			    TRAVELLER Digest 84

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) The Black Curtain	by That Computer Guy <darkstar@chopin.udel.edu>
  2) Miniatures questions	by merrick@RT66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)
  3) Re: Hard SF: Alien Atmospheres (fwd)	by Shalom Zaidfeld <cs911408@red.ariel.cs.yorku.ca>
  4) Imperium variant rules/units	by "Upton, Django" <DUpton@VTRNNTOV.TELECOM.com.au>
  5) Realy big ships	by cs5025@wlv.ac.uk (L.T.Bryant)
  6) SW and sensors	by "p.a.c.tavares" <cabr85@ccsun.strath.ac.uk>
  7) More Regency notes....	by bonn0015@mermaid.itlabs.umn.edu
  8) SW by Anderson	by Glenn Myers <gem188@swanson.com>

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

Date: Thu, 27 Oct 1994 16:46:27 -0400
From: That Computer Guy <darkstar@chopin.udel.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: The Black Curtain
Message-ID: <199410272046.QAA10045@chopin.udel.edu>


Well, I thought that I'd share my take on the Black Curtain since
everyone else is doing it.

Virus reached Capital.  Once there, it infected computers and wreaked
havoc in the same manner it did around the rest of the Imperium. 
However, once it got to Capital/Capital, it came across one of the robot
Strephons.  Once this Strephon and the Capital's computers were
infected, Virus mutated into Emperor Virus.  Emperor Virus thought that
it was Strephon, or at least the one true Emperor, and soveriegn leader
of the Third Imperium.  It set across in it's body (Robo-Strephon) to
reclaim it's empire.  First, it had to defeat Lucan and regain the
capital.  Once this happened, it went about rebuilding it's corner of
the galaxy so that it could go ahead and recapture the rest of it's
Imperium.  However, Virus Emperor Strephon has many robots and borgs
working to expand it's TL base.  Why bots and borgs?  Because it's
mechanical.  I think that all of the humans would only be subjugated
slave labor.

Anyway, I think that the whold point of the Black Curtain source book
will be that Strephon has reached TL 17, has rebuilt its armada, and
that it's ready to reclaim the rest of it's empire...

        --Jerry

|>  Jerry Alexandratos                **  "vengo de la tierra del    <|
|>  darkstar@strauss.udel.edu         **   fuego ten cuidado cuando  <|
|>  darkstar@canary.pearson.udel.edu  **   llamas mi nombre..."      <|

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

Date: Thu, 27 Oct 1994 14:46:05 -0600 (MDT)
From: merrick@RT66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM (traveller)
Subject: Miniatures questions
Message-ID: <9410272046.AA05196@RT66.com>


Howdy,

I saw the list of traveller minis, but I have yet to see any (Wargames
West doesn't carry 'em).  What is the scale on the ships?  Is it
consistent? How 'bout the cost?

Thanks,
	Merrick

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

Date: Thu, 27 Oct 1994 17:58:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: Shalom Zaidfeld <cs911408@red.ariel.cs.yorku.ca>
To: TNE Mailing List <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re: Hard SF: Alien Atmospheres (fwd)
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.90.941027175639.20831A-100000@blue>

Here is some intersting facts about Alien Atmospheres off the USEnet.
Good for World Builders out there, enjoy.

	-Shalom Zaidfeld

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 26 OCT 1994 13:53:21 GMT 
From: Joerg Rhiemeier <rhiemeir@ips.cs.tu-bs.de>
Newgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Hard SF: Alien Atmospheres 

Well, monitoring this discussion of alien atmospheres, I have decided
to come up with a list of substances which might -- or might not --
take the role of oxygen on alien planets.

Many oxidants have been suggested in science fiction.  On Earth,
oxygen is created by photosynthesis.  Other oxidants might come into
play the same way.  Photolysis of water wapour in the outer atmosphere
creates oxygen, which in turn might create other oxidants.  (On Earth,
ferric oxide and sulfates were created by oxygen.)

