I LOVE the idea of the Outworlds Alliance as "Space Liberia"... it's just TOO perfect! :thumbsup:
The other point I'll raise is that the nose is where you want your main radar and avionics (ALWAYS be able to see where you're going!). A significant cargo bay in the nose makes that kind of hard...
I appreciate the above, I always figured that the docking collars are in the nose as there is often an opening of some kind drawn at the top of each. Also since it is the most likely spot to be impacted by stuff while in transit the avionics are probably already well protected. I might do something on the construction of spacecraft as I see it later on.
USIIR (Universal Social-Industrial Index Rating) CodesThe First Star League loved its acronyms as much as its giant Warships and tyranny. Its Successors are little different and with minor exception still follow its lead. This is true with the USIIR code of planetary classification which have been preserved as tradition and for ease of use.
Defined by five different factors within a range of A-F with A being the highest, F being the lowest. They are
Technological Sophistication (TS) – This measure determines the likelihood of encountering advanced technology among the locals. An A class world is awash in the latest and greatest technologies while an F class world gets by on inferior artisan goods.
Industrial Density (ID) - Ever since the Industrial Revolution industrialization has enabled humanity to accomplish tasks once thought impossible. An A rated world is intensely industrialized with modern production capabilities while an F rated world still have artisans practicing rediscovered handicrafts.
Raw Material Dependence (RMD) - Many elements are difficult to find or refine requiring advanced techniques and expensive equipment to obtain. This is particularly true with anything over Iron in the Periodic Table. Noble gases and metals, specialty materials for advanced alloys, and radioactive minerals enriched or otherwise are all included in this chart.
This measure is limited to planet access only so these might be found in system and traded interplanetary rather than interstellar ensuring plentiful work for bulk carriers. Powerful industrial worlds like Hesperus II have to import many of their raw materials as their own supplies become less economical to extract while their factories continue to churn out immense volumes of finished goods
An A rated world is entirely self-sufficient at its current consumption and possibly even trades the excess while an F rated world is heavily reliant on imports. Either are likely on a major trade Line or will be shortly.
Industrial Output (IO) – The IO measure determines how much the planet’s industry produces based on their sophistication and industrialization. These goods can then be traded or remain on world. An A rated planet produces an abundance of goods while an F rated world cannot keep pace with local demand.
These goods are not necessarily high value however and market forces keep either of these in line unless they are ordered to overproduce for some reason. With recovered technology and less demand for military hardware on Great House budgets capital is becoming available to finance more factories built where there is a shortage. Areas once heavily reliant on common goods are investing in tooling for higher quality goods to make up the difference in lost trade.
Agricultural Dependence (AD) – Much like industrial output this is a measure of the abundance of agricultural commodities on world. A rated worlds export produce (in a stabilized and concentrated form) across the stars while an F rated world is reliant on food imports. Any world so reliant on interstellar trade for food died out during the Succession Wars and commodity crops are not very profitable to ship (thus waste resources growing) so a low and high score in this rating is very unusual.
With a general idea of what a world is like now we look deeper into what is reasonable to ship across the stars. These are divided into four basic categories.
Information is the simplest thing to move. In areas lacking regular HPG access jumpships bring news and media to the people. You can beam these down or take the shuttle (or dropship) and sell the media directly to the people in a physical or digital form. The Captain typically assigns the youngest crewman to figure out what the latest trend is going to be and source it for them in a digital form before undergoing a Circuit. They will also send out the Navigator, Chief Engineer, and/or First Officer (all typically the oldest and most experienced Spacers) to find media of greater interest to more ‘mature’ customers.
Line operations are often on well-trodden paths with HPG access so this is rarely an option except with large files that would be expensive or impossible to transmit that way (or with only niche interest). However, running a Line gives a Captain and crew a better idea for the tastes of their customers so they can curate their offerings better. With shorter trips the media can also be much newer and constantly changing.
