The Dark Continent

[caddyman]

I have just tried, and failed, to work out how much it would have cost to mount an expedition for six Europeans into the African interior in 1860. Starting from Zanzibar, and travelling by way of Mombasa, with suitable numbers of bearers and askari, total travel time there and back, six months.

I am not sure whether it is google that has let me down, or my lack of imagination in search parameters.

I'm tired now, and I'm going to bed. If anyone has ideas for suitable resources, I'd be pleased to hear...

Comments

[thomryng.livejournal.com]

Whew... not much out there.

Some bits at http://www.savageandsoldier.com/articles/africa/NotesOnTheDarkContinent2.html, originally written for Space 1889 - it's mostly pay for porters and cooks and such.

Otherwise, only the sound of crickets chirping in the darkness.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Cor, thanks.

That's actually quite useful as I can extrapolate costs across the system. It's actually more for my benefit than the players' (at least immediately), but it should help them appreciate relative values. The illness and death rates will be useful, too.

And as for those damned drums...

[bibliogirl.livejournal.com]

It strikes me that somewhere in my father's _large_ collection of books relating to travel within Africa at that sort of time, there must be an answer to that. I'll see if he's got a few minutes to look something up.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

It's only for a table top RPG, so hardly important.

On the other hand, it has picqued my curiosity...

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

I wonder if this might be of use?

http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/k/kingsley/mary/west/chapter21.html

There is an example here from which you might be able to extrapolate, though as far as I know, Mary's travels were in West Africa. I think if you try to find the word '3000' or 'Coomassie' you will find yourself quickly near the beginning of the paragraph I mean, though there might be other bits and pieces about expenditure and travel one could use/adapt.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Coo, Ta.

I'm not sure that it's immediately what I was after, but there's lots of other good stuff there to plunder... heh. ;-)

From one GM to another

[jfs.livejournal.com]

From my perspective, I'd ask what difference does it make to the game to have an exact (or even rough) idea of the cost?

I run from a dramatist point of view rather than a simulationist one, and for me, the important questions in a similar situation would be

Do I want them to run out of food?
If so, where?
If not, where else is the tension going to come in the story we're telling together?

If, on the other hand, you're more comfortable knowing - compare the different amount of preparation that myself and forbinproject put in to a game which is pretty much all about comfort levels - I'm happier winging it than he is ... - then you should do what it takes to make you relax and enjoy GMing the story.

But, pedantic though we all are, do remember that none of us are going to criticise if you get it a bit wrong - we've all run too many games for that.

And I like the setup of the game.

[jfs.livejournal.com]

This is scary:


Anglo-American Expedition For the Discovery of the
Nile and Congo Rivers 1874-1877
Deaths on Expedition
1 Typhoid
1 African Fever
2 Clear Scurvy
2 Overdose of opium
1 Smoking Cannabis sativa, or wild hemp
53 Battle and murder
14 Drowned
45 Small pox
5 Arrested for stealing
1 Childbirth
1 Became insane
2 Ulcers
9 Starvation
1 Lost in jungle
173 Total Deaths

http://www.stanleyandlivingstone.org/explore.asp

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Cripes.

That's about 4 a month; I'd best make sure the party has loads of bearers just to give the six of you a statistically better chance of getting through it all (relatively) unscathed>

[jfs.livejournal.com]

though admittedly, that was a much bigger expedition - they were trying to find a river - we're only trying to find a missionary.

I'd wonder how representative it is because looking at it, running out of food ranks about as highly as falling pregnant in terms of risk.

Looks like fighting and disease are our main worries.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Looks like fighting and disease are our main worries.

Maybe. Maybe not... ;-)

That said, you can safely rule out pregnancy unless somebody plays her character with rather more abandon than I am expecting...

[itsjustaname.livejournal.com]

*innocent look*

Could be interesting...

*grin*

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I shall need to have a short chat with you before the game starts on Thursday to refine the character I've generated. She is awaiting the rest of the group to join her in Mombassa, so she hasn't done anything irreversible yet. And no one knows what she looks like.

Although I had to give them a name. You will be playing one Miss Kate Bassett.

[itsjustaname.livejournal.com]

No problem. I'm looking forward to starting the new game. Although the death stats jfs posted were rather alarming! *grin*

wot John Sed

[forbinproject.livejournal.com]

For me, not interested in managing resources - not my thing in a game. If the supplies issue is part of the story, then I'm happy to simply be told what's going on. My preference isn't for a game where the whole supplies/bearers thing takes precedence. I'm more interested in stories and action meself. Will be happy if it's entirely abstracted.

Re: wot John Sed

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, I only wanted to know to give the game colour. I doubt I can be bothered to keep track of all the resources, either.

That said, I need to work out some idea of how big the expedition is, and have some idea of what it is carrying, especially concerning the equipment items which the players need to choose - canoes, tents, tables, portable libraries, trade goods, etc. I shall assume that you have enough food and supplies, plus bearers to undertake the mission as planned. I can work out how many that is, quite quickly.

Once those are decided, I shan't bother the players with them again until it becomes dramatically important.

And it will. Trust me.