; and various kinds of services, including tourism-related services, will be available. The following system will allow for an extended profile to give the Traveller information at a glance about the starport and its suitability for a particular purpose.

The Universal Extended Starport Profile

The format of a Universal Extended Starship Profile (UESP) is as follows:

A-AAAAAAAAAA
| ||||||||||
| |||||||||+--- (TF) Tourist Facilities
| ||||||||+---- (BF) Business Facilities
| |||||||+----- (LC) Live Cargo Handling
| ||||||+------ (CH) Non-living Cargo Handling
| |||||+------- (FA) Fuel Availability
| ||||+-------- (DS) Dock Size
| |||+--------- (SR) Ship Repair Capability
| ||+---------- (SC) Ship Construction Capability
| |+----------- (OR) Orbital Component Rating
| +------------ (GR) Ground Component Rating
+-------------- (OV) Overall Rating - the code from the UWP

Each character has a specific meaning, which, when combined with the ratings in other areas, gives an overview of what to expect at the starport. Note that no distinction between orbital ports and ground ports are made; it may be assumed that ports with an OV of A or B have orbital components; C ports may or may not, and all other ports are ground-based only.

Ground Component Rating

This describes the overall level of service at the ground-based portion of the starport. The same codes are used as for the Overall rating, with X meaning that there is no ground-based component for the starport. Note that any construction or docking facilities at a ground component will apply only to spacecraft and starships with hull configurations of SL and/or AF (streamlined and/or airframe). Ground-based starports should be assumed to have all facilities at the listed levels in the remainder of the profile, if the GR value is the same as the OV value. In the event that they are not, the "Minimum" values listed under "Standard Expectations", below, should be assumed.

Orbital Component Rating

This describes the overall level of service at the orbital portion of the starport. The same codes are used as for the Overall rating, with X meaning that there is no orbital component for the starport. Orbital starports should always be assumed to have all of the facilities at the listed levels in the remainder of the profile, if the OR value is the same as the OV value. In the event that they are not, the "Minimum" values listed under "Standard Expectations", below, should be assumed.

Ship Construction Capability

This code represents the ability of the starport to construct spacegoing vessels. The code that appears here represents the maximum hull rate (displacement tonnage) that can be constructed, as an exponent of 10 (e.g., 10-ton fighters use a code of 1, 100-ton scouts a code of 2, and so on). An SC of 0 implies that there are no ship construction facilities. As the construction of a ship with hull rate 10,000,000,000 is unlikely in the extreme, letter codes A through I have the same meaning as codes 1 through 9, respectively, except that such letter codes represent an inability to construct jump-capable ships. A code of X indicates that the port does not construct non-military ships, and that the hull rate of the military ships that are constructed is classified.

Ship Repair Capability

A starport can automatically perform annual maintenance and structural repairs on any ship that it could construct. This rating represents its ability to repair ships that are larger than it can construct, up to a limit of the port's dock size. Codes are one of the following:

Dock Size

This code is interpreted the same as the code for Ship Construction Capability. "Docking facilities" refers to specific locations for a ship to position itself, with at least minimal communications and access control facilities. Letter codes are not used, except for X, which refers to a port that permits only military craft to dock. The 0 code is used for starports that have no docking facilities.

Fuel Availability

This code represents the type of fuel available, and, in the case of unrefined fuel, the method of availability.

Non-living Cargo Handling

This code represents the level of loading and unloading services for non-living cargo available from the starport.

Live Cargo Handling

This code represents the level of loading/unloading and life-support services for living cargos. Note that these codes apply only to broadly terrestrial-compatible life forms. The capability drops based on the need of an ungeneered human to survive in the required environment as follows: If a human needs a class C environment suit (basically thermal clothing and/or filter masks), life forms from that environment can be handled at the indicated level. If a class B suit (pressure differential) is required, life form handling is at one level lower. If a class A suit (protection from corrosives or extreme pressure differentials) is required, life form handling is at two levels lower. Note that these codes assume that all life forms involved are for a single cargo, and are all of the same type. Many starports are able to handle several live cargos at once.

Business Facilities

This code describes the ability of the shipowner or operator to conduct business without leaving the starport. It includes availability of brokerage services, legal assistance (both barristers and solicitors), obtaining permits and clearances, and other business-related services. Note that the availability of any particular service implies that all services with lower codes are also available (i.e., Barrister availability implies availability of Solicitors, Trans-shipment, Brokerage, Permits/Clearances, and Communications.

Tourist Facilities

Most planets consider it advisable to make it easy for tourists to visit - tourism, after all, brings in offworld money, which makes it easier for the planet to engage in offworld trade. Nevertheless, there can be a wide variation in the quality of service that an incoming tourist can expect to experience. This code provides a guideline on what to expect. Note that there is a high level of overlap with business facility availability - it is occasionally difficult to draw a line between tourist and business facilities; both codes should be examined by all travellers.

Standard Expectations

As was indicated earlier, the single-character starport/spaceport code allows you to assume a certain level of facilities at a port. The table below shows the minimum and "normal" facilites levels in UESP format for each single-character port type. The "minimum" profile represents what various rating organizations in the Imperium consider absolutely necessary to gain a specific overall rating; the "normal" profile represents what extensive experience has shown is typical for a starport of the specified rating.