Cutting deals with media distributors is easy money for a ship’s crew, as is advertising. Since these goods are effectively weightless, they are highly profitable. Executive crews regularly ink deals with these companies during the slow season as their wealthy customers are highly desired by major retail chains.
Information is refreshed as often as possible throughout the trip as you don’t want to show up when a fad is already faded. Selling market information to the next ship in line or a broker brings in some extra cash or is a nice way to build a good reputation.
Goods have been discussed at some length already, the goal of any seller is to add no more than 25% of the cost of a good in shipping. This limits many options for profit but like all rules there are exceptions, direly needed (or highly controlled) goods can fetch up to 200% their value in shipping costs.
Stock and trade of a freighter cargo is going to be factory produced goods, commercial or industrial vehicles, and rare minerals. Base commodity materials are just not profitable to ship and don’t make it to the jump point. Oddball cargos like art, exotic animals, LosTech artifacts, and personal watercraft are out there but require a certain eye to realize profit.
The most profitable goods have always been military equipment as they are both high tech and lightweight. Gun running remains a viable if risky business to be in, particularly with higher end equipment. Spare parts are always in high demand as are fusion engines of all sizes. Consumables such as ammo and armor regularly flow out to remote supply depots on civilian ships mixed in with other cargos.
New Mechs and combat equipment are always transported aboard a factory owned and escorted vessel to a distribution point where a military transport takes it to its new unit. Don’t try to muscle into that business you will get hurt.
Mercenary mechs do however often ship on freighters as do IndustrialMechs of all kinds (even SecurityMechs) so these are good cargos to have. They will be accompanied by a marine or police detail hanging out in the bay for a time ensuring it gets to its destination.
People are the next thing that moves across the stars but are honestly the worst cargo. They get in the way of regular operations for your crew, smell, and use up valuable water and food while looking completely stupid while translating in microgravity. Plus, someone has to watch them, make sure they eat and drink, and importantly keep out of the Engineering decks.
There is always a passenger demanding to speak to the Captain about some inane issue only they have that the Chief Steward, whose job it is to deal with them, is not high enough for their liking. It takes a special dropship Captain to deal with the interpersonal issues of so many people confined and bored.
That said don’t let them do that, run a casino, hire a good chef, bring on premium goods and sell them at inflated prices, and give them microgravity experiences. You have a captive audience which you can make a lot of money off of during their transit so do that and it might be worth the headache.
Businesses combine all of the above. Some worlds lack the basic infrastructure to progress or have only temporary need for some special service. This could be anything from vehicle mechanics to agricultural consultants to engineers, teachers, lawyers, and doctors. A dropship is a self-contained nomadic vessel already moving along a predictable path and arrangements can be made in advance which is something every businessperson dreams of.
Importantly unlike common passengers businesspeople are more likely to follow the Captain’s orders. They do after all have their own affairs to attend to rather than hampering your ship’s operations. Once groundside (or in space) they engage in whatever business they can find. Almost always they have their own vehicles or prefab structures (if they don’t contract with locals) to operate out of until it is time to leave and move on.
Another excellent thing to do is to set up a factory within the dropship itself. There are already personnel accommodations, warehouse space, fusion power plant, and other utilities onboard. Why not turn it into a production center?
The most famous of these were deployed during operations BULLDOG and SERPENT to support the SLDF’s invasion of Huntress where they served as mobile repair deports. However, there have always been vessels capable of building prefab towns, operating as sawmills, refineries, and smelters, or constructing major utilities on worlds that the locals would not be able to accomplish natively.
Many bulk carriers operate in this fashion. Their immense volume allows for a variety of complex processes to be built in and the cheap operating costs allow greater profitability. This is particularly useful for space mining or construction operations where a station might not be feasible due to lack of apparent gravity for processes that require it or the transient nature of its occupation.
Attached is a list of the market price for a variety of goods as well as a way to calculate the added expense of shipping it one jump on every type of jumpship.