The TML is made possible by facilities provided by the University of
Western Ontario. All opinions and materials below are the responsibility
of the originator.

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

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 528  6518 01-Jan-1994 Derek Wildstar   Traveller: The New Era (Maryland Area)
 528  6519 02-Jan-1994 Gino Lucrezi     Re: Enthusiasm etc. << > lucrezi@dsiaq1
 528  6520 01-Jan-1994 Derek Wildstar   Re: TMLs Health << I'm going to respond
 528  6521 02-Jan-1994 j.kundert@genie  Florian League, yeah RIGHT! << OOOPS!
 528  6522 02-Jan-1994 Anthony Neal     Various Responses... << Hello all!
 528  6523 01-Jan-1994 Jeff Zeitlin     Model 1bis? << TA::>  A general questio
 528  6524 02-Jan-1994 Keeper Of The L  TNE--Okay? << Well it seems as though w
 528  6525 02-Jan-1994 Mark Urbin       TL 5 Cargo Zeppelin << I've been playin
 528  6526 02-Jan-1994 Mark Urbin       TL 5 Cigar shaped Rigid Airship (Hydrog
 528  6527 02-Jan-1994 Joe Heck         TNE campaigns << As to people starting
 528  6528 02-Jan-1994 Mark Urbin       forgotten bit of gasbag and a request.
 528  6529 03-Jan-1994 Anthony Neal     Computer Question. << Hello all:
 528  6530 02-Jan-1994 Steven Gott      FF&S Gun design nit << Two points:
 528  6531 03-Jan-1994 Joe Heck         Computers in Traveller: The New Era <<
 528  6532 03-Jan-1994 Mark Urbin       useful information <<   For those happi
 528  6533 03-Jan-1994 Joe Heck         Vehicle Design - Grav Boat << It starte
 528  6534 03-Jan-1994 Peter H. Brento  T:TNE problems << My two cents follow o

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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6518
Date: Sat, 1 Jan 94 17:50:57 -0500
From: Derek Wildstar <wildstar@quark.qrc.com>
Subject: Traveller: The New Era (Maryland Area)


I'm in the final stages of organizing a Traveller: The New Era campaign, and
have a few slots for players.  No prior experience with Traveller or
Traveller: The New Era is required, and newcomers and experienced Traveller
players alike are welcome to join.

If you're familliar with the official "Imperial Space" universe, the setting
will be familliar.  The campaign will be set circa 1200 (as reconed by the
old Third Imperium calendar) in a small "pocket empire" called the Gralyn
Union.  All characters will be members of, or specialists attached to, the
Gralyn Union Exploratory Scout Service.  During the course of the campaign,
the players will be assigned to the starship FIDELITY for exploration and
re-contact missions.

Current plans are for two game sessions per month, on weekend evenings, and
will be held at my house (exact dates and times can be adjusted for the
mutual convenience of everyone involved).  I'm located in the Aspen Hill
area, which is near Rockville, MD, and in the Washington DC metro area.


If you are interested, please respond by E-mail or telephone:

Guy Garnett			(h) (301)-871-5104 (evenings, 7-11pm)

wildstar@quark.qrc.com
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In the New Era


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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6519
From: lucrezi@dsiaq1.ing.univaq.it (Gino Lucrezi)
Subject: Re: Enthusiasm etc.
Date: Sun, 2 Jan 1994 04:25:38 +0000 (WET)

> lucrezi@dsiaq1.ing.univaq.it (Gino Lucrezi) asks:
>
>  >In the spinward marches data on the MT Imperial Encyclopedia,
>  >some worlds have the (undefined) Remark "Fl". What does
>  >that mean?
>  ...
>
>  The "Fl" in the Spinward Marches listing stands for Florian
> League, a rather opportunistic state sitting between the Imperium and
> the Zhodani Consulate.  In my local campaign, nobody much likes them,
> but most everyone tolerates them to some extent.  I don't expect the
> League to survive to the New Era (but I could be wrong; it's happened
> before :)

However, there is no info at all on them in the IE.
Anyway, it happens in the "remarks", and not in the allegiance column.
There are Fl worls marked as Non Aligned, Client State of the Imperium
or even Aslan New Lords. BTW, I don't recall any mention of the new
lords either in the Imperial Encyclopedia or in the Aslan Alien
Module. Is it something post-rebellion (in which case I'll dutifully
ignore it)?

>  The subsectors of the Spinward Marches are named in the MT Player's
> Manual, on the inside front cover.  In case your edition doesn't
> have this (I notice you're coming from Italy), they are as follows:

There is on Italian edition of Traveller, only an unscrupolous
importer who promised one a long time ago (even before MT was out!!!).
Anyway, I only have the Encyclopedia, and not the Player's or
Referee's manual; I use Classic rules.
I am collecting all Classic traveller material I find, but I can't
find the Spinward Marches supplement... :-(

>  I have not perused the Classic and MT world stats so thoroughly that
> I can catalog the changes.  Most are Tech level changes, a few will
> be population changes, and the entry for 2632 is a duplicate of 2602
> (Corfu).  2632 doesn't exist.

I see, thanks for the errata. Any changes in allegiances? All my
information about District 268 comes from the Tarsus box, which
doesn't say much about allegiances; were they changed?

- --
Gino Lucrezi @ Universita` "V. Rivera" - L'Aquila - Italy
INTERNET: lucrezi@dsiaq1.ing.univaq.it
FIDO:     2:335/602.1  2:335/601.4
Collect 1.000 of these signatures and you'll win a free trip to Cyberspace!

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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6520
Date: Sat, 1 Jan 94 23:41:22 -0500
From: Derek Wildstar <wildstar@quark.qrc.com>
Subject: Re: TMLs Health

I'm going to respond to James Kundert's post of the other day.  Part of the
reason I'm responding is because I feel responsible (at least in part) for
the creation of both TNE-Pocket and GDW-Beta.

j.kundert@genie.geis.com [James Kundert] writes:
>  That said, I find the lack of apparent enthusiasm for TNE on this
> list distressing and annoying.  Distressing because of the "It's
> different. I don't like different" attitude which accompanies much
> of the discussion ...

Part of it I'm willing to chalk up to T:TNE being a (relatively) new
product.  For people with established campaigns, I doubt that very many are
switching rules systems, at least until the current campaign is over.  And
while sales of T:TNE have been good, I wonder how many T:TNE campaigns are
starting up.

This would be interesting enough that I'm willing to put some effort into
making a tally.  Everybody out there who's currently running or involved in
a campaign, send me a quick e-mail message and tell me what kind of campaign
you're running in, and which rules system you're using.  Just a quick note,
some thing like "I'm playing in a Classic Traveller campaign in the official
GDW universe".  Send it to me at wildstar@quark.qrc.com, and I'll tally the
results (# of Classic/Mega/NewEra in GDW/Other universes) and post back
here.  I'm interested to know how many of you are playing what.

> ... and annoying because all the big-volume posters
> seem to have fled to the pocket-empire list (a list with "No Loitering,
> Private Property" posted at the door), and abandoned the main TML.

> It got worse when the folks who wanted to playtest the FF&S preview
> material went and formed _another_ list to follow that activity.

The limited distribution of the FF&S preview/playtest material was at GDW's
request.  I created a mailing list to facilitate communication between the
various people who recieved the FF&S "preview", and to try and cut down on
the number of redundant comments we generated and sent to GDW.

If ANY Traveller author wants us to review your material and send you some
relevant and constructive commentary, contact me and we will do our best to
help you.  The administrative address is gdw-beta-request@quark.qrc.com.

Membership in GDW-Beta is deliberately kept small, for two reasons.  One is
that it's a working group: lurkers don't contribute to the group's function,
which is to provide pre-publication feedback to Traveller writers.  The
second is that the group's mail is handled by a machine where I work, and
that will only be allowed for as long as the total traffic on the group
doesn't interfere with quark.qrc.com's business uses.

Although the original preview/playtest materials themselves are not
available to the general public (again, at GDW's request), the discussions
and commentary *are* archived, and available from the TML archive site.  FTP
to sunbane.engrg.uwo.ca, and look in the pub/Traveller/GDW-Beta directory.
I try to compile the archives monthly, and the December update should be
uploaded to sunbane before the end of the weekend (although it may take a
few days after that for Dan to make them available).

Now that FF&S is out, and we are unlikeley to have more than the occasional
Challenge (or maybe TTC) article to review, the group (like all
institutions) has developed a secondary function.  We are trying to put
together a "Designers' Companion" for FF&S, consisting of "house rules" and
additional options, and lots and lots of examples.  Expect to see some
interesting and useful stuff from us over the next month or so.

> The TML was left a shadow of its former self during this time.  The
> enthusiasm for these projects that could have infected the rest of
> the list was kept behind closed doors (and still is), and thus was
> wasted on those who needed no encouragement.

These certainly aren't the only projects possible, nor there much "off-topic"
discussion on either list.  One main reason for making sublists is that
IMHO, most of the readers of TML aren't really interested in the details of
Aslan-Solomani-Imperial peace treaties as regards to colonization in
Reavers' Deep in the late 900's (an actual example of a recent subject
thread on TNE-Pocket).  If you are interested, or want to pick up ideas
for your own campaign, you can follow the action blow-by-blow in the
archives of the appropriate group, which are available for public access.

>  Please don't think that I consider these other lists a "bad thing."
> Each has a specific mission that it pursues vigorously (I assume,
> not being a member of either).  Their isolation from this list is
> what bothers me. A Lot.

Well, I wanted to tell you what was going on, and why the separation was
done.  I also agree with you on one point: TML has been pretty quiet lately,
and could use some enlivening!

So, before I go, I'll kick out a couple of questions intended to start some
discussion:

Has anyone besides me noticed what wonderful enemies the Star Vikings make?
It seems like the background and history was tailored to make the RCES
nearly perfect bad guys in all sorts of scenarios.  They're even better at
it than the Solomani were!

What about hivers?  Do you think that they deliberately cause the Rebellion,
or did they do it by accident as they were trying to Manipulate the
Imperium?  They sure didn't expect the Virus, or did they?  They certainly
seemed to recover from it quickly --- almost like they knew what to expect!

What do you think happened to Terra?  My personal feeling is that another
Old Earth Union is too much to expect; given the wars of the Rebellion and
then the Virus, my personal choice is that Terra is probably recovering from
a severe Nuclear Winter right about now.


wildstar@quark.qrc.com
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In the Far Future

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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6521
From: j.kundert@genie.geis.com
Date: Sun,  2 Jan 94 05:08:00 BST
Subject: Florian League, yeah RIGHT!

OOOPS!
 Just goes to show what can happen when you know too much Traveller
Lore.  The Fl Gino was asking about was in the Remarks section,
and is the indicator for Fluid Oceans.  The Florian League is in
(I believe) the Trojan Reach.  The opportunistic bas*&@!#$ I refered
to are the Federation of Arden.  The question about "Fl" brought
an automatic response to mind that just happened to be utterly
wrong.
 Anyone throwing tomatoes will be thanked, as I like tomatoes and
haven't had any good ones recently...

 James Kundert
 <J.KUNDERT@genie.geis.com>

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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6522
From: Anthony Neal <anthonyn@cs.mun.ca>
Subject: Various Responses...
Date: 	Sun, 2 Jan 1994 02:24:31 -0330

Hello all!

	 Hope you have all recovered from the festivities!

     First off, lucrezi@dsiaq1.ing.univaq.it (Gino Lucrezi) writes:

>In the spinward marches data on the MT Imperial Encyclopedia,
>some worlds have the (undefined) Remark "Fl". What does
>that mean?

     The Fl stands for Fluid oceans. The idea here is that Methane or Ammonia
or some other nasty stuff has precipitated out of the atmostphere and formed
oceans that consist of something other than water. Check it out in the MT
Ref's guide. Don't know exactly where. Hope that helps.

     In response to Bruce E Johnson <bej@gas.uug.arizona.edu>, I'd just like
to add an overwhelming nod of agreement. Mix and match. I have no idea what
TNE is like as I have never perused a copy, but I'm seriously thinking of
picking up a copy. There appears to be a lot of stuff in there that could
become very useful. I'm not much of a Ref really, but I like to be a rules
lawyer at times. I like detailing a game system. To me, the Virus idea stinks.
But that's just my opinion. The RULES system does seem to fill in a lot of
blanks. If you don't like it, change it, or don't buy it. Don't b*tch about
it. Hey, why don't we all get together and design a new role playing game?
Collectively we all have enough knowledge of SF to do it...

	 By the way, Loren, if you're listening, I'm not proposing a conspiracy.
More a creative endeavor.

     And finaly , but not leastly, thanks goes out to James Kundert
<j.kundert@genie.geis.com> for his further reply on that missing Jump Rule.
Boy do I have a few designs to change!

     Anyhow, gotta get to bed.

	 Anthony

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Anthony Neal                |"Lets bring up the cargo manifest. 2300 laser
anthonyn@mercury.cs.mun.ca  | pistols, 1600 laser rifles, 1 ATV, 67 suits of
Memorial University Of      | combat armor and...    What the hell are
Newfoundland                | 'tribbles'?"
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6523
Subject: Model 1bis?
From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)
Date: Sat,  1 Jan 94 19:57:00 -0500

TA::>  A general question to you all, am I horribly misguided in interpreting
  ::>a Model/1bis as a Basic Instruction Set Model 1 ?  Or does bis stand for
  ::>something cryptic that is not in my books... I'm gonna feel really silly i
  ::>it doesn't mean what I think it means and I design rules around this...

  If you're referring to the designation used in CT (the little
  black books), then a M/1bis was for all intents and purposes a
  M/1 with the mass storage subsystems of a M/2.  It seems that
  "bis" was used in the same manner that it is in
  telecommunications, i.e., fits the basic spec, but is enhanced in
  some way (cf. V.32 versus V.32bis with regards to modems...).  In
  that sense, one could say that a M/anything greater than 1 was in
  fact a M/1bis, but since there was already a M/2 et cetera, the
  M/1bis was simply used to designate the hybrid.  If you consider
  today's typical MS-DOS PC as being a M/1 (not really accurate;
  see other posts on the computer thread), then a M/1bis would be a
  PC with the kind of mass storage that you see on major bulletin
  board systems (cf. Exec-PC, in the midwest U.S.) or large
  departmental servers (i.e., storage measured in GB, not MB).

  Or so runs my interpretation; as is usual in RPGs, your mileage
  may vary...
==========================================================================
Jeff Zeitlin                                      jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com
- ---
 ~ QMPro 1.51 ~ Installing to drive A:   Please insert CD-ROM 1 of 25.



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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6524
Subject: TNE--Okay?
Date: Sun, 02 Jan 94 03:24:00 EST
From: Keeper Of The Lint <darkstar@chopin.udel.edu>


Well it seems as though what everyone around here is saying is that they
like the TNE rules (for the most part), and just hate what GDW did with
the story.  So, someone had a good suggestion, and that was having
stories/adventures that take place during the Hard Times, the Rebellion,
between Hard Times and TNE, but have these adventures use the TNE
system.  Well, if these mailing list have any type of input with GDW (I
know that they are aware of a few of the other Traveller lists), then
why don't we let them know how we feel?  Why don't we organize something
like a letter or a statement or something silly like that sign it, and
send it to them?

Oh well, enough ranting.


	--Jerry


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

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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6525
Date: Sun, 2 Jan 1994 11:12:48 -0500
From: eclipse@world.std.com (Mark Urbin)
Subject: TL 5 Cargo Zeppelin


I've been playing around with FF&S and decided to build a TL 5 cargo
Zepplin.  I've completed it.  It carries a 100 tonnes of cargo at a
max speed of 180 Kph.  The design currently rests on a desk blotter
sized peice of graph paper.  I'll redo it on a spread sheet and post
the results here.
   The cargo bay is a 100 Displacement Tonne gondola.  The 100 tonnes
of Mass is figured into the lift equations.  This cargo area could be
replaced by passenger cabins (air liner), hanger space or bomb racks.
   Oh ya...It's a hydrogen gas bag.  A helium version would have a
slightly bigger gas bag.  Once I get it spreadsheeted, I'll work out
the size of a helium version.

