Three Models for Starports and their worlds

[MThompson016]

I suspect some joker would come along, scoop the sat into their cargo bay, and sell the parts at some out of the way place where folk don't ask too many questions. There's nothing at an E to keep that from happening - and it's the kind of thing the less scrupulous players would think of.

Why? I'm positing a very easily built, robust design, where's the gain from looting it as petty vandalism?

 

[Carlobrand]

Why? I'm positing a very easily built, robust design, where's the gain from looting it as petty vandalism{emphasis added: CRS}?

Yup. Or shoot a laser at it 'cause there's no one there to see you do it. I think we've all seen players like that. Maybe should have cameras on the thing feeding back to a recorder on the ground so you can report acts of vandalism the next time someone official passes through.

 

[Bromo33333]

On star ports outside the imperium, I think your right in emphasising that the assumption of extraneity, and of some form of border between the port and the wider world.

I suspect over thousands of years there are "norms" that won't very a whole lot even in the various client states with only a few exceptions. But I would expect the Highport would primarily be considered outside the borders of the world, and in the hands of the polity controlling it. If it is a single world, then it would be a bit like an "outside the borders" zone with the expected collection of hotels, shops, restaurants and starship repair, construction and other niceties. Even on the most repressive worlds, this could be a source of hard currency, and a chance to obtain the small luxuries used as rewards for loyalty in those kinds of societies. (North Korea is one of the largest imports of Cognac in the world. Used to reward party loyalists as one example). The downport would be on the other side of the border, and sometimes they would admit someone, sometimes not. I suspect there always would be a downport (you do need a place to ferry goods and things to and form the highport) just it might be strictly off limits to foreigners. Unless the world it truly inerdicted, and the starport is just a way station.

and, of coruse, the players have less ability to complain or react to arbitrary abuses of power by the local government. who are they going to turn to if the local tinpot dictator decides he wants to commandeer the players ship as a naval auxiliary and parks a patrol cruiser directly above their landing bay and a platoon of marines at the door?

I would think this would be rare, since word would spread quickly about the planet commandeering incoming ships. If the planet needed trade at all, they would lose all of their merchants. But the way to do it, is requiring some sort of license to be able to load and unload cargo, that you can only really get through a bribe, and failure to produce the paperwork could result in seizing the cargo, and impounding the ship until the right paperwork could be obtained.

 

[Condottiere]

In that specific case, it was off shored to Macao and Kuala Lumpur, locations with international lines of communication outside of direct sanctions where the local authorities were inclined to turn a blind eye.

 

[Selandia]

I would think this would be rare, since word would spread quickly about the planet commandeering incoming ships. If the planet needed trade at all, they would lose all of their merchants.

Actually, I believe that is part of the planetary govt idea behind Subsidized merchant deal. Steady trade + possibility to commandeer ship if needed. When drafted, revenues are computed as bareboat charter or time charter accordingly to crew status

Have fun

Selandia

 

[Timerover51]

Actually, I believe that is part of the planetary govt idea behind Subsidized merchant deal. Steady trade + possibility to commandeer ship if needed. When drafted, revenues are computed as bareboat charter or time charter accordingly to crew status

Have fun

Selandia

Basically what the British and Imperial Germany did with subsidizing mail and fast cargo liners for use as auxiliary cruisers during wartime.