Hi Tim,

Thanks for the kind words about the character driven types of adventure. The only advice or twist I'd give on your mercantile set up is that there should be multiple issues for PC's to conflict or ally on. The axis you have at the moment is a love triangle based one which is excellent and will bring a number of characters into conflict. But there needs to be a second or several more axis  too- perhaps an economic issue that will a different alliance set- say whether the family needs to go into smuggling (or cease smuggling?) or ally with the other merchant family in order to get the money to save the business?

A 3rd Axis of conflict/agreement might religious or political - Trading with Imperial interests vs. Independents, or whether to make the run to Zhodane or not?

A single axis or issue is OK, but resolved quickly and its hard to persuade people from their starting positions.  Having 2 Axis or issues of conflict allow people to concede on one issue to gain concessions on another issue in return, and lets them decide their priorities. with 3 axis, then every PC might agree with another PC on 1 issue, but disagree on the other 2 issues. Then you have a conversation and debate.

Both of my TravCon games-  the Zhodani Candidate and Imperial Intrigue had a central conflict (identity of the Zhodani spy and the Imperial Succession) but multiple additional conflicts that different combinations of people agreed or disagreed on (DNA sample, love triangle, Norris for the Zhodani Candidate  and Dead bodies, Deneb Duchy, repealing the Psionic suppressions, Drug Use, taxation and national defence for II)