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  \      oo    				Mark Urbin  eclipse@world.std.com
   \____|\mm   "Vouf, Vouf!"		These opinions are mine, no one
   // //\ \_\  "Good Dog!"		will claim them...
  /K-9/  \/_/  "Put down the Gauss pistols!"
 /___/_____\   				
 ----------- 	  Where am I going and what am I doing in this handbasket?
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6526
Date: Sun, 2 Jan 1994 19:41:50 -0500
From: eclipse@world.std.com (Mark Urbin)
Subject: TL 5 Cigar shaped Rigid Airship (Hydrogen) per FF&S

Using my copy of FF&S, I came up with:

TL 5 Cigar shaped Rigid Airship (Hydrogen)

Useful Lift: 1365 Tonnes
Thrust: 100 Tonnes (TL5 Propellers)
Max Speed: 200 Kph
Cruising Speed: 150 Kph
Combat Move: 27.8
Travel Move: 600
Endurance: 120 Hours
Range: 18,000 Kilometers
Volume of Envelope: 227,576.54 Displacement Tonnes
Cost: MCr 184.60367

This Airship has 6 Gondolas.  The control, cargo and four engine.
Each Gondola is a a simple airframe.

The Main Gondola consists of:
  Flight Deck:
   Open Crewstations for:
        Pilot
        Co-Pilot
        Navigator
        Radio Operator
        Flight Engineer

   TL 5 300 Km Radio (0.1 square meter antenna)
   TL 5 Navigational Aids
        Gyro Compass
        Barmetric Altimeter
   TL 4 Search Light (6 attached around the gondola)
   TL 5 Improved Internal Combustion Engine; 0.25 m^3; producing 0.1 MW
        Main Gondola power requirements = 0.0215 MW
   3 Kiloliters of HCD fuel to power the engine for 120 hours
   1.75 Tonne ships locker.

The Cargo Gondola consists of:
  1400 m^3 of cargo space.

Each of the four Engine Gondolas consists of:
  1 44.642856 m^3 TL 5 Improved Combustion Engine producing 35.714285 MW
  TL 5 Propeller
     This combination produces 25 tonnes of thrust.

The four Engine Gondolas produce a total of 100 tonnes of thrust.

The fuel for the 4 propulsion engines (1071.4285 Klt) is stored in the
Envelope (76,54 diplacement tonnes were added when figuring the weight
of the envelope)

Notes:
  The 1.75 tonne ships locker is fudge space for weight.  Light weapons
can be added or 3 crew bunks or more radio/sensor equipment.

  The cargo Gondola is has 100 displacement tonnes of open space.  100 tonnes
of Mass were figured into the lift equations.  There are several options
available besides flat cargo space.

 - More engines and propellers can be be added.  The ship is at the maxium
   speed already, but adding more thrust will improve handling (adding
   modifiers to piloting rolls).

 - Cabins (and a small engine to handle the power requirements) can be
   installed, turning this craft into a passenger liner.

 - Bomb or missle racks can be added.  I personally would suggest replacing
   the hydrogen with helium of this is to be taken into a combat zone.

When I get this spreadsheeted, I will upload the 1-2-3 format file to the
main TML archives.


- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  \      oo    				Mark Urbin  eclipse@world.std.com
   \____|\mm   "Vouf, Vouf!"		These opinions are mine, no one
   // //\ \_\  "Good Dog!"		will claim them...
  /K-9/  \/_/  "Put down the Gauss pistols!"
 /___/_____\   				
 ----------- 	  Where am I going and what am I doing in this handbasket?
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6527
Date:         Sun, 02 Jan 94 21:31:34 CST
From: Joe Heck <CCJOE@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject:      TNE campaigns

As to people starting campaigns in TNE - I have one that's really taking
off!  I have 5 folks playing in a 'pocket empire' - something relatively
akin to the area in the corridor. I've changed only a portion of the rules
regarding the virus - essentially that if there isn't a hardwire connection,
the actual silicon beasty can't travel to the other machine and re-write
it's circuitry. It's made explaining my worlds a bit easier. There's
also the point that they can still 'write' their own virus's to carry
themselves to points unknown, etc. Anyway, the campaign.

I used the near star map (the closest 26 parsecs that folks have been
talking about occasionally here) and started detailing out star systems.  I
picked a system (#587 for those of you who have the list) and detailed it as
Joydel, a TL8 system rediscovering JumpDrive from the ruins of a scout base.
There's other details as they go - but I generally run a campaign like some
SF writers write in a Universe: A number of stories (adventures) set in a
common universe (area of space) - sometimes with the same characters.
Allowing the players to switch characters between adventures keeps them
happy with one game system longer from what I've found - and I said they
could develop any of their contacts into full PCs to run at a later date.

If anyone's interested - I'm keeping VERY close notes of the setup and
would be happy to share them. It's essentially a 3D space traveller, using
the destruction of the Imperium to allow me to easily map a small area of
'what could have been' imperial space for the purposes of some adventures.
Hey - so it goes. I'm also hoping that some of these adventures will show
in TTC or Challenge... we'll see.

Anyone else have a campaign or adventure happenin' in TNE?

 joe                          University of Missouri - Columbia
 ccjoe@mizzou1.missouri.edu   (314) 882-5000

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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6528
Date: Sun, 2 Jan 1994 22:53:49 -0500
From: eclipse@world.std.com (Mark Urbin)
Subject: forgotten bit of gasbag and a request.


I left out a bit for my Airship.  Add the following to the Main
Gondola:

 Crew Quarters:
   5 small cabins for:
        Captain
        Pilot/Co-Pilot
        Navigator/Flight Engineer
        Radio Operator/Mechanic


I just dug into the small arms section of FF&S.  It lists the basic
size of several popular rounds, 7.62x51mm, 7.62x25mm and 18.5x70mm.
Off the top of my head I came up with 7.62x39.  Could someone in the
know please list some other stats for popular rounds.  5.56 Nato,
9mmP, .22 Long Rifle, .38 Special, .44 & .45 Colt, .45 APC and 30-06
would be nice.



 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Urbin -- eclipse@world.std.com -- These opinions are mine.
"It is criminal to teach a people not to defend themselves if they are the
constant victims of brutal assualt." -- Malcom X
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6529
From: Anthony Neal <anthonyn@cs.mun.ca>
Subject: Computer Question.
Date: 	Mon, 3 Jan 1994 02:01:51 -0330

Hello all:

	 Lame computer question:

     So, what Model # would the upcoming Pentium processor running at 66Mhz
hold? This is a TL 8 computer (Desktop). Now, please give me this in MT terms
as I am still TNE illiterate. Hoping to get a copy soon.

     Anthony

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Anthony Neal                |"Lets bring up the cargo manifest. 2300 laser
anthonyn@mercury.cs.mun.ca  | pistols, 1600 laser rifles, 1 ATV, 67 suits of
Memorial University Of      | combat armor and...    What the hell are
Newfoundland                | 'tribbles'?"
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6530
Date: Sun, 2 Jan 1994 22:47:10 -0800 (PST)
From: Steven Gott <sgott@u.washington.edu>
Subject: FF&S Gun design nit


Two points:

A 4 guage shotgun is over 20mm in bore diameter yet 'technically' can not
be designed.  (A friend made the valid point that it isn't really a small
arm as much as a cannon though)

The rules say that you cannot have necked cartriges in a grip magazine.
The Soviet Tokarev used 7.62*25mm NECKED cartriges.
My junior gunsmith friends say that necked cartriges actually feed better in
Autoloaders.

just a couple of nits in a pretty good product.


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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6531
Date:         Mon, 03 Jan 94 10:24:45 CST
From: Joe Heck <CCJOE@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject:      Computers in Traveller: The New Era

The Next Installment: Computers in Traveller: New Era

I detailed out the lists from FFS regarding standard, flight, fiber optic
and implant computers, as well as revised the tables for the desktop/laptop
and handheld computers and some rules (at the very bottom) for using them.
I'm planning on submitted this to GDW as well, so maybe (just maybe) it
might even be official someday.

     "Standard" computers (FFS, page #48)
Model#    TL   Vol(m^3)  Mass(tonnes)  Price(MCr)
   7       7       5        1            0.5
   8       8       5        1            0.4
   9       9       5        1            0.4
   10      10      6        1.2          0.6
   11      11      7        1.4           1
   12      12      8        1.6           2
   13      13      9        1.8           3
   14      14      8        1.6           4
   15      15      7        1.4           5

"Standard" computers in TNE are the mainframe/supercomputer/server analogs
to todays machines. These machines run multiple programs and store
tremendous amounts of information - and are meant to be connected to other
machines which serve as terminals. According to FFS (Fire, Fusion, and
Steel) these machines can serve as diagnosticians for flight ships and
reduce maintenance levels.

A more compacted (and cheaper) version of these machines are "Flight"
computers. These machines are streamlined for special purposes - anything
from database functions to calculating the proper lift surface configuration
for flight. Flight computers have their volume, power requirements, and mass
divided by 10, and their price divided by 1000.

There are also FiberOptic version for both standard and flight computers.
These machines are largely immune to the effects of radiation damage
(according to the original Traveller rules). TNE mentions that usually one
of the machines onboard a ship is FiberOptic. FiberOptic machines have their
volume, mass, and price multiplied by 2.

     "Implant" computers (FFS, page #84)
Model#    TL   Mass(kg)  Price(MCr)
  7M       12    1.0       0.5
  8M       13    1.0       0.4
  9M       14    1.0       0.4
  10M      15    1.2       0.6
  11M      16    1.4       1.0
  12M      17    1.6       1.2
  13M      18    1.8       1.8
  14M      19    1.6       2.4
  15M      20    1.4       3.0

"Implant" computers are the relatively equivilant to flight computers. These
machines primarily direct any cybernbetics and interface directly to the
brain. Like flight computers, they can not reduce the maintenance levels for
starships & the like, but can calc jump parameters and allow a person to fly
a starship. Details on how it effects abilities are below.

  EXTRAPOLATED DATA for smaller (& larger) machines.

    Desktop/Laptop computers
Model#    TL   Vol(L)  Mass(kg) Price(MCr)
  7D      9     2       2.5        .02
  8D      10    2       2.5        .016
  9D      11    2       2.5        .016
 10D      12    2.4     3.0        .024
 11D      13    2.8     3.5        .04
 12D      14    3.2     4.0        .048
 13D      15    3.6     4.5        .072
 14D      16    3.2     4.0        .096
 15D      17    2.8     3.5        .12

These machines are roughly equivilant to the mainframe computer of two tech
levels earlier. They can be interfaced directly into starship systems and
it's possible to use them to reduce maintenance levels as per their model
number. FiberOptic versions are available at twice the volume, mass, and
cost. Flight versions are also available at half the volume and mass and one
fourth the cost. The flight versions of these computers are often used as
powerful terminals in connection to the larger "standard" computers for
their tech level.

       Handheld computers
Model#    TL   Vol(L)  Mass(kg) Price(Cr)
  7H      11    .2       .5      1000
  8H      12    .2       .5       800
  9H      13    .2       .5       800
 10H      14    .24      .6      1200
 11H      15    .28      .7      2000
 12H      16    .32      .8      2400
 13H      17    .36      .9      3600
 14H      18    .32      .8      4800
 15H      19    .28      .7      6000

Handheld computers are the smallest computers (aside from inplants) readily
available. The handheld models function equivilant to flight computers from
four tech levels earlier. At tech level 13, Handheld versions equivilant to
standard models can be found for twice the volume and mass and three times
the price.

Some rules for using computers:

In FFS, there are some comments about using the implant computers to make
queries regarding general and specific topics - and a description which
identified them as essentially flight computers for comparison. From that,
I've worked out some general rules:

For the purposes of answering general queries - the flight equivilant
computers have an asset of 8, and the standard equivilant computers have an
asset of 12. A general question regarding well known information would be an
easy or average task, a specific question would be a difficult task, and a
very specific question would be a formidable (or impossible) task -
depending on the referee.

An additional rule (mentioned in FFS) is that players can "optimize" their
computers knowledge base around specific topics before a game. The number of
topics they can optimize around is based on the (model# - 6). i.e. a TL9
computer could be optimized for three topics. This decreases the difficulty
of the task by one for those specific topics (how specific is left
unspecified), and increases the difficulty of the task for general
(non-topic) questions by a DM of -2.

For purposes of involving the "software" skills for those with a implant
computer or a direct neural interface, you can optimize the computer around
that specific skill (instead of a topic) and gain a -1 difficulty when using
"intelligence" based skills and a -2 difficulty when using "education" based
skills.

Enjoy!

 joe                          University of Missouri - Columbia
 ccjoe@mizzou1.missouri.edu   (314) 882-5000

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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6532
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 94 13:19:27 -0500
From: mju@ftp.com (Mark Urbin)
Subject: useful information


  For those happily hacking away with their copies of FF&S and have access
to USENET news groups, I would like to make a suggestion.  Read the
Sci.Military newsgroup.  There was a great thread on powered personal
armor about two years ago (I've got a copy.  If you would like it, email me.
If there is enough response, I'll post it.)
  Currently there is a thread on light tanks, their past, their proper use
and how to build a good one.

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  \      oo    				Mark Urbin  mju@ftp.com
   \____|\mm   "Vouf, Vouf!"		These opinions are mine, no one
   // //\ \_\  "Good Dog!"		will claim them...
  /K-9/  \/_/  "Put down the Gauss pistols!"
 /___/_____\   				
 ----------- 	  Where am I going and what am I doing in this handbasket?
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6533
Date:         Mon, 03 Jan 94 12:53:32 CST
From: Joe Heck <CCJOE@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject:      Vehicle Design - Grav Boat

It started out as a TL9 grav cycle, but going through and making it as
inexpensive as possible with decent performance had me sticking a propellor
on the thing for thrust. So I imagine this critter I've created has some
basic lift surfaces (very, very basic) and a push prop in a cage (not unlike
the swamp boats) to move it around. It actually gets very nice performance
and costs are quiet reasonable.

Here tis, broken down for anyone to check and duplicate.

Item                     Volume     Mass     MW    SurfArea      Price(MCr)
Chassis (Rate=1)          (14)
   (simple, open deck) eff=0.85                     (42)
   moderate front slope    1.4
   (.3cm light composite)  .126     .882                          .000882
Std CG suspension          .5       .4       .3                   .02
Controls
   TL9 Computer linked     .014     .0014    .0005                .001
   Open Crewstation        3.5      .2                            .001
   TL8 flight avionics     .001     .001     .1                   .02
   TL9 NOE avionics        .02      .04      .04     .4 (ANT)     .011
   TL9 flight computer     .5       .1       .025                 .0005
Electronics
   TL8 300km radio         .01      .02      .01     .1 (ANT)     .0005
   2xheadlight             .002     .001     .0001                .00005
Life Support
   N/A                                                            0
Power/Thrust
   TL8 Imp Int. Comb (Lhyd)  1       1       (.4)                 .005
   TL8 Imp Int. Comb (LHyd) .5       1       (.4) thrust          .0125
      (TL8 Propellor attached)
   Fuel Tankage (LHyd)      3.5     .245                          .0001225
Passengers
   1xCramped Seat           2.5     .02                           .0001
Cargo                       .427    .427                          0

Stats:
Mass (empty): 3.6654 tonnes        Mass (loaded): 4.3374 tonnes
Cost: 72,655 Cr                    Fuel = 0.5 Kl Lhyd/hour, 7 hour duration
Max Speed = 274.3 km/hr            Combat Move: 38/18
Cruise Speed = 205.8 km/hr         Travel Move: 823/520
NOE = 130 km/hr                    Maint=1

 joe                          University of Missouri - Columbia
 ccjoe@mizzou1.missouri.edu   (314) 882-5000

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

Bundle: 528
Archive-Message-Number: 6534
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 94 14:01:43 CST
From: Peter H. Brenton <pete@biochem.uchicago.edu>
Subject: T:TNE problems

My two cents follow on reasons for hating T:TNE (which I do not).

