The value of money

[kafka]

Also, it is important to remember that Traveller characters are a bunch of hitchhikers going from world to world. The norm is not to have starships but rather making enough to eat (why does almost every adventure begin in the Starport bar - cheap eats & digs) and then another trip. What motivates people, it is certainly, money but rather that is part of the larger Cold Equations that come into play...therefore, unlike D&D when you collect loot just go out sack the next ecosystem (well...that is what I dungeon essentially is)...Traveller tries to maintain a harmony. And, if you are ever wondering why the amounts that a patron offer is so low - check out almost any Lonely Planet for Bottom End (or whatever they call it) - these are the places your character hangs out.

 

[Ishmael]

Gah! That sounds too much like a job rather than play. Realistically, how many GMs are going to stop an adventure to look up per capita income based on a social group?

no one who is sane, to be sure!

but it might be nice to know for a world write-up to know the wealth distribution.
It would be show the difference between Denmark and Botswana (assuming GDP being equal). It would affect sizes of shanty-towns and attitudes and politics. Its said that revolutions are only a few missed meals away. It would also have a direct affect on demand for goods and the type of goods demanded.. Its a pain in the ass, so I may forget it anyways.

I would affect the amount of cash spent to maintain a certain social level.

I figure Travellers are middle of the road ( soc 7 ) because lower might not have the cash to do much of anything besides survive, and the rich have better things to do than eke out a living in dangerous conditions. But then again, I guess that soc-7 makes about 24,500/yr ( 16cr*2^soc) in local currency,but the greater majority of people make much less.

 

[AKAramis]

for comparison purposes, from the MegaTraveller Player's Manual, p.30:

Social Standing x Cr250: The number of credits the character must spend in a month on upkeep (food, clothing, lodging, and incidentals). Ordinary purchases (buying equipment, getting a starship high passage ticket) does not count toward this total.

If the character is unable to keep up the proper rate of upkeep spending for a year, his or her apparent Social Standing drops one level. Apparent Social Standing is the Social Standing perceived by others.

(Italics original).

Soc 7 would thus be Cr1750/month, or Cr22750 per 13-month Imperial Year (as defined in MT's Ref's Companion). If you use Cr1=2008US$3, that gets $68250/year....

Mind you, in 1977, the median household income was $13570 (US Census p60-117.pdf p1), and given the 1:1 correspondence, one should expect soc7 to spend about Cr1050/month for a family of 4... but 2 of those are children, so we div 3... and get Cr350 for soc7, if in fact soc7 is the default population-wide income median... which I doubt. (It's probably a decent average for spacefarers, tho'...)