So, who actually builds corsairs?

[whartung]

That's one of the paradoxes of the game as written.

Seems to me that piracy is more fitting to the small ship, small sector LBB1-3 world of traveller, where space travel was dangerous and expensive than the modern Imperium where it's ubiquitous and cheap.

 

[Shadow Shack]

As long as you outrun and outgun a A free trader or most Subsidized liner (i.e. you are M-2 with 2 to 4 triple turrets) you are in the corsair/pirate business.

You don't even have to be capable of that much. A cutter or Type-S can play possum (Mayday, mayday...this is cutter C-5150 calling anyone...) to lure the Type A in and ransack the crew once they board.

 

[Carlobrand]

Thanks for this post.

Did you run a spreadsheet from canon sources to get to the MCr 1.5 x 10^9 and MCr 4 x 10^9? ...

Yes, the smaller number is based on GURPS and the larger comes from drawing the data through Striker's numbers for planetary GDPs. There might be some small variation because I noticed some of the world data changed from the original sources when T5 came out, but I don't recall any change in the big worlds, and they dominated the numbers.

I don't have Pocket Empires, I do have Keepers, but I was focused on the FFW era so never tried numbers from Keepers. I wonder how much of the difference relates to the different eras. I believe one of the big worlds got blasted pretty badly between the two eras. On the other hand, with GURPS and Striker producing a factor of 3 difference, it's as likely to be due just to the different methods of computing a world's economy.

Seems to me that piracy is more fitting to the small ship, small sector LBB1-3 world of traveller, where space travel was dangerous and expensive than the modern Imperium where it's ubiquitous and cheap.

I have long entertained the idea of rolling the clock back a hundred forty years and setting play in the pre-3rd Frontier War era. Slash most or all world populations by an order of magnitude (maybe populate some of the currently empty worlds with small colonies that would eventually die out), cut the Imperial highest tech level to ... 13, isn't it? Reduce the system tech levels generally, and so forth. I imagine there are resources on the TFW period, but I don't have them. It would seriously reduce the wealth available to the Marches and put them in the era when privateering and border skirmishing in the lead-up to the war would have been more prevalent - and, just as important, when the reduced populations meant a greater reliance on free traders and small transports.

 

[GypsyComet]

I believe one of the big worlds got blasted pretty badly between the two eras.

Trin was hammered by a deep striking Vampire in the mid-1100s.

I have long entertained the idea of rolling the clock back a hundred forty years and setting play in the pre-3rd Frontier War era. Slash most or all world populations by an order of magnitude (maybe populate some of the currently empty worlds with small colonies that would eventually die out), cut the Imperial highest tech level to ... 13, isn't it?

TL 12-13 is the founding TL of the Third Imperium. If you are going back to the mid-900s the max TL for the Imperium would be 14. IIRC you have to go back pre-Civil War to still max out at 13.

 

[Duke Craig]

Yes, the smaller number is based on GURPS and the larger comes from drawing the data through Striker's numbers for planetary GDPs. There might be some small variation because I noticed some of the world data changed from the original sources when T5 came out, but I don't recall any change in the big worlds, and they dominated the numbers.

I don't have Pocket Empires, I do have Keepers, but I was focused on the FFW era so never tried numbers from Keepers. I wonder how much of the difference relates to the different eras. I believe one of the big worlds got blasted pretty badly between the two eras. On the other hand, with GURPS and Striker producing a factor of 3 difference, it's as likely to be due just to the different methods of computing a world's economy.



I have long entertained the idea of rolling the clock back a hundred forty years and setting play in the pre-3rd Frontier War era. Slash most or all world populations by an order of magnitude (maybe populate some of the currently empty worlds with small colonies that would eventually die out), cut the Imperial highest tech level to ... 13, isn't it? Reduce the system tech levels generally, and so forth. I imagine there are resources on the TFW period, but I don't have them. It would seriously reduce the wealth available to the Marches and put them in the era when privateering and border skirmishing in the lead-up to the war would have been more prevalent - and, just as important, when the reduced populations meant a greater reliance on free traders and small transports.

Thanks for this post and the clarification. I Don't know what Keepers is and I am guessing it is GURPS Traveller, which I don't own ... apart from one or two source books.

In my excel spreadsheet I used data from 1117, post FFW from TNE Regency source book. SO I was also focused on circa FFW era for a long time.
More lately, I have been having a look at post FFW era 1120-1141, which I suppose is pre-virus era in the Regency Domain. (There will be some awareness of virus but it has not arrived yet to this area of space IMTU or OTU.)

I'm not a particularly fan of the mechanics in T4 (which literally turned the mechanics on its head from CT), there is a wealth of great ideas and artwork in that series. There were also a lot of good ideas particularly about streamlining space combat for gaming in the original T4 book and the whole series had a really space operatic feel featuring nobles and nobility in space.

Some interesting ideas there also about rolling the clock back and having a look at the earlier Marches and so making the SM more fresh and frontier-like before the Zhodani and Imperials have clashed extensively along the common border. Seems like another re-write is on the horizon ...

Thanks for reading.

 

[Carlobrand]

... I Don't know what Keepers is and I am guessing it is GURPS Traveller, which I don't own ... apart from one or two source books. ...

Keepers = Regency Sourcebook Keepers of the Flame. Sorry to confuse.

...TL 12-13 is the founding TL of the Third Imperium. If you are going back to the mid-900s the max TL for the Imperium would be 14. IIRC you have to go back pre-Civil War to still max out at 13.

Ah, you're right. I was thinking of the pre-Civil War period, but that's around the first FW, not the 3rd.

 

[BackworldTraveller]

I have long entertained the idea of rolling the clock back a hundred forty years and setting play in the pre-3rd Frontier War era. Slash most or all world populations by an order of magnitude (maybe populate some of the currently empty worlds with small colonies that would eventually die out), cut the Imperial highest tech level to ... 13, isn't it? Reduce the system tech levels generally, and so forth. I imagine there are resources on the TFW period, but I don't have them. It would seriously reduce the wealth available to the Marches and put them in the era when privateering and border skirmishing in the lead-up to the war would have been more prevalent - and, just as important, when the reduced populations meant a greater reliance on free traders and small transports.

I'm currently running a game along those lines...The Imperium has gone behind a wall and left half of Deneb and all of Corridor open to small-trader consortiums. Those rumours can't really be true can they? No one could be that stupid!