Rent a Starport Concession!

[Icosahedron]

Wasn't sure where to put this, so...

The purpose of this thread is to gain a concensus on the types of concessions to be found at a starport along with the rental fees/profit margins, and to provide a stockpile of NPCs and venues for casual encounters. Please contribute your ideas via cut and paste.

Concessions.

The smallest concession available is the half-dTon vending machine.
Size: 1.5m x 1.5m
Concession Name:
Concession Description:
Rent:
Profit:
Lessee Name:
Lessee UPP:
Lessee Description:

The smallest manned concession is the 1dTon unit typified by the news stand, hotdog stand, etc, comprising a booth with a small workspace and a counter.
Concession Size: 2m x 2m
Concession Name:
Concession Description:
Rent:
Profit:
Lessee Name:
Lessee UPP:
Lessee Description:


A slightly larger concession is the 2dT unit, typified by the van or trailer vendor. It comprises a rear work surface, an aisle and a counter. This is comparable in size to a standard Starship cabin.
Size: 3m x 3m
Concession Name:
Concession Description:
Rent:
Profit:
Lessee Name:
Lessee UPP:
Lessee Description:

The next size is the 5dT unit, a typical market stall, comprising a somewhat larger working area and wider aisle.
Size: 5m x 4m
Concession Name:
Concession Description:
Rent:
Profit:
Lessee Name:
Lessee UPP:
Lessee Description:

The most common concession is the 10dT unit, comprising a 5m frontage retail area bounded by a window and door, a preparation storage room, and a private WC.
These units are typically situated on either side of a 20m mall.
Size: Overall 8m x 5m, Rear room 4m x 3m, WC 3m x 1m.
Concession Name:
Concession Description:
Rent:
Profit:
Lessee Name:
Lessee UPP:
Lessee Description:

Larger concessions are generally in multiples of 10dT. Specify as needed.

 

[Icosahedron]

Here's one to start you off.

The smallest manned concession is the 1dTon unit typified by the news stand, hotdog stand, etc, comprising a booth with a small workspace and a counter.
Concession Size: 2m x 2m
Concession Name: Fourth Street News, Beckhardt's World Highport.
Concession Description: A run down vending booth that somehow snatches a profit from the teeth of its superstore competitors. It sells newspapers, news downloads, e-books, back issues and a variety of (primarily male-oriented) magazines.
Rent: TBA (help please)
Profit: TBA (ditto)
Lessee Name: Mackenzie Crick
Lessee UPP: 484986, Admin-1, Street-1,
Lessee Description: A mustachioed rat of a man from whom more news can be obtained by word of mouth than from his stand - for the right price. If there is anything going on in the starport, on planet, or anywhere within Jump range, Crick will have heard of it and have all the underlying gossip. Of course, any news is only as good as its source, and Crick's sources are not uniformly reliable.

 

[whartung]

Just as an aside, I don't know it's displacement, but there are some large vending machines in airports today. Well, not HUGE, but I would guess double the size of a standard soda machine (imagine two side by side).

Anyway, they sell everything from flowers, to iPods, to skin care products. The enabler for these machines is basically taking credit cards. So it may not be unheard of to swipe a card, pick "D3" and get an ipod and $300 charged to your card. No more fumbling for quarters with these machines.

 

[robject]

Just as an aside, I don't know it's displacement, but there are some large vending machines in airports today. Well, not HUGE, but I would guess double the size of a standard soda machine (imagine two side by side).

Anyway, they sell everything from flowers, to iPods, to skin care products. The enabler for these machines is basically taking credit cards. So it may not be unheard of to swipe a card, pick "D3" and get an ipod and $300 charged to your card. No more fumbling for quarters with these machines.

Might as well call that one ton!

 

[far-trader]

Cool idea. Being that this is a Starport feature I think the rents will be standard across Imperial space. At least for what are properly "Starports" i.e. Class A through D. Class E and less don't really have facilities and anyone could set a concession. Some quick thoughts below (I'll flesh them out more when I have some time)...

I propose the costs be based on long term living costs from CT:

Vendomatic Concession (0.5dtons): Starport space rental Cr30 per month.

