TRAVELLER Digest 599

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Re: HEPlaR Effect upon cannon by merrick@Rt66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)
  2) Virus is Possible (Maybe) by Armand Suarez <suarez@on.rim.or.jp>
  3) Re: Ancients by fredm@datasync.com (Paul Walker)
  4) Desperate Times...Desperate Measures... by FKiesche3@aol.com
  5) Re: TRAVELLER digest 595 by Charles Collin <charles@hebb.psych.mcgill.ca>
  6) 1000 G-turn Limit. by Charles Collin <charles@hebb.psych.mcgill.ca>
  7) Hepiar tactics by "David A. Nelson" <34TYHPE@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
  8) Fleet sizes by Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
  9) Re: Infantry in Bri's drone by Bri <bri@teleport.com>
 10) Ugly worlds, big pop's by Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
 11) Jumping into systems by Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
 12) Re: 1000 G-turn Limit. by "'Jomama' Charles Pratt" <tminus@u.washington.edu>
 13) Laws of nature/Traveller by Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
 14) Re: TRAVELLER digest 597 by "David J. Golden" <goldendj@whip.com>
 15) Re: Ancients by "David J. Golden" <goldendj@whip.com>
 16) Re: Virus is Possible (Maybe) by "David J. Golden" <goldendj@whip.com>
 17) Re: TRAVELLER digest 595 by "David J. Golden" <goldendj@whip.com>
 18) Re: Ugly worlds, big pop's by merrick@Rt66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)

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

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 07:42:35 -0700 (MST)
From: merrick@Rt66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: HEPlaR Effect upon cannon
Message-ID: <9602151442.AA24529@Rt66.com>


> As for in system mobility, I am referring to N-Space mobility. Evan an SDB
> under TNE would benefit from a J-Drive. J1 is all any SDB needs. But with
> J1, you have plenty of spare maneuver fuel if you choose to use it that way
> while on station (say, at the GG?). Under CT/MT, such vessels didn't really
> benefit from having a J-Drive; the space was better spent on weapons, ammo,
> and crew.

Yeah, this is very different.  On the other hand, if your SDB is out in
the middle of nowhere, it'd never get to the scene of the battle, even
in CT.  That's an odd thing about the CT/MT canon.  You have unlimited
Nspace maneuver, but it it is still much faster to jump in-system for
most trips.  Not most "trips" as listed in the little table, but most
real trips if you actually look at the distances (lists of distances
from the sun are useful, but you have to remember that all the planets
won't be in conjunction :-)

> The third point is a key impact upon players: fuel costs (per kl), and ship
> incomes, have not changed  in the transition. However, the fuel cost per
> ship has gone up, as more fuel is used per ship. Which makes marginally
> profityable PC Craft like the Fat Trader (Subsidized Merchant) even more
> marginable.

Yeah.  Of course I've always thought that commerce was too marginal
anyway to justify all those traders plying the spaceways.

> POWER PLANT FUEL IS NOW A BASELINE OF 1 YEAR!

Well, it's about 260 kl/yr in MT vs. 0.1kl/yr in FFS :-)  Of course the
MT value includes Mdrive uses.

There is a finite (and known) quantity of energy in a volume of
hydrogen, so having a real number on this isn't a problem, we just need
to check the math in FFS.

-Merrick

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

Date: Fri, 16 Feb 1996 00:09:15 +0900
From: Armand Suarez <suarez@on.rim.or.jp>
To: "'Traveller Mailing List'" <traveller@mpgn.com>
Subject: Virus is Possible (Maybe)
Message-ID: <01BAFC03.3BBDB5E0@ppp061.on.rim.or.jp>

