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From: owner-traveller-digest@mpgn.com (Traveller-digest)
To: traveller-digest@Phaser.ShowCase.MPGN.COM
Subject: Traveller-digest V1996 #738
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Traveller-digest     Tuesday, December 10 1996     Volume 1996 : Number 738



(R)1996. Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.
All rights reserved.

The following topics are covered in this digest:

stores
Re: Deckplans
RE: Imperial Democracy
Re: Grenades and concussion
101 Cargos, 101 plots 
Re: Strength of Aslans and Domain of Deneb (Long)
Re: Carriers & Fighters -- and Jump Space
Re: German Translations
Re: Traveller-digest V1996 #737
Re: Strength of Aslans and Domain of Deneb (Long; Really, Really Long)
Foss Art Explanation Contest
Re: Strength of Aslans and Domain of Deneb (Much, much shorter now)
Contest Update: Judging Criteria
Re: Mechs in Traveller

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 12:49:05 -0500
From: Dedly@aol.com
Subject: stores

Hey there! I just started subscribing to the Digest this month. Already glad
that I did. =)

Does anyone know of a store in Western Connecticut that still sells
Traveller?

Thanks!
DED

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 96 18:03 GMT0
From: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
Subject: Re: Deckplans

In-Reply-To: <262142.15096807@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca>

<< That said, it's time for me to begin doing some Traveller deckplans. 
 To get an idea of the type of deckplan I prefer, check out my Space 
1889 deckplans at http://www.interlog.com/~dmci104/GamingClub/Space1889/ 
space1889.html). As you will not (assuming you can access GIFs over the 
Web), I use 25mm scale with small crosses at the centre of each tactical 
square.  I also draw in furniture and other stuff to make the plans look 
more realistic.  (Note: the red squares can be removed in my original 
SuperPaint files.) >>

Nice, but I prefer a proper grid.

    ---------=========oooooooooOOOOOOOOooooooooo=========---------
Andrew M J Boulton                  http://www.compulink.co.uk/~fubar/
 "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste"

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 96 18:03 GMT0
From: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
Subject: RE: Imperial Democracy

In-Reply-To: <01BBE566.4B908D10@flfnas01-p01.mts.net>

<< At present (although I'm moving in 2 weeks thank god) I live in the 
small mining community of Flin Flon >>

Aw, c'mon...you're making these names up!

    ---------=========oooooooooOOOOOOOOooooooooo=========---------
Andrew M J Boulton                  http://www.compulink.co.uk/~fubar/
 "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste"

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 13:21:04 -0400 (EDT)
From: Robert Flammang <FLAMMANG@vms.cis.pitt.edu>
Subject: Re: Grenades and concussion

Hi.

> From: Douglas McCorison <douglas@camax.com>

> I'm a little unsure about this.... but it seems to me that the area of effect
> of this concussive damage ought to be smaller in these denser atmospheres.  
> It takes energy to push the concussion through a dense medium.  Has anyone
> studied gasses or fluid dynamics?

Sonic energy is transmitted better, farther, and faster thru denser
media. Now a concussion is not exactly the same thing as a sound wave,
but it is very analogous. I know for a fact that concussion damage is
far more devastating underwater than it is on land (try to harm
a surface ship by exploding depth charges near it --- hah!). I would be
stupified to learn that this principle is not generally true.

- -Rob

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 12:33:25 -0600 (CST)
From: "Peter  H. Brenton" <pete@cummings.uchicago.edu>
Subject: 101 Cargos, 101 plots 

I recently snatched at the opportunity to acquire both 101 cargos and 101
plots, both by Jo and Lesley Grant.

Both products are well worth the $7.00 USD Plus Postage.

101 Cargos is full of one or two paragraph descriptions of cargos one
might find in a starport either for freight or as a speculative cargo
(although there are more of the former).  They are imaginitive and
Original, with only a few being obvious references to some cultural icon.

