Unrefined Fuel Use IMprotoTU

[boomslang]

...the Patrol Cruiser specifically is stated as a "military ship", it makes an excellent sized ship for adventurers...

If by "adventureres" you mean "corsairs and mercenaries rather than traders or other people who do honest work for a living", that is...



I personally contact starport traffic control to verify the identity of every Type T I encounter, with the default assumption that it's hostile...

:smirk:

 

[jawillroy]

"That'll be Cr500/ton, please; cash only."

"Regular customers with a confirmed on-world bank account may be eligible for our Express Merchant program; for a negotiated flat monthly fee we guarantee your quick, inexpensive resupply and refueling, as well as preferential assignment of cargo and luxury passengers. Sign Up Now!*"

*Restrictions may apply. Vessels registering under the Express Merchant program must agree to provide service to one of the worlds on listed in Trade Regulations Chapter 3 Section 3.1.19, "At Risk Trade Partners". Vessels registering under the Express Merchant program must make arrangement for the purchase of a full tank of refined fuel and life support for a full ship's complement of passengers; discount will be equal to 50% of the full market cost of fuel and supply. Payment is due every month; supply and fuel must be used within the month of payment or be forfeited. Contract terms stipulate that the agreement will last no less than twenty four months after the signing date. System Finance and Trade Ministry decree may require the extension of this contract beyond this term without consultation. See Trade Regulations Chapter 5 Section 3.10.9, subparagraph 2, "Penalties" and Chapter 5 Section 3.10.9, subparagraph 3, "Liens" for further information.

 

[boomslang]

"Regular customers with a confirmed on-world bank account may be eligible for our Express Merchant program; for a negotiated flat monthly fee we guarantee your quick, inexpensive resupply and refueling, as well as preferential assignment of cargo and luxury passengers. Sign Up Now!*"

The whole "only refined fuel for sale" scam is basically an indirect tax on bigger, faster ships; landing fees are flat-rate by the same (Imperial) laws that govern cargo and passenger rates, but expensive premium fuel generates a planetside revenue windfall from those ships which otherwise have a larger impact on the port facilities of the higher-rated, higher-traffic hubs... "Your Grace, it's not a tariff on offworld commerce, we swear! We're just trying to keep our starport rating!"

 

[jawillroy]

Periodically I get the urge to work out local refined fuel rates based on all sorts of factors - the type of installation, the type of world government, presence of oceans and gas giants and all that stuff.

And then I ask myself if I haven't anything better to do, and go right on back to handwaving and sticking with LBB2 as writ.

Though, this does occur to me: IIRC LLB2 doesn't fix that cr100 landing fee across the board: it suggest that the cost may vary. Seems that, especially at an A or B 'port, there might be a lot of other little nickel-and-dime costs that (for convenience's sake) might be assumed to be covered within the expanded fuel costs as well. Big ships (with big tanks to fill) wind up paying more than ships that don't tie up a lot of services; little ships that don't bring in a lot of revenue might themselves be dissuaded from wasting the port's time on small fry.

 

[boomslang]

Though, this does occur to me: IIRC LLB2 doesn't fix that cr100 landing fee across the board: it suggest that the cost may vary. Seems that, especially at an A or B 'port, there might be a lot of other little nickel-and-dime costs that (for convenience's sake) might be assumed to be covered within the expanded fuel costs as well. Big ships (with big tanks to fill) wind up paying more than ships that don't tie up a lot of services; little ships that don't bring in a lot of revenue might themselves be dissuaded from wasting the port's time on small fry.

I'm sure.

There's probably everything from "security services" that are little more than protection rackets to spectacularly-overpriced service & repairs performed by local "qualified" technicians... there's plenty of "value-add" to be had at starports...

Since it's likely to be illegal to inflate the price of life support supplies, the "refined" fuel concession would be an alternative and appealing cash cow.