Vendomatics cost about Cr1000 to buy and can be stocked with a wide variety of merchandise. Restocking can be handled personally or contracted through a service. The Vendomatic tracks purchases and notifies via built in comms when restocking is needed or a problem is detected. They accept payment by hard currency or electronic but have a limited capacity for hard currency and change.

Some common popular Vendomatics are:

"Cash Mart" which dispenses hard or electronic local currency or in exchange for Imperials.

"NRG Box" which dispenses a variety of common traveller foodstuffs, favored by those who distrust local food and beverages or simply don't like to try new stuff. The items in "NRG Box" vendomatics is identical across Imperial space.

"Tri-D Theater" which dispenses the latest (subject to travel time) hit entertainment on copy protected flash cards. Portable players are also often available for those who don't have one or a hand comp. The cards can also be played through ship comms from the main comp.

Small Concession Stand (1.0dtons): Starport space rental C60 per month.

Small Concession Booth (2.0dtons): Starport space rental Cr120 per month.

Medium Concession Booth (5.0dtons): Starport space rental Cr200 per month.

Large Concession Booth (10.0dtons): Starport space rental Cr300 per month.

Concourse Store (over 10.0dtons): Starport space rental Cr40 per dton per month.

 

[DaveChase]

And speaking of small concessions

The every popular movable consession that you see in many malls and airports.

These would displace either 0.5 dton small or 1 dton large. They are designed to be movable to make way for other needs of floors space. They are lockable and normally left inplace after being rented.
10 cr week + 100cr deposit for small
10 cr week + 200cr deposit for large
1 cr day for lockable stroage area to put the cart if not left at location.

May only be used in designated locations and areas.
Usually owned and operated by the station (cart rentals) there are some business that operated under contract to furnish such services for business individuals.

Dave Chase

 

[far-trader]

The every popular movable consession that you see in many malls and airports...

"ever popular" :rofl:

Not personally if you mean the ones in the middle of what used to be the walking space. Pet peeve of mine that the malls get so greedy for revenue that they gleefully turn what was designed to be open space for seating and walking into more revenue for them to give us the joy of shoulder to shoulder shopping and buying overpriced trinkets or sometimes fly by night vendors hawking counterfeit goods. Oh, and the handy voluntary tax payment booths that are lottery kiosks of course

But I love the idea of adding them to the list of Starport concessions :devil:

 

[DaveChase]

"ever popular" :rofl:


But I love the idea of adding them to the list of Starport concessions :devil:

They especially make great items to hide behind, blow up, foil would be attackers or trip you uppers during a pursuit.

And explosive decompressions always need more things (Heavy things) that can smash you will being sucked into space. (or blown depending on your view of physics.)

Dave Chase

 

[atpollard]

(or blown depending on your view of physics.)

Diffused ... I prefer 'Ether' filled 'space'.


On a more useful basis, Commercial space rents locally for about $2-3 (US) per square foot [roughly 1 Credit] which equates to about 25 Credits per 1.5m x 1.5 m square. THIS JUST RENTS THE SPACE TO PUT YOUR BOOTH/MACHINE.

Commercial Construction of the finished space is about 20x the rental cost (roughly 1000 credits per dTon).

 

[Captain Midnight]

It seems most likely to me that rents will vary according to demand; a prime spot located near the shuttle departure areas at Mora's Marchkeep high port is going to demand a higher rental rate than a spot waaaaaaay out at the end of the slidewalk near the medical-quarantine area at Henoz, even though they're both nominally class A starports. As such, it's going to be up to the GM to rule on how busy the port is and how the port is laid out. There can be other factors in determining rents, too -- you might get a break for a long-term lease instead of just a half-year, or for operating a business that the port director wants to encourage, or for performing a needed service to the port. Rents could be flat rates for a given cubic space, or might be a "fee plus percentage" if the renter is looking to minimize up-front costs.

For vending machines, you might be amazed at what sorts of things you can get from them. The Wikipedia article on vending machines has photos of a vending machine for fish bait and one that makes fresh french fries. Japan also has an enormous range of vending machines for different purposes.