There is also (yet another) Trade system which I haven't had the
opportunity to put to thee test.  It seems quite as good as the system in
the Megatraveller Referee's manual, or the one on Rob Prior's Web Page
which I have found quite good.  Note that the Cargos which are the main
reason for buying the book are not directly selected by the trade system,
rather the trade system (like the MT one or, for that matter, any one I've
seen) gives you a generic description (like "Uniques" or "Bulk
Carbohydrates) which, it so happens, is how the cargo section is
organized.

All the cargos provide the GM using them with a seed for possible
development.  Many are quite amusing.

101 Plots is misnamed.  A note in the beginning explains that, although
there are actually 136 plots, 101 plots sounds nicer.  The plots are all,
again, quite unique and fresh.  Thay are also, in my opinion, very
traveller!  The format is like 101 Patrons, for most of it, with a full
section of advertisements which may be found in the local news-paper
analogue.  

The plots inthe first section start with an explanatory
paragraph suitable for reading out to the players.  Then there are 3-6
options for resolving the situation.  some are quite humorous, others
deadly.  

The adverts are divided into opportunies and red herrings, with a boxed
text of the actual advertisement followed by the GM's explanation. 

My favorite section is titles Gimmicks, and I wish I had a whole book of
these.  They are devices or things which are unusual and/or unique and may
provide the players with riches if employed properly, or may be looked at
puzzlingly otherwise.  The best example are "Grav Assisted Stillettos" for
people who wish to wear really high heels, but have poor balance (First
question my players asked "Do they come in hip boots?").

There are plots and cargos which are somewhat interrelated, and could be
strung together.  Some are applicable only to certain kinds of parties
(i.e. those without a ship), but these are few.

All in all a great product.  I give it 4 Starbursts (of Five) 
			****

I ordered em through the CORE Web Site; http://members.nova.org/~sol/core/

Pete

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 19:49:17 +0100 (MET)
From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
Subject: Re: Strength of Aslans and Domain of Deneb (Long)

PeterAZ@aol.com writes:

>In a message dated 96-12-08 10:26:32 EST, Hans Rancke-Madsen wrote:
> 
>> There are no rules about how quality of crew affects ship performance, 
>
>Actually there are rules re: crew quality in BL & BR, as well there should
>be.  A trained, experienced, and motivated crew is a greater asset that a
>*slightly* better ship.  It ain't just the bus, it's who's driving it.

Oh, I agree completely, I just don't have either BL or BR. Do you think you
could summarize the rules?

>>As for crew quality, it is possible
>>under High Guard rules to have a long career in a planetary navy. I see no
>>reason why the reserve fleets and PDFs wouldn't be up to snuff.
>  
>Don't confuse a long career with an elite crew.  Elite forces are those who
>are trained and experienced, but not yet worn out from constant fighting.
>Reserve forces, by their very nature, don't get into a whole lot of fights,
>so the idea of them being *elite* is very, very unlikely.

Not very many regulars would be elite either. I didn't mean that the reserve
and planetary forces would all be elite, just that they wouldn't be green
first-term novices. I don't see why either should be much inferior to most
of the regular forces. They'd've had just as much training albeit perhaps
not quite as much actual combat experience (Though note that the Character
Generation System dosen't give them any less combat experience than regulars;
there's no distinction made between them at all.)

>Mind you, they would be fighting to protect their homes, which has got to 
>count for some sort of advantage, 

Any rules for morale effects in BL or BR?

>though I see reserves vs. ihatei as something of a stalemate at best for 
>the Regency.

A stalemate is all the Domain needs. And why a stalemate? Crew quality is
propably equivalent; the Domain seems to have the advantage in TL and
numbers. How do you manage to give the Aslans even a stalemate?

> I have stayed out of this one for a while, but here's my Cr 0.02:
> 
>If Norris tried to cross Corridor for the purposes of helping Strephon, or
>himself, to reintegrate the Imperium, the results likely would be disastrous.

Well, as I said rom the start, I don't know how much good he could do, just
that it wouldn't automatically spell disaster back home.

