Game in the Brain

This is basically the Standard Operating Proceedure for many ships businesses to maximize costs and minimize expenses. Note that the GM has to approve such still.

1) Try not berth the main ship
Instead drop off the freight using the lighterage fees (ISW175) paying only $10/dton as you have it picked up from orbit. When you have to land, wharf fees rules (ISW176) and the admin fee of $500 fee (ISW175) will be your expenses, a skilled merchant will need to negotiate the cost of the additional expense hopefully to be charged to the client upon receiving the freight a jump before.

It can be assumed that Liners and Freighters never land, and do this instead. The Liners can always pass the cost of Shuttling services to the Passengers, or make a buck with the services. PCs and their own ship can charge for shuttle services $50 per person (ISW175).

Even $1600 to send out 160 dtons instead of paying $3700 when wharfing and admin fee.

2) Berth only Small Craft or G-Carriers
Berth only your small craft (ISW 201-203) or G-Carriers (ISW168). Example – Imperial Standard G-Carrier will cost only $800 to berth per week or the really efficient but expensive Micrboat (from JTAS 40 Foot Cargo Containers, by Henry J. Cobb) $400 but can carry a 40ft container module for another $1000.

Security conscious worlds will hassle the crew who come and go the starport, so it typical the crew will either operate within the starport (not the internet connection cost for the period of stay is in UT and is not so much different from the present, particularly the outrageous fees).  Accommodations are in B265

Example Rizoli has Micrboats with 6 seaters and half a dton for cargo and the ability to carry a 40ft container module (carrying an ATV or hover car). It just costs $1000 for it to berth. Instead of paying $40,000 berthing 400dtons. Combined with Lighterage Fees of $1600 the total overhead cost for Rizoli is $2600 per arrival vs $40,000 but because even with accommodations for 7 for one week $5,880 plus transportation costs.  

3) Refine your own Fuel,
Its good to note how long it takes to refine fuel. Just because there is a price for refined fuel one does not mean one has to take it. At almost 4x the cost, I don’t know what was the reason people wont refine their own fuel because a Fuel Processor (ISW192) cost gives it an ROI of a about 10 jumps.

Example Rizoli – 6400 from 28,000 per refuel. 0 with wilderness refueling but the cost of overhead for the side trip it may take.

4) Work for Board and Training.
This really depends on your GM, but in Classic Traveler people can work for board. Taking it further, you can provide training to many who need the job skills, if your economic system has such folk. Of course after careful screening and a contract with a minimum work period and with a performance standard requirement (yikes a lot of HR matters lolz).  You will need Teaching, an Investment in a SHIP Training AI (I put up some sample Ship AIs) worth about $176k and the Microframes and techbots for that Ship AI to run.

Rizoli annually has a manpower cost (based on ISW salaries) of $3M per year, just paying for Officers reduces the cost per year to $0.9M. The ROI of the Ship Ai or a training AI is very quick.

Non-Transport Operations
A lot of money can be made for Non-Transport Operations because the costs and risks are much higher. Escort does not mean killing pirates, it means buying time for the ships to accelerate to escape. The Frontier Merchant in ISW210 is a ship that has enough surplus power and turrets that make it a good Q-Ship or armed merchanter.

Escort Operations is equal to the amount consumables one will go through for a number of expected encounters plus margin. My sample ship, the Rizoli, is capable of escort missions but missiles and sand will cost about $5M and not even repairs is counted. These are the most profitable but more often the most dangerous. Often the crew should be only taking this on if they have overwhelming odds or purely as a delaying tactic for the other ships to escape.  

The missiles are more expensive because they are Stingray missiles UT156 (2.5x the cost of regular Shaped charge warheads), half the cost of EMP missiles. designed to knock out the ship’s systems. Under B432 in lethal electrical attacks it can possibly cause a ship to be disabled for 20-HT minutes unlike EMPs knock out systems for seconds but does not need to make contact (pretty much B432 Nonlethal Electrical Damage).