As to what concessions might be available... think about why a merchant would choose to put a business there. The rent would seem likely to be comparable to expensive commercial space today (especially for highports), and you'll need to think about where the customer base for such a business would come from. While port staff will always be around, how much incidental traffic will there actually be? Is this a high port, or a surface port? Will there be people around for long periods of time, or will most of them only have a short time to spend shopping? What laws will apply inside the port as opposed to outside it?

If it's a high port, people can't come up from the planet without taking a shuttle, and that's not an inconsequential expense. There's probably some degree of security screening for at least some parts of the port (like passenger terminals), so that may also limit some of the expected traffic. It probably won't be quite like an airport, as people are rarely if ever going to be making connections between flights with only minutes or hours to spare, though. Having them around for a few days does mean they'll be looking for ways to pass the time.

GT Starports covers a lot of these issues. It doesn't give a lot of hard and fast "coffee shops cost X credits per unit of space" rules, but there is discussion of some possible concessions that could be interesting.

Some of my personal favorite concessions for a high port are:

Casino
Custom tailoring shop
Tango hall
Adventure-tourism showroom
Courier service
Economic analysis and investigation
Brothel
Personal security contractor
Performance space
Vacc suit customizing

You can of course come up with your own favorites. I don't like feeling as if you're running down a mall, as that gives certain connotations to the place that I may not want to have my players taking advantage of. You can do your own thing, though.

 

[DaveChase]

One way help determine basic types of concessions

Has already been mentioned. Look at Rail stations, bus stations and airports.

Also since weight is always an issue (weight and space), just personal items like extra cloths, toiletry items, cleaning of cloths, work space with inter/ether connections, spare/extra energy cells, (food of course but it has been overstated many many times), insurance, news/magazines (depending on tech probably either recycled or e-chipped and of course trinkets since every business man/woman has to buy something to show where they have been to keep the kids happy at home.

One of my favorite type of vendors at such locations is the import/export shops. You know the kind that have the items that can only be gotten at X location and cost way to much to ship down or tariff is way to high or can only be found/made in ZG enviroment.

Possibly due to planetary trade or moral objections business that can only afford to be found in space, ie beyond local government restrictions. No I am not talking about ILLEGAL, illegal things but things that might be legal in one country/state but not in another. Or that if you are seen at home shopping there the scandel would ruin you.

Just some business types that I have seen or thought of that might be found at space station/waypoint.

Dave Chase

 

[G. Fieendish]

Anyone for the "Duty Free" shops, then....?
A example of this could be that of Schipol Airport, Amsterdam...
It's Duty Free area has several antique shops, & consequently a thriving business in antiques.....

 

[ravells]

It's such a shame that the starports project has died, this would have been wonderful for it.

 

[Major B]

I'm shocked no one has mentioned this one yet - considering that the first thing every crewmember looks for after disembarking is a bar, this is what they will be looking through bleary eyes for as they meander back to the ship...

(half-dTon vending machine)

Size: 1.5m x 1.5m

Concession Name: Doctor Nick's Pharmacy

Concession Description: Various powders, pills, and liquid capsules of low-dosage pain killers, "certified" hangover cures, herbal "energy" supplements, anti-diarrhea medicines and stool softeners, decongestants, cold remedies, etc.

Rent: mid to low (using lower-cost spaces near starport entrances and around the hangar bays)

Profit: high (must be making a profit, the machines are in every starport you stop in)

Lessee Name: Pick any megacorp as the manufacturer - The local vendor pays for the use of the trademark name then purchases his stock through the company. (Now you wonder what is in those Dr. Nick's crates in the cargo hold?)

Lessee UPP: Will vary by world, but usually a small to medium business owner runs more than one vending machine license.

Lessee Description: Varies again, but I'm thinking of a struggling small businessman who has mortgaged everything to buy a license. He overhears someone talking about the adventurers in a bar and because he is a decent guy, he tips off the players. In the conversation he mentions that he will probably lose his business because his vending machines keep getting vandalized. Out of gratitude, the players help him out with a little surveillance and some arm-twisting when the vandals show up. This could develop into a "between-the-voyages" plotline as a bigger company in the starport area is trying to muscle out all of the smaller vendors.

 

[DaveChase]

So to help keep this thread going what do we need to do?

