Downtime

[darthphil]

I am unsure as to where to post this thread and this place seemed about the most general category I could find.

I am running a merchant campaign in the Linkworlds Cluster for the crew of a 200t Far Trader. My campiagn notes are in the form of the captains log as it helps me keep track of where they've been, what they've bought etc. One question that has occurred to me and for which I've been unable to find the relevant information is how long things take once a ship reaches a starport.

You see I am trying to keep a track of the days elapsed (they have to make mortgage payments you see) and I am having to guess how long it takes to load and unload cargo, refuel the ship, look for passengers etc.

Are they any guidelines anyway?

 

[mike wightman]

In most versions of Traveller a ship is in port for one week, sorting out cargo and finding passengers etc.
See page 355 of the T20 Traveller's Handbook.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Well, a lot of that depends on the world. Can you get cargo? Can you get passengers? I think if I remember right, that MegaTraveller's Imperial Encyclopedia has a lot of this in the back section. Which system are you using?

 

[darthphil]

I'm using MT chargen with the trade rules adapted from T20 (i Think it was reading an old post by Aramis gave me the idea - Thanks!). Anything else I nedd I'll wing it when the time comes. I run a game which is fairly rules light to be honest. My palyers have just gone home and throughout the night there was only one task roll. Just losts of entertaining role playing. It's the first time myself and my players have ever played Traveller in any incarnation and we are all really enjoying it.

 

[Merxiless]

I'd go with the week in port, it's pretty much traditional.

There are other threads in this forum that say a half week, or a few days, but I go with a week.

Really, the time factor isn't the issue, so much as the story factors.

If you need a week, take a week. Or if you need two days, take two days.

 

[Whipsnade]

Darth Phil,

It's a good way to make your players work harder.

Tradition has ships spending a week in port finding passengers, freight, and speculative trade goods. If you can do that faster, you an jump more often, carry goods more often, and make money more often.

So hold out the 'more money' carrot and make your players work hard trying to 'speed up' their schedule.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Border Reiver]

The week in port is traditional but not compulsory.

Berthing fees are quoted for 6 days so you'd better leave on the 7th day. Otherwise you're then paying by the day at Cr100 per day.

Absolutely no reason whatsoever that you can't leave early other than those obstructions the ref wishes to place the players way, passengers wishing to avoid any "Imperial entanglements shall we say?"

 

[mike wightman]

LBB2 trade and commerce also mentions that one roll per week is allowed for speculative trade goods, so if you don't like what you find you have to wait a week to find other cargos.

 

[hirch duckfinder]

I think one week is the normal or "bureaucratic" turnaround time. If you want to skip the paperwork, important maintanence, finding cargo and passengers then you can leave as soon as your tanks are full of fuel. Of course this has other consequences.......