There seems to be a few Virus-haters among you, and the last thing I want to
start is a flame war about Virus, but I thought you might be interested in
this.
I read in a December 1995 issue of the weekly magazine New Scientist that a
group of Swedish scientists have created a computer chip which is capable of
reproducing by etching copies of itself onto bare silicon wafers.
 Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of the magazine with me to give you more
information, and the person I borrowed it from went back to Australia.  New
Scientist is an Australian publication, so maybe one of our Australian
friends could look for it when they go to the public library and tell us
more.  The article was on the top of one of the left-hand pages when the
magazine is opened, and it had a picture from the SF show Blue Dwarf (? - an
Australian or British TV show?  I don't get it in Japan).  I looked on the
New Scientist web page but they don't seem to have an archive of magazine
articles available.
Anyway, when I read that article, I got a chill up my spine.  It made Virus
that much more scary.  If nothing else, this is very similar to the
Cymbeline chips (Virus homeworld - Signal GK adventure  CT) only not
occuring naturally.
I've been reading the posts about HePLaR.  Very interesting.  This not only
affects military operations, but the merchant group of players as well.  At
least in my campaigns, players always want to get the free fuel at gas
giants where available.  If it takes months or longer to move to the
mainworld from there because HePLaR fuel consumption is high, then players
will be making many in-system jumps.  Not only will in-system jumps become
common in the campaign, but the players will want to know about how far the
gas giants are from the mainworlds in each system they visit with a gas
giant.  This information is not in the UPP information, but apparently it is
very important now.
Armand

FAITH (noun)
Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge,
of things without
parallel.  (c) 1993 Anne Foxworthy



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

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 11:14:29 -0600
From: fredm@datasync.com (Paul Walker)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Ancients
Message-ID: <199602151714.LAA05788@osh1.datasync.com>

I feel I need to clarify my original question.

I'm designing a TL-20 Starship.  I need to know three things.

1)  How would a TL-20 J-drive be constructed?  Options:
    A) Is it necessary to use Hydrogen for the creation of the Jump buble
           (It has unique chemical properties that allow the Bubble to be
            created and maintained.)
    B) Or are jump bubbles maintained by energy only.

        In option A, some portion of the Hydrogen must be retained for the
creation and maintenance of the Bubble, but the MW could be more compactly
provided for with Antimatter.  In Option B(perhaps easier to figure out) the
entire J-drive could be maintained with Antimatter(this could be computed by
comparing Fusion reactor technology with the Fuel requirements for
J-drives.)  I lean towards Option A, but Option B is decidedly simpler.

2)  What Thruster (M-drive) technology is logically the next step from
         HePlaR?  Options:
     A) New Technology.  (Daedalus Drive, Bussard Rams, Etc)
     B) Improved HePlaR.  (Better Fuel Usage)
     C) Thruster Plates.  (Ooo!!  Aaah!!)

        My preference here involves a little tweeking.  As I understand the
History of the Universe, and correct me if I'm wrong(like I have to ask),
Some to much of the Technological breakthroughs of the Imperium were the
results of coppied technology (they coppied Gramps' J-drives, etc).  If this
isn't true, then this whole thought pretty much falls apart, but here goes.
What if Thruster Plates were based on coppied Grandfather technology.  They
would then be widely used in Imperial space and in the Regency.  The RC uses
Hiver based Technology.  If I remember correctly, the Hiver were not
originally on Coyns, implying that they were not part of Gramps' original
guinea pigs, therefore didn't find/get Thruster plates (Their find of the
J-drive was an accident??).  This would invalidate some of the newly
designed ships (Regency sourcebook esp), and some of the redesigned relic
ships would be trashed in favor of the old designs.  The only real problem
is with the RC remnant and Relic technology (wether free traders or SAG
relics).  The solution here is that the RC (as a new technology) is still
researching how to copy the Thruster Plate.  Why didn't the Hiver convert to
Thruster Plates when they met the civilized Imperium, who knows, Hiver are
weird!!  I know that this is a lot of Hand Waving, and hand waving is
generally frowned upon, but It is the only idea that Came to me when I was
trying to figure out how to get back to Thruster Plates without totally
invalidating the rest of TNE.