SHIP Volitional AI

• TL10
  Complexity-8 (IQ12) $3,000 base cost (UT25)
• Volitional
  AI (AI) (UT28; B263);
• AI
  Customizations Notes (UT29) (Cost Factor 7.5; 130 points)
  • Attributes
    [120]: DX12 [40]; IQ12 [40]; HT14
    [40]
  • Secondary
    Characteristics [20]: Per14 [10];
    Will 14 [10]
  • Advantages
    [670]: AI [0]; Language Talent
    [10]; Cultural Adaptability [20]; Sage
    Talent +4 to Teaching, Mathematics, Expert Skill, History, Law,
    Literature, Linguistics, Philosophy, Research, Economics, Spacer,
    Finance, Market Analysis. Reaction Bonus: Scholars, students, and
    people who consult you. [40]; Servant
    Talent (10 points/level; Administration, Accounting, Cooking,
    Housekeeping, Savoir Fair (Servant), Packing, Search, Electronic
    Operation (household devices), Eletronics Repair (household
    devices); Mechanic (Household), Current Events, Expertise
    (Fashion), +4 reaction bonus to Masters or Owners).
    Spacer
    Talent (10 points/level; Spacer, Electronics Operation, Electronics
    Repair, Mechanic, Machinist, Environmental Suit, Pilot, Drive,
    Engineer, Free Fall, Aerobatics, First Aid, Armoury, Artillery,
    Gunner, Tactics (Space), Strategy (Space), Intelligence Analysis,
    Hazardous Materials, Freight Handling, Navigation ;+4 reaction
    bonus to Masters or Owners). Possession (Cybernetic -40%;
    Mindlink/Telecommunications, connectivity required, -40%) [20];
    Compartmentalized Mind 10 [500].
    
  • Disadvantages [-0]:
    3-Laws of Robotics [0].
  • Social Background [25]
    • Cultural Familiarty (3rd Imperium) [0]
    • Language (Anglic>Riftian;
      Speak/Comprehend; Fluent; Native) [0]
    • Language (Anglic; Read/Write; Fluent;
      Native) [0]
    • Language (Anglic>Core; Speak/Comprehend;
      Fluent;) [1]
    • Language (Anglic>Rim; Speak/Comprehend;
      Fluent;) [1]
    • Language (Vilani; Speak/Comprehend; Fluent;)
      [2]
    • Language (Vilani; Read/Write; Fluent) [2]
    • Language (Anglic>Transform;
      Speak/Comprehend; Fluent;) [1]
    • Language (Sworldworlder; Speak/Comprehend;
      Fluent) [2]
    • Language (Darrian; Speak/Comprehend; Fluent)
      [2]
    • Language (Darrian; Read/Write; Fluent) [2]
    • Language (Vargr; Speak/Comprehend; Fluent)
      [2]
    • Language (Vargr; Read/Write; Fluent) [2]
    • Language (Zhodani; Speak/Comprehend; Fluent)
      [2]
    • Language (Zhodani; Read/Write; Fluent) [2]
    • Language (Aslan; Speak/Comprehend; Fluent)
      [2]
    • Language (Aslan; Read/Write; Fluent) [2]
  • Skills, Perks, Techniques [85]:
    • Accounting (A) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Servant
      Talent)
    • Administration (A) IQ+1 [4]-15
      (+4 Servant Talent)
    • Body Language (A) Per [2]-12
    • Computer Operation (E) IQ+2 [4]-18 (+4
      Spacer)
    • Cooking (E) IQ+2 [4]-16
      (+4 Servant Talent)
    • Current Events (Headlines) (E) IQ+2 [4]-16
      (+4 Servant Talent)
    • Current Events (People) (E) IQ+2 [4]-16 (+4
      Servant Talent)
    • Diplomacy (A) IQ [4]-10
    • Electronics Operation (Household) (A) IQ+1
      [4]-15 (+4 Servant Talent)
    • Electronics Repair (Household) (A) IQ+1
      [4]-15
      (+4 Servant Talent)
    • Housekeeping (E) IQ+2 [4]-16
      (+4 Servant Talent)
    • Mechanic (Household Electronics) (A) IQ+1
      [4]-15
      (+4 Servant Talent)
    • Observation (A) Per [2]-12
    • Packing (A) IQ+1 [4]-15 (+4 Servant Talent)
    • Savoir-Faire (Servant) (E) IQ [4]-16 (+4
      Servant Talent)
    • Search (A) Per [2]-16
      (+4 Servant Talent)
    • Research (A) IQ+1 [4]-15 (+4 Sage)
    • Writing (A) IQ+1 [4]-15 (+4 Sage)
    • Teaching (A) IQ+1 [4]-15 (+4 Sage)
    • Expertise (Zhodani) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • Expertise (Vargr) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • Expertise (Darrians) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4
      Sage)
    • Expertise (Genoee) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • Expertise (Aslan) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • History (3rd Imperium) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4
      Sage)
    • History (Imperial Dynasties) (H) IQ [4]-14
      (+4 Sage)
    • History (Long Night) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • History (Reign of Man/Second Imperium) (H)
      IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • History (First Imperium) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4
      Sage)
    • History (Terran) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • History (Vilani) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • Literature (Greatest Works) (H) IQ [4]-14
      (+4 Sage)
    • Philosophy (General) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
      
