[OOC 2] THE WATER COOLER - A Place for General Discussion

[atpollard]

The OOC topic was getting long, so I split it to start a new one.

Just a quick side point ... The COMPANY will need to establish a HQ (a Physical address and a Mailing address for Government paperwork) before the end of the month [by 2156.12.01]. If you establish an address in Brulantfort (or any CITY) the Tax Rate is 55%. If you establish an address in the COLONY (or any community of <1000 people) the Tax rate is 41% [no local services].

Transactions marked [CASH] on the table can be reported or not at your discretion, all others have an electronic record. Taxes are on PROFIT (income - expenses). Dividends become PERSONAL TAXABLE INCOME.

A quick note on the BROKER FEE paid to DJ. I listed it as a payment to DJ since there was no clear instruction one way or another about keeping it with the COMPANY. Personally, I recommend paying the broker fees out. In this game, there are two rolls to sell a cargo:
FIND A BUYER ROLL - anyone can do it and any skill it fair game as long as you can explain how you used that skill to find a buyer for that cargo. STREETWISE could beat the streets, COMPUTER could search the internet, ENGINEER could talk with workers in the Downport that hear things, STEWARD could meet with other STEWARDS in the lounge and get a lead on a recent passenger.
CLOSE THE DEAL ROLL - this is where the actual price is set and the ADMIN skill handles all the paperwork.

Now that the GROUP is together, anyone could find a buyer and several people could try to close the deal. So any pair of characters could split the BROKER fee (2.5%) and take home a small bonus as a reward for a good roll. I think that is for the benefit of the game and adds to the fun. It is, of course, your call how the GROUP wants to handle BROKER FEE payments (ie. just keep it in the COMPANY pot).

[Thumper]

Mick recommends registering the company in the Colony for now 41% > 55%. He wants to keep as much revenue off the books as possible.

[Kenjosephus]

Sure, hold on. Still thinking about what equipment needed to buy

Remember to spend to Cr 500 x SOC on FREE equipment first, before you spend your money.

I will post your INTRO since it may influence your decisions.

Where can i see the FREE equipment that are available? I can only see the required one are clothes in MAPS AND REFERENCES.

[atpollard]

Where can i see the FREE equipment that are available? I can only see the required one are clothes in MAPS AND REFERENCES.

It was buried on page 3 or so of Chracater Generation …

STARTING EQUIPMENT
Starting characters may spend up to Soc x 500 credits on any equipment they want from TL 1 to TL 8 [note that you are carrying it with you when you muster out].
Money not spent ... evaporates.

QUALITY
Most STUFF is just "Standard Grade" quality and THAT is the equipment price reflected in the Traveller Rule Books. However, other quality exists and will often communicate something about the STATUS of the owner (or their desired status).
A quick guideline:

FIELD GRADE (Base Price x 1/2): no frills serviceable; simple and functional. Commonly owned by members of the Lower Class (Soc 3-5).
STANDARD GRADE (Base Price): commonly owned by members of the Middle Class (Soc 6-8).
PREMIUM GRADE (Base Price x 3): quality material and finish with expensive accents. Commonly owned by members of the Upper Class (Soc 9-11).
DELUXE GRADE (Base Price x SOC): high grade materials with engraving and exotic finishes. Commonly owned by members of the Social Elite (Soc 12+).
ROYAL GRADE (Base Price x SOC x 2): unique custom item made by the finest craftsmen to the highest standards using the best materials available. Commonly presented as 'gifts of state' [SOC 13 to 15 ONLY]

CLOTHES MAKE THE MAN:
REQUIRED: One complete set of normal 'everyday' clothing.
(Laborer) = Soc 3-5 = Cr 20
(Tradesman) = Soc 6-8 = Cr 40
(Gentleman) = Soc 9-11 = Cr 120
(Aristocrat) = Soc 12-14 = Cr 480

OPTIONAL: One set of Business Casual clothing purchased IN ADDITION to “Normal Clothing”.
(Laborer) = Soc 3-5 = Cr 40
(Tradesman) = Soc 6-8 = Cr 80
(Gentleman) = Soc 9-11 = Cr 240
(Aristocrat) = Soc 12-14 = Cr 960

OPTIONAL: One set of Formal clothing purchased IN ADDITION to “Normal Clothing”.
(Laborer) = Soc 3-5 = Cr 60
(Tradesman) = Soc 6-8 = Cr 120
(Gentleman) = Soc 9-11 = Cr 360
(Aristocrat) = Soc 12-14 = Cr 1440


Real World:
If you want to purchase something from the Real World and want to know its Traveller Price ... 1 Credit = $5 is a rough exchange rate [1 Credit = $1 in 1977ish when Marc copied prices from magazines if you want to get specific].

You can and should also feel free to use the Equipment Lists in any of the Rule Books. The only thing to keep in mind for the free stuff is the limit of TL 0-8 and the local Law Level of 7 [all firearms are illegal]. So Laser Carbines and Hand Grenades and are a bad choice. The MAPS AND REFERENCES topic has some stuff that you might like (like Tool Kits for skills).

Read the introduction for CHESTER since his new mission gave him some military equipment and special permits to carry it.

[atpollard]

Here is a link to the Traveller Wiki page on EQUIPMENT that you can follow to search for lots of equipment from various rule books and editions.

… and a list of 500 items.

[gurusql]

Hol agrees with Mick unless there is some docks or services we will need.

