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Old 01-22-2019, 05:51 AM   #36
swordtart
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Default Re: Shipping in a Traveller Universe

In the mean-time, I have been looking at a few of the solo "traveller" resources and the implication is that if you don't pick up the cargo then and there, someone else snaps it up.

On that basis there is no requirement for the system to "remember" previous cargo offerings.

If you are going to generate a mechanism for dynamically keeping track of the cargo movements on all worlds within the sub-sector / sector / known space, you would be better placed using a formal programming language rather than co-opt a spreadsheet. For preference I would use an object-oriented one and treat each system as a separate object with the trade between systems as transactions between objects (using the ships that support trade as the actors). With a suitable instantiation protocol (based in the UWP) you should be able to generate a functioning trade system in conformance with the rules semi-automatically.

I suspect however that it probably isn't worth the effort other than for the exercise in OO programming (I might try a SCRATCH hack this w/e). I also suspect that it will point up too much inherent inconsistency in the random rules that Traveller runs under. If you don't pry too deep it looks like it makes sense and sort of fits together, once you dig around under the bonnet you find a rats nest of issues that require wet-ware to rationalise away.
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