Subj:	#1(2) TRAVELLER digest 292
Date:	95-05-21 16:47:24 EDT
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------- cut here --------
			    TRAVELLER Digest 292

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Re: T2k/TTNE Rules Comments (TD#291)	by Derek Wildstar <wildstar@qrc.com>
  2) Traveller Survey: Preliminary Tabulation	by Derek Wildstar <wildstar@qrc.com>
  3) Draft FAQ Document	by jamesd@spirit.com.au (James Dempsey)
  4) Re: Draft FAQ Document	by jamesd@spirit.com.au (James Dempsey)
  5) 	by adou01@cs.auckland.ac.nz (Andrew Richard  Doull)
  6) Re: TRAVELLER digest 291	by aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
  7) Major Traveller Auction!	by muskrat@msn.fullfeed.com (John Kovalic)

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

Date: Sat, 20 May 95 22:40:21 -0400
From: Derek Wildstar <wildstar@qrc.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Cc: adou01@cs.auckland.ac.nz
Subject: Re: T2k/TTNE Rules Comments (TD#291)
Message-ID: <9505210240.AA16988@qrc.com>

In TD#291, adou01@cs.auckland.ac.nz (Andrew Richard Doull) wrote:
> I said:
> >In the opinion of other people who have played the game, T:TNE's combat
> >system is not realistic at all.

> I  would  be  quite interested in hearing what (specific) criticisms people
> have  with  the  Traveller:  The New Era combat system.

As I said, it's mostly a matter of opinion.  Complaints included that the
small arms (in particular) weren't deadly enough, that the autofire system
was completely wrong as written, and other complaints.

Kevin McCarthy, if you're reading this, feel free to jump in; I'm afraid
I didn't make a list of your comments and suggestions for T:TNE.

One of my personal complaints is that there doesn't seem to be any
significant advantage to most of the high-tech weapons (again, as written
in the T:TNE rules), leaving us wondering why they were ever adopted.

> May be this is just because I am used to the rules system.

This is possible.  Also, as I specifically mentioned; a _lot_ depends on
whether or not your find the system's designers' arguments convincing.  GDW
has done their level best to design a good system; whether or not they
succeeded seems to me to be _highly_ dependent on one's own point of view.

When reviewing T:TNE (which is, in effect, what the reader from Poland was
asking), I felt that I should mention this characteristic of the game: most
people either like it (and feel that it is realistic, playable, or both),
or dislike it (generally stating that they don't feel it is realistic, or
that the game mechanics are intolerably awkward, or both).

Certainly, a _very_ large number of worse systems have been published.
As I mentioned in my comments (perhaps not prominently enough), it _is_
easy to explain and use, and this does count for a lot.

My persional opinion?  I'm not fond of it (and never have been, since T2k
was published) and am not convinced that it's better than previous
Traveller systems.  

> >The first is that attributes (generally STR, DEX, and to some degree INT
and
> >EDU) have a great impact on the task target numbers.  This is because
> >attributes and skills contribute to the target number in equal proportion,
> >but attributes average around 6, while most characters have very few skill
> >levels that high.
> 
> This  is slightly incorrect.  Attributes and skill levels have equal impact
> ONCE  the character has started developing a skill.  If a character has not
> started   learning   a  skill,  each  point  of  attributes  has  half  the
> contribution  of  a  single  skill  level.

Actually, assets are ALWAYS computed as (skill+attribute).  However,
unskilled task attempts are at a mandatory one level more difficult (which
does, indeed, halve the chances of success).

That is _NOT_ what I was referring to, however (see below), and I agree
that this _is_ how the system should work.

> Having total success chances based
> partly  on  attributes  means that fatigue (which reduces STR, AGL, CON and
> INT)  and  serious  wounds  (which  halves  STR)  have a direct impact on a
> character's  chance  to  perform  tasks.

The same could be done by noting that fatigue and serious wounds cause
task difficulty modifiers, couldn't it?

> The reverse argument is that low
> attribute  characters are perhaps unnecessarily disadvantaged.  I'm working
> on it.

THIS is what I see as the real problem with the system.  Not only are low
attribute characters "perhaps" (!) unnecessarily disadvantaged, but high
attribute characters are outrageously rewarded.

Again, however, the argument is one of philosophy: I feel that a character's
attributes shouldn't have this much effect over skill use.  The Classic
Traveller system was perhaps too far in the other direction (where
attributes had practically no effect on skills), while MegaTraveller's 
excellent skill/task system had this factor about right.

