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 Turn 5. Follow the link for an introduction to Star Trader.
Sections: Report, Corporations Table, News, Press, GM Notes, Star map (separate page)
Previous reports: Turn 4 Turn 3 Turn 2 Turn 1 Start-up
Turn 5
“So where is the big fromage?"
“Je ne sais pas. He heard about ze pirates and took to his bed.”
“Took to his bed? Come on, be serious. He’s come up from the bottom.”
“Well, perhaps he has been too soft too long. Here we are, bank loan falling due, and where is he?”
“With Miss Playbeing 2178?”
“For all I know, yes. Wherever he is, he left no instructions.”
“Then we will have to make our own decisions.”
SWISS MERCENARY FLEET were in trouble – their debts fell due this Quarter and Senior Management wasn’t to be found. After soul searching, all their Liquor and Monopole Factories were sold, along with a Warehouse at Mu Herculis, and they were able to meet the loan note. They retain some commodity stocks to rebuild.
TRANS SOLAR TRADING INC. had a different problem. They had contracted to deliver people to half the local systems and had no ships serviceable. To meet the insistent demands for compensation, they have had to sell two ships, the Bollin and the Biddle, and fortunately received more than the market value for both ships, minimising further losses to the Corporation. The oddly timed sabotage of ISKANDER FIRE AND ACCIDENT’s warehouses at Mu Herculis didn’t help the company standing; however the Corporation’s spokesbeing dwelt on the recovery programme sure to be brought in.
TRADEWINDS has passed into receivership and new management is sought. ISKANDER launched the Option at Alpha Centauri – equipped with B crew and cargo pods on the Corco Gamma Hull. Political Connections were also increased. Their Petroleum stored at Mu Herculis was destroyed by TSTI’s sabotage attack.
SOLAR SPICE LIQUORS & MONOPOLES failed to meet the interest payments and found its loan increased by some 70 HTs. The intensive media coverage of its improving material stockpiles resulted in the Reputation loss being recovered and exceeded. HONEST DARTH’S USED SPACESHIPS bought two Isotope Factories at Sigma Draconis, improved Reputation slightly and bought a Warehouse at Sigma Draconis to store the production in.
VOGON INDUSTRIES tried to dispose of Slaves at Sigma Draconis and received a stiff talking-to from local politicians forced to confront the ugly face of space trading. However the silvery tongued Corporation Chairman smoothed things over. OP 39 was taken at Gamma Leporis, as the Corporation bought 7 Alloy Factories as the commodity price dropped to the floor. Reputation was increased. The War sold passenger pods and added Cargo pods in place.
ZWILLINGE increased their Reputation, despite having been rumoured to have collected a Battle Comm pod from troubled Delta Toucanis, and having apparently improved their Connections with local Criminal elements. Two Isotope Factories were bought at Sigma Draconis, along with a Warehouse. Shortage of funds precluded any more purchases. This unfortunately meant that their two new ships were left crewless, which is not going to make the passengers who booked flights with them next Quarter in the least bit happy.
ISNOT-ISTOO improved their Reputation as their successful trading improved their standing in the stock markets. SOLAR WINDS wanted to buy Monopole Factories, but ISKANDER’s purchase pushed the price back up.
SEMPER DURUS put their ships in orbit around Delta Toucanis, long after all the traffic had passed by, despite threatening to impose a blockade at Tau Ceti. Some law officials have unofficially said that this is a cry for help. The fact that they failed to pay interest on their loan again tends to support this view.
CAESAR WHOLESALE INC. repaid their loan early. At Gamma Leporis, CAESAR WHOLESALE took 5 Alloys on Contract. ZWILLINGE sold 6 Isotopes for 5 HTs each at Epsilon Eridani.
No one traded at Delta Toucanis. At Tau Ceti, ISKANDER bought 9 Isotopes for 6 HTs apiece to gain a Dealership, while VOGON couldn’t find buyers at the same price.
