
-------- TML Message #1139 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1139
Date:     Monday 19th March 1990 12:10:21 GMT
From: Alan Huscroft <ASSHUSCR%cms.am.cc.reading.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk>
Subject:  More thoughts about thrusters

Richard Johnson comments on my idea about rotating thruster plates:
 
> Actually, I think the big deal with fixed thruster plates is
> that GDW didn't want to figure out the physics of fully
> articulated thrusters.  I think it would be realy neat --
> you could run fast, stop on a dime, and perform marvelous
> acts of death-defying agility (a la Hawker Harriers).
 
This wasn't quite what I had in mind.  I was thinking more along the
lines of rotating the plates *slowly*, and probably turning off each
plate while you rotate it.  Since any naval architect worthy of the
name ought to install at least 2 plates on any vessel, you would
always have a minimum of 50% thrust even with one plate turned off.
Larger ships would have a whole series of plates which could be turned
off and rotated one at a time with only a small loss of thrust.
Thus the ship does not become super-agile or anything like that ...
just a little more comfortable to handle.
 
> I just can't justify any contraption that would be able to
> take the force and allow the thruster to move around inside
> the ship.  Not to mention what moving this big thing is
> going to do to your center of gravity and bending moments.
 
Why not have *retractable* bracing which could be taken out of the
way while the plate is switched off and rotating, and extended again
when it is in the desired position?  This would probably mean that
the plates could only be used in a few set orientations, as the
bracing allowed (e.g. aft-, belly- or forward-pointing).  Personally,
I feel that TL 14 engineering ought to be able to cope with this.
 
............................................................................
: Alan Huscroft              : Janet:    A.Huscroft@uk.ac.reading          :
: Reading, England           : Internet: A.Huscroft@reading.ac.uk          :
: 6-G takeoffs AND landings! : X-boat:   A.Huscroft@terra.sol.solomani_rim :
:............................:.............................................:
 
"Let's keep some aesthetic values in starship design ...
 ... and blow every Donosev class vessel out of the skies!" :-)

-------- TML Message #1140 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1140
From: plb@violin.att.COM
Subject: Vehicle Design
Date: Mon, 19 Mar 90 10:00:08 EST

Operating System: HP-UX A.B7.00 U
Organization: AT&T-BL, Red Hill System Administration Group (HRSAG)
Location: HR 1F138
Phone: (201) 615-4419
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.2 PL16]

[The TML has a few (half-dozen) starship designs in the archives.  If
anyone wishes to get them, send me mail asking for the Starship Design
Packages -- James <traveller-request@dadla.wr.tek.com>]

Does there exist somewhere an archive of MT starship designs?   I
would like to see some examples besides the ones in the MT Referee's
Guide.    I know about The Digest Group's offerings and (someday)
plan to order it.

I have (among 50 other projects I'm working on) started creating a
program (unix curses based) to aid in the design of MT starships.  
It will be a long time before it is ready for consumption though.


- -- 
- ------------------------------> Peter L. Berghold
        ----------------------> AT&T, HRSAG, +1 (201) 615-4419
             -----------------> INTERNET: plb@violin.att.com 
                    ----------> UUCP: {uunet!allegra|att}!violin!plb

-------- TML Message #1141 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1141
Subject: IFF, GIF and transferring files
Date: Tue, 20 Mar 90 09:04:34 +0000
From: Jim Cheetham <is_a063%ux.kingston.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk>

>   >If you can give me a Amiga IFF ILBM file, whatever that means, (or any of t
>
>       It means Interchange File Format InterLeaved Bit Map.
>

	OK Dan, Brent, I'll also mention that I can convert loadsa graphics
	formats, including colour to grayscale and straight b/w.
	But then again, it sounds like you all have got fbm, pbm, bmx et. al.
	(the conversion libraries)
	
	Only one new point to add - be *damn* careful when transferring
	images to/from each other ... make sure all files are transferred
	as binary images within FTP, or,if you're resorting to mailing
	them, find a mutual binary-to-ascii converter ...
	
	There's nothing worse than going through all the file transfers
	and conversions, and then finding that the original file was
	junked ...
	
	Rather like delivering an important passenger through thick & thin,
	taking loadsa risks to get them to their destination, and then
	finding that they die from a heart attack just before they pay ...
	and you don't have any friends around ...
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     _____               (JANET) jcheetham@uk.ac.kingston
    (__ __) O  ______    (local) is_a063@ux.king
   (____)  (_)(_)()(_)   (voice) (+44) 1 549 1366 x2690
   Jim Cheetham, ISD Kingston Polytechnic.
   "... nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------


-------- TML Message #1142 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1142
Date: Tue, 20 Mar 90 15:59:27 EST
From: Chris Bartlett (Mouser) <cdba_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu>
Subject: e-mail address


Greetings all,

	Some folks have been having trouble with my address.  Mail me at:

	cdba_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu

I'm still catching up on the pbm stuff...

