MGT Only: Ship Shares

[CaptRet]

I have a question regarding Ship Shares received as a mustering out benefit. Per the MGT 2nd ed, if one of the Travellers receives a ship as a mustering out benefit, then the other Travellers can't use their ship shares to purchase one (as there can only be one ship per party) but can use their shares to supplement their annual income. However, I note that the only class of ship you can receive outright from a single benefit roll (i.e. not subject to mortgage) is a scout ship received from the Scout class career. All other ships are received subject to at least a portion of the mortgage (e.g. a Noble receives a yacht, with 25% of the mortgage paid up for each instance that benefit is rolled - would have to roll the benefit 4 times to receive the ship free and clear of mortgag). So, assuming one Traveller receives a ship but still subject to some portion of the mortgage, does this mean that other Travellers can't kick in their own ship shares to lower the remaining balance (and thereby lower the monthly mortgage payment) ? Conceivably, they could be part owners of the same ship (to the extent of their respective contributions).

 

[Xerxeskingofking]

can players use their ship shares to lower the cost of a ship acquired as a benefit roll?

yes, they should be able to, as that appears to be the intended idea for it.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Per the MGT 2nd ed, if one of the Travellers receives a ship as a mustering out benefit, then the other Travellers can't use their ship shares to purchase one (as there can only be one ship per party) but can use their shares to supplement their annual income.

Not quite:

If two or more Travellers have gained ships, you should debate who actually gets a ship.

Ship Shares is just another way of gaining a ship.

So, assuming one Traveller receives a ship but still subject to some portion of the mortgage, does this mean that other Travellers can't kick in their own ship shares to lower the remaining balance (and thereby lower the monthly mortgage payment) ?

Technically probably not, but I would allow it if it was reasonable. Certainly with a Free Trader, but probably not for a Lab Ship or Yacht.

 

[Old School]

Without looking at the rulebook, because it shouldn’t be the deciding the factor in your game, I would absolutely let a traveller use ship shares to pay down (or improve) another traveller’s ship. The character investing shares gets some percentage of ownership as well.

 

[coliver988]

Without looking at the rulebook, because it shouldn’t be the deciding the factor in your game, I would absolutely let a traveller use ship shares to pay down (or improve) another traveller’s ship. The character investing shares gets some percentage of ownership as well.

That's what I ended up doing: most of the players got varying amounts of shares in the ship based on the ship shares contributed. They did end up owning it outright but monthly costs are still a bear!

(the primary character was a noble scientist, and got multiple lab ship benefits. As my game a couple years back had something similarI did not want to do the traditional lab ship. I had a cool deck plan for something a bit larger, so went with her mother pulled strings for a Scout/Navy research/lab ship, and the players with ship shares chipped in. This group never really worried about money and it was a 2 month game so expenses were initially covered by the Navy sending them on a trip based on a barbarian character (who had 1 term - see the ref lounge. turned out 1 term was just fine for this as well!))

 

[esmdev]

In my games I change named ships to 5 ship shares. Then we, the player's and I, decide what ship they would like that works in the planned campaign style. Then all earned ship shares are applied to the ship. Usually ends up being 20-30MCR which is great for a free trader but not so much for a larger faster ship.

 

[CaptRet]

Without looking at the rulebook, because it shouldn’t be the deciding the factor in your game, I would absolutely let a traveller use ship shares to pay down (or improve) another traveller’s ship. The character investing shares gets some percentage of ownership as well.

That's the solution I'm leaning to as well - that the Travellers get shares in the one ship dependent on their respective contributions (or they can keep their Ship Shares to increase annual income).
I also tend to think should be able to increase the cost (and thereby the mortgage) of the ship by adding in any reasonable improvements in the vessel, and also that ship shares could be used to bring down that cost. For example, a roll on the Other Ship table for a ship received as a benefit indicates that a non-Trader/non-Scout/non-Warship (e.g. Yacht or Safari Ship) could be very luxurious - you can then allow the Travellers to so equip the ship (e.g. a sound system in each stateroom, holographic game table, etc.). Then add up those additional costs over the costs for the basic form of the ship, and increase the total sales price thereby. Same thing can go for e.g. increasing a double turret to a triple; or improving the basic sensor package, etc. (only in that instance I would think the increase in cost would be the difference between the basic system and the desired improvement).