>I don't believe that the Regency has the naval strength for extended
>campaigns toward Capital, *and* defending it's spinward flank.  

You may not believe it, but do you have any figures to back it up? Otherwise
we are just going "Can not!" Can too!" at each other. Show me where my
figures are wrong.

>As I said above, the reserve fleets could probably hold their own, and 
>little else, vs. the ihatei, the Vargr or the Sword Worlds, but against 
>a coalition of the same with or without the Zhodani, they would be hard 
>pressed to achieve any significant victories.  

1) A significant coalition of Aslans is strange enough. A significant
   coalition of Vargr is even stranger. And a coalition of Aslans AND 
   Vargr is strange beyond belief.
2) The regular fleets represent 15% of the Naval Budget of the Domain. The
   reserve fleets represent another 15%. The planetary defense forces
   represent the remaining 70% with an undefined part of this being jump-
   capable ships. The reserve fleets alone represent more strength than
   _ihatei_, the Sword Worlds, and the relevant part of the Vargr can
   muster. Why should they be unable to to achieve any signifivcant
   victories? It would be more apt to say that they would be unlikely to
   achieve any significant defeats (Though of course there's always a 
   possibility that the inferior force can achieve local superiority once 
   in a while).

>If the Zhodani were to support a new Outlands Coalition (of the Sword Worlds 
>and Vargr, and possibly the ihatei), (a none too unlikely scenario, given 
>the fact that the "joes" wouldn't welcome a reunited Imperium) the reserve 
>fleets would be hip deep in what would hit the fan.  

I've never argued otherwise. If the Zhodani attack the Domain is hip deep
in it, with or without the regular forces. Nor do I argue that it is not
reasonable for Norris to fear such an event. What I'm arguing about is the
situation if the Zhodani says quiscent.

>Now to really throw y'all a curve:  I don't believe Norris would agree that
>it is in the best interest of the Regency to reunite the Imperium anyway.

And I don't believe that that is necessarily relevant. Norris is described
as a man with a high degree of integrity. A direct order from a man he is 
convinced is his feudal overlord could plausibly set him doing something
that is against his better judgement. Though I don't think he would strip
the Domain for anybody. Sending off most of his regular fleets would propably 
seem a reasonable compromise between his duties up and down, especially as
the months go by without the Zhodani making any moves.

>Norris is a man who used his advance knowledge of the emperor's death to
>elevate himself to a position of greater authority, a fairly mercenary
>tactic, regardless of how altruistic his motives were.  

Actually, the question of how altruistic his motives are is crucial to an
evaluation of his character. And from his personal musings it seems that
they are, indeed, altruistic. 

>What good would it do him to now subjugate himself, and his territory, to 
>the larger desires of a reunited Imperium?  Very little good, indeed.  

See below.

>An interesting "alternate future,"
>starting prior to the assassination of Strephon might involve Norris seizing
>power and Deneb seceding from the Imperium.  Given my feelings about the
>power controlled by the dukes which I've expressed here before, it isn't that
>unlikely a scenario.  Really.  Norris is surrounded on all sides (except for
>a few subsectors to trailing) by societies which distrust the Imperium (the
>Zhodani), dislike the Imperium (the Sword Worlds), want to invade it's lands
>(the Aslan), or want to plunder it's wealth (the Vargr).  Norris supports
>fairly radical notions of government (again, by Imperial standards) and seeks
>acceptance of psionics in general and the Zhodani specifically.  The Zhodani
>would be pleased by this turn of events (a psionic-tolerant, non-expansionist
>polity with plenty of high-tech resources would be a valuable and welcome
>trading partner), and probably would be able to help keep the Sword Worlds
>and Vargr in line.  Likewise, the Aslan could be coopted effectively using
>the tactics seen in the Regency sourcebook (offering land to some clans in
>return for patrolling the border, keeping other clans out, thereby avoiding
>direct conflict between the Regency and the Aslan governments).  Just an idea
>I've been brewing for a while.  What do you think?