I feel that attributes should have a smaller overall effect, and that
a system where the contribution from skill and attribute should be in
an unequal proportion - favoring skill.

> The  coarse  control  over the die roll only applies if you don't use finer
> control,  such as modifiers to the attributes and skill level of the people
> attempting actions. The task system actually has a wide variety of ways of
> controlling the die roll, including best of, worse of or average of several
> skill  levels.   You  can  also  use  partial  diff  mods  (1/3, 3/4, 1.5).

In practice, modifiers to the attributes and/or skill level of characters
attempting actions is done very rarely (some weapons and equipment have this
effect, but that is the only place it appears in the T:TNE rules). Similarly,
the uncontrolled recoil subtraction is (as far as I remember) the only time
the final success chance is directly modified in the T:TNE rules.  While
partial difficulty levels is mentioned in the rules, I have yet to see 
them used anywhere in the T:TNE, BL, FF&S, or RCEG rules.

While a good referee can use these and  many additional techniques (averaging
skills, calling for attribute-only or skill-only tasks, using "best of" and
"worst of" tasks, and liberal use of enabling tasks) to circumvent these
problems, I feel that in at least some (if not many) of the cases, the system
is working against me as a referee, instead of assisting me.

> Yes.  I agree with you about combat needing editorial revision. 

> However, I find combat relatively easy to run. 

Yes.

> It  gives  a  big advantage to whoever starts shooting first as well :-).

In my campaigns, I want to _discourage_ the PCs from shooting
first, so this is a bug rather than a feature ...  :-/

wildstar@quark.qrc.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          "It's Science Fiction, if, presuming technical 
                           competence on the part of the writer, he genuinely
                           believes it could happen." --- John W. Campell,
Jr.

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

Date: Sun, 21 May 95 00:03:11 -0400
From: Derek Wildstar <wildstar@qrc.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Cc: xboat@MPGN.COM
Subject: Traveller Survey: Preliminary Tabulation
Message-ID: <9505210403.AA17101@qrc.com>

The Great Traveller Capmaign Survey (Mk.IIbis)

I've tallied the responses to the Traveller Survey I posed a
couple of monthes ago.  Below are the (preliminary) tallies
for each survey question.

There were a total of 36 respondents.  The number of answers for
each question varies, because the many respondents reported more
than one campaign.  Some respondents didn't answer every question,
resulting in less than 36 answers.  Each answer was tallied, no matter
how many answers where given on each response.


HOW MANY Traveller campaigns do you participate in:
14	As a player?
38	As a referee?
52	(total)

HOW OFTEN do you play Traveller?
11	Once a week
 9	Biweekly
 2	Every 3 weeks
 5	Monthly
 2	Every 6 weeks
 2	Twice a year
31	(total)

For EACH CAMPAIGN that you participate in, WHICH RULES set do you use:
 4	Classic Traveller (including Starter Traveller and The Traveller Book)
 2	Traveller 2300 or 2300AD
13	MegaTraveller
21	Traveller: The New Era
 2	Other (some have reported playing "GURPS Traveller" in the past)
42	(total)

For EACH CAMPAIGN that you participate in, DESCRIBE the SETTING of the game:
 3	Historical 3rd Imperium (Imperial or alien, set before circa 1000)
17	Classic 3rd Imperium (Imperial or alien, since circa 1000)
 2	Traveller 2300 or 2300AD Universe
 5	Imperial Rebellion Era
 3	Hard Times or Collapse Era
 7	New Era (Reformation Colaition and surrounds)
 2	New Era (Regency and surrounds)
 2	New Era (other or Pocket Empire)
 4	Original Campaign (comments and description welcome!)
45	(total)

For EACH CAMPAIGN, HOW MANY people participate?
 1	Referee and 1 player
 2	Referee and 2 players
10	Referee and 3 players
 5	Referee and 4 players
 5	Referee and 5 players
 3	Referee and 6 players
 4	Referee and 7 players
 1	Referee and 8 players
 2	Referee and 9 players
 1	Referee and 11 players
 1	Referee and 19 players [eek!]
35	(total)

For EACH CAMPAIGN, HOW LONG have you been playing this campaign?
 3	Less than a Month (or still planning)
 2	1 Month
 2	2 Months
 3	3 Months
 4	5 Months
 5	6 Months
 1	8 Months
 4	9 Months
 3	A Year
 5	2 Years
 6	3 Years
 5	5 Years
 2	6 Years
 2	10 Years
 1	12 Years [wow!]
48	(total)
 

There you have it!  Any of you who are playing currently, but haven't
sent in a response, please do so - I'll be starting to do data edits
and produce some useful statistics over the next months or so (so
that's about how long you still have to return a response).  The biggest
effort here will be to insert unknown/non-respondent values into the
data fields, so that crosstabulations are possible (so I can answer
questions like "What's the most popular background for T:TNE players?").