Go on if the discussion has tired you out.

The problem I am having with T:TNE is, in fact, that it is different.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have spent some
serious dinero on gaming over the past 10 years or so.  One
of the first games I picked up was Traveller, because I could
add to my material for as little as $3.00 (for one of those
half sized 'Books' or 'supplements' or 'Adventures).

I have kept up with the products ever since.  I think Traveller
lasted about 12 years, 1977 to 1989 (corrections please?) before
the release of Megatraveller.  MT was not a serious departure,
which was good since by then I had about 35 books, supplements,
and adventures, as well as Judges Guild Subsector maps, alien
modules etc. etc.

Megatraveller went up on the shelf in '89, I immediately bought
the basic set ($25 or so).  Then each of the supplementary
source books (Ref's companion, Fighting ships, rebellion sourcebk)
at $10.00 each.  I wrote an Appleworks, then a lotus, then an excel
spreadsheet for starship construction.  I generated a full sector
of planetary detail and made my own map for it.

The thing is, MT was 'easily` compatible with CT.  The ships
could be converted in about 15-20 minutes, and performance of the
CT ship would (usually) work in the MT ship.  Characters and worlds
were similarly convertable.

I Like T:TNE.  It's a good game.  It is not 'easily' compatable
with the CT  and MT material I have, which is a tremendous waste to me.
It seems like T:MT was not allowed to develop and florish as it
should, as CT did.  4 years is quite a short time for GDW to give
it.  I'm not ready to give up all the work and money that has gone
into MT!

There, I vented.  Now maybe I can get on with my gaming life.  Maybe
I should go back to AD&D.  WHAT? You say there's a Second Edition?

- -Pete

"The opinions expressed certainly have nothing whatever to do with
the University of Chicago or the Department of Biochemistry (I just
work there and use their toys)."

Peter Brenton					   (312) 702-0030
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	pete@biochem.uchicago.edu
The University of Chicago	

------------------------------
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by the University of
Western Ontario. All opinions and materials below are the responsibility
of the originator.

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

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 529  6535 03-Jan-1994 Mark F. Cook     Re: TMLs Health << In Message #6520, De
 529  6536 03-Jan-1994 Britta B. Damwi  Imperial Lines? << Does anyone remember
 529  6537 03-Jan-1994 Diane Kelly      Major and Minor Races << One interestin
 529  6538 04-Jan-1994 James T Perkins  Re: 2-D star maps  << gonzalez@netcom.c
 529  6539 04-Jan-1994 Burton Choinski  Common Rounds << Hello all -- long time
 529  6540 04-Jan-1994 Joe Heck         Re: your prop driven grave cycle... <<
 529  6541 04-Jan-1994 Joe Heck         More stuff for computers in TNE << I cr
 529  6542 04-Jan-1994 rpiper@wri.com   Re: FF&S Gun design nit << Steven Gott
 529  6543 03-Jan-1994 "Susan M. Shock  Campaign suggestions] << I'm running a
 529  6544 05-Jan-1994 kenhagler@aol.c  FF&S Vehicle Design << Here's a vehicle
 529  6545 05-Jan-1994 Derek Wildstar   Caliber List << mju@ftp.com (Mark Urbin
 529  6546 05-Jan-1994 Jerry Sanders    Imperial Lines... << >Scott Kellogg wri
 529  6547 05-Jan-1994 Steve Gibbons    Striker question << Greetings, All,
 529  6548 05-Jan-1994 Joe Heck         The ever-present rule mods (this time f
 529  6549 05-Jan-1994 Derek Wildstar   Re:  The ever-present rule mods (this t

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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6535
From: Mark F. Cook <markc@hpcvxmk0.cv.hp.com>
Subject: Re: TMLs Health
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 94 12:36:58 PST

In Message #6520, Derek Wildstar <wildstar@quark.qrc.com> writes:
> j.kundert@genie.geis.com [James Kundert] writes:
> >  That said, I find the lack of apparent enthusiasm for TNE on this
> > list distressing and annoying.  Distressing because of the "It's
> > different. I don't like different" attitude which accompanies much
> > of the discussion ...
>
> Part of it I'm willing to chalk up to T:TNE being a (relatively) new
> product.  For people with established campaigns, I doubt that very many are
> switching rules systems, at least until the current campaign is over.  And
> while sales of T:TNE have been good, I wonder how many T:TNE campaigns are
> starting up.

While TNE may be selling well, and a fair number of TNE campaigns may
be starting up, I'd be willing to bet that the health of the TML is a
more serious issue than most people suspect.  A significant number of
TML'ers are diehard Trav Classic/MegaTrav players and have no plans to
purchase and use TNE.  Thus they probably will not be participating
in any of the current discussions.

Only a couple years ago, Mike Metlay and I were two of the most vocal
and frequent posters to this mail-list.  I have posted less than ten
notes in the last year, and Metlay has completely dropped off the list
(he hasn't been a subscriber for a year or so.)  The reason for this
is very simple, and has nothing (or not much, at least) to do with
the change in rules: They (GDW) killed the Imperium.

The Imperium was what made the game fun for us.  The rules were so-so.
Some were good (we kept them), and some weren't (we fixed them).  Then
they introduced that stupid f**king virus, shattered the Imperium, and
assassinated Brzk to boot.  They could have fixed the broken rules without
doing all of that.

The rationale is that they wanted to introduce new blood into the game
and lure in new players.  The mechanism they used appears to have worked,
but at the cost of disaffecting most of the old players.  That wasn't
necessary.

Why not use the new rules and keep the old campaign you ask?  Simple.
I don't buy GDW Traveller material for the rules, I buy it for the
richness it adds to a game universe I've grown to love.  I now know
that I'll never again see another new adventure or supplement published
that enhances that universe (unless Metlay ever finishes and publishes
his "It Never Happened" module.) It's been utterly eliminated, and a dark
munchkin paradise has replaced it.

If you think the TML is in sad shape, then you're right.  The chief cause
of the problem is located in a small office in Bloomington, Illinois.

        Mark F. Cook - Co-Referee: TML PBEM

INTERNET: markc@cv.hp.com
          markc%cv.hp.com@relay.hp.com

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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6536
From: bdamwitz@lonestar.utsa.edu (Britta B. Damwitz   )
Subject: Imperial Lines?
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 94 19:25:00 CST

Does anyone remember Imperial Lines?

What happened?  Is it ever going to hit issue 3?  I'm supposed to
have a subscription til number 7 or so.  Any one know anything?

Loren?

Scott 2G Kellogg


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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6537
From: Diane Kelly <dkelly@acpub.duke.edu>
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 1994 21:51:56 -0500
Subject: Major and Minor Races

One interesting aspect of the TNE post-Virus environment is that much of the
old distinction between "Major" and "Minor" sentient races has vanished.  The
little guys like Vegans and Ael Yael are in exactly the same boat as the big-
league species.
	In fact, they may be better off in some cases.  Low-tech sentient
races will hardly be affected at all by the crash.  Their civilizations will
continue as before, only without any interference from starfaring busybodies.
And the homeworlds of minor races might recover quickly from the Collapse --
much faster than any colony world.  (A couple of months ago I posted a mini-
essay on why Terra probably weathered the Virus better than almost any other
planet.)
	So intrepid explorers venturing into the Wilds are likely to find a
fair number of pocket empires centered on the homeworlds of minor races.  But
if they have a pocket empire, well . . . they aren't very "minor" anymore, are
they?  It would be excellent if the ongoing history of the Traveller universe
saw a shakeup in the roster of "Major" and "Minor" races.  Perhaps the old
distinction between Solomani and Imperials will vanish, so Humans will make up
a single race.  And maybe the Vegans or whoever can attain Major race status,
as the Aslan did during the Long Night.

Jim Cambias
Who Likes the New Era
Misusing His Wife's Internet Account
At Duke Bio

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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6538
Subject: Re: 2-D star maps
Reply-To: traveller-request@engrg.uwo.ca (TML Administrator)
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 94 08:41:43 PST
From: James T Perkins <jamesp@server0.uwo.ca>


gonzalez@netcom.com (John Gonzalez) writes:
> So what exactly is the consensus on the 2-D starmaps? Are they  supposed
> to be stereographic projections of real space?

The arguments I've heard go as follows:

A:	2D sucks, I use 3D

B:	Yeah, but when you use 3D you have to throw out the Imperium and
	all its history.  I like the 2D, I rationalize it by saying that
	jump space is 2D, and doesn't map directly into 3D.

C:	I don't rationalize or worry. 2D maps are far more useful from a
	playability standpoint.  Ever try to map out 3D jump routes, or
	have players flip through pages of maps just to "connect the
	dots" on a 3D map?

A:	Well, that's true, but I've had my computer at sessions, and
	have it display the 3-space, and when I don't have the computer
	around, I have a report listing all my systems. Each system
	contains a list of other systems that can be reached with a J-1,
	J-2, etc.  Of course, I'm a computer enthusiast, and no-one else
	can run this program effectively...

 ... and so on.  Take your pick.  Me, I'm in the C category.  BTW, I've
shared this reply with the TML.

James

__   __/         /   /	    Internet Traveller Mailing List, Administrator
    /     /  /  /   /	   James T. Perkins in Eugene, Oregon, USA
 __/   __/__/__/ _____/   traveller-request@engrg.uwo.ca

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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6539
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 94 14:17:53 EST
From: burt@ptltd.com (Burton Choinski)
Subject: Common Rounds

Hello all -- long time, no reply :)

Mark Urbin requests...
%% I just dug into the small arms section of FF&S.  It lists the basic
%% size of several popular rounds, 7.62x51mm, 7.62x25mm and 18.5x70mm.
%% Off the top of my head I came up with 7.62x39.  Could someone in the
%% know please list some other stats for popular rounds.  5.56 Nato,
%% 9mmP, .22 Long Rifle, .38 Special, .44 & .45 Colt, .45 APC and 30-06
%% would be nice.

  Ask and thou shalt receive :)

===============================================================================
  Perused from _THE ARMORY_, by Kevin Dockery/Firebird LTD

  NOTE: I dont have FF&S yet, so I am providing cartridge size, bullet dimeter,
        muzzle velocity and bullet (not cartridge) weight to hopefully provide
        enough for you to work with.  If you need other stats, just ask.

     Pistol Rounds
     --Cartridge-----Bullet--  ---Common Name-----------------  --WT--  --MV--
     5.7x17mmR         (5.66)  .22 Long Rifle			 2.60g   352mps
     5.7x24.5mmR       (5.68)  .22 Magnum			 2.90g   475mps
     6.35x15.5mmSR     (6.37)  .25 Automatic			 3.25g   248mps
     7.62x25mm         (7.79)  .30 Mauser			 5.60g   432mps
     7.65x17mmSR       (7.82)  .32 Automatic			 4.75g   294mps
     9x17mm            (9.04)  .38 Automatic, 9mm short          6.18g   293mps
     9x18mm            (9.22)  9mm Makarov			 6.63g   337mps
     9x19mm            (9.02)  9mm Parabellum   		 7.49g   357mps
     9x29mmR           (9.06)  .38 Special		        10.29g   248mps
     9x33mmR           (9.06)  .357 Magnum			10.30g   445mps
     10.97x33mmR      (10.92)  .44 Magnum			15.60g   451mps
     11.43x23mm       (11.48)  .45 Automatic			15.00g   261mps
     4.6x36mm          (4.70)  H&K experimental round		 2.70g   856mps
     4.7x21mm CL       (4.70)  H&K G-11 caseless round           3.40g   936mps

     Rifle Rounds
     --Cartridge-----Bullet--  ---Common Name-----------------  --WT--  --MV--
     5.56x45mm         (5.66)  .223 Remington			 3.65g   997mps
     7.62x51mm         (7.82)  7.62 NATO, .308 Winchester	 9.80g   844mps
     7.62x63mm         (7.82)  30-06, .30 Springfield		 9.90g   840mps
     11.6x63.5mmB     (11.63)  .458 Winchester Magnum           32.55g   653mps
     11.6x74mmB       (11.63)  .460 Weatherby Magnum            32.55g   828mps
     12.7x99mmB       (12.95)  .50 Browning                     46.20g   862mps
     15.7x76mmR       (15.75)  .600 Nitro Express               58.60g   629mps

       mm    - Normal, rimless round (used in automatic weapons)
       mmR   - Rimmed round, for easy extraction (used in revolvers)
       mmSR  - Semi-rimmed, halfway between the above two
       mmB   - Belted round

     Note that many bullet rounds are larger then their "official" designation.

Have Fun. :)
      -- Burton



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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6540
Date:         Tue, 04 Jan 94 13:37:51 CST
From: Joe Heck <CCJOE@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject:      Re: your prop driven grave cycle...

On Tue, 4 Jan 94 14:24:56 -0500 you said:
>   I like it.  It have several advantages.  Cost being a big one.  Props also
>make less noise than jets and have less of an IR signature.
>   A quick glance over your build leaves me with one question.  I see you
>have two engines.  One seems dedecated to thrust (my copy of FF&S is at
>home and I can't check the numbers.) and the other to supplying electrical
>power.  That engine is listed at producting .4 MW.  I add the electrical
>requirements up to .4756 MW.  The CG suspension and flight computer add
>up to .4 MW by themselves.

Well, uh, I can't add? Okay, okay - here's a revised version (same
performance - just fixed for my innate math abilities).

               Vehicle Design - Grav Boat

Item                     Volume     Mass     MW    SurfArea      Price(MCr)
Chassis (Rate=1)          (14)
   (simple, open deck) eff=0.85                     (42)
   moderate front slope    1.4
   (.3cm light composite)  .126     .882                          .000882
Std CG suspension          .5       .4       .3                   .02
Controls
   TL9 Computer linked     .014     .0014    .0005                .001
   Open Crewstation        3.5      .2                            .001
   TL8 flight avionics     .001     .001     .1                   .02
   TL9 NOE avionics        .02      .04      .04     .4 (ANT)     .011
   TL9 flight computer     .5       .1       .025                 .0005
Electronics
   TL8 300km radio         .01      .02      .01     .1 (ANT)     .0005
   2xheadlight             .002     .001     .0001                .00005
Life Support
   N/A                                                            0
Power/Thrust
   TL8 Imp Int. Comb (Lhyd)  1.189   1.189   (.4756)              .006
   TL8 Imp Int. Comb (LHyd) .5       1       (.4) thrust          .0125
      (TL8 Propellor attached)
   Fuel Tankage (LHyd)      3.5     .245                          .0001225
Passengers
   1xCramped Seat           2.5     .02                           .0001
Cargo                       .238    .238                          0

Stats:
Mass (empty): 3.6654 tonnes        Mass (loaded): 4.3374 tonnes
Cost: 73,655 Cr                    Fuel = 0.5 Kl Lhyd/hour, 7 hour duration
Max Speed = 274.3 km/hr            Combat Move: 38/18
Cruise Speed = 205.8 km/hr         Travel Move: 823/520
NOE = 130 km/hr                    Maint=1

 joe                          University of Missouri - Columbia
 ccjoe@mizzou1.missouri.edu   (314) 882-5000

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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6541
Date:         Tue, 04 Jan 94 14:50:36 CST
From: Joe Heck <CCJOE@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject:      More stuff for computers in TNE

I created some more tidbits. If anyone has some comments here, they'd be
greatly appreciated! (I'm going to submit this stuff to GDW for their RSCS
equipment guide - most of it is low TL to match the stuff my players are
running into.)

