CT Only: Process for Goods on the Market

[Supplement Four]

I am a little confused since you are treating speculative cargo and FREIGHT as the same thing in your comments.

I thought I had made it clear, but I guess my text is a little murky.

I'm interested in guessing how it works for ships and those with cargo (you call it freight, but the book calls it "cargo" as opposed to "speculative trade") to get together--the process.

Guessing about that while also looking at character skills and their influence on how the process works.

Going back to the analogy of "I own a truck", it is a very different thing if ...

• I am looking to haul freight for (credits) per ton hauled from point A to point B
• I am looking to purchase a dozen pallets of straws and resell them on the black market in California for a profit.

I am mostly speaking to freight being hauled, as in your first bullet rather than the speculative trade in your second bullet. But, I mention both since they are related.

 

[kilemall]

I would say that it's all paid off by the buyer as a part of the cost of purchase, baked into the final price. Free sounds right, remember the OTU and presumably most polities are trying to stimulate trade and not put more fiscal burden that disincentives activity.


It's got to be all starport only action, in the interstellar version of a Free Trade Zone. Getting goods on and off the starpot is probably a whole other level that gets into Government, Law Level, and tariff policy. I would maybe consider detailing that for an adventure where they have to get something on-planet, but otherwise for most traders it's more overhead that doesn't have play value.



The brokers pay out more listing fees makes personal contacts and advertises and are using local knowledge of the relevant markets to get more buyers/sellers and finding one willing to pay higher/sell lower. I'd say the governments and starport get some of that action.


The higher the broker skill, the more they are able to 'beat the bushes' or know just the person that can fulfill the contract.


Bribery could be cutting loose some cargoes that are otherwise impounded, having the amounts entered in as lower then they were so less tax is paid and everyone gets a little more, reclassifies cargo so it gets through customs more easily or is worth more/less, or gets a company man to sell something at a rate the company wouldn't normally authorize.


I squished down the skills of Broker, Trader and Legal into the one skill Trader, just my way of reducing skill bloat. But just because you may be Trader-4 doesn't mean you can act as your own broker, I would have a certification process for people to be allowed to do that, one per planet.

 

[GypsyComet]

you call it freight, but the book calls it "cargo" as opposed to "speculative trade"

One of those less clear bits of CT terminology that was eventually changed to the Freight vs Cargo usage. It all goes in the cargo capacity of a ship, though, and a captain still has to find the sellers/buyers and shippers.

 

[atpollard]

I thought I had made it clear, but I guess my text is a little murky.

I'm interested in guessing how it works for ships and those with cargo (you call it freight, but the book calls it "cargo" as opposed to "speculative trade") to get together--the process.

Guessing about that while also looking at character skills and their influence on how the process works.

I am mostly speaking to freight being hauled, as in your first bullet rather than the speculative trade in your second bullet. But, I mention both since they are related.

In that case, I was under the impression that a BROKER plays no part in transporting the CARGO from one starport to another. Brokers only deal in speculation and the buying and selling of SPECULATIVE TRADE goods.

For freight (CARGO), that leaves a Bulletin Board (or it’s equivalent) or a Starport Cargo Master (ADMIN skill) as the routes to locate official CARGO or STREETWISE as the means of locating cargo directly from the person wanting it shipped as an informal means to locate CARGO.

 

[Supplement Four]

In that case, I was under the impression that a BROKER plays no part in transporting the CARGO from one starport to another. Brokers only deal in speculation and the buying and selling of SPECULATIVE TRADE goods.

That's how I read it, too.

 

[GypsyComet]

In that case, I was under the impression that a BROKER plays no part in transporting the CARGO from one starport to another. Brokers only deal in speculation and the buying and selling of SPECULATIVE TRADE goods.

For freight (CARGO), that leaves a Bulletin Board (or it’s equivalent) or a Starport Cargo Master (ADMIN skill) as the routes to locate official CARGO or STREETWISE as the means of locating cargo directly from the person wanting it shipped as an informal means to locate CARGO.

There will be professional Brokers involved in Freight/"just cargo" as well, but not in the interactive price setting role they play for speculation.

Bzzt. "Freight Office. Yes, we have unallocated boxes for Towers. How much can you take? Forty D with some gap filling." Tap tap tappity. "Okay Captain Banneke, eight standard boxes and eight tons of breakbulk can be picked up at Dock 29 after 1300 today. Try not to let it sit." Click.

 

[whartung]

One can argue that the Load Boards are the last resort for the merchantmen.

The ships prefer to have relationships because they know they're going to get paid, how much they're going to get paid, that they're be paid on time, etc.

Or, the part about setting up regular deliveries. "If you want to fly every 2 weeks, I can provide you with all of the loads you wish to carry."

A merchantmen may well take LESS pay for the reliability and regularity of it (less risk).

If they show up to pick up their routine 50 tons of freight from their long time broker "Lord Byrons Freight House", and find that, in fact, they're short. Well, "Looks like we need to hit the boards, boys, to fill out the ship."

Shippers ship through the "brokers" (whatever you want to call them, since Broker is a loaded term in the game) because they get some assurances that their product will go through -- a reliable captain instead of some random back water pilot with a "most fastest EVA" ship and a Wookie.

But those that ship casually, may not use a broker. It costs less to ship via the boards (no overhead for the broker, for example). It's just like finding folks on Craigslist.

Caveat Emptor at it's finest.

If you're new to a planet, you may not have anything established with a local broker. You use the boards to build up a reputation for reliability, some of the brokers may want references.

 

[Supplement Four]

One can argue that the Load Boards are the last resort for the merchantmen.

The ships prefer to have relationships because they know they're going to get paid, how much they're going to get paid, that they're be paid on time, etc.

Or, the part about setting up regular deliveries. "If you want to fly every 2 weeks, I can provide you with all of the loads you wish to carry."

A merchantmen may well take LESS pay for the reliability and regularity of it (less risk).

If they show up to pick up their routine 50 tons of freight from their long time broker "Lord Byrons Freight House", and find that, in fact, they're short. Well, "Looks like we need to hit the boards, boys, to fill out the ship."

Shippers ship through the "brokers" (whatever you want to call them, since Broker is a loaded term in the game) because they get some assurances that their product will go through -- a reliable captain instead of some random back water pilot with a "most fastest EVA" ship and a Wookie.

But those that ship casually, may not use a broker. It costs less to ship via the boards (no overhead for the broker, for example). It's just like finding folks on Craigslist.

Caveat Emptor at it's finest.

If you're new to a planet, you may not have anything established with a local broker. You use the boards to build up a reputation for reliability, some of the brokers may want references.

Sounds like some great role play opportunities.

 

[GypsyComet]

Sounds like some great role play opportunities.

And world building opportunities as well. I think you would see a sliding scale of standardization based on Imperial influence, port class, population, and possibly Law Level. You may also see "grey" options in the seedier parts of Startown, making that Board or "broker" a feature of some questionable tavern, or similar.