FREIGHTERS

How Food, Ore, and People Get from Where they Are to Where they Need toBe

‘Freighters’ exist within a civilization. They form an abstract Pool andare employed by the marketplace (i.e., the AI) to get things from wherethey are to where they need to be. The government has indirect influenceon this consumer transportation system, in particular whether to set apolicy regulating it or not. But government must also keep the shippinglines clear of interdiction and continue to develop better ship enginessuch that they become commonly affordable to the consumer market.

Every turn a civilization’s Freighter Pool is created anew. Those freightersare then used to move bioharvest and mineral units to feed people (first)and then provided needed raw materials to Manufacturing DEAs (second).Finally, migratory population points in search of a better life hop aboardfreighters to reach their new homes.

Cargo Size

Each Freighter transports one (1.00) bioharvest or mineral unit, ortwo hundredths (0.02) of a population point at a time.

Freighter Capacity

A freighter’s capacity is how many cargo units it can move in a singleturn. The shorter the distance the cargo is moved, the less of a freighter’scapacity is used (in effect, it can make multiple short trips in a singleturn). Conversely, the greater the distance and danger (in terms of siegesand blockades of the point of origin), the more freighter capacity is used.See the table below:

Distance          Systemis Clear      System is Blockaded      Orbit is Besieged
Same Planet                 0.0                          0.0                                 0.1
Same Orbit                   0.1                          0.2                                 n/a
Same Solar System       0.3                          0.9                                 n/a
Different Solar System   1.0                           n/a                                 n/a
n/a = that is not available as a destination point

For example, a region has 8 surplus bioharvest units in a solar systemthat is clear (i.e., neither blockaded nor is its orbit besieged). 1 ofthose units goes to feed a population point on that same planet (0 freightercapacity is used). 5 go to feed other hungry population points with thatsame orbit (5 * 0.1 = 0.5 or half a freighter’s per-turn capacity is requiredto make those deliveries). 1 goes to feed a planet in a different orbitof that same solar system (using another 0.3 a freighter’s capacity), whilethe last one must travel to a planet orbiting a distant star that civilizationhas settled around (requiring the full capacity of a single freighter).Thus, to distribute those 8 surplus bioharvest units, 1.8 points of freightercapacity from the freighter pool were spent.

Freighter Speed

Freighter Speed: freighters move at a speed one (1) or the second fastestengine speed its civilization has developed (whichever is greater). Exception:civilizations with the Fantastic Traders Race Pick have their freightersmove at the fastest engine speed its civilization has developed.

Designer’s Note: Freighter Speed is used when calculating the amountof trade revenue generated between Space Ports at different stars; see"Interstellar Trade Income: The Specifics" for all those details.

Creating the Freighter Pool

At the beginning of each turn, every civilization has its FreighterPool computed. The number of freighters generated by each region is calculated,and the sum of their values equals the Freighter Pool for that civilizationthat turn.
 

Number of Freighters generated by a region =
(1 for every whole Population Point +1 for point of Space Port capacity)* Regional Morale * Government Agenda * Local Piracy

Regional           Freighter
Morale             Multiplier
No Unrest               1.00
Unrest Level 1         0.75
Unrest Level 2         0.50
Unrest Level 3         0.25
Revolt                     0.00
Uncontrolled            0.00

Government               Freighter
Agenda                     Multiplier
Military Strength               0.70
Expansionism                  1.15
Pursuit of Wealth             1.30
Individual Self-fulfillment     0.85
All Others                        1.00

Local Piracy (determined per system) = ((Local Outlaws + ForeignBrigands + Enemy Military Harassment + Domestic Brigands) * GovernmentLegitimacy * Social State) – System Security. If this value exceeds +99or –99, it becomes +99 or –99, respectively.

After the above Local Piracy Value is determined, see below to obtainthe Final Local Piracy Value.

Final Local Piracy Value =
1 – (Local Piracy / 100)

[What this means is that if your System Securityis inadequate (i.e., there’s a positive value for Local Piracy), it willbite you in terms of the number of freighters produced in that system.However, if your System Security exceeds the Piracy Value of the system(i.e., there’s a negative value for Local Piracy), it can actually bolsterthe number of freighters available.]

Local Outlaws = [these are the things that attract neighborhoodpirates]

(1 per populated region in that solar system +1 perSpacePort +1 per region with a Robotic FLU [all of these are regardlessof which civilization they belong too; the pirates don’t care])

* 1.5 for each Pirate Base in that system [see Pirate Interlude]

* (1+ Asteroid Belts [i.e., an orbit around the sun filledwith asteroids, see table below] + "Rings" [i.e., an orbitaround that planet filled with asteroids, see table below])

Asteroid Piracy Increase Table

# of Asteroid        Piracy
Belts in Sys.       Multiplier
0                               0.0
1                               0.4
2                               0.7
3                               0.9
4+                             1.0

Rings Piracy Increase Table

# of Planetary            Piracy
Rings in Sys.           Multiplier
0                                    0.0
1                                    0.1
2                                    0.2
3+                                  0.3

Foreign Brigands TableBase Foreign Brigands = the totalof the cases that exist below for that solar system:

Foreign Brigands = [this is deliberate harassment by the enemyby non-military means to ensure political deniability]

Base Foreign Brigands [see Foreign Brigands Table]

* Asteroid Belts [i.e., an orbit around the sun filled withasteroids, see table]

* "Rings" [i.e., an orbit around that planet filled with asteroids,see table]

Foreign Brigands Table

Base Foreign Brigands = the total of thecases that exist below for that solar system:

Foreign Civilization’s              Per Shared            If Sharing
Piracy Policy toward You       Jump Lane*         SolarSystem*
Cease                                                 0                              1
Condemn                                            1                              2
Allow                                                   3                              5
Condone                                             5                              8

*Don’t count your own solar systems that haveonly outposts. Do count other civilization’s solar systems that only haveoutposts.

