Traveller-digest   Wednesday, September 29 1999   Volume 1999 : Number 1141



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

The following topics are covered in this digest:

GURPS First In System Generation Rules
Shipboard vs. Groundbound salaries
Military spending and taxation
Military pay
Re: Traveller Houston or DC?
Re: Traveller Player Roster
Re: Palm was RE: Deckplans
re: Military Spending and Taxation (getting OT)
Re: TML Roster
Re: Pyramid Question
J-o-T: one free retry
Hi there!!!
Re: Traveller Houston or DC?
2 adventure hooks! [was: RE: Palm was RE: Deckplans]
RE: Military Spending and Taxation (getting OT)
Re: Traveller Houston or DC?
Re: Traveller Houston or DC?
TL8 Light Battlesuit
Re: GURPS First In System Generation Rules
Re: Hi there!!!
Re: GURPS First In System Generation Rules

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 10:01:39 +0100
From: "Stuart Ferris" <stuart.ferris@virgin.net>
Subject: GURPS First In System Generation Rules

Has anyone else noted that it is very hard to generate a world which is
contained within the systems Life Zone using the GURPS First In system
generation rules?

This leads to some very unpleasant conditions on the worlds in a system. The
only way that I have been able to do it so far is using Type A or F stars
(or cheating), the other star type Life Zones are too narrow. Okay, this may
be true to life, but Traveller is supposed to be set in a populated galaxy.

Effectively this means that most of the existing world data for Traveller is
useless as the highest percentage of systems have Type M stars. Perhaps this
is what SJG wants as it means all us suckers out here have to buy their new
sourcebooks.

Stuart Ferris
stuart.ferris@virgin.net
http://freespace.virgin.net/stuart.ferris/index.htm

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 05:07:37 -0500
From: "Lyle Youngblood" <lyley@gte.net>
Subject: Shipboard vs. Groundbound salaries

>Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 06:25:23 -0400
>From: Christopher Thrash <thrash@io.com>
>Subject: Re: Shipboard vs. Groundbound salaries

>The ship's crew that lives aboard with no other fixed address has to be
>something of a rarity. It may well be one of the romantic stereotypes that
>gets fixed in the (non-spacefaring) public's imagination, but I sincerely
>doubt it accounts for a significant fraction of even free traders' crews,
>let alone corporate-owned liner ships.
>The reason is simple: most people want to have families, and families are
>terribly difficult and uneconomical to maintain aboard. Traveller
>characters, just by virtue of the character generation system, are almost
>to a one single, never married, and over 30 years old. How many of those do
>you know personally? They make great adventurers, but should not be
>regarded as typical by any means.
    Well, I am one such myself and I know several more.  I'll point out
that,
while MOST people want to settle down and have families, there still
remains a sizable minority of those of us with no such interests...and that
this population is more likely than most to be attracted to space service
for some of the same reasons that make us uninterested in "normal"
lives.  Also, I'll point out, service on a tramp freighter is likely to
attract a
large proportion of the population who are, in psycho-babble, "poorly
socialized".  My experience with PC's would lead me to believe that
that includes the majority of them....<grin> or at least mine and my
players.
        I expect that the family-man-gone-to-space is strictly a corporate
entity with regular routes and schedules.  The typical tramp freighter
crew will be a collection of loners, or not too infrequent couples, with
little interest in raising a family until AFTER they make their "big score".


>[In the real world, salary rates for merchant marine crewmen aren't
>significantly higher than shore-based positions that require the same
>qualifications and experience. The difference is overtime: salaries are
>calculated on a 40-hour week. Standing watch at night? Time-and-a-half.
>Ship still at sea on Saturday? Double-time. Can't get into harbor because
>it's a holiday? Triple-time. And so on. The officers of the S.S. Empire
>State told me that they make three to four times their nominal salary in
>overtime on a typical voyage.]
        Now this is a horse of a different color and I will have to change
my mind on this issue .  IMTU, the reduction of the work-week has led to
one typically of  3 days or so.  Aboard ship, OTOH, I imagine "work" is
both a daily thing and for a longer "day" than the typical groundling. This
would drive the shipboard position's salary up several degrees, at least
equaling and, most likely, significantly exceeding that of the equivalent
groundling role.


