General How do planetary populations view Travellers?

[kilemall]

But they are TL A+, they just live in a theme park that gates it at, what, TL 4? It's TL 4 shrouded in a TL A+ bubble.

It's an opt-in community. Folks are free to leave if they don't like the rules, and the rules are made clear when folks show up. Don't they banish people that don't want to play along?

As to what the economic incentives are for someone to go there who's not retired, I don't know.

That said, they're not some open refugee destination either. It's an enforced mono-culture.

Okey. Still justifies a UWP with a lower tech level as one possible reason things aren't interstellar tech, enforced monoculture a planetary choice, yes.


Gonna have to have at least some laser tanks or ship missiles squirreled away for pirate raids too large or high tech for hand weapons.

 

[nobby-w]

This is why I invented a more-or-less universal, portable, difficult to impossible to forge, form of currency for use by players, the Sliver. [ . . . ]

The form doesn't really matter. Today we have plastic banknote technology, and there are non-state outfits who make bank notes. If the locals in this little garden paradise want to deal with forgery then they can outsource their currency to someone who does it for a living.

 

[Timerover51]

Forum Members, how about instead of dissecting in great detail how one planet in my universe, which is far from the OTU, deals with Travellers, you post how some of your planets deal with Travellers?

This sort of detailed dissection makes me very reluctant to ever post another example from any of my planets. I do not know how much it might be discouraging other players. I know that I will be making no more comments on this thread.

 

[willtron3030]

... or by checking the radiation decay rate count which is unique to this element.

The currency debases itself over time?

 

[Enoki]

The currency debases itself over time?

No, because you can measure the decay products accurately, and know the date of original manufacture, along with the mass of the original Organisium, along with the remaining mass, you can determine it is authentic, or not.

After all, if the Organisium lasts millions of years plus, there's going to be some in there for a very long time.

 

[Enoki]

The form doesn't really matter. Today we have plastic banknote technology, and there are non-state outfits who make bank notes. If the locals in this little garden paradise want to deal with forgery then they can outsource their currency to someone who does it for a living.

I was pointing out my solution to the problem not only of forgeries, but of the portability of wealth. By having something that is difficult or impossible to forge, and is in a size and weight that is relatively portable, you get a monetary unit that can be used by most (or all) systems that they can rely on. Sure, electronic funds, and plastic / paper money are likely far more convenient, but you also need something like the equivalent of a traveler's (Traveller's) check for those that move between worlds.

One couldn't count on bank records on a world being up-to-date when moving from another system. Mega corporations would have the advantage of having a local office in many systems that is already tied into the banking system so they could offer their employees and starship crews the services of a bank advancing pay and expense accounts to them.

But, for the person or company not in that position, you need a means to carry reliable and accepted money in a physical form that the locals will trust and accept. Thus, the Sliver.

It also has the advantage, in game terms, that it is a physical monetary unit and therefore something that can be targeted by pirates (the train / stagecoach robbery so to speak), players, and other ne'er-do-wells. That all fits into the flavor of the game.

 

[wellis]

Isn't a real problem with using a currency backed by a precious metal that one can, possibly, find lots of said precious metals from asteroid mining or something?

Or is something like gold or silver or platinum or *insert element/material* rare even in asteroids and such?

I guess I wonder what happens when people with huge amounts of said precious metals come in and start spending.

I remember an example of this occurring back in the 1300s when a North African ruler traveled around Europe and spent so much gold that it actually devalued for a while.

 

[Enoki]

Isn't a real problem with using a currency backed by a precious metal that one can, possibly, find lots of said precious metals from asteroid mining or something?

Or is something like gold or silver or platinum or *insert element/material* rare even in asteroids and such?

I guess I wonder what happens when people with huge amounts of said precious metals come in and start spending.

I remember an example of this occurring back in the 1300s when a North African ruler traveled around Europe and spent so much gold that it actually devalued for a while.

Sure. But, this is on a totally different scale. When the known "reserves" are small amounts associated with novas and neutron stars, its going to be PDH to suddenly find massive quantities somewhere. Could happen. Might devalue the Sliver some for a period of time, but it would still remain a valuable commodity just as gold and silver have.

In fact, in one game I ran one of the players was given hints as to where a "vein" of Organisium might be. That was good a gold fever scenario to take hold.

It's better than an economy based on tulip buds...

 

[kilemall]

Isn't a real problem with using a currency backed by a precious metal that one can, possibly, find lots of said precious metals from asteroid mining or something?

Or is something like gold or silver or platinum or *insert element/material* rare even in asteroids and such?

I guess I wonder what happens when people with huge amounts of said precious metals come in and start spending.

I remember an example of this occurring back in the 1300s when a North African ruler traveled around Europe and spent so much gold that it actually devalued for a while.

Well, yes a currency based either literally or exchange rate with a commodity will fluctuate with that commodity's availability and demand.


While I think a lot of people assume a stable financial environment is desirable, certainly to live RL quiet lives, remember we are peddling adventure, with the curse of 'may you live in interesting times' on our lips to create havoc chaos and push/pull that drives adventuring.


