Extensions - not sure if it's me or errata

[Polybius]

Couple of Extensions questions...

Regina has Importance +4, +1 of which comes from Pre-Ag (p430). But Pre-Ag isn't listed as a mod (p435). If it was a mod, wouldn't Pre-Hi also apply (giving Regina +5)? Or is factoring Pa here in error?

Expected Ship Traffic: Can anyone give me an example of expected values, or what this value is meant to actually mean (beyond "total ships per week")? Assuming Regina is on a trade route, this gives expected traffic of 10 ships per week (or 1 ship if the Pa +1 doesn't count), if you plug the formula in straight - effectively becomes (10^4)/1000. If it's 10^(4/1000), this gives 1 ship per week (rounded). Just seems low, in either case. Off a trade route, first gives Regina (using +4) 100 ships per week - which would mean off a trade route, it has more traffic???? Still comes to 1 (rounded) in the second instance.

 

[robject]

A Starport +1
TL C +1
Rich world +1
Naval base and Scout base +1


Traffic is 10^4, or from 10,000 to 99,000, divided by 1000 for route traffic, and 100 for nonscheduled traffic. So,

10 to 99 big freighters per week (I'd say from 3,000 to 3 million tons).
100 to 999 unscheduled various ships per week (100 to 2,400 tons).

Add one (or more) if you use a busy Imperium.

 

[Polybius]

Brill - it was me! Thanks!

 

[Polybius]

Hah... Kinda... The Regina example shows:

Starport A = +1, TL A = +1, Rich = +1, Pre-Ag = +1.

Guess a bit of both

 

[Muzzlehead]

But how is ship traffic incorporated into the game mechanics or is it there for the Referee to expand upon?

 

[Reban]

I'd say it's there for the Ref to expand upon. You can tell the players things like how long they have to wait in the orbital que for landing at the downport, you can describe how many twinkling lights are passing overhead in the night sky and you can figure out how many customs forces and patrol cruisers are in the system at any time.

The Ref can also assign a portion of that tonnage as cargo for figuring out the volume of imports and exports. In a war or siege situation its handy to know what sort of tonnage should be getting into a system and figuring out the consequences of enemy forces blockading all or some of that.

 

[robject]

Right - traffic thru a port is beyond the scope of a group of adventurers. The referee could do some counting on his fingers for Regina (A, TLC, Rich, bases... lots of stuff going on) and tell them it's a busy port. They all might infer things like patrols, defense, a "busy airport" feel, brokerages, pickpockets, what-have-you.