Printer, toner: a portable monochrome printer that works by fusing toner
to the printing medium - either paper or specially prepared plastics.
The medium is not immediately recycable, but does last quite well. Toner
cartridges cost Cr80 and last for 5000 sheets.

TL	Vol			Weight		Price
8	19 liters		10 kg		Cr4,500
8	6 liters		4.7 kg		Cr3		(1000sheets paper)

Printer, toner (color): a portable color printer that works by fusing
colored toner to the printing medium - either paper or specially
prepared plastics. The medium is not immediately recycable, but does
last quite well. Toner cartridges cost Cr120 and generally last for 4000
sheets. Normal paper is Cr3 for 1000 sheets.

TL	Vol			Weight		Price
9	28 liters		10 kg		Cr12,000

Printer, electric: a portable monochrome printer that utilizes an
immediately recycable medium - polyvellum. The machine uses electrical
charges to oxidize polymerized molecules to create defined print areas.
Polyvellum can be immediately reused in the printer as well, and is only
slightly thicker than cellulose based paper. Polyvellum costs Cr20 for
500 sheets.

TL	Vol			Weight		Price
9	10 liters		6 kg			Cr5,500
9	6 liters		6 kg			Cr20		(1000sheets polyvellum)

Printer, electric (color): a portable color printer that utilizes a
variant of polyvellum. Electrical charges set oxidation states in
polymerized molecules,  showing different colors depending on state.
Polyvellum can be immediately reused in the printer as well, and is only
slightly thicker than cellulose based paper. The colorized Polyvellum
costs Cr50 for 500 sheets.

TL	Vol			Weight		Price
9	12 liters		6.5 kg		Cr15,000
9	6 liters		6 kg			Cr50		(1000sheets polyvellum color)

VR set, immersive: a light weight helmet and gloves used for immersive
virtual reality at lower tech levels. The helmet covers the face with
high resolution display and the gloves are tied into the helmet and a
small computer optimized to receive input and display graphics. The TL13
model includes major decreases in size due to using a smaller computer -
built into the helmet, and a heads up holodisplay.

TL	Vol			Weight		Price
9	1 liter		0.8 kg		Cr6,500
13	.3 liters		0.6 kg		Cr7,000

VR holosuite: With the technological breakthrough in holocrystal storage
and more popular hand held holodevices, small holosuites have come into
being. Essentially a small (0.5m^3) holodisplay on a 10cm tall base with
holographic linked controls. The base includes a TL13 (or TL15) flt computer
optimized to function as an interface between the controls, holodisplay, and
host computer.
TL	Vol			Weight		Price		Power
13	150 liters	40 kg		Cr44,000		25kw
15	150 liters	10 kg		Cr44,000		10kw

 joe                          University of Missouri - Columbia
 ccjoe@mizzou1.missouri.edu   (314) 882-5000

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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6542
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 94 12:32:26 CST
From: rpiper@wri.com
Subject: Re: FF&S Gun design nit

Steven Gott <sgott@u.washington.edu> wrote:
> Two points:

> A 4 guage shotgun is over 20mm in bore diameter yet 'technically' can not
> be designed.  (A friend made the valid point that it isn't really a small
> arm as much as a cannon though)
  Hadn't really thought of trying this one,  but you're both right.  First
  suggestion would be to bend the rules some,  and design it as a small arms
  weapon anyway.  One note when designing shotguns:  design the round as a TL-4
  round.  GDW apparently did that when they re-did the TNE stats,  and it gives
  you reasonable numbers for the weights and length of the reciever.
  ( I had to drop the TL on a number of the rounds while re-doing my 2300AD
    conversions. It's a good way to drop the energy of a round, IMO. )

> The rules say that you cannot have necked cartriges in a grip magazine.
> The Soviet Tokarev used 7.62*25mm NECKED cartriges.
> My junior gunsmith friends say that necked cartriges actually feed better in
> Autoloaders.

  In the notes at the beginning of the Small Arms section it talks about these.
  I don't think the game performance of the rounds is that different than the
  'straight' round would be.  I think GDW opted to slide the necked pistol
  rounds into the 'straight' category for simplicity.  Loren might now for sure,
  this is simply an educated guess.

> just a couple of nits in a pretty good product.

  Bob.
- -------------------------------
| Bob Piper-  rpiper@wri.com  |
|  Wolfram Research, Inc.     |
- -------------------------------

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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6543
Date:         Mon, 03 Jan 94 18:21:22 EST
From: "Susan M. Shock" <34ZBTXQ@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject:      Campaign suggestions]

I'm running a little dry for ideas for my Star Vikings campaign, and I was
wondering whether you creative folks out there could help me. The situation in
the campaign is that the PC's are a small (6-8 characters) Star Vikings team
exploring the Khulam subsector of the Diaspora sector. Their basic mission is
to survey the sector and, where possible, contact inhabited worlds. They've
been to Montezuma and Kide so far. What I'm looking for is adventure ideas,
especially ones that you've already used and had fun with (chances are pretty
good our players will too). Simple plot ideas would be fine, but if you have
whole adventures and want to send them along, that's fine, too. My e-mail
address is 34zbtxq@cmuvm.csv.cmich.edu, or you can post them to the TML for
others to enjoy as well. The account is my wife's, thus the name above.
Writer's blocks are a pain when you have enthusiastic players who want to
play every week!
                  Allen

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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6544
From: kenhagler@aol.com
Reply-To: <kenhagler@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 05 Jan 94 00:10:27 EST
Subject: FF&S Vehicle Design

Here's a vehicle design done using Fire, Fusion, & Steel. It's a Spinner--a
lift vehicle that also has a wheeled suspension.

                   Randall Motors Police Spinner, 5631 Model

Tech Level: 12 (TL14 fuel cell)
Price:  Cr1,857,773.8
Size:   42 kiloliters displacement = 3 tons (MC)
Weight: 11.9 tonnes empty, 13.2 tonnes loaded
Power:  6.4 MW fuel cell
Propulsion: thruster plates producing 8 tons of thrust)
Maint:  5
Controls:   1 Model 12Fb flight computer, dynamic linked controls, TL10
    flight avionics, TL12 terrain-following avionics
Commo:  3000-km radio
Sensors:    3-km Active EMS, 30-km Passive EMS
Life Support:   Overpressure
Load:   2.5 tonnes
Crew:   1
Passengers: 1

    Air Movement
Travel Move:    2400/960
Combat Move:    111/22

    Ground Movement
Travel Move:    1190/240
Combat Move:    275/55

Fuel Capacity:  7.68 kl LHyd
Fuel Consumption:   1.28 kl/hour

Combat Statistics
Config: no turret       HF: 3
Susp: G/W-(4)           HS: 3
                        HR: 3
Deck: 3                 Belly: 3


Comments: The 5631 model Police Spinner replaced the 5620 model used by the
NeuBerlin Metro Police Force in early 5631. It is entirely constructed on
Neubayern, and is one of the first vehicles to use the new TL14 fuel
cells that went into production that year. The Police Spinner is a
variant on the Randall Motors Scorpio, a civilian spinner that carries
additional passengers in place of the Police Spinner's sensor suite and
armour.

The Police Spinner is shaped somewhat like a Y, with the narrow end being
the nose of the Spinner. There are three wheels, which are retracted
flush with the bottom of the vehicle when airborne. The passengers sit in
the broad rear section of the vehicle.

                        Kenneth G. Hagler
 _________________________________________________________________
|            kenhagler@aol.com           |  My insurance company  |
|             (619) 251-0054             |    is Beretta U.S.A.   |
|   PGP 2.3 key available on request     |                        |
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
|   ...study of the military arts will make one who is naturally  |
|   clever more so and one who is born somewhat dull rather less  |
|   so.     --Daidoji Yuzan Shigesuke, _Budo Shoshinshu_          |
|_________________________________________________________________|

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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6545
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 94 01:53:03 -0500
From: Derek Wildstar <wildstar@quark.qrc.com>
Subject: Caliber List

mju@ftp.com (Mark Urbin) wrote:
> I just dug into the small arms section of FF&S. ... Could someone in the
know please list some other stats for popular rounds?

Sure Mark!  By the way, some tips for all of you:

FF&S small arms design tip #1 - Converting Real World Cartridges.
In general, converting rounds to FF&S using the cartridge dimensions doesn't
work very well.  In the real world, cartridge dimensions and nominal muzzle
energy are (of course) related, but in the there is a much greater variation
of cartridge size and shape than FF&S recognises (for example, necked pistol
cartridges that FF&S treats as straight), and amount of powder actually loaded
(you don't have to fill the case to maxiumu capacity), and even types of
powder (each different powder has different burning characteristics).  All of
these factors affect the practical amount of energy you can get out of the
cartridge when fired from a real gun.

The *best* way to "design" a specific weapon in FF&S is to arrange the
actual muzzle energy of your designed weapon to match the actual muzzle
energy of the model "real world" weapon.  Work the cartridge design backward
from there, and the weapon design forward from that point.  This is,
however, a large pain in the posterior to *do* (I'm working on deriving some
formulas to make it easier - more later!).  Another tactic would be to use
the real world weapon information (you'll need muzzle energy, loaded mass,
and a few other statistics) and compute only those game statistics you need
(like damage, penetration, and recoil values) from FF&S formulae.  In this
case, you will have rated a 100% real weapon for Traveller.

The next best (and much easier) method is to design a cartridge that yeilds
an "average" energy about what the published energy is for the real world
round that you want to duplicate.  This is easier, but introduces some small
error (because the FF&S "average" barrel length will nearly never match the
length of the standard test barrels that the real world manufacturer uses to
rate the ammunition).

FF&S small arms design tip #2 - Don't Sweat It.
FF&S (and the T:TNE role-playing system in general) paints small arms with a
pretty broad brush.  The differences between roughly comparable real world
small arms is more-or-less negligable when designing weapons in FF&S.  All
weapons with about the same energy will come out about the same mass, and
with about the same penetration and damage.  The rest is just "color":
"Well, the InStellArms R-352 'Lacerator' is a bull-pup design with integral
optic sight; it's certainly adequate, but notice the superior design and
quality construction on our MegaKillCo IIW-321 'Mauler', which is very
similar in features and price."

FF&S small arms design tip #3 - Use the Breakpoints, Use the Breakpoints!
If you look at the formula for damage, and the table which is used to find
penetration, you will see that certain energies will produce the most damage
or penetration for the least muzzle energy (and since just about everything
in the FF&S small arms sequence is based on energy, this translates into a
lighter, cheaper weapon).  There's nothing wrong (and lots of things right)
about 'tweaking' a design up or down a few percent to take advantage of a
favorable breakpoint (and yes, there are energies which are particularly
inefficient, and tweaking down is more practical than tweaking up).


Now, here's a table that gives dimensions in mm, and the "common name" of
just about every round that was readily available for research.  You can
figure out the diameter in inches by dividing the size in mm by 25.4 (this
is an exact conversion).  I also listed some of the more common weapons that
use this ammunition, in the hopes that either the common name or a weapon name
would provide a memory handle you can use to relate everything.  Pistol and
rifle rounds are listed together on the list; you will notice that pistols
generally have shorter cartridges, though.

Designation	Energy	Name			Used In

XM645 Flechette	16.9	XM645 0.07 flechette	XM19 SPIW
4.6x36mm	 2.0	(unknown)		H&K 36
4.7x21mmC	 3.0	4.7mm Caseless		Heckler & Koch G-11
5.45x39mm	 2.9	(unknown)		AKS-74
5.56x29mm	 1.1	.22 SCAMP		Colt SCAMP
5.56x36mm	 2.2	.221 Fireball		Remington XP-100
5.56x45mm	 3.7	.223 Remington		M16A1, FN-CAL, Galil ARM
5.7x17mmR	 0.3	.22 Long Rifle		High Standard .22, AR-7
5.7x24.5mmR	 0.7	.22 Magnum		High Standard Derringer
6.35x15.5mmSR	 0.2	.25 ACP or .25 Auto	Colt .25 Automatic
7.62x25mm	 1.1	.30 Mauser		Mauser M1896, Tokarev M1933
7.62x33mm	 2.5	.30 Carbine		M2 Carbine
7.62x39mm	 4.1	7.62 Short		SKS, AK-47, AKM-47, RPD, RPK
7.62x51mmR	 5.4	.30-30			Winchester 94
7.62x51mm	 7.1	7.62 NATO or .308 Win	M-14, FN-FAL, L42A1, G-3, M60
7.62x54mmR	 7.5	7.62mm Russian		SVD, SG-43, PKM, Vz-59
7.62x63mm	 7.1	.30-06			Springfield M1903, M1 Garand
7.62x66mmB	10.6	.300 Winchester Magnum	Walther WA-2000
7.65x17mmSR	 0.4	.32 ACP or .32 Auto	Welrod "Silent", Vz-61
7.7x56mmR	 6.4	.303 British		Enfield, Vickers, Lewis, Bren
7.7x58mm	 5.9	7.7mm Arisaka		Arisaka M99 (WWII Japanese)
7.92x33mm	 4.1	7.92 Kurz		MP-44
7.92x57mm	 7.6	8mm Mauser		Kar-98k, FG-42, MG-08, MG-34
8x21mm		 0.7	8mm Nambu		Type 14 Nambu (WWII Japanese)
9x17mm		 0.5	.380 Auto or 9mm Short	Walther PPK, Ingram M11
9x18mm		 0.8	9mm Makarov		P64, Makarov, Stechkin, PM-63
9x19mm		 1.0	9mm Parabellum (9mmP)	Luger P-08, S&W M39, UZI
9x29mmR		 0.6	.38 Special or .38 S&W	Colt Police Positive
9x33mmR		 2.1	.357 Magnum		S&W M27, Colt Python
10.8x33mmR	 2.2	.44-40			Winchester M1873
10.97x33mmR	 3.2	.44 Magnum		S&W M29 "Dirty Harry"
11.2x32mm	 3.2	.44 Automag		.44 Automag
11.43x29mmR	 0.6	.445 Webley		W-F Self-Cocking Revolver
11.43x23mm	 1.0	.45 ACP or .45 Auto	Colt M1911A1, Thompson SMG
11.43x60mmR	 5.4	.45 Martini		Martini-Henry Mk.I
11.56x33mmR	 1.2	.45 Colt		Colt M1873
11.6x54mmR	 4.6	.45-70			Springfield Trapdoor
11.6x63.5mmB	14.1	.458 Winchester Magnum	Winchester M70 African
11.6x74mmB	22.7	.460 Wetherby Magnum	.460 Weatherby Mk.V
12.7x83mmR	 8.0	.50-140 Sharps		Sharps M1874 "Buffalo Rifle"
12.7x99mmB	34.9	.50 Browning		.50 Cal M2HB
12.7x108mmB	34.7	Type BZ			DshK M38/46 (Russan Heavy MG)
13.9x22mmR	 3.1	.56/50 Spencer		Spencer .56 (1st US metal cart)
13.9x99mmB	48.6	.55 Boys		.55 Boys Mk.I
14.45x114mmB	63.1	Type BS-41		PTRS-41, KPV
15.7x76mmR	23.6	.600 Nitro Express	.600 Nitro Rifle "Elephant Gun"

The "Designation" follows the NATO standard for such things, and is simply
the diameter of the projectile by the length of the cartridge case, both
measured in millimeters.  So, the .357 Magnum is 9mm in diameter, and the
cartridge case is 33mm long.  The letters at the end of the designation
indicate the style of the rim at the base of the cartridge.  No letter is
a standard rimless cartridge as used in most modern designs (rimless
cartridges feed better through belts and magazines).  A "R" indicates a
rimmed cartridge, which is a very old style and commonly found only in
revolvers.  "SR" indicates a semi-rimmed round; this is a compromise between
the easier extraction of a rimmed case and the easier feeding of the rimless
design.  A "B" indicates a belted case, used on very powerful rounds to
give the cartridge extra strength.  And last (but not least) a "C" indicates
a caseless round.

