Where would you put the entertainment chamber (HAC) on this ship?

[Senko]

So for fine I'm designing the ship I'd like if I had unlimited resources (and a benevolent gm:)). Now the ship is a medium transport that looks like this https://i.imgur.com/A5yWXR8.jpg

The expansion bay's are being used for cargo hold, conference room, science lab (general), Entertainment Centre (HAC) and a second power core. Personal quarters are luxurious. The layout I'm generally happy with is . . .

Deck 1
Cockpit, science lab, conference room and power core.

This deck has the cockpit at the bow of the ship then there's a long corridor leading to the elevator. Just behind the cockpit on the top of the corridor there is an emergency airlock docking if necessary (Not easy to access). On the left facing the front is the science lab and on the right is the conference room. There's a corridor that forms a loop around the elevator with doors opening to the various areas.

---------------------Cockpit
---------------------Corridor
Science Lab, Corridor, Conference Room
Science Lab, Corridor, Conference Room
Science Lab, Corridor, Conference Room
-------Corridor, Corridor, Corridor
-------Corridor, Elevator, Corridor
-------Corridor, Corridor, Corridor
------------------Power Core
------------------Power Core

Ignore - its just there to make the rooms line up as forum ignores spaces.

Deck 2
Crew Quarters, Power Core

This deck has the crew quarters and power core along with another looping corridor around the elevator.

--------------------------Galley
Crew Quarter 5, Corridor, Crew Quarter 6
Crew Quarter 3, Corridor, Crew Quarter 4
Crew Quarter 1, Corridor, Crew Quarter 2
----------Corridor, Corridor, Corridor
----------Corridor, Elevator, Corridor
----------Corridor, Corridor, Corridor
---------------------Power Core
---------------------Power Core

Deck 3
Cargo Hold, Power Core

This deck has the main airlock access, the cargo hold and the power core. Again the elevator has a looping corridor around it. Since the landing gear and cargo elevator are both potentially openable to space the main airlock is actually located between the cargo hold and the elevator corridor with a secondary one at the stairs.

------------Front Landing Gear/Stairs
------------Airlock
------------Cargo Hold
------------Main Airlock
Corridor, Corridor, Corridor
Corridor, Elevator, Corridor
Corridor, Corridor, Corridor
-------------Power Core
-------------Power Core

The cargo hold central section is an elevator that can be lowered for easy access with large supplies. The front landing gear is also linked to the main airlock allowing you to walk down the steps to the ground (You can just see it the ridged bit is actually stairs). The dual power cores and engine room span decks 2 and 3. Ringed walkways on decks 1 and 2 allow access to the middle/top of the engine area. There are ladders spanning all 3 decks in case the elevator is out of commision.

I'm just trying to figure out where the locate the HAC chamber in this layout. The three options that seem best are

1) The galley can be moved to the left and the HAC placed on the right in the crew quarters. Which locates the entertainment room on the same deck as the crew quarters.
2) Turning the deck 1 rear section into the HAC chamber.
3) Move the cargo bay forward a bit and have the HAC chamber between it and the elevator. Might fit better with the outside location of the main access but I would rather the HAC only have 1 door not 2 and people walking through. above the power core and have that only covering 2 decks.

At the moment I'm thinking option 1 would be best. Top deck are working areas cockpit, conference rooms, science lab. Mid-deck is crew living quarters and entertainment.. Bottom deck is cargo and access. Meanwhile the power core, engines are accessable from all 3 decks. Other suggestions appreciated.

If you're looking at the image basically that raised section just in front of the Nacelles is where the elevator's located. The power cores and engines are that rear half between the Nacelles, the narrower front section is everything in front of the elevator.

[Ixal]

For a more fantasy setup I would do proposal 1
For a more realistic layout I would put it where the cockpit is and move that one do deck 2 between crew quarter 1 and 2 to keep the important section in the center of the ship, far away from the hull.

[Senko]

I think I'll go with the fantasy setup its very iconic to have the pilot looking out on space so they can get sucked out as soon as anything goes wrong:). I agree you'd think the pilot section would be in the centre of the ship and I suspect with several of these designs it is but I actually prefer the fantasy one. Put a common room for eating and galley in line with the lefthand crew quarters and the HAC occupying the centre right. So you'll have a door to the left, one in front but none on the right This should work . . .

---------------------------HAC, HAC
----------Crew Eatery, HAC, HAC
---------------Galley, Corridor
Crew Quarter 5, Corridor, Crew Quarter 6
Crew Quarter 3, Corridor, Crew Quarter 4
Crew Quarter 1, Corridor, Crew Quarter 2
----------Corridor, Corridor, Corridor
----------Corridor, Elevator, Corridor
----------Corridor, Corridor, Corridor
---------------------Power Core
---------------------Power Core

Of course I could reverse things. Put the crew quarters on the deck 1 and the operational structure on deck 2. Put the "cockpit" right in front of the elevator and corridors on either side leading to the conference rooms and science labs. Put the HAC on the right and turn that glassed area at the front of the ship into an observation lounge. (I don't think that would take up an expansion module being part of the luxurious crew quarters making it . . .