Watch this space for further information.  :-)

While the number of people using the T:TNE rules isn't suprising, the
number who are playing in a Classic Traveller background is!  It is
clearly the most popular campaign background choice, even if all
three of the New Era campaigns are lumped into one category.

The "If I were running GDW" department:
  Given the above numbers (which were rather suprizing to me), and
  the large quantity of existing Classic Traveller background
  material accessable to GDW, a _We Have Always Been As We Are_ 
  Classic Traveller sourcebook for T:TNE might be the best choice
  for a new T:TNE product.  (some of you may remember Mike suggesting
  this title for such a book a while back).  How about it, Loren?

I should also note that most of the respondents refereed at least one game,
and so are much more likley to purchase suppliements and adventure modules
than the average T:TNE player.

wildstar@qrc.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Di!  Ecce hora!  Uxor mea me
neccabit! 

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

Date: Sun, 21 May 95 14:55:17 
From: jamesd@spirit.com.au (James Dempsey)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Draft FAQ Document
Message-ID: <20b31547.7cfc8-jamesd@loki.spirit.com.au>

Well, here is a draft/demo FAQ document which I have written. You may notice
that lots of the text has been taken from the info received upon first
subscribing to the TML. It seemed like a good source.

There are lots of gaps. So please send me info to fill them. The headings I
have put in are only suggestions - something to get the debate going, so
again comments, changes, flames (hopefully not :-) should be sent to either
me or the list.

BTW: The original document is in html (aka web page), so I am looking to
get it put on the web locally where I can update it easily. Once it is a
little more developed, I will send it out to those people who kindly offered
it a home. Stay tuned.

BFN,
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
James Dempsey
email: jamesd@spirit.com.au

|-------------------------------------------|
Traveller Mailing List FAQ

This document seeks to give the new susbscriber information about the list,
how to use it, and also about what else the Internet holds for the avid
Traveller fan.

  1. All About The Traveller Mailing List
      1. How Do I Subscribe?
      2. How Do I Unsubscribe?
      3. How Do I use the List Processor?
  2. What other Resources are there for Traveller on the Internet?
      1. Other Mailing Lists
      2. WWW, Gopher and FTP Sites
  3. What subjects have been 'Done To Death' already on the TML
      1. Effects of rocks on Planets
      2. Was this Virus thing such a good idea?
      3. SDBs and the Defence of Gas Giants
      4. What is a Feudal Technocracy?
  4. What did other people think of product X?
  5. What erratas are available?



1. All About The Traveller Mailing List

The TML exists as a means for the Traveller Player/GM to exchange ideas and 
discuss the various aspects of the Traveller System, and its universe. This 
list is open primarily to discussions relating to Traveller: The New Era and
the Traveller universe dating from to the the Rebellion to present.
Discussions 
about Traveller, MegaTraveller and periods prior to the Rebellion, should be 
directed to the Xboat Traveller Mailing List (xboat@mpgn.com) by subscribing 
to it.

1.1 How Do I Subscribe?

To subscribe to the Traveller Mailing List (TML), send a mail message to 
listproc@mpgn.com and in the body, place the line:

   subscribe traveller Your Name Here

1.2 How Do I Unsubscribe?

To leave this list, send a message to listproc@mpgn.com and in the body:

   signoff traveller

1.3 How Do I use the List Processor?

The list processor is the program that manages the list. Its address is 
listproc@mpgn.com.

The digests generated by the list are archived on ftp.MPGN.COM in the 
Gaming/SciFi/Traveller/TML directory which is available either by anonymous 
ftp, or using the list processor. To get a copy of an old digest, send a
message to listproc@mpgn.com with the following in the body:

  get traveller <digestname> where <digestname> is the digest which you want.
                             More recent digests are named along the lines of

                             tml95-179

The list processor can also do other things such as change the way in which 
you receive mail from the list. For more information about the listproc, send

a message to listproc@mpgn.com with the following in the body:

   help       or
   help <topic>  where <topic> is what you want help on.