The "Energy" is in thousands of joules (kilojoules, or kj).

The "Name" is the common name of the round.  "ACP" stands for "Automatic
Colt Pistol", used in several different calibers of automatic pistol
ammunition (the Colt "Government" .45 Auto is .45 ACP).  Decimal numbers are
fractions of an inch, the usual non-metric way of measuring a weapon's
caliber.

The "Used In" column mentions some (but by no means all) weapons which fire
the ammunition.  Note that some weapons are available in different calibers,
either from the factory, or due to conversion kits, or because some
ammunition is "upward compatible".  One example if this is .38 Special and
 .357 Magnum.  Revolvers chambered for .357 Magnum can also fire .38 Special
(but *NOT* the other way around!).

Comments: a couple of rounds on there aren't in production, or are from
experimental or developmental weapons.  The XM645 was for an experimental
rifle developed during the 1960's.  While not a practical weapon, it could
be taken as an indication of what Gauss weapons should be capable of.
Similarly, the G-11 caseless round has been changed since my reference has
been published, but I don't have newer data.

Source: _The Armory_, by Kevin Dockery.  Kevin has a new book on small arms
available; it should be in game stores now.  This book (I haven't read it
yet - FF&S is taking priority) appears to have enough data to convert any of
the weapons listed to T:TNE.


wildstar@quark.qrc.com
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               "Have you noticed the way people's intelligence
                                capabilities decline the sharply the minute
                                they start waving guns around?" --- Doctor Who

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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6546
From: Jerry Sanders <xminusjs@indirect.com>
Subject: Imperial Lines...
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 94 0:28:16 MST

>Scott Kellogg writes:

>Does anyone remember Imperial Lines?

>What happened? Is it ever going to hit issue 3? I'm supposed to have a
>subscription till number 7 or so. Anyone know anything?

>Loren?

Last week, Mark "Geo" Gelinas - the editor of Imperial Lines wrote the
following to me:

>Imperial Lines is essentially dead. Dave wanted to put it as a feature in
>Challenge, but the size he had in mind was too small for our purposes. So,
>Mike and I elected to forgo the offer in hopes that later another product
>like IL can be produced.

Hope this sheds a little light on your question.

Paul Sanders



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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6547
Date: Wed, 05 Jan 1994 01:12:33 MST
From: Steve Gibbons <steve@nereid.sunquest.com>
Reply-To: steve@sunquest.com
Subject: Striker question

Greetings, All,

I've been fiddling with high-tech striker and high-guard, and I thought that
a battlefield meson accelerator would make a nice addition to a 50ton company-
support craft, then I dug into the rules...

I noticed a few ambiguities, namely regarding weapon accuracy and range.  If
anyone's dealt with BFMGs in striker before and already resolved this, I'd
really appreciate some feed-back.

Loren:  If this could be fixed in "striker-2", I'd send you fan-mail for at
least a month...  :)

BTW, I wasn't planning on an an anti-ship weapon, just anti-personnel and anti-
"armor", but it seems to me that the battlefield meson accelerator has quite a
bit going for it as a ship-to-ship weapon if some thought were put to it.

Regards,

- --
Steve@Sunquest.Com

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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6548
Date:         Wed, 05 Jan 94 08:06:07 CST
From: Joe Heck <CCJOE@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject:      The ever-present rule mods (this time for crewing a ship)

John Lewis asked me to post how I changed the rules to fit my idea of
traveller... so:

This are all designed for small ships - I'm not familiar enough with larger
ships (i.e. Azhinti High Lightning, Kinunir, etc) to be able to say if these
would work.

Crewing a ship. You don't *have* to have 2 Maneuvering pilots when the only
two drives on the ship are Jump & a Fusion Rocket (or HEPLar, or whatever),
so I dropped the Maneuvering position down to 1.

Electronics is currently calc'd at #Comm + #Sensors x Computer Multiplier.
Well - okay - to run everything all the time, you might need someone. But
there's not reason to run ALL of it all the time, so you might figure the #
req'd in combat and general operation - and it usually falls much lower. For
example, if you had a Densitometer, Neutrino, and NAS all stuck in the ship
- - there's three sensor's you'd never use on an emergency basis (actually -
I've seen the Densitometer used that way, but...). Anyway - that takes down
three, plus I almost *alyways* keep multiple comm links in a ship (2 Maser,
1 radio) and PCs rarely use more than one at a time, which removes another
2... you get the idea.

Gunnery - I leave it at simply a person for each weapon, instead of
including one for the MFD. My view of that box is something along the lines
of the targeting system in modern fighters - it just let's you know when
you're on target and have a lock for missles. Each gunner can choose to work
with it or not, but it's not something that requires a person manning it.

Engineering I pretty much leave as is. It's based off maintenance points,
and without re-writing all those rules (which I kind of like anyway), I
leave the engineering staff as is. I very often have extra engineers as NPCs
on boats anyway - they're a good place to put humor&/or intrigue (or just
plain cannon fodder) when needed.

All these details are for Brilliant Lances/FFS supplements to TNE (which are
the bits that include the rules for calc'ing a ship's crew requirement).

Anyone else have mod's that they use to help out PC's running a ship?

 joe                          University of Missouri - Columbia
 ccjoe@mizzou1.missouri.edu   (314) 882-5000

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

Bundle: 529
Archive-Message-Number: 6549
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 94 12:56:17 -0500
From: Derek Wildstar <wildstar@quark.qrc.com>
Subject: Re:  The ever-present rule mods (this time for crewing a ship)

Joe Heck <CCJOE@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu> writes:
> This are all designed for small ships - I'm not familiar enough with larger
> ships (i.e. Azhinti High Lightning, Kinunir, etc) to be able to say if these
> would work.

Your suggestions make good sense for 'small' ships crewed by player
characters.  Most referees want to keep the number of NPCs down, and so the
players will frequently be the only crew of a small starship (typically
ships of 100 to 400 tons).  So, operating these ships with reduced crews is
important to many campaigns.

One way to treat this in the game is to assume that the crew requirements
calculated according to the design rules are the "official" numbers, based
on the various rules and regulations (of the Imperium, a Pocket Empire, the
Navy involved, or whatever).  You *can* operate a ship with a minimum crew
much smaller than this, though.  As long as you've got a Pilot, Astrogator,
and some Ship's Engineers, you can make the ship go (you'll probably want
someone to run the sensor too, though) although if you don't have enough
crew to make the ship's maintainance, you will have serious problems in the
long run.

Presumably small "tramp" ships operated in private service aren't inspected
often (or at all) for infractions of relatively minor things as the crew
complement regulations (although operating with a short crew is a great way
to harass PCs that need it).  Annoying starport officials is a good way to
trigger an inspection, I've found.  Larger ships are a different story, though.

Large military vessels are generally operated by a military or paramilitary
organization (like the Navy, Scout Service, Patrol, or a starmerc unit).
In general, unless you want a career-killing performance review, you'd
better operate "by the book" unless you have a *very* good excuse (like the
entire rest of the ship's complement are casualties of your last
engagement).  If you're running a military campaign, this generally isn't a
problem unless the referee wants it to be.

Large civillian vessels are generally operated in commercial service.  As
the value of the ship, the number of passengers, and the value of the
cargoes increase, so do the frequency and zeal with which the regulations
are enforced.  Failing to keep the proper crew complement on the books can
result in fines, groundings, and loss of insurance coverage.  If you're
running a merchant campaign, all of these things can be tossed at the PCs to
make their lives complicated.

> Gunnery - I leave it at simply a person for each weapon, instead of
> including one for the MFD. My view of that box is something along the lines
> of the targeting system in modern fighters - it just let's you know when
> you're on target and have a lock for missles. Each gunner can choose to work
> with it or not, but it's not something that requires a person manning it.

With the T:TNE starship weapons and MFDs, I'd work it a little differently.

It seems to me that the gunner in the turret can operate that turret by
local control, while the gunner in the MFD (which I imagine as a sort of a
fire control center located on either the main bridge or on a fire control
bridge).  The one MFD controls all of the weapons in it's battery (that is,
the group of weapons it's linked to), and is operated by one person, the
battery director.

To operate at full effectiveness, you'd want to have both the MFD and the
turrets manned.  The gunner in the MFD would ordinarily fire the whole
battery (much like the gunnery director [a person] in the fire control
center of a battleship) and thereby get the bonuses for central fire
direction through the MFD.  The gunners in the turrets can fire under local
control if need be (for example, if the MFD is knocked out, or if the
battery has to engage multiple targets at once - up to one for each
turret) but then they don't get bonuses for the MFD.

When reducing the crew, one gunner in the MFD can control the entire battery
without needing to have the turrets manned.  However, if the MFD is knocked
out, then none of the turrets can fire.  You could also leave the MFD
unmanned, but then you wouldn't get it's benefits.

> Engineering I pretty much leave as is. It's based off maintenance points,
> and without re-writing all those rules (which I kind of like anyway), I
> leave the engineering staff as is.

Depending on the TL and wear value of the ship, PCs operating with a reduced
crew may have their hands *very* full keeping ahead of the maintainance.

> Anyone else have mod's that they use to help out PC's running a ship?

A couple of obvious ones: A ship that doesn't have any high passengers
doesn't need any stewards (the PCs can eat their own cooking, or at least so
they hope).  A medic can be dispensed with if need be, and any PC with the
appropriate skill can handle the small craft (Air/Raft or Ship's Boat).


wildstar@quark.qrc.com
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In the Far Future

------------------------------
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by the University of
Western Ontario. All opinions and materials below are the responsibility
of the originator.

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

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 530  6550 05-Jan-1994 Mark Urbin       FF&S small arms design... <<   I was pl
 530  6551 05-Jan-1994 Joe Heck         More Ship Designs (TNE) << I'm using th
 530  6552 05-Jan-1994 Curtis Peer      Crew Levels, HAIS system << Just to not
 530  6553 05-Jan-1994 kenhagler@aol.c  vehicle corrections << There were two s
 530  6554 05-Jan-1994 Keeper Of The L  Just A Few Things << I just wanted to m
 530  6555 06-Jan-1994 pihlab@cbr.hhcs  RE The ever-present rule mods (this tim
 530  6556 06-Jan-1994 mgood@MIT.EDU    Internet Ettiquette and Jerry Alexandra
 530  6557 06-Jan-1994 Peter H. Brento  MT problems-reply << Mssr. Keeper of th
 530  6558 06-Jan-1994 Curtis Peer      Useful Formulae << I've cooked up some
 530  6559 06-Jan-1994 JNCHIGGIN@delph  FF&S << Just got FF&S a couple of days
 530  6560 06-Jan-1994 Archduke Brzk o  FF&S Starship construction...  <<   The
 530  6561 07-Jan-1994 l.wiseman1@geni  << Scott Kellogg and other Imperialline

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

Bundle: 530
Archive-Message-Number: 6550
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 94 14:28:16 -0500
From: mju@ftp.com (Mark Urbin)
Subject: FF&S small arms design...


  I was playing around with the smallarms design rules  last night.  It's
pretty stright foward.  The trickest part is designing the round.  That's the
key part.  The round determines muzzle energy, which effects your damage and
recoil.
  My first attempt was a .45 caliber (11.43x23mm) semiautomatic pistol.
I decided to have some fun and made it a TL9 ETC round.  Things looked
great till I figured out the recoil. It was just over six!  I switched
to a heavy receiver (weight modifies recoil) and added a muzzle break.
Recoil dropped to 5.98. :-)  Form my next trick, I'll drop the TL to 5
and try to make a Colt 1911 pistol.
  It shows promise for a decent carbine though.  Longer (and heavier)
barrel, longer muzzle break, shock absorbing stock and changing from a
grip magazine to a box magazine (this will increase the size of the
receiver.  Hopefully the extra weight will help also).


- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  \      oo    				Mark Urbin  mju@ftp.com
   \____|\mm   "Vouf, Vouf!"		These opinions are mine, no one
   // //\ \_\  "Good Dog!"		will claim them...
  /K-9/  \/_/  "Put down the Gauss pistols!"
 /___/_____\   				
 ----------- 	  Where am I going and what am I doing in this handbasket?
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Bundle: 530
Archive-Message-Number: 6551
Date:         Wed, 05 Jan 94 15:38:24 CST
From: Joe Heck <CCJOE@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject:      More Ship Designs (TNE)

I'm using these in my local campaign - enjoy!

 joe                          University of Missouri - Columbia
 ccjoe@mizzou1.missouri.edu   (314) 882-5000

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SNIP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

InfoDrone Jumpship    TL9           Rate:7         Size: 6.2 meters (dia)
Spherical Hull (SL)   Jump 1 (x4)   Manuever: 0G

Hull: Composite Laminate, .5cm thickness
      Armor Rating: 3     71.5 sq meters surface area
Internal Structure: 2G
Life Support: Basic       Air Locks: 1

Jump Drive: 1                        Jump Fuel: 40kl (hydrogen)
Power Plant: 1.3 MW Fission reactor  Reactor Fuel: 10kl (radioactives)
Engineering Workstations: 1

TL9 Computer Linked Controls
4 x TL9 STD computers
1000AU Maser Comm
30,000KM HRT
Flight Workstations: 1

Notes:
Using the new rules that allow minimum jump drive sizes of 2kl, this is
a basic "jump torpedo" to relay information not unlike the Xboat
system. It has enough fuel to make 4 Jump-1's, theoretically allowing
for communications of to Jump4 apart, although it would be more likely
to have dedicated routes of Jump1 to Jump2 systems and having it
return to it's origin. Because of the radioactives it uses as fuel for
it's internal systems, it's likely only used by world governments.

The workstations are included to lay in the courses and maintain the
drone when it's in normal space. It includes no advanced life support,
and is not intended to carry passengers or cargo of any sorts.

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

Ricaro Jumpship       TL-9          Rate:200       Size: 25.5 meters (dia)
Disk Hull (SL)        Jump 1        Manuever: 1G

Hull: Composite Laminate, 2cm        2808 sq meters surface area
Armor Rating: 12                     Internal Structure Rating: 2G
Life Support: Extended               Air Locks: 1

Jump Drive: 1                        Jump Fuel: 280kl (hydrogen)
Power Plant: 200MW Fusion Reactor    Reactor Fuel: 15kl (hydrogen)
100MW Reactor thrust                 Reaction Fuel: 25kl
G-turns: 44 (Fusion Rocket)          G-turns: 2 (Reactor)
TL-9 ContraGrav Lifters              Engineering Workstations: 3
2000 tonnes Thrust Fusion Rocket     Reaction Fuel: 73.37kl (Rocket)

535kl Cargo hold                     1 Large cargo hatch
10 Small Staterooms (Passengers)     8 Staterooms (Crew)

TL9 Computer Linked Controls
3 x TL9 STD computers
1000AU Maser Comm                    30,000km Radio
120,000km HRT (folding array)        60,000km Radar
Flight Workstations: 6

1 Empty turret socket
1 TL8 Missle Barbette                300,000km Laser Comm

3 Engineering Crew                   2 Electronics Crew
2 Drive Crew                         1 Gunnery Crew
1 Maintenance Crew                   2 Command Crew

Area:        SURFACE HITS            INTERNAL EXPLOSION
1            1-3: Cargo Hatch        1-3: Quarters, 4-20: Hold
2                                    Quarters
3                                    Quarters
4                                    Hold
5                                    Hold
6            ANT (HRT)               Quarters
7            ANT (HRT)               Quarters
8                                    Hold
9            1: Air Lock             Hold
10           1-3: ANT (Radar)        1-10: Electronics
             4: ANT (Maser)          11-20: Hold
             5: ANT (Radio)
             11-15: ANT (HRT)
11                                   Engineering
12           ANT (HRT)               1-10: Electronics
                                     11-20: Hold
13           ANT (HRT)               1-10: Electronics
                                     11-20: Hold
14           1: Air Lock             1-7: Engineering, 8-20: Hold
15                                   1-8: Engineering, 9-20: Hold
16                                   Engineering
17                                   Engineering
18                                   Engineering
19                                   Engineering
20           1-2: Missle Barbette    Engineering

Damage Tables:
Sensor (HRT)       1h                Sensor Ant (HRT)   1H
Sensor (Radar)     1h                Sensor Ant (Radar) 1H
Commo (Maser)      1h                Commo Ant (Radio)  1h
Commo (Radio)      1h                Commo Ant (Maser)  1h
Comp (STD)         3 x (1h)          Missle Barbette    1H
SSR                13 x (2h)
Life Support       3H                Ext Life Support   2H
Jump Drive         2H                Power Plant        4H
Fusion Rocket      7H                ContraGrav Lifters 1H
Fusion Reactor Drv 2h

Notes:
It's using a Fusion Rocket for it's primary
thrust. There is also a reaction chamber for the Fusion Reactor, but
it only produces .5G Thrust for 2 hours - enough to simply move away
from the planet to light up the "torch."

