Resource Unit shipping volume question

[mavikfelna]

Ok, I am working on fleshing out the Rzakki sector and something occurred to me that I have no answer for. Using the World Builders Handbook, there are alot of systems in Rzakki with negative RU values, that also only have a few ship visits per week. Some of these worlds have small populations, so that shouldn't be a big deal, but then you get systems like Agadhzurz, B53A79A-8, with -2376 RU and a measly 5 ships a week.
Now, in Rzakki, a big ship is 400 tons, due to very limited ship building and low technology. And 5 subsided merchants a week is not going to support 59 million Vargr. In this particular case, food and water and air aren't a problem due to the planet UWP, but keeping that TL 8 going, or even supplying all the farmers, fishers and what have you is going to take alot of work.

 

[rinku]

RU's are an economic measure, not really a technological one. A negative RU means they're running a deficit, not lacking self-sufficiency as such (though that can be the case. But in this one, I expect not).

 

[rinku]

Also, it's a value relative to its wider region and should not be taken as an absolute, but the world's local economic impact:



As well, none of this has much to do with volume of freight shipped. A lot of the most important trade and freight is high value and low mass anyway. Agadhzurz clearly isn't producing much that anyone elsewhere wants. And it seems unlikely to be able to afford to import much, as a result. So it's economically unimportant. That does NOT mean it can't maintain its native TL8. It's neither an industrial or non-industrial world, which suggests more or less self-sufficient TL8 manufacture to me. It's neither agricultural or non-agricultural, so likely can feed itself but has little in the way of food surplus.