Mission of Gravity
This is a postal (or PBM) game of Star Trader run by Mike Dommett and published in my postal games 'zine, To Win Just Once. This is the web version of the pre-start. Follow the link for an introduction to Star Trader.
Sections: Pre-start, Start-up, Star map (separate page)
Start-up
Corporation A: LNER, John Boocock
Option 21: Piccolo Hull in addition at start
Connections: B0 C4 P3
Warehouses: GL, AC
Ships: Gresley (Clarinet) at GL, Thompson (Piccolo) at SD
Corporation B: THE SOLAR WINDS TRADING COMPANY (SWTC), Steve Bunce
Option 12: Friends in High Places: -1 to reputation loss
Connections: B0 C0 P7
Warehouses: DT, MH
Ship: Freemantle Doctor at TC
Corporation C: CAESAR WHOLESALE INC. (CWI), Simon Burling
Option 11: Hot Shot Pilots: +1 to smuggling checks
Connections: B0 C7 P0
Warehouses: MH, GL
Ship: Nero at GL
Corporation D: TRANS SOLAR TRUCKING INC. (TSTI), Jerry Elsmore
Option 13: Hot Shot Navigators: +2 to Hyperjump
Connections: B0 C0 P7
Warehouses: MH, TC
Ship: Bollin at SD
Corporation E: SOLAR SPICE, LIQUORS & MONOPOLES (SSLM), Pevans
Option 1: 3 Dealerships at start: Monopoles at MH and BH, Spice at SD
Connections: B0 C2 P5
Warehouses: MH, SD
Ship: For Sale at MH
Corporation F: SEMPER DURUS (SR), Alex Everard
Option 3: High tech Sensors: ±1 to interception
Connections: B0 C7 P0
Warehouses: SD, AC
Ship: Semper Claris at MH
Corporation G: HONEST DARTH’s QUALITY USED SPACECRAFT (HDQUS), Howard Goble
Option 10: Market Manager in one commodity at one spaceport
Connections: B4 C2 P1
Warehouses: BH, SD
Ship: Arrow at SD
Market Manager Isotopes at BH
Corporation H: TRADEWIND (TW), Michael Grazebrook
Option 4: Precog: +5 to all initiative rolls
Connections: B0 C0 P7
Warehouses: TC, MH
Ship: Borealis at SD
Corporation J: INTER STELLAR NAV-IG-ATION OUR TRADE – INTER STELLAR TRADING OUR OCCUP-ATION (ISNOT-ISTOO) William Hay
Option 5: Flute Hull instead of Clarinet at start
Connections: B4 C0 P3
W/House MH and BH
Ship: ISNOT at BH
Corporation K: SWISS MERCENARY FLEET (SMF) Martin Jennings
Option 20: influential friends – start with 9 connection levels
Connections: B0 C0 P9
Warehouses: MH, AC
Ship: Glaive at MH
Corporation L: ZWILLINGE (ZW), Michael Martinkat
Option 7: 3 Isotope Factories at Sigma Draconis to start (no connection levels required)
Connections; B0 C0 P7
Warehouses: SD, TC
Factories: 3 Isotope at SD
Ship: Doppelganger at GL
Corporation M: TRANSURANIC TRADE CORPORATION (TTC), Bob Parkins
Option 2: Monarch Hull instead of Clarinet to start
Connections: B4 C0 P3
Warehouses: 2 at GL
Ship: TTC Plutonium at AC
Corporation N: VOGON INDUSTRIES (VI), Nathan Richards
Option 19: Charismatic Chairman: +2 to Reputation each turn
Connections: B0 C7 P0
Warehouses: MH, TC
Ship: Deep Thought at SD
Corporation P: ISKANDER FIRE AND ACCIDENT (IFA), Ian Whitchurch
Option 8: 2 Corco Zeta Hulls instead of Clarinet Hull
Connections: B0 C7 P0
Warehouses: MH, AC
Ships: Trust at MH and Cotango at AC
GM Notes
My deadline is a week BEFORE the main magazine.
Please make sure your orders contain your name, the game turn, the corporation name, and the corporation letter ‘Orders for SSLM Corporation E Turn 1’ – I can read the name from the E-mail header.
Do say where you want your agents placed, and where you want to lay ships down (the table at the bottom of page 17 shows Star system details, like Shipyards).
Press
Drew "The Fisk" Vanderbilt-Scott announced today that TSTI had completed trials of new navigation equipment which will be installed in all ships with immediate effect. "The trials show consistent improvement and the installation of this equipment will result in cheaper and more reliable transport," he stated. "I am delighted to be bidding for routes in the new sector and can confirm that our standard non-interference agreements are on offer to all companies. Yes, I know the paperwork involved isn't free, but as Suem Billum Fleeceum Inc is a wholly owned subsidiary of TSTI, legal costs are kept to a minimum."