>I'm sure that there are ships with families aboard. They are likely to be
>cargo-only operations -- who wants their children to share their home with
>strangers? CJ Cherryh's Merchanters are a good model for this type of crew,
>as is a /dreskay/-run Droyne ship. But how many of these have ever been
>detailed in canon? None, that I know of.
        I expect that they'll be a rara avis indeed.  Tramp freighter crew
(whether partner or employee) is a high-risk role.  Most end up badly,
bankruptcy more likely then death or imprisonment, but that happens too,
but those who hit, tend to hit big.  The people who keep following such a
path into their 30s and beyond are rarely the family type.

>[Lyle, I'm not picking on you specifically -- yours was the most convenient
>lead-in.]
        I don't see that you're picking on me at all.  Your points were
thoughtful
and well-presented, even the ones I disagree with.

Lyle

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 05:27:54 -0500
From: "Lyle Youngblood" <lyley@gte.net>
Subject: Military spending and taxation

>Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 15:54:36 +0200 (METDST)
>From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>

>A military base is a tremendous boost to any local economy, no doubt about
>that. But people often forget that _somebody_ always pays. If the people
>of Regina are taxed to pay for an Imperial Army corps, then some Reginans
>will undoubtedly benefit from the business generated by the corps. But some
>other Reginans will pay for it. Any military unit is a net loss.
        I understand and agree with this.  My point is that, for example, a
5% taxation for the Imperial military is not a 5% burden on the economy.
Somebody has to pay for the garrisons on uninhabited worlds, much
equipment will be purchased off-world, etc.
        OTOH, I don't think you're saying this, but if you're trying to say
that
ANY military unit is a net loss, even if it is 100% manned and equiped
locally (by which I mean planet-wide), then I disagree. Economics is not
a "zero-sum" science and remember, military build-ups are one of the
most stereo-typical means of stimulating a depressed economy and
getting funds circualting again.

                                                        Lyle

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 05:45:37 -0500
From: "Lyle Youngblood" <lyley@gte.net>
Subject: Military pay

>From: Matt Clonfero <Matt-C@aetherem.demon.co.uk>
>For a real-life example, a Leading Hand (about an E-4 in US parlance) in
>the Royal Navy earns about 16-18000 UKP - about the same as a Graduate
>Engineer in the civilian sector. A typical person in a manual trade with
>no higher or further education will be lucky to match the enlisted man.
        Jesus, Mary, and Joseph did _I_ ever enlist in the wrong service.
My background is U.S. Army and we don't get paid anywhere near this
generously.  Our typical problem is retention as people come in, get the
training and/or experience, and then leave as soon as possible for much
better-paying civilian jobs.  To equal the "entry-level" positions available
to a graduate engineer in the U.S. military you'd probably have to be
an E-7/E-8 or at least an O-3 on the officer side.
                                                        Lyle

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 07:55:30 -0400
From: "Thomas Schoene" <TomSchoene@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Traveller Houston or DC?

- ----------
> From: Sethkimmel@aol.com
> To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com
> Subject: Re: Traveller Houston or DC?
> Date: Wednesday, 29 September, 1999 12:15 AM
> 
> In a message dated 9/29/99 1:33:16 AM !!!First Boot!!!, 
> TomSchoene@worldnet.att.net writes:
> 
> << I'm near DC, and I don't know of a good store that is really all that
>  close.  
[snip]
> 
> Tom; I was in DC in '82, and I remember that there used to be a good game

> store just over the Potomac. It was in the underground shopping mall near
the 
> Pentagon (Crystal City?) but I don't remember the name. I remember buying
the 
> Task Force Games pocket game editions of Starfire and Starfire II (which
I 
> still think was the best version...K.I.S.S.)...

Crystal City is correct; the Underground is an odd place (I once saw it
described as a "Habitrail for Humanity").  Unfortunately, that store must
be gone; I work in CC and have never seen it.  There's a comics store, and
there used to be a model and hobby shop, but no game store for at least the
last four or five years.  

Tom Schoene

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 06:34:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: Terry Mixon <tlmixon@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Traveller Player Roster

- --- Eris Reddoch <eris@pcola.gulf.net> wrote:

> It occurs to me that it would also be a good thing to compile a
> roster (name and location) of our fellow TML Travellers.  I'll start
> it off...
> 
> Eris Reddoch, Pensacola, Florida, USA

Terry Mixon, Houston, Texas, USA
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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 09:38:32 -0400
From: Ethan Henry <egh@klg.com>
Subject: Re: Palm was RE: Deckplans

> I have TealDoc, and use it for books etc. However, what I was after was
> finding out if the Memo Pad on the Palm III allows bigger memos than that
> on the Palm Pilot Pro. Or if there is a third party editor. The idea is to
> have something I can work on bigger texts, not having to truncate files
> across a number of memos.

