On 3 Dec 2016 23:19, "Phil Pugliese (via tml list)" <xxxxxx@simplelists.com> wrote:

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On Sat, 12/3/16, Timothy Collinson <xxxxxx@port.ac.uk> wrote:

Subject: Re: [TML] Mongoose 2nd edition trade

To: "xxxxxx@simplelists.com" <xxxxxx@simplelists.com>
Date: Saturday, December 3, 2016, 11:55 AM

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Phil wrote:
>p.s. I first concluded that the original (LBB) rules
were too
'player/trader >friendly' when GDW forced the
adventuring team to use a
broken-down >FarTrader capable of only J1 in the CT LBB
Adv3, instead of a
regular J1 >FreeTrader. The reduced cargo capacity vs a
FreeTrader
working the >Spinward Main made it all the more
challenging.

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Yes, I probably
ought to try a Free Trader under the same rules for
comparison.

I've been
running the March Harrier on the Aramis Trace to keep things
limited and focused. (One of the reasons I've not done
this before is because I boggle at all the options -
ships/locations/routes etc.) After just four Jumps
I've gone from Cr100,000 to Cr900,000. But have met
some interesting folk along the way (I always roll once on
the Exciting Passengers table and try to invent something of
interest about then), and have been intrigued by what cargo
becomes available and what's worth taking (or what can
be afforded). And I love running the Low lottery and
seeing who survives. 9 low berths and Medic 3, one per
trip still dies on average.

It's kind of become a bit more fun than I was
expecting. Passengers and Freight I can knock off in about
10 minutes which feels reasonable. Doing the cargo tables
takes nearer 1/2 hour which I'm not so sold on - but I
do one Jump a day and its not too bad. Does anyone want
the two page 'worksheet' I've developed to
smooth things along? (Not a spreadsheet, just a Word doc
with blank tables to fill in and some of the necessary
tables.) Email me.

tc

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For some reason, the abilities of the PC's to 'munchkinize' the rules always seems to elude the game designers.

I think I'm still in a honeymoon period where my new (to role playing) players haven't started doing that yet. thankfully.

Just look at some of the MT&later ship designs that have popped up on this list.
Anyway, when GDW published the CT 'Merchant Prince' LBB they offered to mail a floppy w/ the AppleSoft BASIC prg they used as a design aid to anyone who requested it. Which I did.

Which reminds me to ask, has anyone done anything similar for MgT2 trade? that would speed things up considerably. I'd be happy with MgT1 or Cepheus Engine as they're close enough for my purposes.

The bit with working out what spec cargo is available and what price it is is the tedious bit. I'd do it with a spreadsheet if I knew how to get it to look up a column with trade classifications and so on. my Excelfu is not so much a 'fu as a Excel 0, 'can make it do basics'.

But yes, I can see the fun of Jumping around known worlds buying and selling a la Elite in a rather more speedy fashion than my hand rolling and calculations. my brother's bought the new/current version of that and raves about it. l I'd join him but I'm doing so much sleeping of late I don't know when I'd fit it in... <sigh>.

Tomorrow... ship combat! there must be a pirate lurking at the bottom of the Aramis Trace! Six Jumps so far with an encounter roll on the way in and on the way out (I.e. 12 rolls) and not one roll of 6 to generate an encounter! (2 out of 9 deaths in the low berths on that last Jump though. Doc was having a bad day).