Difference between revisions of "Universal Ship Profile"
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The usage of the [[USP]] in various formats can be traced well back to the [[First Imperium]] although scholars argue much of the research. | The usage of the [[USP]] in various formats can be traced well back to the [[First Imperium]] although scholars argue much of the research. | ||
| − | Once [[hop drive]] was discovered, with the observation that [[jump drive]] capped out at 9, jump performance codes A-J were reserved for hop drive (A = Hop-1 through J = Hop-9), K-T for [[Skip Drive|whatever would come next after hop drive]], and U-Z for any drives beyond that. | + | Once [[hop drive]] was discovered, with the observation that [[jump drive]] capped out at 9, jump performance codes A-J were reserved for hop drive (A = Hop-1 through J = Hop-9), K-T for [[Skip Drive|whatever would come next after hop drive]], and U-Z for any drives beyond that, skipping I and O as usual. |
=== Selected USP examples === | === Selected USP examples === | ||
Revision as of 07:59, 13 June 2019
The Universal Ship Profile (USP) or Imperial Ship Profile is a quick, universal code for ships or vessels.
- It is known in many places outside of the Third Imperium as the Universal Craft Profile or UCP.
Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information:
Starship:
- Advanced Ship Classifications
- Ship Mission Code / Supraclass
- Ship Type Code / Superclass
- Ship Class Code / Class
- Model (TL)
- Bloc (Lot)
- Astronomical Unit (AU)
- FTL
- Light Speed (c)
- Light-week (lw)
- Light-year (ly)
- NAFAL (STL)
- Parsec (pc)
- Naval Construction
- CBPUSAL (Hull)
- Imperial Ship Builders Association (ISBA)
- Naval Architect AKA Shipwright
- Quick Ship Design System (QSDS)
- Quick Ship Profile (QSP)
- Ship Equipment
- Ship Registry
- Ship's Papers
- Shipyard
- Standard Ship Design System (SSDS)
- Starport Authority (SPA)
- Trader's Guild
- Travellers' Naval Architecture Society (TNAS)
- Universal Ship Profile (USP)
Description (Specifications)
The Imperial Ship Profile is used by the Scout Service to classify ship mission and performance. All together, the ship's vital statistics are presented in one short record. The record is relatively brief and finer detail can be documented elsewhere in the data file.
Image Repository
- How the Universal Ship Profile works.
USP Value Parameters
START BLOCK: 111334 Unicorn-S-
- Ship Registration #
- Ship Name (Named Ship)
- Ship Type Code (alphanumeric code: typically 2 to 4 characters)
BLOCK-1: 0000000
- Tonnage Code (Tn)
- Configuration (Hl) (CBPUSAL)
- Jump (J-?)
- Maneuver (M-?)
- Power Plant (P-?)
- Computer (Sc-?)
- Crew (C-?) (...excludes marines)
BLOCK-2: 000000
- Hull Armor (Ha-?)
- Sandcasters (Sc)
- Meson Screen (Ms)
- Nuclear Damper (Nd)
- Forcefield (Gb)
- Repulsor (Rp)
BLOCK-3: 00000-0
- Lasers (Ls)
- Energy Weapons (Ew)
- Particle Accelerators (Pa)
- Meson Guns (Mg)
- Missiles - (Ms)
- Fighter Squadrons (Fs)
END BLOCK: MCr14.5 100 tons
- MCr Cost
- Tonnage
NOTES: Ship registration numbers tend to be six alphanumeric characters in length, but some older or large production lot ships can greatly vary by local custom and manufacturer.
USP Information Blocks
One version consists of three blocks in this order:
- Ship mission codes
- One number or letter each for:
- Technology level
- Size modifier (...such as 4 for 40 tons or 40,000 tons)
- Size indicator (...such as 7 for 40 tons or A for 40,000 tons)
- Jump performance (...in parsecs per jump)
- Acceleration performance (...in Gs)
- Hull configuration
- One letter each to signal the presence of other features
- A: (heavily) Armed (..sometimes omitted if the mission code suggests it should be armed, or for light weapons such as a single laser turret on a free trader)
- C: Cold Sleep (...at least enough low berths to carry the entire crew)
- D: Long Duration (...extra supplies or stores, and/or the ability to manufacture its own)
- E: Energy Weapons (...not including spinal weapons)
- K: Kinetic Weapons (...not including missiles or spinal weapons)
- L: Lab
- M: Missile Weapons (...including torpedoes, not including spinal weapons)
- N: Nonhumanoid (...designed for crew with nonhumanoid body plans)
- S: Spinal Weapon
NOTES: Regardless of version, each position has a "factor" or value that represents an element of the ship. Common elements include hull displacement tons, hull configuration, computer type, weapons, screens, fighters and the number of crew.
A size modifier and indicator of 00 means something that is no more than 0.000001 tons. This is typically debris or small munition being individually tracked for some reason, or a tiny drone. Civilizations as early as TL-8 have been known to put up monitoring satellites this small. The Imperial planners who developed this standard decreed this as the smallest size worth distinguishing, based on measurement standards dating back to pre-spaceflight Terra.
History & Background (Dossier)
The usage of the USP in various formats can be traced well back to the First Imperium although scholars argue much of the research.
Once hop drive was discovered, with the observation that jump drive capped out at 9, jump performance codes A-J were reserved for hop drive (A = Hop-1 through J = Hop-9), K-T for whatever would come next after hop drive, and U-Z for any drives beyond that, skipping I and O as usual.
Selected USP examples
Examples include:
- MT C4831U LC : merchant transport, tech level 12, 400dt, jump 3, g 1, unstreamlined, cold sleepers, lab
- VCR C2A23S ADNS : vargr cruise strike, 20000dt, jump 2, g 3, streamlined, armed, long duration, nonhumanoid, spinal mount weapon
- FI F3704A EKM : fighter imperial, tech level 15, 30dt, 4g, airframed, energy, kinetic and missile weapons
References & Contributors (Sources)
- Marc Miller. Starships (Game Designers Workshop, 1977), TBD.
- Marc Miller, Frank Chadwick, John Harshman. High Guard (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 52.
- Don Perrin. Starships (Imperium Games, 1996), TBD.
- Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science