I have SmartDoc (http://www.tapworks.com) and it works as both a doc reader
and editor. Works pretty well.
- --
Ethan Henry                                            egh@klg.com
Java Evangelist, KL Group                       http://www.klg.com

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 09:41:44 -0400
From: Walter Smith <SmithW@HARTWICK.EDU>
Subject: re: Military Spending and Taxation (getting OT)

Lyle Youngblood wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
OTOH, I don't think you're saying this, but if you're trying to say
that
ANY military unit is a net loss, even if it is 100% manned and equiped
locally (by which I mean planet-wide), then I disagree. Economics is not
a "zero-sum" science and remember, military build-ups are one of the
most stereo-typical means of stimulating a depressed economy and
getting funds circualting again.
>>>>>>>>>>
You need to compare the benefits of the military build-up (defense
contractor jobs, people getting military pay) with the opportunity
costs of the military buildup. Those taxes and resources spent
on the military - not to mention the work and effort of the people
building for the military and actually *in* the military - could have
been developing the civilian infrastructure, creating trade goods,
improving the educational system, etc. These opportunities that
are lost could have improved the general wealth and welfare of the
nation, much more than the improvements the military brings.

Yes, a military build-up gives some people money to spend
(at the expense of those taxed to pay that money), creates
industries (that often have no role or a limited role beyond
creating weapons), and provides technical education to the soldiery. 
All of these things are done with massive inefficiency compared to
the civilian sector, for one simple reason: none of these things 
are the military's job. The military is there to blow things up and
shoot people, and hopefully do it so well that no one will dare try to
do the same things to you.

Get enough military to provide for the security of your civilian sector,
plus a bit more in case you estimated wrong. Then let your civilian
sector spend the money and make your country wealthy. That's
what civilian sectors are for.

Walt Smith

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 09:59:13 -0400
From: Ethan Henry <egh@klg.com>
Subject: Re: TML Roster

I might as well jump on the bandwagon here...

Ethan Henry, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, <ehenry@magma.ca> or <egh@klg.com>
- --
Ethan Henry                                            egh@klg.com
Java Evangelist, KL Group                       http://www.klg.com
               "Software Development Productivity"

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 07:22:21 -0700 (PDT)
From: Terry Mixon <tlmixon@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Pyramid Question

- --- Robert Prior <robert_prior@sympatico.ca> wrote:

> So, a question for the community:
> 
> Would you like to see detailed worlds published in Pyramid? I'm
> talking
> about a full-length article detailing the entire system (as per First
> In)
> with text writeups on culture, government, trade, ecology, and so
> forth, as
> well as a number of adventure hooks.

A firm YES.

Terry

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 08:38:23 -0600
From: Erwin Fritz <efritz@GLJA.com>
Subject: J-o-T: one free retry

In the MT rules, Jack-of-all-Trades skill allows "one free retry" per skill
level on a failed task.

I'm curious about how other people play this rule. I interpret "free retry" to
mean that the player doesn't have to succeed at the determination task to get
the retry. However, the retry is still subject to the 3D time roll of the
original task.

One of my players, who by no coincidence is the one with J-o-T skill, thinks
that the time roll should be negated as well. His logic is that the J-o-T
character would be resourceful enough to come up with the right solution the
first time, so giving the player several task attempts with only one time roll
emulates this.

Your thoughts?
- -- 
Erwin Fritz
Gilbert Laustsen Jung Associates Ltd.
http://www.glja.com

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 09:43:58 -0500
From: "Christopher Duden" <dude@citilink.com>
Subject: Hi there!!!

By way of introduction--

I've been into Traveller since the LBB days (started
when I was eleven) and I am glad (no, estatic!) that
there are still people around who love it as much as
I do! I heard about this mailing list through the
GT homepage, and knew right away I had to sign up. :-)

I'm looking forward to the release of the Classic
Edition (my stuff is pretty worn), and even
though it won't be in LBB format, I figure I'll
support the game which has brought me so many hours
of fun.

So, HELLO LIST!!!!

