An Idea for moving stackables through space - Safely

I got to thinking about this issue following the postings on another thread.
Why would players want to move items from one planet to another through space?

Where there is the choice of paying someone to transport them (and you) safely.
Or, if you were that way inclined, to play the part of a blockade runner or, even taking your chances of avoiding the mobile RBTs after you had a skinfull.
As well as the cost (and potential misery if caught) there is the time involved & the mucking about of finding someone to transport you at a convenient time for transporter & transportee.
Not to mention the quantities involved if there are weight limits.

There can be all sorts of reasons for moving stackables.

But the main reason, I think, is crafting, how many times on Caly or Monria, you don't have what is needed - you do have those materials back on another planet.

Real Life can provide an answer I think - it is a system that was used in the Middle Ages, with its wall to wall robbers, pirates & even tax obsessed rulers, to transfer valuable items (gold) from say London to Cairo. Jewish banks made fortunes on this.

It was Letters of Credit. A merchant needed to get say 1000 peds to purchase something in Cairo (probably slaves, they weren't all black you know).
He would go to the London office of the Bank, the Banker there would give him a letter addressed to the Cairo branch. The merchant would present the letter at the Cairo office and the banker there would give him his 1000 peds (less any fees I guess).

Here you would need;
Someone with Reputation, and enough money to set this system up.
The time to stay here nearly 24/7 - are there any people who spend huge swathes of time here?
And know the prices of goods - like here is not a game so much as a way of life and a job.
They would have to take into account prices of transporting as well as any potential benefits through price differentials between markets on different planets

To start with, it would not require offices on every planet catering for every type of goods - just the ones in most demand.
It should not affect the income of the players transporting people between planets - thay would stiff have 2 move, just not their lootables

There are banks here already - this could be an additional service.

Unless of course, this has already been considered & discarded

I would be interested in what people think about this

 

Following discussions with other players in game who did not follow how system worked.
I could have explained things more clearly = so'

A player has 1000 gold in his inventory at Arkadia and he need to get this gold to Monria and maybe also Calypso to craft something for the crafting missions at those places.

He goes to the Arkadia office of a "bank" and exchanges the 1000 gold for a promise he can redeem it at any of the banks" offices.
He flies to Monria and is attacked by pirates who seize the dung he forgot to remove from his personal inventory - but obviously not the promise.

He arrives eventually at Monria and receives 600 gold from the bank which he places in his planetary storage.

Some days later he flies to Caly and even though telling lurking pirates at the SS there he has no lootable items - nevertheless they destroy his ship just to check.
Finally at Caly he visits the office of the bank there and takes the rest of the gold.

Obviously it can be any lootable item that the bank has stockpiles of at each office.

 

People currently achieve that for minimal cost using the auction house. List your stuff at a price you wouldn't mind selling or well above so nobody likely picks it up, 1 day only, minimal duration. Travel. When it expires, take the 2 ped delivery.

 

Doh!!
San I had no idea
I had assumed that if they were not taken up, the goods would just be returned to the planetary inventory they were taken from.
I wish I had been aware of this earlier on so thank you
I will be taking advantage of this to the full in future.
Looks like Posthistory was inadvertently correct when he stated there is always a benefit in rehashing old issues.

 

I do this sometimes, and I wonder when I see items on ah at silly high MU if that is somebody doing the same who definitely doesn't want to sell lol

Of course if you had 5 items or stacks then the 10 ped total plus planet entry starts to make a MS trip look more and more sensible.

 

Depending on what you put in auction (such as if it is heavy and or very large quantity) the delivery fee can be more than 2 ped. So maybe this service you are suggesting Louise is still a really good idea. Someone or group may beable to compete with the auction to do this. I would definitely be interested if someone can sort out a business model more economical then auction.

 

Don't you still pay the listing fee if it doesn't sell?

 

Yes.

I also do this, but if the stacks are large there is no profits in it to do it, but if its rare and you don't want to loose it, it is then worth it.

Louise the "promise" idea you talk of is todays RL "Cheque" that banks use and banks to this day still call cheques promises.
Your idea has merit and what your suggesting does indeed exists in game already they are called traders(Independent Banks). you give them a good at one location for a price, then go to another location and purchase a good from another trader, the price difference would be the "fee". The only difference is you don't carry paper and your PED Card carries the promise.

 

If only there was a trader where you need 'em. Some have honestly tried on the outer planets and found it not worth their time.

 

Yes and I think people that would have to invest money's to own some kind of bank would also find this to be the same case...
The more people use services like traders the more they are incline to continue.

 

Only this doesn't work in practice. "Build it and they'll come" is therefore a motto more often heard in the tech world. But it requires enormous financial and testicular fortitude. Customers don't build a service which isn't there and functioning reliably. A service provider does.

 

PostHistory, what you mentioned above is one of the alternatives you mentioned in your thread.
It is a normal commercial transaction where you sell items on one planet, travel through space to another & then buy those same items.
From what San said, it may be the only practical solution (may be that is)
The problems I saw was finding a buyer on planet A & then finding a seller on planet B. To me that seems frustrating & fiddley, but I have little experience in this. If one had a list of contacts, buyers & sellers - then it may well be more straightforward.

I was thinking of a method that was more straightforward, not a cheque - a bank cheque; bankers draft; letter of credit arrangement.
Where the only parties were the merchant & a banker. That's where the Reputation comes into play- as it all depends on honouring a promise.

 

After some time in this game that is possible.

To tell the truth I am currently working my way to being able to supply such an option... But of course it will attract fee's.
I would not have to be on any planet to supply. I only need to be on planet to receive.