Is it viable, by any stretch, for a group of adventurers to turn enough profit to maintain a large (1800-ton) ship?
Merchants? Their profit might be higher, but it's not as easy to find enough cargo, plus my players never seem to get into that sort of thing. Pure commerce is boring.
Mercenaries? Starship-based mercs do exist, but are ridiculously expensive for a reason and I doubt they'd find much employ in our Trojan Reach. In short, improbable and unprofitable.
Pirates? The ship could be their most recent prize... but I don't want them to start as a band of cutthroats. Will steer them to restart my stalled Drinax campaign, but that's for later.
Noble and his retinue? This might do... the ship is then maintained at net loss, but serves as the noble's superyacht along with 50 loyal retainers. And he jumps around in what amounts to a small destroyer, adventuring on a slightly bigger scale than most Travellers. Trade, secure deliveries, luxury passengers, combat jobs, prospecting and mining, archaeology, medical or technical charity on backwater worlds, etc.
Would that work? Any other ideas?
Merchants? Their profit might be higher, but it's not as easy to find enough cargo, plus my players never seem to get into that sort of thing. Pure commerce is boring.
Mercenaries? Starship-based mercs do exist, but are ridiculously expensive for a reason and I doubt they'd find much employ in our Trojan Reach. In short, improbable and unprofitable.
Pirates? The ship could be their most recent prize... but I don't want them to start as a band of cutthroats. Will steer them to restart my stalled Drinax campaign, but that's for later.
Noble and his retinue? This might do... the ship is then maintained at net loss, but serves as the noble's superyacht along with 50 loyal retainers. And he jumps around in what amounts to a small destroyer, adventuring on a slightly bigger scale than most Travellers. Trade, secure deliveries, luxury passengers, combat jobs, prospecting and mining, archaeology, medical or technical charity on backwater worlds, etc.
Would that work? Any other ideas?