It all comes down to the question of his integrity. You seem to have a
lower opinion of him than I gain from what I've read. I think Norris really
believes in his duty to the Imperium, not just his own corner of it.

OH, and just how great a chance do you think he has of convincing Duchess
Delphine and the other dukes (his peers) to back him? Anything less than 
total cooperation of all the Domain and the Corridor fleet could propably 
settle his hash on its own (unless the Zhodani bails him out). After all, 
the Corridor Fleet really isn't necessary to guard against the Vargr; the 
reserve forces should be more than enough to hold Corridor against them.

      Hans Rancke
University of Copenhagen
     rancke@diku.dk
- ------------
        "The referee should determine the nature of subsequent
         events based on the individual situation."
                                _76 Patrons_, p. 8

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 11:12:37 -0800 (PST)
From: Douglas <douglas@teleport.com>
Subject: Re: Carriers & Fighters -- and Jump Space

On Tue, 10 Dec 1996, Douglas McCorison wrote:

> Douglas wrote:
> >
> > Actually, my question would be, how do you propose to jump this beastie
> > with all the fighters hanging off the hull?  Cover each fighter with a
> > lanthium grid?
>
> Two comments:
>
> How do you jump with any externally grappled ship?  The Traveller
> Adventure's March Harrier subsidized merchant carries a launch
> externally...  How does this jibe with the rest of "canon"?
>
> OR:
>
> I get a picture of a great ball with thin lanthanum grid around
> everything with 1000's of pop open doors.  Would be terribly
> vulnerable but that's what covering fighters are for.
>
> Actually this goes to a deeper problem.  Let's take a ship into
> combat:  If the lanthanum grid has to be outside everything, then
> a couple of surface hits would disrupt the jump capability of the
> ship.  If the lanthanum grid is inside the armor, how does this
> jibe with something I believe I've read which impied that anything
> NOT in the lanthanum grid would be jumpspace affected?  What about
> externally mounted items like: sensor receptors, turrets, and of
> course your grappled ships?
>
> Comments jump space gurus?
>
> --douglas
>     the OTHER douglas
>

From everything I have read, and from several discussions in the TML, I
believe the accepted explanation is that the grid creates a field, much a
current passing through a wire creates a magnetic field.  The designed
grid on a ship includes some overlap (I imagine military grids incorporate
a much high overlap in anticipation of damage) to cover failed areas.

So far as externally mounted ship's boats (the Gazelle-class CE has one as
well), either the field is extended over the boat via a lanthium grid in
the boat, recessing the boat into the ship enough to be covered by the
surrounding field or perhaps by amplifying the field in that area, or even
by covering the boat prior to jump with a flexible grid (like a boat cover).

All of these ideas, while possible for a single ship's boat, are not very
practical for a carrier operating in a combat zone.  Extending the J-field
would leave the ship more vulnerable to combat damage to the net,
recessing the boats into the hull means more time is required for docking
(not to mention increased chance of mishap) or more machinery to draw the
fighters in (especially if they are damaged), and covering each fighter
with a lanthium net would be very time intensive and not practical if a
tactical withdrawal were required.  Of course, the carrier could always
jettison the fighters, but that would leave it unarmed and
vulnerable...and you do not waste resources like that!

- --------------------------------------------
Never anger a dragon, for you are crunchy and go well with Brie!

Douglas@Teleport.Com
http:\\www.teleport.com\~douglas\

MSPS: Windows95, Windows NT 3.51 Server, Windows NT 3.51 Workstation,
Networking
- --------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 14:27:40 -0500 (EST)
From: "Joseph M. Saul" <jmsaul@us.itd.umich.edu>
Subject: Re: German Translations

Some context on a couple of these:

>- -> Liebeskinder - "Child's Love" (or should that be "young love"?)
>Nope- Rather Children OF love (As in: The result of Love)

I wonder if this carries the connotation of illegitimacy that the term
"love child" does in English...


>- -> Abwehr - "Protection"
>Defence!

