| From: | David Hinkley dhinkley@***.org |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Vehicle Street Indexes (long) |
| Date: | Thu, 11 Feb 1999 18:16:01 -0800 |
explanation for "Street Index" contained in the Shadowrun
Rulebook is as follows:
"The cost of items in the Gear List is the legal retail cost. The
Street Index...comes in to play when calculating the effects of the
black market (where 99.9 percent of all deals involving
shadowrunners will take place). The Street Index effects the price
of the item if purchased through the shadow or gray markets."
[SR3 p272]
This description does not seem to work with the sale of vehicles
very well.
Consider Civilian Vehicles, sales transactions can be divided in to 7
types:
New Purchased from a dealer at or close to list price.
Used Purchased from a dealer or private party at a mutually
agreeable price (1-90% of list price when new, depending on
vehicles age, condition and desirability)
Wholesale Purchased from a manufacture or broker at less then
list price or market value
Collector/Custom Purchased from current owner (1 to !! times list
price when new, depending on vehicles age, condition, availability
and desirability) One of a kind vehicles command one of a kind
prices.
Stolen for resale Purchased from a legitimate appearing source at
same price as an equivalent new or used vehicle sold by a legal
seller.
Hot Purchased from car thief. Price would be a small fraction of
the new or market price depending on how hot the car is. One
taken with the motor still warm, from long term parking at the
airport would have greater value then one taken from in front of the
local McDs.
Black Market This is a vehicle which while legal to own and drive
has no legal source within the country. An example would be
western European Cars in the Soviet Union. Or when the vehicle is
legal but the buyer is not legally permitted to own or purchase. The
price would be what ever the market would bear.
Of these types the first 4 are legal transactions, the fifth has all the
appearance of a legal transaction (including title documents) and
only the last two seem to fit the books concept of "black or gray
market" and the index for each would be radically different. There
is also one variation to all of the above, where the purchaser of
record is not the real purchaser. That is someone with a SIN acts as
a front for someone without one.
To put it into game terms I would evaluate the transaction,
determine which of the above best fits and then adjust the vehicle's
availability, condition and price as follows:
New use the book/ calculated price, availability and consider the
vehicle to be in top condition. Near the end of the model year (July-
September) raise the availability and lower the price 2-10%. (i.e. "I
am sorry I can not get you one in Blue..but I can give you a good
deal on this fully equipped Green on that I have on the lot")This
price modification should not be permitted during character
generation.
Used Adjust the price and condition downward. (Note: for best
effect the GM should privately record the vehicles true condition,
and tell the players whatever best fits the story line.) Availability
should be adjusted according to the specificity of the order, that is a
low mileage, red, 2056, Americar with factory air, and the 5 liter
engine should be harder to get then a small compact car but much
easer then a 1968 Shelby Mach 1 Mustang.
Wholesale This should be limited to those with special contacts in
the area of car or vehicle sales. Availability should be slightly higher
then normal but the price 70-90% of list. When using this option
GMs should remember that a contact at a Ford dealership can't
normally get Nissans.
Collectable/Custom This is clearly a GM call. Prices are clearly
market and demand driven.
Stolen for resale Treat these just like a new or used, but record a
rating as to how good a job was done generating the documentation
and covering the fact the car was stolen. Every time the vehicle
comes to the attention of the authorities (police DMV, insurance
agents/adjustors or car dealers) role against the rating. Fail the roll,
and you lose the car and gain the attention of the police.
Hot Quarter the "book" availability then adjust the availability
target number upward to reflect the specificity of the request and
the immediacy of need. The price should be from 100 neuyen to
10% of book depending on how hot and the specificity of the
request. Stolen to order costs more.
Black Market Use the "book" system.
As to Military and Security Vehicles, even today a resident of the
United states can buy a tank (without armament) if he can find a
seller, and armored limousine can be bought by anyone with the
money. For this reason I would put the legal purchase of a disarmed
tank, APC or the like into the Collectable/Custom category (maybe
used for a real junker, sold for scrap) Surplus military transport
vehicles would be treated as a Used or Stolen for resale vehicle
depending on source. Unarmed Security vehicles should be handled
as normal civilian vehicles. Non-legitimate transactions involving
armed military and security class vehicles fall in to either the Hot or
Black Market categories.
David Hinkley
dhinkley@***.org