Variations might include using part of the cargo hold for fuel -
another  280kl would allow another Jump1. Fuel purification machinery
might also be installed in the hold. A 60kl fuel processing plant
would process 320kl in 19.2 hours, or 600kl fuel in 36 hours.

I created this ship with the idea of the classic 'flying saucer' - and
incorporated a design easily modified to suit a variety of 'frontier'
needs - including combat. The 200MW power plant will easily drive a
laser, sandcaster, or missle launcher in the extra turret. In
addition, the hold could be converted to carry any number of small
vehicles - up to approx 23 displacement tons (giving a 1.6x leeway for
being in a cargo hold)

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

Bundle: 530
Archive-Message-Number: 6552
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 1994 16:46:25 -0500
From: curtis@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Curtis Peer)
Subject: Crew Levels, HAIS system

Just to note, This is John Bogan, piggybacking on Curtis' account

I've done some work on the TNE crew level problem (how much it differs
from previous levels).

My solution was to use something Wildstar outlined, but with some modifications.

(obligatory dopey acronym:)

HAIS  (High Automation Integrated Systems)

volume= vol of (powerplant+J-drive+M-drive+sensors+weapons)*0.01
   (maybe change to something less, this needs design testing)
mass  = volume (in tonnes)
cost  = 1 MCr/14kl
power = (still needs testing, figure something between a flight computer
         and the basic controls requirements. Ie: something token
         [thanks joe])

Minimum Size: TL9-: 5 (displacement) tons. TL10-12: 2tons, 13+: 1ton

Engineering Crew: FFS formula * 0.25 (round fractions up)
Electronics Crew: FFS* 0.25 (round down)
Maneuver Crew: no change
Gunnery Crew:  see below
Maintainence :  FFS * 0.25 (round down)
Ship's troops: no change
command : no change (FFS based on modified numbers above)
stewards (no Change)
medical  (no change)

HAIS ships divide their maintainence points by 4, after all other
MP calculations are done (round fractions up)

Gunnery Crew: on ships with HAIS, weapons fire can be conducted
    completely from MFD's, and due to the combat advantages of
    doing so, it usually is.  Many (if not all) local weapons
    crewstations are left unmanned, serving as emergency backup
    only.  When the ship is designed, the designers figure "usual"
    battery arrangements, install MFD`s to suit, and base gunnery
    crew levels on that.

Specific requirements:

Black Globes: BG's are always fully manned
Meson Screens: Meson screens are always fully manned
Damper turrets and screens: Always fully manned
Turret weapons: May be left unmanned, and controlled by MFD, within
                MFD limits (only like weapons at one time, etc)
Larger weapons: any weapon with a crew greater than 2 may not be left
                unmanned.(ie: crew of 3+ means no leaving it alone)

Note that larger weapons, like a spinal mount with a crew of one,
may be left unmanned locally, but likely will have an MFD unofficially
dedicated to its exclusive use.

Crew is the number of MFD's, plus the number of local weapons crews
the designers feel necesary to include.

I tried this with the Midu Agaaaawhatever 3000 ton destroyer,
and got the crew down to 46, with the ability to lose a few more,
depending on how many gun crew I want.  CT crew was 33, MT was 47.

Pre- Virus:

HAIS is common in all Vilani, Zhodani, and Solomani-influenced regions.
Among aliens:

Aslan do not commonly use HAIS in ship designs.
K'Kree never leave home without it.
Hivers use it
Vargr usage varies widely (did you expect any different?)
Droyne: ? maybe yes, maybe no, ref's discretion.

HAIS ships are highly vulnerable to becoming Vampire ships in the
event of Virus infection, due to the high level if connectivity
and automation.
When non-HAIS ships are infected, the Virus is limited to only the
infected sub-system.

The Imperial Navy and Zhodani Navy designs presented in Brilliant Lances
are actually the post-Virus refits of those designs, eliminating the
HAIS systems.  The volume gained using HAIS is mostly devoted to
extra fuel. Weapons load remains unchanged



Thoughts?


John H Bogan




- ----- End Included Message -----


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

Bundle: 530
Archive-Message-Number: 6553
From: kenhagler@aol.com
Reply-To: <kenhagler@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 05 Jan 94 16:49:01 EST
Subject: vehicle corrections

There were two small errors in the Police Spinner design:

Hull Front armour should be 6, not 3.
Maintenance points should be 3, not 5.

One of these days, I'll remember to proofread _first_...

Ken

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

Bundle: 530
Archive-Message-Number: 6554
Subject: Just A Few Things
Date: Wed, 05 Jan 94 19:13:11 EST
From: Keeper Of The Lint <darkstar@chopin.udel.edu>

I just wanted to make a few comments.  First off all, to the guy who was
upset that MegaTraveller doesn't transfer well into TNE terms.  Pick up
a copy of Survival Margin.  It's purpose is to provide a bridge between
the two games.  Now, this is only in respect to characters.  It tells
you how to convert MT characters into TNE characters.  As for vehicles,
I'm afraid that you'll have to convert them all by hand by recreating
them using the FF&S rules.  Now, you said that ships transferred okay
between Classic and MT, but that these designs are too radically
different to be easily converted to TNE rules.  That's a bunch of BS!
The ship design rules between CT and MT were radically different.  Ships
in MT (and their creation rules) weren't compatible with High Guard and
Trillion Credit Squadron.  All of the CT ships had to be completely
reworked to fit into MT.  Thats just the way it works.  With each of
these revisions, they've found a few more holes to plug, and a few more
bugs to spray.  But, in MT's defense I have grown accustommed to
reactionless drives and multiple weapon turrets.  It's a good thing that
they put at least one of these back in FF&S (I can live with single
weapon turrets).

As for the rules of play, well, they're different enough that you need
to learn them, but not different enough that they don't "feel" similar
to the old rules.


	--Jerry


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

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

Bundle: 530
Archive-Message-Number: 6555
Date: Thu, 06 Jan 1994 14:14:28 +1000
From: pihlab@cbr.hhcs.gov.au
Subject: RE The ever-present rule mods (this time for crewing a ship)


Something that tends to get glossed over when calculating crews is the
different shifts needed  eg 3 x 8 hour shifts for full 24 hour a day
operation.  If pressed you can man 2/3 of your systems all the time and
wake the other 1/3 for emergency or combat.  I use thirds so you can
stagger and overlap shifts but on large ships you may want 4 or 5 shifts.

What do they do onboard real world destroyers, cruisers, etc?

Short period travel vehicles of less than 48 hours would be exceptions
to the crewing rules eg fighter planes, trains, trucks etc.

It's ok to say you can get by on 1 pilot for two drives but how long
will that pilot be actively piloting.  This is not a 9 to 5 job and you
will need a co-pilot even if just for those times you're navigating
through an asteroid belt and the pilot needs to go to the loo 8^}.

I suppose you could set course and hope the early warning system wakes you
in time to avoid that pirate or asteroid.

Bruce...       pihlab@cbr.hhcs.gov.au


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

Bundle: 530
Archive-Message-Number: 6556
From: mgood@MIT.EDU
Subject: Internet Ettiquette and Jerry Alexandratos
Date: Thu, 06 Jan 94 09:42:15 EST

Hi!

A few comments on Jerry's recent post to th TML:

Jerry (darkstar@bach.udel.edu) sez:

> First off all, to the guy who was upset that MegaTraveller doesn't
> transfer well into TNE terms.

The polite thing to do is to copy what the other fellow said.  This
allows: 1) other people to see what they said and 2) prevents you from
misquoting them.

I wasn't upset.  Anthony Neal said:
>  Hmmm. Never considered the TNE thingy. I've been stuck in Mega for such
>a long time that TNE never crossed my mind. I guess anything I come up with
>will be cross-compatible. Either way, I'll post them when/if they ever work
>out.

and I replied:

>Ummmm....  from what I've seen of TNE and MT designs, I'd say they
>were pretty much incompatible.  I didn't mean to suggest that you
>_shouldn't_ design MT rules.  Sorry.  I have publication on the brain.

You suggested that:

> Pick up a copy of Survival Margin.  It's purpose is to provide a
> bridge between the two games.  Now, this is only in respect to
> characters.  It tells you how to convert MT characters into TNE
> characters

You answered yourself there :-)  But I do have a copy of Survival Margin.

Then you said:

> As for vehicles, I'm afraid that you'll have to convert them all by
> hand by recreating them using the FF&S rules.

Right so far...

>Now, you said that ships transferred okay between Classic and MT, but
>that these designs are too radically different to be easily converted
>to TNE rules.  That's a bunch of BS!  The ship design rules between CT
>and MT were radically different.

Hmmm... I know I THINK this, but I couldn't find where I posted this
on this list, so I'm not sure if I'm being misquoted or not ;-)

Right, the RULES were different, but the results were largely the same:
everything still fit on the hull, so Kinunir and Broadsword conversions
left the ships with the same characteristics.  Under TNE, things like
triple turrets and particle accelerator barbettes are gone, so if your
ship had them in CT and MT, how do you explain to your players that
they don't exist in TNE?

Other missing things that carried over from CT to MT but not to TNE are:
Effectively unlimited ship movement
Crew Sizes (they increased slightly with MT, but doubled with TNE)
How Nuclear Dampeners work
Anti-Grav devices providing thrust
etc.etc.  Duplicating CT ship designs was easy in MT: nothing "disappeared".
This isn't the case with TNE.

Anyway, I'm recapping this stuff because you're new to the list.  Most of the
other people on this list are bored to tears/sleep/death by this topic.

You go on to say:

>Ships in MT (and their creation rules) weren't compatible with High
>Guard and Trillion Credit Squadron.  All of the CT ships had to be
>completely reworked to fit into MT.

Not really, see above.  Redesigned, yes.  Re-explained, no.

> Thats just the way it works.  With each of these revisions, they've
> found a few more holes to plug, and a few more bugs to spray.

Nah.  They majorly changed the game.

> But, in MT's defense I have grown accustommed to reactionless
> drives and multiple weapon turrets.  It's a good thing that they put
> at least one of these back in FF&S (I can live with single weapon
> turrets).

But can your players?

You conclude:

>As for the rules of play, well, they're different enough that you need
>to learn them, but not different enough that they don't "feel" similar
>to the old rules.

Except that combat isn't as dangerous, you run out of fuel in
space combat, in system transit times are alot slowers, blah blah blah.

I _LIKE_ TNE, but I'm trying to convert an existing campaign. Had they
retained alot of the building blocks of CT and MT, they would have alienated
fewer long time players and made conversion MUCH easier.

>      --Jerry

So in the future, if you're going to flame at someone, PLEASE use basic
courtesy and quote them, OK?  We'll all be better internetters for it.
Of course, I'm only assuming you were flaming at me ;-)

Matt Goodman
mgood@mit.edu
- ------------------------------------------------------------
"Blondes and Jazz don't mix" -Cmdr. William Riker "101101101"

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

Bundle: 530
Archive-Message-Number: 6557
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 94 10:08:30 CST
From: Peter H. Brenton <pete@biochem.uchicago.edu>
Subject: MT problems-reply

Mssr. Keeper of the Lint said;

>"Pick up a copy of Survival Margin.  It's purpose is to provide
>a bridge between the two games.  Now, this is only in respect
>to characters.  It tells you how to convert MT characters into
>TNE characters."

Thank you, I actually *have* SM, but haven't yet waded through it
(I just finished T:TNE).

> Now, you said that ships transferred okay
>between Classic and MT, but that these designs are too radically
>different to be easily converted to TNE rules.  That's a bunch of BS!
>The ship design rules between CT and MT were radically different.  Ships
>in MT (and their creation rules) weren't compatible with High Guard and
>Trillion Credit Squadron.  All of the CT ships had to be completely
>reworked to fit into MT.

I should clarify, my point (after reading T:TNE, but without even
*seeing* FFS or BL) is that the weapon systems and general concepts
between CT and MT are pretty much identical, but are changed in
T:TNE.  In other words, Yes! the design system was changed
radically.  However, no weapon systems or propulsion systems
were eliminated, major components took *about* the same amount
of space and were the same general configuration.  By playing "fast
and loose" with the rules and doing some "backward engineering" I
could come up with a Kinunir Class Cruiser that would be familiar
to the players who went through Adventure 1 with me, pretty quickly
too, but compatible at least in terms of game balance with MT.

Now TNE comes along; gone are shipboard fusion, plasma, and particle
accelerator weapons (again, I do not know if these are in BL/FFS). Pro-
Pulsion technology is seriously revamped.  Crew requirements increased
greatly (with concessions to the discussions of how to reduce crew needs
currently going on) I can not fit my Kinunir reasonably into the TNE
universe (or the several dozen craft I have designed myself).

Again let me say; Thank You all for putting up with my venting.  It
feels good to be able to bitch about these things to an audience
which can help/understand/sympathize (and even respond to the contrary
KOTL).  I *will* be switching to TNE (as soon as I get get my hands
on FFS, BL, and others), but I will be facing the problems that
most of you will be or have faced.

By the way, has anyone come up with a computer based vehicle or
character generation program?  for IBM PC specifically.  Or a
world generator?  (are worlds still compatible?)  If so please
put them in the archive and announce

I will probably try to develop an Excel model for ships & vehicles
as soon as I have the materials.

Pete

"The opinions expressed certainly have nothing whatever to do with
the University of Chicago or the Department of Biochemistry (I just
work there and play with their toys)."

Peter Brenton					   (312) 702-0030
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	pete@biochem.uchicago.edu
The University of Chicago	

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

Bundle: 530
Archive-Message-Number: 6558
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 1994 15:40:12 -0500
From: curtis@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Curtis Peer)
Subject: Useful Formulae


I've cooked up some "Rules of Thumb" from the FF&S rules to aid designers.


Custom Turrets:

For the dimensions of non-standard turrets and barbettes,
the radius of the turret is equal to the cube root of the
volume in cubic meters, multiplied by 0.515:

r=0.515[V^(1/3)]

The Diameter of the turret = 2*r
The Height of the turret   = 2.3333*r
- -------------------------------------------------------------------

Particle Accellerator Length:

The minimum length of a PAW for its effective range to be equal
to a given range (in BL hexes) goes by the following formula:

                  [     H      ]^(1/3)
       L = 13.47* [----------- ]
                  [  Ml * Mfa  ]

L= minimum length of PAW in meters
H= desired range in BL hexes
Ml= Length Multiplier (see table pg. 113)
Mfa= Focal Area Multiplier (see table pg. 113)
- -------------------------------------------------------------------

Meson Gun Length:

The minimum length of a Meson gun for its effective range to be
equal to a given range (in BL hexes) goes by:

                 [  30 * H  ]
            L =  [----------]
                 [    Ml    ]

L = minimum length of Meson Gun in meters
H = desired range in BL hexes
Ml= Length Multiplier (see table pg. 117)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------

PAW Penetration:

If a PAW is operating at the maximum Mj for its length, its
penetration value within its effective range is equal to:

          Pv = 5 * length (in meters)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------

PAW design notes:

If a PAW operates at the maximum Mj for its length (and most will),
the damage it can do depends on how long it is.  This is not affected
by tech level.  Tech level affects the effective range only

For example, a TL 9 PAW can have an effective range of 80 BL hexes
(ie. maximum combat range) if it is at least 112 meters long.
A 112m PAW can deliver up to 12,544 Mj, and will do so even if
the PAW is TL 15, not TL 9.

