The Luxury Passenger Quarters has me scratching my head, unless you're roleplaying and want to entertain guests in style.

Achievement Points.

Yeah, I use a cargo bay for that. Just compared to the rest of the bearing of a warship (barracks?) it doesn't make much sense. The ship basically seems like it's either multi-purpose or has none. It seems like it's ready to lead revolutions and accomodate nobles and fight in a fleet. All at once. In my opinion, that's less than ideal.

Those are all activities a Rogue Trader might do more or less at the same time. Hell, I'm doing it now.

The Luxury Passenger Quarters has me scratching my head, unless you're roleplaying and want to entertain guests in style.

Achievement Points.

Yeah, I use a cargo bay for that. Just compared to the rest of the bearing of a warship (barracks?) it doesn't make much sense. The ship basically seems like it's either multi-purpose or has none. It seems like it's ready to lead revolutions and accomodate nobles and fight in a fleet. All at once. In my opinion, that's less than ideal.

Rogue trader ships are usually multi-purpose! While most Rogue trader captains prefer Warships that is not their total role. Rogue traders are explorers, Merchants, Diplomats and yes, Warriors as necessary. Their Vessels (Or fleets) must be able to accommodate these varying mission requirements if they are to have lasting success!

On a design note; I've always felt that any ship of cruiser size or larger will have some sort of secondary role. It's just too damned expensive for anyone to build a capital ship that has no utilitarian usage other than flying gunboat. This was a flaw in the old Traveller game: The basic assumption was that a battleship was a bigger cruiser, was a bigger destroyer etc! This is not true today and was not really true in BFG either. Thus Cruisers might have luxury quarters that serve as flag officers staterooms, or Labs on a light cruiser designed to allow it to serve as a deep space explorer while on extended patrols. Even frigates and raiders have multiple uses depending on whether they are assigned to a battlegroup or operating independently.

The trick is, I'm thinking, that only the military can often fund boats of that size, and they budget things based on their war-potential. I am Admiral von Nimmetz, aboard my Grand Cruiser His Will Be Done. It is my premise to fight, and as an Admiral, do so at the head of a fleet, maybe. Nothing in there smacks of diplomacy, freight movement, or scientific endeavor. Some of those things COULD happen, certainly, but this isn't the Enterprise, formed by the United Federation of Planets; this is a ship of the line forged in the Omnissiah's gaze, to prosecute war upon the Emperor's enemies, as the Imperium has few "friends".

Once a Rogue Trader gets their hands on it, they almost MUST multipurpose their ship; too many things they encounter, or aspire to achieve, cannot be accomplished purely by application of macrocannons to the head, but that is a sort of unique angle to Rogue Traders; they DO deal with diplomats, throw up trophies for display, carry freight, survey new planets, or sequester beautiful aliens in their quarters. The military fights things, in this universe. This is, of course, as much my opinion as anything, and your mileage might vary.

Still, for an example: I am Lord-Captain Rothe, aboard the Emperor-class Battleship Light of Terra. It is the middle of the Angevan Crusade, and I have just received orders from Drusis to make for Battlefleet Capra, out near the edge of the Calyx Expanse, to lead them against the myriad heathen forces out there. Who am I likely to negotiate with, bring food to, or such? My battleship is designed to lead other fleets, and launch attack craft to protect them from torpedoes, and such. i could bring some supplies to top off the other ships in my squadron, or bring refresher crew to them, but that's about it. In other universes, what you say, I see, but not in 40K, where supreme application of violence seems to be the best, and often ONLY strategy they offer. The Emperor is not a forgiving god.

Those are all activities a Rogue Trader might do more or less at the same time. Hell, I'm doing it now.

Yes, thanks, I play this game too you know. It's still inefficient. And that's what I'm conveying to the OP. I think we're just having an argument about crunch versus fluff here since the first reply to this was "achievement points".

Let's examine the guiding light for a moment: In addition to her cast fighter compliment and significant gun batteries. As stated your ship's "secondary role" is to lead fleets into battle. As a result, you will have luxury suites (for your command staff admiral!), An Astropathic choir (For advanced comms across the Galaxy), Fleet Flag bridge component,(Duh!) Clemency life sustainer (Nothing but the best for an admiral's flagship!), Voidsmen's quarters (Same thing), XB-470 Ultimo array, a Brig, Ship Stores, Hydraphurian KL-247 jamming system (This is actually hinted at in the original BFG as the reason why the Emperor does not mount any prow armament), A medicae deck, Pilot chambers, Small craft repair deck and who knows what else!

My point is that your ship's stated mission will actually require more components than combat elements.