Editing Merchant Vessel

{{:Military starship nav bar}}
A [[Merchant Vessel]] is a [[ship]] and [[crew]] engaged primarily in trade and commerce. 
* Sometimes, they are referred to simply as [[Merchant]]s, which is technically the term for the [[crew]] of the [[vessel]].
* ''Merchant Vessels'' include a spectrum of mercantile ships and smallcraft including A-class, M-class, R-class, and T-class conveyances.
* Vessels under military service are classified as I-class [[Combat Transport]]s or Q-class [[Military Auxiliaries]] ([[Combat Support Ship]]s).
* It is a [[starship]] [[supraclass]].
* The [[Supraclass]] designation is also known as [[Ship Mission]], [[Ship Mission Code]], Mission, or [[Ship Hull Designation]]. 
[[File: Imperial Sunburst-Sun-IISS-Traveller.gif|right]]
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Please refer to the following [[AAB]] [[Library Data]] for more information: <br>
'''[[Starship]]:'''
* [[Ship Classification|Starship User Types]]
** [[Civilian Ship]]
** [[Paramilitary Ship]]
** [[Military Ship]]
* [[Ship Classification|Ships by Function]]
** [[Bigcraft]]
** [[Boat]]
** [[Non-starship]]
** [[Smallcraft]]
** [[Spaceship]]
** [[Starship]]
** [[Subcraft]]
** [[Warship]]
* [[Ship Classification|Advanced Ship Classification]]s
** [[Ship Mission Code]] / [[Supraclass]]
** [[Ship Type Code]] / [[Superclass]]
** [[Ship Class Code]] / [[Class]]
** Model ([[TL]])
** Bloc (Lot)
* [[Ship Classification|Basic Ship Classifications]]
** [[Adventure Class Ship]]
** [[Battle Class Ship]]
** [[Fleet Class Ship]]
** [[Size-Role Classification]] 
** [[QSP]]
** [[USP]]
** [[World Class Ship]]
* [[Drive|Speed of Travel]] 
** [[FTL]]
** [[NAFAL]] ([[STL]])
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* [[Interstellar Commerce]]
** [[Merchant]]
** Galactic Stock Exchange
** Interstellar Currency
** Interstellar Banking
** [[Resource Unit]]s
** [[UWP]]
* Business Entities
** Cartels
** [[Corporation]]
** [[Megacorporation]]
** [[Merchant Line]]
** [[Merchant Service]]
** Trade Organizations
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== Description ([[Specifications]]) ==
Merchant ships range in size from small 200 ton [[Far Trader|Far]] and [[Free Trader]] class ships to large liners and cargo vessels of up to 10,000 tons displacement. The crews of these ships are also referred to as [[Merchant]]s.

=== Strategy & Tactics (Doctrine) ===
No information yet available.

=== Supraclass Roles ===
''Merchant Vessel''s typically serve the following roles:
# [[Bulk Cargo Carrier]]
# [[Bulk Freighter]]
# [[Clipper]]
# [[Freighter]]
## [[Heavy Freighter]]
## [[Light Freighter]]
## [[Medium Freighter]]
# [[Frontier Merchant]]
# [[Liner]]
## [[Cargo Liner]]
## [[Luxury Liner]]
## [[Passenger Liner]]
# [[Merchant Vessel]] AKA [[Merchant]] AKA [[Merchant Trader]]
# [[Modular Merchant]]
# [[Provincial Merchant]]
# [[Speculative Trader]]
# [[Tanker]]
# [[Trader Vessel]] AKA [[Trader]]
# [[Transport]]

=== Supraclass Archtypes ===
Merchant Ship Types include the following:
{| class="wikitable sortable" 
!colspan="4"|Merchant Supraclass Archtypes
|-
! Archtype
! Type Code
! TL Range
! Remarks
|- Valign="top"
! <span id="MA">Armored Merchant </span>
| MA
| TBD
| Any starship used for interstellar trade, and commerce that has been set up with weapon systems for defense.
|- Valign="top"
! <span id="MD">Merchant Liner </span>
| MD
| TBD
| Merchant Liners are general-purpose design starships, intended to carry both passengers and freight. They are larger than the Far Traders intended for cargoes over 200 tons and over a dozen passengers 
|- Valign="top"
! <span id="MG">Subsidized Merchant </span>
| MG
| TBD
| In subsidized commerce, a local government (or a group of several worlds) agree to subsidize the construction of commercial starships in return for their servicing established routes. Ideally, the route will be profitable, and the subsidy can soon be ended. But, even without profits, the route provides a channel for interstellar trade, helping to provide markets for resources and finished goods as well as, enabling people from different world to share their cultures.  

Typically, governments expect subsidized merchants to try to establish routes to make at least marginal profits to diminish the government expense burden. Although individual ports of call may not always provide sales at high margins, at least initially, the ultimate goal is to make the ship self-sufficient.  Unfortunately all subsidized merchants are not all profitable and these ships may be recipients of government subsidies for years.  Governments have to factor in the benefits derived from the established routes against the costs of maintaining the subsidy.  This often becomes the deciding factor with somewhat isolated worlds with limited markets.
|- Valign="top"
! <span id="ML">Far Trader</span>
| ML
| TBD
| A Far Trader is a small starship commonly used for interstellar trade and commerce that is capable of jump 2. Hundreds of variants exist. The typical size equals 200 tons. 
|- Valign="top"
! <span id="ML">Free Trader </span>
| ML
| TBD
| A Free Trader is a small starship commonly used for interstellar trade and commerce that is capable of jump 1. Hundreds of variants exist. The typical size equals 200 tons. 
|- Valign="top"
! <span id="MS">Frontier Trader </span>
| MS
| TBD
| A heavily armed transport normally doing business with fringe systems.
|- Valign="top"
! <span id="MS">Merchant Cruiser</span>
| MS
| TBD
| A generic term applied to vessels specifically assigned to independent missions, the prime objective of which is market discovery and acquisition, either in isolation or in completion with other merchant operators. Design parameters for such vessels usually include a high level of weaponry and auxiliary boats in proportion to their cargo capacity and all possible back-up systems, along with high structural integrity.

