Free Traders

When I was wondering through my collection of archive material (The stuff
I managed to get before my uni restricted out of campus FTP and Telnet .)
I saw a for posts from people talking about the high cost of free traders
and how they are not economically viable . I am not sure about the outcome
of these discussions but here are some ideas I was mussing about with .....

1) Starship Commerce can really be viable by large corporations . Those
are the only people whop can really afford starships and to keep them up .
This is not a new idea, in fact I guess fairly standard . But what of the
poor honest free trader . Well in order to explain the existance of free
traders, you must realize they are the exception not the rule .

Most starship travel and cargo hauling would be undertaken by corporations .
They could offer guaranteed services, large tax rebates could ensure that
the vessels were in top condition, they have a high access to security etc .

I mean as a small time business who had to transport your precious commod-
ities who would you trust ? The cleaming Tukera lines or some battered
old free trader run by captain ahab who has a wooden leg .

So how do free traders fit into it . Well yes they are rare, they pick up
the more unprofitable cargos or run the speculative markets, or get the
smaller, luctrative cargos .

Back to the old character generation, a merchant character gets his hands
on a starship (Including most of the time the coorporation captains) . But
this is for the characters, not for the general populace . The average
coorporation captain will retire to a life of ease when he leaves the
merchant service . The reason why players get starships is becuase the
whole point of the game is adventure on the "High Seas" . It would be
rare for an ex corp captian to buy a vessel, and this rare captain would
be a player . (I mean whats the point in generating a merchant captain to
go and live a life of ease straight afterwards : Ref "What does your
character do ?", Player "Oh I dunno, hang around the jukuzzi") .

Where do these players get the starships from ???? Well for coorporation
captains thats easy . The average coorporation has to update its
equipment regualry, this makes good business sense . What does the corp
do with this mothballed freighter, sells it to one of its former employees
(It would not be scared of compedition from its former employee cause the
new owner simply just would not matter (His vessel is very "small fry")) .

Free Traders get their vessels from say a fellow free trader whose retiring,
a bankrupt orgainization, etc .

The payments are large for paying of a vessel agreed, BUT those people
want to be merhants they didnt get talked into it . The corp captains
could be in it because they want to be independant .

The intestellar markets are geared up (So I think) for corporations
running the space lanes . The free traders are the independants struggling
to make a living off the "crumbs" the bigger fish dont worry about . But
the intestellar markets can keep a free trader (providing he makes the right
decisions (Sorry for the "He" all the time, its to save effort, not cause
I'm sexist)) above water, or very wealthy .

The bank repayments are large on a free trader (About 175,000/Month),
but remember banks, as they are today, are geared up to make their money
off the big companies . Compare interest rates today, something like 13%
for the average small business, and 20% for the corp) . A bank lending
money to an independant is risking it . Space travel is hazardous, money
consuming, and stressful . There is a very good chance they will not see
their money again . Consequently the large interest rates, high repayments .
(I mean theres none of this just having to pay the interest each year) .

Why become a free trader . Throughout history people admire the underdog,
and people want independance . Having to rely on others or work for others
is not as good as relying on yourself, or working for yourself .

The Free Traders are a very hardy and select breed . There is no grey areas
in the free traders, you either survive or you dont, those who do,
successfully prosper in the dog eat dog enviroment of merchantile space .
These people are reveared, admired . They have adventures beyond comparison
(well to the average planet bound factory worker) . There is a definite
romantic appeal to the free trader . Also free traders (the really good ones)
can survive and prosper, just like any profession with high risk, and
possible high gain, there will always be someone working in it .

I hope this helps accept the high cost and running of independant
merchant vessels, and the rather large repayments due . It helps to
remember though that in merhantile space, a free trader is an exception,
not the rule, but the free traders that exist, are exceptional .

Edmund

(Or <sigh> as its been pointed out to me, my real name is michael, so please
dont get confused)

Any Comments ????????

(At all ......)