Referee's Aid 3: The Type-A Free Trader
The Type-A Free Trader was developed long ago to provide efficient¸ low-cost transportation for small cargoes and a few passengers. It is an eminently useable design which has been adapted to many other roles¸ but ultimately is optimised for moving almost half its tonnage in cargo from one star system to another. The Type-A is¸ more than anything else¸ cheap. Its sensor fit is basic and its flight controls are minimal. It does¸ however¸ have a large cargo area and reasonable passenger accommodation¸ and since these are the tools of its trade¸ not wasting tonnage or money on anything else can be considered a plus. As a result of its efficiency in the small-transport field¸ the Type-A is one of the commonest starships in charted Space. It is primarily used by small shipping firms (many of them single-vessel outfits) but is also operated by many governments as a mail ship or even a naval auxiliary. Numerous owner-operators (as distinct from small shipping companies) also find this design effective. Referee's Aid 3: The Type-A Free Trader provides an in-depth look at one of the most common ships in Known Space¸ along with the A2 Far Trader variant. It walks you through every aspect of the Free Trader¸ with all new 3D deck plans¸ and provides specific vessels to be used in encounters. If you are looking to flesh out the ship many players start with¸ look no further.