Um, yes.  But it was also the name of Germany's Military Intelligence
organization in World War II.  The Abwehr was headed by Admiral Canaris,
who was executed (along with a number of other officers) for attempting
unsuccessfully to assassinate Hitler.


>- -> Beinbruch - "Broken Bone" (what, a high-G world??)
>instead of bone, insert LEG

Isn't there a toast (or war cry) -- "Hals und Beinbruch!"  Since I don't
have my dictionary here, I have no idea what Hals means.  (Maybe it's the
secondary planet in the system.  ;-)

  -- Joe

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 14:27:54 -0500
From: jmg141@psu.edu (John M. Gardner)
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1996 #737

 Douglas McCorison <douglas@camax.com> wrote:

Michael.Barry@FINANCE.ausgovfinance.telememo.au wrote:
>[..snip..]
>      I suggest that concussive (NOT fragmentation) damage go as follows:
>[..snip..]
>      Standard           Normal damage
>      Dense              Double damage
>      Very Dense *       Triple damage       *Usually exotic or insidious
>      Superdense **      Quadruple damage    ** fluid environment eg water

I'm a little unsure about this.... but it seems to me that the area of effect
of this concussive damage ought to be smaller in these denser atmospheres.  
It takes energy to push the concussion through a dense medium.  Has anyone
studied gasses or fluid dynamics?

Just took my final... (Hope that doesn't disqualify me ;>)  )

Higher density media (gases)  would produce higher concussive effects (like
the grenade under water crushing the skull of a swimming frogman type thing
you hear about in all those b-rate movies).  The two main factors of
consideration being sonic velocity, and shock front effects.

1.      the speed of sound in any fluid medium is determined by the
TEMPERATURE (surprise, not density... at least not directly anyway),
expressed as c = (k*r*t)^.5, where k and r are gas constants, and t is
temperature.

2.      shock waves (or fronts) can occur anywhere there is a supersonic
flow (like in some rocket nozzles), and are essentialy a barier between
supersonic media and subsonic media... in the case of an explosion, this is
where the punch is, at the outer shell.  Just remember that you can't have a
shockfront without supersonic expansion... the faster the shock travels, the
greater the punch.

In the case of a vaccum, the media for the shock is the gas of the explosion
itself, and the nasty effects would occur at the outer shell only.  (if you
were inside the shell, when the boom happened, your hull would be the shock
front, and you could be crushed, but after the front passes, it is rather
like being inside an atmosphere, as the pressure all around is equal for a time)

The problem in a vaccum is that the shock will attenuate as you run out of
gas to drive it. (This is not a problem in an atmosphere where the
surrounding media helps to carry the blast.)  The overall effect is similar
to a sonic boom (actually, they are the same thing, just different in
scale).  My guess would be that in a vaccum, you have to be fairly close to
an explosion, (or have a realy big one with lots of driving gases) to be
affected much at all.  

BTW, if your media is noncompressable (liquid, instead of gas), all of this
sort of falls apart.  In liquids and solids, the speed of sound is expressed
in layman's terms as c=(Elasticity / density)^0.5.  (hence the grenade
underwater thing).  

Hope this helps, (and makes sence)

- --John


*     "a chicken is just an egg's way of making new eggs."
                          --- unknown

*      "any society which is willing to surrender essential liberties to
gain security shall likely have neither"
                        --- Benjamin Franklin

        "It wasn't enough for me to burn the candle at both ends... so I cut
it in half to burn four!"
                        --- me.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 15:56:49 -0500
From: TPeterAZ@aol.com
Subject: Re: Strength of Aslans and Domain of Deneb (Long; Really, Really Long)

In a message dated 96-12-10 13:55:45 EST, Hans Rancke-Madsen wrote:

> PeterAZ@aol.com writes:
>
>  <snip>
>
>  there are rules re: crew quality in BL & BR, as well there should
>  >be.  A trained, experienced, and motivated crew is a greater asset that a
>  >*slightly* better ship.  <Snip>
>
>  Oh, I agree completely, I just don't have either BL or BR. Do you think
you
>  could summarize the rules?
>  

