Re: (4018) free traders

Cynthia Higginbotham writes:
> (SF Historical note: it was not a
> cyberpunk author who invented organlegging.  It was another, non-cyber-
> punk-type author who came up with the idea of implanting electronics in
> your skull so your brain could talk directly to the computer. Anybody
> else remember who these mystery authors were?)

Niven for organlegging?  Don't recall who ought to get the credit on
brain implants...

> Of course, in the Imperium, where
> megacorp interests are carefully protected by Imperial law, you have these
> FIXED shipping rates that kill the small hauler...  He can't discount
> when his costs are cheaper than the big boys, and he can't raise his prices
> when they're higher.  Wait until Hard Times hits my PBEM; Imperial price
> regs will go out the window.

I'd be very interested to hear how you've decided to vary the rates in
this set up.  Seems like something that ought to be done, to be sure...

>         My assumptions: lucrative routes (like Efate-Louzy, Rhylanor-
> Porozlo) have much of the commodities hauling locked up in semi-
> permanent contracts.

Agreed.  I'd have no qualms about saying that there was no cargo available
on any given day over this sort of run.  (No speculative cargo that is...
there are probably _lots_ of people willing to pay Cr1000 to get their
ton of KCr20+ profit cargo hauled.)

>         I do agree with you that the cost of a building a merchant vessel
> is too high for the picture Traveller paints of the independant mercantile
> community, but I don't feel like going into that whole can of worms again.

Agreed.  Let's leave this closed.  Cheaper ships just makes the navy problem
worse.

Rob Dean