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 7 Turn 6 Turn 5 Turn 4 Turn 3 Turn 2 Turn 1 Start-up
Turn 8
“So, we are to jump where?”
“It doesn’t say. I’ve checked head office’s instructions.”
“All faces?”
“Yes. It appears that we have some R&R coming due. Except for the Hudlars. They have to stock take for the audit.”
And the ISKANDER Fleet rested in their cradles as the crews enjoyed the holiday.
Trading in Alloys was busy at Gamma Leporis. TRANSURRANIC bought 6 units for 1 HT each, and both CAESAR WHOLESALE and VOGON INDUSTRIES bought 5 each on Contracts.
Epsilon Eridani saw SOLAR SPICE MONOPOLES AND LIQUORS selling 12 Liquors for 11 HTs each and gaining a Dealership, leaving SWISS MERCENARY FLEET and NEIKAN-DO with holds full, having bid 12 to sell. TRADEWINDS returned to life this quarter, selling 16 Spice at 12 HTs and gaining a Dealership.
At Delta Toucanis VOGON INDUSTRIES sold 5 Isotopes for 10 HTs each and ZWILLINGE sold 5 more on Contracts, leaving ISKANDER FIRE AND ACCIDENT, who also bid 10 to sell, with no business. NEIKAN-DO bought 8 Petroleum for 5 HTs apiece and a Dealership and HONEST DARTH’S USED SPACESHIPS took a further 5 at 4 HTs. ZWILLINGE, bidding 3 to buy, and VOGON INDUSTRIES, bidding 2, were disappointed.
VOGON was happier at Tau Ceti, selling 12 Alloys at 8 HTs each and gaining a Dealership. TRANSURRANIC bid 10 to sell and were ignored.
ISKANDER were trying to sell at Mu Herculis, but the lack of shipping precluded any trades being made. CAESAR WHOLESALE did sell 10 Alloys for 4 HTs apiece and became a Contractor. SSLM sold 5 Monopoles on Contract and CAESAR WHOLESALE bought 4 Petroleum for 9 HTs each.
Sigma Draconis saw SSLM buying 5 Spice on Contracts and VOGON INDUSTRIES buying 5 Isotopes on Contract.
Which was it, as no one bought or sold at Beta Hydri or Alpha Centauri. Perhaps the markets are due a correction?
SOLAR WINDS TRADING COMPANY bought a Warehouse on Alpha Centauri.
CAESAR WHOLESALE were rumoured to be involved in purchasing hover tanks in a backwater location on Alpha Centauri System, but this is officially denied.
TRANS SOLAR TRADING INC. was implicated in the sabotage attacks on ISNOT-ISTOO and suffered Reputation loss. No one was found responsible for the attacks on VOGON INDUSTRIES.
At Sigma Draconis HONEST DARTH received a Warehouse, whose handover had been delayed by malicious officials for 3 quarters. The corporation laid down a new Phoenix Hull at Tau Ceti Shipyards, leaving naming and equipping till next quarter.
TRADEWINDS, now happily reactivated, bought warehouses at Tau Ceti and Sigma Draconis, 5 Spice factories at Sigma Draconis and 1 Isotope Factory at Tau Ceti. A new Corco Gamma Hull was laid down at the Alpha Centauri shipyards. All this was paid for with a 300 HT loan over 8 turns.
SWISS MERCENARY FLEET sold 5 Liquor Factories at Alpha Centauri and bought 4 Monopole Factories at Mu Herculis. Possibly in view of the continued sabotage attacks by TSTI on warehouses and their contents, SMF eschewed buying any storage capacity. They increased their Business Connections from 3 to 4 as well.
ZWILLINGE had a 531 HT loan to repay. They sold their Isotope Factories and 8 of their Petroleum Factories, before taking out a new 300 HT loan over 8 turns and repurchasing the 8 Petroleum Factories again.
TRANSURRANIC TRADE CORPORATION laid down a Phoenix Hull in the Tau Ceti Shipyards, equipping it with a B class crew and Passenger and Cargo pods.
VOGON INDUSTRIES bought a cargo pod for the Death and were grateful that their warehouse was empty at Mu Herculis.