Also called an Armed Merchantman, as merchant cruisers are unusally armed. A starship merchant primarily intended for independent cruising in undeveloped trade areas where high survivability is also a design factor. 
|}

== History & Background ([[Dossier]]) ==
No information yet available. 

=== Image Repository ===
No information yet available. 

=== Selected Variant Types & Classes ===
'''[[Merchant Vessel]] - [[Tramp Liner]]:''' <br>
{{:Referral-Tree-Type-A-Merchant-Vessel-Tramp-Liner}}
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''[[Subsidized Liner]]:''
# [[Type M class Subsidized Liner]]
## [[Condor class Subsidized Liner]]
## [[Eakhau class Merchant]]
## [[Khershawn class Trader]]
## [[Lord Somerset class Subsidized Liner]]
## [[Queen class Modular Subsidized Merchant]] {{Page cite|name= Darthanon Queen|page= 20-26}}
## [[Stellar class Subsidized Liner]]

''[[Passenger Liner]]:''
# [[Type R class Luxury Liner]]
## [[Animal class Liner]]
## [[Astral Splendour class Luxury Liner]]
## [[Brilliant Gem class Cruise Liner]]
## [[Celestial Star class Liner]]
## [[Codori Prime class Luxury Liner]]
## [[Olympian class Cruise Liner]]
## [[Horizon class Passenger Liner]]
## [[Independence of the Stars class Liner]]
## [[King Richard class Interstellar Liner]]
## [[Royal class Liner]]
## [[Shianjo class Liner]]
## [[Stellar class Liner]]
## [[World class Luxury Liner]]
# [[Type RT class Longliner]]
## [[Bright Conclave class High Liner]]
## [[Brilliance class Long Liner]]
## [[Jelmirt Marquis class High Liner]]
## [[Mapepire Dream class Jumpliner]]
## [[Nebula class Starliner]]
## [[Pride of Vland class Long Liner]]

''[[Cargo Liner]]:''
# [[Type RC class Cargo Liner]]
## [[Anhk class Merchant]]
## [[Bastien class Merchant Liner]]
## [[Bloodwell class Merchant]]
## [[Caccil class Merchant]]
## [[Dakaar class Merchant Transport]]
## [[Bluestone class Cargo Barge]]
## [[Garrett Durant class Cargo Hauler]]
## [[Hercules class Cargo Transport]]
## [[Jose Cadiz Royal Galleon class Cargo Carrier]]
## [[Vespir class Large Freighter]]
## [[Xeekr'kir! class Merchant]]
# [[Type RM class Merchant Liner]]
## [[Gamma Haden class Liner]]
## [[Highlander class Exploratory Merchant]]
## [[Khtukhao class Clan Transport]]
## [[Kolomyia class Merchant Liner]]
## [[Orowani Deep Space class Light Liner]]
## [[Soho class Light Freighter]]
## [[Star Merchant class Liner]]
## [[Triad class Merchant]]
## [[Yeoman class Attack Cargo Vessel]]

''[[Clipper]]:''
# [[Type R class Clipper]]
## [[Aurora class Clipper]]
## [[Maggart class Clipper]]
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''[[Subsidized Merchant]]:''
# [[Type R class Subsidized Merchant]] AKA [[Fat Trader]] AKA [[Subsidized Merchant]]
## [[Akkigish class Subsidized Merchant]] 
## [[Gyro Cadis class Subsidized Merchant]]
## [[March class Subsidized Merchant]]
# [[Type R2 class Subsidized Merchant]]
## [[Athelstan class Merchant]]
## [[Khtukhao class Clan Transport]] {{Page cite|name= Aslan |page= 32 |version= Classic Traveller}}
## [[Petty class Subsidized Merchant]]
# [[Type RAX class Protected Merchant]]
# [[Type RL class Subsidized Merchant]]
# [[Type RL2 class Subsidized Merchant]]
# [[Type RQ class Subsidized Merchant]]
# [[Type RX class Merchant Trader]]
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=== Ship Summary List ===
{{Ship summary list|name=Merchant or Trader|tdes=A}}
{{Ship summary list|name=Merchant or Trader|tdes=M}}
{{Ship summary list|name=Freighter or Liner|tdes=R}}

== References & Contributors (Sources) ==
{{Intermediate}}
{{Detail}}
{{Sources
|S1= {{Ludography cite|name= Fighting Ships of the Shattered Imperium}}
|S2= {{Ludography cite|name= Traveller: The New Era|page=374}}
|S3= Subsidized Merchant Deck Plans [[SGS: Subsidized Merchant|Seeker Gaming Systems: Subsidized Merchant]] 
|S4= Type A2 Far Trader Deck Plans [[SGS: Empress Marava|Seeker Gaming Systems: Empress Marava]] 
|S5= Garu class Type A2 Far Trader [[The Flaming Eye]]
|S6= Garu class Type A2 Far Trader [[MegaTraveller Journal 4]]
|S7= Soho class Light Freighter [[Traveller Chronicle 13]]
|S8= [[Traveller Wiki Editorial Team]]
|S9= Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology [[User:Maksim-Smelchak|Maksim-Smelchak]] of the [[Ministry of Science]] 
}}


[[Category: Ship Organization]]
[[Category: Ship type definitions]]
[[Category: Supraclass]]
{{LEN|}}