Equipment Package Deals ?

[rust]

While working on some equipment lists for a setting, I got the impression
that certain combinations of equipment should be so common that they
should be available as packages with reduced prices.

An example from my setting:

Planetary Survey System (350,000 Credits)
1 Satellite Ground Station = 5,000 Cr.
1 Computer Model 1 = 30,000 Cr.
- Planetology Database = 5,000 Cr.
- Intelligent Interface 1 = 100 Cr.
- Remote Control 2 = 10,000 Cr.
- Planetology 2 = 10,000 Cr.
3 Survey Satellites = 300,000 Cr.

The total price of the individual parts of this package would normally be
360,100 Credits, but I think it should be available as an integrated system
for not more than 350,000 Credits.

Well, what do you think ?

 

[DFW]

I could see this package being purchased by large mining concerns in quantity.

 

[justacaveman]

Sounds reasonable, so there must be some rule against it. :roll:

 

[IanBruntlett]

Well, what do you think ?

Fantastic. If I wasn't busy preparing for tomorrow's session, I'd be writing things up now. How about....
* Smuggler's package
* Psion's equipment
* Trader's equipment
* Standard service equipment - e.g. Imperial Navy, Imperial Ministry of Justice

 

[hdan]

What a great idea, if for no other reason than making it easy for players to equip their characters with appropriate gear.

From an RP perspective, you could even do fun things like attaching a stigma to certain more affordable kits - "But I wouldn't expect any different from the kind of punter who'd buy an LSP Explorer's Kit!" or maybe "Hey, isn't that the new SuSAG Prospector Pack? I've heard that's a great value!"

 

[rust]

Thank you.

I have to admit that I have of course borrowed the idea from another
science fiction game, Expendables, which has both a basic kit for all
members of an exploration team and specialized kits tailored to the
needs of the different professions.

Working on one of my water world colony settings, I thought that the
colonists should be able to use something similar to those kits, a ge-
neral "colonist's kit" with clothes, first aid kit, survival knife and such
things, and a choice of "professional kits" designed for their kind of
work in the colony, for example a "farmer's kit", a "miner's kit" and
so on.

The next step were the "system packages" like the one mentioned in
the first post, integrated systems designed for a specific purpose like
planetary survey, underwater exploration and so on.

The advantage for the characters is that they save a little money, the
advantage for the referee is that buying equipment for a new charac-
ter is done a bit faster and that there is less bookkeeping to do.

A small additional advantage for both characters and referee is that the
characters are less likely to forget some small, but important piece of
equipment when preparing for any kind of mission - if they have the
right kit or package for the job, it will almost certainly be included.

 

[Captain Jonah]

Speaking as a merchant prince I agree with deals, should be Cr325,000 though. 10% ish off for the package.
Otherwise good idea, lets see the rest of the package ideas then :wink:

 

[superc0ntra]

I let them haggle the price if they do bulk purchases or buy several items from one supplier. Just as in real life.

 

[rust]

I let them haggle the price if they do bulk purchases or buy several items from one supplier. Just as in real life.

This was my approach last time, but in the end it took much too long un-
til all characters had got their personal gear as well as the mission gear.
So, instead of haggling the prices for lots of individual items, the charac-
ters now haggle the prices for a few kits, with the reduced "package deal"
prices as the seller's asking prices.

 

[justacaveman]

I like the idea.

Make up some good ones, so I can claim to all my players that it was originally my idea (Since it's a good one.). Any bad ideas I have, I claim I that I got them from someone else, and I'm working on improvements.

:twisted:

 

[rust]

Make up some good ones, so I can claim to all my players that it was originally my idea ...

I am afraid all the ones I have are in German and contain a lot of non-
official underwater gear, so your players will perhaps not really believe
it ...

 

[superc0ntra]

I let them haggle the price if they do bulk purchases or buy several items from one supplier. Just as in real life.

This was my approach last time, but in the end it took much too long un-
til all characters had got their personal gear as well as the mission gear.
So, instead of haggling the prices for lots of individual items, the charac-
ters now haggle the prices for a few kits, with the reduced "package deal"
prices as the seller's asking prices.

I don't find it taking much time. More of an "I want items 1,2,3,4 and 5. Give me a fail price" Roll broker and get effect * 5% price reduction.... Or something along those lines.
But I can see your point i tossing them a ready made bargain package.

 

[rust]

I don't find it taking much time. More of an "I want items 1,2,3,4 and 5. Give me a fail price" Roll broker and get effect * 5% price reduction.... Or something along those lines.

True for a normal adventure, but much less so if the characters have to
buy the entire equipment required to explore a planet and establish a co-
lony there, which the setting I mentioned was about. :wink:

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

I have run into this with Armour as well.

I was trying to price out Combat Armour with some add-ons (like weapons etc) and figured out that the weapons came up to less than 5% of the cost of the armour and I figured the manufacturer would throw them in for free on a bulk order.

FutureWORLD had a "Tac-Pac" that was a "standard" package of things that people could buy.

I think it is a great idea.

There could be a nice S&P article here with a lot of combo-packs!

 

[locarno24]

If you're buying a large group of bits and hoping for a deal, then broker is the way to go, but for a standard package, I'd suggest that the same logic as 'standard ship design' should apply - i.e. 10% off; you're not trying to 'do a deal', you're asking for item AF108 out of the catalogue, which just happens to contain AF101 through AF107.

Makes it a lot easier for something like your colony setting, where you might realistically be ordering 100+ identical kits of equipment.

 

[rust]

In many situations I also provide "free" replacement for the basic stuff between scenarios IF the group has spend time in a place where such replacements could be had AND was in a situation (health-wise etc) where one could assume they did regular work/had regular income.

A good idea, thank you. I will figure such material into the characters'
normal living expenses and only demand that they actually purchase
and replace any material that is unusual or has a price beyond a cer-
tain limit, for example 50 Credits.

 

[rust]

Ah, Andy Slack - he published a lot of good ideas in White Dwarf, too.

I think he also was the author of a scout character creation system, we
loved it and continued to use it even after the official Scout supplement
had been published.