In this particular instance, two of the Travellers are nobles who each received 25% mortgage paid on a Yacht (one a Baronet - born a Soc B - and Navy veteran with a final tour in the Noble/Diplomat career; received 4 ship shares from his Naval career ((plus the bump in Soc to C - I assumed he inherited the title when his father died)) and received his interest in the Yacht from his Noble career (and a Life Event showing a bequest from a rich relative). The the other is a Dame (Dilletante/Aristocrat/Chevalier career, born a Soc A but knighted upon leaving the career). I plan on making them cousins who each received 25% on the Yacht (Safari Ship) from their great-aunt (or maybe great-great- aunt; how long can you live on anagathics ?). As several former shipmates of the Baronet also received ship shares, I can see them buying in (and they have skills needed for the manning of the ship, such as astrogation and engineering). The vessel was rolled as very luxurious (should be, as a noblewoman's plaything), and ship shares should help bring down the costs of these additions.

 

[Condottiere]

Meeting in some godforsaken tavern makes more sense.

However, since the point is that horses don't usually go interstellar, and engines aren't cheap, you have to contrive how the characters pool together their resources to get hold of a spacegoing Winnebago.

There might be some form of financial exchange mechanism or institutions where ship shares can be traded around.

 

[CaptRet]

That's what I ended up doing: most of the players got varying amounts of shares in the ship based on the ship shares contributed. They did end up owning it outright but monthly costs are still a bear!

(the primary character was a noble scientist, and got multiple lab ship benefits. As my game a couple years back had something similarI did not want to do the traditional lab ship. I had a cool deck plan for something a bit larger, so went with her mother pulled strings for a Scout/Navy research/lab ship, and the players with ship shares chipped in. This group never really worried about money and it was a 2 month game so expenses were initially covered by the Navy sending them on a trip based on a barbarian character (who had 1 term - see the ref lounge. turned out 1 term was just fine for this as well!))

Roger about the monthly costs. That's what gets me about the payments in most published Traveller adventures - they are too petty unless the Travellers are down-on-their-luck drifters without their own spaceship. The monthly costs are so high, that they force the Travellers with ships to become tramp steamers, buying and selling in various ports of call (and that isn't really economical for any small ship that isn't a Free Trader - not enough cargo space to make it worthwhile).

 

[CaptRet]

Meeting in some godforsaken tavern makes more sense.

However, since the point is that horses don't usually go interstellar, and engines aren't cheap, you have to contrive how the characters pool together their resources to get hold of a spacegoing Winnebago.

There might be some form of financial exchange mechanism or institutions where ship shares can be traded around.

I could easily see where there could be an interstellar ship brokerage market in which individuals buy, sell and trade shares in vessels to buy/mortgage a ship. That sort of thing exists today. Below is from the Wikipedia article on Shipbrokering:

Sale and Purchase
Sale & Purchase ("S&P") brokers handle the buying and selling of existing vessels in the secondhand market or contract new ships (called newbuildings in industry parlance) from shipbuilding yards. S&P brokers promote opportunities and discuss market trends with shipowners, charterers, investors and bankers, as well as reporting on market sales, vessel values, market trends and activity. When a shipowner has a vessel to sell or is looking for a vessel to acquire, the shipbroker will scour the market for buyers, or for suitable sales candidates, discuss with potential counterparties or their broker the main points of the sale transaction and eventually negotiate all of the details, usually based on a standard contract. During such proceedings, shipbrokers not only negotiate the price of the vessel on behalf of their principals but also all the logistical details for the transfer of the title and the vessel itself to the buyers (new owners), including the banking arrangements. During any negotiation minor disputes may occur which are to be handled in accordance with market fluctuation, i.e. the market may be moving in favor of the buyer (vessel price is softening) or in favor of the seller (vessel price is strengthening) giving each party a potential reason to cancel the transaction. When shipbrokers act on behalf of passive investors or financial buyers, they may also have to find time charter employment for the vessel and assist with practical arrangements such as the appointment of ship managers. Some S&P brokers specialize in the sale of ships for scrap, requiring a different set of skills and contacts.