captainjack23
Cosmic Mongoose
Main problems with passenger travel as in 3.2 MGT[/b]
1. Its a loss compared to all other kinds of cargo and freight.
2. Typically passenger profit needs to have a substantially higher margin than cargo to be worth the extra trouble (cargo doesn't snore, sing, argue politics, practice the electocordian, talk back, demand better food, get sick, sue the captain, or hijack the ship)
So, the goal is to make it profitable both in terms of the basic freight costs, and then some.
I'm using freight largely as presented in 3.2, and the above CaptainJack/Aramis trade model for spec trades as profit comparison.
Suggestions for profitable pasengers:
Increase the passengers per steward.
I'd suggest at a minimum that a steward should be able to handle (level +1 )*2 high passage passengers. with a minimum of one level 1 steward on the crew. lev 0 stewards are basically porters, maid service and cabana boys. They need a manager & the ship needs a purser as a minimum.
Count Mid passengers as 1/4 a passanger each. (round up if needed - make those S/C work if they want to have passangers).
In most cases, stewards should double bunk.
Assuming a steward 2 supporting 6 passengers, we have income of 36000 Cr for 24 tons + 2 tons (steward will half bunk); ignoring overhead, a bit.
we get 36000 for 25 tons for 1.36 kCr per ton of passanger, which means 36% more profit than freight, and cash up front. See notes below about the luggage allowance.
increase and rescale the cost of a passage by range
Set the base HP cost for a J1 ticket at at 6000Cr
jump 1 and two passages are unchanged. They sell for 6Kcr and 12kcr respectively.
Above that, the trip becomes a premium ticket, as the time saving is substantial enough that carriers will charge for it; plus the profit numbers start to get tight at J3 for most ships.
Id suggest that a J-3 ticket cost 20Kcr sold as a "direct ticket";
J4 and 5 are sold as "express" tickets for 30K and 50kcr;
J6 is courier class, and heck- 75Kcr ? 100Kcr ?.
Note that a standard ticket can be purchased for any of the above routes - as multiples of a J-1 ticket. You get there slower, but cheaper.
Mess up the elegence of HP/MP by restructuring types of passage.
I'd say making mid passage 4000 to make it work (as a loss reducer), and allow a special economy mid at 2500 allowing double occupancy.
Mid passage has less luggage allowance and messes like the rew.
Econ have rationed water, and either pay as you go or vended food or are expected to carry their own (bus model)
High passage has its own food and dining, at least the equiv of a good restaraunt.
Notes on luggage space.
Mid passage has (for convenience) a 1/10 dTon (1.4 cubic meters) luggage allowance included in the cabin.
Econ mids share it, so be nice !
I'd suggest that Hp bump econ mids before they bump standard mid passengers. The ticket brings in a bit less, but having only one passanger to support proably brings it to a puch. And one frugal passanger is likley less trouble athan 2 stinky crowder MRE eating passengers anyday.
The problem as ever is the HP luggage allowance -1dTon per. I'm loath to change it, so I wont. If one assumes the 1 ton luggage allowance for a HP is extra to the cabin space,the profit/ton hits 1.12. Which, with overhead might bring it down to somewhat less than 10% more profit than freight. This may not be enough to justify carrying High passangers., and I'm unwilling to raise the basic price much more.
one solution is to bury the extra dTon in the deckplan as part of the living space...not the best solution for a varietyu of reasons, but a solution that is quick and easy.
Another is to have a basic HP include 1/4dton seperate from the cabin with the option to upgarde to a full dTon for 500 extra credits. Any more is charged at standard freight.
6 Standard HP = 24 tons +1.5 tons +2 tons = 1.31Kcr/ton.
If they all upgrade , getting a break on freight costs , (essentially a 250cr discount over freight) we have 24 +2 +6 tons with 36000+ (.5*6) =39000Kcr for 32 tons =1.22Kcr/ton.
One additional bonus of passengers becomes apparent when the trade rules are considered. Since characters only have access to a limited numbeof lots of freight and spec (with the changes above), passangers allows a stacked revenue source - in short, one can't get more frieght once the lots are gone, and if you have no cabins, you 've topped out your profit/ton.
Thoughts on cost
I considered upping the ticket price more , but looking at the cost of living table, 5000 is a months expenses for a soc C(12) character. This suggest to me that high passage is indeed first class, and that there should be sufficient people to support it, if one assumes 1/36 of the population can dump one months rent and food and fun into a passage at will. One can probably save for more or less months and get a Mid passage if soc 8 & up, or less time for an econ.
My overall goal was to treat it less like an airplane or train, and more like a very early steamship or sail route: one does not commute or take quick jaunts ....its possible for most people to travel, eventually (say to colonize or just emmigrate), just not frequently. Thats for the rich, the important, and the people with buisness expenses accounts.
