Fudgerylog

[This article is in support of my project to design an unofficial (and free) Fudge role-playing game adaptation of Star Trek: The Original Series.]

Lest I give a false impression, there is far more to Federation spacefaring than the ships of Star Fleet. The more densely populated areas of Federation Space and the more active trade routes are busy with the traffic of a multitude of starships of various designs manufactured by the competing shipbuilding companies of a multitude of worlds. There are ore freighters, cargo freighters, mining ships, passenger liners, yachts, survey vessels, research vessels, and more. Some are privately owned by individuals or corporations; others are owned by planetary governments. The Federation has a thriving economy amongst its member planets and via trade outside the Federation, and Star Fleet is there to protect the trade routes as well as the planets themselves. There have, at times, been conflicting views on the nature of the Federation’s economy, but there is substantial evidence within Star Trek: The Original Series that there is trade, private enterprise, and a monetary system even if there is also a more enlightened view of society’s responsibilities to the welfare of its citizens. Thus, Star Fleet is powerful, but not as numerous as the civilian shipping it protects.