3)  Where could a TL-20 Starship have come from? Options:
    A)  Ancients
    B)  Other Advanced Race

        This question wasn't in the original post, but some of the Responces
("Ancients are *Magic*!") led me to this question.  I need a Starship that
is going to be quirky for PC's to use.  The TL-20 is to create a Long term
Learning Curve to prevent them from mastering it quickly (As RC characters
their inherent TL is 9-12).  This ship is to be found at a secret Imperial
Research Station where, before the Collapse, it was being studied in order
to copy the technology.  Because the Study was ongoing, the ship is not in
complete working order.  While it will maneuver and Jump, most of it's other
systems are quirky at best, commonly inconsistent.  Combined with the PC's
low native TL, this will provide me with a variety of Wrenches to throw into
their Gears.  The ship is too great a find to pass up though.  This ship
CANNOT be a warship.  It can be fitted with TL-10 to TL-12 RC weapons, but I
don't want the PC's to have high TL Weapon power.

        Some other things I'm considering are:
   A) A sentient AI(non-Virus) computer that has an ornery personality.
("How would you feel if people were tearing apart your insides for 15
years?")  This would create other problems for the PC's to overcome.
   B) A semi senile Anagathics enhanced researcher who is always tinkering
with the higher Tech components of the ship to "find out how they work."  Of
course this tinkering would be with the wrong system at the wrong time.

I would appreciate any thoughts anyone has.  I thank you in advance.

Paul {tiger}

"54-40 or Fight!" -TBWSK


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

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 12:29:54 -0500
From: FKiesche3@aol.com
To: traveller@mpgn.com
Subject: Desperate Times...Desperate Measures...
Message-ID: <960215122952_423361793@emout04.mail.aol.com>

Greetings All:

(Apologies for cross-posting this to both Traveller-related lists...)

I am trying to fill two major gaps in my collection. I am looking for the
following two items:

High Passage, first issue: I'm willing to pay at least $25.00 for this puppy,
complete.

Fate of the Sky Raiders (third volume of the Sky Raiders trilogy, FASA): I'm
willing to pay at least $25.00 for this puppy, complete.

If anybody knows of a second hand source, a collector who is willing to
haggle, etc., please let me know.

Finally, coming soon, a list that I've been compiling of duplicates in my
collection. I'll post a notice when it is finished and I'll be happy to
e-mail it to anybody who is interested.

Thanks much!

Fred Kiesche
(FKiesche3@aol.com)

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

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 12:39:59 -0500 (EST)
From: Charles Collin <charles@hebb.psych.mcgill.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 595
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.960215123818.8042C-100000@hebb.psych.mcgill.ca>

Could someone please fill me in on the meaning of the
following terms?   (I don't have a copy of FFW).

BatRon
CruRon
Orbat

Thanks,
Charles.

<0> "As more dice are rolled, the empirical approaches the theoretical." <0>
<0>     Charles Collin (charles@hebb.psych.mcgill.ca),   <0>
<0>     Psychology Department, McGill University.    <0>
<0>     1205 Dr. Penfield, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 1B1.    <0>
<0>  WEB: http://www.psych.mcgill.ca/labs/chaudhuri/homepage.clab.html  <0>



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

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 14:25:13 -0500 (EST)
From: Charles Collin <charles@hebb.psych.mcgill.ca>
To: Xboat Mailing List <xboat@MPGN.COM>,
Subject: 1000 G-turn Limit.
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.960215140029.8852A-100000@hebb.psych.mcgill.ca>

Hi All. Wouldn't a 1000 G-turn limit still be too much?  That still allows
ships to reach 10^7 m/s velocity (I'm assuming CT's 1000 second turns
here, and assuming a suicide run to zero fuel).  At that velocity, a 200
ton ship hits with approximately 10^19 joules (2 * 10^5 /2 * 10^7 * 10^7).
I'm no engineer, so please forgive my ignorance here, but isn't that still
a huge impact?  Makes for nasty terrorist attacks.

