[OCC]: Space Merchant

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Justin Bedard

[LEFT]Do you still have Watcher's stats Eric?

Also, Fill in the blanks backstory:

I still have the stats.

be aware that most of humanity is very wealthy. The aqua story works well, though, as terran farms were set up almost immediately: Aquas's terrestrial biosphere is easily overrun by terrestrial organisms.

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

When the guests join us for an Aquan meal aboard the Coconut, I'd like us to offer Kemp a prosthesis (if we can fabricate one and our doctor can attach it! If the Wretch cannot, perhaps Pi can (He maintains mine, not sure what else he's programmed with... won him in a card game)). Assuming, of course, that my assumption that he needs one is accurate!

indeed he needs one, and you certainly have the tech to make and replace limbs: three of you have prosthetics! but see the IC.

Biz...
According to the data Pi correlates, what are the potential Gold Mines?
Are there any non-"government" owned businesses or independent investment?

Not really... the administration tends to go out of its way to absorb such businesses. They have lots of separation between different branches, but its very difficult to get capital goods. The exception to this seems to be computer programs and a few service industries, but these are regularly incorporated into the administration. the CR for this place is very high (5ish), particularly compared to Aqua, which is 3 in the big cities and much lower elsewhere.

the Black Market...
Is there any information on it on the net? What is their crime rate like? How are infractions punished? Is there evidence of organized crime?

infractions are punished by reducing honor and merit, as well as being sent dirtside (to hell) on "necessary labor". The colony needs food grown and minerals gathered, but almost no one wants to live on the actual planet. Everyone owes two months of the year, but certain high-demand jobs give exemption or alteration of duties(doctors are still doctors), and increased time is a common punishment. This is usually for things like misdemeanors. There are some jobs reserved for "felonies", and are run somewhat like prison camps. There are only about 1,000 people doing these jobs.

Fraud (usually involving computer security) is the most common crime, along with crimes of passion. Organized Crime, if it exists (which seems likely) isn't well known, and seems to do its best to stay off the internet.

Ships...
How many FTL capable ships do they have? Does it seem like any are not in regular use from our scans? Do their ships seem to have any tech ours doesn't?

Very good questions..... The tech seems roughly on par, though the life-support is probably better. As for how many, Let me get back to you on that, I need to run some numbers.

[the_matrix_walker]

You've mentioned "honor and merit" before... How does that work?

Don't stress over how many ships, just trying to get an idea of how likely it is that we might get them to send one to Aqua for us...

Not really... the administration tends to go out of its way to absorb such businesses. They have lots of separation between different branches, but its very difficult to get capital goods. The exception to this seems to be computer programs and a few service industries, but these are regularly incorporated into the administration. the CR for this place is very high (5ish), particularly compared to Aqua, which is 3 in the big cities and much lower elsewhere

Ok, they get "absorbed" but you can form one. Do the people who formed the company get compensation when the government "incorporate" it?
Does the option exist to keep it?

The whole financial system is a bit vague and weird... going to make it hard to negotiate!

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

You've mentioned "honor and merit" before... How does that work?

Ok, they get "absorbed" but you can form one. Do the people who formed the company get compensation when the government "incorporate" it?
Does the option exist to keep it?

The whole financial system is a bit vague and weird... going to make it hard to negotiate!

They receive compensation in the form of 'merit'.

Honor and Merit is how they run both their government and how they run their economy.

They have currency, but they mostly use it to buy the little extras of life: clothing, books, dishes, model helicopters, and the like. There seems to be an unofficial black market where other things are sold for this currency, but you haven't been able to determine its size, or even how organized it is.

Honor doesn't vary that much, and is more about voting than about economy, but it allows access to basic items such as food, bedding, transportation, and computer access.

Increased merit increases the accommodations honor gets you, and is tied to voting issues more about resource expenditure than issues considered 'moral'. Its the closest thing they have to wealth, but once again its tied to the standard of living rather than any fungible item.

Yes, working with a socialist state makes it harder to trade!

[the_matrix_walker]

Honor doesn't vary that much, and is more about voting than about economy, but it allows access to basic items such as food, bedding, transportation, and computer access.

Interesting... does that mean people's votes are not weighed equally? more Honor, more votes?

Increased merit increases the accommodations honor gets you, and is tied to voting issues more about resource expenditure than issues considered 'moral'. Its the closest thing they have to wealth, but once again its tied to the standard of living rather than any fungible item.

So Merit is Status with a built in discount for buying goods?
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BTW, Would the captain be willing to make the trip back to Aqua before searching for the next stop? Is that the plan anyway (If we've been doing a kind of circular search pattern that could have always been his plan...or we could be checking out a list of possible coordinates and back is the wrong way...)?
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We haven't discussed any rolls... Note that with a Administration roll, I get an extra +2 reaction dealing with Bureaucrats...

[ericthered]

[QUOTE=the_matrix_walker;1599561]Interesting... does that mean people's votes are not weighed equally? more Honor, more votes?
[quote]
correct, votes are weighted, varying from person to person. Former criminals have less, more can be awarded to people, but its hard to get too steep of a difference. Merit is also used for voting. Imagine a bicamercal government whose members are all the same in both houses, but who have different numbers of votes in each house.

So Merit is Status with a built in discount for buying goods?

Merit is status and wealth combined: its not so much a discount for buying as a benefits package.

BTW, Would the captain be willing to make the trip back to Aqua before searching for the next stop? Is that the plan anyway (If we've been doing a kind of circular search pattern that could have always been his plan...or we could be checking out a list of possible coordinates and back is the wrong way...)?

The captain plans on leaving Aqua behind. He has a chart of stars to visit, and at the end he'll head back to aqua. It will take a long time though. years.

We haven't discussed any rolls... Note that with a Administration roll, I get an extra +2 reaction dealing with Bureaucrats...

I tend to look up people's scores and roll in secrete and just tell them the results. If you want me to report rolls, I will.

[the_matrix_walker]

I tend to look up people's scores and roll in secrete and just tell them the results. If you want me to report rolls, I will.

Nah, that's fine... just making sure what's going on and that it's not forgotten.

[the_matrix_walker]

A bunch of this is going to get out to the masses!?!? That sounds absolutely fantastic for our purposes!

Gabriel will accept a tour if offered... Though it might be easier to learn about the population and the black market unaccompanied. Either way, he wants to get out and meet the common folk, and figure out the best type and method of propaganda to apply to swing public opinion to support the crew of the Coconut to extravagant excess as the heroes reconnecting them to the rest of mankind. ;)

[Justin Bedard]

bad news, good news, and some gnus outside my house.

Good: I just graduated from high-school and am now the owner of a diploma. E.G. I've got 8 more hours a day until I find a summer job. I also turned 18 yesterday and am now the proud owner of a RASPBERRY PI!

Bad: A planned vacation will take me away from internet from... june 24th-ish to july 5th-ish. the dates/ time could vary, and I may even be able to post along the trip, but I have no stable connection.

Eric, since we're operating on that merit system I briefly read of, are we capable of bribing others? this could bring a potential group of criminals to power...

[samd6]

I'm still here, I was at work when the expedition in the IC thread happened. That's fine, my work has odd hours and I won't be online when I'm working.

[the_matrix_walker]

If you want to add something to that meeting, just go ahead and do it!

Not allot of other players posting... so that meeting lasted five days in real time..