Enemy Military Harassment = [this is overt enemymilitary raiding of your freighters]

The total number of ship Hull Sizes (1 to 14 per ship) in thatsystem belong to civilizations whose Rules of Engagement toward the checkingcivilization are set to: Proactive Defense, Limited War, Total War, orHoly War

/ 9

Domestic Brigands = [this type of ‘piracy’ is moreinsidious; it occurs when a civilization limits the opportunities for theenterprising by regulating the legality of certain activities; the moreoppressive that civilization, the more citizens that "need to be watched"]

Total Population Points belonging to the checking civilizationin that system

* (1 + ((2 * the Oppressometer Level for The Masses) + the OppressometerLevel for Slaves) / 5)

/ 15

Government Legitimacy = [newer governments take timeto get the hang of anti-piracy efforts, while older governments have learnedto deal with them more effectively]

Government Legitimacy versus PiracyTable
Government     Piracy
Legitimacy    Multiplier
Hallowed              0.7
Venerable            0.8
Established         0.9
Fledgling             1.0
Questionable       1.1
Illegitimate          1.2

Social State = [when a civilization’s Social Stateis extremely good, or extremely bad, it’s a prosperous time for those whoengage in piratical activities]

If the Social State is less than –1 or greater than+1, then: the absolute value of the checking civilization’sSocial State [on a –3 to +3 scale]

System Security = [this represents a civilization’smight in suppressing the above elements]

(The Oppressometer Level for The Masses [the Secret Police]

+ The Oppressometer Level for Salves / 3 [the Local Policing Agencies]

+ The sum of all of the checking civilization’s non-orbital shiphull sizes in that system (excluding Colony, Outpost, Transport, Assault,and Exploration ships) / Mission Value [the system’s primary militarysecurity forces for the checking civilization]

+ The sum of all the checking civilization’s orbital ship hullsizes in that system + 1 per planetary shield + 1 per ground-based defensecomplex (missile base, beam base, and fighter base) / 10 [the system’slocal military security forces])

* 1.05 if that civilization has achieved Nano Homing Beacons

* 1.05 if that civilization has achieved Authenticity Certification

* 1.05 if that civilization has achieved Vulnerability-Based Patrolling

* 1.05 if that civilization has achieved Market Integrity Controls

Mission Value is the divisor used depending upon the fleet missionassigned those ships:

Fleet Mission          Mission Value
Stand Down                        1.5
Exploration                         1.5
Reinforce Fleet                    1.5
Scout                                 1.5
Hide                                   0.0
Garrison                             1.5
Defend System                   1.5
All other fleet missions        3.0

Government Freighter Policy

The Government Freighter Policy can be in one of two states: Noneand Regulate.

When the policy is "None," nothing happens. The government reliesupon the laws of supply and demand to stabilize potentially volatile freighterneeds. This option does not add to the Heavy Foot of Government, but themarket will take its own time reacting to fluctuations in demand. Thatmeans the ‘We Need’ based AI that manages that civilization will:
 

- Increase the supply of freighters (by optimizing populationgrowth, building up Space Port capacity, improving morale, squelching pirates,beefing up system security, and so forth) and/or
- Decrease the demand to use them (by "balancing" planets’ local populationsand/or economies so that they are more self-sufficient and require fewerfreighters to keep them supplied)
When the Government Freighter Policy is set to "Regulate," that governmentopts to interject itself into the natural workings of the marketplace andattempt to manage interstellar commerce. It will intervene immediatelyand either make up any shortfall in freighter capacity or tax any surplusin freighter supply whenever an imbalance between supply and demand occurs.

The down side to government regulation is, of course, a steady increasein bureaucracy as reflected by the 1/4 point per turn increase in The HeavyFoot of Government for every turn this policy is in effect. But here’swhat you get for it:
 

- The Imperial Treasury receives 2 AUs for every unused (surplus)freighter that turn.

- But the Imperial Treasury will have to cover that same cost (2 AUs* HFOG each) to make additional freighters available when demand for themexceeds supply. Of course, that automatically meets all the freighterdemand for that civilization that turn, but at what cost?

Designer’s Note: What you have is this: thelarger your Empire’s population, the easier it is to enjoy ‘specialized’planets (i.e., this one makes food, that one is a mining colony, this oneis all manufacturing, etc.) in a free market environment. That’s becauselarger populations and more Space Port capacity generate more freightersfor the Freighter Pool.

Empires with smaller populations will usuallyrequire more ‘balanced’ worlds; that is, ones where the food, mining, andmanufacturing all happen on the same planet. This will leave more freightersfor shuffling people around which, in turn, will optimize population growthand happiness (and that, in turn, will better afford planet specializationin the future.)

This simulates a natural evolution of economicdevelopment where one tends to generalize at first and then specializefor greater efficiency later on.