On a similar note, a ship using thruster plates and accelerating at 4 g
for 250000 seconds (about 3 days), also achieves 10^7 meters per second.
If we use Merrick's suggested anti-intruder tactic of sending a cloud of
water vapor or sand at it, it would be in big trouble.  If it hits a
stationary particle or particles massing .02 grams, it takes 10^9 joules.
(2 * 10^-5 /2 * 10^7 * 10^7).  Again, I defer to those with greater
engineering knowledge, but one gigajoule should tear any ship to bits, no?

I think I'd stick with about 100 g-turns of thrust.  This still allows
velocities of 10^6 m/s, making the impact energy 10^17 joules.

Charles.


<0> "As more dice are rolled, the empirical approaches the theoretical." <0>
<0>     Charles Collin (charles@hebb.psych.mcgill.ca),   <0>
<0>     Psychology Department, McGill University.    <0>
<0>     1205 Dr. Penfield, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 1B1.    <0>
<0>  WEB: http://www.psych.mcgill.ca/labs/chaudhuri/homepage.clab.html  <0>


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

Date:         Thu, 15 Feb 96 14:15:56 EST
From: "David A. Nelson" <34TYHPE@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
To: TML <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Hepiar tactics
Message-ID:   <960215.144040.EST.34TYHPE@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>

Greatings Earth peoples,

   This Is a short list of the tactics that a fleeting using HEpiar trusters wo
uld use.
   Shorter Jumps:  A fleet attacking a hostile system might not use it maxium j
ump capacity when entering the system.  For example, A midu-Agashuam destoryer
would make a J-3 instead of its maxuim of 6.  This would akkiw tge Nudy-agashua
m it full 50g of manuever and stil have 3-j of J-fuel to jump out of system.
   Tankers become more important:  Using Hepiar truster a fleet would be forced
 to use it tankers more.  A attackig fleet would jump into system with its
tankers.  The fleet then would refuel and drive into system with a fuel load of
 manuever fuel, and a fuel load of J-fuel for retreating.  Note, these "tankers
"  need not be dedicated craft they could be other ships with body stores, on
convererted traders.
   Hit the gas giant frist:  when a ttacking a system in which heavy restance i
s expected the attackers safest first move would be to secure a gas giant in sy
stem.  This gives the attacker a secure supply of fuel to draw upon which reduc
ing the main worlds defences.
    Home Court:  IN CT SDBs had the ability to go into the "outer system" and h
ide for an attacker.  Then the SDBs could act as a restancesforce, snipping at
the enemy.  With Hepiar truster the defender can still do this, all he has to d
o is set up a number of hidden fuel cashes into system.  This supply of fuel
would allow an SDB force to be a pain for the attacker fo exteded periods.
     lastly let me say I do not think changing to hepiar changes the military h
istory of the traveller universe, a great deal.  most history of war do not go
into small details like fuel usage, or logistices.

         David Nelson

  P.S. I think one last thing has been over looked in in-system travell times,
sling-shotting around a planet to pick up Delta-V.  It work for NASA and would
most likely improve ship travel times a great deal.

                      ".....Its O.k. where Staff...."

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

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 21:03:32 +0100 (MET)
From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Fleet sizes
Message-ID: <199602152003.VAA26786@embla.diku.dk>

ANGUS MCLELLAN writes:
>There is no particularly good way to estimate the size of the Regency's
>naval forces. The suggestion in TCS is that naval forces would be equal
>to ten times the annual construction capacity of a world/state (IIRC).

No, the rule is that naval forces are based on 10 times the annual budget.
(Though Since both the budget and the construction capacity is based on
the size of the population (but with different modifiers) there would be
a strong correlation between the fleet size and the construction capacity.

>This, if applied to the Regency, would result in billions upon billions
>of UCP tonnes of starships.

It sure would.

>I doubt that sufficient crews could be found to man them!

