On 12/26/2021 2:01 AM, Alex Goodwin - alex.goodwin at multitel.com.au (via tml
list) wrote:
> Hope you've survived your respective days without ending up too much the worse
> for wear.
>
> The title question came up in argument with The Usual Suspects (Herr Sweep,
> Edddles, Easy Frag - Wombat made like BRIAN BLESSED and didn't talk much, or
> loudly), and I was a bit peeved I didn't have a really solid answer.
>
> Given a base price level for at-berth refined fuel (such as GT's Cr350/dton, or
> MGT2's Cr500/dton - call whatever such level 1), how does the title question apply?

	I don't think I've seen any set of Trade Rules address this level of detail.

	Most of the trade rules I've seen assume an Imperial background, where there is
a larger economic interest (e.g. the Imperium) to set a static price for
maintaining simple and easy trade. This also makes for easier calculation of
trade prices by simply assuming everything is a simple constant.

	If you are getting into this level of detail, there are a huge number of
additional details that quickly come to mind: Taxes and Tarrifs, protection
money, prices varying by TL, imported vs locally made equipment and parts, etc.
If people blanch at the level of detail in the current trade rules, imagining
this addition would be terrifying. It's not Adventures in Accurate Accounting
for a reason.

	One of the better takes I've seen (and I've in no way seen all of them) on
Trade system in a non-Imperium setting would be in Suns of Gold, for Stars
Without Number.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/114950/Suns-of-Gold-Merchant-Campaigns-for-Stars-Without-Number

	The core of this is to add another modifier on the CT trade system which makes
it very difficult to make any money with (e.g. a -4 on all the rolls). *But* the
players are allowed modify this more positively by, basically, having
adventures. You do favors for the local merchants and rulers on the world, they
grease the wheels for your trade efforts in the system. It encourages your
players to be part of the local political scene(s), stick to a small group of
worlds where they can be known and make connections.

--
         Thomas Jones-Low
Work:	xxxxxx@softstart.com
Home:   xxxxxx@gmail.com