ISKANDER FIRE AND ACCIDENT had a 558 HT loan due, which they paid for by selling Warehouses (at EE, DT, MH and BH), then their Liquor Factories at Alpha Centauri and then the two Corco Zeta hulls at Sigma Draconis. With the loan repayments out of the way, they refinanced with a 344 HT loan for 4 Quarters, repurchased all of the Warehouse and Factories, laid down a new Phoenix hull at Alpha Centauri and increased Political Connections to 3.
Press
The various Military Hulls that have appeared on the black market in recent years have advantages and disadvantages; The Dagger is a lovely ship for smuggling and, with its high protection and combat ratings, like all military hulls, is great for beating up lightly armed opponents. But there is only space for the one pod. The Sword has better intercepting ability, carries more equipment and can carry more pods. For a better ability to mix weapon systems with the ability to lift bulky illegal commodities, the Spear is best, but the high initial cost can weigh against its purchase. Against that, a well-armed merchantman can sometimes defeat the Dagger, but has no chance against a Spear.
Sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare!
Following a sustained period of inactivity, the Tradewind Foundation has tentatively resumed business within the sector.
Spokesbeing Zxc Zxcson has stated, through an interpreter: “Tradewind has been through a recent, difficult period of change. Rumours that the former board of directors have been consumed by mind-eating parasites are entirely true. However our loyal customers should see this as an opportunity for growth.”
Corporations Table
| Corporation letter & name | Conn'n Levels Bus/Crim/Pol |
Init Bid |
Turn Order |
Cash | Rep'n | Player | |||
|
A |
Neikan-do | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12th | 89 | 30 | Paul Wilson |
|
B |
Solar Winds Trading Co | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 10th | 75 | 25 | Steve Bunce |
| C | Caesar Wholesale | 3 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 7th | 196 | 33 | Simon Burling |
| D | Trans Solar Trading, Inc | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 9th | 290 | 14 | Jerry Elsmore |
| E | Solar Spice, Liquors and Monopoles | 8 | 3 | 5 | +1 | 5th | 371 | 40 | Paul Evans |
| G | HDQUS | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4th | 185 | 39 | Howard Goble |
| H | Trade Wind | 1 | 0 | 8 | +9 | 1st | 187 | 29 | Colin Parfitt |
| J | ISNOTISTOO | 8 | 0 | 3 | N | 13th | 72 | 32 | William Hay |
| K | Swiss Mercenary Fleet | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2nd | 71 | 34 | Martin Jennings |
| L | Zwillinge | 8 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 8th | 87 | 40 | Michael Martinkat |
| M | Transuranic Trade Corp | 10 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11th | 84 | 40 | Bob Parkins |
| N | Vogon Industries | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3rd | 128 | 40 | Nathan Richards |
| P | Iskander Fire and Accident | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6th | 43 | 40 | Przemyslaw Orwat |
| 'N' under Initiative Bid indicates No Move Received | |||||||||
News
OP 34 was taken (from Turn 9) by CAESAR WHOLESALE.
There were four new chits this turn. New chits are shown in Bold:
Turn 9 B10
Turn 10 C4, B10, C4
Turn 11 P4, P2, B6
Turn 12 B8
GM Notes
Factories are built in Systems where a commodity is abundant - see the table bottom of page 17 in the rules. You can't build a Liquor factory at Mu Herculis, for example.
Players who took out loans on the first turn have to repay them by the end of next turn. You repay the loan before you get your Reputation bonus, if any.
A ship laid down in Turn 6, will be launched in Turn 7. It can only Hyperjump in turn 8. You can load it with passengers in turn 7, and goods, if you had a warehouse to store the goods in on turn 7.
I don't update the Market Positions table every turn. In future I will put the turn it was updated on it.
Corporation F, Semper Durus, was eliminated this turn, both for being unable to pay its debts (ships are sold for just 50 HTs if in space) and for failing an Inquiry. (Rules 22.7, 22.8) Firing on ships reduced its Reputation to 0 and it stayed there until the Inquiry phase, which went badly.
There will be a double deadline this turn, as I am away in North Africa over the next deadline.
Pevans
Postal games
Mission of Gravity
Railway Rivals 3
Railway Rivals 4