>Hi,
>
>I'm running a MegaTraveller campaign based around a Subsidized Merchant.
>I'm beginning to have a few problems with the system for trade.
>
>1. When you are seeking passengers it says as +DM to number of pass.
>use source-destin TL. Implying that more people travel from Hi Tech to
>Lo Tech worlds. Tourism seems a thought but is there anything else that
>may be a reason for the above DM.
>
According to Traveller and The Merchant Prince (Book 7) it says:
Add (or subtract) difference between source world and market world tech
levels. This would imply that there would be a want to travel to low tech
worlds. In the past I have ruled that more people want to go to the high tech
world, but being the devils advocate, if I know how to build air rafts, then I
can get a real high paying job on a low tech planet. Call this one as you
like. I send more people to the high tech world.
>2. When you roll on the Cargo Table. How exactly do you know what is
>freight and what is cargo? Also their is a vague mention at the end to the
>effect that the resulting cargo is ALL the cargo available on the world.
>If that means for a given destination, that's ok but if it means for
>all how do you figure? Merchant Prince implied that what u get from the
>table is all Cargo(Speculative kind) if u don't buy it, it becomes
>freight? Thoughts....
>
Well, I think that you would make two rolls. One to see what freight is
available and another to see what cargos are avaiable. This is because you are
dealing with two different agencys. First, frieght is something that someone
wants shipped. Finding this cargo would be found through some shipping company
(kinda like Greyhound or UPS). Speculative Trade cargo requires the trader to
go around to various agencys or brokers to buy goods. You would not go to UPS
for this, but rather some wholeseller/warehouse. Under the old rules, you
rolled for the amount of freight but only got one speculative trade cargo.
>3. How has someone else handled a merchant campagn out there?
>
The only bad thing about a merchant campaign is the players (mostly the ship
captian/master) ends up doing a solo game that has no role-playing. It is
travel, get cargo sell cargo etc. The rest of the players get kinda board with
it. Also, as a ref, I find that I give them too much cash. My players are
cleaver and they find ways to manipulate the system to always make a profit.
We have had fun with it and it is a way to raise capital in a hurry.
>4.If you have a J-1 ship with extra fuel tanks but you are jumping
>across 2 parsecs with passengers. Do you charge them for 2 jumps
>or just one. If there is an 'official' rule to the effect( that I missed)
>I'd like to hear of it, also if any personal solutions to the problem.
>The Encyc. mentions to the effect that you charge for each jump. But
>it doesn't make sense, it seems to assume that you are making a jump
>through an inhabited system so the person can get off. But in many cases
>the first jump is to deep space and the next to a system. Seems like a
>fleece for passengers and a game bug ready to blow.
>
I don't think that it is ever said. However I think that you would probably
charge them the one system value. They are going to be inconvinenced by the
two week journy and the fuel doen't cost that much. The overhead
(environmental controls) for the second week is going to cost more, but I think
that a trader would take a smaller profit if it ment a full load. A lot of
role-playing can come from this. If your ship is the only one in the area and
there isn't a lot of choice, the passengers will be cut throat and pay big
bucks for that stateroom. Where as on a high visability world, why should I
pay 10,000 cr to spend two weeks on that scrap when I can pay the same amount
on Joe's Far Trader and get there in one week.
Just as in real life, supply and demand are in effect. If you are competeing
with a large lines who happens to hub on this system, you aren't going to find
anyone who will pay 10Kcr to make a two week jump.
>Thanx in advance y'all.
>
> Ameer Z. sulaiman.
Quite Welcome.
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