Brief summary, off the top of my head, Crews are defined as being Green,
Trained or Experienced (I don't remember which), Line and Crack.  Basically
the way it works is more experienced crews are more likely to succeed at more
difficult tasks.  BL does it with dice rolls (higher assets per TNE rules,
like the NPC assets in TNE Rulebook), BR does it with cards that are drawn.
 The card lists the success number for an "average" crew, i.e. Experienced or
Line, with option boxes for Green and Crack crews.  In certain cases it may
make no difference (the result in all three boxes is the same) and in some
cases it is dramatic (i.e., the "average" crew succeeds, the Green crew
fails, and the Crack crew achieves spectacular success, double damage, big
explosions, etc.).  I prefer the BL system, since it follows the RPG more
closely.  (Which isn't BR's fault, really.  It's tough for a single character
to have a major impact in a huge fleet action, which is BR's intended use).


>  Not very many regulars would be elite either. I didn't mean that the
reserve
>  and planetary forces would all be elite, just that they wouldn't be green
>  first-term novices. <further snippage> (Though note that the Character
>  Generation System dosen't give them any less combat experience than
regulars;
>  there's no distinction made between them at all.)

I know.  That has always bugged me.  Oh, well.

<Much sawing noises>
>  Any rules for morale effects in BL or BR?

None that I recall.  Actually, morale in the grossest sense is much easier to
enforce in a shipboard crew (I would think).  After all, what are the
demoralized crew going to do, run away?  

>  A stalemate is all the Domain needs. 

Good point.

>  And why a stalemate? Crew quality is
>  propably equivalent; the Domain seems to have the advantage in TL and
>  numbers. How do you manage to give the Aslans even a stalemate?

Unfortunately, unless someone has data of which I'm unaware, there aren't
numbers to prove this.  I'm going more on perception, which, of course, is
nothing but a Humble Opinion.  Though as an insight into why I feel this way,
I offer the following:

According to the Regency Sourcebook, Aslan ihatei have captured several
worlds in the Glisten and Trin's Shroud (Formerly Trin's Veil) subsectors,
and could not be displaced prior to the sealing of Regency borders.  This
despite the fact that the 100th and 207th Fleets (Active, not Reserve) are
headquartered in those subsectors.  Now, these fleets probably didn't do too
much to help, but possibly (and I admit it's only possibly) because they did
not wish to become involved in a war of attrition with the ihatei.  That
leads me to believe (and again, I admit this isn't the strongest evidence)
that some ihatei are trained and equipped enough to defeat reserve or system
forces.  (OK, it's a little weak, but I'm trying to make a point, and it's
all we're given to work with).

<Insert Snipping noises here>
  
>  >I don't believe that the Regency has the naval strength for extended
>  >campaigns toward Capital, *and* defending it's spinward flank.  
>  
>  You may not believe it, but do you have any figures to back it up?
Otherwise
>  we are just going "Can not!" Can too!" at each other. Show me where my
>  figures are wrong.

Can not, Hans!  ;-)  Seriously, as I said before, I don't have numbers, I'm
afraid, so your point is extremely well made.  (Damn, I hate it when that
happens). ;-)  

<Minor editing for length>

>  1) A significant coalition of Aslans is strange enough. A significant
>     coalition of Vargr is even stranger. And a coalition of Aslans AND 
>     Vargr is strange beyond belief.

Agreed.  Though as I stated above, the Aslan may be able to coalesce enough
to gain minor victories (i.e., a world here, or there).  But, you're right,
not with the Vargr.

<Some interesting stuff deleted for space considerations>
>     The reserve fleets alone represent more strength than
>     _ihatei_, the Sword Worlds, and the relevant part of the Vargr can
>     muster. Why should they be unable to to achieve any signifivcant
>     victories? 

I misspoke.  They could, should, and would certainly win some significant
victories.  Just not all.  (See above).

