Q on money

[vitalis6969]

Thanks for the insight guys. I appreciate it.

Latest on what I did was this: a president named Mustafah has been working with the ISA (Imperial Security Agency), taking money, living fat as they prop up his government on a third rate balkanized world and support his fight against his younger brother who is an anti-Imperial socialist. Just as the revolution was getting crushed in the streets of the capital, Mustafah, his uncle and his brother all skip planet with a TON of credits from the nation's coffers (this is money that the ISA has been feeding him to support his army of local militia, mercs and what-not)

Note, that was just a fast overview of what happened and crude for this purpose, it was much deeper involved than that. To get the background though, just look at Africa or S.E. Asia and the games that spook agents play.

Now, the plarty of Travellers who were all part of everything that happened above, are now hired by an ISA representative to follow Mustafah, retrieve the money and if at all possible bring back Mustafah, Uncle and Little Brother for trumped up war crimes trials back on their homeworld. ISA has to save the situation somehow back there.

The trio fled across the sector and got refuge (bought refuge) on another third world crap planet. But this planet is a giant religious mecca and is closed to non-religious offworlders.

The player's were hired for 150k, plus expenses, plus an addition 30k each for the live return of Mustafa, Uncle and Younger Brother. This will cover the 171k / month upkeep on the ship with a little left over to buy some steak and beer with.

-V

 

[rinku]

Yeah, "plus expenses" is the magic word alright

Sounds neat.

 

[zero]

Okee, I noticed after building my 66 MCr ship I wouldnt have enough profit so I boosted the cargo hold to 80 tons and reduced it to 62MCr and with the staterooms I made it viable (plus theres 2 ship shares in my game now).

One question, with the post delivery, is that the creds mentioned for one container or could you in theory get a couple of containers at the credits mentioned to really boost profit?
I assumed it was one container because mail delivery is a much better paying job than hauling cargo loads.

 

[rust]

One question, with the post delivery, is that the creds mentioned for one container or could you in theory get a couple of containers at the credits mentioned to really boost profit?

Since the containers are data storage devices, and the storage capacity
of Traveller computers of TL 9+ is practically unlimited, I suspect that a
single container is sufficient to store all the mail - so no additional con-
tainers.

The exception could be trade runs into the remote frontier regions, where
the ship visits several otherwise rarely visited worlds in a row, and takes
one mail container each from the region's capital or trade hub to each of
the backwater worlds.

 

[rinku]

I agree with rust's comment that one storage container would normally be sufficient for most mail runs, but there is another kind of mail that isn't addressed in the basic rules, and that is parcel post. Until we get into tech levels where physical objects can be data stored and transferred, there is going to be a market for package delivery. There's no reason this could not be added as a second category of mail charter, though it would be of varying size per run.

 

[DFW]

I agree with rust's comment that one storage container would normally be sufficient for most mail runs, but there is another kind of mail that isn't addressed in the basic rules, and that is parcel post. Until we get into tech levels where physical objects can be data stored and transferred, there is going to be a market for package delivery. There's no reason this could not be added as a second category of mail charter, though it would be of varying size per run.

There would be companies analogous to DHL, UPS, etc., dealing with this in all but the most dismal backwaters.

 

[rinku]

There would be companies analogous to DHL, UPS, etc., dealing with this in all but the most dismal backwaters.

And there would be mail charters for routine (non-priority) bulk delivery as per current international air and surface mail arrangements - analogous to Royal Mail, Australia Post and the US Postal Service. In the 3I this might be overseen by the IISS to a degree, I guess, but if e-mail is chartered out to freighters there's no reason parcel post wouldn't be as well. Besides, even courier companies use commercial transport to shift their mailbags.

 

[DFW]

And there would be mail charters for routine (non-priority) bulk delivery as per current international air and surface mail arrangements

DHL & UPS move mostly non-priority. Also, airlines do this. It takes having a regular service route to pick up this kind of business.

 

[rust]

It takes having a regular service route to pick up this kind of business.

True, but regular does not have to mean often or on a precise date. If a
certain free trader ship is the only one visiting some frontier world once
every six months, give or take a month or two, it will still get the parcel
shipping contract, simply because there is neither alternative nor compe-
tition.

 

[DFW]

True, but regular does not have to mean often or on a precise date. If a certain free trader ship is the only one visiting some frontier world once every six months, give or take a month or two, it will still get the parcel
shipping contract, simply because there is neither alternative nor compe-
tition.

Yes, as I stated already: "There would be companies analogous to DHL, UPS, etc., dealing with this in all but the most dismal backwaters."

 

[rust]

Yes, as I stated already: "There would be companies analogous to DHL, UPS, etc., dealing with this in all but the most dismal backwaters."

Ah, I probably did not get that you considered those heroic outposts of
humanity where brave colonists expand the sphere of civilization with
their honest hard work to introduce order where only chaos existed be-
fore as "most dismal backwaters" ... :lol:

 

[DFW]

Yes, as I stated already: "There would be companies analogous to DHL, UPS, etc., dealing with this in all but the most dismal backwaters."

Ah, I probably did not get that you considered those heroic outposts of
humanity where brave colonists expand the sphere of civilization with
their honest hard work to introduce order where only chaos existed be-
fore as "most dismal backwaters" ... :lol:

Well, if I'm trying to get them to spend money on my services then they become, "Heroic Outposts of Humanity" in the sales brochures I send them.

 

[rinku]

DFW, we agree that there will be private companies that you can employ to deliver parcel post. Why is it so hard for you to accept that governments will also make arrangements, especially for less profitable runs? Look around you - both types run in parallel now; I can't see any reason it would cease in the future except in a totalitarian or totally corporate environment, which default Traveller does not assume.

 

[DFW]

Why is it so hard for you to accept that governments will also make arrangements, especially for less profitable runs?

Pls show where I said that.

 

[rinku]

Why is it so hard for you to accept that governments will also make arrangements, especially for less profitable runs?

Pls show where I said that.

Well, I agreed with you about private couriers, and mentioned that there would also be government contracts on low priority bulk mail. You then seemed to be arguing against my point by saying that the private companies would cover that.

Sorry if I misunderstood your post.

 

[DFW]

Why is it so hard for you to accept that governments will also make arrangements, especially for less profitable runs?

Pls show where I said that.

Well, I agreed with you about private couriers, and mentioned that there would also be government contracts on low priority bulk mail. You then seemed to be arguing against my point by saying that the private companies would cover that.

Sorry if I misunderstood your post.

No prob. I see what your saying. No, I meant that private Co's ALSO do that, along with Gov't. Although I think Gov't would be FAR more prevalent in areas with low profit potential.

 

[rinku]

Yeah, we agree on that, although many corporations operate lower profit markets in order to push their brand as universal.

Besides, "backwater" just means "surcharge for delivery", surely?