Deck 1
--------------------------Observation Lounge
--------------------------Corridor
----------Crew Eatery, Corridor, HAC
---------------Galley, Corridor, HAC
Crew Quarter 5, Corridor, Crew Quarter 6
Crew Quarter 3, Corridor, Crew Quarter 4
Crew Quarter 1, Corridor, Crew Quarter 2
----------Corridor, Corridor, Corridor
----------Corridor, Elevator, Corridor
----------Corridor, Corridor, Corridor
---------------------Power Core

Deck 2
-------Science Lab, Conference Room
-------Science Lab, Conference Room
-------Corridor, Cockpit, Corridor
-------Corridor, Elevator, Corridor
-------Corridor, Corridor, Corridor
------------------Power Core
------------------Power Core

What do people think would an "observation lounge" require a seperate expansion bay for entertainment? I'm thinking it should annoyingly. Maybe . . .

Deck 1
--------------------------Galley/Common Room for eating.
--------------------------Corridor
---------------------- Corridor, HAC
---------------------- Corridor, HAC
Crew Quarter 5, Corridor, Crew Quarter 6
Crew Quarter 3, Corridor, Crew Quarter 4
Crew Quarter 1, Corridor, Crew Quarter 2
----------Corridor, Corridor, Corridor
----------Corridor, Elevator, Corridor
----------Corridor, Corridor, Corridor
---------------------Power Core

Would that be allowed by a GM?

[Pantshandshake]

I think it really depends on the GM.

If I were your GM? Spaceships don't have windows. An observation lounge is wherever you would sit while looking a screen that's receiving a feed from an external camera. So it would really, really depend on individual preferences.

Also, you don't get sucked out into space. You get blown out. Vent your ship's atmosphere before/during combat to prevent oopsies like fires and crew members taking an unscheduled walk outside.

[Senko]

Even a lot of stafinder ships have the window cockpit going on. Maybe its something like starwars transparitsteel which is metal but transparent.

[Pantshandshake]

First of all, it's transparent aluminum from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, or its nothing!

But on a slightly more serious note, that's why I said it would depend super heavily on your GM. I'd expect most GMs would lump it into the 'Cool flavor aspect, doesn't do anything mechanically' pile, but there's always going to be some people who will ruin your day for doing something that, in the way they run their world, is a super bad idea.

[Senko]

I'll think on it then as I doubt this is ever likely to come up most games being a "You're lucky to find this clapped out old ship" situation.

[Metaphysician]

On the matter of windows, I lean to the idea "Yes, ships have windows, no, they aren't inordinately more fragile than any other part of the hull". Windows, and actually being able to see space ( as opposed to a picture of space ), are both cool. High durability transparent materials are easy to justify in setting ( ranging from "adamantine-containing transparent crystals" to "shaped walls of force" ). Thus, why not have windows?

( So why not put the bridge deeper inside the ship's structure, to reduce the chances of it being hit by something that will go through non-transparent armored hull, too? Well, bigger military ships probably *do* put their bridge inside the center of the ship. For the smaller ships that PCs tend to use? I imagine nobody bothers, because there effectively isn't enough volume to actually hide the bridge. No matter where you place it, a crippling hit with the wrong weapon is still going to knock it out and kill everyone inside, all that changes is the exact angle. )

Oh, for the actual question? I lean to option 1, unless you want to specifically emphasize that the necessary system infrastructure on the ship requires placing the HAC in the "engineering" compartment.

[Senko]

I do like some of the ships in elute dangerous just swap the clear window for a reflective silver/gold one or if your using the white pain an opaque (from the outside) black window.

Transparent steel/forceshields are probably easier to justify than the never needing to refuel/restock.

[Metaphysician]

IIRC, Starfinder ships *don't* "never need to refuel". Refueling and resupplying is just factored into the abstract BP economy, only requiring direct player involvement when it constitutes the premise of an adventure.

[Senko]

Metaphysician wrote:

IIRC, Starfinder ships *don't* "never need to refuel". Refueling and resupplying is just factored into the abstract BP economy, only requiring direct player involvement when it constitutes the premise of an adventure.

My personal houserule on that is that its like star treks pseudo science ships come by default with a ram scoop syphoning up hydrogen (or maybe it was helium always mix those up), breaking it down into matter/antimatter and then using those as fuel with dilithium to control it. You don't normally need to buy fuel as your effectively rerueling the entire time your ships flying. After severe hull damage you may need to pay a visit to a gas giant or sun to top up. The only time you might need to buy "fuel" is if you've suffered damage to the engine itself and need to restore the control element as that can't be scooped in space and even mining its rare i.e. your more likely to get a plot hook to aquire some than straight up buy it.

I'm sure I read somewhere that food is via replicators that turn ucbs into food i.e. you pay the cost for meals when flying but dont have emergency stores unless you deliberately aquire them. Also a handy plot hook by taking out the replicators triggering a need to find food. I also have the menu programed in be tied to quarters a common quarter replicator is basically nutrient blocks and water, good has a range of basic foods steak, fish, chicken, etc things that are simple to cook or replicate and luxurious means the replicator has rare, high quality and complex food and drink programmed into it. Additional food programs can be purchased for varying prices or you can make a profession cook and computer check to reprogram it yourself if you want to take the risk.