<Snipped Hans and I agreeing on the Zhodani factor>

>  >Now to really throw y'all a curve:  I don't believe Norris would agree
that
>  >it is in the best interest of the Regency to reunite the Imperium anyway.
>  
>  And I don't believe that that is necessarily relevant. Norris is described
>  as a man with a high degree of integrity. A direct order from a man he is 
>  convinced is his feudal overlord could plausibly set him doing something
>  that is against his better judgement. 

Allow me to rephrase the point:  The Regency, and the Imperium, may be better
served by his failing to respond.  I think Norris knows enough to realize
that his contingent may not be enough to sway the tide of war one way or the
other.  I quote, "The past, no matter how vivid, no matter how preferable, is
not ours to grasp.  We must let it go.  The Empire will not save us...They
cannot save us, *nor can we save them.*...We are those who are left to carry
on whatever work the Empire began."  (Taken from MT Arrival Vengeance, p. 25
 Dated IE 110-1127).  I edited out commentary and speech-fluff.  These
comments lead me to believe that Norris sees the continuation of the Regency
as the continuation of the Imperium.  For it to fall, as so much of Imperial
space had fallen, is tantamount to the end of civilization, a new Long Night.
 I agree he was a man of tremendous integrity.  And that integrity forces me
to believe that he felt his responsibilty to the Imperium demanded he keep it
alive, albeit in just the few sectors he served.

<More snippage> 

>  >Norris is a man who used his advance knowledge of the emperor's death to
>  >elevate himself to a position of greater authority, a fairly mercenary
>  >tactic, regardless of how altruistic his motives were.  
>  
>  Actually, the question of how altruistic his motives are is crucial to an
>  evaluation of his character. And from his personal musings it seems that
>  they are, indeed, altruistic. 
<Big snip of my theories re: Norris and rebellion>
>  It all comes down to the question of his integrity. You seem to have a
>  lower opinion of him than I gain from what I've read. I think Norris
really
>  believes in his duty to the Imperium, not just his own corner of it.

I hold Norris in the highest regard.  He did what was right to save not only
"his" people, but many traditional adversaries, including the Zhodani, Sword
Worlds, and Aslan.  And as I stated above, he probably saved the Imperium,
albeit just a piece of the former.  That said, I stand by my earlier
statement of his "mercenary" action.  Tough times call for tough action, my
father always said, and I believe Norris took one of the toughest actions of
his life in suborning the Imperial Stationary, and elevating himself to
Archduke.  For ten years, he alone lived with the knowledge of what he had
done, and probably slept none to soundly for it.  In Survival Margin Norris
writes in his diary: "Too bad more famous liars don't agonize over it like I
do...I hope you forgive me Strephon.  It would mean much more coming from
you."  Those aren't the words of a man who seeks power.  I agree his goals
were altruistic.  It doesn't change the nature of his tactics, though.  In
fact, almost eleven years later he writes, "Thank God I had the sense to do
what I had to do when I had the chance to do it...And better me than
gawdawful Delphine."   Those two quotes speak volumes about the nature of his
character.  Altruistic, but realistic.  "Someone had to do it, dammit.
 Better me than the less capable."  Thank God he was also *right*, in
addition to his considerable character.  Don't forget, Dulinor was a man of
principle who did what he felt strongly was the right thing to do, too.


Tim Peter
<TPeterAZ@aol.com>
"There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, Ignorance."--- Socrates

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 15:11:06 -0600 (CST)
From: "Joseph E. Walsh" <ransom@connect.iconnect.net>
Subject: Foss Art Explanation Contest

Hi,

Bruce Johnson recently suggested that a discussion of why Foss' art _is_ 
travelleresque, rather than why it is not, would be far more productive 
than the current Foss-bash-fest.  He also suggested a contest to that 
effect.  I, in turn, offered to provide a copy of Starships to the 
winner of that contest, if Bruce will be the one to judge it.  He agreed.

So, here's the deal: if you would like to participate, send an email to me 
(ransom@iconnect.net), with the subject line "Contest" and the body of 
the message consisting of the answer to the question:

"Why is the art on page 140 of the T4 rulebook an example of _hard 
science fiction art_?"

