[TML] [Merchant Shipping] Some ideas I came up with tomakemerchant shipping more interesing

[Timothy Little]

On Thu, Apr 17, 2008 at 10:45:58PM -0400, Jerry W Barrington wrote:
> Yeah, finding gas giants is quick and easy.  Finding iceballs is much
> harder.

Pretty much any sizeable body beyond the snow line should have water.
Moons of outer gas giant planets would be the easiest place to look.
If there are rockballs out there, most of the "rock" will be
hydrogen-bearing ices of some form.


> They must not have traveled much to places with low/nonexistent
> ports...

If there a port at all, there will probably be fuel - though for the
lowest ports, the port authority won't supply the fuel itself.  I'm
sure it would still be available for a price even if it comes by
groat-drawn water wagons.


> I kind of like the "Lt. Leary" method.  Ships tend to land in water
> (minimizes plasma blast effects), and run out a tube to suck up
> reaction mass (water).

Seems pretty handy in a Traveller context, yes.  Though I personally
tend toward the "starships normally don't land" idea.  I see starships
entering atmosphere to be comparable to putting big wheels on ocean
liners so they can visit inland cities.  IMTU most are purely space
vehicles, and it's mainly crazies like PCs who have omniphibious ones.


- Tim