			Chris



-------- TML Message #1143 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1143
Subject: Graphics formats
Date: Tue, 20 Mar 90 15:47:37 PST
From: Leonard Erickson <leonard@tessi.UUCP>

If you can get the IFF image to me, I have a program that *should* allow
me to convert it to both GIF and MacPaint. That should cover just about
anybody. (The Macpaint file may be BW only though)


-------- TML Message #1144 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1144
Date: Tue, 20 Mar 90 22:48:45 CST
From: Alan David Mead <mead@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu>
Subject: books

[Disclaimer:  ***Warning:Virgin Posting***]

I have been listening in for a few months now and I have failed to hear
anything about science fiction relevant to Traveller.  Doesn't anybody
read fiction?  Of course you do; does anyone have a list of
"recommended readings?"

Well regardless, I'd like to start with one book of short stories that
seems to me so close to Traveller in "format" that it could have
spawned it:

_Star Swarm_ by Brain Aldiss

I am now looking into his (literally) mountain of stories to see if any
others are as applicable (_Star Swarm_ is a collection of previously
published stories).  Another similar Aldiss collection that seems
germane is _Galaxies Like Grains of Sand_.

- -alan mead : mead@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu
           : mead@uiucvmd 


-------- TML Message #1145 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1145
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 90 21:44 EST
From: Bob Mahoney <BOBMAH%PSC.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject: Xboats, interstellar messaging, and YOU!

Learned Travellers-

Senario:

       Dr. Sigmund Starpuppy, noted Sophontologist, wishes to send a manuscript
       to his friend in a system 6 parsecs distant.

How does he do this?  What does it costs?  What choices does he have?

Is there an Imperial Postal Service?  If not, what is the "official" groundside
interface to the Xboats?  What sorts of private companies are involved?  What
about securities and other monetary stuff?

How do you folks handle the nuts and bolts of this sort of communication?

- -Bob,   UnOfficial Asker of Questions Odd

BobMah@PSC.bitnet  (a fun place)

-------- TML Message #1146 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1146
From: wrgate.wr.tek.com!oresoft.uu.net!richard@reed.UUCP (Richard Johnson)
Subject: PBEM addresses (again)
Date: Wed, 21 Mar 90 11:35:44 PDT

My apologies for using the list for this - but it is the best and
fastest way to make sure everyone who plays gets it.  

All hail Tektronix for sponsoring the TML!
All hail JamesP for putting up with the PBEM!



- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Here's some addresses to try for those troublesome folks.  I gleaned
this list from some requests for changes and help, and from looking
at folks' mail headers.  I'm glad I'm not the only one with a
recalcitrant keyboard.  :-)


Eneri De Aith  (Bob Moynihan)
	moynihan_r@apollo.hp.com
	moynihan_r@apollo%hp.com


Christian van der Merwe  (Nick Sylvain)
	uunet!dayton.bitnet!sylvain$n
	sylvain@udcps2.cps.udayton.edu
	sylvain$@dayton.bitnet

	The first address is preferred.  It is a strictly bitnet scheme,
	and if you are on internet-only type systems, it will not work.
	The last address sometimes works from uucp systems, not always
	though because it might pass through an internet node.  Use the
	second address as a last resort.  It usually takes one or two
	days longer for mail to get to Nick this way.


Dr. Werner (Ron Abramson)
        rona@hpml92.hp.com
		rona%hpdml92.hp.com@udel.edu

		Make sure your alias uses the letter `l' not the number `1'.
		Some of you (and me initially) have a 1 in there.  I have no
		idea where this goes.. sometimes it bounces.


Adrian Bishop (Mark Cook)
        markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.com
		markc%hpcvss.cv.hp.com@udel.edu

		Make sure that you have hpcvss, not hbcbss or some other
		strangeness.  Also make sure you have `markc' not `mark' --
		that goes to someone else in the same building who is
		getting weary of reading Mark's mail.


Abdul (Paul Dale)
		grue@lance.hss.bu.oz.au
        grue@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au

		I don't know which of these he prefers; he answers both
		fairly promptly.  Paul is in Australia, so it *always* takes
		a couple of days to get a response.


Andon Shrike (Brian Gillespe)
		bgillesp@beast.prime.com
        
		We are trying bgillesp@cvbnet.prime.com in case the first
		fails.  DONT USE bgillesp@beast.prime.com%cunyvm.cuny.edu
		because CUNY bounces it.  Also don't use bgillesp@beast --
		that will send it to Unix World magazine and they'll send me
		more nasty-grams (although they are getting intrigued with
		his mail :-).)


