Patrol Boats?

[McPerth]

It's two different scales. A poor community will have its rich people.

Sure, but the poorer the community is, the lesser rich people it will have, and, if a product has to be smuggled, probably only a few of the rich people will use it (and the poor ones cannot afford it). I assume that if most rich (and so, probably influential) people are interested in this product, they will find a way to make it available without smuggling, even if that means changing laws.

So, to have a consumer pool that can make smuggling any product proffitable (at least in lot quantities, as lesser than that it would be better to just sneak it in), I asume a community must be rich enough as to have a decent patrol, at least enough to make smugglers think it twice before confronting it with violence.

 

[Condottiere]

There are layers involved in smuggling, from small volume high value illegal substances, to high volume, highly taxed consumables.

The romantic version has the trade in silks and alcohol from wartime France to England.

 

[Travellerspud]

without any orbital patrol (or at least a high station with a launch capable of interception and boarding) the world is wide-open for any ship to land anywhere...of course, a world with Radar/Ladar might detect such a landing, and send military forces to deal with it - hours or days later (if it is still there)

with orbital patrol (however weak) incoming vessels must comply with basic instructions, or be boarded (or decide to "shoot it out/run-the-blockade", which they very well might win, but then be marked as a pirate)

of course, if the ship is equipped with a false transponder and mutable exterior (like the Corsair is alleged to be in some accounts) or if it has chameleon skin (if that is allowed in YTU), then exact identification can be more difficult - and if it is "the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy", well...

 

[mike wightman]

Unless they have retconned or decanonised S:4 then:

Notable features on the corsair are large cargo doors and variable identification
features. The large clamshell doors can open to reveal the entire cargo bay; the ship
can accept a 100 to ship into its cargo bay. The ship has several centrally controlled
identification features which can alter the shape and configuration of the ship
at a moment's notice; fins retract or extend, modules appear or disappear, and
radio emissions alter frequency and content. The ship's transponders can be altered
to identify the vessel as having any of a variety of missions and identities.

 

[kilemall]

The economics of smuggling to and from backwater worlds can change drastically if you consider high value material like illegal drug manufacturing. Economically desperate, tight knit social orgs can collaborate to make and ship the stuff and provide legal cover/denial.

Material and equipment to process shipped in, finished product shipped out, a lot of work for a smuggler and likely the sort of thing that underfunded LE types would be patrolling against, not high value IN squadrons.

 

[Condottiere]

It can be a process of hand offs and cut outs.

It could be the local planetary governor is the mastermind, and what he's smuggling may be more for an ideological cause, than his personal financial profit.

Or the smuggler may want to cut out the middle man, and takes his ship directly down to the surface to hand over the goods to the buyer.

 

[Brandon C]

I've used a 200 ton ship in various versions of Traveller. The GT version is 3G, J2, has two triple turrets and a 10-ton launch.

I cheated a bit, using bunkrooms instead of staterooms for the crew of nine, but this does allow it to be flexible about how many troops it carries, if any (max of 71, but 10 would be most typical)..

Full design:

http://copeab.tripod.com/Vehicles/travshipM.htm#raven

A quick T Book 2 design comes out almost the same, with a 20-ton launch and about 10 troops.

A core book MgT version comes out better, with 4G since it uses much less powerplant fuel).

 

[McPerth]

The economics of smuggling to and from backwater worlds can change drastically if you consider high value material like illegal drug manufacturing. Economically desperate, tight knit social orgs can collaborate to make and ship the stuff and provide legal cover/denial.

Material and equipment to process shipped in, finished product shipped out, a lot of work for a smuggler and likely the sort of thing that underfunded LE types would be patrolling against, not high value IN squadrons.

You're right, but in most those cases we're more likely to be talking about small lots that can be sneaked past any not-to-thorough scrutiny than large lots were the ship must avoid the scrutiny (even fighting if needed).

And if you try to fight your way through those underfunded LE patrols, you're likely to attract the attention of the more valuable IN squadrons (though probably not the heavy units, but light forces like destroyers and escorts, more than enough for you to be in truble in any case).

The OP seemed annoyed because most patrol ships were more than a match for most players' ships engaging in smuggling busines. What I try to tell in my posts in this thread is that this is OK for me, as smuggling should be a stealthy, not violent busines if it is to last for any time, for if they try to fight their smuggled cargo through the customs patrols instead of sneacking it (either by stealth, bribe or a combitantion of both) they are likely to attract more attention than they want.

A government (any one) can afford some smuggling and black market. It will try to stop it, but won't feel threatened by it (unless it grows beyond "reasonable" scale). No government can afford direct violent challenge to its LE or armed forces, and will react with its full power (and probably some allied power too) to it.

 

[Lycanorukke]

A government (any one) can afford some smuggling and black market. It will try to stop it, but won't feel threatened by it (unless it rows beyond "reasonable" scale).

But on that you run into a problem. In the OTU you dont need to smuggle unless something is 'Imperium Illegal' (nukes, psi drugs etc).

As long as you head to the Imperial starport it doesn't matter if your cargo hold is packed to the gills with crates full of 100% pure narcotics - the planetary officials can't touch you despite the planet having a zero tolerance for narcotics. Sure, you may let them board as a courtesy or for Imperial regulated checks, but they really can't do anything about your cargo other than say 'That stuff is illegal on this planet, take it elsewhere'. Discretion is a good idea to prevent blackballing, but if they do catch you why bother running or gunning when they can't do squat.

Getting it outside the starport or landing at a non-imperial port is a different problem, but when in space or on the ship you're legally safe. So why would they waste the money on customs boats if they cant do anything but make angry noises and maybe step up starport security?

 

[McPerth]

But on that you run into a problem. In the OTU you dont need to smuggle unless something is 'Imperium Illegal' (nukes, psi drugs etc).

As long as you head to the Imperial starport it doesn't matter if your cargo hold is packed to the gills with crates full of 100% pure narcotics - the planetary officials can't touch you despite the planet having a zero tolerance for narcotics. Sure, you may let them board as a courtesy or for Imperial regulated checks, but they really can't do anything about your cargo other than say 'That stuff is illegal on this planet, take it elsewhere'. Discretion is a good idea to prevent blackballing, but if they do catch you why bother running or gunning when they can't do squat.

Getting it outside the starport or landing at a non-imperial port is a different problem, but when in space or on the ship you're legally safe. So why would they waste the money on customs boats if they cant do anything but make angry noises and maybe step up starport security?

You're right on that.

Then, the problem is in the starport fence, not in landing...

But (according MT:WBH among other sources) many worlds have more than one starport, and I guess secondary ones are not Imperial (e.g., according MT:S&A, Earth has 3 main, A rated, starports, about 30 seccondary. C rated ones and about 750 minor, G rated, spaceports. I guess only the 3 A rated are Imperial, ans so, have extrality zone). Of course, the planetary navies in those planets use to be quite powerful, as they use to be quite populated...