Well, let's look at an average fleet unit like the  50,000 T _Ghalalk_
class cruiser (_Fighting Ships_ p. 30) It takes roughly 5.5 million
people to generate the tax needed to maintain it. It has a crew of 450
(marines included). That's about 0,008%. Similar calculations can be
made for any other fleet unit. The population base needed to pay for
any ship will have no problem coming up with the people to crew it.

>One thing is certain, if the Regency was short of warships in the 1120s,
>it's had 75 years to build all the ships that anyone could ever want.

You'd think so, wouldn't you? But try asking the admirals in charge and
they'll tell you they need more. ;-)



      Hans Rancke
University of Copenhagen
     rancke@diku.dk
------------
        "A  subsector  official  pompously states that the
        subsector  armed  forces  have  four Kinunir class
        ships in service,  each with enough troop strength
        to put down any military operations that threathen
        the peace of the Imperium."

                        ---Adventure 1, The Kinunir

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

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 12:10:11 -0800 (PST)
From: Bri <bri@teleport.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Infantry in Bri's drone
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.960215120737.23688D-100000@linda.teleport.com>

Re the comment about how it can't fire on the move
 I'm dubious about this, I think it would be possible for(since it is a
disc) it to quickley rotate using thrusters and fire and rotate back and
re-engage HEPLaR. Certinley not much harder then evasion.
and re
--
For comparisons between drones and tanks, Bri needs to do a version of his
drone with a person inside it, and see how much more it costs or how much
less effective it is.
--
 It'd be a piece-o-crap, that simple.
 It still is a valid comparison, tho. Rember, it's got all the nessicary
skills at 'eliete' level, something human troops very, very, very rarley
acheeve. It would probabley have a human 'platoon commander', tho.
and re that missile
60KG means it would only be usuable in pre-prepared posisitions, and
they'red only be 1 or 2 missiles per site.

bri <bri@teleport.com>
The Law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich, as well as the
poor, to sleep under the bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal
bread.      -- Anatole France


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

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 15:10:04 -0500 (EST)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Ugly worlds, big pop's
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.960215140003.17660D@atlas.sheridanc.on.ca>


From: merrick@Rt66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)

> I agree, the computers have always been goofy.  In the same way that one
> might come up with an explanation for a crappy world UPP with huge
> population, and a great world next door with near no population here's
> my rationale for existing computers:

It may be possible to explain all those silly worlds, if you assume that
the Imperium - careful to avoid overextending itself - overlooks most
instances of Ethnic Cleansing.  The poor losers, eager to get away to
anywhere, floods to the nearest world regardless of how ugly it is.

(and 1100 years of history gives LOTS of time for as much nastyness as
you want.)

Moreover, good worlds with very few people can be considered to be former
victims of a rock-throwing contest, or the personal property of a Very
Powerful local noble.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alvin Plummer
"Preserve what we created, Norris, and remember what we stood for."
                               - Strephon, 179-1126

Reply to: alvin.plummer@SHERIDANC.ON.CA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------



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

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 21:20:44 +0100 (MET)
From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Jumping into systems
Message-ID: <199602152020.VAA27980@embla.diku.dk>

Craig Berry writes:

>Several posters seem to think that a microjump would cost less fuel than
>a 1-parsec jump.  Alas, it's not so.  The 1-parsec fuel cost is the
>minimum cost for any jump.  So jumping to the GG, refueling, then
>microjumping in-system is a wash if you J-1'd into the system, but does
>offer advantages if you J-2+'d in.

And if you're an attacking fleet, you would have used drop tanks to jump,
so that your ships arrived fully loaded. Anything else only if forced to
it by circumstances.

>I think the general consensus that's emerging is that, under HePlaR, it's
>harder on the I-fleet than it was under thrusters.  As someone pointed
>out, most naval vessels aren't going to carry enough fuel for two jumps,
>one in and one out.  Obviously, if you're attacking with a modern (J-4 or
>more) fleet across a 1-parsec gap, you'll have plenty of reserve after
>your J-1 for fleeing or moving on.  But a more typical scenario would be
>a J-3 into the target system, given the typical stellar separations and
>need to keep the assault moving into enemy territory.  After a J-3, most
>ships will need to refuel to get home.

