The Code of The Merchant

[spike]

(Prompted by some other posts, I was thinking about a pure Merchant play style. These are some 'personal rules' for a strict playing style, cast in terms of the game universe.)

The Code of The Merchant

(incorporating the Stricter Code and the Iron Code, where noted)

• I will not accept a Contract that involves violence. I only accept Delivery contracts for passengers, data or freight; never for Bounties against a ship or person.
  
• Stricter Rule: I will accept Delivery contracts only to destinations that I have already decided to visit in the course of trading.
  
• Iron Rule: I never accept any Contracts. I am a Trader Captain, not an errand-droid.
  
• I will obtain no Death Warrants from any faction. On my honour, I am subject to the Shalun Law and the Law of all Factions. I have no need, nor desire, to be immune from the agents of Justice of any Faction.
  
• I will make restitution for any and all offences against recognised Law, whether the charges are warranted or not. I will make restitution by payment of Fines or by delivery of Goods, at the earliest opportunity.
  
• I am not a Smuggler. I will carry no contraband into or through the territory of a Faction, unless I hold a Permit for that Faction.
  
• Stricter Rule: I will carry no restricted goods without a full set of 6 Permits for all Factions.
  
• Iron Rule: If the required Permit(s) are voided, I will immediately cache the restricted cargo, or offload it at the nearest Exchange open to me.
  
• I will never initiate combat, I will always attempt to Retreat first. I will fight only if Retreat is not viable.
  
• Exception: I may initiate combat if enemy is clearly steering to attack with superior maneuverability such that Retreat is clearly very unlikely.
  
• I am not a Pirate. I will not take possession of a ship by force ... unless the vessel attacked me without any just cause or provocation [meaning Pirates only].
  
• Stricter Rule: ... under any circumstances
  
• I will not take possession of any goods by force ... unless from a ship that attacked me without any just cause or provocation [meaning Pirates only].
  
• Stricter Rule: ... under any circumstances
  
• I will never impress a crewmember into service against their will. Every man, woman or droid in my service is worthy of their wage or rental.
  
• I am not an Explorer. I will perform no Exploration missions, even in duress. I will Harvest only to find water or rations and only when these supplies cannot be obtained through Trade.
  
• I will submit to all rightful authority (Warship searches in authorised areas).
• In general, on my honour as a Trader Captain, I will obey the Law, and I will always pay for all goods and chattels that I use or trade. At the keenest prices that can be negotiated, naturally.
  

The Code of The Zealous Merchant

• The above rules of course do not apply to the despised {Thulun/Steel Song/Javat/Cadar/De Valtos/Rychart/Syndicate/Clan} enemies, who are vermin, beneath Law and Justice, and who deserve to be treated as such.
  
• Nonetheless, I will do my utmost to avoid all conflict and intrigue even with the enemy, the better to protect my property and trade.
  
  
  

[@cory - perhaps Merchants/everyone could gain positive Rep for consistent compliance with authorised searches, if consistently nothing is found?]

[Cory Trese]

Rep bonus for surrender is awesome!!!

[spike]

Thinking about Contracts, Searches, and Rank...

In theory, at least under the Iron Code, a Merchant ought not to take Rank with any Faction. Rank implies that you might be ordered to fight for that Faction (though this does not - yet - happen in the game). Military Rank seems to conflict with the ideal of being a Merchant. It also implies combat initiative which could be against the Code. On the other hand, self defence is compatible with the Code, so possibly some kind of "Reserve Officer" status is compatible, especially with the Merchant's home Faction.

In practice, not allowing any Rank would be quite challenging for Merchants. Rank permits getting various Upgrades from Factions, that are otherwise not allowed - including, strangely, some Cargo upgrades that would be desirable for a Merchant. However, these Upgrades could be gotten from Independent worlds, if available. Rank also allows avoidance of authorised searches. This helps the Merchant with package and passenger transport searches, which can fail if the Merchant submits to a search (as the Code requires).

Probably a Merchant following the Code, at least when starting out (with little or no Rank), would be wise to avoid package and passenger Contracts and stick to datapad-message Contracts (which can not be voided by a search).

I would not expect many Merchants to begin their careers under the Iron Code. With no Contracts at all permitted, trading capital would be extremely scarce. Capital would need to be built up slowly and carefully from the small fund of starting cash (around $7000). Fuel, permits, and other expenses would eat in to this seed fund. Buying upgrades would be a luxury ill-afforded early in the game.

Most likely I would expect characters to begin under the regular Code of The Merchant, then proceeding to the Stricter Code and perhaps the Iron Code when they are ready.

In terms of restrictions on Rank, I'm thinking along the following lines:

Regular Code - Limit of Rank 5 (is that the threshold for avoiding searches?) in one Faction (e.g. starting Faction), Rank 1 in any other Faction.

Stricter Code - Limit of Rank 1 in any (or all) Factions.

Iron Code - No Rank allowed. Or, possibly, Rank 1 in own/starting Faction only.

If moving from the regular Code to the Stricter Code to the Iron Code, I'm not sure how characters would give up Ranks they had previously acquired but were no longer allowed. I know there are game mechanisms for losing rank - "accepting" Bounty contracts (i.e. receiving Military orders?) - and then voiding or failing those contracts, might be the most appropriate way to do it.

[spike]

I think I need to play the Iron Code from the start. Without the self-imposed ban on Contracts, a Merchant following the Code just starts off being a mission-runner to build up capital, Rep, Permits and (optionally) Rank. This mission-runner phase goes on for a long time, before real trading activity can become the focus. This is depressingly similar to all the other ST RPG games I've started. I wanted the Merchant path to be different.

I think I will have to start again, with the Iron Code from the outset. It will be very hard though - acquiring Permits will be slow. Probably best just to advance within a single Faction and trade with the Independents, until the Captain and Ship are a lot stronger.

It is a drag not having multiple Faction Permits as a shield against Privateers. I wonder if there could be an easier-to-get Permit that licences only regular trade - so that the Faction's Privateers are kept at bay - without licencing commerce in restricted goods. A Common Trader permit, rather than a Rogue Trader permit.

[oldalchemist]

How does the Iron Code feel about Records? You can trade them for rep without a permit.

[bnoury]

When I play merchants I'm all about the money. I wish there were more shortages and suplusses to make this easier (@cory - cough...). I terms or role playing, if it's legal, I deal in it, and if it's not legal... Whats the benefit?

[spike]

oldalchemist, I guess the Iron Code has to accept trading in Records, since otherwise it is quite hard to gain Rep early on (because trading in Contraband means heavy financial losses, less heavy with Records).

The Iron Code might prohibit trading in Records with parties involved in a Spy War.

See also: the thread "Is the trading path viable"

[oldalchemist]

Records aren't all celebrity dish-dish and military spy data, right? They're things like wild planet maps, exchange reports, deep space rumors, torpedo specs and performance data, weather reports, population demographics, and other civilian applicable information.

Why not trade in normal information?

[spike]

Yes, agreed.

[oldalchemist]

Also, you can gain reputation by trading copies of my excellent forum posts! Though you may lose rep depending on who buys them. Not everyone likes to be told that they filter their own urine through their giant activated carbon hats!