[Eris]

Mick recommends registering the company in the Colony for now 41% > 55%. He wants to keep as much revenue off the books as possible.

Joe seconds this motion.

[shaidar]

DJ thirds it.

We need to mark ourselves as employed by the company at a minor wage level so the employment Office doesn't bother us.

[gurusql]

I think that is four votes unless Hol doesn't get one.

[Thumper]

It’s a company quorum then. Colony it will be!

[Thumper]

ATPollard: Please confirm Beau is a TL-11 world. May make a difference in the dialog soon.

[atpollard]

ATPollard: Please confirm Beau is a TL-11 world. May make a difference in the dialog soon.

Yup ... Beau is TL 11 and the most advanced of the Blue Cluster.

[Eris]

As an aside, my Mom made me executor to her will many years before she died, but she also made my sister and me joint beneficiaries in all her accounts and had signed her property over to me in a "lady bird deed" years before she died. A quick visit to the Clerk of the Court handled the Deed and for everything else it was...just show the death certificate and nobody had a problem making transfers over to my sister and me...except for one Credit Union account where she forgot to name a beneficiary. For that one account, I had to hire a lawyer and go through the entire Probate process to get a letter from the Judge ordering the CU to turn over her funds and that took the better part of a year.

Moral of the story, make it easy on your heirs and set up joint accounts where you can, change deeds on property to whoever you want to get the property reserving enhanced life-time rights, and name them beneficiaries to everything you want them to have before you even think you need to. They will thank you in the long run.

One more thing, Living Wills and Powers of Attorney: Make a Living Will so your wishes concerning advanced care will be taken out of the hands of your spouse/children...when that is needed they won't be able to think straight and will feel guilty about any decision they are forced to make. Also, set up a Medical and Financial Powers of Attorney naming whoever is going to take care of you if you become incapacitated physically or mentally.

Mom hadn't done any of that yet when she the massive heart hit her and I was left scrambling through her induced coma and subsequent surgeries. I wasn't thinking straight with worry and wanted to be at the hospital, but I had to deal with Lawyers and Courts and guess at what she wanted concerning life-support. More than once I felt like the doctors wanted me to "pull the plug", but I didn't think she would have wanted me to...yet. I didn't and she got another good five years of life (the last five not so good, but that was Alzheimer's).

Eventually, I was able to get an Attorney to the hospital on a Sunday when she was awake and aware to get her signature on the Powers of Attorney and a Living Will. That let me legally deal with her care and recovery...and pay her bills. That heart attack, the mini-strokes that followed and then the Alzheimer's that dragged on for over 5 years while I looked after her would have been much worse if I had been forced to go to court to declare her incompetent and apply for Power of Attorney.

My advice is to take care of all this stuff way before you need it and make sure whoever is going to be taking care of you in the event you need that knows all about it. Then they can follow your directives no matter how they feel, knowing that is what you wanted. Take that part of their grief away, there will be enough for them to deal with.

[Thumper]

Good advice!

[atpollard]

I agree. Dealing with death is hard enough without having to GUESS or FIGHT over what you all THINK they wanted.

[atpollard]

OOC: Art, just how does that work here? Joe wouldn't automatically have Beau citizenship as he is from "an unnamed rock in a distant system" and is only here because he got made redundant and dropped off on Beau after the recent brew-ha-ha with another cluster of systems, right? How did he get papers, or did he, is he an illegal, does he have a "green card?"

Joe has papers (equivalent to a Green card or Work/Guest Visa and a Passport from his Homeworld). People from OFF-WORLD are not uncommon on Beau. As the highest TL in the cluster, lots of people have lots of reasons to visit for business and pleasure. However, NOBODY leaves the Spaceport without PAPERWORK in a Civil Service Bureaucracy with LL7 (50% daily chance of stop and question by LEO).

On the subject of "illegal", I have a funny story. Everybody talks about the illegal Mexicans, but my grandfather came from Norway working on a Clipper Ship and jumped ship to live in Brooklyn, NY. So I am 1/4 Illegal Immigrant from Norway.

So where is my free SWAG! [LOL]
(all I got is freckles).

[atpollard]

I am working on a REF response, but here in Sunny Florida ... another week, another HURRICANE has me a bit distracted (time wise). Living just north of Tampa, I need to watch THIS ONE (or risk loosing my trash cans FOREVER!)

I will be fine if I survive the Fear Mongers on TV (you would think they were announcing Armageddon, instead of a Cat 3 Hurricane ...).
[Does anyone have any extra TP?]

[Thumper]

Take all the time you need to get back to this game. You have lots of prep to do. Best wishes on weathering this storm.

[shaidar]

Yup, be safe.

[Eris]

I am working on a REF response, but here in Sunny Florida ... another week, another HURRICANE has me a bit distracted (time wise). Living just north of Tampa, I need to watch THIS ONE (or risk loosing my trash cans FOREVER!)

I will be fine if I survive the Fear Mongers on TV (you would think they were announcing Armageddon, instead of a Cat 3 Hurricane ...).
[Does anyone have any extra TP?]

Well, just stay away from the coast...hide from wind, run from water, and the first 72 is on you.

I have elderly relatives south of Tampa and have been trying to get them to come over here for the duration...Pensacola. They want to go up to North Carolina where they have a vacation cottage...I don't think this is the time for that, even if their cottage is still upright.