Mu Herculis saw ISKANDER buying 10 Monopoles at a price of 14 HTs to gain a Dealership, while SSLM bought 5 on Contracts. ISNOT-ISTOO bought 2 Petroleum for 10 HTs each and CAESAR bought 3 more at only 9 HTs. VOGON INDUSTRIES, ISNOT-ISTOO and CAESAR were trying to sell Alloys but only CAESAR managed it, selling 7 for 6 HTs each and gaining a Dealership as well.
More trading at Sigma Draconis, where VOGON INDUSTRIES bought 8 Isotopes for 4 HTs each and won a Contractorship. The supply proved so large that ZWILLINGE picked up a further 6 at 3 HTs apiece for a second Contractorship. The VOGONs bought 6 Alloys for 3 HTs and a Dealership, shutting out TRANSURANNIC’s bid of 1. SOLAR WINDS bid 9 to sell Petroleum, selling 6 for a Dealership, and undercutting TRANSURRANIC, ISKANDER, and ZWILLINGE all trying to sell at 12 HTs. SOLAR SPICE LIQUOR & MONOPOLES bought 5 Spice on Contract.
Alpha Centauri was devoid of trading. At Beta Hydri SOLAR WINDS bid of 8 to sell Isotopes was ignored as too high. ISNOT-ISTOO sold 6 Monopoles for 16 HTs each and gained a Dealership, while SSLM sold 5 more on Contracts. Finally SSLM sold 1 Spice for 11 HTs and then ISNOT-ISTOO sold 6 Spice at 15 each and a second Dealership.
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 | 510 | 20 | Available | |
| B | Solar Winds Trading Co | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 68 | 25 | Steve Bunce |
| C | Caesar Wholesale | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 38 | 32 | Simon Burling |
| D | Trans Solar Trading, Inc | 5 | 0 | 7 | N | 50 | 25 | Jerry Elsmore | |
| E | SSL&M | 5 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 63 | 40 | Paul Evans |
| F | Semper Durus | 1 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 19 | Alex Everard |
| G | HDQUS | 6 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 151 | 34 | Howard Goble |
| H | Trade Wind | 1 | 0 | 8 | N (5+5) | 61 | 27 | Available | |
| J | ISNOTISTOO | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 227 | 32 | William Hay |
| K | Swiss Mercenary Fleet | 2 | 0 | 9 | N | 11 | 30 | Martin Jennings | |
| L | Zwillinge | 5 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 39 | 35 | Michael Martinkat |
| M | Transuranic Trade Corp | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 97 | 32 | Bob Parkins |
| N | Vogon Industries | 7 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 56 | 40 | Nathan Richards |
| P | Iskander Fire and Accident | 4 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 32 | 34 | Przemyslaw Orwat |
| ‘N’ under Initiative Bid indicates No Move Received | |||||||||
News
OP39 was taken by VOGON INDUSTRIES and OP43 by ZWILLINGE.
There were 5 new chits this turn.
New chits are shown in Bold:
Turn 6 P8
Turn 7 B6, C10, C8
Turn 8 B4
Turn 9 C3, B10
Press
Pirates don’t buy things. They steal them, by Thunder!!
And that goes double for broke Pirates!!!
Semper Durus
GM Notes
If there is an Opportunity Chit on Turn 9, you may try to take it in the Opportunity Phase of Turn 6, 7 or 8. The chit disappears in the news phase of turn 9.
If there is a News Chit on Turn 9, it will take place in the News Phase of Turn 9, and not before.
(Some people still seem a little confused)
Not sending orders in can be expensive. I will try to dispose of assets to meet bills due as laid down in the rules, but it is not my fault if you don't like the results. Try not to leave orders to the last moment.
You cannot take your Reputation Bonus before you pay your loan interest. The Rules are clear.
If you order to take passengers when you cannot Hyperjump the next turn, the order is ignored.
If you order to take passengers when you could Hyperjump the next turn, but spend the Hectotrans on something else, you will be left with unhappy passengers.
Pevans
Postal games
Mission of Gravity
Railway Rivals 3
Railway Rivals 4