What to do about RU?

[Magnus von Thornwood]

So, here I am looking through the various enrtries in my ATU's Far Stars sector database and I have these various interstellar polities that have to build fleets, bases, starports and generally keep up the infrastructure of their states. (Why, yes, I do cherish my copy of T4: Pocket Empires! Why do you ask? :devil

Plus, I have a meatspace player who expressed an interest in playing Kingmaker...in Spaaace, so I have good reason to wonder what an RU or two can do.

The question to the floor:

What can you do with say RU 1, 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000?​

One thing that has been suggested was an AHL cruiser with support runs about RU 60, but I haven't seen or heard much else. I figure as far Starports are concerned you don't really need to spend an RU till at least Class D and that only one or two since it isn't all that much. Now a Class C that starts getting into actual numbers, more if like [FS 1224] Bohen whose Baron proposed, helped fund and build a Class C Highport, which I figure costs about RU 10 to construct and around RU 1/year in maintenance. Figure about half that for a shirtsleeve downport.

Comments?

 

[DonM]

I really don't find Pocket Empires to be very different from Striker/TCS, and don't forget that Far Trader has an approach that's useful to look at. Note that when I work on T5SS, I have it give WTNs for comparison.

I've actually been approaching RU from a different direction. Start with Triplanetary, then take Imperium (the original), Double Star, Dark Nebula and Fifth Frontier War. Buried in that mix is Marc's view of a strategic game that revolves around RU.

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

The missing games.

Well, I can check out GT: Far Trader again, just have to find it.

As to the board games the only one I have or played is Imperium and that only two wars. I think I have a digital copy of the 5FW somewhere as well. Looks like lots of digging in the stacks.

Thanks, for the response, for a second there I thought the balloon turned to lead on me again.

 

[Ishmael]

I don't think PE is like TCS.
TCS calculates gwp from an assumed per capita ( iirc ) whereas PE calculates gwp directly in RU's which can then be converted to local credits. Exchange rates can be calculated as well, instead of just choosing from a simplistic table. The sidebar on page 41 goes into enough detail on this that converting from RU to credits is not a problem, regardless of tech level or other issues.
You'll find that exchange rates are not linear and are closer to (tech_world-a^3)/(tech_world-b^3) assuming tech level = infrastructure = material supply

Imtu. an RU is about 3000 MCrImps based on tech 15, etc.
the sidebar mentioned discusses how this sort of calc works.

 

[DonM]

If you play around with all of the mechanics a lot, you'll find one of the methods (PE, GT:FT, TCS, Striker) fits you, and the others don't...

 

[robject]

I really don't find Pocket Empires to be very different from Striker/TCS

I do: in PE you make task rolls to develop worlds. I didn't know you could do that with Striker or TCS.

I've actually been approaching RU from a different direction. Start with Triplanetary, then take Imperium (the original), Double Star, Dark Nebula and Fifth Frontier War. Buried in that mix is Marc's view of a strategic game that revolves around RU.

Yes, I agree with Don here.

I'd like to get Marc thinking about an operational wargame which includes leader units, morale, veteran status... and a card system to simulate fog of war.

 

[fridge]

I do: in PE you make task rolls to develop worlds. I didn't know you could do that with Striker or TCS.



Yes, I agree with Don here.

I'd like to get Marc thinking about an operational wargame which includes leader units, morale, veteran status... and a card system to simulate fog of war.

I would like to get Marc thinking about the major errata for the core T5 book first! Don't distract him!

 

[robject]

I would like to get Marc thinking about the major errata for the core T5 book first! Don't distract him!

Don't worry, Don has his attention, and Don strongly dislikes disorderliness in product lines. I'm not distracting Marc.

(In fact, it usually is the other 'way 'round: Marc pops up out of nowhere with something to discuss or go over, and distracts me.)

 

[aramis]

Marc seems, from here (the admin chair) to be a bit ADD... he's always got three or more irons in the fire, and they're all different projects.

I'm presently aware of several projects at once:
1a T5 errata
1b T5 player's book (which is predicated on the errata first getting done)
1c finishing the other bits of unfinished Kickstarter stuff
2 Staff related project (The mods & admins know what 'tis, but shouldn't say. When it's done, I want to post photos.)
3 a T5 adaptation of a classic adventure
4 the T20 CD
5 at least one charitable organization
6 supporting/assisting his wife in their publishing business
7 board admin oversight (= being kept in the loop when ugliness raises its head to shooting level here)
8 A new project related to but not part of the Kickstarter. (Most of the mods and admins know what it is. Key word "Patriotic".)

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

You tease!

Marc seems, from here (the admin chair) to be a bit ADD... he's always got three or more irons in the fire, and they're all different projects.

