The following designs are specified according to Yags SciFi ship design rules for the Traveller background.
The designs are split according to the era and culture that they come from, and span everything from TL 9 where they can barely hobble around an inner solar system, to TL 16+ dreadnoughts and racing yachts.
- First Imperium.
- Low Tech Designs. Covers TL9 to TL11.
Technology
Some of the above designs are split according to technology level. Though an overview of technology in Traveller is given elsewhere, a brief list focused on starship design is given below.
The dates given below are when Terrans first reached this level of technology during the Interstellar War period, and when it was reached again after the Long Night. During the Long Night, technology was around TL 9-10
TL 9 - Hard Science and Cyber Tech (2050 AD / -1100)
Most common drive systems are chemical rockets (anything that needs to land on a planet) or ion drives (anything that needs to travel between planets). Early plasma drives (Low Impulse Plasma Drive) are available, though expensive.
Military vessels are rare, because combat in space just isn't very practical. Where weapons are used, they are normally kinetic slug throwers (mass drivers and rail guns) or missiles. A few ships may carry laser weapon systems.
TL 10 - Limits of the Possible (2088 AD / -400)
Plasma drives improve in efficiency, and pretty much take over as the de-facto standard for civilian shipping. The slightly less clean High Performance Plasma becomes available, but tends to be restricted to military vessels. Chemical drives are still used by anything that needs to land on a planet.
Ion Drives improve in ability, are are still the best means of propulsion for long journeys. Due to their low thrust, entering and leaving orbits around planets takes a lot of effort, but they can travel between inner worlds of a system in a matter of days.
Jump drives become available, but they are inefficient and expensive. A jump capable craft has to be at least 1000dt in size, and 50% of its mass is taken up by jump drive and fuel.
Laser weapon systems are replacing kinetic based weapons. Despite having lower killing power, they have much better range and accuracy. Missiles continue to be used, and improve in range and ability.
TL 11 - To The Stars (2108 AD / 100)
The improvement is in Jump technology. Though ships are still limited to Jump-1, the jump drives halve in size, and can be mounted on ships only 300dt in size.
Ion Drives and Low Impulse Plasma drives continue to improve, and a new style of Plasma Torch drive becomes possible, though expensive and mostly experimental.
TL 12 - Colonisation (2125 AD / 300)
The Jump-2 drive becomes possible, greatly opening up the galaxy for exploration and colonisation. At the same time, the Jump-1 becomes smaller and cheaper, making short hops all the more practical and creating the start of a true interstellar society.
TL 13 - Expansion (2238 AD / 500)
The Jump-3 drive.