Your ship shakes as it comes out of Jumpspace. The hydrogen burn fading and the view-ports opening to reveal the backwater system in all its awe inspiring glory. Suddenly the sensors detect a derelict ship less than an hour away, no system traffic to speak of, and the cargo doors appear to be intact. You...
Ethics in Space
- Thread starter Anthelios
- Start date
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
...just honest traders.
heh
didn't even notice (the brain fills in 
not always a good thing )
On to explain my vote a little...
"...helm, move to boarding range and keep a close watch on the sensors for any other traffic, doc and I are going aboard to check for survivors and assess the salvage value. You spot anything, and I mean anything, you start moving as soon as we clear the airlock on tether, the kid will reel us in, just keep the derelict between us and whatever."
I'm making the presumption that being a backwater and no traffic to speak of we are the first on the scene. If the Navy, Imperial or Local, was here they'd be squaking at us to steer off. And it's all quiet so any emergency is over, or it's a trap. We'll be careful but the first order of business is to see if it's abandoned. In MTU crew in low berths have not abandoned the ship. If it's abandoned it's salvage, if not it's rescue. Second order of business is to determine peril. If it's imminent (going to crash into something or blow up) and the crew (if present) are unable to alter that and we can it's salvage with any rescue being incidental.
Rescues usually don't pay, but some show gratitude. And of course it's the law of the starlanes to attempt rescue if it doesn't put your own ship or hide in peril. It's just good old fashioned business of oppurtunity to attempt salvage, and some will risk more for salvage than rescue for the greater reward.
So, we rescue any personnel, and secure any goods we can as salvage if allowable, including the whole ship if possible. Whatever we secure will of course have to stand to claim of salvage, at a starport of record (generally Class B or better or Class D or better with a Scout Base. What we can't secure is left for someone else to salvage, without claim or endangerment (no planting explosives or such). We might even make something reporting it to a concern who is able to salvage it.
heh
didn't even notice (the brain fills in not always a good thing )On to explain my vote a little...
"...helm, move to boarding range and keep a close watch on the sensors for any other traffic, doc and I are going aboard to check for survivors and assess the salvage value. You spot anything, and I mean anything, you start moving as soon as we clear the airlock on tether, the kid will reel us in, just keep the derelict between us and whatever."
I'm making the presumption that being a backwater and no traffic to speak of we are the first on the scene. If the Navy, Imperial or Local, was here they'd be squaking at us to steer off. And it's all quiet so any emergency is over, or it's a trap. We'll be careful but the first order of business is to see if it's abandoned. In MTU crew in low berths have not abandoned the ship. If it's abandoned it's salvage, if not it's rescue. Second order of business is to determine peril. If it's imminent (going to crash into something or blow up) and the crew (if present) are unable to alter that and we can it's salvage with any rescue being incidental.
Rescues usually don't pay, but some show gratitude. And of course it's the law of the starlanes to attempt rescue if it doesn't put your own ship or hide in peril. It's just good old fashioned business of oppurtunity to attempt salvage, and some will risk more for salvage than rescue for the greater reward.
So, we rescue any personnel, and secure any goods we can as salvage if allowable, including the whole ship if possible. Whatever we secure will of course have to stand to claim of salvage, at a starport of record (generally Class B or better or Class D or better with a Scout Base. What we can't secure is left for someone else to salvage, without claim or endangerment (no planting explosives or such). We might even make something reporting it to a concern who is able to salvage it.
Typo fixed for you.
As for the question... scan for inbound navy. If none, check for survivors. If no survivors, notify port and check for intact cargo, and if room, notify port, transfer cargo, deliver to port. Also see if the ship can be towed to orbit, or repaired enough to prize. If prizable, prize to orbit registering claim before moving.
As for the question... scan for inbound navy. If none, check for survivors. If no survivors, notify port and check for intact cargo, and if room, notify port, transfer cargo, deliver to port. Also see if the ship can be towed to orbit, or repaired enough to prize. If prizable, prize to orbit registering claim before moving.
Icosahedron
SOC-14 1K
Well, I can't vote on this one - the answer depends entirely on the character I'm role-playing, of course.
Personally, I'd get the scans running and try hailing the other ship, since I would not want whatever holed it hitting me. I'd also go to full battlestations, since you know, there's this derelict sat in the middle of nowhere and I'd wonder if it was a trap for unlucky so-and-so's.
Providing I had the capability, I'd send a boarding party of security/marines with a medic, then get survivors to my ship's med-bay, under full guard before salvaging what I could and logging everything for the authorities, who are bound to want to know what's where. Once done, if I could prize the ship, I would, if not, I'd drop a nav bouy for later and get to the nearest port with orbital docks and inform the local authorities of everything including procedures followed.
Providing I had the capability, I'd send a boarding party of security/marines with a medic, then get survivors to my ship's med-bay, under full guard before salvaging what I could and logging everything for the authorities, who are bound to want to know what's where. Once done, if I could prize the ship, I would, if not, I'd drop a nav bouy for later and get to the nearest port with orbital docks and inform the local authorities of everything including procedures followed.
epicenter00
SOC-13
Well, of course you'd scan around for Naval vessels or suspicious "space debris" first. Though, even if you find "space debris" first, that just alters the order of investigation: Debris first then the ship.
