Salvage

[Colin]

Interesting article in Wired from last month on high-seas salvage. Crew reminded me of a typical Traveller group, though without guns. Also highlights the dangers of salvage, which might translate to Traveller as well.

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/16-03/ff_seacowboys

 

[Darkhstarr]

Fascinating situation. Followed the Cougar Ace story on cargolaw.com.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Oh yeah - this is gonna require some real reading. Good stuff, indeed!

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Oh wow! That was a great read! My only problem with the article is that it will make salvaging a starship tame by comparison. (What with no gravity to kill you if you fall....)

And, boy, does that sound (and look o: ) like a Traveller crew, or what!?

 

[tim_manley]

I've run salvage type scencarios before. I added things like the chance at ripping your suit, coming into contact with live leads or explosive bolts... even booby traps in some regards.

Most of the salvage scenarios have been the players trying to get the ship back to sell it.

This opens up a whole line of how do you do it type questions. When players sell ships in YTU what price formula do you set?

 

[far-trader]

...When players sell ships in YTU what price formula do you set?

My old quick and dirty rule for any used item sales was 1D6 on the CT Trader and Commerce Actual Value table (with no DMs), less repair costs to get it to functionally like new. So between 40% and 90% of new value, less repair costs, which could mean they lose money or are offered nothing for it.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

The article had the crew being paid $10 million for a cargo worth over $100 million. I'm not sure if that included the ship, or not. Of course, they weren't salvaging a wreck, but saving it from becoming one.

(I love the part - though I don't approve - about going looking for the souvenirs. Sounds just like some players I know....... :nonono: )

 

[kafka47]

Salvage has always played an important part IMTU as parts are so expensive that many times characters have usually had to improve and acquire stuff the hard way. Right now, players are in an old space station that will require a link up with the fuel tanks but they will have to canabalize parts from a shuttle to get their jump drive to work...it is hooks like these that make non lethal misjumps more plausible hence lead to more hooks.

 

[robject]

Salvage is just awesome. It's a cheap way to boost a ship or crew's capabilities, with a nice touch of unreliability to boot. Makes the players happy, and makes the referee happy.