I'm presently aware of several projects at once:
1a T5 errata
1b T5 player's book (which is predicated on the errata first getting done)
1c finishing the other bits of unfinished Kickstarter stuff
2 Staff related project (The mods & admins know what 'tis, but shouldn't say. When it's done, I want to post photos.)
3 a T5 adaptation of a classic adventure
4 the T20 CD
5 at least one charitable organization
6 supporting/assisting his wife in their publishing business
7 board admin oversight (= being kept in the loop when ugliness raises its head to shooting level here)
8 A new project related to but not part of the Kickstarter. (Most of the mods and admins know what it is. Key word "Patriotic".)

Man, that was mean, yet informative. Especially that bit about photos of the Staff project.

Now, as to the OP, first off this is just me, so it shouldn't be distracting Marc. Second, again thank you for the pointers, but really I wasn't looking for the old methods, rather I was wondering what people (not other editions) thought RUs were both worth and used for. That is why I went with the examples and question I did.

So with that in mind, comments?

 

[mike wightman]

I'm going to compare RU in every Traveller source I can find and determine the relative worth of the T5 RU.

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Really?!

I'm going to compare RU in every Traveller source I can find and determine the relative worth of the T5 RU.

That would be awesome.

Sadly, I am missing quite a bit of the required sources to do that. I only have Board Games: Imperium, CT: Book 4, TCS, HG (BFB) and T4: Pocket Empires and it has been a long time since I have dragged them out and read them. I suppose I should drag out PE at least and check it out again.

I look forward to seeing the fruits of your research, sir.

 

[mike wightman]

It could take a while

Imperium, Dark Nebula and T4 Pocket Empires all look to be about the same RU 'scale' so should be a good place to start.

 

[Cryton]

Doesn't one of the sidebars in Pocket Empires list the CRImp value on an RU? I seem to recall an actual number, but can't find my copy atm...

 

[Reban]

Doesn't one of the sidebars in Pocket Empires list the CRImp value on an RU? I seem to recall an actual number, but can't find my copy atm...

The problem there is T5 specifically says RU do not equal a Credit value.

 

[Ishmael]

Doesn't one of the sidebars in Pocket Empires list the CRImp value on an RU? I seem to recall an actual number, but can't find my copy atm...

Not really.
The sidebar discusses, after some background as to what a 'credit' is ( as economists use the word) , the method to determine the value of a RU in terms of local currency credits ( as the game uses the word ).

Where it gives a value of 5000 MCrimps per RU, that value was determined by the method discussed for Sylea in year 0 when Sylea was about tech 12 or so, thus a RU is equvalent to about 5000 Sylean Mcr in year 0. One would expect it to change as advances are made over time.
Naturally, with advances in tech level within the Imperium to tech 15, the purchasing power of a Crimp is greater and thus it takes fewer Crimps to equal the value of a RU.

For a default trade currency, I figured this value using the method discussed wile assuming tech, infrastructure, and resources were all at 15. I got a value of about 3000 Mcrimps ( 1105 Imperium ) per RU.

As the value of a RU remains constant, and given in local currencies, the ratios of these currencies from world to world gives exchange rates between those worlds.

If T5 calculates RU's based on tech level, infrastructure and resources available, with numbers similar to PE ( 0-15 ), then the values per RU should be similar as well.

 

[DonM]

I would like to get Marc thinking about the major errata for the core T5 book first! Don't distract him!

Wow. I must send e-mails out with those words in it at least twice a week.

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Off by 20.

Well, I dragged out my T4: Pocket Empires and according to the chart in the back the cost to raise a Starport from Class D to Class C is RU 120 and 10 years. I had the Baron Bohen taking 12 years and RU 100 ro so (or RU 8/year).

Upon reflection and since raising the port from C to B cost RU 600 & 20 years, I think it should run around RU 300 and 15 years or so (or RU 20/year)^*. I figure most of the cost of going from Class C to to Class B is adding the Highport, so charging half that for a Class C gets a Class C with a Downport and a Highport and makes it cheaper in time and resources to upgrade later to Class B. They save about RU 20 for doing both at the same time and will get 5 to 10 years off the time needed to upgrade to Class B by having a Highport in place already.

Comments?

^*I decided to drop the cost from RU 400 to 300 since I figure a big chunk of the Class B rating is the Yards to build Boats in. You don't need Yards to do repairs, but you do for building (and as soon as I can figure out the why of that I will let you know). Right now I am leaning toward most repair is slapping on new plates, grids, piping and such that can be done either while grounded or lashed to a berth. With building vessels you need a container to construct the base hull structures in.

 

[pendragonman]

Mags, "Yards" is a holdover term from yesteryear.

In modern ship construction, ships are built in modules inside what you and I would call factories, then assembled at a drydock like Lego bricks. The yards are just the assembled factories and an open space to put the bricks together.

 

[Drakon]

Atmo processors

Well, I dragged out my T4: Pocket Empires and according to the chart in the back the cost to raise a Starport from Class D to Class C is RU 120 and 10 years. I had the Baron Bohen taking 12 years and RU 100 ro so (or RU 8/year).

It wouldn't happen mention how much large atmospheric processors that can change the atmosphere of a planet from say a 9 to an 8 cost, would it?

Pardon for the off topic question.