Ignoring such an obvious GM ploy to start a new adventure is like not letting that Solomani femme fatale onto your ship. Either way, it might be prudent not to do so, but that kind of prudence makes for boring game sessions.
"That looks like a trap."
"Of course it's a trap."
"So why are going in?"
"If we avoid all the fun, what are we going to talk about when we're old?"
Ignoring such an obvious GM ploy to start a new adventure is like not letting that Solomani femme fatale onto your ship. Either way, it might be prudent not to do so, but that kind of prudence makes for boring game sessions.
"That looks like a trap."
"Of course it's a trap."
"So why are going in?"
"If we avoid all the fun, what are we going to talk about when we're old?"
Patron Zero
SOC-13
In Spirit
Not to hijack but rather enhance the thread here, a link below to a parallel ongoing discussion of salvage rights in the Mongoose Publishing Traveller forums, enjoy !
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/p...8&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=
Not to hijack but rather enhance the thread here, a link below to a parallel ongoing discussion of salvage rights in the Mongoose Publishing Traveller forums, enjoy !
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/p...8&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=
Hard to vote for me also
I would say,
First half of one and most of 2.
But then it depends again on what character I was playing.
But most of my characters would have been 1 and 2.
Had one that would have been like,
What ever you want capt. Then would not say anything again until needed.
Dave Chase
I would say,
First half of one and most of 2.
But then it depends again on what character I was playing.
But most of my characters would have been 1 and 2.
Had one that would have been like,
What ever you want capt. Then would not say anything again until needed.
Dave Chase
Hmmmmm!
I noticed in the poll, not one person voted straight up to just call the Port Authority. :smirk::devil::rofl:
In fact we all go in and investigate as a baseline action. "Yep, thems Travellers...."
Doesn't even occur to us to not go in.
I noticed in the poll, not one person voted straight up to just call the Port Authority. :smirk::devil::rofl:
In fact we all go in and investigate as a baseline action. "Yep, thems Travellers...."
Doesn't even occur to us to not go in.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Well we are in a backwater system. To me that means a Class D starport without even a Scout base, at the best. So who you gonna call? The local pump jockey at the bare field with the run down shack and radio they call a Starport? And what's she gonna do? Enter the report in a ledger in case some Imperial Navy type gets stuck with the punishment detail of actually collecting the records from this forsaken system?
Out here WE ARE the authorities, as loyal trained Imperial Citizens of high regard. The Law is not some set of instructions in a database on Capital. It is The Citizen wherever they are in The Imperium.
(that's my story and I'm sticking to it... :smirk
Interesting....
You do raise a good point there, Sir Knight.
You do raise a good point there, Sir Knight.
Mark Morgan
SOC-10
well my choice would be more aloong the line if life signs were detected not absolutley certain and I keep scaning to confirm the life signs and look for any posiible dangers surounding the craft with of course one moves after the ifesigns have gone away on there own
ThunderChilde
SOC-13
Ye gods that is macrabe, waiting for the poor feller to die before you steal his boots, whan all he need was to be lifted out of the gutter in his drunken stupor.
If'n I was the GM and this was the action, turn about is fair play, and oh damn, who actually paid for a decent system survailance satellite on that dust ball.:smirk:
For my self, scan, and keep scanning, approach, render aid if any is needed, if they have perished, then slavage or cargo shuffling maybe in order. With my kinda luck, the hold is full up the bulkhead already.
Drakon
SOC-14 1K
To add to this:Out here WE ARE the authorities, as loyal trained Imperial Citizens of high regard. The Law is not some set of instructions in a database on Capital. It is The Citizen wherever they are in The Imperium.
(that's my story and I'm sticking to it... :smirk
It seems to me that one's first duty is to rescue any survivors. Basic human morality demands it. Do unto others as you want to do unto you. No matter who said it, its still a good idea.
It encourages others to act like that and let's face it, we might ourselves in the same situation.
But that is no reason such efforts should go unrewarded. Just make sure you ain't rescuing a car from the parking lot.
Rraurgrimm
SOC-11
I went with the "Scan for Naval vessels; if none inbound, hail the ship, then investigate ... for survivors, of course.", doing a careful and thorough scan of the ships' surroundings first. Because if the ship is obviously intact - why did the crew leave it? Or if they did not leave it at all - why are they not replying or reacting to the presence of our ship?
Smells like a trap - or (very unlikely) a very tragic story aboard that ship.
And yes, I agree: we are all brave Imperial citizens aboard, willing to do our duty for the Emperor, especially out here in the backwater system where there is no one else around!
Smells like a trap - or (very unlikely) a very tragic story aboard that ship.
And yes, I agree: we are all brave Imperial citizens aboard, willing to do our duty for the Emperor, especially out here in the backwater system where there is no one else around!
Your questions are not so much about ethics, as priorities. As what makes the Traveller universe unique is that a sort of morality code does fall into place sooner or later. For the universe might not care...but if the survivors have money or their relations...then that might just pay for the next cargo. Scanning for Navy vessels ensures that the party (a) Does not get blamed for the attack (b) gives the largest slice of the pie to the players and (c) As a Standard Operating Procedure...it is a nice thing to do.
