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Old 02-20-2020, 02:19 PM   #1
Topgunk
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Default Salvage Values

Hi,

Does anyone use an alternate method of determining salvage value? The rules state, "salvage value is(original cost - repair cost). Damaged parts may be bought for this value, or sold for half this value." Getting full retail - repair costs on a salvage seems a little too generous. Assuming the player is selling the salvaged car to a dealer/business and not a private buyer. The only item you get 1/2 value on is a damaged part. I was thinking of keeping the written rules for arena salvage value and putting a percentage on road salvage value. What do you think?
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Old 02-21-2020, 12:02 AM   #2
swordtart
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Default Re: Salvage Values

As you say, salvage value is the cost of buying the part (adjusted for damage). I rule you only get 1/2 salvage value selling any salvage (damaged or not) so you only get 50% of the purchase cost when selling an undamaged part. I believe this was the original intent of the rule.

The sale price can drop to 5% for a badly damaged component (generally only plants can take this much damage and still be usable).

Note that is never cost effective to repair a part in order to increase your return on sale (even if you do the work yourself).

Last edited by swordtart; 02-21-2020 at 12:11 AM.
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Old 02-21-2020, 01:05 AM   #3
swordtart
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Default Re: Salvage Values

The above correct the anomaly without distorting the rules too much (basically you just cut the word "damaged" from the sentence about how much you can sell salvaged components for.

If you want a bit more variety, you can also use a simple rule that goods buy/sell for 2d6*10% of their salvage value. This allows a range of value from 20% to 120% and averages around 70%. We rule this is for private sale and takes a week of asking around to get the best price (you don't necessarily have to devote a week to doing it (we can assume it happens in down-time), you just don't get to make the roll until a week has passed. If you need the money now, you may just decide to sell it at a garage for the default 50%.

You may wish to designate a skill that can be used as a bonus to the roll (Luck might be most appropriate) but creative players might suggest other options e.g. fast talk might con someone into lowering the price or paying more (of course after a day or two they may realise they were conned and an adventure would ensue).

You may wonder why someone would pay 120% of somethings actual value. The fact is some people need things now, assign artificial value for aesthetic reasons or are just plain dumb. If you doubt this just check e-bay ;)

EDIT:
Actually now I have trawled my notes and the rules above were applied as there was a weekly auction of salvage at the local truck stop or arena (usually on a Sunday). The rolled price was the highest bid (which is why you only got one try per lot per week). If you were selling you could put in a reserve and not sell it below a specified price. The auctioneer got a reflex roll to get a modifier to the dice roll. The auctioneer took 10% of the sale price in commission. If you put in a reserve it was 10% of that whether or not the reserve was met. Clearly you would need to get your goods to and from the auction site yourself.

Truck stops tended to deal in bulk lots (1d6 x$1000 salvage value per lot). Arena auctions tended to be per component. Generally components for sale had lost 1d6 DP. If the DP count ended up at zero or below it was assumed that they had been jury rigged (and had a salvage value of 5% of the new component price). Buyers could make a Mechanic roll (at Salvage level for the component) to identify the level of damage and assess a fair price. Even though tires cannot be repaired their salvage value was assessed as though they could.

Selling salvage was not always guaranteed. This was to do with discouraging banditry. If you had good standing in the community you could get the normal price (you were assumed to be the good guy). If you were unknown in the community they wouldn't buy from you unless there was proof that you had come by the salvage honestly. If you were not the aggressor, News footage of the fight or a local eyewitness would count for example. If you were the aggressor no honest broker would deal with you and you would be forced to use Streetwise to find a fence in stolen goods (who would take a 50% cut reducing your profits even further). If you got your salvage from an arena fight, the arena garage would always make an offer immediately after the fight as its legitimacy was unquestionable.

Last edited by swordtart; 02-21-2020 at 10:17 AM.
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Old 02-21-2020, 11:31 AM   #4
juris
 
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CA
Default Re: Salvage Values

Yeah, never bought into the 'corporate car wars' theme. Let's review:

Last entry on the timeline:

2044: Peace accords signed. Analysts estimate the U.S. and Japanese
rebuilding efforts have been set back by 10 to 15 years, with
smaller but significant damage to the Oil States economies.
Many once-clear roads are again owned by gangs.

Pretty sure the gangs have plenty of people to sell salvage to, otherwise they wouldn't exist.

Also - the Protectorate War was very very silly - 80's Japan-scare silly.

Quote:
Originally Posted by swordtart View Post
Selling salvage was not always guaranteed. This was to do with discouraging banditry. If you had good standing in the community you could get the normal price (you were assumed to be the good guy). If you were unknown in the community they wouldn't buy from you unless there was proof that you had come by the salvage honestly. If you were not the aggressor, News footage of the fight or a local eyewitness would count for example. If you were the aggressor no honest broker would deal with you and you would be forced to use Streetwise to find a fence in stolen goods (who would take a 50% cut reducing your profits even further). If you got your salvage from an arena fight, the arena garage would always make an offer immediately after the fight as its legitimacy was unquestionable.
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Old 02-22-2020, 01:03 AM   #5
swordtart
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Default Re: Salvage Values

Gangs in my game sell at the auctions. You only need one "face" who has an air of respectability who can haul all your stuff to a nearby truck stop. There are enough outsiders there (gypsy truckers for example) that grey goods are less difficult to sell on. Also gangs wear colours to identify themselves when raiding, once they take them off, they can easily become anonymous.

IRL, if you buy stolen goods you are guilty of "receiving stolen property" and can be arrested. A quirk of UK law is that if you bought at public auction you are assumed innocent of that crime (indeed the police here auction off recovered stolen property themselves). The vendor can still be charged, but it removes the risk to the buyer. Perhaps the legal position is that you are entitled to assume that goods bought in the open are legitimate. Similarly buying illegal goods via storage or lost luggage auctions. If your lot when opened contained a kilo of heroin you would not be charged with possession (unless you decided to keep it of course).

We also consider the truck stops to be neutral zones. Whilst a gang of bikers could be bandits, they equally might not. This allows law enforcement to conduct negotiations with criminal elements to reduce the impact of them on their local areas (police forces are underfunded and must be pragmatic).

If you try to sell a whole car in the town you boosted it from you can expect to be caught. If you sell the plant from that car a few towns over, there is practically very little to connect you to the original crime and even if they suspect the police will probably turn a blind eye as they don't have the resources to investigate every opportunist. If you bring in a plant every day you will self-identify as a probable-wrecker and you can expect questions on where you are getting them.
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