Chris


___________________________________________________

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PGP Fingerprint:
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ICQ: 836814
___________________________________________________

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 09:38:00 -0500
From: Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions <dreamer@brokersys.com>
Subject: Re: Traveller Houston or DC?

David Reed wrote:

> In case I misunderstood and you're looking for FLGS in Houston, Gamesmasters
> (both locations) just went Chapter 11, but Nan's and Phoenix are still
> afloat (although both are reorganizing heavily into other things).

Gamesmasters in Clear Lake was bought by the manager of that store some months
ago and is now operating under a different name.

Same location, though.

Kenneth.

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 15:51:42 +0100
From: Timothy.Collinson@solent.ac.uk
Subject: 2 adventure hooks! [was: RE: Palm was RE: Deckplans]

Andy Slack responded to Dom Mooney:


>SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com> wrote:
>>I have TealDoc, and use it for books etc. However, what I was after was
>finding out if the Memo Pad on the Palm III allows bigger memos than that
>on the Palm Pilot Pro.<

>Memo size on the IIIx is limited to 4,000 characters, which is about a
page.


Although if you cut and past a larger document from Windows into the Memo
application it will simply be split across as many memos as it takes.  This
can be quite useful depending on what you want to do.  (And in reverse it
is possible to highlight several memos and export them all simultaneously
to a single Word document if you wish by just clicking on the 'W'.)



>Are you sure you want to write things that big in longhand?


I personally wouldn't want to [1] but if you've a GoType! keyboard it
becomes a doddle to input huge great wadges of text - 'specially if you're
a touch typist.

OB Trav: The two reviews I've just done of the latest BITS Traveller
adventures (_The Khiidkar Incident_ and _Spacedogs_) were both written on
the Palm tucked up in bed or lounging around on the sofa.  Getting out my
old laptop and waiting for it to boot up and messing around with floppies
to get it to my work machine and e-mail is just too much of a pain.


OB Trav II: Characters on a low tech world are using their hand comp for
whatever reason and get small crowds around them wanting to see what it is
and what it can do.  (I get this using the Palm in public and have now
'sold' two local organizations on giving them a field trial for workers
just because I was using it where a manager happened to spot me.  Wish I
was on a commission from 3com.)  Of course, too low tech a world and the
players might be in trouble with the local inquisition (or whatever) for
witchcraft!


OB Trav III: on a TL8/9 ish world, there might be queues at local
'terminals' where the latest data or news or whatever can be downloaded
into the local inhabitant's Palm type devices.  The PCs spot a market for
shipping in wireless technology which will cut out the queues.  The local
telecom company might not want to lose their monopoly....

tc

[1] And this is despite being able to do something like 17+ wpm with
Graffiti.  With the GoType! keyboard I can go nearly as fast as on a
desktop machine.

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 16:00:21 +0100
From: "Trevor, Peter" <Peter.Trevor@rb.cwplc.com>
Subject: RE: Military Spending and Taxation (getting OT)

Walter Smith wrote:
> You need to compare the benefits of the military build-up
> (defense contractor jobs, people getting military pay) with the
> opportunity costs of the military buildup. Those taxes and
> resources spent on the military - not to mention the work and
> effort of the people building for the military and actually
> *in* the military - could have been developing the civilian
> infrastructure, creating trade goods, improving the educational
> system, etc. These opportunities that are lost could have
> improved the general wealth and welfare of the nation, much
> more than the improvements the military brings.
>
> Yes, a military build-up gives some people money to spend (at
> the expense of those taxed to pay that money), creates
> industries (that often have no role or a limited role beyond
> creating weapons), and provides technical education to the
> soldiery. All of these things are done with massive
> inefficiency compared to the civilian sector, for one simple
> reason: none of these things are the military's job. The
> military is there to blow things up and shoot people, and
> hopefully do it so well that no one will dare try to do the
> same things to you.

Just to play devil's advocate for a moment ...

There are some infrastructure projects that have  joint  military
and civilian benefits, but which the civilian  economy  would  be
relucant to  spend  on.  These  projects  are  those  with  large
initial spends and either have no clearly  definable  returns  or
have very long delays before pay back.

The single clearest example is *the Internet*, which started  out
as a military network (DARPANET).  It wasn't  until  the  initial
infrastructure  was  in  place  that  commercial  money   started
flooding in.