If you have difficulties with the mailing list, send mail to either:

   traveller-request@mpgn.com or xboat-request@mpgn.com



2. What other Resources are there for Traveller on the Internet?

2.1 Other Mailing Lists

2.2 WWW, Gopher and FTP Sites



3. What subjects have been 'Done To Death' already on the TML

The following subjects have previously been discussed in some depth on the 
TML. They invariably had staunch defenders on both sides, and led to some 
fiery debates. So, unless you have some new and inspired material, please
don't stoke the coals.

3.1 Effects of rocks on Planets

3.2 Was this Virus thing such a good idea?

3.3 SDBs and the Defence of Gas Giants

3.4 What is a Feudal Technocracy?



4. What did other people think of product X?



5. What erratas are available?


Traveller, MegaTraveller and Traveller:The New Era are trademarks of Game 
Designers' Workshop (GDW).

This document was compiled by James Dempsey. Contributions, comments and 
corrections from any TML members are welcome. Just send them either to me at 
jamesd@spirit.com.au, or to the list.

Last updated on 21 May 1995.



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

Date: Sun, 21 May 95 19:27:21 
From: jamesd@spirit.com.au (James Dempsey)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Draft FAQ Document
Message-ID: <20b35513.93499-jamesd@loki.spirit.com.au>

The draft FAQ is now also on the web. 
Try http://www.spirit.com.au/~jamesd

BFN.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
James Dempsey
email: jamesd@spirit.com.au



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

Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 03:54:03 +1200
From: adou01@cs.auckland.ac.nz (Andrew Richard  Doull)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Message-ID: <199505211554.DAA08253@cs26.cs.auckland.ac.nz>

> In TD#291, adou01@cs.auckland.ac.nz (Andrew Richard Doull) wrote:
> > I said:
> > >In the opinion of other people who have played the game, T:TNE's combat
> > >system is not realistic at all.
> 
> > I  would  be  quite interested in hearing what (specific) criticisms
people
> > have  with  the  Traveller:  The New Era combat system.
> 
> As I said, it's mostly a matter of opinion.  Complaints included that the
> small arms (in particular) weren't deadly enough, that the autofire system
> was completely wrong as written, and other complaints.

Small arms have always been dangerous (Because of knockdown rules), but not
too  deadly.  Dead PCs have never been a strong point with my players.  The
autofire  system  needs  (Another)  overhaul  in  my  opinion.  There is an
article  in  Challenge  magazine  73,  "Lethality in Roleplaying Small Arms
Systems" which describes one set of Real World (tm) firefights taking place
on  the  US-Mexican border between a set of undercover police operatives in
the  area  and  various suspects.  While this is admittedly a statistically
small  sample  pool, it does make interesting reading and seems to bear out
GDW  house  system.   (But  then  Frank  Chadwick  wrote  it).

Most  of the roleplayed firefights in my experience of the GDW house system
are over within 30 seconds, with most combatants from one side knocked down
and  the  other  still  standing  (And  hence  able  to  maintain  tactical
superiority).   Least  satisfying  of all have been those fights which have
used  large  exchanges  of  automatic  fire,  if purely because it requires
getting  out  the rules again and handfuls number of dice.  There have been
some  statistically  unlucky  attempts  at autofire (Most memorably with an
AK-74  against  an COC eldar god).  The PCs have had vehicles shot out from
under them many times (It used to be horses in AD&D).

> 
> Kevin McCarthy, if you're reading this, feel free to jump in; I'm afraid
> I didn't make a list of your comments and suggestions for T:TNE.

These would be appreciated.

> 
> One of my personal complaints is that there doesn't seem to be any
> significant advantage to most of the high-tech weapons (again, as written
> in the T:TNE rules), leaving us wondering why they were ever adopted.

This  comment  made  me sit up in suprise.  I'll agree that the high-energy
weapons are still broken (Even with the article "Putting the Heat Back Into
Plasma"),  and  every so often someone designs a metre long meson gun.  The
design  sequences  in  FF&S  are continually going to need adjusting to fit
everyone's  real  world perception.  I would really like to get my hands on
GURPS Vehicles to check FFS against it.

