In my campaign, the players have loaned a Marava-class Far Trader to a trusted group of NPCs. They were given use of it for 3 months  (or 90 to 93 days).  The first jump was to Wurzburg/GLISTEN...after that they are free to buy and sell cargo as much as they like. The only other requirement was that they have to end up at Tarsus/DISTRICt 268 at the end of the 3 months.

 What would be the best or most likely route from Wurzburg/GLISTEN to Tarsus/DISTRICT 268?
 The most profitable ? the fastest ?
  Most probable for these guys to get into "trouble"?
  Best route to  have adventures along the way ?

 Where the above travel routes overlap ?

 A Marava-class Far Trader. Jump 2 capability.  Only about 45 tons of carho space available.  6 low berths available.   a space is set aside for Imperium Mail.

Start date : 236-1118  (Dec 5, 5638 A.D.)
 End date /Arrival at Tarsus/DISTRICT 268 : 329-1118 ( March 8th, 5639 )

First jump that has to happen: From Glisten/GLISTEN to Wurzburg/GLISTEN to investigate  a criminal ...after that the crew gets freedom to plan their own route.

- E.W.C.

This question makes me need to buy Traveller.

Koltar, have you tried asking this question on the Citizens of the Imperium forum?  Those guys go apeshit over questions like this.  Seriously, they had a contest a while back deciding who could best work a merchant route in the Querion subsector.

Okay:  +/- 13 weeks to work with. They've already made a jump to Wurzburg, so 12 weeks left. Assume 4+/- weeks to reft/refuel/repair and have adventures, that leaves 8 weeks.

Using those assumptions, I'd go:

Wurzburg > Glisten > Overnale > Egypt > Mille Falcs > Mertactor > Judice > Collace > Tarsus

Keeps you on a jump route all the way to Mertactor so cargos shouldn't be a problem. You can use the extra 4 weeks for side jumps if you want them. Gas Giants or oceans on every stop for fuel. Only one "backwater" world to stop at (Judice) that also happens to be a Research Station!

That work?

Check this out--it gives you subsector maps complete with x-boat and trade routes, and trade volume. I haven't checked for accuracy, but it looks very neat.

http://www.utzig.com/cgi-bin/iai/map_sector.pl?FSectors=Spinward_Marches

The best trade route is the one that ends up getting the NPCs in trouble, requiring the PCs to go bail them out.

That's how my brain works, though.

Quote from: jrientsKoltar, have you tried asking this question on the Citizens of the Imperium forum?  Those guys go apeshit over questions like this.  Seriously, they had a contest a while back deciding who could best work a merchant route in the Querion subsector.

 Good idea - except that I'm not on the CotI forum.
 Three years ago , when I was starting this campaign - I browsed or lurked at a lot of sites related to TRAVELLER looking for useful stuff.  between CotI or the SJG Forums  - SJG Forums seemed  more useful because I was running GURPS:TRAVELLER campaign and timeline.

 I run it "mostly canon" or pretty close.  We've had ongoing subplots about android (robot) rights and freedom, Merchants fighting against Pirates, Zhodani wedding ceremonies, secret testing for psionic abilities, intrigue at a forma Banquest /Dance put on by the Duchess of Glisten  - you know all the normal stuff.

 If someone wants to pass it on to the CotI foruum - I don't mind .

- Ed C.

Quote from: Pierce InverarityCheck this out--it gives you subsector maps complete with x-boat and trade routes, and trade volume. I haven't checked for accuracy, but it looks very neat.

It's very, very neat, but appears to generate some obvious glitches.  I tried plotting Jump-2 speculative and small cap routes with it, and it generated routes that were clearly Jump-3.  With a bit of hand correction they were pretty accurate at first pass, but this suggests some bugs.

!i!

Quote from: KoltarGood idea - except that I'm not on the CotI forum.

if you play any version of traveller, you should go there.  best source of info.  those folks are a gold mine.

Quote from: WerekoalaOkay:  +/- 13 weeks to work with. They've already made a jump to Wurzburg, so 12 weeks left. Assume 4+/- weeks to reft/refuel/repair and have adventures, that leaves 8 weeks.

Using those assumptions, I'd go:

Wurzburg > Glisten > Overnale > Egypt > Mille Falcs > Mertactor > Judice > Collace > Tarsus

Keeps you on a jump route all the way to Mertactor so cargos shouldn't be a problem. You can use the extra 4 weeks for side jumps if you want them. Gas Giants or oceans on every stop for fuel. Only one "backwater" world to stop at (Judice) that also happens to be a Research Station!

That work?

 Thats pretty close to a route that I came up with  - using a calculator and trying to use average times.  This version figures that didn't get lucky or unlucky , every jump is 7 days long.

HERE IT IS :
236-1118   Glisten/GLISTEN     DEC 5, 5638
      + 7.0 days Jump to Wurzburg/GLISTEN
243-1118      Wurzburg/GLISTEN      Dec 12, 5638
       + 6.833 days in the Wurzburg/GLISTEN system investigating things.
249.83-1118              DEC 19, 5638
       +7 days Jump Back to Glisten/GLISTEN
257-1118     Glisten/GLISTEN      Dec 26, 5638
      + 6.833 days in the Glisten system, Buying cargo  having adventures, trying NOT to get into trouble.
264-1118        jump point        JAN 2, 5639
       + 7 days Jump to Overnale/GLISTEN
271-1118   ...arrival in star system...   Jan 9, 5639
      + 6.833 days in the Overnale System and on Overnale. They've got good wines there. Also 5 or 6 warring nations to have fun with.
277-1118      ...jump point time...   JAN 15, 5639
       + 7 days Jump to Egypt/GLISTEN
284-1118    ...arrive in Egypt/GLISTEN system   Jan 22, 5639
     + 6.833 days in the Egypt/GLISTEN star system.
291-1118    leaving /at Jump point     JAN 29, 5639
       + 7 days Jump to Merctactor/DISTRICT 268
298-1118      Arrive in system...Mertactor    Feb 5, 5639

Hrm.  I don't mean to rain on the parade, but have you allowed enough time for travel from Jump-point to planet-side and back again?  Admittedly, I always hand-waved this in my games because I hated to break it to the players that they'd have to spend days in transit just getting to or from the Jump-point in addition to the week they had to spend in Jumpspace.

!i!

Yes, Ian A.,
I am trying to take that part of the travel time into account. Even with my regular GURPS:TRAVELLER group we factor in the travel time from Jump Point to within orbital range of a system's main planet.


- Ed C.