Streamlining Trade generation during game play

[kristof65]

So we had our first session where speculative trade came up tonight. Overall, the rules worked well, but for a little bit, it dragged out the game while the ship's broker and I figured out what the group could/couldn't buy. One of the players started joking that they were going to need Quickbooks!

I need some suggestions on good methods to speed up trade generation, and track the whole trading thing. I've got a few ideas in mind, but I'm wondering what solutions others are using, and how well they're working.

 

[omegar]

My method is a combination of preparation and communication.

When i know where the players are going it is quite easy to quickly generate a couple of suppliers in advance. The goods available, and the modifiers that can be applied. Then the player comes in makes the rolls to generate the percentage of base cost.

Having as much as possible pre-generated speeds things up. I am also trying to do stuff over e-mail where possible. I.e tell him what is available, so that they can consider what to take, and also what planet they want to go too.

It seems to be working ok, but hasn't undergone any real testing!

 

[5h4ne]

Yeah, I'm doing more or less the same thing, some prep in advance - I'm running a one off scenario where it's possible we'll just gloss over the trading bit - it's just a bit of embellishment to the story line e.g. Travellers struggling to scrape a living, need to repair their ship, get offered a "dubious" cargo with good returns etc, it's more of a plot hook

the players can have the info to fill out the story or they can play it through - as I know where I want them to go I've prepped the goods and suppliers already, and if the players want we'll rp it, with them rolling etc.

If I was running a set of sessions I'd be making sure I knew where the players were going at the end of a session so I could prep for the next one, if I didn't know I'd prep all the worlds in jump distance...

 

[GypsyComet]

Brokerage contacts are almost set up to be run like patrons in MGT. The system does not run terribly fast, so "and you get there" plot jumps need some streamlining. I ran a brokerage-dominated session last week, and while the players really got an appreciation for the shoestring they were operating on, I don't want this to dominate play heading into the long term plot.

 

[kristof65]

...while the players really got an appreciation for the shoestring they were operating on, I don't want this to dominate play heading into the long term plot.

Same here. While I want some of the flavor of trading, and the enjoyment of the PCs building their fortune, I don't want that to derail other elements of my plot, which involves industrial espionage, terrorists, state secrets, shipwrecks, and a search for legendary buried treasure.