Trade Resources

[Spartan-117]

Are there any resources in 1.0 or 2.x about trading? Like Traveller cargo tables? Or how to use persuasion to broker deals and such? Was this ever dealt with in TW2k?

[swaghauler]

Teg's crew had some tables in Tw2K13s equipment section.

Here's a quick "white board alfa build."

First the items' Availability Ratings will be needed. I use the following modified availability ratings...

VERY COMMON: EASY SCROUNGING roll.
COMMON: ROUTINE SCROUNGING roll.
UNCOMMON: AVERAGE SCROUNGING roll.
SCARCE: DIFFICULT SCROUNGING roll.
RARE: FORMIDABLE SCROUNGING roll
EXTREMELY RARE/EXPERIMENTAL: IMPOSSIBLE SCROUNGING roll.


If I were running it, I would do it like this...
1) determine the availability. Very Common items would be worth 40% of their value when being sold to a merchant because they need to make a profit when they resell the item. This percentage of value goes up by 10% for each additional AVAILABILITY of the item (ie common 50%, uncommon 60%, scarce 70%, rare 80%, experimental 90%).

You then roll against an AVERAGE: PERSUASION or a DIFFICULT: ADMINISTRATION to get the shown amount.

A failed roll that exeeds your raw PERSUASION score (the 1 to 10 skill level). Results in a refusal to buy.

A failed roll that misses by less than your Raw (1-10) PERSUASION skill gets you a lowball offer of HALF value (ie a common item would value at 25% and a rare one at 40%).

A successful roll would see you get the asking price.

An OUTSTANDING SUCCESS would see you get your raw PERSUASION SKILL (the 1-10, not the asset) x 5% more than the base value.

That's a quick trade rule for you. I have to go offload...

[Spartan-117]

Good stuff, thanks!

[Tegyrius]

It's an interesting question. The encounter tables in the BYB give us merchant caravans, suggesting that there is still semi-regular trade in at least six commodities (1d6: 1 = scrap metal, 2 = machinery, 3 = food, 4 = wool, 5 = clothing, 6 = furnishings). I'd want a little more variety, but it's a start, and it's better than the fuel ore, organics, and equipment of TradeWars 2002!

This feels like something that actually would integrate well with 4e's hexbashing. Generate trade surpluses and deficits for each settlement, add a possibility of salvageable goods or other resource sources for hexes without settlements, and you're most of the way to a procedurally-generated economy. Then plot your trade routes along the most efficient paths, adding premium pricing for faster methods of delivery and high-risk (i.e., marauder-infested) hexes.

- C.

[swaghauler]

It's an interesting question. The encounter tables in the BYB give us merchant caravans, suggesting that there is still semi-regular trade in at least six commodities (1d6: 1 = scrap metal, 2 = machinery, 3 = food, 4 = wool, 5 = clothing, 6 = furnishings). I'd want a little more variety, but it's a start, and it's better than the fuel ore, organics, and equipment of TradeWars 2002!

This feels like something that actually would integrate well with 4e's hexbashing. Generate trade surpluses and deficits for each settlement, add a possibility of salvageable goods or other resource sources for hexes without settlements, and you're most of the way to a procedurally-generated economy. Then plot your trade routes along the most efficient paths, adding premium pricing for faster methods of delivery and high-risk (i.e., marauder-infested) hexes.

- C.

I am really surprised there isn't more of that in Twilight v4. MUTANT: YEAR ZERO is very heavy on scavenging. Sadly, I have yet to receive my Twilight V4 boxed set, so I cannot make a comparative analysis of what is needed to port Mutant stuff to Twilight. They use different generations of the Year Zero engine with MUTANT being a dice pool system like Shadowrun while Twilight uses the more advanced FORBIDDEN LANDS version. I'll have to dig deeper into the PDF to see.

[Heffe]

It's an interesting question. The encounter tables in the BYB give us merchant caravans, suggesting that there is still semi-regular trade in at least six commodities (1d6: 1 = scrap metal, 2 = machinery, 3 = food, 4 = wool, 5 = clothing, 6 = furnishings). I'd want a little more variety, but it's a start, and it's better than the fuel ore, organics, and equipment of TradeWars 2002!

This feels like something that actually would integrate well with 4e's hexbashing. Generate trade surpluses and deficits for each settlement, add a possibility of salvageable goods or other resource sources for hexes without settlements, and you're most of the way to a procedurally-generated economy. Then plot your trade routes along the most efficient paths, adding premium pricing for faster methods of delivery and high-risk (i.e., marauder-infested) hexes.

- C.

I read TradeWars 2002 and felt myself literally aging in real-time. Thanks for that callback, Teg. :P

[Tegyrius]

I am really surprised there isn't more of that in Twilight v4. MUTANT: YEAR ZERO is very heavy on scavenging. Sadly, I have yet to receive my Twilight V4 boxed set, so I cannot make a comparative analysis of what is needed to port Mutant stuff to Twilight. They use different generations of the Year Zero engine with MUTANT being a dice pool system like Shadowrun while Twilight uses the more advanced FORBIDDEN LANDS version. I'll have to dig deeper into the PDF to see.

I'd expect some of the classic Traveler material would be adaptable, too, as it's built for hexcrawling on the interstellar scale. Substitute "village" for "planet" and drive on!

I read TradeWars 2002 and felt myself literally aging in real-time. Thanks for that callback, Teg. :P

Remember the first time you had a high-speed connection to your favorite BBS after upgrading to a 2400-baud modem?

- C.

[Heffe]

I'd expect some of the classic Traveler material would be adaptable, too, as it's built for hexcrawling on the interstellar scale. Substitute "village" for "planet" and drive on!



Remember the first time you had a high-speed connection to your favorite BBS after upgrading to a 2400-baud modem?

- C.

Or playing Legend of the Red Dragon and those other doors games? Those were the days.

[Nowhere Man 1966]

I read TradeWars 2002 and felt myself literally aging in real-time. Thanks for that callback, Teg. :P

I love that game. I remember when 2400 baud or even 1200 baud was a big deal.

[swaghauler]

I remember reading a list of items in 2013. I don't remember if it was in equipment or encounters.

[Tegyrius]

I remember reading a list of items in 2013. I don't remember if it was in equipment or encounters.

The Post-Apocalyptic Economy section on page 202 briefly touches on trade goods in the abstract. The list you may be thinking of is on page 315 under Trade Contacts, describing the sort of goods that each level of trader may have access to:

Green: Pre-war consumer gear or supplies, Common handcrafted tools or art, Common bulk materials or natural resources

Regular: Civilian weapons, Small arms ammunition, Military-issue personal gear, Fresh food, Uncommon bulk materials or natural resources

Experienced: Alcohol fuel, Civilian ground vehicles, Military small arms, “Dumb” support weapon ammunition, Consumer electronics, Basic pharmaceuticals, Prewar long-duration rations

Veteran: Petroleum fuel, Military support vehicles, Large cargo vehicles, Guided weapon ammunition, Military electronics, Specialty pharmaceuticals, Body armor, Precious metals

Elite: Aviation-grade petroleum fuel, Combat vehicles, Civilian aircraft, Unique art objects, Classified or experimental electronics

- C.

[swaghauler]

The Post-Apocalyptic Economy section on page 202 briefly touches on trade goods in the abstract. The list you may be thinking of is on page 315 under Trade Contacts, describing the sort of goods that each level of trader may have access to:



- C.

I knew I saw it. I just couldn't remember where.