Anton Devious (Rob Miracle)
		uunet!ulkyvx.bitnet!rwmira01
		rwmira01@ulkyvx.bitnet
		uunet!ulkyvx.bitnet!rmwira01@sun.acs.udel.edu

		Make sure you get the end name spelled right.  It's `mira'
		as in Miracle (at least that's how I finally remembered it.)


Sergeant Major Hammer (Rory Reynoldson)
		uunet!frith!upba!rory

		We are currently testing rory@upba%frith.uu.net  and I will
		tell those who have asked if it works (if they haven't
		already tested it.)


Fritz Severin (Jim Baranski)
        baranski@meredn.enet.dec.com

		The name is `Jim' not `Ed'.  My humble apologies.  Be sure
		you don't have `meredin' in the address; there is no i.


 Ralf (Steve Owens)
		jscratch@eklektik.pgh.pa.us
		jscratch@unix.cis.pitt.edu

		Steve prefers the first address.  Use the second if the
		first one fails.



Alas, some people are no longer with us.  Some simply are gone for a
week or two instead (Hope you had a good vacation, because play time
is officially starting.)

Among those called to higher duties:

Bortai Narayanan (Cynthia Lee)
		ln63w7@sdcc4.ucsd.edu

Kevin McFadden (no character approved)
		fkam_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu


Folks who have a really hard time getting/sending mail or limited
time to play.  These folks are listed to remind us that they might
show up later :-) :

Derek MaColl
	derek%uk.ed.cs.tardis@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk

Eric Halil
	erich@uqspe.cs.uq.oz.au

Robert Harris
	uunet!andrew.cmu.edu.rh1+

Steven Fellows
	sfellows@csm9a.colorado.edu


Finally, I'll confess to an NPC.
Ian Thomas (Richard Johnson)
	richard@agora.hf.intel.com
	richard@oresoft.uu.net


Play note:  I am going to deliberately drag my feet about letting
you guys into jump space for the next week or so.  I want to make
sure everyone has had time to see the turns up till now and to catch
up on whatever they need to.  It won't be fun for some of you to
keep marking time - but, well, .... tough.

So far only one character has reported to sick bay, as ordered, for
his/her physical.  Let's get with it.  Send your physical stats and
notes to Dr. Van Der Merwe or me, if you can't get through to him.

I'll send out information on how we'll handle the pilot/nav
simulations Etienne is running.
- -- 
Richard Johnson        Usual Disclaimers      Qui custodii ipso custodes?
- --------------------------------- (30) ----------------------------------
richard@oresoft.uu.net                 The next time someone asks you for
richard@agora.hf.intel.com              a lift, take her (or him) flying!

-------- TML Message #1147 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1147
Subject: Re: (1144) books 
Date: Thu, 22 Mar 90 13:01:39 PST
From: James T Perkins <jamesp@metolius.WR>


Thanks for your posting, hope everyone feels free to ask questions here
on the list.

Try Poul Anderson, maybe a collection of short stories like "Trader to
the Stars" or "The Long Night", both of which I've read and enjoyed.
Although they are a bit dated compared to today's cyberpunk and other
advanced technologies, many of Anderson's ideas seemed to be adopted and
appear in one form or another in Traveller.  I especially like how he
brings planetography, starship operation and economics issues to the
stories.

I'll take a look at Brian Aldiss; thanks for the reference.  I'm sure
metlay, Cunningham, Mac et al will have lots of sugggested reading.  I
particularly like merchant stories.

James

BTW, if anyone wants to post book short reviews of books that seem
particularly parallel to the Traveller universe, please recognize that
this list welcomes such submissions.

-------- TML Message #1148 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1148
From: wilson_m_liaw@cis.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Reading list.
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 90 23:37:21 EDT

	Well, since James mentioned my name in his message. I guess I should
at least post something.

	Here are some of the sci-fi books I thought it would be interesting
to Traveller GMs. 

	Ringworld by Larry Niven,
	Berserker series by fred Saberhagen,
	any book by Pohl Frederick,
	Venus Prime by Paul Presus,
	
	You can find lots of interesting ideas from books. The hard part is
to improvise it instead of just copy it directly. In fact, some of the
Cyberpunk stuff I'm reading are great help as far as the implementaion of
bionics in my adventures. 

				Mac

-------- TML Message #1149 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1149
From: wilson_m_liaw@cis.ohio-state.edu
Subject: 2300 New stuff report
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 90 23:41:05 EDT

	Death Watch program has been released. It's a adventure for 2300 AD 
which takes place on Earth. The players are hired to do a simple job,
Easy money, really. Of couse, what they find after they come home really
freaks them out. I'll stop here, but this adventure is very well done.


