In the Game Proposals forum, there was a negative reaction to an idea for trading/mercantile campaign in Traveller Mongoose. While some bookkeeping is required, I thought I would put out the best resource for such a campaign that is available on the interwebz.
Welcome to the Azure Traveller Tools Site!
http://travellertools.azurewebsites.net/
Now this site can do lots of things but let's focus on how it used in a trading game.
A. LOCATION
>Azure runs off the TravellerMap so anything published for it is included here except for a few non-canon sectors and such.
>Note you can change the Era as well.
>Original Systems (see note below on Original System Play)
B. CHARACTER
>This allows you to enter pertinent scores that will make all of the rolls for you to determine available freight, passengers etc.
>If your scores are NOT entered, it still calculates base prices and roll modifiers for every trade good returned. So if you like to roll or are using it on the tabletop for your players, you can leave this blank and it will still
do all of your work for you.
>This is not required but saves rolling as noted above if your GM/you are not allowing Roleplay/Scene modifiers such as previous relationship with dealer etc.
C. TRADE CALCULATOR
Trading System Choices
>Mongoose 2, obvious.
>Advanced, this is Mongoose 1-Merchant Prince supplement rules (which I prefer).
Allow Illegal Goods
>A must for your smugglers and gun-runners.
>This list is a first step in setting up a small scene between the smuggler and a dealer!
Advanced Characers
>This will expand your Passenger applicants with skills and a bit more detail.
>This assists in generation of NPCS in lower tables as well.
Jump Distance
>Set this for the
max jump of your ship.
>>By doing that, it will return data on all cargos and passengers heading to
any system within that range. Do this!
D. GENERATE TRADE INFO
Just clicky that button and boom! You have everything at your fingertips.
IMPORTANT-
The site will store and track this information for later use. You can get a link to post it, save it, etc.
In addition, the site stores where you are… so when you move to the next planet, we just click the offered link and away we go!
Here is an example
INITIAL RESULTS
I entered starting location (Efate/Spinward Marches). Golden Era.
No character scores.
Advanced Mode (MGT.1, Merchant Prince)
No Illegal Goods
Jump/2, Standard Far Trader
At the top of the results, there is a PERMALINK tab. By grabbing that URL, I can now send the data out to whomever. I can also store it for later use if the session ends or whatever.
http://travellertools.azureweb...e=0&milieu=M1105
So what do we have…
A. PLANET INFO
Basic Data
>The boxed info are links to online resources such as the Traveller Wiki at COTI (Planet, Subsector, Sector). The Coordinates open a link in the Traveller Map.
>>Super easy to just pull the six parsec jump map and quick-post it for the players… but there’s an easier way! See below.
UWP
>Pulled from Traveller Map for the Era you indicated.
Shopping
>Bonus! It also pulled average prices and available goods for personal shopping. Just downloaded from the planetary commerce system from the comforts of your cockpit… go ahead and order that new laser pistol!
Starport Info
>Fun and expensive details regarding stopping at this port.
Travel Info
>Yeah, Time to Jump Point calcs based on planetary size from UWP.
>Oh and look, our J2 map that I can click on and save or link to Rpol for players in a split second!
Available Goods(Get Rich or Die Trying)
>This is the meat of it!
>Note that it made rolls for me based on my scores which were (zero)
>Information is self-explanatory.
>But because I am ignoring the completed rolls since I like to roll myself (and to keep the number of inquiries down in-game as indicated in SOLO rules and elsewhere. I ignore Modified Roll, Modifier, Current Price.
>NOTE: If you did enter your scores, this would all be accurate. But it’s not for me.
>So now I can do my own rolls but all of the data is right there. Base Price, Tonnage and Price DM.
Desired Goods(Get Rich or Die Trying pt2)
>Okay since this is our initial start, I don’t have any speculative goods at the moment.
>But the NEXT PLANET, this page will be very useful.
>Same use as above (Use/Ignore Modified Roll, Price if scores were not entered)
Yes… that’s a lot trade goods. Aren’t you glad this super-awesome Traveller programmer created a free site for you? You should send him a thank you.
DESTINATION
(to be continued as it’s time to log into work…)
This message was lightly edited by the player at 13:11, Tue 23 Mar 2021.