However, the TL 9 PAW _MUST_ have its maximum bore (1/8th length)
to acheive this range.  Higher TL versions have the option of
reducing the focal area (and thus the volume, making for a more
compact weapon), or keeping the range overcapacity to improve
the weapon's performance during planetary bombardments.


The effective range of a PAW grows (most of the time) by leaps
and bounds with increased tech level.

For example, here are the effective ranges of a 16m long, 2m bore,
256 Mj N-PAW (suitable for 100ton bays) at TL's 9-15:

Tech Lvl        Eff Range(km)          Improvement over previous TL

   9              7037.2                   -------
  10              8042.5                   14%
  11             20,106                   150%

  12             37,700                    87%
  13             45,239                   120%
  14            100,531                   122%
  15            201,062                   100%

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

John H Bogan

<whew!>


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

Bundle: 530
Archive-Message-Number: 6559
Date: Thu, 06 Jan 1994 20:47:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: JNCHIGGIN@delphi.com
Subject: FF&S

Just got FF&S a couple of days ago.

A few comments:

     1)  Still no editting being done.  Typos all through the product.

     2)  Only one noticable problem in the starship rules - the
"Subspace" rules give a method for computing "subspace velocity", but
doesn't bother to provide clues as to what units the velocity so
generated has.  Parsecs per day?  Parsecs per hour?  Furlongs per
fortnight?  Feet per Candle-Inch?

     3)  Who managed to hose up the small arms design rules?  I notice
after only a few minutes of study that the most accurate round for a
given barrel length is a large caliber pistol (straight case) round.
This does not match reality very well.  I also notice that the lower the
muzzle energy, the more inherently accurate the round is.  Very odd.

     4)  In the same section, I notice that the arbitrary barrel length
limits (0.2 to 2.3 times "average") preclude the design (within the
rules) of the Thompson submachine gun, the longer barrelled variants of
the Uzi and the Luger, the Ruger 0.44 caliber carbine, the M3
"greasegun", and almost all other WW2-era submachine guns.  And the
sawed-off shotgun, of course.

     5)  In the Gauss weapon section, I notice that the rule for
determining projectile mass produces reasonable numbers as long as the
caliber is 5mm or less.  By the time you get up to 20mm (the limits that
the rules apply to), you are firing something shaped rather like a
hockey-puck out of your gauss weapon.

     6)  No rules for something like a Gyrojet or the old 10mm ARL.
This can be fixed by using the rules for large rockets and scaling down,
if necessary, but this is really no more accurate than using the
artillery rules, scaled down, for handguns...

     7)  And finally, the example ACR in the back (which I notice is now
the "Generic" ACR for TNE) is not designed in accordance with the rules
presented in the small arms design sequence.  How come?  And does that
mean that the other new weapon stats provided in their little insert are
not designed properly either?  Do I detect a hint of "Shattered Ships"
in here?  Did the same guy do both sets of designs?


On to the good (or not so bad) things:

     1)  The maximum speed in atmosphere as a function of acceleration
has finally been fixed.  You no longer need to give your fighters 4+G's
to match the performance of an F-15 (1.25 G's).  On the other hand, the
new system would allow an F-16 (1.25 G's) to pull Mach 3.5 clean.
     Admittedly, I find erring in this direction slightly more appealing
than erring in the other direction, but would it have been too much to
ask to get something that comes close to the real world?

(minor related quibble)  Why can't any of the people who do "Vehicle
Design Rules" (GURPS, Trav in all incarnations) put a fudge factor in
dealing with the "sound barrier"?  In every one of these systems, there
is absolutely no problem with designing a vehicle that can ride right at
the speed of sound.  This does not match the real world all that well...

     2)  The fusion rocket STILL has performance much better than
reality.  But it no longer has an FTL exhaust, so it doesn't just blow
my suspension of disbelief away like it used to.  Looks like it will be
the drive of choice for warships, since it allows for a lot more delta-V
than the Heplar does, even with the larger size of the fusion rocket
taken into account.

     3)  I really like the addition of alternate "realistic" thrusters.
I've already worked up a usable Bussard ramjet warship, which I MAY find
a use for someday.

     4)  Likewise the rest of the "alternate" technologies.

     5)  Cybernetics - these seem cribbed heavily from 2300AD, which
doesn't bother me at all.  The 2300AD rules were mostly pretty decent,
and the change from the 2300AD system to TNE system mostly makes the
cybernetics work better (I always thought that the stat-enhancing
cybernetics were pretty useless in 2300AD, since they mostly required
that you have a stat just below a breakpoint to get any meaningful
effect (other than the removal of some tens of thousands of credits from
the PCs)).

Nothing else really stands out one way or another.  Yet.  I've only had
about three hours to look at it so far, and undoubtedly further study
will produce more commentary, which I probably will not bother to make
publicly...

Oh yeah!  The Heplar (insert caps where approriate - I don't remember
where they belong) drive description includes a pretty neat bit of
misdirection.  It states (more or less) that the exhaust is not
especially harmful because it isn't radioactive.  Well, that makes the
Heplar a REALLY HUGE PLASMA GUN, as opposed to the REALLY HUGE FUSION
GUN I originally thought it was.  It'll still trash a city quite
handily....

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

Bundle: 530
Archive-Message-Number: 6560
Subject: FF&S Starship construction...
Date: Thu, 06 Jan 94 22:27:32 CST
From: Archduke Brzk of Antares <arakins@iastate.edu>


  The stores around here haven't gotten FF&S yet *sigh*, so
I have some questions about the starship design sequence, the
weaponry in particular...
  Have the following weapons/devices from CT and MT been provided?

  Jump Projectors
  Jump Dampners
  Plasma Guns
  Fusion Guns
  Disentegrators
  Tractor Beams
  Repulsors
  White Globes
  Anti-matter warhead missiles
  Proton screens

  Just curious...

+---------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Andrew Akins                    | Iowa State University             |
| Applications Programmer         | Center for Agricultural and       |
| arakins@iastate.edu             |     Rural Development             |
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

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

Bundle: 530
Archive-Message-Number: 6561
From: l.wiseman1@genie.geis.com
Date: Fri,  7 Jan 94 04:27:00 BST
Subject:

Scott Kellogg and other Imperiallines subscribers:
 Refund checks will be mailed to all subscribers starting this coming
monday. You need take no other action unless you have changed
addresses recently, in which case you should send GDW a COA ASAP.

And now a word from Dave Nilsen:
   Re: Gravitic focussing of light

   Guy is correct in pointing out that the only reason for
   adding in the gravitic laser focussing is to allow Traveller
   to retain its long-range laser weapons and still be able to
   attach it to real-world optics. (I reasoned that this was a
   nice feature for players who would like to build their own
   TL-8 SDI programs so that they could get realistic results,
   rather than having the long-range fix embedded in the design
   sequence so that it was impossible to build realistic TL-8
   SDI lasers.)

   Gravitic focussing is nothing more or less than a fudge
   factor, and we have called it as much. However, reasoning
   that players would rather have a science fiction
   rationalization for it, I called it gravitic focussing
   because the manipulation of gravitic and pseudo-gravitic
   effects is a common crutch in science fiction and Traveller,
   notwithstanding the fact that it is nonsense. Artificial
   gravity and anti-gravity appeared at about the same tech
   level that we required long-range lasers, so it was natural
   to consider this as another application of the technology
   that is embedded in just about everything else in Traveller.

   James Kundert correctly points out that breakthroughs in
   one area will be embedded in other technologies so that we
   can assume that whatever makes the lasers really good also
   makes the HEPlaR (not to mention EAPlaC, has anybody seen
   how phenomenally good that stuff is?) really good, along
   with your TL toasters and hair driers.

   However, the fact that the fudge factor is called one form
   of nonsense rather than another form of nonsense (if anyone
   invents real anti-gravity or reactionless thruster plates in
   my lifetime, I owe you all a dollar) seems to be bending
   some people's noses out of joint.

   I have a solution. Don't call it gravitic focussing, call
   it fairy dust.

   Do you believe in Tinkerbell? There isn't an Emperor
   Strephon either, and there never will be. Fortunately,
   having fun with Traveller doesn't require us to believe that
   that is exactly what the future will look like, because

  A) It won't, and

      B) ain't none of us gonna be around to find out anyway.

      This is supposed to be fun, not Nostradamus.

       Dave Nilsen



For those who care, Deluxe Traveller is available:

               The content of TNE Deluxe are:
               -- One Traveller: The New Era rules book
               -- One Fire, Fusion & Steel
               -- One 17"x22" map of the Diaspora Sector
               -- Two sector data folders (one player data, one referee data)
               -- Two cardstock charts containing useful tables from the book
          ("Career Entry Requirements," "Skills by Skill Clusters," and the
          ever-popular two-pager: "Skill List by Controlling Attribute").
               -- One Feedback sheet
               -- Sundry advertising material of possible interest to players
          and referees of Traveller.
               And, last but not least, a box to keep it all in.
               All of these items are available as separate components.

------------------------------
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by the University of
Western Ontario. All opinions and materials below are the responsibility
of the originator.

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

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 531  6562 07-Jan-1994 j.kundert@genie  RE: Conversion Woes <<  Yesterday, mgoo
 531  6563 07-Jan-1994 LTG3878@ZEUS.TA  Please cancel my subscription. << Dear
 531  6564 07-Jan-1994 Keeper Of The L  Put Away The Fusion Guns! << In Reply t
 531  6565 07-Jan-1994 kenhagler@aol.c  TNE vehicle design << Here's another ve
 531  6566 07-Jan-1994 Jeff Zeitlin     Megacorporation? <<   For the first tim
 531  6567 07-Jan-1994 Steve Gibbons    Anybody interested in a merc contingien
 531  6568 08-Jan-1994 "Susan M. Shock  Fun as opposed to physics << I read Dav
 531  6569 08-Jan-1994 Joseph Donald C  unsbucribe << Please take my name off t
 531  6570 08-Jan-1994 gt6963c@prism.g  Traveller: The New Era, Deluxe Edition
 531  6571 08-Jan-1994 Steven Gott      laser dish diameters << A week ago, Wil
 531  6572 09-Jan-1994 PPUGLIESE@pimac  Merc. Batt. << (re: Steve Gibbon's post
 531  6573 09-Jan-1994 "Susan M. Shock  Deluxe Traveller << I too was a bit dis
 531  6574 09-Jan-1994 Anthony Neal     Tech Level advancements... << Hello the
 531  6575 09-Jan-1994 William Richard  laser turrets   <<  Well I have worked
 531  6576 09-Jan-1994 Graham.Spearing  << Whatho
 531  6577 10-Jan-1994 Derek Wildstar   Type R2 "Rift Trader" TL-12 << Type R2

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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6562
From: j.kundert@genie.geis.com
Date: Fri,  7 Jan 94 08:09:00 BST
Subject: RE: Conversion Woes

 Yesterday, mgood@MIT.EDU said:

 >Right, the RULES were different, but the results were largely the same:
 >everything still fit on the hull, so Kinunir and Broadsword conversions
 >left the ships with the same characteristics.  Under TNE, things like
 >triple turrets and particle accelerator barbettes are gone, so if your
 >ship had them in CT and MT, how do you explain to your players that
 >they don't exist in TNE?

  As I recall, the Broadsword gained 10% in volume (from 800 to 880
tons) in official print (granted, it was broken), and the Kinunir
was _never_ well converted because several of its systems never had
hard numbers.  The one attempt in Challenge to convert the Kinunir
did so by taking the High Guard stats literally.  Never mind the
Drop tubes and the AI computer.
  As for converted ships keeping their characteristics from CT to MT,
I can give only qualified agreement.  The addition of power
requirements for all things resulted in ships nearly always loosing
their high Maneuver engines.  Until the concept of variable-load
powerplants was hit upon (at roughly the same time here and on GEnie:
variable load here and "booster plants" there), and the exclusion of
life-support from fuel tankage, MT ships could not measure up to CT
and HG ships.

 >Other missing things that carried over from CT to MT but not to TNE are:
 >Effectively unlimited ship movement

  There are several solutions to this.  If you assume that outer
systems are still settled as heavily as Scouts/World Builder's made
them, it's a short hop to using in-system jumps to get around.  With a
gas station on every moon, this isn't a real problem.
  Second:  FF&S _does_ include the Thruster Plate option.  No reaction
mass to worry about, lots of range (especially with powerplants using
fuel by the year instead of by the month).  Just like old times.
  Third:  take more time.  A Hard Times game I ran brought up the
question of in-system trip times.  Even under constant thrust, the
Armored Gig (Gazelle model) that was the group's first spacecraft
took a fair number of days to travel from orbit 5.5 in to orbit 1.
Megatraveller was not nearly as fast-thrusting as you might think.
  Fourth:  Assume that TNE HEPlaR drives have a gravitically dependant
Stutterwarp equivalent built in (so no third drive, and no more
engineers) that allows much higher speeds in the zone between the
Primary's 100 and 1000 diameter limits.  The drive _requires_ some
local gravity to work, so can't be used for star-to-star travel.
This opens up the outer system for a fraction of the hydrogen.

 >Crew Sizes (they increased slightly with MT, but doubled with TNE)

  The "private/commercial/military" post from yesterday, or the HAIS
post (also yesterday) will handle this nicely.

 >How Nuclear Dampeners work

  How often do you use these?
  Actually, they just got better explained.  They did not change
appreciably.  Dig out Striker and read the section on Dampers.  MT
never bothered to tell us that Dampers required surface exposure,
probably because they assumed that dampers were "matter-transparent"
technology.  GDW says no, they require an antenna, so we now mount
them in turret cans. With the hardpoint limit gone, this is a non-issue.

 >Anti-Grav devices providing thrust

  To nit-pick, the new Contra-grav does provide the equivalent of
thrust by taking care of the craft's weight.  MegaT's Anti-grav
had to be purchased above and beyond the craft's mass before it
would work.  If you take the Thruster Plate option, your tanks
will still fly on Anti-grav.

 >Duplicating CT ship designs was easy in MT: nothing "disappeared".
 >This isn't the case with TNE.

  I will agree that mixed turrets (not just _multiple_ turrets, but
mixed ones) were annoying to lose


 >>Ships in MT (and their creation rules) weren't compatible with High
 >>Guard and Trillion Credit Squadron.  All of the CT ships had to be
 >>completely reworked to fit into MT.

 >Not really, see above.  Redesigned, yes.  Re-explained, no.

  DGP did a mighty good job of "Re-explaining" in my opinion.  Remember
the hull grid?

 >Nah.  They majorly changed the game.

  Only your final comment saved you from my opinion here. :)

 ...
 >Except that combat isn't as dangerous, you run out of fuel in
 >space combat, in system transit times are alot slowers, blah blah blah.

  Check the definitions of the wound levels again.  Switch to Thrusters.

 >I _LIKE_ TNE, but I'm trying to convert an existing campaign. Had they
 >retained alot of the building blocks of CT and MT, they would have alienated
 >fewer long time players and made conversion MUCH easier.

  Show your players the price tag to fire one unrecovered missile and
they'll never complain again about not having them.


