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Starport Law Level

There's always the Golden Arches, hundred trillion I Can't Believe It's Not Beef soya burgers served.

Now that I would expect to see. It would be interesting to consider how a K'kree would react to a spaceport terminals food courts and restaurants. Hard to go in them and slaughter every meat eater in the place.
 
Multiple law levels in a starport

It occurs to me that a star port well have different law levels in different parts of the port. The landing areas may have the a lower law level than the passenger terminal, which may have a different level than the recreational areas.

Any weapons inconsistent with the planet's law level will be kept as far away from the customs portals as possible. Imperial star ports will be ruled via the Port Authority any damn way they please, consistent with imperial law and local regulations and culture. Ports with scout and naval bases obviously will have those areas of the extraterritoriality zone self policed, and governed in accordance with their respective organizations, by their own forces.

The planetary law level would serve as a maximum for the port, and law level 1 serving as a minimum, although there may be zones where the law level is dramatically different.

A major class A star port with bases may have multiple jurisdictions and law levels, that an enterprising GM could use to create havoc or resolution for the players. "If we just get to the 7th street gate in time..."

I see a class A star port on some planets cover a very large swath of land. With different zones containing hotels, but most of the real entertainment will be across the line in Star Town.
 
Note, I am a fan of coffee. A local coffee shop has been serving a terrific one from Kenya of late. Had an excellent cup of one from El Salvador this week as well.

Well, I'm not a big Starbucks fan either. Now, I am just back from Jamaica with a pound of Blue Mountain in my bag but that'll be the last time ... I used to be able to get it cheap in Jamaica but those days are over.

Imagine what it will cost on Mora.
 
Given that a Dton is about 7.5 Tons of coffee (Standard references give packed beans a SG of 0.56, so 13.5 kL- to allow for crating.

Cost to ship per parsec, at no profit, by J3 Bk 2-77 is about Cr650... 294 Pc J3 route. That's 191000 per Td minimum cost. About KCr25480 per Ton. or only Cr26 per kg of beans. But it's 101 jumps - nitrogen packed beans are notably worse off after about 2 years - still good - but given a refuel schedule, we're looking at closer to 3, 4 if it's moved by tramp, and almost twice as much for those who want to make a profit on the shipping.

So, a Cr5 bag of beans is likely to be about Cr 55, 4 years old, and bested by something closer at 1/10 the shipping cost.
 
Well by TL 15 they'll certainly conquer the best-before date problem!

We need a handwave emoticon....
 
Given that a Dton is about 7.5 Tons of coffee (Standard references give packed beans a SG of 0.56, so 13.5 kL- to allow for crating.

Cost to ship per parsec, at no profit, by J3 Bk 2-77 is about Cr650... 294 Pc J3 route. That's 191000 per Td minimum cost. About KCr25480 per Ton. or only Cr26 per kg of beans. But it's 101 jumps - nitrogen packed beans are notably worse off after about 2 years - still good - but given a refuel schedule, we're looking at closer to 3, 4 if it's moved by tramp, and almost twice as much for those who want to make a profit on the shipping.

So, a Cr5 bag of beans is likely to be about Cr 55, 4 years old, and bested by something closer at 1/10 the shipping cost.

If there is that much demand for the 'real' thing, they'll ship the damn trees AND the soil and put them in a climate controlled greenhouse with the right air mix and gravity.
 
If there is that much demand for the 'real' thing, they'll ship the damn trees AND the soil and put them in a climate controlled greenhouse with the right air mix and gravity.

That falls under "something closer and 1/10 the shipping cost"...
 
If there is that much demand for the 'real' thing, they'll ship the damn trees AND the soil and put them in a climate controlled greenhouse with the right air mix and gravity.

The Library Data and adventure practically write themselves...
 
If there is that much demand for the 'real' thing, they'll ship the damn trees AND the soil and put them in a climate controlled greenhouse with the right air mix and gravity.

But to a certain kind of snob, it'll never be better than the real thing grown on Terra because of the that Terran terroir ... our Cr. 55 is just the shipping cost, and when we add the value of rarity and snob appeal, the stuff is going to fetch hundreds or thousands of credits a pound.

To eliminate the thread drift I've caused here, I'd like to return to the real question: will coffee be illegal in starports?
 
I'd like to return to the real question: will coffee be illegal in starports?

