Hello everyone

I was concerning about trade routes.

What exactly are they? I mean, let's check 282 p. In requirements we've got words, vaults, brokers etc. but... who exactly transporting goods? Do we have to found ANOTHER ship which will going there and back all times? It's risky also time works different in warp so another captain can just fool us, because no one will check quickly how the trade is going.

Or do we have to do it by ourselves? But what if someone want ongoing trading? We need more ships in this case but it's hard at the beginning of the game.

Have you got any ideas how to perform ongoing trade between worlds without involving our own ship more than one time (making a warp route) ? Especially if we have only one ship. How the trade EXACTLY looks ?

Btw: And why do we need brokers?

Regards

There are various kinds of chartist traders - people with a merchant ship and an imperial licence granting them a certain degree of autonomy. Most of them are bound to a route outlined in their charter while some are allowed to do business as they want. Many Rogue Traders that don't have a fleet themselves will probably have standing deals with this kind of chartist captain. The RT sells their rights on a trading route (oftentimes merely the knowledge of its existence) in return for a share of the profits.
As for betrayal... sure, the chartist captain could betray you. One time. Once word gets out, he'll have trouble ever getting a contractor to trust him again. And then there's that extremely well-connected guy with a warship, lots and lots of freedom from the law when it comes to protecting his interests and a vested interest of showing his peers what happens to people who think they can cross him.

In a specific endeavor, brokers may be needed because you don't want to spend half a year searching for people who actually want the goods you're offering. You simply send an astropathic message ahead, telling your broker what you will have to sell. Then while you're travelling to the planet, he'll be busy searching customers. Thus, when you finally arrive, he simply hands you the list, gets his provision and you can go straight to unloading the cargo.

Thank you:) This is what I exactly asked. I didn't know about chartist captains but It has more sense now.

One more question:

"The RT sells their rights on a trading route (oftentimes merely the knowledge of its existence) in return for a share of the profits."

I don't get this point. I mean, what exactly are those "rights". Some sort of documents, papers etc.? As I see, it's about knowledge about :

1. Faster trade route than those "common"
2. People who will want to trade with those chartists captain (for example Zayth people from Lure of the Expansion.) It's like sharing our "contacts" with others, Am I correct?

I suppose that It will look the same with colonies.

Pretty much. Usually, you can sell the knowledge about a warp route or knowledge about what people are willing to buy or sell. In some cases, you may get planetary officials to make an exclusive deal with you, allowing no chartist traders to trade with the planet unless you allow them to. Obviously, you'll need to offer very favorable conditions to the planetary governor for that to be an option - unless you happened to be the one who got him into office in the first place.