TRAVELLER Digest 505

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Re: TRAVELLER digest 503 by library@dss.gov.au (DSS Library)
  2) RE: GDW and the Future by "Harold D. Hale" <hdhale@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>

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Date: Tue, 05 Dec 1995 17:16:49 -0600
From: library@dss.gov.au (DSS Library)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 503
Message-ID: <199512060313.RAA07568@babylon5.dss.gov.au>

Dear Folks -

1.DROP TANKS

Jyrki replied:
>No. I mean that they use the fuel in drop tanks to charge jump drives, drop
>tanks before jump, and jump using their normal displacement tons.

Ahh - other way around. This does make more sense, after thinking about it.
However, does the Gazelle work?

HG stats:
81t fuel internal, 100t in drop tanks

HG calculations:
J-1 Fuel = 10% * tonnage
PP Fuel = 1% * tonnage * pp-number(7)

Results Table:
                                  Tot Fuel  PP Fuel   Jump Fuel         Excess
300t, no tanks, no extra fuel     81t       21t       60t  @ 30t = j2   0
300t, tanks used and dropped      181t      21t       160t @ 30t = j5   10t
300t, tanks ONLY used & dropped   181t      21t       100t @ 30t = j3   70t
400t, with tanks, all fuel used   181t      21t*      160t @ 40t = j4   0
400t, with tanks, int fuel used   81t       21t*      40t  @ 40t = j1   120t
400t, with tanks, int fuel used#  81t+      tanks     80t  @ 40t = j2   101

~this is what was described by Jyrki. It can only jump out at j2, with
minimal pp fuel.
*in theory this should be 28t. Actually this is a slight cheat.
#assumes pp fuel is drawn from tanks, probably fuel in tanks is pumped back inside
during jump. This gives a small margin for error, as 21t is required (if you still
use the cheat calculation) for the pp and 80t for the return jump. If the tanks
are shot off, this could be a problem.

Can anyone do the same for the TNE version?

Phil replied:
>See the Tigress & Kokirrakk class in the old CT Fighting Ships supplement...

"Crumbs, DM!" I never noticed that! I'll have to tell Andrew Madden that his
flagship ain't so grand!

2.LEWIS

Lewis said:
>Quoting from RSB pg 76:
>Entry on Alkhailikoi, Caranda Aledon: "With the uniting of the Aledon and
>Alkhalikoi lines, the Aledon line will again be instrumental in placing an
>Alkhalikoi on the throne of a restored Imperium. "

Yes, I missed that throw-away line. The idea is that the Regency is just a
temporary measure between imperia, and Norris-Seldrian-Caranda are Regents in
the same way as Arbellatra was, before she ascended the throne as Empress.

3.MEGATRAVELLER ALIENS

"Vilani and Vargr" and "Solomani and Aslan" were part of a series by DGP to
flesh out alien races for MT. There were going to be two more, one about the
Zhos and Droyne (the Psionic Races) and the other about K'kree and Hivers
(the Weird Ones), but these were shelved when DGP stopped producing material.
I originally paid the exhobitant price of Au$26.95 for "Rats and Cats"
(approx. US$19) but remember this was the airmail price.

4.      FASA

FASA would not have been my first choice - DGP are still out there, somewhere.
Thank you, Harold, for clearing up a few things though. GDW sounds as though
they'll be there for a while longer - but I agree with your suggestions re
paying freelancers and creating a Web page. Maybe HIWG could get permission
for one - or possibly The Traveller Chronicle (who already have the "approved
by GDW" sticker)?

- Hyphen
(David Jaques-Watson)

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Date: Tue, 05 Dec 1995 10:48:46 -0500
From: "Harold D. Hale" <hdhale@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: RE: GDW and the Future
Message-ID: <s0c42474.075@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>

Benedict Wolf writes:

>If your debt/asset ratios are correct, GDW is _increasing_ its liabilities
>(or reducing equity).

   That would be true if the ratio were negative.  Here are the numbers
from which it was derived:

                                          1989                         1991
Current Assets ($)          369,787                    372,034
Current Liabilities ($)       215,444                     141,951

   This shows that GDW increased slightly its assets and decreased
significantly its liabilities.  I wish I had more current data, but none was
available from D&B--it seems that GDW was unwilling to provide it.

Lewis Roberts writes:

>Harold Hale told us about GDW's financial situation.   Thanks.  Pretty
>interesting stuff.  We should remember just because a company has
>hard times it isn't doomed.

   Absolutely.  Assuming that GDW doesn't have any major loans hanging
over its head, and they continued to reduce their liabilities as they did
back in 1991, they could continue to operate in this mode for some time
to come.

>So cheer up.

   There is no reason to be sad.  GDW hasn't gone anywhere yet,
nor should we assume that it is going to.  If anything will *absolutely*
kill GDW, it would be having the fans of its games conclude that the
company is done for and stop purchasing products.  If you like TNE,
Twilight: 2000, Command Decision, or any of GDW's other games, and
want GDW to continue to produce material for them,  the best thing you
can do  is to go out and buy a GDW product.  I for one recently put my
money where my mouth is, buying a few things that I had put off
purchasing for various reasons.

   And for those of you who support a FASA buy out of Traveller, I
recommend that you purchase TNE products now more than ever.  Why?
Quite simply, FASA is in the business of making money.  Do you
honestly expect them to buy a game that has no fan support?  In case
you were wondering, fan support in the gaming industry is measured
in unit sales, and FASA will show no interest in buying out a game title if
they can't be guaranteed to at least break even on the proposition.

David Elrick writes:

>Well, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but I understand that
>FASA  are currently dealing with some legal problems concerning their
>BATTLETECH  licence. Given the state of the US legal system, they'll be
>protecting any  free cash they have just in case they have to go to
>court. Because of this,  I don't imagine there'll be any help from that
>quarter - even if it's  required.

   What the heck is FASA supposed to have done wrong?  I didn't
think that they had to license the stuff they developed for Battletech.

>Your only hope (if Harold Hale does prove to be wrong), is possibly to
>arrange a Secret Service raid on GDW [well it worked for Steve
>Jackson!]*.  ;-)

   I would not wish a Federal raid on anyone, even in jest--well maybe
TSR, but they deserve it.  Their business practices are beyond infamous.

>Personally, I think we should be considering what we can offer to do to
>help  Frank and the others at GDW (assuming they even want our
>help!), rather than  picking over the corpse before it has even stopped
>breathing!

   Again, BUY GDW PRODUCTS.  It is the best thing that any of us can do.

Regards,

Harold

P.S.  Why yes, I do plan on getting back to talking about Traveller in the
near future.  I know what some of you are thinking.



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End of TRAVELLER Digest 505
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