The Interstellar Master Traders - Guide

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Contents

[edit] Overview

Situation vacant: major instellar mining conglomerate requires new CEO to aggressively expand our portfolio of planets suitable for conversion to raw minerals. Successful applicant must be experienced in aggressive asset acquisition, strategic trade negotiations to neutralise potential rivals, and efficient elimination of competition.

Although IMT can be played as a traditional fighting "race", it is really a cynical corporation. It cannot build farms and relies on trading for food (or agrodome hulls), or converting natives and prisoners to food with its Protein Scoop-equipped Sloane 24x24 Ranger. Using its Metals Exchange, it converts minerals to mc. Increasing Planetary HD Stress with ship devices, you can create new metals, at the risk of blowing up planets. Once they've become Asteroid Fields you can mine the remains but they don't form new minerals, so there are incentives to "cycle" through planets as quickly as possible and acquire more territory by building a fleet. Sometimes neighbours can be persuaded to share planets and the resultant loot.

Whilst other players engage in petty interracial squablles over territory, IMT rises above such concerns and concentrates on its core business - converting planets into megacredits. This can occasionally lead to friction with potential clients who accuse IMT of deliberately denying other races resources by destroying what IMT cannot use itself. This is of course complete nonsense: IMT simply subscribes to a more efficient, advanced business model. If other less enlightened races cannot use the asteroid belts remaining after IMT helpfully processes planets, that is hardly IMT's fault. It's not as if IMT is deliberately encouraging Chupanoid plagues, exterminating natives or destroying planets to deny others what they cannot use themselves.

IMT can move planets, and rearrange the map.

IMT is unsuitable for:

IMT is not suitable for games where hull trading and allying are not allowed.

Because IMT relies on trading, and has some big weaknesses, it is not recommended for new players. Because it has some unique strengths and role playing opportunities, it is interesting for experienced players.

[edit] Strengths

  • Metals Exchange structure converts metals to mc. Rate is
    • 1kT Dur --> 2mc
    • 1kt Trit --> 3mc
    • 1kt Moly --> 4mc
  • Great Pyramid hull can tow planets and even entire fleets at speed 180 with the Spindizzy
  • Type 2 mech (Sloane 24x24 Ranger) has "Protein Scoop" device which converts natives and prisoners to food.
  • Type 3 mech (Driller Killer) mines and smelts 30kT of ore per turn.
  • Due to being a space based race, IMT is semi immune to boarding lasers, like Crystals. (Staff usually wear vacuum suits in ships as they are poorly maintained.)
  • Chup mercenaries: Chupanoids join bases as troops if there are troops / HG aleady present.
  • IMT can live on asteroid fields.
  • London Class Cruiser has Grav Well Generator, Reticulian Med Lab (converts natives to food, mc and supplies) and Bullistic Battle Computer (improves 500mm gun and antimatter gun).
  • Race has a +40% chance to hit when set to "Ram" - ie for weapon fire - this is a double edged bonus as it is usually a bad idea to Ram ships larger than you!
  • Race is immune to unhappiness effects of Mineral Mines
  • IMT government centres transfer money to ANY player's central account, depending on command code for the base where the gov centre is built. The Bank of IMT gets a 25% commission on this transaction. For example if you wish to transfer 4,000mc to player 7, set the base's CC to "007". He gets 4,000gc and 1,000mc remains in the base. This can be the basis for many mutually beneficial trade deals.

[edit] Weaknesses

  • No Farms - needs to trade for food or destroy natives
  • No minelayers, cloakers, hyperships (though these can be traded for)
  • Chance of Chup (troop) mutinies if base happiness falls below 40

[edit] Starships

  • The race has an elegant, compact ship list.
  • Most IMT combat units are slow, unspecialised things, not the best in combat - it's a trading company The V.O.F. is touted as an "unarmed civilian vesel" (actually it is pretty effective when set to Ram).
  • IMT relies on using its financial muscle to buy quantity, not quality.

[edit] Strategies

Increase planets' HD stress with ship devices to generate more minerals. Sell excess metals for cash. Trade for food, minelayers etc. Deny resources to rivals by by destroying natives, planets, and other stuff with ship devices. Few people wish to invade a zone consisting mainly of asteroid belts. Strive for Metals Exchange (Planet tech 6) ASAP to generate cash.

[edit] Enemies

There are only potential clients. Anyone who is more interested in fighting is simply unaware of the win-win possibilities of IMT synergetic trade deals. Occasionally, recedivist neighbours need to be persuaded to release unrealised assets.

[edit] See also

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