Subsidies
- Thread starter Norinn
- Start date
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Welcome aboard Norinn 
The answers depend on the ruleset but in general I think:
A mail contract requires 5 tons of hold (I usually require it be physically seperated and secure from general access) dedicated to physical mail. The ship must also mount at least one defensive turret and crew it. Such contracts pay Cr5,000 per ton regardless of the actual amount of mail carried (i.e. Cr25,000 per trip) and are confined to a route of 2-12 systems that must be visited in order and on schedule. There is no hard and fast rule I'm aware of for generating mail but I always used a 1d6-1 roll for the total tons ready.
Humorous story I once read had a referee put a clause in the contract to a PC to the effect that the ship could only proceed once the mail volume was full. Eventually the PC countered the delay by basically spamming the system, bulk mailing thousands of widgets that he picked up for next to nothing at the port that took up volume but cost little to mail. Later the PC discovered that undeliverable mail was returned to sender for free and he got greedy and started misaddressing his bulk mailings so he got two full shipments for the price of one and got to keep his widgets to mail again. I think he's still on that Imperial Prison Planet for mail fraud
Now back to the questions.
The 2-12 systems of service is the same route requirement for a standard government subsidized contract for a ship if that's what you mean by "charted route". A subsidized ship may be built after a proposal for a route is approved (so the ship can be tailored to the route) and the operator comes up with the 20% down payment. Then the government makes all the payments for 40 years and takes 50% of the gross revenue each month. The owner takes the other 50% gross revenue and must make all expenses for crew, life-support, fuel, docking, maintenance, repairs, etc., for the same period. At the end of 40 years the ship is paid off and the operator has full title with the caveat that the ship is subject to mobilization as an auxiliary in times of need by the government. It is also subject to such use while in subsidized service of course and any sale of the ship after the 40 years includes the right of use by the government and the buyer is subject to its approval.
I think I can see your question for e-mail as I pondered this once while working out an x-boat and how much of the computer was dedicated to x-mail. I came up with 1 progammming slot per ton of physical mail in x-mail and so the x-boat dedicated 5 slots to that. In the games its only the x-boats that carry electronic mail, with Scout/Couriers (in the role of Courier) who carry routine physical mail (limited to and by the 3 ton hold, in CT). Detached Duty Scouts are also tasked in this role on occasion, but they don't get paid.
Hope that helps a bit, ask more if not.
The answers depend on the ruleset but in general I think:
A mail contract requires 5 tons of hold (I usually require it be physically seperated and secure from general access) dedicated to physical mail. The ship must also mount at least one defensive turret and crew it. Such contracts pay Cr5,000 per ton regardless of the actual amount of mail carried (i.e. Cr25,000 per trip) and are confined to a route of 2-12 systems that must be visited in order and on schedule. There is no hard and fast rule I'm aware of for generating mail but I always used a 1d6-1 roll for the total tons ready.
Humorous story I once read had a referee put a clause in the contract to a PC to the effect that the ship could only proceed once the mail volume was full. Eventually the PC countered the delay by basically spamming the system, bulk mailing thousands of widgets that he picked up for next to nothing at the port that took up volume but cost little to mail. Later the PC discovered that undeliverable mail was returned to sender for free and he got greedy and started misaddressing his bulk mailings so he got two full shipments for the price of one and got to keep his widgets to mail again. I think he's still on that Imperial Prison Planet for mail fraud
Now back to the questions.
The 2-12 systems of service is the same route requirement for a standard government subsidized contract for a ship if that's what you mean by "charted route". A subsidized ship may be built after a proposal for a route is approved (so the ship can be tailored to the route) and the operator comes up with the 20% down payment. Then the government makes all the payments for 40 years and takes 50% of the gross revenue each month. The owner takes the other 50% gross revenue and must make all expenses for crew, life-support, fuel, docking, maintenance, repairs, etc., for the same period. At the end of 40 years the ship is paid off and the operator has full title with the caveat that the ship is subject to mobilization as an auxiliary in times of need by the government. It is also subject to such use while in subsidized service of course and any sale of the ship after the 40 years includes the right of use by the government and the buyer is subject to its approval.
I think I can see your question for e-mail as I pondered this once while working out an x-boat and how much of the computer was dedicated to x-mail. I came up with 1 progammming slot per ton of physical mail in x-mail and so the x-boat dedicated 5 slots to that. In the games its only the x-boats that carry electronic mail, with Scout/Couriers (in the role of Courier) who carry routine physical mail (limited to and by the 3 ton hold, in CT). Detached Duty Scouts are also tasked in this role on occasion, but they don't get paid.
Hope that helps a bit, ask more if not.
Hey Far Trader. The story was from Starship Operator's Manual, was it not? Sure wish I could find my copy. It sucks having 90% of my life in storage.
Later,
Scout
Later,
Scout
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Well, I wasn't sure how to answer that. The only Navy Auxiliary subsidy I'm aware of is that of the government (implied Imperial) subsidized merchant and the contractural subject to activation as an (implied Imperial Navy) auxiliary. Guess I should have been clearer, if that is what you're after.
There is a dim thought hovering around my consciousness about the Marches subsidizing Quarantine Cutters during TNE but that might have been a house ruling. Maybe someone else recalls that in more detail if it was published.
Ah, another thing I forgot. The ship proposed for subsidization is suppossed to be built on a 600 ton hull or larger according to most rules, however since there is a standard design 400 ton Subsidized Merchant I have always treated that as a typo that should read a minimum 400 ton hull.
Now I can see a valid argument for a similar program in place to build subsidized patrol ships. It would probably only be open to Navy Officers in good standing and they would likely be given a patrol route and schedule during which time the crew would be paid at standard rates and the ship would have access to Naval bases for fueling, supply, repairs of damage incurred on patrol and annual maintenance. Any crew shortage would be made up by Navy Trainees. This would probably be a 50% annual proposition with the patrol starting after each maintenance cycle.
The other 50% of the year the Captain would be able to freelance as a Mercenary unit or do whatever struck their fancy. The Captain would be responsible for all operational costs during this time.
The Navy would make the payments on the ship with the Captain responsible only for the initial down payment of 20%. Ships would have to be built on a 400 ton minimum hull and have full hardpoint allocation.
The Navy would install weapons as needed for the Patrol assignment and likely uninstall them after, unless the Captain ordered the ship with installed weapons or added them later at their own expense.
The ship and Captain would of course be subject to recall to assignment at any time and for any duration. After 40 years the ship and Captain would be fully retired from commitment.
Oh, another mtu rule for active service ships counts duty time as double for the purposes of the release from mortgage. For example a subsidized ship with 20 years paid off is called into active service for 8 years in The (First) Interstellar War before being returned to regualar route service. The mortgage is now effectively paid off for 20+(8x2) years, or 36 years, and in 4 more years of route service the mortgage obligation is complete. Of course that assumes it isn't brought right back into active service for the quickly following Interstellar Wars, in which case the mortgage obligation will end much sooner, but the hapless ship and owner will still be subject to activation for the duration or the life of both, whichever ends soonest.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Right you are Scout, odd how after all these years I've got it in my mind as actually happening in a game, maybe it did, but it was the SOM that I got (mostly right ) from.
) from.