However, I think oxygen is still the likeliest choice.  Each oxidant
has a non-oxidant counterpart which it is formed from in
photosynthesis.  Photosynthesis is basically reduction of CO2 to
organic carbon, and it needs a reducant(sp?).  The correspondence is the
following:

Reducant       Oxidant

Water          Oxygen
Ammonia        Nitrogen (*)
Hydr.sulfide   Sulfur   (*)
Nitrogen       Nitric acid, nitrates
Water          Hydrogen peroxide
Chlorides      Chlorine
Sulfur         Sulfuric acid, sulfates (%)
Ferrous oxide  Ferric oxide (%)

(*) No oxidizing properties.
(%) Too weak an oxidant for fire.

The ammonia/nitrogen and hydrogen sulfuride/sulfur cases are one-way
reactions, there won't be nitrogen or sulfur `breathers'.  All other
may have something analogous to Earth oxygen breathing process, and
therefore be circuit processes.

The most common reducant is of course water, so oxygen is the
likeliest oxidant.

Note that none of these oxidants are likely to coexist with a reducing
atmosphere.  Besides the oxidant itself, you have the common redox-neutral
components: nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water vapour, noble gases.

Oxygen: 
We have this on Earth.

Nitrogen:
Everybody knows what it's like, too.

Nitric acid:
Liquid, forms acidic oceans and rivers.  There will be nitric oxides
and nitric acid vapour in the atmosphere.  The sky is deep
reddish-brown.  Little light reaches the surface.  Oxygen probably
will also be present as a photolysis by-product.  Metal oxides turned
into nitrates which are highly water-soluble -- most metals will be
in the oceans.  Carbonates don't exist because nitric acid turns them
to nitrates, releasing CO2.  This CO2 could create a nasty, Venus-like
greenhouse.  If this doesn't happen, adapted lifeforms might exist.
Fire is possible, and therefore technology.
However, nitrates are likelier.

Nitrates:
Dissolved in water, don't affect planetary chemistry much, though
atmosphere won't be reducing and will probably hold smaller quantities
of nitric oxides and oxygen.  Dry nitrates might occur in arid areas.
These can be used to create fire.  Technology might be possible.

Hydrogen peroxide:
Liquid, exists dissolved in water.  There will also be oxygen, and
some hydrogen peroxide vapour in the atmosphere rendering it poisonous
to humans.  Otherwise, not much weirdness as compared to Earth.  Life,
fire and technology possible.

Chlorine:
The sky is green, the oceans are acidic (HCl and HOCl).  Metal oxides and
carbonates turned into chlorides (mostly soluble).  Life might evolve,
fire and technology possible.

Sulfuric acid:
Liquid, strong acid, but weak oxidant.  Acidic oceans, most metals
dissolved as sulfates.  (Not that heavy metal sulfates mostly dissolve
well.)  Life might exist, but H2SO4 won't be strong enough for fire.
Sulfates are likelier.

Sulfates:
Most sulfates dissolve well in water (important exception: calcium
sulfate).  No strong effect on planetary chemistry.  No fire possible.

Ferric oxide:
Solid.  Weak oxidant, low influence on planetary chemistry.  No fire
possible.

Sulfur:
Some bacteria create this in photosynthesis instead of oxygen.  No
oxidizing properties.

Everything else doesn't seem likely for miscellaneous reasons (rare,
exotic elements involved, not stable enough, etc.)  One of these
losing candidates, which is still quite popular, is fluorine.
This CANNOT occur naturally!  The only way leading to it is
electrolysis.  Photosynthetic organisms can't produce it.  It is
strictly impossible.  Liquid water immediately *bursts into flame*, as
does organic material.  Therefore, fluorine released somehow won't
survive long.