You never participated in a TCS campaign, did you? No admiral would want
to arrive anywhere with less than full tanks (though I grant you that he
might not have any choice).

>In the Good Old Days, you attacked a gas giant to refuel.

Believe me, once you've had your forces chewed up a fifth at a time trying
to defend your whole system, you'll concentrate your defensive forces on
defending the mainworld.



      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: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 15:21:14 -0800 (PST)
From: "'Jomama' Charles Pratt" <tminus@u.washington.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: 1000 G-turn Limit.
Message-ID: <Pine.A32.3.91j.960215151331.83553A-100000@homer31.u.washington.edu>


On Thu, 15 Feb 1996, Charles Collin wrote:

> Hi All. Wouldn't a 1000 G-turn limit still be too much?  That still allows

Probably the most effective g-turn limit is fuel.  Remember that a ship
will have to expend an equal amount of thrust in the opposite direction
to bring forward motion to a stop.  So considering that most of the ships
in the New Era system that I've seen only carry at most 80G-turns worth
of fuel (that's including jump fuel), the maximum they can accelerate is
40G-turns---assuming they want to be able to stop.  One also has to
consider that interplanetary speeds are pretty damn fast, as reflected by
Mr. Collin's calculations below, so if  one wants realism (not the "SBDs
swooping around the Oort Cloud" image that someone else brought up) the
system works fine.

> ships to reach 10^7 m/s velocity (I'm assuming CT's 1000 second turns
> here, and assuming a suicide run to zero fuel).  At that velocity, a 200
> ton ship hits with approximately 10^19 joules (2 * 10^5 /2 * 10^7 * 10^7).
> I'm no engineer, so please forgive my ignorance here, but isn't that still
> a huge impact?  Makes for nasty terrorist attacks.
>
> On a similar note, a ship using thruster plates and accelerating at 4 g
> for 250000 seconds (about 3 days), also achieves 10^7 meters per second.
> If we use Merrick's suggested anti-intruder tactic of sending a cloud of
> water vapor or sand at it, it would be in big trouble.  If it hits a
> stationary particle or particles massing .02 grams, it takes 10^9 joules.
> (2 * 10^-5 /2 * 10^7 * 10^7).  Again, I defer to those with greater
> engineering knowledge, but one gigajoule should tear any ship to bits, no?

Ask the shuttle astrounauts---there's so much debris floating around in
orbit waiting for them to impact with at speeds approaching 35000mph (for
opposite trajectorys, assuming they both orbit at the same speed), they
oughta know the physics behind it.

> I think I'd stick with about 100 g-turns of thrust.  This still allows
> velocities of 10^6 m/s, making the impact energy 10^17 joules.
>
> Charles.
>
>
> <0> "As more dice are rolled, the empirical approaches the theoretical." <0>
> <0>     Charles Collin (charles@hebb.psych.mcgill.ca),   <0>
> <0>     Psychology Department, McGill University.    <0>
> <0>     1205 Dr. Penfield, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 1B1.    <0>
> <0>  WEB: http://www.psych.mcgill.ca/labs/chaudhuri/homepage.clab.html  <0>
>
>

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

Date: Fri, 16 Feb 1996 01:02:47 +0100 (MET)
From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Laws of nature/Traveller
Message-ID: <199602160002.BAA03128@embla.diku.dk>

Bruce Alan Macintosh writes:
>Part of Traveller's niche, relative to (say) Space Opera or more recent SF
>games, was that it tried to be (somewhat) hard-SF, with only a few
>deviations from extrapolated physical laws. It doesn't do that perfectly, of
>course, but it always seemed to be trying harder than most other games.

Yep. But for 15 years one of the deviations was the 'you can go anywhere in
a star system on one tankful' maneuver engine. That means that 15 years
worth of background and campaigns had those 'magic' engines. In Traveller
they were not magic; they were a part of the laws of nature.