Clarinet hull (unwanted gift) for sale at Mu Herculis: full complement of pods, B crew, one careful owner, zero light years on the clock. 225 HTs ono. Apply Pevans van Rijn, Boss, SSLM (Mission@pevans.co.uk).
Pre-start Introduction
We have 14 players signed up for this game. Starting options have been allocated according to players’ preferences. This gives us the following line up.
Corporation A, John Boocock: Option 21 – Piccolo Hull in addition at start.
Corporation B, Steve Bunce: Option 12 – Friends in High Places (-1 to reputation loss).
Corporation C, Simon Burling: Option 11 – Hot Shot Pilots (+1 to smuggling checks).
Corporation D, Jerry Elsmore: Option 13 – Hot Shot Navigators (+2 to Hyperjump).
Corporation E, Pevans: Option 1 – 3 Dealerships at start.
Corporation F, Alex Everard: Option 3 – High tech Sensors (±1 to interception).
Corporation G, Howard Goble: option 10 – Market Manager in one commodity at one spaceport.
Corporation H, Michael Grazebrook: Option 4 – Precog (+5 to all initiative rolls).
Corporation J, William Hay: Option 5 – Flute Hull instead of Clarinet at start.
Corporation K, Martin Jennings: Option 20 – influential friends (start with 9 connection levels).
Corporation L, Michael Martinkat: Option 7 – 3 Isotope Factories at Sigma Draconis to start (no connection levels required).
Corporation M, Bob Parkins: Option 2 – Monarch Hull instead of Clarinet at start.
Corporation N, Nathan Richards: Option 19 – Charismatic Chairman (+2 to reputation each turn).
Corporation P, Ian Whitchurch: Option 8 – 2 Corco Zeta Hulls instead of Clarinet Hull.
GM Notes
Considering players’ first 6 choices, popular choices were 19, 20, 1, 13, 10, 8, 15 and 21. Least popular were 6, 14, and 17.
From Everybody by Friday, 17th June 2005 I need the following.
1) Corporation Name – I know some of you have already sent this.
2) Ship Name(s).
3) Ship Location(s).
4) Warehouse Location(s).
5) Distribution of your 7 initial Connection Levels between Business, Criminal and Political Connections.
From Corporation K (Martin Jennings) I need the 9 initial levels. From Corporation G (Howard Goble) I need to know the commodity and the spaceport. From Corporation E (Pevans) I need to know the three commodities and locations.
In answer to various queries I confirm the following.
i) You can put all your connection levels into one type – e.g. Criminal 7, if you wish.
ii) You can gain Business Connection levels through successful trading.
iii) Corporation L does NOT need to have any Political or Business levels to support their initial 3 factories at any time. (This is an exception to rule 20.3.)
Any chrome that you wish to add to your Corporation is welcome. For instance, I know that Pevans will run Solar Spice and Liquors, led by that old reprobate Pevans van Rijn (which also checks your SF knowledge).
I tend to use the expression “Quarter” to mean a turn in the rules when reporting the game events.
With the next adjudication you will receive your turn 1 player sheets – a sample sheet has been sent out under separate cover – and then the Corporations can start trading.
Press releases are encouraged (especially if sent as e-mail).
Press
Iskandar Fire and Accident
Beta Hydri Commercial Gazette, 4Q2522
“IFA have recently taken possession of certain assets belonging to the now-defunct Mu Herculis Develop-ment Company. We are interested in entertaining bids for these assets, as our current business plans are purely financial rather than industrial or commercial”.
Mu Herculis News, 1Q2523
IFA chairman resigns suddenly. Company refuses to comment.
Beta Hydri Commercial Gazette, 1Q2523
“Mu Herculis’ reputation as an interesting place to do business was reinforced again, following the sudden resignation of IFA chairman Lu Wazzman. Sources close to IFA indicated that kickbacks were taken in certain contracts on Tau Ceti”
Mu Herculis New, 1Q2523
IFA to go into shipping business, as new chairman Aldo Vueqani declared his intentions to ‘Grow Mu Herculis into the Twenty Sixth Century’ and ‘Ensure a better future for everybody’. He said ‘This planet, this planet I grew up on, and this planet I intend to die on, this planet has enough wealth for everyone and their bruvver.’
Pevans
Postal games
Mission of Gravity
Odessa Steps
Railway Rivals 3