But  what  sort  of  degree  of  difference  did  you envisage.  Lasers are
admittedly  not  as  penetrating  at  squad level as many roleplaying games
envisaged.   Blame physics.  Mass drivers and gauss weapons can't afford to
be  too  powerful  because of the limitations of recoil on muzzle energies.
High-energy   weapons   are  in  my  view,  sufficiently  powerful  enough,
especially  if  you  treat them like HEAP warheads as opposed to small arms
(But  I  blame  the  design  sequence here).  I can't see missles and other
warheads  getting  too  fundamentally  different  for  a  while,  short  of
miniature  nukes.   Admittedly.   GURPS  Ultratech does provide a wealth of
exotic  weaponary,  but then FF&S always lacked alternative technologies in
the  weapons  chapter  (Such  as  a  blaster design sequence).  I'm waiting
patiently on Armour 21 as well.

> Certainly, a _very_ large number of worse systems have been published.
> As I mentioned in my comments (perhaps not prominently enough), it _is_
> easy to explain and use, and this does count for a lot.
> 
> My persional opinion?  I'm not fond of it (and never have been, since T2k
> was published) and am not convinced that it's better than previous
> Traveller systems.  

I  don't  disagree  with  you.   Better  is always hard to achieve in a new
edition of a game.  The Traveller:  TNE system's main advantage in my eyes,
is its compatibility with Twilight and Dark Conspiracy, because I play both
these games as well.  The GDW house system at least covers all bases, tries
to  remain close to Real World (tm) and uses metric.  Everything else in my
opinion, is open to revision...

> 
> > Having total success chances based
> > partly  on  attributes  means that fatigue (which reduces STR, AGL, CON
and
> > INT)  and  serious  wounds  (which  halves  STR)  have a direct impact on
a
> > character's  chance  to  perform  tasks.
> 
> The same could be done by noting that fatigue and serious wounds cause
> task difficulty modifiers, couldn't it?

But  this would create the need for an extra rules.  One set how to explain
how fatigue and serious wounds affect attributes, the second to explain how
they affect task difficulties.

> 
> > The reverse argument is that low
> > attribute  characters are perhaps unnecessarily disadvantaged.  I'm
working
> > on it.
> 
> THIS is what I see as the real problem with the system.  Not only are low
> attribute characters "perhaps" (!) unnecessarily disadvantaged, but high
> attribute characters are outrageously rewarded.
> 
> Again, however, the argument is one of philosophy: I feel that a
character's
> attributes shouldn't have this much effect over skill use.  The Classic
> Traveller system was perhaps too far in the other direction (where
> attributes had practically no effect on skills), while MegaTraveller's 
> excellent skill/task system had this factor about right.
> 
> I feel that attributes should have a smaller overall effect, and that
> a system where the contribution from skill and attribute should be in
> an unequal proportion - favoring skill.

The  system  is  completely  open  to  such a modification.  Just determine
assets  using (1/2 attribute) + skill, or some other such alteration to the
rules.   Because the task system generally leaves such things alone (ie not
using  other assets as + or - modifiers and so forth) you can quite happily
do this.

The  problem  with  the  current  rules  is how to balance out high and low
attribute  characters.   My  players  tend to use characters from the upper
quartile  because  they  like  playing  cinematic games.  ie no one has STR
below  8.   If someone was to suddenly play a weak character in this group,
they would be at a serious disadvantage.

Many  game  systems  use  an talent/handicap system to balance out starting
characters.   One of the things that makes the GDW system different is that
it  does not impose such penalties on players (Otherwise if I play a blind,
anemic  dwarf,  I  can  get  an  extra  +2  INT).   Such  a system would be
relatively easy one to convert over, if need be.

GURPS restricts high attribute advantages, by limiting the attribute to 14.
Traveller  restricts high attributes to 15, but I relax this restriction to
say  there  is  no  maximum  attribute  (For  high-G characters, cybernetic
enhancements  etc).   If  this  becomes  unbalancing  (It  hasn't), I would
consider  limiting  higher  attributes to contributing only 15 to the skill
asset.   Similarly,  low  attributes  could  contribute  at least a minimum
amount to a skill, say 4, if less than 4.

> 
> > It [combat]  gives  a  big advantage to whoever starts shooting first as
well :-).
> 
> In my campaigns, I want to _discourage_ the PCs from shooting
> first, so this is a bug rather than a feature ...  :-/

What  do you mean _shooting first_?  Do you mean you want the PCs to adhere
to  a  code  of honour where they give the enemy the first shot?  Or do you
rather want to discourage PCs getting into shoot outs with people you would
rather they talk to.

