Technology

The specialist technology of the Association of Free Traders is built mainly around our trade fleet. AFT technology includes the following:

AI Navigators
Cargo Holds
Fighter Bay mkII
Landing Engines mkII
Light Hulls mkII
Med Bay
Quantum Jump Drive
Transport Module mkII
Xlight Hulls mkII

This is not an extensive list of AFT technologies. It is aimed solely at providing some basic information on the advanced items that are either available for sale now, or planned for sale in the near future, either separately or as part of our starships.

AI Navigators (915)

AI Navigators are special artifical intelligance units used to pilot merchant starships. They are wired into, and throughout, the vessel's command systems, providing the same level of control as 25 standard crewpersons (100 crew factors). A small amount of human input is necessary to guide the AI and conduct maintenance and communications tasks impossible for a computer wired into the ship's hulls, but with the aid of sufficient AI Navigators a single crewmember is sufficient to operate even the largest starships. The diffuse nature of a Navigator's artificial intelligance means that it can be easily rendered inpoerable in combat, making AI Navigators unsuitable for combat craft, but the reduction in wages makes them ideal for merchant vessels.

AI Navigators are fitted as standard to all new Free Traders and Carriers (excluding the Carrier F30, where they would be unsuitable for its combat role).

Cargo Hold (180)

Cargo Holds are a larger version of the standard Cargo Bay. While they do not carry any larger a proportion of cargo (80 MU's cargo in a 100 MU Hold, compared to 20 MU's in a 25 MU Bay), the better organisation of space, with fewer internal bulkheads and larger bay doors, means that the crew requirements are lower per quantity of cargo carried (1 per 80 MU's cargo for Holds, rather than 1 per 20 MU's for Bays).

Cargo Holds are an integral part of the design of all AFT merchant vessels.

Fighter Bay mkII (239)

A development of the standard Fighter Bay from which Space Fighters of all types can be launched, the mkII Fighter Bay is a tougher version of the mkI. The Fighter Bay mkII is able to withstand 50% more combat damage that the basic Fighter Bay, with no impairment to its ability to launch Space Fighters, Bombers and Interceptors.

The space fighter carrier variant of the Carrier (the Carrier F30) comes fitted with mkII Fighter Bays as standard.

Landing Engine mkII (169)

Like the basic Landing Engines, these are starship engines which produce steady thrust, suitable for manoeuvring into and out of orbit, as well as landing on, and taking off from, planetary bodies, but incapable of the rapid bursts required for combat. MkII Landing Engines use advanced construction techniques in order to produce steadier power, and a more efficient use of energy. They thus provide 20% more thrust than the mkI Landing Engine, but the advanced techniques take considerably more factory time.

MkII Landing Engines may be fitted on new Free Traders and Carriers, subject to availability and the exact design of the vessel.

Light Hull mkII (61), Xlight Hull mkII (51)

The next step up from the standard hulls, mkII hulls make use of the enhanced properties of Rare Earth Elements compared to Basic Elements, to produce ship hulls that are tougher and longer-lasting. Being 40% more resistant to damage, and also better able to withstand the rigours of normal operation, the use of mkII hulls provides considerable benefits from reduced maintenance costs, especially for the larger and more fragile vessels.

All Carriers (excluding the Carrier F30) and Super Carriers are constructed from mkII hulls.

Med Bay (186)

Developed by the AFT some years ago, the Med Bay provides medical facilities for starships that are normally only available in the larger starbase hospitals. A vessel fitted with a Med Bay can be safe in the knowledge that the facilities are provided to ensure that the ship's crew remain free from all types of plague. While extremely valuable for starships operating in infected areas, the high productions costs of the Med Bay, and the scarcity of the necessary technology, means that Med Bays are currently few and far between.

Jump Drive - Quantum (178)

The Quantum Jump Drive is the defining feature of the Free Trader, giving the Free Trader its status as the fastest ship in the Peripheries over interstellar distances. The Quantum Jump Drive makes use of the quantum interaction of certain rare ores with the pulac crystals necessary for jump field creation. This enables the Quantum Jump Drive to produce the necessary jump field in only half the time required by the standard jump drive (50 TU's instead of 100). However, additional crew attention is required, in order to perform the necessary jump calculations in the reduced time while also keeping track of a more complicated process in the engine. The modern Quantum Jump Drive is actually a development of the initial design, as it can now be fitted to vessels with designs other than the specially shaped Free Trader, but it is still limited to ships of 50 hulls or less (as the quantum jump field is unstable when working over larger masses or areas).

The Quantum Jump Drive is fitted as standard to all Free Traders. If it doesn't have a Quantum Jump Drive, it's not a Free Trader.

Transport Module mkII (416)

A further development of the specialist handling machinery used on AFT starships prior to Operation Phoenix, mkII Transport Modules bring the AFT's cargo handling expertise to ground-based operations. These modules make use of technologically advanced cargo handling machinery, as well as improved propulsion techniques in the component vehicles, to provide the same capacity as a standard transport module in only 75% of the mass/volume.