~~o~~|--------------------------------------------------|~~o~~
~/V\~| Joerg Rhiemeier, roleplayer and prog.rock maniac |~/V\~
~~H~~| Don't jump bungee -- swim with a trenchcoat !    |~~H~~
~/_\~|--------------------------------------------------|~/_\~

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

Date: Fri, 28 Oct 94 12:14:00 EST
From: "Upton, Django" <DUpton@VTRNNTOV.TELECOM.com.au>
To: tml <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Imperium variant rules/units
Message-ID: <2EB17FF7@msmail.trl.oz.au>


Here they are, my mods to 1st ed Imperium.

Extra units: I think some of these came from an old issue of Spacegamer that 
I no longer have :-(
All are jump capable.

Unit type code      EU cost   maint     combat    No avail.
ML =Minelayer       2    1    0-0-1     6 I
AR =Repair ship          8    1    0-0-1     4 I, 4 T
MM =Mobile Monitor  10   4    8-0-6     6 I
CV =Carrier         10   2    1-0-4     2 I, 1 T
CD =Defence Cruiser 10   4    1-0-7     6 I
CB =Bombardment Cruiser  10   3    1-4-3     3 I
CP =Provincial Cruiser   6    2    2-3-3     3 I
CA =Attack Cruiser  14   4    5-8-6     5 T
BC =Battle-cruiser  15   5    8-8-8     6 T
R  =Raider          4    1    1-2-1     6 T
ATD=Armoured Transport   2    2    0-0-2     6 T
MD =Mine-sweeper    2    1    0-0-1     2 T

Special rules/abilities:
CV: as mothership.
AR: allows all ships in its hex to use civilized maintenance.
R:  upon entering an enemy occupied hex may continue moving on a dr of 5-6.
CD: may screen one other ship in addition to itself.
ATD: may carry one troop counter and counts as defence 7+ for PD fire.
CB: double missile factor for bombardment and defence 7+ for PD fire.
ML: if left in a hex for a whole turn it leaves a minefield which attacks 
all enemy ships which enter the hex as factor one missiles each round of 
combat.
MD: Sweeps mines on a dr of 4-6 and avoids first mine attack.
BC: this is a capital ship and so has troop carrying abilities and 
production restrictions identical with the BB.

Imperial nobbling rules:

Appeals to the emperor: (using 1 glory per attempt)
DM's to rolls: -1 if won previous war
          -1 if No Further Appeals result in previous war.
          -1 per previous roll this war
Mods to ship table: 11 => dr: 1-3 CA 4-6 B2
               12 => dr: 1-3 CA 4-6 BB

Imperial ship replacement:
If the Imperial does not have permission to build ships of a type then ships 
of that type may not be replaced.

Have fun!

Django.

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

Date: Fri, 28 Oct 1994 12:17:27 +0000 (GMT)
From: cs5025@wlv.ac.uk (L.T.Bryant)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Realy big ships
Message-ID: <m0r0qFN-0003uIC@ccub.wlv.ac.uk>

OK ,
After reading the battle star post i feel its time to send in  my
silly ship ( or at least the basics that i can remember)
Here we are    ( swirls of dry ice smoke)

The Liberator
a 40 Km long TL21 nasty
the  TL is so the damm teleporter and force wall work at  roughly
what i can get from the Blakes 7 Tv series
with  3  1000000  Mw meson guns thaT are abough 30  KM  long  the
wepons range is grater than the sensors that are in FF&S, as  for
the  stutter warp efficancy is in the 50s, (" You cant do  TD  12
in real space")  :)
and  of corse top that off with only needing 6 humans (  or  what
ever)  and  1 or 2 computers ( well ZEN and  ORAC  are  computers
Just)

Hope this helps
if  you want a copy of the stats let me Know and ill try  to  get
them  to you...
And for my next trick a star distroyer
-- 
oh rose thou art sick
               the invisible worm that flys by night.....STEEL


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

Date: Fri, 28 Oct 1994 12:35:23 +0000 (GMT)
From: "p.a.c.tavares" <cabr85@ccsun.strath.ac.uk>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: SW and sensors
Message-ID: <9410281235.AA03579@avon.cc.strath.ac.uk>