My recommendation:

If  the PCs are getting into unnecessary fire fights, courtmartial them (In
the  RCES  or  Regency)  or  arrest  them.  This doesn't necessarily mean a
prison  term,  but  it  can  be  great for encouraging good behaviour and a
greater  degree  of  responsibility.   The  first  Dark  Conspiracy game we
played,  everyone  armed  up  with 4-5 guns and shot everything that moved.
After  the  police caught up with us during that adventure, we all cut down
to a pistol each and something heavier (Read shotgun) hidden in the trunk.

As  for  necessary  firefights,  shooting  first  has  always been the best
policy.

> 
> wildstar@quark.qrc.com
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>                           "It's Science Fiction, if, presuming technical 
>                            competence on the part of the writer, he
genuinely
>                            believes it could happen." --- John W. Campell,
Jr.
> 


While  "defending"  the GDW system and specifically Traveller:  The New Era
(And I use this word in a loose sense), it occurred to me if much of what I
have  said  hasn't  been  argued  recently  on  one  of  the  rec.games.frp
newsgroups,  about  to  what  degree  games  are  homebrewed.  I agree with
comments about liking the TNE system being a matter of opinion and so forth
purely because I am so used to designing and throwing out rules as a matter
of  ad  hoc.   This  philosophy applies similarly to my adventures, which I
draw  from  any  game  system, provided the adventure has the basics (Maps,
handouts) and the plot to drive the players through it.

However,  I  think, ultimately, the trend these days is to chose one system
and  stick  with it, and for me, it will probably the GDW house system.  My
reason?   I  feel  GDW are closest to the gaming community when it comes to
explaining  why they made their design decisions, and recognising a mistake
when  they make one.  An interesting setting will always get my vote (Kult,
Call  of  Cthulhu  and Whispering Vault come to mind) and usually my money,
but  I'll  usually  leave  the  rules  for  it  on  the shelf and play with
something  I  already  know.   This  is not to say that GDW doesn't produce
interesting  settings  (and  2300  AD and Dark Conspiracy are two of my all
time favourites), nor other gaming companies good sets of rules.

This is probably also getting inappropriate for the Traveller Mailing List.

A.D.Venturer (aka Andrew Doull)


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

Date: Sun, 21 May 95 20:20 BST-1
From: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Cc: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 291
Message-ID: <memo.443457@cix.compulink.co.uk>

In-Reply-To: <199505202305.TAA11442@Ambassador.MPGN.COM>


In message <199505202305.TAA11442@Ambassador.MPGN.COM>, traveller@mpgn.com
said:
  > From: Dane Johnson <djohnson@frame.com> 
  > Subject: Grav Compensators & Antimatter PAWS 
  >  
  > 1/  Who needs Anti-Hijacking programs?  When the ship *isn't* under
  > acceleration, what's to stop you from cranking your 6G Grav comsators
  > on full bore (after, presumabely, disabling the built in safety
  > features) and smashing everthing into the wall at 6Gs?  
  
This is an *old* idea, from CT days. The best way of doing it is to have
a long corridor leading to the Bridge for them to 'fall' down. If you're
really sick you can put spikes on the wall at the 'bottom' or, (my
favourite) an airlock for them to 'fall' out of...:-)

  > From: adou01@cs.auckland.ac.nz (Andrew Richard  Doull) To:
  >  
  > I  would  be  quite interested in hearing what (specific) criticisms
  > people have  with  the  Traveller:  The New Era combat system.  
  
Initially, I was concerned about people having too many hit points (you
just couldn't *kill* people!), but the recent boosting of weapon damages
has helped this.

I'm still not completely happy about a guy with a TL5 SMG turning the 
occupant of TL15 battle dress into puree through blunt trauma.

I *hate* the way armour works, (although not as much as I did).

I hate the way vehicle damage works differently to anti-personnel.

  > defending  the  system),  fairly realistic.  Just remember to use
  > the quick kill,  stun  and  knockdown rules and fights finish quickly

These help, but the whole thing could be simpler.


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

Date: Sun, 21 May 1995 15:17:09 -0500
From: muskrat@msn.fullfeed.com (John Kovalic)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Major Traveller Auction!
Message-ID: <199505212017.PAA01160@fullfeed.msn.fullfeed.com>


Hi, all,

This is the start of another Traveller auction. I'm only posting this here
this one time. All future posts will be in rec.games.frp.marketplace.  But
tare some really choice items here -- including the Traveller Boardgames,
near-mint runs on the Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society (not to
mention JTAS #1), Paranoia Press and Games Workshop Traveller items and
FASA 15 mm starship deckplans  -- and I wanted people who'd appreciate them
to know...