	Coming up next for 2300 AD is "Rotten in the Core", yet another
Cybertech style adventure, due out in June. Keep your eyes open, boys and
girls. (grin)

				Mac

-------- TML Message #1150 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1150
From: wilson_m_liaw@cis.ohio-state.edu
Subject: DGP release
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 90 23:44:28 EDT

	MegaTraveller Aliens Source Book has been released and hit the market.
Run, don't walk, to your local game dealer and take a look.

	Also, from GDW, the Imperium Fighting Ships has also been released.
I recommand you check it out. Next product on the line from GDW is 
"Knightfall", due out the 2nd half of the year. (I think)

		This has been a public service brought to you by....



					Mac

PS:I don't work for either GDW nor DGP, so there! Insert your favorite
   disclamer here!

   [Well, Mr. Mac, you've made that point quite clear! :-)  Thanks for
   the notices! Too bad your mail rolled through at 8:45pm, just 15
   minutes too late to cause a digest to be sent tonight.  -- James,
   Friday night]

-------- TML Message #1151 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1151
From: wilson_m_liaw@cis.ohio-state.edu
Subject: questions.
Date: Sat, 24 Mar 90 4:23:44 EDT

	I have a few questions.

	one: how many people on the list plays 2300?

	two: In an adventure, what do you find exciting? In another word,
	     What makes a good adventure?

				Thanks,
					The wondering Mac. (grin)

-------- TML Message #1152 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1152
Date: Sun, 25 Mar 90 15:20 EST
From: METLAY@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Subject: Good books, good reads, good adventures.


My 2 credits' worth: (Dang, getting one's name mentioned as an "authority"
can loosen one's tongue! |-> )

I don't read. Seriously, I don't. I write and perform my own music, create
my bown gaming adventures and rules, and occasionally write for gaming
magazines, when I'm not working on my thesis. I stopped reading assiduously
right about the time that Spider Robinson was first published, if that tells
you anything. Among the various people whom y'all probably worship whose
stuff i've never opened are David Brin, Jack Chalker, William Gibson, and
a young fellow I used to be friends with back in my SF-fan days, who shared
dreams with me but actually DID something about them too, Somtow Sucharitkul.
Such is life; I anticipate even less time for this stuff after I'm married,
as I expect Suzanne to drive me mercilessly to finish my album and the stuff
I've been preparing for GDW and/or DGP. (Behind every successgful man there
stands a woman with a well-aimed meat fork--sigh....)

As for what I USED to read, well, that's straightforward.... try Heinlein
of any vintage. His view of women borders on the psychotic, but the rest
of it is good fodder for space opera. I highly recommend E.E. "Doc" Smith,
as he was the man who CREATED (in the 1920's!) all of the space opera 
ideas we now consider cliched. Larry Niven, with or without Pournelle,
bandies about some good ideas, as do Poul Anderson and Fritz Lieber.
For more generalized background, I also recommend books from outside of
SF; Ian Fleming's James Bond books are wonderful, at least the first
ten or so. I also recommend, for those of you with strong stomachs and
a sick twist to your psyches, Carlos Castaneda for psionics and Yukio
Mishima for one man's view of an aristocracy. If you can read his last
four books (the "Sea of Fertility" tetralogy, comprised of SPRING SNOW,
RUNAWAY HORSES, THE TEMPLE OF DAWN, and THE DECAY OF THE ANGEL, the last
being completed on the morning he committed public suicide in the 
traditional manner) without throwing up, then you're either too jaded to
live or you've just gotten some GREAT game fodder, or both. 

I'm curious about the new releases; are reviews forthcoming, Mac? there
aren't any game stores to speak of in Tennessee....

And on "what constitutes a good adventure," I favor mysteries to be solved,
a great deal of personal interaction and character development, intricate
plots, and brief, sudden, and highly unpleasant bits of violence to keep
things hopping. I keep my characters relatively poor and weak, give and
take away riches and power quite casually, and hit them with foes that are
too powerful for them, secure in the knowledge that gamers of the calibre
of those with whom I play will always improve themselves to the point of
being able to handle things before the situation becomes hopeless. I pace
things quickly, and I never open a rule book if I can help it. 

metlay

PS. Oops, almost forgot: GRAVITY'S RAINBOW by Thomas Pynchon and DHALGREN
    by Samuel R. Delany. Both good head-straighteners.

-------- TML Message #1153 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1153
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 90 10:19:54 EST
From: Paul Dale <grue@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au>
Subject: My email address

hiya,

My email address was recently posted as one of these:

>Abdul (Paul Dale)
>		grue@lance.hss.bu.oz.au
>        grue@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au
>
>		I don't know which of these he prefers; he answers both
>		fairly promptly.  Paul is in Australia, so it *always* takes
>		a couple of days to get a response.