>Thruster plates (or any reactionless drive) violate both conservation of
>energy and conservation of momentum.

Those laws only apply when you're working with a closed universe. The
moment you introduce things like jump-space you can throw them out of
the window. What if thruster plates 'thrusts' against an underlying
medium, a sub-space? Where's your conservation of momentum and energy
then? It will apply to N-space PLUS subspace, sure, but no longer to
N-space alone.

>I know that HEPlaR bends conservation of energy (I prefer to assume that
>some fraction of the HEPlaR reaction mass undergoes fusion, which brings it
>back into energy balance.) Still, on the balance, I like it; I would imagine
>it adds something to roleplaying by giving more detail to space travel.
>I think T4 should keep it, possibly tweaked a little (decreasing FC values
>with tech level would be my suggestion, as the fusion gets more efficient.)

Maybe something else would be better if Traveller was just being designed,
just as I would use 3-D maps if I was starting a new non-Imperium campaign,
but that decision was made 20 years ago. Changing the physical laws of a
game universe, even if the new ones are more 'real' is IMO an incredibly
bad idea.


      Hans Rancke
University of Copenhagen
     rancke@diku.dk
------------
        "A  subsector  official  pompously states that the
        subsector  armed  forces  have  four Kinunir class
        ships in service,  each with enough troop strength
        to put down any military operations that threathen
        the peace of the Imperium."

                        ---Adventure 1, The Kinunir

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

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 18:42:05 -0600
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@whip.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 597
Message-ID: <1.5.4b11.32.19960216004205.00734b88@lynx.csn.net>

At 06:04 am 2/15/96 -0500, you wrote:
>There are two reasons for this. First, it provides a vaulable check on
>the more advanced systems. It's rumored that there's a mode where the
>DOD can tell the GPS satellites to *lie* to everybody but folks with
>special decoder rigs. And other "advanced" navigational aids can be
>spoofed to one extent or another.

        Not rumored at all ... it's known as "Selective Availability." And
it doesn't actually lie, it just degrades the signal so your accuracy goes
down. With all the money the DOD put into GPS to help the warfighter, they'd
feel really stupid if it was also helping the enemy. Unfortunately, they
didn't expect it to catch on so big in the civilian world. Now there is some
serious question as to whether they'd even be allowed to degrade the signal.

 ___________________________________________________________________
  Dave Golden                              PGP Public Key available
  goldendj@whip.com        http://www.whip.com/~goldendj/index.html

  "Faith is not belief without knowledge.
   Faith is trust without reservation." -- unknown


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

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 18:42:12 -0600
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@whip.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Ancients
Message-ID: <1.5.4b11.32.19960216004212.00731824@lynx.csn.net>

At 12:11 pm 2/15/96 -0500, you wrote:
>I feel I need to clarify my original question.
>
>I'm designing a TL-20 Starship.  I need to know three things.
>
>1)  How would a TL-20 J-drive be constructed?  Options:
>    A) Is it necessary to use Hydrogen for the creation of the Jump buble
>           (It has unique chemical properties that allow the Bubble to be
>            created and maintained.)
>    B) Or are jump bubbles maintained by energy only.
>
>        In option A, some portion of the Hydrogen must be retained for the
>creation and maintenance of the Bubble, but the MW could be more compactly
>provided for with Antimatter.  In Option B(perhaps easier to figure out) the
>entire J-drive could be maintained with Antimatter(this could be computed by
>comparing Fusion reactor technology with the Fuel requirements for
>J-drives.)  I lean towards Option A, but Option B is decidedly simpler.

        My understanding (from where, I can't say at the moment) is that
part of the hydrogen was actually used for _cooling_ not power production.
So I would say

        C) The jump bubble is created and maintained by energy input, from
where is irrelevant as long as it's fast enough. Fusion, Antimatter, 2x10^27
gerbils on a treadmill. But you also need to keep waste heat from the
process out of the rest of the ship, so you need cooling. "Standard" drives
use convective cooling with hydrogen as the working fluid. Ancients may have
better methods.