Probably not, unless some past incident has "proven" that the presence of processed and ready to use coffee beans, or the side products of making coffee, is either against the religion of the planetary culture, or somehow threatens the biosphere. Soggy grounds could be a hazardous waste under some circumstances, as could the caffeine molecule itself.

The same could be said of any number of other spices, off-world herbs, or even foodstuffs, either because of inherent chemical incompatibilities with local biology or because of potential hitchhikers. The banana spiders that hitch a ride from South America, for one example, but the riders could easily be microbial.

If you've wondered why some worlds conduct Customs inspections in orbit or beyond, this is one of the reasons. The Port will ban or quarantine ships from certain departure ports or with certain things on the manifest or even, in extreme cases, among personal effects. Ports are gateways, and sometimes gates must be closed.
 
Probably not, unless some past incident has "proven" that the presence of processed and ready to use coffee beans, or the side products of making coffee, is either against the religion of the planetary culture, or somehow threatens the biosphere. Soggy grounds could be a hazardous waste under some circumstances, as could the caffeine molecule itself.

The same could be said of any number of other spices, off-world herbs, or even foodstuffs, either because of inherent chemical incompatibilities with local biology or because of potential hitchhikers. The banana spiders that hitch a ride from South America, for one example, but the riders could easily be microbial.

If you've wondered why some worlds conduct Customs inspections in orbit or beyond, this is one of the reasons. The Port will ban or quarantine ships from certain departure ports or with certain things on the manifest or even, in extreme cases, among personal effects. Ports are gateways, and sometimes gates must be closed.

Blue Cheese, with its Penicillin Mold. And horribly, probably chocolate to any Vargr planet. As for coffee, a good reason for staying in the Solomani area. And do not forget Earl Gray/Grey Tea.
 
If there is that much demand for the 'real' thing, they'll ship the damn trees AND the soil and put them in a climate controlled greenhouse with the right air mix and gravity.

As my wife loves Blue Cheese and Roquefort Dressing, I finally looked up the difference between Roquefort and Blue Cheese. Based on this Scientific American article from 1869, it might be a tad difficult to duplicate the cheese-making process.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/roquefort-cheese/
 
As my wife loves Blue Cheese and Roquefort Dressing, I finally looked up the difference between Roquefort and Blue Cheese. Based on this Scientific American article from 1869, it might be a tad difficult to duplicate the cheese-making process.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/roquefort-cheese/

Local airborne bacteria are very important to regional cheese making.

However, with sufficient biological technologies, it is easily imagined that just about nay bacteria or microbial life could be reproduced or artificially cloned with sufficient study and resources.

2016 Earth biological sciences isn't yet up to the task, but it is probably within spitting distance of a future reality.

I am looking forward to SSTO (Single Stage to Orbit) spacecraft becoming a viable reality and a part of our everyday lives rather than a special "televised event". It's happening even as we speak.

I don't know about a moon colony or flying cares, but I suspect those will eventually arrive as well.

I highly recommend Seveneves, by Neal Stephenson, for a look at what today's space technology could achieve if it received sufficient resources and attention.

External Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seveneves

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.
 
I would figure that most starports would have rules against carrying high explosives, assault weapons and narcotics within (with specific rules of what's classed as each).

Now, I'd figure that the gauss pistol would be acceptable as a civilian weapon, and indeed there'd be civilianized versions (semi-auto only); and either version, along with autopistols, non-stealth body pistols and revolvers would be fine for carry provided the proper license, but only until there's a running gun battle. THEN you get security breathing down your neck.
 
I would figure that most starports would have rules against carrying high explosives, assault weapons and narcotics within (with specific rules of what's classed as each).

Now, I'd figure that the gauss pistol would be acceptable as a civilian weapon, and indeed there'd be civilianized versions (semi-auto only); and either version, along with autopistols, non-stealth body pistols and revolvers would be fine for carry provided the proper license, but only until there's a running gun battle. THEN you get security breathing down your neck.

It can also depend on the character's social standing or role. His Grace will carry his ceremonial sidearm almost anywhere he pleases, but Bobby the wannabe thug will get picked up by starport security. If there's a group of Marine Veterans in a travelling uniform, not unlike that of the Chelsea Pensioners or the Marine Corps League, I would think they would be permitted their cutlasses.

Another time I could see non-starport security personnel carrying weapons would be Shore Patrol for a Navy or Merc starship that has arrived, and they have people on liberty inside the starport. The Shore Patrol would be armed, may only be pistols on belts, but could also be cutlasses.

Anyhow, it's always your game, and have fun with it.
 
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