Here is an outline of the new trade rules:

Comments in General Discussion, please.

7.5 TRADE

7.5.1 A PC may invest in maritime trade ventures to gain income. The procedure is simple: he buys goods, chooses whether to transport them on ships he owns himself or on ships that are owned by someone else (usually an NPC), and selects a destination. The Umpire will report back the outcome of the venture.

7.5.2 Unless the trading venture falls victim to a natural or human catastrophe, the investor will get back a varying amount of income. In general, the greater the potential income, the greater the risk of disaster. Profits can also be affected by the degree of Roman control over, and her diplomatic relationship with the area the PC trades with.

7.5.3 The formulae used to calculate the maximum potential income a trading venture could generate is:
Income = Amount Invested that survives the trip x Trade Modifier of area traded x Distance Rating of area traded with x Control Modifier for area traded with plus the original cost of the surviving cargo.

7.5.4 The actual income earned by a trading venture depends on the impact (if any) of natural disasters (see 7.5.8.2) and pirate attacks (see 7.5.9) and corn rebellions (see 2.5.1).

7.5.5 Factors that have an impact on the income a PC receives from trading ventures include:

7.5.5.1 The type and amount of goods involved.

7.5.5.2 Who owns the ships that carry the goods. (If the ships carrying the goods are owned by an NPC, the investing PC receives a share in the income generated by the trading venture. This share consists of an amount equal to his surviving cargo plus one-half the profit generated by the venture.)

7.5.5.3 The cargo capacity of the ships.

7.5.5.4 The distance between the trade site and Rome.

7.5.5.5 The season of the year.

7.5.5.6 The diplomatic status between Rome and the area traded with.

7.5.5.7 The degree of Roman control over the area traded with.

7.5.5.8 (Bulk cargo only:) Whether or not a corn rebellion occurred in the previous Game Turn.
 

7.5.6 TYPES OF TRADE GOODS.


7.5.6.1 There are three types of trade goods: bulk, standard, and luxury.

7.5.6.2 Each type of trade goods takes up a different amount of cargo space aboard ship. The amount a PC can invest in a trade venture is limited to the cargo capacity of the ship(s) carrying his trade goods.

7.5.6.3 Each type of trade goods also has a different affect on the probability that a percentage of trade income will be lost to marauding scoundrels.

 

Cargo type	Maximum investment a ship can carry	Pirate attack Probability
Bulk	Limited to half the purchase price of the carrying ship.	5%
Standard	Equal to the purchase price of the carrying ship	10%
Luxury	Equal to twice the purchase price of the carrying ship	20%


7.5.6.4  The pirate attack probability is halved for EACH legion present within the area with which a PC is trading.


7.5.7 TRADE SHIPS.


7.5.7.1 If the ships carrying the goods are owned by the PC, he receives all income generated by the trading venture.

7.5.7.2 In addition to the initial purchase price, ship owners must pay a monthly maintenance cost for each ship they own as follows:

 

Type	Purchase Price	Monthly Maint. Cost	Sale Value April-Sept	Sale Value Mar & Oct	Sale Value Nov-Feb
Small Transport	1000 D	100 D	1000D	750D	500D
Large Transport	1800 D	180 D	1800D	1350D	900D


7.5.7.3  PCs of the patrician class who own transport ships have their starting Family Reputation value cut in half PERMANENTLY.

7.5.7.4 A player may sell ships owned by his PC for their current market value by e-mailing the Umpire his desire to do so.  Ships may not be sold in the same month in which they are used for a trade.
 

7.5.8 DISTANCE RATING.

 In the world of Imperium, each area has a rating for its distance from Rome.

7.5.8.1 For trade purposes, the farther a trade destination is from Rome, the higher the income a PC can receive. Distance ratings are listed in the Imperium Gazetteer.

7.5.8.2 The distance factor multiplied by ten (10) equals the probability that a percentage of income from a trading venture will be lost due to a natural hazard (e.g., storms at sea) or some joke by the gods. This probability is increased by 50% in  "half-season" months (October and March) and DOUBLED during "winter" months (November, December, January, February).

7.5.8.3 Note that both income and the ships involved in a trade venture may be lost to natural hazards.


In calculating the above risks of disaster the umpire makes two rolls of a D100.  The first is for the fleet, the second on a per-ship basis.  Rolls of 1 to 5 on a D100 lead to a total loss of the fleet due to some terrible disaster or act of the gods.  Similarly rolls of 90 or higher lead to a total safe arrival of all goods and ships.  Rolls in between these two number ranges give rise to the second series of rolls on a D100 on a ship by ship basis.  For those ships that fail the second die rolls a further die is rolled to ascertain whether just the cargo is lost or both ship and cargo.  This is a straight 50/50 chance.


7.5.9 PIRATES & ETC.


7.5.9.1 The probability that a percentage of income from a trading venture will be lost due to pirates, brigands, dockworkers with sticky fingers, bribe-seeking officials, and the like is equal to the Pirate Attack Probability of the goods being transported.

7.5.9.2 The Pirate Attack Probability is halved for a trade venture whose destination is in an area controlled by Rome IF the number of Roman warships of any type SPECIFICALLY assigned by the Senate to PIRACY PATROL the area is at least equal to five times (5x ) the area's Distance Rating, dropping fractions.  Ships in the area on other duties do NOT affect the risk.

7.5.9.3 The Pirate Attack Probability is increased by 50% if the current diplomatic posture of the trading area toward Rome is "Neutral."

7.5.9.4 The Pirate Attack Probability is increased by 100% (i.e., doubled) if the current diplomatic posture of the trading area toward Rome is "Strained."


7.5.9.5 The Pirate Attack Probability is increased by 200% (ie quadrupled) if the ships must pass through or adjacent to areas AT WAR with Rome or with the destination country.

7.5.9.6 Note that both income and the ships involved in a trade venture may be lost to pirate attacks. 

In calculating the above risks of pirate attack and theft the umpire makes two rolls of a D100.  The first is for the fleet, the second on a per-ship basis.  Rolls of 1 to 5 on a D100 lead to a total loss of the fleet due to some terrible loss.  Similarly rolls of 90 or higher lead to a total safe arrival of all goods and ships.  Rolls in between these two number ranges give rise to the second series of rolls on a D100 on a ship by ship basis. For those ships that fail the second die rolls a further die is rolled to ascertain whether just the cargo is lost or both ship and cargo.  This is a straight 50/50 chance.

7.5.10 ROMAN CONTROL & TRADE.

Trade income is affected by the level of control Rome has over the area with which the PC is trading as follows:

7.5.10.1 The Control Modifier = 1 if ALL the area is Roman or Roman-Controlled (ROM or RCON), Roman colonies (COL).  (i.e., all cities in the area are Roman cities, Roman colonies or Roman Controlled).

7.5.10.2 The Control Modifier = .9 if ALL the cities in an area are ALLIED with Rome.  (i.e., all cities in the area are ALLIED with Rome).

7.5.10.3 The Control Modifier = .75 if a majority of the cities in the area are controlled by, colonized by, or allied with Rome (as above).

7.5.10.4 The Control Modifier = .5 if a majority of cities in the area are NOT controlled by, colonized by, or allied with Rome (as above).

7.5.10.4 No trade is possible with any area that is at war with Rome, or in rebellion against Rome.