Merchant exploration

[Hemdian]

People sometimes bemoan the lack of opportunity to explore in campaigns based in the Spinward Marches. This got me thinking.

The UWPs that we have are typically full sets, organised by sector. But it occurred to me that that doesn’t necessarily reflect what would be available to PCs in game. My conjecture is that a typical Imperial merchant’s database would hold an amalgam of multiple data sets.

One dataset might be all system positions and stellar data (but nothing else) for everything in charted space.

Another dataset (from the Survey Office of the IISS) might be full UWPs for all Imperial worlds.

Other polities such as the Swords Words, Darrians, or Zhodani might have datasets. These might be restricted or not to outsiders, and/or be available for a small fee.

But then what of all the independent worlds, even in The Spinward Marches? Might worlds with a class A/B/C starport have datasets for sale composed of full UWPs for all other worlds within 'n' parsecs that have class A/B/C starports?

Of course the IISS knows a lot about worlds beyond the Imperial border (out to a certain range) but these aren't sold through the Survey Office. Is this extra-Imperial data released to civilians at all?

A merchant, leaving Imperial space, might spent some of its time in ports… not trading cargo but trying to buy maps to nearby systems.

Thoughts?

 

[BlackBat242]

That was something I put into a long-running CT campaign I ran about 10 years ago.

I set it in the late part of the Terran Confederation-Vilani Imperium wars (I had them continue through the OTU "second Imperium" period before both polities collapsed into "the long night" period), in what became the Reavers' Deep sector - I had the worlds less-settled and lower in TL, with some not yet populated, etc. The group was exploring and initiating trade & contact between worlds - along with side work on behalf of Terran Confederation Naval Intelligence.

One of the PCs had run his character through the "Imperial Academy of Science & Medicine" from JTAS #22 as part of his chargen - he ended up with skill level 3 in astronomy and also a 3 in physics - I declared he had a Bachelor's Degree in Astrophysics, and the PC ran with it.

He was the group's "Master Navigator" (he also had Nav 3 skill), he would visit the universities & research institutes of every world the PC's ships visited (they had 2, a 300dt merchant and a 200dt salvaged Aslan combat scout (frankensteined with Terran computer & powerplant, but keeping the Aslan J & M drives).

He would gather all the astronomical data and survey reports for the areas around, then generate the data needed by their jump & maneuver programs. The 300dt merchant was also equipped with a nice set of astronomical survey equipment, which he used constantly.

 

[simonh]

People sometimes bemoan the lack of opportunity to explore in campaigns based in the Spinward Marches. This got me thinking.

The Spinward Marches have been part of the imperium for centuries. Astrophyscial data for every world in the sector, and for many sectors in every direction will be common knowledge. Some areas, and beyond certain distances outside the Imperium itself the data will be out of date, but frankly the planet sizes and atmospheres, orbits, physical chemistry, supported forms of life, stellar data, etc don't change all that much for most worlds, even on the scale of centuries. This area of space is riddled with scouts and especulative merchants, and hase been for many generations. For most worlds even sectors away, you'd know pretty well what used to be there at most a decade or two ago, even if you're not sure exactly what's there now.

If I was the Scout Service management, I'd offer a standing fee for the sensor logs of every ship that has travelled outside the imperium, with the fee going up with distance from the Imperial border, and down with age. Then just integrate that data (scrubbed for sensitive intel) into the standard navigational data sets. The Imperium has an interest in encouraging trade and communications, and encouraging or even mandating sharing data like that is a no-brainer.

Simon Hibbs

 

[whulorigan]

The Spinward Marches have been part of the imperium for centuries. Astrophyscial data for every world in the sector, and for many sectors in every direction will be common knowledge. Some areas, and beyond certain distances outside the Imperium itself the data will be out of date, but frankly the planet sizes and atmospheres, orbits, physical chemistry, supported forms of life, stellar data, etc don't change all that much for most worlds, even on the scale of centuries. This area of space is riddled with scouts and especulative merchants, and hase been for many generations. For most worlds even sectors away, you'd know pretty well what used to be there at most a decade or two ago, even if you're not sure exactly what's there now.

Let's suppose one takes a few minor liberties with strict OTU-canon and analyzes the following presupposition:

The Imperium was an expansionist polity from its beginnings up until the First Frontier War, when the Solomani dominated at court. Resistance by the Zhodani in the 1st FW (coupled with the subsequent Civil War) and continued hostilities in the 2nd FW brought expansionism in the Marches to a standstill (largely due to the final armistice treaty). Consider also that post-Arbellatra the Solomani power was broken at court and superseded by a more staid Vilani outlook as the Imperium looked toward consolidating what it held (an outlook that has endured from year ~ 675-1100). Is it possible that much of the space outside the Spinward Marches has not had significant Imperial settlement or development since the 600's (i.e. that "officially", the Imperium turned its back on those regions, so to speak)? If not, what presuppositions would have to be the case in order for such a situation to prevail?

While astrographic data would surely be observable and known, and some independent traders may have been active in regions outside the Marches, would it still be possible that areas like the Trojan Reach and The Beyond (and farther) might still be true Frontier with some areas (especially the farther one moves into the Outrim Void (i.e. the Trojan Reach and/or The Beyond), Vanguard Reaches, Iphigenaia, Theron, Touchstone, etc.) being largely unknown in Imperial space except by rumor? (i.e., might the reliable information on some of these regions, especially the further ones, be out of date by decades (or even a few centuries)? Again, if not, what presuppositions would have to be the case in order for such a situation to prevail?

 

[simonh]

I'm all in favour of re-interpreting the OTU to meet the needs of your own game. Sounds good to me in principle, but this lock-down on cross-border contact would have to have been in place until pretty recently.

I supose you could also assume that until recently Zhodani/Aslan patrols, sponsored pirates and mercenaries were actively hunting down Imperial, or even suspected pro-imperial/neutral traders until fairly recently. Perhaps the Imperial Navy recently scored a massive victory, breaking a major Pirate ring along the border regions, destroying their bases of operation and opening up the region to increased traffic.

Simon Hibbs

 

[MCEvans]

Are we talking CT now or CT in the 70's & 80's with FASA, JG & Paranoia Press.
If now all that stuff is apocryphal and take it as you will.
If 70's & 80's you have major IN bases, IISS bases and Client States of various sizes all over the place as well as major corporations based in these areas that the Imperial Household has a investment stake in (Stocks) of 5% +/-.

If you go with the 70's & 80's theme and to use a term from TNE, expansion is "Trade & Diplomacy Only" (TDO) not at the receiving end of a Spinal Mount.

Solomon power at court ... Remember that the best Used Car salesmen come from Terra not Vland. :smirk:

 

[Hemdian]

I was thinking of Leviathan (CT Adventure 4)... which I accept has some canon issues. There was half a subsector for which the merchant crew only knew the locations of star systems but nothing more. The IISS would obviously have data but for some reason weren't sharing it.

Maybe, the IISS isn't obliged to share data on non-Imperial worlds and only does so when the Imperium is in an expansionist mode? Perhaps the IISS wants to encourage member world trading by discouraging cross-border trade. Or perhaps they just want to emphasize the benefits if continued membership.

Meanwhile, some areas would band together in trade associations that would publish local data. But in areas without any if that, individual merchants might consider such data a trade secret and be unwilling to share.

(Well, that was my thinking anyway.)