Other examples  include  radar,  the  GPS  system,  many  of  the
technologies used by the aerospace industry ... in  fact  general
tech advancement.  (We've probable had about 30 years  more  tech
progress this century than we would have  had  otherwise  due  to
military spending ... especially from  WW2  and  the  Cold  War.)
Perhaps even computer technology has benefited.

Within any modern society there are large investment flows  which
do not appear on the balance sheet ... but  which  still  have  a
significant positive long-term impact on the overall economy.  It
is the hallmark  of  a  successful  empire  that  the  political,
commercial, and military forces  are  in  step  with  each  other
(whether we are talking  about  the  Roman  Empire,  the  British
Empire, the American 'empire', or the Third Imperium).

(Additionally, arms *can* also be trade goods.)



Regards PLST

"The jawbone of an ass!  Never!  This is a  DeMille  picture  and
we've got to use the *whole* ass!"
- - assistant to Cecil B DeMille when filming Samson and Delilah

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 08:05:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Terry Mixon <tlmixon@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Traveller Houston or DC?

- --- Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions <dreamer@brokersys.com>
wrote:
 
> David Reed wrote:
> 
> > In case I misunderstood and you're looking for FLGS in Houston,
> Gamesmasters
> > (both locations) just went Chapter 11, but Nan's and Phoenix are
> still
> > afloat (although both are reorganizing heavily into other things).
> 
> Gamesmasters in Clear Lake was bought by the manager of that store
> some months
> ago and is now operating under a different name.
> 
> Same location, though.

Also in the Clear Lake area is Games Nation.

Terry

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 09:45:47 -0500
From: Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions <dreamer@brokersys.com>
Subject: Re: Traveller Houston or DC?

Thomas Vickers wrote:

> One last question.
> What about Third Planet?

Third Planet carries hardly anything.  You can find some odds and ends,
but RPGs are now relegated to the back left of the store.  You can tell
they are not a profit center for the shop.

Nan's still has a decent amount of Traveller stuff.  There's even a rack
with a few CT items on it.  They've got a lot of T4, but hardly any MT
or TNE.

Whatever the new Gamesmasters shop in Clear Lake is called now (I think
it starts with a "D"), they've got miniscule stuff too.  You won't find
a lot there for Traveller.

With it being a dead game at the moment, it hard to find supplements.
When I need stuff, I go on treasure hunts and search a host of gameing
shops and used book stores.

There's a used book store in Pasadena you might want to try.  It's
called Re-Run Books, at the corner of Shaver and Richy, right across
from the new Wallmart (where the old Pasadena Sears used to be).

Sometimes I go in there, they've got squat.  And sometimes I'm
surprised.  It might be worth a trip.

If you have time to go to only one shop, though, I'd say hit Nan's.  The
prices are high, but the product is usually there.

Kenneth.

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 08:20:26 PDT
From: "Brandon Cope" <copeab@hotmail.com>
Subject: TL8 Light Battlesuit

TL8 light battlesuit

This is, basically, a powered version of the TL 8 combat
armor (p.B212). It could also be considered an early version
of battle dress. The light battlesuit is intended for use by
scouts and elite troops. Most troopers wearing the suit carry
a LAG (or similar heavy weapon) since ST is no longer a
problem.

Quick-Fix TL 9 version: bump armor to DR 80 and stealth/IR to
TL 9 standards. Battery life jumps to 17.84 hours. There is
no increase in cost or weight.

(With a heavy frame, the battlesuit could carry up to DR 230
armor, but cost would be around $130,000 and Move would drop
to 4.5, making it a slow, expensive target).

     Subassemblies: two manipulator arms, two legs, limited
rotation turret (head)
     Drivetrain: 0.6 kW drivetrain in legs with improves
suspension
     Arm Motors: ST 20 cheap arm motor in each arm
     Battlesuit System: form-fitting, max. pilot weight 170
lbs, min. pilot weight 136 lbs, NBC kit, quick access
     Built In Weapons: 5.5mm MG with 400 rounds in right arm
(or any weapon+ammo with a volume of 0.12 cf or less)
     Sensors: thermograph, HUDWAC and light intensification
in turret
     Comsuite: medium range scrambled radio in turret, IFF in
left arm, military GPS in turret
     Power Plant: 1.1 kW turbo ceramic in body, uses 0.033
gph diesel, 12.72 kW hour rechargable battery good for 12
hours
     Fuel: 0.4-gallon light self-sealing tank with 12.12
hours diesel fuel (Fire 7) in body
     Volumes: each arm 0.45 cf, each leg 0.8 cf, turret 0.525
cf. body 2.2 cf
     Structure and Hit Points: medium frame, very expensive
materials. Each arm 10 HP, each leg 7 HP, body 15 HP, turret
10 HP
     Surface Features: sealed, basic stealth, basic IR
     Armor: PD 6 DR 50 laminate (all locations)
     Statistics: loaded weight 595 lbs, loaded mass 0.3 tons,
total volume 5.2 cf, price $65,335, HT 10
     ST and reach: body ST 24, arm ST 20 (reach 1)
     Ground Performance: speed 13 mph, gMR 2.75, gSR 1, Move 6.4