A major plot point IMTU is that an entire 1 billion plus population planet drops a TL valuation. That will have effects, and may the games begin.

 

[Condottiere]

Having a currency with a half life might be rather interesting.

It forces the owner to either use it or lose it, ensuring that the economy remains liquid.

 

[Grav_Moped]

Reminds me of a Larry Niven short piece about using uranium (or was it plutonium?) as currency.
Money that literally would burn a hole in your pocket.
Would have to spend it; hoard it and it melts down.
Pickpockets could be ID'd by their radiation-burned hands.
Foreign aid could be delivered by ICBM.

 

[Winged Cat]

Forum Members, how about instead of dissecting in great detail how one planet in my universe, which is far from the OTU, deals with Travellers, you post how some of your planets deal with Travellers?

I was recently discussing another planet, non-OTU (non-Traveller originally) but could be imported somewhere on the fringes of Charted Space (probably spinward), with what Traveller would consider a (very heavily) tainted Standard atmosphere. It is the birthright of all citizens to get filter implants, usually somewhere around puberty (or upon immigration). There are thus only two types of people who need filtered enclosures: visitors and young children.

The starport thus also has creches and elementary schools and other facilities suited for youngsters. They are of course kept away from the cargo handling and ship landing facilities (hangars are large airlocks), but the subtle message is hard to miss - especially since the adults practice many other kinds of augmentation that visitors likewise tend not to have.

 

[nobby-w]

Forum Members, how about instead of dissecting in great detail how one planet in my universe, which is far from the OTU, [ . . . ]

Saying 'It's my universe' is the DM-ing equivalent of the edge-lord who says 'It's what my character would do.' Folks aren't roasting you for your world, they're roasting you for your attitude.

You've made up a world and declared that the locals are suspicious of outsiders and (by TL4 standards) armed to the teeth, but offworlders aren't allowed to bring guns onto the planet. Now, in this scenario you've got the party in the wild west, only they're the only folks on the entire planet who don't have six-guns. Finally, you dropped in the omniscent-law-enforcement-with-preternaturally-fast-response-time trope, which is always a great win with players.

This is set up to be disempowering from the word go. Players like to have some agency and you're heavily implying that they're there to be set up as chumps. Chances are pretty good that they won't enjoy the game much unless you put some more interesting mcguffin there and let them have a bit of agency to exploit it.

When folks called you out on this your engagement was confrontational and telegraphed an adversarial and bullying DM-ing style. Some people (with some justification) find this sort of thing to be quite offensive. DMs who do this sort of thing are no fun to play with, and I'm sure plenty of folks here have experiences they could recount.

 

[khadaji2002]

I was recently discussing another planet, non-OTU (non-Traveller originally) but could be imported somewhere on the fringes of Charted Space (probably spinward), with what Traveller would consider a (very heavily) tainted Standard atmosphere. It is the birthright of all citizens to get filter implants, usually somewhere around puberty (or upon immigration). There are thus only two types of people who need filtered enclosures: visitors and young children.

The starport thus also has creches and elementary schools and other facilities suited for youngsters. They are of course kept away from the cargo handling and ship landing facilities (hangars are large airlocks), but the subtle message is hard to miss - especially since the adults practice many other kinds of augmentation that visitors likewise tend not to have.

I really like this idea. Enough detail to let the players figure out the message, not so in your face that they can't ignore if they want to. Great concept!

 

[kilemall]

Saying 'It's my universe' is the DM-ing equivalent of the edge-lord who says 'It's what my character would do.' Folks aren't roasting you for your world, they're roasting you for your attitude.

You've made up a world and declared that the locals are suspicious of outsiders and (by TL4 standards) armed to the teeth, but offworlders aren't allowed to bring guns onto the planet. Now, in this scenario you've got the party in the wild west, only they're the only folks on the entire planet who don't have six-guns. Finally, you dropped in the omniscent-law-enforcement-with-preternaturally-fast-response-time trope, which is always a great win with players.

This is set up to be disempowering from the word go. Players like to have some agency and you're heavily implying that they're there to be set up as chumps. Chances are pretty good that they won't enjoy the game much unless you put some more interesting mcguffin there and let them have a bit of agency to exploit it.

When folks called you out on this your engagement was confrontational and telegraphed an adversarial and bullying DM-ing style. Some people (with some justification) find this sort of thing to be quite offensive. DMs who do this sort of thing are no fun to play with, and I'm sure plenty of folks here have experiences they could recount.

Easy there cowboy.


I think he likes Texasplanet very much as the sort of planet he'd like to live on or at least see exist. So in a way messing over his planet is like saying his wife is ugly to his face.


It's speculation what his DM style is, and in any event it's clear this planet is his baby, so I'd say it's counterproductive to go on at him. I think it's a shame that he gave up on commenting but then again given the rules and intended forum atmosphere, a real air clearing would not go well.



Just take a note to never play at his table and let's move on.

 

[Old School]

Well said Kilemall.

Oh, and . . .

Easy there cowboy.

I see what you did there. . .