Well, I much prefer the second one.  The first address just extends the distance
the message has to travel (and extends the time by at least two hours :-), the
message is sent from here to the address only to be bounced back.  The first
address is also of a TEMPORARY nature.

Could anyone who has an alias for me, make sure it is the second one above that
is used.

As to response time: if everything goes well, you can expect a response
overnight.  If not it may take as long as a week or rarely longer :-(.




							Pauli (Abdul)
seeya
SNIF

Paul Dale               | Internet/CSnet:            grue@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au
Dept of Computer Science| Bitnet:       grue%batserver.cs.uq.oz.au@uunet.uu.net
Uni of Qld              | JANET:           grue%batserver.cs.uq.oz.au@uk.ac.ukc
Australia, 4067         | EAN:                          grue@batserver.cs.uq.oz
                        | UUCP:           uunet!munnari!batserver.cs.uq.oz!grue
f4e7g4Qh4++             | JUNET:                     grue@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au

-------- TML Message #1154 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1154
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 90 14:29 EST
From: News and Views from the Void in Boyd <BRUCER%PSC.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: TML nightly: Msgs 1152-1152 V2#8

>Subject: (1152) Good books, good reads, good adventures.

        TiskTiskTisk, Metlay (I'd be stronger, but there may be children
looking in...)! No Reading? Reading is the only thing that gets me through a
typical day. Even if its only for 15 minutes before falling asleep (yes, I am
married...luckily my wife reads too!). Oh, well, I'm sure you'll get back in
the habit soon......

        About books, etc.: I must say I agree with your taste in authors. RAH
was one of my all time favorite writers, even with his somewhat distorted views
concerning women (he was, after all, a product of his generation...). And
E.E."Doc Smith ranks right up there! Not only his more famous LENSMAN and
SKYLARK series, but for intrigue and plots that translate Directly into a
MegaTraveller universe, read his "Family D'Lambert" series (SP? Im not home and
don't have the books in front of me) . Here is a whole family of Covert agents,
wandering the galaxy and doing the Emperor's dirty work disguised as a
travelling circus! IRIS would be proud....
        Another name I can add to the list is Jo Clayton. Her "Skeen" trilogy
may start on on world (with some Very Strange aliens....), but it ends up as a
far reaching Galactic Trip. Also, Skeen's occupation is one that could fit in
well...she's a "rooner" (sp?), that is she makes a living finding artifacts and
art objects, for a price.
        And, for all you Space Opera buffs, I can also offer John Campbell
(yes, THE John Campbell: He wasn't always an editor/publisher), especially his
"The Dark Star Passes".
        Well, that should keep you reading for a while. Most of you....
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
        Bruce T. Ritchie (Brucer@PSC.Bitnet) AKA: Zben Blaine
        Plymouth State College
        Plymouth, N.H. USA
``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
"Pay NO attention to that               The Wizard Of Oz
man behind the Curtain!"                (And GM's everywhere...)

-------- TML Message #1155 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1155
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 90 17:18:50 PST
From: John Wilber <wilber%sal-sun48.usc.edu@usc.edu>
Subject: World UPP's

A while ago there was a lot of discussion about downloading some
sector UPP's from GEnie.  Well, I just noticed a simple and elegant
solution.  In the _World_Builder's_Handbook (I think that's the title)
from DGP, there is a mention of some disks that one can order with the
world building process automated and another set of disks with the
UPP's for several *sectors* on them.  The cost was $24.95 for each set
of disks.

This strikes me as being considerable easier and more legal than
downloading the stuff from GEnie.  It would probably be cheaper, too.

/************************************************************************\
* John J. Wilber        * Perfect paranioa is perfect awareness!         *
* wilber@nunki.usc.edu  * "I'm a pessimstic cynic- I guess that makes me *
* student, partier, and * a realist."                                    *
* fun-loving guy.       *                                 Unknown        *
\************************************************************************/




-------- TML Message #1156 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1156
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 90 09:51 EST
From: Bob Mahoney <BOBMAH%PSC.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject: Xboats (again), GDW, Barbarians, and stuff

[A quick note -- I'll be away from Thursday through Tuesday this weekend
on vacation in Seattle, so I won't be able to answer any messages until
I get back.  The list software should carry on normally, though --
James]

Well, now that we are "digested", there doesn't seem to be much point in
separating messages by content, so engage your ramble screens...

- ---

No one ever answered my question about the costs to characters of using X-boat
communication.  (I was deeply hurt)  To recap:  "What is the cost of sending a
message to a friend several parsecs distant, and what procedures do you use in
your campaigns?"  (You aren't letting them do it for *free*, are you?)