>   In my short-lived 2300 game, I stated that the SW effect produced a
> "Foot-print" of high-energy emmssions on each "real-space" segment of the
> SW cycle.  As a result, while you might not be able to do anything about
> them directly, you could build up a vector on where they were headed and at
> what speed.
>   
> --
>     -+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=-
>  Michel Vaillancourt            Written from, not for:          
>  "Live, Love, Learn"            Prograph International      
>  MetroCity 2.0.2.0 BBS          2745 Dutch Village Rd,         
>     902.835.9766                     Halifax, NS                
> 1:251/17@fidonet.org            "Watch your language!"          
>                                                            

  Interesting point.  But it all comes down to the fact that 2300
sensors only detect light (or electromagnetic radiation) that travels
at the speed of light.  Given the scale of interstellar distances the
foot-print left by a ship would take months or years to reach a sensor.
Remember that SW ships don't have to travel in a straight line.  And
since they are subject to gravity like any other chunk of matter they
probably don't.  So you can't guess the location of a ship from it's
initial direction and sw "speed".

    Going back to the article on pairing phase:  the idea is also
good but again given the scale of space how do you find the ships
in the first place???


---------------------------------------
Pedro A.C. Tavares

Dept of Physics & Applied Physics
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK

Email: p.tavares@ccsun.strath.ac.uk
       cabr85@ccsun.strath.ac.uk

Tel No: +44-41-552 4400 (ext. 3151)
Fax No: +44-41-552 2891
---------------------------------------

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

Date: Fri, 28 Oct 1994 15:24:51 -0500
From: bonn0015@mermaid.itlabs.umn.edu
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: More Regency notes....
Message-ID: <199410282024.PAA02078@seahorse.itlabs.umn.edu>

More "Regency" Research:

I threw together some more interesting Regency-related info.  I
ran the ftp files for the Marches, Deneb, Reft, and Troy through
a short C program to filter out the non-Imperial worlds and get
some information.  Deneb, Reft, and Trojan Reach are circa 1120,
and the Marches are circa 1112, so the figures below include all
early-Rebellion effects except the invasion of the rimward end
of the Marches.

Below are all the worlds which were members of the Domain of
Deneb that had populations in the ten billion range or higher, 
ordered roughly in their economic importance to the Domain.  
These twenty worlds contain eighty percent of the Domain's 
population.  Subsector names have been added to help find them.

Vincennes/Vincennes  1122 A899AA6-G    Hi In Cp           113 Dd 
Mora/Mora            3124 AA99AC7-F  A Hi In Cx           112 Im 
Trin/Trin's Veil     3235 A894A96-F  A Hi In Cp           101 Im 
Lintl/Vestus         0503 B739AEE-F    Hi Cp              404 Dd 
Dekha/Vincennes      1128 C100A9A-F  S Hi Na In Va        210 Dd 
Lilad/Zeng           1135 C447AAE-E    Hi In              824 Dd 
Neumann/Gazulin      3105 B876AA9-D  N In Hi              123 Dd
Fornice/Mora         3025 A354A87-C    Hi                 202 Im
Deneb/Usani          1925 B537ADD-C  N Hi In Cx           610 Dd 
Pikha/Zeng           1633 B738A86-C    Hi                 612 Dd 
Beaxon/Gulf          0439 D88AA99-C    Hi Wa           A  923 Dd 
Askigaak/Star Lane   0629 E549AA8-C    Hi In              901 Dd  
Ashasi/Inar          1618 E9D5AA8-C    Hi Fl              621 Dd
Porozlo/Rhylanor     2715 A867A74-B    Hi                 201 Im
Giikusu/Dunmag       2316 E647ABC-B    Hi In              105 Dd 
Junidy/Aramis        3202 B434ABD-9  W Hi                 310 Im 
Kryslion/Pax Rulin   2002 D483AA9-9    Hi                 520 Dd 
Borlund/Lamas        1406 E454AAA-9    Hi                 701 Dd 
Louzy/Jewell         1604 D322A88-8    Hi Na In Po        110 Im 
Rethe/Regina         2408 E230AA8-8    Hi Na Po De        323 Im 

