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 9 Turn 8 Turn 7 Turn 6 Turn 5 Turn 4 Turn 3 Turn 2 Turn 1 Start-up
Turn 10
“450 HectoTrans in the bank.”
“Quite a lot of money.”
“So why are we here?”
The older woman turned to look at her
companion, who flattened his ears respectfully. “We are buying spaceships.”
He tried again, whistling slowly. “Why
then are we at Sigma Draconis Spaceport? There are no shipyards here.”
“I know that; you know that; but Head
Office seems to have forgotten.”
At Gamma Leporis VOGON bought 26 Alloys for 8 HTs each, pushing the price up, and then used their Market Managership to sell 5 back to the market on Contract. There was no trading at Epsilon Eridani.
Delta Toucanis saw VOGON selling 14 Alloys at 5 HTs apiece and gaining a Contractorship. ZWILLINGE’s sale failed as their ship hadn’t arrived. They did buy 12 units of Petroleum at the price of 7 HTs (worth a Dealership), shutting out ISKANDER’s bid of 5 and TRANS SOLAR TRADING’s bid of 3.
VOGON sold 10 units of Alloys for 5 HTs each at Tau Ceti and TRANSURRANIC bought 5 Isotopes for 1 on Contract as the price fell. TRADEWINDS found no buyers for their bid of 5 to sell.
TRANSURANIC sold 2 Alloys at Mu Herculis for 5 HTs apiece and then sold 8 Isotopes for 8 HTs each to gain a Dealership. There was enough activity left for ISNOT-ISTOO to sell a further 6 at 9 HTs and get a Dealership as well. SWISS MERCENARY FLEET, wincing as they awaited another disaster, sold 10 Liquors for 8 HTs each and a Dealership. ISNOT-ISTOO continued their rise, buying 10 Monopoles at 10 HTs and taking a Contractorship.
At Sigma Draconis ISKANDER FIRE AND ACCIDENT bought 13 Isotopes for 3 HTs each, which brought them a Contractorship. ZWILLINGE bought 5 on Contract and VOGON sold 5 on Contract. TRANS SOLAR TRADING sold 8 Petroleum at 11 HTs (they gained a Dealership) and ZWILLINGE 3 at 13 HTs. HONEST DARTH’s bid of 14 was ignored.
Both SWISS MERCENARY and SOLAR WINDS TRADING sold Liquors at Alpha Centauri: 5 and 1 respectively, but both at a price of 8 HTs. VOGON sold 13 Alloys for 4 HTs each at Beta Hydri and gained a Contractorship. HONEST DARTH’s USED SPACESHIPS sold 5 Isotopes on Contract as the price rose. TRADEWINDS sold 5 Spice for 12 HTs each and ZWILLINGE sold 10 Petroleum at 8 HTs. Not only did they not know that demand had lifted the price, they also failed to gain a Market Position! CAESAR WHOLESALE bought a warehouse on Alpha Centauri. The Vespasian loaded up with OP 25.
TRANS SOLAR TRADING INC. bought 5 new Phoenix Hulls and used this collateral to take out a 602 HT loan over 4 Quarters. With the money they equipped two of the ships as Passenger liners, and three as cargo carriers, drafting C class crews on board. They also bought 8 Isotope factories at Sigma Draconis, possibly in competition with VOGON.
SOLAR SPICE, MONOPOLES & LIQUOR bought a new Warehouse at Beta Hydri. TRADEWINDS bought 4 Cargo Pods for the Polestar.
ISNOT-ISTOO bought 4 Isotope Factories at Tau Ceti, (where they’re cheaper than at Sigma Draconis). SWISS MERCENARY FLEET bought a Warehouse at Mu Herculis.
ZWILLINGE hired an Agent, Percent, at Delta Toucanis, but failed to make the interest payments on their loan. The sum was added to their loan and their Reputation dropped. The failure of the Fraternal to make its Hyperjump interfered with a lot of their plans. TRANSURANIC TRADE CORPORATION bought new Warehouses at Gamma Leporis and Sigma Draconis.
VOGON sold all of their Alloy factories at the new high price and put the Famine up for sale. Perhaps the choice of ship was unwise as this only raised 90% of the list price and the crew disappeared into the flesh pots of Delta Toucanis Spaceport, never to return. The Corporation then took out a loan for 450 HTs over 8 Quarters and bought 10 Isotope Factories at Sigma Draconis.
And finally ISKANDER FIRE & ACCIDENT landed the Option on Planet at Mu Herculis and took OP 21 buying – it is strongly rumoured – a Battle Comm Pod.
Press
Tradewinds’ first passengers since the company’s management had their minds eaten by a parasite made this glowing recommendation: ‘I/We. Have. Never. Used. A. Better. Passenger. Service.’ The passengers are attending a seminar on employer/employee relations and many delegates have left the conference praising Tradewinds’ management technique.
NEIKAN-DO beg to announce that they cannot do this any more and have withdrawn from the sector in deep shame. Buyers are earnestly requested for this Corporation which remains a going concern.
Buyer wanted for surplus Petroleum. Put it in your old Earth Car and drive it. Contact me to arrange terms.
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 | F | 13th | 26 | 30 | Paul Wilson |
|
B |
Solar Winds Trading Co | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 9th | 148 | 25 | Steve Bunce |
| C | Caesar Wholesale | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 11th | 161 | 33 | Simon Burling |
| D | Trans Solar Trading, Inc | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4th | 183 | 19 | Jerry Elsmore |
| E | Solar Spice, Liquors and Monopoles | 8 | 3 | 5 | +1 | 8th | 40 | 40 | Paul Evans |
| G | HDQUS | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7th | 283 | 40 | Howard Goble |
| H | Trade Wind | 3 | 0 | 8 | +9 | 2nd | 98 | 36 | Colin Parfitt |
| J | ISNOTISTOO | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10th | 127 | 38 | William Hay |
| K | Swiss Mercenary Fleet | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 12th | 130 | 36 | Martin Jennings |
| L | Zwillinge | 10 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 3rd | 43 | 36 | Michael Martinkat |
| M | Transuranic Trade Corp | 10 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5th | 233 | 40 | Bob Parkins |
| N | Vogon Industries | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6th | 149 | 40 | Nathan Richards |
| P | Iskander Fire and Accident | 8 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 1st | 69 | 40 | Przemyslaw Orwat |
| 'N' under Initiative Bid indicates No Move Received; ‘F’ indicates the Corp was floated | |||||||||
News
Caesar Wholesale took OP 25 and Iskander Fire and Accident took OP 21 this turn.
There was one new chit this turn. New chits are shown in Bold:
Turn 11 P4
Turn 12 B8
Turn 13 P2
GM Notes
You cannot build a ship in 4 of the systems. You can only build at Beta Hydri, Alpha Centauri, Epsilon Eridani, and Tau Ceti. If you order your ships built elsewhere I will allocate them a Shipyard at random.
Any person wanting to step in and take on Corporation A is welcome to do so – but make sure you have spoken to Pevans first and set up a subscription if you don’t have one.
If there is an illegal chit it is almost always available only on planet. If it says “illegal pods for sale” and you want to take the chit, BUT don't manage to land a ship on planet, your orders about the chit are ignored.
You cannot scrap a ship and keep the crew.
If a ship fails a Hyperjump (and many of you are jumping needing 9 or less) the effects of rule 9.2 take effect – it may NOT be used for ANYTHING.
Note the early deadline so that Mike can adjudicate the next turn before he goes on holiday. This report has been published to players early to give time to get orders in
Pevans
Postal games
Mission of Gravity
Railway Rivals 3
Railway Rivals 4