 June 26, 2010 - 6:53pm | I was looking back at some old material I had and came across some rules I had put together for a campaign I was running. Basically, the PC's were mercs and when they finished a contract and were paid they would invest that money into local businesses. I had come up with some pretty basic tables to reflect on a monthly basis the gains and/or losses of each of their businesses. Over time they became immersed in the process to the point where much of the campaign centered around them gaining more territory from local gangs and investing in business, illegal activity, etc. My question for the forum is has anyone ever put together rules that would demonstrate the performance of one or more businesses that the PC's have invested in. I know that SF:AD has some tables based on freight hauling, passenger lines, etc but am looking more for like rules on economics. How much money do those dralasite steam baths really take in? Thoughts? |
 June 27, 2010 - 2:53am | You could always draft up a table to depict results based on owner participation and overall staff knowledge, or...you could render something loosely based off the domain rules from the D&D Companion set, rather than assess population/income/tax issues redo it with owner participation/cash into the business (including staff wages & benefits)/demand for the product. Bottom line: if the owner is never around and hires graduates from McRollers at 5Cr/day to run a computer business in an outpost world town, it isn't going to last as long as an owner that makes at least a weekly appearance while staffing the store with tech school grads that are actually skilled in computers and receiving the fair wage (as illustrated in the NPC wages table) with a storefront located inside a starship construction center. |
 June 28, 2010 - 6:19pm | I've been working on a corporate boardgame similar to a cross between the Sathar Wars boardgame and Diplomacy and a little of the corporate version of Civilization (I forget what it's called), to use in Star Frontiers. It's going slowly because I'm working on so much other stuff, particularly the art for FrontierSpace is taking up most of my time, but I would be very intersted in seeing what you've come up with. I consider all Star Frontiers material as a community collaborative effort, though I don't work much in the open anymore. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
 July 3, 2010 - 1:33pm | Fortunatly for me, my players were never that high minded to think of the deeper things of investing in anything. But now that you bring it up it interests me, it would make the game a lot more realistically detailed. In every age, in every place, the deeds of men remain the same. |
July 3, 2010 - 2:28pm | It's certainly an applicable thought. A group of players gets together and decides to open a freight hauling or starliner business. They have a small fleet of freighters or liners and an established route or two under their belts. They offer shares (stock) in this business and expand by buying more ships and offering more routes. They get greedy and forego an overhaul or two along the way and a ship disappears into the void, never to be seen again. Cargo owners/families of crew and passengers sue, business tanks. And then there's the aggressive competitors that might start a fare war. Lots of possibilities. |
 July 3, 2010 - 5:10pm | Wasn't there a Dragon article that detailed economic activity? It went into how a shortage on one planet would affect supply and demand on other planets. "Rome didn't build an empire by having meetings. They did it by killing those who stood in their way." |
 July 4, 2010 - 8:34am | There were two. "Tote that barge" a short guide to interstellar economics "Rare Wines and Ready Cash" Agricultural trade in the frontier I think you are thinking about Tote that barge. I have someone's PDF's on them somewhere if you need em. -LZ |
July 4, 2010 - 8:40am | No, I have them. I incorporated them into my rulebook, actually. I just didn't remember exactly where I got them. Thanks, though. "Rome didn't build an empire by having meetings. They did it by killing those who stood in their way." |
July 8, 2010 - 7:35pm | Interesting articles but a little too "God's Eye" and Macro in scope to be of use. I was thinking more along the lines of...if you invest x amount of creds in an establishment, say a strip club (which for some reason there were a lot of those!) what's your payout? What's the potential for the staff to skim? I will admit that it started to get out of hand at one point and the players were working on their businesses more than they were adventuring but hey, it was fun for them so I wasnt going to complain. Besides, a random turf war or invading mafia always livened things up. I guess what I am looking for is almost a Grand Thef Auto type experience. Buying businesses and then receiving profit or loss based on variables. I will have to dig up my old notes and share when I get time, Ascent. Any thoughts you might have would be welcome. |
July 9, 2010 - 2:52pm | Heh heh...reminds me of a group I played within college. They acquired a small liner and converted it into an interstellar whorehouse. In addition to passage from one system to another, the passengers were offered "other services" along the way LOL |
July 13, 2010 - 3:13pm | I guess what I am looking for is almost a Grand Thef Auto type experience. Buying businesses and then receiving profit or loss based on variables. I will have to dig up my old notes and share when I get time, Ascent. Any thoughts you might have would be welcome. More like Grand Theft Hover Car. Now pay me my money Antonio, or I'm going to make to swim the vacume, san suit. In every age, in every place, the deeds of men remain the same. |
July 16, 2010 - 9:15am | That has stirred some ideas in me, dj. I'll ponder that a while. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
July 17, 2010 - 1:12pm | Or better Grand Theft Starship. Oh ideas are starting to flow here now. Wish I would have thought of stuff like this years ago now. Get PCs to play members of the SF criminal underground, all sorts of new adventures come to mind. In every age, in every place, the deeds of men remain the same. |
