On Tue, 15 Jul 2025 08:31:29 -0700, Jim Vassilakos wrote:

>Thanks for your comments. But I'm curious about a few things.
>
>First, what's to stop someone for leaving Imperial space and selling the
>ship on a non-aligned world or within another multi-stellar polity?

In reality? Probably not a damn thing. But that might also mean that you're
_staying_ outside Imperial space, since the Service knows who you are and
that you have one of their "retired" ships.

>Second, is this at all realistic? I understand concessions have to be made
>to playability, but it's akin to the Coast Guard turning over a patrol boat
>to a retiree, and offering to do maintenance at any Coast Guard base. I
>mean... really?

No, it's not realistic, but it's an easy way to get a "starter ship" into
the hands of the players...

>Third and speaking of maintenance, what's the difference between
>maintenance (which they IISS says they'll do) and upkeep (which is the
>responsibility to the retiree)?

Maintenance is the fix-it stuff - replacing the tires, changing the spark
plugs, hammering out the dents in the fenders, stuff like that. That's free
if you bring it to a Service facility. If you go elsewhere, it's out of
your pocket.

Upkeep is the other stuff - emptying and rinsing out the ash trays,
replacing the used band-aids in the first-aid kit, making sure that the box
of Girl Scout cookies in the glove compartment aren't stale, stuff like
that. You may be able to get it done at a Service facility, but they're not
responsible for doing so; if they do it, it might be as a courtesy, or it
might be at cost out of your pocket.

Part of the deal is that while you're not recalled to active status, you're
still dropping off intel whenever you come in for service. A report that
tells them something important - and you may not know what it is that
triggered them - may get you the courtesy fresh box of Girl Scout cookies.

Think of it this way: If you'd take it to a garage or the dealer to have
done, it's Service freebie if you bring it to a Service facility. Also, if
you take it to the dealer instead of a gas station, they'll fill it up,
free.

Everything else is out of your pocket. Including fill-ups if you don't take
it to the Service facility.

>Fourth, has anyone done an analysis of just how much money a scout ship can
>make by carrying cargo, given that all you have to pay for are crew
>salaries and the aforementioned upkeep?

I don't know if anyone's done a rigorous analysis, but you're not going to
be in the cargo/freight trade, since you've only got about 2-3 dtons. You
could be in the small package trade, though...

®Traveller is a registered trademark of
Mongoose Publishing, 1977-2025. Use of
the trademark in this notice and in the
referenced materials is not intended to
infringe or devalue the trademark.

--
Jeff Zeitlin, Editor
Freelance Traveller
    The Electronic Fan-Supported Traveller® Resource
xxxxxx@freelancetraveller.com
http://www.freelancetraveller.com

Freelance Traveller extends its thanks to the following
enterprises for hosting services:

onCloud/CyberWeb Enterprises (http://www.oncloud.io)