The two non-Traveller items are also neat: the four original Space Opera
books, and Stellar Conquest, Matagaming's 1979 space boardgame.

Rules come at the end of the auction, thanks for reading, and again, this
is the ONLY time this will appear here.

________________________________________________________________
GROUP 1: TRAVELLER BOARDGAMES AND BOXED SETS
________________________________________________________________
Group Bid:

********Azhanti High Lightning (unpunched)********

********Fifth Frontier War (punched, played)********

Imperium (punched, played)

Striker

Tarsus:  World Beyond the Frontier

________________________________________________________________
GROUP 1a: NON-TRAVELLER BOARDGAMES
________________________________________________________________

********Stellar Conquest********

________________________________________________________________
GROUP 2: ALIENS MODULES
________________________________________________________________
Group Bid:

Module 1: Aslan

Module 2: Vargr

________________________________________________________________
GROUP 3: THE JOURNAL OF THE TRAVELLER'S AID SOCIETY
________________________________________________________________
Group Bid:

********The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 1********

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 8

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 9

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 10

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 12

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 13

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 14

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 15

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 16

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 17

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 18

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 19

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 22

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 23

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 24

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 25

The Best of the Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 1

________________________________________________________________
GROUP 4: THE JOURNAL OF THE TRAVELLER'S AID SOCIETY
(Issues missing inserts)
________________________________________________________________
Group Bid:

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 6

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 7

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 17

The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society # 21

________________________________________________________________
GROUP 5: TRAVELLER BOOKS AND BOOKLETS
________________________________________________________________
Group Bid:

Understanding Traveller

Book 3: Worlds and Adventure

Book 5: High Guard

Book 6: Scouts

Adventure 6: Expedition to Zhodane

Adventure 7: Broadsword

Supplement 13: Veterans

________________________________________________________________
GROUP 6: NON-GDW TRAVELLER PRODUCTS
________________________________________________________________
Group Bid:

(Games Workshop)

********IISS Ship Files ********
Gorgeous new starships!

(Paranoia Press)

********Scouts and Assassins********

********Merchants and Merchandise********

********Sorag********

********Vanguard Reaches********

********Beyond (slight tear where price tag was )********

________________________________________________________________
GROUP 7: FASA SHIP PLANS
________________________________________________________________
Group Bid:

********I.S.P.M.V. Fenris (bagged)********

********Z.I.S.M.V. Vlezhdatl (bagged)********

********Adventure Class Starships Vol. 2 (boxed, unopened)********

________________________________________________________________
GROUP 8 : SPACE OPERA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
________________________________________________________________
Group Bid:

Space Opera Book One

Space Opera Book Two

Space Opera Book 3

Space Marine



________________________________________________________________
RULES AND REGULATIONS (a.k.a. SORAG is watching YOU!)
________________________________________________________________

Minimum bids are $2 for booklets, $3 for bagged items, $5 for boxed items.

Minimum bid increases are $1 for items under $25, $2 for items between $25
and $60, $3 for items above $60.

The auction will end June 21, but if bidding on some items slows down, I'll
consider using a "going, going, GONE" format so people won't have to wait
forever.

Buyouts will be considered. Fnord.

Since there's a lot of stuff here, bidding on groups is encouraged, but
must be greater than the sum of the individual bids to take the lot. I'll
also accept group bids on the entire auction.

If any bids come in on the same day that tie each other, the nod will go to
the first bidder that gets their offer into my e-mail. If I don't receive a
check, money order, or whatever for an item within two weeks of final
notification, the item will be offered to the next highest bidder. Please
let me know if you're going to be on vacation or out for whatever reason,
and we can make arrangements. If this doesn't seem fair, let me know, and
we'll hammer something out. Items will be mailed out once money orders
arrive or checks clear.

Buyer pays shipping, and chooses shipping method.

Send bids to muskrat@msn.fullfeed.com.

Regular updates will be provided via the net on rec.games.frp.marketplace,
and e-mail.

Solomani Home Rule!

John Kovalic


           ^
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/----------\                -----------------------
============
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------------------------------

End of TRAVELLER Digest 292
***************************



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