- ---

This weekend, ignorant barbarians entered my car and stole my suitcase full of
Traveller gear, along with less important stuff like my driver's license and
checkbook.  (a pox upon their houses!)  Lucky for me, the large words involved
caused the criminals to dump the Traveller books in the woods not far away from
my house, which I found the next day.  (Saved!)

I did have a few frantic moments, though, and I called GDW to see how much of
the out-of-print stuff could still be had.  (Thanks again to those of you who
helped me get this stuff in the first place!)  I was a little suprised to have
Marc Miller answer the phone, and he was real helpful.  He offered to handle my
order himself, saying he knew where some of what I needed was gathering dust.
Real nice, you know?

The cool thing about all this is that I don't have to balance my checkbook this
month...   (For a moment there I thought I was off the hook for my much-delayed
TJ-Transport deck plans, but I guess you have to take the good with the bad.)

- ---

I have a copy of the "Vilani & Vargr" Aliens module.  I like it.  There are
very, very helpful sections for each race, giving a couple of pages of
excellent roleplaying examples for each.  Also, non-human races are completely
illustrated (yes, a Vargr bikini would be silly).  There are nice examples of
Vargr starship technology- maybe 6 ships, with stats.  There are also deck
plans for the much-feared Corsair.  Pretty ok product.  I found the Vargr more
interesting than I thought I would, and the Vilani less so.  (IMHO)

Are there release dates for the rest of the series?

Does anyone have any first-hand information on GDW's "Fighting Ships", or DGP's
"The Black Duke"?

- ---

- -Bob Mahoney              bobmah@psc.bitnet

(Beware of wandering, illiterate hordes in this area.)

-------- TML Message #1157 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1157
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 90 11:46 EST
From: Bob Mahoney <BOBMAH%PSC.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject: Black Globes

It is written:

 (cue the organ)

That the Imperium found 2000 small black globe generators, and that they have
installed them on some Imperial ships, and worked to make less efficient models
for use on other Imperial ships.  (Adventure 12 - Library Data)

Why is it that none of the published ship descriptions I have seen (excepting
one Challenge article on a secret fleet- "Operation Blackheart", I think),
detail the installation of BG's?  Where did they go?  Not fashionable in MT?

Is the Imperium using them, or not?  On what class of ships?

If the Imperium doesn't have them, who might?  Anything published on this?
Does anyone have any play experience in a campaign that contained Black Globes?

I'm really not sure I would want one in the hands of characters...

- -BobMah@psc.bitnet

-------- TML Message #1158 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1158
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 90 12:22:36 EST
From: Dan Corrin <dan@engrg.uwo.ca>
Subject: Core & Repairs

My players are on their way towards the core, in a small expedition.

Their governments gave them all a nice budget, and they have gone and
purchased the best equipment that money could buy (TL 14, 15, and a
couple examples of TL 16). They are going to be many parsecs from
a TL13+ planet, and want to carry some "Electonic and mechanical spares".
I am not going to let them get off that easily: The following is a plan
I have for repairs, I would appreciate your comments, and any comments
you would have on what the planets would be like towards the core. After
all, there is no empire that way, the ancients, as far as I know didn't
proceed overly far in that direction.

Optional repair rules:

Assume:
1) All equipment can be broken down into 4 types: Mono-material, simple, 
complex, and highly complex.
2) There are only a limited number of "critical" parts, the rest can be
fashoned from generic spare parts. e.g. your TV has some ciritals, Picture
tube, tuner, flyback transformer, etc. However a lot of the secondary
circuitry can be repaired with a good selection of standard electronic parts.

Rules:
Any time damage results, roll once on the critical part tables per 10%
damage done to the object, re-rolling most duplicates. Each critcal part 
should appear once on the chart, have an average value of 5% of the price of 
the entire object, and be placed on the table in a semblance of frequency of
damage. 
Note that spare parts of one tech level difference, increase the repair task 
difficulty by one level. Otherwise use the standard repair tasks. A higher 
tech level will have parts on hand for 1-3 tech levels lower, and can 
fabricate parts of many tech levels lower. A lower tech level will have 
limited ability to produce items at the next tech level. 
Most parts, with time, may be able to be fabricated from their componet parts, 
others should be so indicated (eg. Lanthium grid, no lanthium, no repair).

Table examples:

Mono-material: e.g. Chair
	Table? - Only a limited amount of material types. A piece of wood,
	metal etc. is all you need (plus the corrrect tools to cut and
	otherwise shape the material, and fasten it together).

