Revised Trade Map

The Trade Map redraw I decided upon last post, due to me inadvertently routing a major trade route through a dead system, is done. It is quite a discipline, when fixing trade routes, to keep within the Jump-2 parameters as “obvious” routes, as charted by X-Boats and military traffic, suddenly become unavailable. Systems such as Yuar/Cabria, providing a J-3 route across the Uedhkinthuez nakhae, begin to stand out as strategic choke points as the additional cost of either break bulking onto a J-3 carrier, or hiring a berth on a J-3 capable Carryall, outweighs the additional weeks required to transit around the end of such a Rift.

The Anthorann/Gamelea – Anar/Lymethius J-3 route is a product of the lack of refuelling in Nearo System. There is sufficient trade out-bound from the Gamelea Cluster towards the Geithurian Republic to keep J-3 haulers running between Anthorann and Anar. These haulers have also, in times of war, been quickly converted to Fleet Auxilaries so there may actually be an element of Sector Fleet sponsorship of this particular trade.

The Faiwawhwe/Lymethius – Jul’ni/Lymethius J-3 route is pretty much guaranteed by the Faiwawhwe – Appaer trade. The B-Class Starport at Jul’ni draws the faster ships away from the long haul through the Evikkim and Hiona Systems, though the bulk of the Spinward-bound trade from the Gamelea Cluster, and Coreward trade out of Miazan Subsector, still takes the longer route.

The Celephais/Miazan – Tonivar/Cabria J-3 route is a product of politics. In reality, the Rimward trade from Celephais invariably routes through Ektra in the Kamperalian Republic, while the Rimward/Spinward trade crosses into Cabria Subsector via Kalar-Wi space. The Celephais – Tonivar route is an attempt by Imperial authorities to keep Imperial trade within Imperial borders, rather than making the potential loss of trade a factor in ensuring peace beyond the borders.

Jump Transitions

I have started marking some of the trade links I generated, using GURPs: Far Trader, onto my sector map. So far, I’ve worked through all the Main and Feeder Routes for Lymethius, Gamelea, Cabria and Miazan Subsectors. I have a feeling that I’m not quite doing it right as I’m working off the BTN numbers, rather than the WTN numbers, as these seemed more logical to use.

The thick red lines, such as between Yuakteisye/Lymethius and Gamelea/Gamelea, are 10.5 BTN Main routes. This represents GCr50 – GCr100 (GigaCredits), or 5 – 10 million tons of trade per year, or 100 thousand – 500 thousand tons of trade per week.

The thinner red lines represent the 10 BTN Main routes, which see 50 thousand – 100 thousand tons of cargo per week and are worth ‘only’ GCr10 - GCr50 per annum.

The thick blue lines represent the 9.5 BTN Feeder routes while the thinner blue lines represent the 9 BTN Feeder routes. 5000 – 10 thousand tons of cargo needs shipping along the 9 BTN Feeder Routes each week, while 10 thousand - 50 thousand tons are shipped weekly along the 9.5 BTN Feeder Routes.

These numbers make interesting reading when trying to work out how many ships, and of what size, might be plying the trade routes of the sector. When the numbers are plotted on a map, we begin to see places where ships of a considerable size might be required just to move the available freight economically.

For example, if 100 thousand – 500 thousand tons of trade per week needs to be moved between Yuakteisye/Lymethius, in the Huiha Esoyatre, and Gamelea/Gamelea, in Imperial Space – or Bryak/Gamelea, as this system is part of the 10.5 BTN route – then how many ships ply this route? And looking more closely at the route, I see a problem. In this case, trade is supposed to stage through Nearo – Jump-3 from Yuakteisye – except there is a small problem. Nearo is a dead system; all higher life forms on its primary world were destroyed in a nuclear and biological attack during the 1st Outrim War, 200 years ago. Oh, and there are no gas giants for refuelling in the system, either.

Bother.

It looks like I will have to swing the Yuakteisye – Bryak route rimward through Kidan, Kalar-Wi and Varch. This has the advantage of reducing the stages to Jump-2 as well as ensuring refuelling is available, but exposes Huiha Esoyatre/Imperial trade to the vagurities of Kalar-Wi factional politics.

More thought required, as well as a map redraw.