Subtopic	Posts		Updated
	Archive through March 14, 2018	25		03/14 01:32pm

If Orions are unlikely to get a lot of opportunities to get a mercenary contract it would be unlikely that they would worry too much about their merc reputation. Given the choice between an easy score because I know a planet's defenses and can circumvent them and the small possibility I might miss out on a merc contract later I think most would choose the latter.

If I wanted a solid merc contract with the Orions I would go to the cartel lord and not an independent. His or her reputation would be more important. I am guessing this is how the LDR got their squadron and probably how the Romulans got theirs. Still difficult though. You have to pay enough to match the increased risks of mercenary duty and the proceeds of the lost piracy.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 - 11:54 am: Edit

The three ships that were part of the LDR Mercenary Squadron were the Raider Cruiser "Los Insurgentes," Light Raider "Infidel" (destroyed by the Klingons in Y157) and the Light Raider "Unbeliever." All three were Daven Cartel ships (Cartel assets) and not independents. So while it is possible the commander of the squadron was a Lyran, and perhaps had some background with the Enemy's Blood Duchy, it is not necessarily the case. Would only become the case if someone created some historical background that was incorporated into the game universe that said as much.

Vincent Solfronk.

History is full of mercenary units that betrayed their renters. Changed sides for a better pay day, or what have you. It is not a matter of its happening all the time, but it does happen and is part of the risk involved in hiring mercenaries.

Also recognize that hiring an Orion Mercenary Ship from the Cartel means that the crew of the ship do not really have a say. Their loyalty is to the Cartel and they are there pursuant to the Cartel Lord's orders.

The reason a given independent contractor might hire out as a mercenary to defend a given planet could simply be a case that he (or she) has "fallen on hard times." Taking a mercenary contract may keep the ship operational (and again see comments above about the details being negotiated) and need a sinecure until she (or he) can get back on his (or her) feet.

By Jon Murdock (Xenocide) on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 - 12:16 pm: Edit

I also imagine spoils are lower on merc duty as compared to piracy. If I am crew on an independent ship would I rather make 300 quatloos a month guarding some planet or 500 quatloos a month looting freighters.

In addition, I am a pirate. If I signed up for this my main interest is probably money but there are other ways to make money as a skilled crewman so many probably also love the thrill of the hunt and setting up a good ambush and catching the big prize. If my captain hires out to the planet Nowheristan for garrison duty I find my shares of the wealth drop a bit, my days are boring, and the idiot governor is calling for us to do Defense Drill B for the 30th time. If someone came to me to discuss a plan regarding my captain and an unfortunate and completely unforseeable airlock accident I might be interested.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 - 01:09 pm: Edit

Jon Murdock:

It is always a matter of economics.

You may make less on mercenary duty, but be making more because you are not expending fuel patrolling looking for a freighter, running from "John Law," replacing expended ordnance, etc.

By Jon Murdock (Xenocide) on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 - 01:32 pm: Edit

This may not be the right place to ask but I am working on an Orion Pirate campaign which is why I have followed this. I am working on maintenance costs for the various option mounts (in addition to the larger base cost of the ship) and I have put gatling phasers at the top with heavy weapons and phaser 1 mounts about the same. I am putting plasma-D racks, drone racks, and phaser 2s and 3s at the bottom so ideally the costs of the drone or plasma D replacements make it about the same as other heavy weapons assuming they are used.

Are there any glaring inconsistencies there with SFU canon?

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 - 02:35 pm: Edit

Jon Murdock;

Things are supposedly a little more complex than that.

The Orions obviously do some manufacturing (they build ships Interceptors and PFs after all) and have a network of bases providing things like fuel and repairs.

But the Orions do not just say "these are the best weapons" and fit their ships with those.

Cartels have home territories and operating zones which define the most common weapons (beyond phasers) to be found on the ships in a given Cartel's territory.

Thus no Cartel claims Hydran space as "home territory." Thus the supply of phaser-Gs is limited (Hamilcar and Daven have Hydran space as their "operating zones"). The only other location with phaser-Gs (the Federation) has an extremely limited number of them.

So an Orion ship in Penzance Cartel space is likely to have more trouble maintaining phaser-Gs than the same ship operating in Daven Cartel space, but a ship in Daven Cartel space is likely to have more trouble maintaining plasma-F torpedoes than the same ship in Penzance Cartel space.

By Jon Murdock (Xenocide) on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 - 03:01 pm: Edit

So maintenance should scale based on the home and operating territory? Makes sense. I was going to make availability based on home and operating percentages and maintenance on the weapon type but should probably scale the foreign weapons up.

Am leaning towards trying this in the Daven cartel because it gives a large variety of opponents (Klingon, Federation, Kzinti, Lyran, LDR, and Hydran) and the only items that will be rare will be plasma torpedos (and cloaking devices).