>3)  Where could a TL-20 Starship have come from? Options:
>    A)  Ancients
>    B)  Other Advanced Race


        C) Misjump in time from the long past (one of Grandfather's robot
ships) or the future
        D) Misjump or equivalent FTL drive failure from another "reality"
(but the "Enterprise" in traveller would be just too cheesy).

>("Ancients are *Magic*!") led me to this question.  I need a Starship that
>is going to be quirky for PC's to use.  The TL-20 is to create a Long term
>Learning Curve to prevent them from mastering it quickly (As RC characters
>their inherent TL is 9-12).  This ship is to be found at a secret Imperial

        Both by having a different TL _and_ a physically different race, you
can add to this. Say, the original race was 3ft high by 8 ft long weaseloids
who liked blindingly bright blue lights, or dim red lights, preferred
2.718Gs, and breathed Hydrogen Sulfide. And the life support system is
geared to that (not to mention the 4ft ceilings everywhere). So the first
order of business would be to set up a "shelter" with breathable air inside
the ship. Then the crew would have to operate in vaccsuits. Next priority
would be to figure out how to adjust the life support system (or disable it...).

 ___________________________________________________________________
  Dave Golden                              PGP Public Key available
  goldendj@whip.com        http://www.whip.com/~goldendj/index.html

  "Faith is not belief without knowledge.
   Faith is trust without reservation." -- unknown


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

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 18:42:09 -0600
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@whip.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Virus is Possible (Maybe)
Message-ID: <1.5.4b11.32.19960216004209.006959d0@lynx.csn.net>

>FAITH (noun)
>Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge,
>of things without
>parallel.  (c) 1993 Anne Foxworthy

 ___________________________________________________________________
  Dave Golden                              PGP Public Key available
  goldendj@whip.com        http://www.whip.com/~goldendj/index.html

  "Faith is not belief without knowledge.
   Faith is trust without reservation." -- unknown


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

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 18:42:16 -0600
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@whip.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 595
Message-ID: <1.5.4b11.32.19960216004216.0073025c@lynx.csn.net>

At 12:39 pm 2/15/96 -0500, you wrote:
>Could someone please fill me in on the meaning of the
>following terms?   (I don't have a copy of FFW).
>
>BatRon

        BATtleship squadRON

>CruRon

        CRUiser squadRON

>Orbat

        A batlike creature native to the planet SquipRu 7?
 ___________________________________________________________________
  Dave Golden                              PGP Public Key available
  goldendj@whip.com        http://www.whip.com/~goldendj/index.html

  "Faith is not belief without knowledge.
   Faith is trust without reservation." -- unknown


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

Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 20:08:55 -0700 (MST)
From: merrick@Rt66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Ugly worlds, big pop's
Message-ID: <9602160308.AA09350@Rt66.com>

> > I agree, the computers have always been goofy.  In the same way that one
> > might come up with an explanation for a crappy world UPP with huge
> > population, and a great world next door with near no population here's
> > my rationale for existing computers:
>
> It may be possible to explain all those silly worlds, if you assume that
> the Imperium - careful to avoid overextending itself - overlooks most
> instances of Ethnic Cleansing.  The poor losers, eager to get away to
> anywhere, floods to the nearest world regardless of how ugly it is.
> (and 1100 years of history gives LOTS of time for as much nastyness as
> you want.)
> Moreover, good worlds with very few people can be considered to be former
> victims of a rock-throwing contest, or the personal property of a Very
> Powerful local noble.

I thought that was my point :-)  That the same kind of creativity that
allows us to make sense of (at first glance) odd data can sometimes work
to our advantage.

You make a neat story to explain a world profile that seems odd, and you
actually add value to the thing---now it has a personality that it might
not if it fit your expectations.  We might try looking at some of the
odd technolgy the same way and see where it takes us.

Just a thought,
Merrick

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

End of TRAVELLER Digest 599
***************************
