Traveller RPG: Spinward Marches naval shipyards, 1105

Source: Travellermap.com

After a recent campaign of Mongoose's edition of Traveller with friends, I've gotten back into reading my collection of vintage Games Designers' Workshop Traveller RPG books from the early 1980s, and messing about with Traveller Map online. Having greatly enjoyed The Spinward Marches Campaign book from 1985, which covers the Fifth Frontier War between the Zhodani and the Third Imperium, I've been doing some research within the context of the vessels explored in Supplement 9: Fighting Ships (1981). 

The great majority of the naval warships detailed in Fighting Ships are Tech Level 15 vessels - TL-F in Traveller's hexadecimal system - with the odd exception like the Azhanti High Lightning-class 60,000-ton Frontier Cruiser and the Gazelle-class 300-ton Close Escort (both TL-14). This means in practice there are limited numbers of A-class starport shipyards in the Marches in which the Imperial Navy can construct its prime fighting forces. 

In examining ship building potential in the Third Imperium in the year 1105, there are four types of A-class shipyards in the Marches - A-class being the only ones capable of building jump-capable starships. Planets are presented with their Spinward Marches hex reference and name, with high-population worlds over one billion population denoted by their names being rendered in capitals.

They are presented here in descending order of importance to the Imperial Navy:

Priority 1: High-tech, high-population producers

3214 MORA TL-F population 10 billion

3235 TRIN TL-F population 10 billion

2716 RHYLANOR TL-F population 8.3 billion

2036 GLISTEN TL-F population 8 billion

These shipyards produce the vast majority of the front-line fighting force of the Imperial Navy in the Marches, from 1000-ton Destroyer Escorts like the Chrysanthemum and Fer-de-Lance classes, to the largest fleet carriers and dreadnoughts with displacements over 100 kilotons. The worlds they are situated upon all feature both Imperial Navy and Scout Service bases, and are highly defended both by interstellar naval forces, plentiful system defence boats (SDBs) and fixed defensive installations. They are the only shipyards in the Marches capable of producing the fastest Jump-6 vessels like the 400-ton FF Fleet Couriers that are the backbone of naval communications and liaison. 

Priority 2: Second-tier high-tech shipyards 

3029 PALIQUE TL-E population 3 billion

1826 Tenalphi TL-E population 30 million

2327 STROUDEN TL-D population 9 billion

2124 LUNION TL-D population 8 billion

1705 EFATE TL-D population 4 billion

1904 Boughene TL-D population 100k

If a Gazelle is encountered in the Marches, it was probably built at the huge shipyards on Palique/Mora, which also construct a range of larger second-tier vessels for reserve fleets and support vessels. In a pinch they can construct Jump-4 craft, but the technological compromises required when compared with TL-F vessels means that the resulting ships can seldom stand in the line of battle. Trusted client states outside the Imperium might also win contracts from the Palique yards if they pay a sufficient price. The yards at Strouden/Lunion, Lunion/Lunion and Efate/Regina are also adept at producing vessels that don't require jump-drive technology, like asteroid monitors, battle riders and SDBs large and small.  

Priority 3: Third-tier mid-tech shipyards

1106 JEWELL TL-C population 6 billion

1910 Regina TL-C population 900 million

3025 FORNICE TL-C population 20 billion

0534 Karin TL-C population 40 million

0732 Iderati TL-C population 20 million

2334 Ffudn TL-C population 900 million

2336 Bendor TL-C population 8 million

TL-C worlds can only construct ships with up to Jump-3 drives, so are mostly unable to construct front-line naval vessels that can keep up with the Imperial Navy's Jump-4 fleets. These shipyards produce short-range starships such as bulk freighters, tankers, fleet tenders, maintenance vessels and troop transports that aren't required to keep up with fleet maneuvers. They also devote plenty of shipyard space to routine vessel maintenance and upkeep for active and reserve fleets. 

Priority 4: Low-tech shipyards

1204 Mongo, 1903 Pixie, 2202 Kinorb, 2509 Paya, 3110 Aramis, 1116 Frenzie, 1119 VILIS, 1719 Lanth, 2613 Fulacin, 2712 Risek, 2715 POROZLO, 2814 Jae Tellona, 2912 Henoz, 3212 Margesi, 1824 Ababicci, 2621 Fosey, 2728 Duale, 2927 Maitz, 1731 Grote, 1934 Weiss, 2536 Squanine, 2537 Dobham, 2733 Edenelt, 2936 Hammermium, 3039 Youghal.

These worlds either have low tech levels, or in the case of places like Pixie and Fulacin (TL-D) and Margesi (TL-C), have such tiny populations that there is an insufficient workforce to produce starships locally.