    • Math (Applied) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • Law (Business) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • Law (Criminal) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • Law (Military) (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • Merchant (A) IQ [2]-10
    • Economics (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • Finance (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • Market Analysis (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • Linguistics (H) IQ [4]-14 (+4 Sage)
    • Spacer (E) IQ [1]-16 (+4 Spacer)
    • Electronics Operation (Medical) (A) IQ
      [2]-16 (Spacer)
    • Electronics Operation (Sensors) (A) IQ
      [2]-16 (Spacer)
    • Electronics Operation (Comm) (A) IQ [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Electronics Operation (EW) (A) IQ [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Electronics Operation (Security) (A) IQ
      [2]-16 (Spacer)
    • Electronics Repair (Medical) (A) IQ [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Electronics Repair (Sensors) (A) IQ [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Electronics Repair (Comm) (A) IQ [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Electronics Repair (EW) (A) IQ [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Electronics Repair (Security) (A) IQ [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Electronics Repair (Robots) (A) IQ [2]-12
    • Electronics Repair (Computers) (A) IQ [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Mechanic (High performance Spacecraft) (A)
      IQ [2]-16 (Spacer)
    • Mechanic (Power Plant) (A) IQ [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Mechanic (Jump-Drives) (A) IQ [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Mechanic (Maneuver Drives) (A) IQ [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Mechanic (Robots) (A) IQ [2]-12
    • Machinist (A) IQ [2]-16 (Spacer)
    • Navigation (Space) (A) IQ [2]
    • Navigation (Hyperspace) (A) IQ [2]
    • Environmental Suit (Vaccsuit) (A) DX [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Environmental Suit (Battlesuit) (A) DX
      [2]-16 (Spacer)
    • Pilot (High performance Spacecraft) (A) DX
      [2]-16 (Spacer)
    • Drive (Mech) (A) DX [2]-12
    • Drive (Construction Equipment) (A) DX [2]-12
      
    • Drive (Heavy Wheeled) (A) DX [2]-12
    • Driving (Hovercraft) (A) DX [2]-16 (Spacer)
    • Driving (Tracked) (A) DX [2]-16 (Spacer)
    • Engineer (High Performance Spacecraft) (H)
      IQ [4]-16 (Spacer)
    • Engineer (Power Plant) (H) IQ [4]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Engineer (Jump-Drives) (H) IQ [4]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Engineer (Maneuver Drives) (H) IQ [4]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Engineer (Robotics) (H) IQ [4]-16 (Spacer)
    • Free Fall (E) HT [1]-14 (Spacer; Ship’s HT)
    • Aerobatics (H) DX [4]-16 (Spacer)
    • First Aid (E) IQ+2 [4]-18 (Spacer)
    • Armoury (Battlesuit) (A) IQ [2]-16 (Spacer)
    • Armoury (Heavy Weapons) (A) IQ [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Armoury (Vehicular Armor) (A) IQ [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Artillery (Beams) (A) IQ [2]-16 (Spacer)
    • Artillery (Cannon) (A) IQ [2]-16 (Spacer)
    • Artillery (Guided Missile) (A) IQ [2]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Gunner (Beam) (E) DX [1]-16 (Spacer)
    • Gunner (Cannon) (E) DX [1]-16 (Spacer)
    • Gunner (Machine Guns) (E) DX [1]-16 (Spacer)
    • Tactics (Space) (H) IQ [4]-16 (Spacer)
    • Strategy (Space) (H) IQ [4]-16 (Spacer)
    • Intelligence Analysis (Naval) (H) IQ [4]-16
      (Spacer)
    • Hazardous Materials (A) IQ [2]-16 (Spacer)
    • Freight Handling (A) IQ [2]-16 (Spacer)
    • 23 points for various other skills