Traveller update?

[far-trader]

Don't know if this helps or not but an idea for Speculative Trade that should have occurred to me ages ago just hit me like a ton of bricks.

Real speculative trade isn't about being lucky with one cargo bargain (like Book 3), it's about knowing the markets and playing the difference. This could easily be done by players with the funds and fill any size ship they can imagine if they have the investment capital to do it. It's really such a simple idea...

The PCs just buy stuff on one planet and, here's the tricky bit, SELL IT on another planet! If they are smart they sell if at a profit

Any planet has stuff, available by the local TL limit. Buying in bulk lots should grant the price DMs in the spec trade table but I wouldn't allow the roll for value, just start at book value and adjust for local market. Then the PCs load it aboard and jump for another world.

At this point it is just like any other spec cargo. When they arrive they hire a broker, roll the dice, adjust for the market and sell.

cha-CHING!

Anyway, just a thought, I need to share this on a couple other boards

 

[AKAramis]

Don't know if this helps or not but an idea for Speculative Trade that should have occurred to me ages ago just hit me like a ton of bricks.[snip]

Anyway, just a thought, I need to share this on a couple other boards

Smart-a55...

Bk7 is badly broken since it disallows variable price-density.
Bk2 isn't badly broken, but is not as good as it could be.

And no offense to Bloo, Jim, et al, but GTFT mires in math.

T20 fixes several small issues in Bk2 (3d AVT, multiple lots available for purchase, more diverse lots) but still has the major flaw of Bk2: Goods lack linkage to sourceworld.

MT addressed that link. MT Trade is essentially bk7 mechanically, but adds specific goods; those goods can be determined to be corrosive, hazardous, etc, but it failed to take and address the one fatal flaw of Bk 7: the lack variable price density per ton.

 

[far-trader]

...The PCs just buy stuff on one planet and, here's the tricky bit, SELL IT on another planet! If they are smart they sell if at a profit

Any planet has stuff, available by the local TL limit. Buying in bulk lots should grant the price DMs in the spec trade table...

Hmm, unless that is exactly what the spec trade roll represents? The PCs scouring the planet for bulk lots and only finding one per Trader? Oh well, it was a good idea until I thought about it some Might still be I suppose. Use the rolling method for quick and dirty abstraction and the choice method for role playing...

 

[pasuuli]

MT addressed that link. MT Trade is essentially bk7 mechanically, but adds specific goods; those goods can be determined to be corrosive, hazardous, etc, but it failed to take and address the one fatal flaw of Bk 7: the lack variable price density per ton.

Hey, can you explain that a bit?

 

[AKAramis]

MT addressed that link. MT Trade is essentially bk7 mechanically, but adds specific goods; those goods can be determined to be corrosive, hazardous, etc, but it failed to take and address the one fatal flaw of Bk 7: the lack variable price density per ton.

Hey, can you explain that a bit?

In Bk2, spec. lots are defined by good type, cost, and lot size. The type determines the base for both cost and size, and also sets modifiers to price by world at purchase. Base prices range from Cr300 to Cr1,000,000 per ton. Only one lot per "trader" per week is allowed.

In Bk7, purchase price is fixed, and goods are defined by trade codes of world of origin, cost, and lot size. What might be in those crates is undefined, and all share the same base price of Cr4,000 per ton. Multiple lots (about as many as freight lots) are available.

MT adds a step: determining from the trade codes what the items are, and rolls for if it is corrosive, perishable, explosive, flammable, or radioactive.
But it still uses the same base Cr4,000 per ton.

It would be really cool to use the MT system EXCEPT for pricing, where a more Bk2 style (base by good type, and list of mods for purchase and sale world trade codes) would be really nice. (It also puts the size of hold fillable with a single agent and single week to about 250 tons median.)

Best of both worlds... MT's details, plus Bk2/T20's price variations keyed to source world, sale world and good type.

For reference, T20 uses Bk2's methodology, with a longer list of goods, and more central tendency on the Actual Value Table. It also reduces the effect of given mods, including broker, by using 3d rather than 2d, and allowing multiple lots, tho' seldom as many as freight lots...


(If Gar wants my incomplete in-process drafts, he's welcome to them... )

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Jumping to the latest Blog post on Planet Mongoose...

I LIKE that the characteristic bonus will only be +1 to +3. So skill should count for more than characteristic. BUT, this will have to be balanced by how high the skill levels will normally get.

Less than 40 skills is also a good thing. If each skill is more valuable (broad in application) then a 22-year-old with only 2 skills at Level 1 and three or four at Level 0 might still be worth playing.

The Effect and Timing dice is an interesting idea. I could see it being useful for ROLEplaying but not so useful for ROLLplaying.

A variation might be if the player had to determine which die was which BEFORE he/she rolled.

 

[far-trader]

Agreed, the more I see, the more I like. Simple, quick, easy. Even the "detail" of Effect/Timing (Quality/Speed?) fits that. So much extra for so little, brilliant! Love the way it's coming along.

Of course I can't help but tinker, even now

I'd probably have the player make the call before rolling and throw the standard into the mix, choosing between Speed (Timing), Quality (Effect), or Balanced...

REF: "Are you going to try to do it right (Balanced), quickly (Timing), or perfectly (Effect)?"

PC1: "I'm going to do it as fast as I can (Timing), we don't want to waste time here."

Rolls a 6 and a 2 and succeeds.

REF: "You finish very quickly (2 for Speed as low roll)* and it's a good job too (6 for Quality)."

And that leads to:

What if the player has all the time they could want to do it? Grant an automatic 6 for Timing and roll 1 die to add as Effect?

Or if they are trying to do an exceptional job? Grant an automatic 6 for Effect and roll 1 die to add as Timing?

Do you think that might work?

I think any stress situations would probably default to Balanced though. Like most combat.

Though you might use Timing to beat someone to the hit. Granting an automatic 1 for Timing to represent rushing but going before any other Timing roll but a 1, with the chance that you miss because you're only adding your Effect die and mods.

Or you might take a carefully aimed shot. Granting an automatic 6 (or maybe choosing a number) for Timing but going last except for any other 6 (or the chosen number) for Timing, with the chance for a hit better for it.

But I wouldn't go much further than that for fear of complicating it.

* At least that's how I'd see the Timing die; low is quick, high is slow. The example in the blog showing high is quick and low is slow seems counter intuitive to me. You do better work (higher die roll) when you take your time (high is slow), and poorer work (lower die roll) when you rush (low is quick). Make sense?

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Dan, I think HIGH is quick makes more sense actually. Think of the number as how well you succeeded at that particular part of the roll. Successful TIME is short time.

I want to be fast, so a higher number means I was fast.

In the example of "picking" one die and rolling the other:

I am going to take a carefully aimed shot (time 6) gives you a much better chance to succeed (you only need a 2 on the Effect die to hit), but it will be the last action taken.

I want to make a quick shot (Time 1) then depending on skill and characteristics, you may need a 6 to hit. If I have NO bonuses, then I better not use Time 1 since I will always miss (I just don't have the ability to fire that quickly and hit anything).

To me it makes perfect sense.

BUT, at a Referee, to I want to allow my players to PICK one of their die? If I let them pick one, why wouldn't you ALWAYS pick an Effect 6. A player can really make it quite likely that they will succeed (only need a 2) and if they do succeed, they do it very well. Some control of being able to do this would HAVE to be used. But, I do like your basic idea.

 

[pasuuli]

If you use some sort of strike rank system for initiative, you could simply add the "speed" die to see how long a action taken during combat will take, within reason. In that case, low would be good.