Another 10% or so of the Domain's population is on the fairly
numerous lesser HiPop worlds.  Some of those worlds have better
starports and local tech than the majority of the worlds listed 
here.  Losing three billion people to Virus on Trin is quite a 
blow, though, even though Trin only represents one percent of 
the Domain population.  The ihatei also took at least one world,
Tobia/Tobia, off this list.

I suspect that some of those "charismatic dictatorships" are 
the local nobility, like at Vincennes; it would certainly help 
explain why there are so many HiPop worlds with dictators.  
(Besides the generation rules, that is.)  :)

Speaking of Vincennes, the Regency is very lucky to include a
world which was developing TL17 robotics before the Collapse
(MTJ #3).  Vincennes is the world both with the most to lose
to the virus, and the best equipped to understand it.  Experts
from Vincennes will go to study the vampires, but Vincennes 
will also be the most virus-paranoid world in the Regency.

A message from Mora by xboat can make it to the outer edge of 
the Domain in about twelve weeks, be it Jewell, Five Sisters,
or Lamas.  

Overall Statistics (files as above, all worlds):

Member Systems:           649
Total Population:         992,300,000,000
Per Capita TL:            11.51

By 1202, the Regency will most likely have broken the one trillion
mark in population, but overall, most of the worlds above can't 
even deal with one percent annnual population growth.  (They can't
afford to have the population double in 70 years!  Neither of the
contenders for most populous planet have much land on them --
Beaxon/Gulf with its' 90 billion residents is a waterworld.  There's 
a good reason why the TAS made it an amber zone!)

"Per Capita TL" was computed by multiplying population with TL in
order to find the average tech level enjoyed by the populace.  The
Domain tech was probably low for the Imperium -- while other DGP
files are less dependable, they suggest it's about one or two tech 
levels low, and Core, Solomani Rim and Massilia may have averaged 
fourteen per capita or more.  MegaTraveller's TL 11-12-13 for 
"Avg Stellar" seems to work pretty well.


  Steve Bonneville
  <bonnevil@gold.tc.umn.edu>


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

Date: Fri, 28 Oct 94 16:26:23 EDT
From: Glenn Myers <gem188@swanson.com>
To: traveller%MPGN.COM@swanson.com
Subject: SW by Anderson
Message-ID: <9410282023.AA02388@fea1.swanson.com>



Hi All, 

Michael Llaneza <mllaneza@mercury.sfsu.edu> wrote:
> As I recall, most of Poul Anderson's SF used something much like
> stutterwarp for ftl. He handled deep space combat by requiring ships to
match
> location
> velocity
> phase

> Where phase is the frequency at which the ship makes its
> microjumps. Go and reread the Flandry series, that'll give you a good
> feel for stutterwarp ships.

Actually, it was when I reread Flandry that I started on this effort
to revise SW for the TNE rules. I noted that Anderson uses a gravitic
sublight drive which is probably closer to CT's reactionless drives.
Also, there is mention of going out of SW before entering a system. 
It was a safety to avoid the greater chance of hitting another mass
(space debris & micrometeoroids).

BTW, I recently came across a cache of science fiction. I have
many duplicates titles; Anderson, Norton, Piper, and Tubbs included.
Does anyone know of a mailing list or interest group on the internet
where I might swap these. If anyone on the TML is interested email
me for a complete list. I have to index everything first.


TTFN

Glenn


-------------------------------------
| Glenn E. Myers   gmyers@ansys.com |
| Numerical Verification Group      |
| ANSYS, Inc.  (412) 873-2913       | 
-------------------------------------

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End of TRAVELLER Digest 84
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