I will then take your email, and forward it to Bruce with the header 
stripped (so that he won't know who wrote each entry; I'll keep track of 
which is whose, though!:).  He'll then read them, and judge which is 
"best" - and that's understood to be a very subjective judgement, and 
only means which is "best" in Bruce's opinion.  Bruce will judge on use of
technical knowledge, as well as use of humor, and the overall entertainment 
value of each entry.

Entries must be in my mailbox by midnight GMT, December 31, 1996.  The 
winner will be announced on the TML during the first week of the new year.


- -Joe

PS:  Any entries which are sent to the list will not be considered.
     After the contest, feel free to share your entry with the rest of 
the list, but please don't do so before Bruce chooses the winner!
     Only one entry per person, please.
______________________________________________________________________________
Joseph E. Walsh      |  Atari 8-Bit User and Programmer Since 1982
ransom@iconnect.net  |  Classic Traveller Referee Since 1983
Stuck in the '80s    |  Microsoft-Free and Loving It! :)
       .....Official Reporter of Imperium Games Product Info.....

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 16:18:15 -0500
From: TPeterAZ@aol.com
Subject: Re: Strength of Aslans and Domain of Deneb (Much, much shorter now)

Hi,

A quick point that, believe it or not, I left out of my last post on this
subject regards my what-if scenario of Deneb seceding from the Imperium prior
to the Famed Three Bullets of Dulinor.  I'm not sure Norris would actually do
such a thing, I'm merely presenting it for discussion.  To my way of
thinking, it is simply more believable that an honest-to-God rebellion would
be started by a secessionist, than by an assassin.  (See civil wars, ad
infinitum).  Maybe Norris felt that the best thing for the Imperium, which I
agree he dearly loved, would be it's dissolution, so "democratic" reforms
could be more easily enacted.  What do you think?


Tim Peter
<TPeterAZ@aol.com>
"There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, Ignorance."--- Socrates

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 15:19:23 -0600 (CST)
From: "Joseph E. Walsh" <ransom@connect.iconnect.net>
Subject: Contest Update: Judging Criteria

Hi again,

Here's something Bruce sent me regarding his criteria for judging the 
contest:

>	More weight will be given to ideas that involve usable adventure
> hooks, humor (the judge is a sucker for comedy, and too much of everything
> Traveller is so damn dead serious), and novel applications of what we know
> about technology in M0, ie: it AIN'T an Ancient Artifact!


- -Joe

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 13:09:17 -0800
From: Rich Ostorero <stormhvn@inreach.com>
Subject: Re: Mechs in Traveller

Lewis Roberts wrote:

> I was thinking about making up a planet where the nobles used combat
> mechs in ritual duels, and occasionally formed up mercenary bands. I

Were you going to call it "Solaris VII" by any chance?? -:)

A long time ago, back when I was running my RC game, I designed an adventure set on 
Promise (notorious for the Viral junta that runs it), and included an encounter with 
Virus-controlled FASA-style "BattleMechs" designed with FF&S. I use explosive reactive 
armor to simulate the ablative armor on BattleMechs -- blow off the multiple layers of 
ERA and then punch through the lighter metal underneath. 

Lessee, I had mechs armed with medium lasers (not enough to hurt anyone in RC heavy 
battledress, which is anout right for med lasers versus FASA's Clans Elemental Armor), 
gauss rifles (100mm hypervelocity railguns . . . a PC that got hit anywhere vital with 
one of these was toast, armor or no), PPCs (CPAW, a hit from which would just about kill 
a man in heavy battledress), machineguns (go prang off heavy battledress), various 
autocannons and missiles, etc. I even set the rates of fire and targeting capabilities 
to be consistient with BT.

If there is a demand for this material, I'll post it to the list . . . else, I'll find 
it a home on the Trav Fan-Web(tm).

In the interest of saving the most sacred and holy Bandwidth, please advise me.

- --Rich Ostorero
stormhvn@inreach.com

------------------------------

End of Traveller-digest V1996 #738
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