Simple: eg. Fuse Box
	Use an equal, probability table, d3, d6, d10, etc. depending on the
	number of "critial" parts. Multiple occurences are common.
	eg: 1) Fuse 2) Socket 3) Casing 4) Wire

Complex: Eg. TV
	Use 2 dice probability table, 2d3, 2d6, 2d10, etc. very few parts
	will be multiple occurences.
	eg: 2) Speaker 3) Chassis 4) Horizontal control 5) Transformer
	6) Tuner 7) Knobs 8) Picture Tube 9) Automatic adjustment
	10) Vertical Control 11) Amplifier 12) Sync Circuit
	
Highly Comples: Eg. Jump Drive
	Use either 3 die table, or use 2 die with subtables
	(e.g. 8-fusion plant, and generate a table for this, or conviently
	use a table already generated. eg computer could use TV table for
	a monitor).

Notes:

Not all the parts need to be named (I'm not a starship drive engineer), and
made-up names can be just as good. "It's the Flux-amplifer captain"

The most common parts, could be the least expensive or the most depending on
how delicte the machine is, and how mean you are.

These rules assume you use the x% damaged results, and that the material cost
is approx. 1/2 the repair cost - the rest is labour, which the PC's are
supplying.

These rules allow the PC a contol over what spare parts they are getting. 
They can estimate based on the table, if they really need to get that
spare amplifier circuit for their holodisplay.

Maintenace to equipment could also use these tables, to repace a single part,
or a good mechanic after examining the equpment, may be given the results of
one die roll, so they can have an idea where the next failure will
probably occur. (Uncertain task).

	-Dan

Dan Corrin, System Manager, Mechanical Engineering, UWO, London, Ontario
TML FTP site coordinator:  dan@engrg.uwo.ca   ...!watmath!julian!engrg!dan

-------- TML Message #1159 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1159
Subject: Re: Co-refereeing?
Date: 28 Mar 90 10:55:31 EST (Wed)
From: William Ricker <wdr@wang.COM>

Several references.  I hope at least one is helpful.

(1) Our very-deviant traveller game is split into two region of space.
The founding GM shows up here occaisionally, Cap'n Paul GAZIS.  The original
campaign has the higher tech level of the two, but is still several levels 
below normal Imperial games.  And is currently having a minor war fought over
a planet near the "border" (Zoo region) of the Scarp, the backwater in which
the TL 9-11 game is set.  This is very low interaction co-development.

(2) the grand old MIT game Eastern Isles has not only had multiple GMs for
the main game, as the refs graduated, but has split into parallel regions,
with a Ref per island.  (Not traveller, and not D&D; a unique FRPG rulset,
which is classified -- only the Ref's have been formally briefed as to what
the rules are.)  They've also had a sub-GM for character generation.

(3) My wife and I are coGMing a GURPS Fantasy campaign.  I handle mechanics,
she handles characterization, we share plotting.  This works failry well.
Advice about not arguing in front of the players previously given is very
good.  Conspiring in advance about likely plot occurences is wise!
   We synergize well because my wife is a storyteller, and the world we 
game in is her invention, but she has no experience in GMing and no desire 
to learn any rulessystem well enough to have it intrude in her relationship
with the fantasy.  Her training is comparative mythology and anthropology,
mine in math/analytical skills.  So I figure out how to make climatolgically
sound continents and a sound local economy, and figure out how to make her 
ideas of magic fit into a playable game.   She invents characers and plots
with which to tantalize the players.

(5) Lee & Barry Gold (publishers of Alurums & Excursions, an RPG APAzine)
coGM everything they play, almost.  When Lee GMs, she has Barry play key
NPCs; she briefs him in advance or slips him notes etc as necc.  When Barry
ran a Chivalry and Sorcery game (ghods, I'm dating them!), Lee would spin
off a dozen or more possible plot twists that she could conceive of as
extensions of the last play session before the other players showed up.
He would pick one or embroider between on his own as GM, while she played
as a normal player, happily mystified as to which he was using.
    (This is paraphrased from a recent note of Lee's in either A&E, her mag,
or The Wild Hunt, the east coast (amiable) "competition", whose address
has been given here before.)  Lee's address available on request to
anyone who wants to send her a few bucks for a sample issue...

(5) A couple we know, Dan & Nancy, (who also play in the deviant traveller),
(not so) recently ran an INteractive Literature weekend game together.  I'm
not sure how they divided the work; but I gather IL games usuaully require
multiple referees, since a dozen or more players are interacting in knots
throughout the hotel.

(6) Can someone at Princeton get a Princecon GM to report on how they
have multiple GMs of their Fantasy RPG system running threads or sub-quests
of one plot?  (Princecon is a weekend long RPG con with all games inter-
related.  Foolcon was similar while it lasted, but smaller.  Both are
like IL or Mystery Weekend games, but of the sit-around-the-table RPG
variety, rather than the wander-around-the-hotel-dressed-funny (IL/MW)
variety.




