A question regarding trade (Houserules TNE)

[epicenter00]

Recently in an effort to prepare a game of TNE-era Traveller, my players wanted to try out the GDW Houserules for it. Knowing what I do about it, I set out to fix some of the issues with the system, as well as just simplify parts that I felt were needlessly complex.

In the process, I turned to the economics and trade section, since this time the players wanted to run cargo instead of being charted members of some group that would subsidize their missions, like in the past. This meant actually having to deal with the economics in TNE which I've never done (so forgive me if this point has been brought up thousands of times before).

Is it just me or compared to MT are ships in TNE able to carry just scads of cargo, making even the infamous Far Trader disgustingly profitable (unlike MT or CT), even including bank loans, or am I missing something?

A TNE Far Trader carries 743.8 cubic meters of cargo, which apparently (this is the part I'm a bit iffy on) converts to 1 ton to a cubic meter. So the TNE Far Trader carries 743.8 tons of cargo. Even carrying freight at Cr1000 per ton, that's Cr743,800 (Cr743 800 for you non-Americans) per trip! These ships are like assured moneymakers!

So wait a second, I thought...this couldn't be Traveller where everyone knows that anything that isn't a J1 ship swims in a Solaris-sized ocean of red ink. So I looked up MT. There, a FT carries 2090 kiloliters of cargo, which converts to about 149 tons, returning the world to money-losing sanity.

So is my assumption of 1 meter cubed = 1 ton of cargo correct, or am I smoking something?

 

[Zparkz]

yes you are missing that one ton of cargo takes 14Kl of space. So your FT takes little more than 63 tons of cargo. I don't have to rulebook in front of me, but I am sure that the travel section or the trade section mentions this.

 

[atpollard]

1000 liters = 1 kilo-liter = 1 cubic meter.

So 1 dTon of cargo = 14 cu. m. = 14 kl.
It is the same in all flavors of Traveller.

[add Edit]

... except MT, I just found out.

 

[epicenter00]

It would indeed appear that I've been imbiling controlled substances, then.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[Liam Devlin]

NOt to mention this also, but there is also a trade differential you as GM can impose, set in the TNE book based on the type of starport and the TL of their destination your nefarious player-adventurer-merchants will run across. This table is sammiched in the middle of the TNE (deadtree) book, under economy, and History of the Imperial Credit.

Lets say they buy XYZ dtons of TL9 widgets at a C-class starport, and pay ABC credits for them. They travel/ jump to a world with an E-class starport, and is TL-7. Now their TL9 widgets are +2 Tech levels better than this place can make (possible profits!!!), but the port is two classes worse than they've just left.

voila'--instant delay on selling it (lets say an extra 2 days, weeks, months-yer the GM), and in a Verse where time is money...well..you get the idea.

Part II. The Buyer shows, and they finally get PAID! They collect their hard won creds and Jump back for home (Planet X, Port class C, TL9)...only to discover when they hit the bank, Planet Y's credits (E-port, TL-7) are -20% less than planet X's currency of credits..(-5% per port and TL difference).

Btw, planets with X-class port, and TL5 or less have no currency, and barter only--buy yer fuel on those plate of cookies uh huh? Not for long dude.

enjoy!

 

[aramis]

Originally posted by atpollard:
1000 liters = 1 kilo-liter = 1 cubic meter.

So 1 dTon of cargo = 14 cu. m. = 14 kl.
It is the same in all flavors of Traveller.

[add Edit]

... except MT, I just found out.

Which is 13.5kl.