1. Its a loss compared to all other kinds of cargo and freight.
2. Typically passenger profit needs to have a substantially higher margin than cargo to be worth the extra trouble (cargo doesn't snore, sing, argue politics, practice the electocordian, talk back, demand better food, get sick, sue the captain, or hijack the ship)
So, the goal is to make it profitable both in terms of the basic freight costs, and then some.
I'm using freight largely as presented in 3.2, and the above CaptainJack/Aramis trade model for spec trades as profit comparison.
Suggestions for profitable pasengers:
Increase the passengers per steward.
I'd suggest at a minimum that a steward should be able to handle (level +1 )*2 high passage passengers. with a minimum of one level 1 steward on the crew. lev 0 stewards are basically porters, maid service and cabana boys. They need a manager & the ship needs a purser as a minimum.
Count Mid passengers as 1/4 a passanger each. (round up if needed - make those S/C work if they want to have passangers).
In most cases, stewards should double bunk.
Assuming a steward 2 supporting 6 passengers, we have income of 36000 Cr for 24 tons + 2 tons (steward will half bunk); ignoring overhead, a bit.
we get 36000 for 25 tons for 1.36 kCr per ton of passanger, which means 36% more profit than freight, and cash up front. See notes below about the luggage allowance.
increase and rescale the cost of a passage by range
Set the base HP cost for a J1 ticket at at 6000Cr
jump 1 and two passages are unchanged. They sell for 6Kcr and 12kcr respectively.
Above that, the trip becomes a premium ticket, as the time saving is substantial enough that carriers will charge for it; plus the profit numbers start to get tight at J3 for most ships.
Id suggest that a J-3 ticket cost 20Kcr sold as a "direct ticket";
J4 and 5 are sold as "express" tickets for 30K and 50kcr;
J6 is courier class, and heck- 75Kcr ? 100Kcr ?.
Note that a standard ticket can be purchased for any of the above routes - as multiples of a J-1 ticket. You get there slower, but cheaper.
Code:
Basic HP costs, by parsecs per Jump.
J1 6000Cr
J2 12000Cr
J3 20,000Cr
J4 30,000Cr
J5 50,000Cr
J6 market price, ask your server.Mess up the elegence of HP/MP by restructuring types of passage.
I'd say making mid passage 4000 to make it work (as a loss reducer), and allow a special economy mid at 2500 allowing double occupancy.
Mid passage has less luggage allowance and messes like the rew.
Econ have rationed water, and either pay as you go or vended food or are expected to carry their own (bus model)
High passage has its own food and dining, at least the equiv of a good restaraunt.
Notes on luggage space.
Mid passage has (for convenience) a 1/10 dTon (1.4 cubic meters) luggage allowance included in the cabin.
Econ mids share it, so be nice !
I'd suggest that Hp bump econ mids before they bump standard mid passengers. The ticket brings in a bit less, but having only one passanger to support proably brings it to a puch. And one frugal passanger is likley less trouble athan 2 stinky crowder MRE eating passengers anyday.
The problem as ever is the HP luggage allowance -1dTon per. I'm loath to change it, so I wont. If one assumes the 1 ton luggage allowance for a HP is extra to the cabin space,the profit/ton hits 1.12. Which, with overhead might bring it down to somewhat less than 10% more profit than freight. This may not be enough to justify carrying High passangers., and I'm unwilling to raise the basic price much more.
one solution is to bury the extra dTon in the deckplan as part of the living space...not the best solution for a varietyu of reasons, but a solution that is quick and easy.
Another is to have a basic HP include 1/4dton seperate from the cabin with the option to upgarde to a full dTon for 500 extra credits. Any more is charged at standard freight.
6 Standard HP = 24 tons +1.5 tons +2 tons = 1.31Kcr/ton.
If they all upgrade , getting a break on freight costs , (essentially a 250cr discount over freight) we have 24 +2 +6 tons with 36000+ (.5*6) =39000Kcr for 32 tons =1.22Kcr/ton.
One additional bonus of passengers becomes apparent when the trade rules are considered. Since characters only have access to a limited numbeof lots of freight and spec (with the changes above), passangers allows a stacked revenue source - in short, one can't get more frieght once the lots are gone, and if you have no cabins, you 've topped out your profit/ton.
Thoughts on cost
I considered upping the ticket price more , but looking at the cost of living table, 5000 is a months expenses for a soc C(12) character. This suggest to me that high passage is indeed first class, and that there should be sufficient people to support it, if one assumes 1/36 of the population can dump one months rent and food and fun into a passage at will. One can probably save for more or less months and get a Mid passage if soc 8 & up, or less time for an econ.
My overall goal was to treat it less like an airplane or train, and more like a very early steamship or sail route: one does not commute or take quick jaunts ....its possible for most people to travel, eventually (say to colonize or just emmigrate), just not frequently. Thats for the rich, the important, and the people with buisness expenses accounts.