     5.5mm MG: Dam 5d, Acc 10, SS 12, 1/2 Dam 440, Max 3000,
ROF 10, wt 3.4 lbs, $420, ammo: $0.04 cps, 0.02 wps, 0.0004
vps. Note that this is _not_ a caseless weapon

A generous and sadistic GM,

Brandon Cope

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 08:30:49 PDT
From: "Brandon Cope" <copeab@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: GURPS First In System Generation Rules

>From: "Stuart Ferris" <stuart.ferris@virgin.net>
>
>Has anyone else noted that it is very hard to generate a world which is
>contained within the systems Life Zone using the GURPS First In system
>generation rules?

There is around a 33% chance that a planet will fall in the life zone (it 
may even be _exactly_ 33%).

A generous and sadistic GM,

Brandon Cope

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

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 12:54:16 -0300
From: Michel Vaillancourt <misha@empire.atlantic-online.ns.ca>
Subject: Re: Hi there!!!

At 09:43 AM 9/29/1999 -0500, you wrote:
>
>By way of introduction--
>
>I'm looking forward to the release of the Classic
>Edition (my stuff is pretty worn), and even
>though it won't be in LBB format, I figure I'll
>support the game which has brought me so many hours
>of fun.

        Myself and my whole group are getting twitchy about that release,
too....

>So, HELLO LIST!!!!
>
>Chris

        Welcome aboard, Chris!  Nice to meet you.

        --Michel

	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-
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			....Do Not Adjust Your Penguin"	
	-+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+-
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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 08:59:37
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: GURPS First In System Generation Rules

At 10:01 AM 9/29/1999 +0100, you wrote:
>Has anyone else noted that it is very hard to generate a world which is
>contained within the systems Life Zone using the GURPS First In system
>generation rules?

It's hard for the universe to do it right, why should we have it any easier?

>This leads to some very unpleasant conditions on the worlds in a system. The
>only way that I have been able to do it so far is using Type A or F stars
>(or cheating), the other star type Life Zones are too narrow. Okay, this may
>be true to life, but Traveller is supposed to be set in a populated galaxy.

Cheating?  I don't see anything in _First In_ that says you can't play with
the numbers to get a world in the habitable zone.. just adjust the inner
orbit and Bode factors until you get an orbit where you want it.

Type A stars won't be around long enough to develop life-bearing planets.
Even the high range F's are chancy.

>Effectively this means that most of the existing world data for Traveller is
>useless as the highest percentage of systems have Type M stars. Perhaps this
>is what SJG wants as it means all us suckers out here have to buy their new
>sourcebooks.

In fifteen years of meddling with the printed data, I have never had the
gaming cops raid my house and arrest me for changing things.

The GDW data was based on a random generation that was *badly* flawed.  So
just change the stellar type to something you like better!  Case in point:
A world is listed as being  A-987997-C, and the data string says it's
orbiting a M9vi.  Bollocks!  Change it to something nice, like a G0v.

You can also meddle the other way, to explain those seemingly nice planets
with no population. The world is just inside or outside the habitable zone,
making it a hellhole; lots of O2, but humans find it intolerable
(_Icerigger_ anyone?)

SJG had nothing to do with the old stellar types.  If you want to pass out
blame, it was GDW that first printed those out (in _The Spinward Marches
Campaign_, IIRC.)

Yes, SJG wants you to buy their books, but AFAICR, stellar types aren't
even mention in _Behind The Claw_.
- -- 

Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/sylea.html

TML Great Old One
Plague of the Traveller Riders of the Apocalypse
Chant "Gridlore" thrice to summon.

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

End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1141
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