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 latest turn. Follow the link for an introduction to Star Trader.
Sections: Report, Corporations Table, News, Press, GM Notes, Star map (separate page)
Previous reports: Turn 2 Turn 1 Start-up
Turn 3
“What ship is that?”
“I’ve not seen anything like that before.”
“Some sort of gigantic hive. No, look, it’s a swarm of small ships.”
“But they seem to be working together.”
“There will be a big bonus for this.”
“Forget the bonus; we will be able to name our price.”
“We’ll be rich.”
“Lecture tours, Tri-Vids…”
And the crew of the Federation Light Cruiser Outreach fell to counting their future earnings as they made contact with the newest alien race found in the western spiral arm. However the results on the markets were less attractive, as prices for all goods dropped everywhere, leaving many Corporations unable to sell, and putting finances into crisis.
VOGON INDUSTRIES had made plans to sell the Despair if finances demanded it, but the ship chose this Quarter to fail its Hyperjump. It limped into the Spaceport well after markets had closed, with the principal of the loan increased, and several irate passengers requiring compensation. Add to the hammering to the Corporation’s Reputation after it sabotaged the SWISS MERCENARY Warehouses at Mu Herculis, blowing 5 units of Monopoles into interstellar space, and it is little surprise that all shore leave has cancelled. We confidently expect some poetry for next Quarter, though Wolf 359 has already banned its use on Public Transport.
ZWILLINGE increased their Reputation by 3 and found they couldn’t repay their loan. Expansion of their fleet had to wait, though they did manage to increase Political Connections and buy 2 cheap Petroleum Factories at Delta Toucanis,
SEMPER DURUS increased their Reputation by 2 and bought more Light Weapon pods at Tau Ceti before running out of funds.
TRANSURANIC TRADE CORPORATION increased their Reputation by 4 as they invested in Tau Ceti, buying a Warehouse and an Isotope Factory.
SWISS MERCENARY FLEET bought a Liquor factory at Alpha Centauri. Not only were they not allowed to buy more Monopole Factories at Mu Herculis due to their insufficient standing, they then lost last Quarter’s production when a sabotage attack hit their warehouses.
TRANS SOLAR TRADING INC. loaded their passengers into their liners and continued their business. Increasing Business Reputation on the reliability of their service was a good selling point, and a Reputation increase came as well.
ISNOT–ISTOO bought a Warehouse at Epsilon Eridani, but lacked funds to do anything more. They also found no passengers left for their liner.
HONEST DARTH’s USED SPACESHIPS launched the Boris this Quarter, with a mix of Passenger Pods and Light Weapon pods. The Corporation used the occasion to run a publicity campaign, improving Reputation by 3.
CAESAR WHOLESALE sent Vespasian on Planet at Mu Herculis, and took OP11.
And VOGON INDUSTRIES? They did buy a cargo Pod for Pestilence, but otherwise it was not a good Quarter for them.
Alloys sold well at Gamma Leporis, CAESAR WHOLESALE buying 6 units for 6 HTs each – upgrading their Dealership to a Contractorship – and VOGON buying 10 units for a better price of 4 and a Dealership.
ZWILLINGE tried to sell Isotopes at a price of 9 at Epsilon Eridani, losing out as the price fell, but ISNOT-ISTOO bought 10 Spice for 16 HTs apiece and gained a Dealership.
ZWILLINGE fared no better at Delta Toucanis: its bid of 9 to sell was ignored. No one wanted VOGON INDUSTRIES’ Alloys at a price of 9 either, but VOGON did buy a single Petroleum for 8 HTs.
Tau Ceti was where TRANSURANIC TRADE CORPORATION sold 5 Alloys for 7 HTs each. SEMPER DURUS then bought 10 Isotopes at 7 HTs, VOGON bought 1 for 6 HTs, THE SOLAR WINDS TRADING COMPANY bought 4 at the price of 5 HTs and TRANSURANIC picked up 5 for 4 HTs, much to their surprise!
Bids to sell Alloys at 9 HTs and Isotopes at 13 HTs at Mu Herculis proved futile for VOGON INDUSTRIES, but SOLAR SPICE LIQUORS & MONOPOLES sold 5 Monopoles on Contract.
Sigma Draconis saw VOGON INDUSTRIES buying 10 Isotopes for 7 HTs each to gain a Dealership, but they were unable to buy Alloys at 15 as their money had run out and the price had dropped
Alpha Centauri was quiet, and at Beta Hydri VOGON INDUSTRIES couldn’t find buyers for their Isotopes at 10 HTs, nor sellers for Petroleum at 11 HTs, and they didn’t have the funds to buy Alloys for 5 HTs.
Corporations Table
| Corporation letter & name | Conn'n Levels Bus/Crim/Pol |
Init Bid |
Turn Order |
Cash | Rep'n | Player | |||
| A | LNER | 0 | 4 | 3 | N | 12 | 510 | 20 | John Boocock |
| B | Solar Winds Trading Co | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 23 | Steve Bunce |
| C | Caesar Wholesale | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 191 | 30 | Simon Burling |
| D | Trans Solar Trading, Inc | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 192 | 28 | Jerry Elsmore |
| E | SSL&M | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 22 | 28 | Paul Evans |
| F | Semper Durus | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 25 | Alex Everard |
| G | HDQUS | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 33 | 28 | Howard Goble |
| H | Trade Wind | 1 | 0 | 8 | N (5+5) | 12 | 41 | 27 | Michael Grazebrook |
| J | ISNOTISTOO | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 34 | 24 | William Hay |
| K | Swiss Mercenary Fleet | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 142 | 30 | Martin Jennings |
| L | Zwillinge | 2 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 20 | 31 | Michael Martinkat |
| M | Transuranic Trade Corp | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 320 | 26 | Bob Parkins |
| N | Vogon Industries | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 23 | Nathan Richards |
| P | Iskander Fire and Accident | 1 | 7 | 1 | N | OUT | 37 | 23 | Ian Whitchurch |
| ‘N’ under Initiative Bid indicates No Move Received | |||||||||
News
There were 5 new chits this turn. New chits are shown in Bold:
Turn 4 C2
Turn 5 C2, B3
Turn 6 P8, B1, P7
Turn 7 B6
Press
IFA Chairman Indicted, Company stops trading
Officers of the Federation today arrested Mr Aldo Guzaretti, chairman of IFA on various fraud, conspiracy and criminal misfeasance charges.
The company has been ordered to cease trading, and administrators are expected to be appointed.
GM Notes
CORPORATION P has had to reluctantly drop out owing to pressures of work. Thanks for playing Ian, and hope you may play again some time in the future.
EV2 took place this turn, and Corporation C took Opportunity 11.
Turn 2 you lay down the new ship in the Investment Phase. Turn 3, you launch the new ship in the Investment Phase. Turn 4, you can finally Hyperjump the new ship in the Hyperjump Phase. You CAN take on Passengers in the Opportunity Phase of turn 3 for Hyperjumping on turn 4.
You can only have as many factories as you have Business and Political Connections combined, unless you have starting factories which do not count against this limit
Pevans
Postal games
Mission of Gravity
Odessa Steps
Railway Rivals 3