Lords of Ether (20th Anniversary Edition) Trade
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14.Trade
Trade is an integral part of international relations. High profile, high cost items like war machines, high technology and rare resources are dealt with on an individual deal-by-deal basis; these rules describe the day-to-day movement of luxuries and non-essentials that can truly enrich the commercially inclined.
Similarly, many wealthy powers supplement their industry with components and low-end consumer goods brought from elsewhere.
Each unit of Trade Goods takes 1 Industry or Ether to produce, and takes up 5,000 cargo points. These Trade Goods convert to Wealth when delivered to a Customer. The ratio of Trade Goods to Wealth is determined by the trade Return.
Return is determined by four factors – the relative Wealth, Industry or Ether of the Trader and Customer, relative Advancement, exotic resources, and distance covered. These are added together as a series of percentages, whose cumulative total determines the profit or Return. Different types of trade will be differently affected by different factors.
Basic Return
The basic Return (+0 Return) of Trade Goods to Wealth is 1:1. For every +1 Return, the Trader adds +1/4th of a wealth unit per trade good If a trade shipment method is particularly economical to operate (IE a ship using sails or star sails, or geode power) gain +1 return regardless of what type of trade it is.
High-Value Trade
This trade represents the movement of high-end finished goods, luxury items and the like. It is primarily determined by relative wealth, advancement and distance covered. A power may absorb up to 1 unit of luxury goods for every point of population, and gains one free point of public order payment for doing so.
Wealth
If the Trader has a greater Wealth per-month (including any Population bonuses) than the Customer then they gain +1 return. If the Trader has a Wealth-per-month more than twice that of the Customer they gain a +2 Return. If the Trader has a Wealth-per-month more than three times that of the Customer they gain a +3 Return.
If the Trader also has both industry and ether production higher than the custom they gain +1 additional return.
Advancement
If the Trader has at least one Advancement Category at least one level higher than the same Category of the Customer they gain +1 return. If the trader has double or more higher than the same Category of the Customer they gain +2 Return, providing it is higher than one. If the Trader has a technomagic/magitech fusion and the Customer does not, the Trader automatically gains +3 Return.
If a customer has a 0 in a category in which a trader has at least 1, due to ineptitude then that is a further +1 return.
Distance
If the one-way distance from Trader to Customer is greater than 10 Great Leagues the Trader gains a +1 return. If the distance is greater than 20 Great Leagues the Trader gains a +2 Return. If the Distance is greater than 40 Great Leagues the Trader gains a +3 Return. Other factors
Particularly prestigious events, such as the construction of major monuments or certain stories may make goods from a planet in particular demand. The total of all these plusses gives the total Return in Wealth on each unit of Trade Goods delivered. Thus a Trader with a Return of +4 with a Customer would get 2 WU for every unit of Trade Goods, while one with a Return of +12! Would gain a whopping 4 WU for every unit of trade Goods.
Bulk Goods Trade
Bulk trade goods represent cheap consumer goods, components and resources like textiles and so on which a less wealthy and technologically advanced power may trade with a stronger. They are less profitable than luxury goods, but can still produce a good return. Bulk goods may be used to pay public order, but may instead be used to supplement local industry at a rate of 2 trade goods to 1 industry. This is less efficient than shipping raw resources but generates returns for the constructing power.
It is primarily determined by relative industry, wealth and advancement. Distance does not matter significantly for bulk good deliveries.
Industry
If the Trader has a greater industry-per-month (including any Population bonuses) than the Customer then they gain +1 return. If the Trader has an industry-per-month more than twice that of the Customer they gain a +2 Return.
If the Trader has less wealth per month than the Customer gains an additional +1 return.
Population
If the Trader has a greater population than the Customer then they gain +1 return. If the Trader has a population more than twice that of the Customer they gain a +2 Return.
If the Trader has more than a third of their population unhoused, they gain an additional +1 return.
Advancement
If the Trader has at least one Advancement Category at least one level higher than the same Category of the Customer they gain +1 return. If the Trader has at least one Advancement Category within 50 RP of the Customer, gain +1 return. These bonuses stack.
Raw Resources
Industry may be converted to produce raw resources at a rate of 1 industry for 1 raw resource. When fed to another point of industry, each point of raw resources doubles its efficiency, allowing it to produce 2 points of industry instead of one. Converting industry to produce raw resources only takes 1 year.
Raw resources do not naturally generate returns for the supplying power, but payment may be arranged, or their production may be coerced.
Black Market Goods
A great deal of profit can be made by the shipment of commonly recognized illegal goods, such as harmful drugs, banned weapons, restricted entertainment and suchlike. What determines whether goods are Black Market or not depends on the society into which they are being smuggled, but all societies have something they consider prohibited.
There are a number of advantages to Black Marketeering: Such shipments are usually of greater value, needing smaller sizes and thus taking up only 1,000 Cargo Points per Trade Unit (though still costing 1 Industry to produce). On top of the normal calculations for High-Value Return, the Return on the Black Market is always at least +2, rising to +4 for goods delivered to Dissatisfied populations, and +6 for goods delivered to Angry or Rebellious populations. Such deliveries also do not require any consent or agreement from the Customer. The Trader can deliver as much as they can move as often as they can move it.
On top of all other considerations, this means a fantastic Return, but it does have a down side. Unlike normal Trade, Black Marketeering has no benefit to the Customer. In fact it cancels out points of Civil Order Upkeep on a one-for one basis, actually harming the society. This means that a Power will always try to stamp out the Black Market, or at least limit its operation if it is at all able. This isn't necessarily easy. Black Market goods can be hidden amongst normal legitimate shipments, or smuggled in by bribing corrupt officials or simply by sneaking around customs entirely. There is however a point of saturation; when a society is so awash in illicit goods that further deliveries bring no more profit. This comes when the number of Black Market goods delivered in a year equals the population rating (per million people) of a Power. This fight for limited consumers can lead to quite vicious crime wars between rival Black Marketers as they attempt to destroy each others shipments, bases of operations and networks of distribution.
The maximum limit of Trade Goods is not affected by Black Market Goods, and vice versa, even a society flush with its maximum in Trade Goods can still accept its population rating in Black Market Goods as well.