It appears that types of vender space have been talked about how about these two additions:
1. How do you get to rent/use such space
2. A 101 different vendors you would find at a spaceport


So, for #1 there has been talk about cost but what about who, as in who rents/monitors the use of such vendors
Is it a stewards job, security, a company that specializes in renting space, or ???
Possibly all of the above depending on the government or corp that owns the station.

For #2, I will get back to you. (BTW, I do like the generic format that was created here for vendor info.

Dave Chase

 

[Captain Midnight]

So, for #1 there has been talk about cost but what about who, as in who rents/monitors the use of such vendors
Is it a stewards job, security, a company that specializes in renting space, or ???
Possibly all of the above depending on the government or corp that owns the station.

There's going to be some designated group to handle it; in an Imperial Starport, it'll be handled by the Concessions Office of the Starport Authority. They'll have established rates which will be reviewed periodically, and they will be empowered to make deals. That office will also be charged with handling customer complaints, and with making sure the requirements of the lease are met -- for example, a restaurant's lease may specify that they have to be open during a certain number of hours and that they meet all regulations for sanitation, while also prohibiting them from allowing gambling or prostitution on the premises. Violating those requirements could be considered grounds for canceling the lease; they'd certainly understand if some idiot with a FGMP sets the kitchen on fire, that the restaurant won't be able open for business anytime soon.

The Concessions Office will interact with other departments within the port to meet obligations and to ensure smooth operations, too. If a space is rented out to a casino, Starport Security will be aware that large quantities of cash will be on hand, and that there's an extra chance that there will be some sort of robbery attempt. Any extra measures they feel need to be taken will get added in to the casino's lease.

 

[Icosahedron]

Some of my personal favorite concessions for a high port are:

Casino
Custom tailoring shop
Tango hall
Adventure-tourism showroom
Courier service
Economic analysis and investigation
Brothel
Personal security contractor
Performance space
Vacc suit customizing

Care to spec a few of these out, Cap?

I like the Concessions Office.

 

[Icosahedron]

I'm shocked no one has mentioned this one yet - considering that the first thing every crewmember looks for after disembarking is a bar, this is what they will be looking through bleary eyes for as they meander back to the ship...

Nice spec, Major, and what about the bar itself? Anyone want to spec one out?

 

[Major B]

Two other ideas - if I can I'll try to flesh them out later but I thought I'd post them now in case someone else wants to run with them:

First, A replenishing service company (there would probably me more than one). For a fee, these guys pull up to the ship, clean the fresher, restock the food stores, basically what is done for a passenger aircraft when it stops. For an extra fee they will also strip the bedding, collect laundry, vacuum and clean, and return everything washed, pressed, and folded. In this way they combine the airliner replenishment with a hotel cleaning service.

Also, you can be sure thet employees would be in the pay of local law enforcement and/or intel organizations to alert them if they see anything suspicious - or those organizations can infiltrate their operatives into the company for special missions that require access to the ship. The players themselves may use this method to gain access to a ship in the course of a mission.

Now that I think of it, for an additional fee they could do pest control on your ship too.

The second idea kind of follows from the list Captain Midnight posted back on the 2nd. I was thinking that making the rounds of the bars is not the best way for "professionals" to find patrons. However, a finder service would be a good niche business. Patrons go there and for a fee, describe their needs and allow the service to assemble a team of professionals to do what is required. The service doesn't run the operation, just finds the talent and gets paid their fee. The service would be extremely discreet, of course, and once they had a good reputation they would serve almost as a special employment service. If you are seeking employment, you pay the service a nominal fee and are assigned an agent. The agent helps prepare your resume and gets you jobs. The agent is paid a commission from the prospective employer, so the costs to the character do not continue past the nominal fee for keeping your resume on the agents' rolls. Characters would, over time, gather 'referrals' from satisfied customers that would increase their reputation.

Law level would determine the scope of 'missions' the service would be willing to fill. Specialized versions of the service for mercenaries would be common in certain locations where the demand makes it profitable. This could also be a good way to explain just how the group got together, rather than just a chance meeting in a bar.

 

[Icosahedron]

I've been writing a novel for the past twenty-odd years (tempus fugit) based around a finder service such as this. Probably never make print, but it keeps me amused when I have time to indulge.
Never realized it had been so long - must get it finished sometime... :nonono: