Specific items in the Cargo

[CrimsonAvenger]

Hi,

I'm a noob here, and I hope this isn't a dumb question that has already been thrashed out a thousand times.

I like the idea of buying and selling between different systems. But the economic model that is used doesnt have specific items. It is only general cargo.

I would like to make (or better yet find) lists of items that are specific to world types, and then buy and sell those. For example lo tech Ag worlds might have Jungle Seedlings, or Unmodified Corn Seeds. These items could be popular on Hi tech worlds where genetic modification of foods is commonplace and raw strains of foodstuffs only come from offworld.

Does anyone know of a list of items or a trading system that is a little more detailed than the one used in the T4 system?

Any suggestions, links or advice will be well appreciated.

C.A.

 

[far-trader]

Hiya C.A. and welcome aboard

You might find the trade cards (2 sets) in the fLibrary (link button at top of the page) useful, that's the first and quickest that comes to mind.

 

[aramis]

You could, of course, buy T20 or CT to get specific items tables. MT has a medium level of information set. Several Netizens came up with varius other means of creating specific cargoes.

 

[RainOfSteel]

Originally posted by CrimsonAvenger:
Hi,

Any suggestions, links or advice will be well appreciated.

C.A.

Well, if it's links you want, heh.

http://pacific.commerce.ubc.ca/trade/HS-10.txt

If you manage to exhaust that list, you'll run a long, long game.

Yes, that link has been posted before, I got it from someone else here on CotI in one of the old trade/economy threads.

 

[Whipsnade]

far-trader wote:

You might find the trade cards (2 sets) in the fLibrary (link button at top of the page) useful, that's the first and quickest that comes to mind.

C.A.,

Let me second the ol' Far Trader's suggestion here. Those trade cards in the fLibrary are a marvel. The fellow who worked them up really gave our game a gift.

You might also like nosing around the CIA's website. I'm not kidding. They have thumbnail descriptions of the various nations that make up our weary world in a gazeteer of sorts. While most of the stuff is cultural or political; i.e. "Currency is used rectal thermometers", "Women over fifty file their teeth to a point", and "Cannibal-Emperor elected via cow patty bingo game", they also list principle exports. Just like we used to learn in grade school.

Who knew Bangladesh still grows and exports jute?


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[Andrew Boulton]

The British equivalent is here: http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365

(Bangladesh mostly exports knitwear).

 

[CrimsonAvenger]

Those are great links. Thanx to all.

In looking at the trading cards, mention is made of "The Speculative Trade Goods Table".
Is this table in the d20 version of the game?

It would seem that there are some significant differences between t4 and t20 (d20?) versions of Traveller.
Can anyone tell me how much material in the t20 version is devoted to trading and speculative trading? IN the t4 guide it is only about 7 pages.

Does anyone know of a pdf version of t20? Or a pdf document that goes into greater detail about spec trading?

Thanx,
CA

 

[CrimsonAvenger]

Ummm... CT is Classic Traveller, is that the t4 version or perhaps it is the lite version of t20? (I have both of those).

What is MT?

You could, of course, buy T20 or CT to get specific items tables. MT has a medium level of information set. Several Netizens came up with varius other means of creating specific cargoes. [/QUOTE]

Thanx,
CA

 

[etherflyer]

Originally posted by CrimsonAvenger:
I would like to make (or better yet find) lists of items that are specific to world types, and then buy and sell those. For example lo tech Ag worlds might have Jungle Seedlings, or Unmodified Corn Seeds. These items could be popular on Hi tech worlds where genetic modification of foods is commonplace and raw strains of foodstuffs only come from offworld.

Does anyone know of a list of items or a trading system that is a little more detailed than the one used in the T4 system?

Any suggestions, links or advice will be well appreciated.

C.A.

This the kind of thing you're looking for?

"Being Nicholas van Rijn fans, my group preferred the original system. Using an idea from FASA's Merchant-Class Ships, we created a system using unique trade tables for every world. These tables allow individual economies to appear, without slowing down the game session. (All the work of creating a table is done between sessions, just as with animal encounter tables.)"

http://jtas.sjgames.com/login/article.cgi?353

 

[Whipsnade]

Andrew Boulton wrote:

(Bangladesh mostly exports knitwear).

Yup, they sure do. Plus jute. They even have a government sponsored trade organization for jute. Imagine, they still grow and (attempting to) export a 19th Century pacjaking material. I wonder if buggy whips are still out there? Or whalebone corsets?


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[Whipsnade]

C.A.,

Quick primer on Traveller versions in order of their release:

CT - Classic Traveller, the original
MT - MegaTraveller, the mid-80s update
TNE - Traveller: The New Era, Traveller with GDW's House System RPG rules
T4 - Marc Miller re-releases Traveller after GDW closes up shop
GT - SJGames GURPS version or Traveller
T20 - the d20 version of Traveller

All versions have their boostes, all have good and bad bits, all allow you to have fun.


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[Shadowdancer]

Originally posted by CrimsonAvenger:
Ummm... CT is Classic Traveller, is that the t4 version or perhaps it is the lite version of t20? (I have both of those).

What is MT?

Thanx,
CA

The various versions of Traveller, and their commonly-used abbreviations, can be quite confusing.

CT is Classic Traveller, the original versions which came in the Little Black Books (LBB) in the late 1970s. Available as a compiled reprint.

MT is MegaTraveller, which came afterwards in the mid-1980s. Can still find copies of the material on eBay and in some game stores/online sources.

T4 is the fourth edition of Traveller. In between MT and T4 was TNE (Traveller: The New Era) in the early 1990s. T4 was in the late 1990s. It also can still be found on eBay and in some game stores/online sources.

The d20 version of Traveller is T20, which was released in 2002. There is a T20 Lite version also available. The trading cards someone mentioned earlier are for T20 and T20 Lite.

I don't believe any of the versions of Traveller have specific trade item tables, at least not as detailed as I think you are looking for. They all have various general categories, but nothing specific. For example, they might mention a cargo is bulk grain, but won't differentiate between wheat, oats, barley, rye, corn, sorghum, etc. That's left up to the Referee to do, if he wants, so he can customize a cargo for the sake of the adventure, or just for color.

BITS released a book called 101 Cargoes that does have detailed, specific cargoes, but only 101. If that is the sort of thing you are looking for, you can find BITS items here. Or as others have mentioned, individuals have posted their own cargo tables online. You just have to search for them.

 

[aramis]

Just for reference:
T4, TNE, and MT all use essentially the same trade system as CT Bk 7: Merchant Prince. It is fairly generic.

T20 and CT Bk2 use much more specific cargo types, with price based upon cargo type, not uponn sourceworld type. I wish MT had used the CT/T20 style pricing, with the nummber of entries on the tables that Bk7/MT used.

TNE and T4, IIRC, use a subset of the MT mechanics (tasks included).

 

[CrimsonAvenger]

This the kind of thing you're looking for?

"Being Nicholas van Rijn fans, my group preferred the original system. Using an idea from FASA's Merchant-Class Ships, we created a system using unique trade tables for every world. These tables allow individual economies to appear, without slowing down the game session. (All the work of creating a table is done between sessions, just as with animal encounter tables.)"

http://jtas.sjgames.com/login/article.cgi?353 [/QB]

I can't view that url unless I subscribe?!?!

You're teasing me

I think I remember Nicholas van Rijn, was he the beer drinking guy in those old Frederic Pohl books?

Your system sounds interesting, what types of items do you ship from world to world?

CA

 

[CrimsonAvenger]

T20 and CT Bk2 use much more specific cargo types, with price based upon cargo type, not uponn sourceworld type.

Ok, thats good to know. I think I will invest in Traveller20-The Traveller's Handbook: Traveller for the D20 System : Science Fiction Adventure in the Far Future (Traveller's Handbook)

The Hardcover from Amazon is expensive, (44.95 plus shipping to Canada) is there a PDF version available anywhere, or does anyone know of a cheaper place to buy?

Thanx,
CA

 

[clementk]

Originally posted by CrimsonAvenger:
I can't view that url unless I subscribe?!?!

You're teasing me

Well it's not the full article but you can view a teaser of it here.

Originally posted by CrimsonAvenger:
The Hardcover from Amazon is expensive, (44.95 plus shipping to Canada) is there a PDF version available anywhere, or does anyone know of a cheaper place to buy?

T20 isn't available for sale as a PDF but it is a huge book and you get a lot of material for that price. Hardcover, a good number of full color pages, a decent amount of interior b&w illos, and 464 pages. It's one of the biggest RPG books ever with only Talislantia 4E and the World's Largest Dungeon (840pp + 16 full color maps!) being bigger to my knowledge.

Oh and not having played Traveller in years when I looked over previous Traveller core rules after getting T20 I was somewhat suprised at the lack of option for detail in most of them. Esp. since the trading game is a cornerstone of Traveller campaigns.

Thanks to the folk who provided good links. Lots of goodies there!

Casey

 

[Captain Tylor]

Casey opined:

T20 isn't available for sale as a PDF but it is a huge book and you get a lot of material for that price. Hardcover, a good number of full color pages, a decent amount of interior b&w illos, and 464 pages. It's one of the biggest RPG books ever with only Talislantia 4E and the World's Largest Dungeon (840pp + 16 full color maps!) being bigger to my knowledge.

I'm not sure about the page count, but my copies of HERO System 5th ed. and the Stargate SG-1 RPG are physically larger than my copy of T20. But you are right in that T20 is quite "information dense" in those 464 pages.

 

[clementk]

Originally posted by Captain Tylor:
I'm not sure about the page count, but my copies of HERO System 5th ed. and the Stargate SG-1 RPG are physically larger than my copy of T20. But you are right in that T20 is quite "information dense" in those 464 pages.

That sounds right. They are big books. I don't have either but FRED lists as 400 pages, with plain jane but very serviceable b&w text with some comic book style b&w illos and is $39.95. SG-1 is also 400 pages but in full color and a licensed game for $50 list though I've seen it for significantly less. SG-1's publisher AEG is a high-profile upper tier publisher though.

FRED revised will be (is?) 592 pages for $49.99. O.O

Oh and Talislanta 4E listed for $39.95 but the line is in the process of changing hands and I don't have current info on it and didn't buy it. WLD is $99.95 and also by AEG.

To sum up: games just cost more these days and for the most part you get lots of info for a higher initial cost. $20 USD bills don't go as far as they used to either. $20 USD is just under the price of 3 tickets to a regular showing at my local movie theater or 4 for matinee.

Casey

 

[far-trader]

Originally posted by CrimsonAvenger:
In looking at the trading cards, mention is made of "The Speculative Trade Goods Table".
Is this table in the d20 version of the game?

Yep, I wasn't sure how stand alone the trade cards were, apologies

The Spec Trade tables are also on the T20 ref screen, just fyi.

Originally posted by CrimsonAvenger:
Can anyone tell me how much material in the t20 version is devoted to trading and speculative trading?

Also about 7 pages but probably much more in depth (denser typeface and all).

Originally posted by CrimsonAvenger:
Does anyone know of a pdf version of t20? Or a pdf document that goes into greater detail about spec trading?

Thanx,
CA

I found the online article I was trying to recall the other night and it might be just the thing. Very like the T20 tables, maybe even more.

Check out Freelance Traveller in general for Traveller goodness and this link in particular:

http://www.freelancetraveller.com/features/rules/occascarg.html


You're quite welcome.

 

[etherflyer]

Originally posted by CrimsonAvenger:
I think I will invest in Traveller20-The Traveller's Handbook: Traveller for the D20 System : Science Fiction Adventure in the Far Future (Traveller's Handbook)

The Hardcover from Amazon is expensive, (44.95 plus shipping to Canada) is there a PDF version available anywhere, or does anyone know of a cheaper place to buy?

Thanx,
CA

Check amazon.ca, not amazon.com. Often cheaper, especially with shipping.

Alternately, the Sentry Box in Calgary and Fandom II in Ottawa both have good prices and ship. Where are you located?