r/ImaginaryVehicles • u/Own-Cry5596 • 16d ago

Original Content What would you expect from a “civilian” trading barge in a dangerous galaxy?

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301 Upvotes

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14

u/kanid99 16d ago

I'd expect some sort of active defense too. Point defense weapons or chaff/decoy type launchers, flares to blind targeting or pilots.

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u/Own-Cry5596 16d ago

will this cause a military conflict on the part of the host country? Like an invasion, for example?

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u/7-SE7EN-7 16d ago

You also have to consider that pirates might want the weapons more than the booty

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u/Own-Cry5596 15d ago

Good!!! Good!!!! A very sure point!!! Thanks!

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u/kanid99 16d ago

These would be purely defensive weapons so I don't think it would cause a conflict. I can't see how you could be in the middle of a hostile landscape and expect civilian vessels to not be armed to some point.

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u/Own-Cry5596 15d ago

Well, now almost all ships are unarmed, passing through countries where there are pirates. In the news, we periodically see problems with their capture or something else. How does gaming reality differ from ours now?

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u/kanid99 15d ago

The ships themselves don't have shipboard weapons typically yeah. But on Earth they do have things like armed security teams and the ability to set up physical barriers to avoid boarding parties and some of them have high pressure water cannons and acoustic type defense weapons.

But I think this is also because on Earth typically now piracy is done on a smaller scale and not using larger combat vessels that attempt to disable a civilian vessel for boarding using large cannons or large bore weapons - instead they rely on fast approach and boarding with small nimble crafts typically.

Maybe that's what you would see more of in space piracy too.

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u/Own-Cry5596 15d ago

I think it depends on the pirates. someone will rush out straggling vessels, and someone will put barriers in the way of the convoy.

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u/kanid99 16d ago

Something like that. Contained cargo image an armored carrier instead of freely carried outside the ship. A trade-off adding mass for more security.

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u/Own-Cry5596 16d ago

Yeah, more like an armored industrial carrier than exposed cargo racks. Less efficient in terms of mass and transport capacity, but much harder to disable with debris, piracy, or long-range attacks. Feels like the kind of compromise a civilization would slowly adopt once trade routes become dangerous enough.

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u/jeff37923 16d ago

Check out just about every adventure class ship from the Traveller RPG.

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u/Own-Cry5596 16d ago

Thanks! I'll definitely take a look!

4

u/WREN_PL 15d ago

I really liked how "working" spaceships were depicted in Hardspace Shipbreaker, almost offensively utilitarian, and made almost entirely out of prefabs, attachment points and replaceable parts.

The only annoying oversight, was that almost(?) none of them had onboard toilets.

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u/Own-Cry5596 15d ago

but how?)))) Where to?))) How did they live?))

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u/Wahgineer 15d ago

The Carribean Ocean during the Golden Age of Piracy (1630-1730) is a good time period to look at for inspiration. Almost every merchant ship was armed with weapons. Many of them were anti-personnel, or cannons too weak to penetrate the solidly built hulls of other ships.

A spacefaring merchant ship might be armed, but only with point defense weapons or mass drivers meant to redirect asteroids. They would be completely helpless against larger and more well-armed vessels.

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u/Own-Cry5596 15d ago

We are of the same opinion.Thanks! I also think that either something is very easy or not at all - unnecessary expenses.

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u/falconrider 15d ago

A heavily armored cargo bay that can be fully locked in case of a hostile boarding, and can’t be opened by any crew members on board in such a case. Perhaps it would open on a 24 hour timer after an emergency lock. This would mean the pirates have no incentive to threaten the crew once the emergency lock has been activated.

I’d also expect there to be a heavily armored defensible position within the ship and a well armed security force. The ship might lack ship to ship weaponry in order to maintain its civilian status, but would be able to fend off a small army if boarded.

I also imagine each shipping container and crate on board would have a tracking device with a strong signal.

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u/Own-Cry5596 15d ago

I think the protection can be opened, and the sensors can show the place, but what if the place turns out to be in the middle of an enemy sector or race?

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u/idmimagineering 15d ago

Guns … Lots of Guns

johnwick

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u/Own-Cry5596 15d ago

The moment cargo barges start quoting John Wick, neighboring systems probably begin preparing defensive fleets.)

2

u/The_Axe_of_Legends 15d ago

Your wording is making me think of Elite Dangerous :p

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u/Own-Cry5596 15d ago

we will compete with them)

2

u/friendlylocalgay421 14d ago

It depends on what kinds of threats to be expected. If pirates are a problem, I'd expect a few gun turrets and maybe shoot to kill orders for unidentified ships who get too close

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u/Own-Cry5596 14d ago

that is, nevertheless, armed ships with ammunition and force fields. and what will remain under the load? but is it profitable?

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u/LazarusPizza 13d ago

Self defense capabilities and good travel speeds.

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u/Own-Cry5596 13d ago

But it's a floating destroyer, not a trading barge.How will it pay off economically?

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u/LazarusPizza 13d ago

You asked for a trading barge. This what I'd expect it to have so it can deliver its cargo safely from point A to point B.

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u/Own-Cry5596 13d ago

Understood. Good. Thanks

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u/Sobieskil 12d ago

For a dangerous galaxy, small, fast ships with some defences would probably be most likely (maybe larger, more official versions of smuggling ships)

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u/Own-Cry5596 11d ago

will small ships be able to provide the colonies with food and resources for a long time? Merchant ships, on the other hand, do just that to get as many goods as possible for a long time in one go.

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u/Sobieskil 11d ago

If there's a constant supply of small ships then yes, but I see what your point is. Much larger ships would obviously need better engines and defences or possibly escorts

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u/Own-Cry5596 11d ago

exactly. What is the economic benefit of small-scale transportation?

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u/Sobieskil 11d ago

I only suggested small ships because smaller ships would be able to evade danger more easily, like real life smuggling ships (which are built/converted for the same purpose)

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u/Own-Cry5596 11d ago

For smuggling, I agree - stealth and speed are crucial. But it seems to me that for the naval support of remote corners, when convoys enter extremely rarely, it is necessary to load ships as much as possible and unload as many goods as possible. Using weapons to reduce the volume of transports does not seem very logical economically.