- ---
bill ricker 
wdr@wang.com a/k/a wricker@northeastern.edu
*** Warning: This account not authorized to express opinions ***

-------- TML Message #1160 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1160
From: "Mark F. Cook" <markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.COM>
Subject: Fleet Escort Deck Plans?
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 90 13:26:12 PST

I need the collective memory of TML readership to help me out on this one.

Somewhere in the last 2 months, I recall seeing deck plans for the P.F. Sloan
class Fleet Escort (you know, as illustrated in "Supplement 9: Fighting Ships"
and "The Spinward Marches Campaign").  I don't remember whether it was in an
issue of Challenge or Traveller's Digest, or in a DGP or GDW product.  Maybe
it was in one of those "Officially approved for use with Traveller" offshoots.
But I KNOW I saw it somewhere!

If one of you happens to remember seeing this thing, please drop me a line.
I need it for my campaign.

        ~1100 Thanx in advance,

        Mark F. Cook

USMail: User Interface Technical Support
        Hewlett-Packard - Interface Technology Operation
        1000 NE Circle Blvd.  Corvallis, OR 97330

INTERNET: markc@hpcvss.cv.hp.com
UUCP:     {cmcl2, harpo, hplabs, rice, tektronix}!hp-pcd!markc

-------- TML Message #1161 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1161
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 90 16:56:38 -0600
From: Mike Prather <mikep@mcs213k.cs.umr.edu>
Subject: Need Mercenary & another book

I am not familiar with mailing lists, so I am using a simple "reply" command
in the hopes that this message will get to somebody who can post it on the
TML.

[Using the default reply address will usually cause the mail to come to
me alone, the list admin.  With a little grumbling, I'll resend it on to
the list.  The more correct way is compose a new message and send it to
traveller@dadla.wr.tek.com -- James]

I would like to get ahold of the two rulebooks which I am missing.  I have 
the original three rulebooks for Traveller.  I need the Mercenary rules,
and one other rulebook whose name escapes me for the moment.  If anyone can
help me out, I would appreciate it.  I am willing to pay for someone's
extra copies of either/both of these two rulebooks.

[4 Mercenary and 5 High Guard (Navy)? Other books in the Traveller
classic set were 6 Scouts, 7 Merchant Prince, and 8 Robots.  Which are
you interested in? I have 4, 5, and 6, but I won't let them go -- James]

Thanx in advance,

Mike

mpp@umree.ee.umr.edu

-------- TML Message #1162 --------

Archive-Message-Number: 1162
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 90 19:15:07 GMT
From: Jo Jaquinta <jaymin@maths.tcd.ie>
Subject: How messages get from star to star

>Senario:
>  Dr. Sigmund Starpuppy, noted Sophontologist, wishes to send a manuscript
>  to his friend in a system 6 parsecs distant.

	When you have a condition where the fastest mode of communication
is by hand you have a situation quite unlike our own. In fact it most
closely corresponds to the middle ages. Using that as a source one can draw
several posibilities.
	Nobles and guilds had their own messengers. If they wanted something
sent, they sent it themselves, by their own servant. The cost of several
high-passages is certainly comparable to what was paid on trains of relay
horses. For those who would have gone the whole distance, but on one horse,
there is always low passage.
	Those not of such high finances usually sought out a traveller who
was journeying towards where they wanted the message delivered. They would then
pay them to deliver the message when they reached their destination often
with the promise of further payment by the recipient. Far traders are excellent
choices.
	In Traveller one can have further possibilities, the most notable
being the courier. An individual from a responsible company is entrusted
with the item and seeks passage to the destination. Cost? Well it will be at
least the middle passage fare to the destination (and back if a reply is 
desired) plus the salary of the individual (500Cr). If security is a concern
just charge 500Cr per basic skill rank in what they require. If you want
someone with Streetwise-1 Handgun-2 that's a basic salary of 1500Cr.
	Liners with fixed routes probably allocate a ton or two of cargo
to reserved mail. Costs would be based on the price for a ton of freight
divided by the volume and weight, a (probably hefty) handling charge and
of course, the cost of postage at the far end.
	I assume X-boats don't necessarly use all their data space for
imperial intelligence and messages. The scouts can sell excess data space
to private customers on a standby basis (high mail vs middle mail?). Of course
no individual would wish to send sensitive information this way.
	I wouldn't think there would be enough call for interstellar main to
justify an actual mail network (poni express notwithstanding) but as always
it depends on your actual universe...

					Jo Jaquinta
					jaymin@maths.tcd.ie


-------- End of TML Messages --------