 >Matt Goodman
 >mgood@mit.edu


  Then, Peter H. Brenton <pete@biochem.uchicago.edu> says:

 >Thank you, I actually *have* SM, but haven't yet waded through it
 >(I just finished T:TNE).

  To save time, flip to the Glossary in SM and look up "Dave".

 >  By playing "fast
 >and loose" with the rules and doing some "backward engineering" I
 >could come up with a Kinunir Class Cruiser that would be familiar
 >to the players who went through Adventure 1 with me, pretty quickly
 >too, but compatible at least in terms of game balance with MT.

  This one at least won't be a problem:  the Kinunir has a page
in Brilliant Lances.

 >...gone are shipboard fusion, plasma, and particle
 >accelerator weapons (again, I do not know if these are in BL/FFS).

  The high energy weapons are _very_ short-ranged from the space
combat point of view.  PAWs are in FF&S, but I haven't played with
the numbers to see if the old PA barbette is doable.  With Laser
barbettes reaching to maximum combat ranges for a measly few
megawatts, I can happily leave PAs in the spinal mount and in bays.

 >...I can not fit my Kinunir reasonably into the TNE
 >universe (or the several dozen craft I have designed myself).

  This is my biggest conversion complaint.  All-cargo ships are
very difficult to build so they are worthwhile.  The cargo capacity
of the Type R in the TNE book is not (very far) off, and is only
about half of what it used to be.  Starship economics are considerably
bleaker than before because of this.

 >Pete

 James Kundert
 <j.kundert@genie.geis.com>
 <james@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>



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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6563
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 1994 9:01:54 -0600 (CST)
From: LTG3878@ZEUS.TAMU.EDU
Subject: Please cancel my subscription.

Dear James:

Please cancel my subscription.  I am moving to the windy city (Chicago), and
will renew when I know my new e-mail address.  Thank you.

					Lewis Taylor Goss

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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6564
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 1994 10:46:46 -0500
From: Keeper Of The Lint <darkstar@chopin.udel.edu>
Subject: Put Away The Fusion Guns!

In Reply to Your Message of Thu, 06 Jan 94 20: 30:03 EST
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 94 10:46:45 EST
From: Keeper Of The Lint <darkstar>


mgood@mit.edu had this to say:

:A few comments on Jerry's recent post to th TML:
:
:Jerry (darkstar@bach.udel.edu) sez:
:
:> First off all, to the guy who was upset that MegaTraveller doesn't
:> transfer well into TNE terms.
:
:The polite thing to do is to copy what the other fellow said.  This
:allows: 1) other people to see what they said and 2) prevents you from
:misquoting them.

You're absolutely right.  I was too lazy to go back and quote from the
article.  And look at all of the problems that it caused.  After all,
you're not even the guy I was talking about/to.

[tirade about cross-compatible designs deleted]

:You suggested that:
:> Pick up a copy of Survival Margin.  It's purpose is to provide a
:> bridge between the two games.  Now, this is only in respect to
:> characters.  It tells you how to convert MT characters into TNE
:> characters
:You answered yourself there :-)  But I do have a copy of Survival Margin.

Gee, well then I guess that if you have a copy of it, then you know
what's it's used for.  I was talking about converting EVERY aspect of MT
to TNE.  And who would've thought that characters actually are part of
the game.

:Then you said:
:> As for vehicles, I'm afraid that you'll have to convert them all by
:> hand by recreating them using the FF&S rules.
:Right so far...
:>Now, you said that ships transferred okay between Classic and MT, but
:>that these designs are too radically different to be easily converted
:>to TNE rules.  That's a bunch of BS!  The ship design rules between CT
:>and MT were radically different.
:Hmmm... I know I THINK this, but I couldn't find where I posted this
:on this list, so I'm not sure if I'm being misquoted or not ;-)
:Right, the RULES were different, but the results were largely the same:
:everything still fit on the hull, so Kinunir and Broadsword conversions
:left the ships with the same characteristics.  Under TNE, things like
:triple turrets and particle accelerator barbettes are gone, so if your
:ship had them in CT and MT, how do you explain to your players that
:they don't exist in TNE?
:Other missing things that carried over from CT to MT but not to TNE are:
:Effectively unlimited ship movement
:Crew Sizes (they increased slightly with MT, but doubled with TNE)
:How Nuclear Dampeners work
:Anti-Grav devices providing thrust
:etc.etc.  Duplicating CT ship designs was easy in MT: nothing "disappeared".
:This isn't the case with TNE.

Okay, well first of all, let's look at what Survival Margin and the TNE
rulebook said (after all, if you have it, then you must have read it).
Computers were redesigned to deal with, and be more resilient to Virus.
Both books said that the computers became less centralized, and now had
more stations and checkpoints.  Gee, I wonder if that could be why you
now need more people to crew a specific station?

In FF&S, reactionless thrust has been put back in.  Use it, I know I do.

:Anyway, I'm recapping this stuff because you're new to the list.  Most of the
:other people on this list are bored to tears/sleep/death by this topic.
:You go on to say:
:>Ships in MT (and their creation rules) weren't compatible with High
:>Guard and Trillion Credit Squadron.  All of the CT ships had to be
:>completely reworkedto fit into MT.
:Not really, see above.  Redesigned, yes.  Re-explained, no.
:> Thats just the way it works.  With each of these revisions, they've
:> found a few more holes to plug, and a few more bugs to spray.
:Nah.  They majorly changed the game.
:> But, in MT's defense I have grown accustommed to reactionless
:> drives and multiple weapon turrets.  It's a good thing that they put
:> at least one of these back in FF&S (I can live with single weapon
:> turrets).

Oh please, in High Guard/Trillion Credit Squadron, I could design a ship
that had lots of G's, big guns, jump-100, etc, and fit it into 100 tons
of hull!  Geez, and then when MT came around, you couldn't do that
anymore.  Now, you actually had to think about maximizing your space,
and doing some other things.  Granted, most CT designs could transfer
with the only big losses being losing some maneuver G's, and cargo
space, but the entire concept behind ship design still changed.

:You conclude:
:
:>As for the rules of play, well, they're different enough that you need
:>to learn them, but not different enough that they don't "feel" similar
:>to the old rules.
:
:Except that combat isn't as dangerous, you run out of fuel in
:space combat, in system transit times are alot slowers, blah blah blah.

So, are you upset because it's not as easy for you to off someone, or
because it's not as easy for your character to take the big dirt nap?
Fuel in space combat?  Hmm, well, it seems more realistic.  Yeah, it
takes some getting used to, I guess you've actually made a good point.
If you don't like the new in system transit times, then use the old
ones.  Who knows, new ship rules, new transit times?

:I _LIKE_ TNE, but I'm trying to convert an existing campaign. Had they
:retained alot of the building blocks of CT and MT, they would have alienated
:fewer long time players and made conversion MUCH easier.
:So in the future, if you're going to flame at someone, PLEASE use basic
:courtesy and quote them, OK?  We'll all be better internetters for it.
:Of course, I'm only assuming you were flaming at me ;-)

Well, obviously this proves the old adage "when you assume, you make and
ass out of you and me".  Listen, my previous post wasn't directed
towards you.  I'm sorry if you took it the wrong way.  You've got a
pretty thin skin if you considered my response flaming.  Now this
response was a flame (I tend to actually be sarcastic when I'm flaming).

Thank you for welcoming me to the list in your very special manner...


	--Jerry



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

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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6565
From: kenhagler@aol.com
Reply-To: <kenhagler@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 94 17:04:48 EST
Subject: TNE vehicle design

Here's another vehicle design done with FF&S:

                   Lancaster Aerospace Mobile Command Center

Tech Level: 12
Price:  Cr138,452,280
Size:   3010 kiloliters displacement = 215 tons (S)
Weight: 950.123 tonnes empty, 1187.558 tonnes loaded
Power:  108.3 MW fusion reactor
Propulsion: thruster plates producing 3010 tons of thrust
Maint:  60
Controls:   2 Model 12Fb computers, dynamic linked controls, TL10
    flight avionics, TL12 terrain-following avionics
Commo:  3000-km radio, 3000-km maser communicator
Sensors:    3000-km Active EMS with jammer, 3000-km Passive EMS
Life Support:  Extended life support, 12 bunks
Load:   940.4 m3
Crew:   1 + 1 extra workstation
Passengers: 11
Additional equipment: Electromagnetic masking, electronics shop, machine
    shop, laboratory, sick bay
Small craft: Minimal internal hanger, 9 tons capacity

Travel Move:    11940/960
Combat Move:    553/22

Fuel Capacity:  16.245 LHyd
Fuel Consumption:   16.245 kl/year

Combat Statistics
Config: no turret       HF: 14
Susp: G                 HS: 14
                        HR: 14
Deck: 14                Belly: 14


Comments: The Mobile Command Center is used by government agencies and
large companies when a mobile, self-contained base is needed. The large
cargo bay can carry a variety of equipment, allowing the Mobile Command
Center to carry out a variety of specialized missions.

The flexibility of the Mobile Command Center has led to its use in a wide
variety of different roles. For example, MCCs were used by Division
commanders during the Topas Annexation of 5627, by Randall Industries for
prospecting on the colony worlds of the Schlesien Belt, and by the
NeuBerlin Metro Police Force's infamous Advanced Police Department in
various crisis situations.

                        Kenneth G. Hagler
 _________________________________________________________________
|            kenhagler@aol.com           |  My insurance company  |
|             (619) 251-0054             |    is Beretta U.S.A.   |
|   PGP 2.3 key available on request     |                        |
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
|   ...study of the military arts will make one who is naturally  |
|   clever more so and one who is born somewhat dull rather less  |
|   so.     --Daidoji Yuzan Shigesuke, _Budo Shoshinshu_          |
|_________________________________________________________________|

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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6566
Subject: Megacorporation?
From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)
Date: Fri,  7 Jan 94 18:48:00 -0500

  For the first time in a _long_ time, I got a window seat on my
  train home from work, _and_ it was still light enough to see out
  the windows.  Not too long after the train left Mt. Vernon, NY,
  and well before the Mt. Vernon - Pelham border was crossed, I
  looked out the window, and saw a factory (or perhaps a factory
  converted to offices - couldn't tell from the train).  In large
  metal letters, above the main entrance, were the words

  Stern Metals, Incorporated

  Do you really think that one of the former Imperial megacorps
  can really trace its history back about 3500 years? :)
==========================================================================
Jeff Zeitlin                                      jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com
- ---
 ~ QMPro 1.51 ~ I think ... therefore I am overqualified.

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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6567
Date: Fri, 07 Jan 1994 23:22:17 MST
From: Steve Gibbons <steve@nereid.sunquest.com>
Reply-To: steve@sunquest.com
Subject: Anybody interested in a merc contingient?

Greetings,

Like I said in a previous message, I've been playing with Striker and
High-Guard recently.  My current direction has been toward a highly
maneuverable, very flexible, highly effective strike battalion.  Other missions
would not be turned down, though...  :)

Before posting the whole thing (quite long), and since I haven't hammered out
_all_ of the details to my satisfaction yet, I thought I'd post a "feeler" to
see if there was any interest.

My basic concept of the unit centers around the availability of TL 12-13+
equipment, but quite a bit of it can be made to work at TL 9+ (and I will
include the various modifications for variant TLs.)

The driving force behind all of this was to provide a background for an SF
novel, but I thought that others might be interested as well.  (Did you ever
wonder how disruptive an elite force of hi-tech warriors could be in a given
operation?  Did you ever wonder how much (little) it would cost?  Now's your
chance!)

Comments?  Feed-Back?

- --
Steve@Sunquest.COM

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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6568
Date:         Sat, 08 Jan 94 02:44:01 EST
From: "Susan M. Shock" <34ZBTXQ@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject:      Fun as opposed to physics

I read Dave Nilsen's comments on the controversy over the gravitic focusing
of lasers and what-not and have to say I agree with him. NOTE: This is my own
opinion; you are entitled to whatever you wish to think.
*Ahem* I like science.fiction gaming; I don't know jack (or cloth, for that
matter) about physics. I find Brilliant Lances to be a fun starship combat game
in it's own right, and a good complement to TNE; a damn sight better than the
Star Trek Starship Combat Simulator, Star Fleet Battles, etc. If they have to
do a little song-and-dance with physics to get the lasers to work, let 'em.
The game is FUN, that's all that matters, right?
  There's no Emperor Strephon?! I'm shattered...

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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6569
Reply-To: dcable@cyteengold.win.net (Joseph Donald Cable Jr)
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 1994 13:16:06
Subject: unsbucribe
From: dcable@cyteengold.win.net (Joseph Donald Cable Jr)

Please take my name off this list
Don Cable



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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6570
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 1994 19:02:06 -0500
From: gt6963c@prism.gatech.edu
Subject: Traveller: The New Era, Deluxe Edition


I bought this under the misguided impression that it would have the
second printing of the rulebook (for some reason that was my impression
based on past discussion on this list).  I'm sending this message
incase anyone else on here made the same assumption I did.. the rulebook
in teh Deluxe box is the SAME existing 1.0 edition.

There are 2 books and 1 booklet in the deluxe box:  TNE rules, FF&S, and
an "upgrade" booklet that covers changes to the main rules that have
been made by the creation of FF&S.  It says that "updated rule books
will have the designation version 1 mod 1, dec 1993 on the title page".

So, now i have two copies of the TNE mod1 rulebook.. anyone want to buy one?
:-)

John

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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6571
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 1994 23:38:31 -0800 (PST)
From: Steven Gott <sgott@u.washington.edu>
Subject: laser dish diameters

A week ago, Wildstar pointed out that the "gravatic laser focusing" would
allow the elimination of large diameter sensor arrays.  This brings up an
interesting point.  On page 50 of FFS they have the Synthetic Aperature
Sensor Array.  Now, If you had a laser battery in the same formation
as the S.A.S.A. would they effectively give you a laser with the same
dish diameter as the S.A.S.A.?  In other words can the nine laser turrets
function in concert forming a "Big Dish" Laser for long distance target
engagement?

On another tangent.  Is it possible that the hivers have recovered from
the Virus first because they realized it was a life form and did to it
what they did to the K'kree?

That's enough for now

Steven Gott

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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6572
Date: 09 Jan 1994 11:22:03 -0700
From: PPUGLIESE@pimacc.pima.edu
Subject: Merc. Batt.

(re: Steve Gibbon's post about his plans to form a hi-tech merc. batt.)

Go for it!

I'm always interested in unit OB's, TO&E's, etc.


On another subject;

Whatever happened to Steve Higginbotham's TCS campaign?

If it's over with or otherwise finished, I'd be greatly
interested in a "historical" account.

I'd also be very interested in seeing some of the ship designs.

Phil

ppugliese@pimacc.pima.edu


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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6573
Date:         Sun, 09 Jan 94 13:27:57 EST
From: "Susan M. Shock" <34ZBTXQ@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject:      Deluxe Traveller

I too was a bit dissapointed about the lack of the updated rulebook in the
Deluxe Traveller. I bought it because I needed a second copy of the book-my
original one is getting rather Vargr-eared-but I was hoping it would be the
second printing. Still, GDW needs to pretty much get rid of the first printing
before they do the second one, and at least I now have a good condition copy of
the rules to use while making my players use the beat-up one.
  Any news on when the second printing WILL be coming out?

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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6574
From: Anthony Neal <anthonyn@cs.mun.ca>
Subject: Tech Level advancements...
Date: 	Sun, 9 Jan 1994 18:01:46 -0330

Hello there:

	 In the midst of sorting my thoughts out about the Computer Thingy, I have
come to a question that I have been skirting around for a while. In the case of
future Tech Level advancements on technology, how should I deal with the
miniaturization issue? For certain, we have seen advances in our lifetimes of
epic proportions in computer hardware and even common domestic equipment. I
Just received a Discman CD player for Christmas, that has even more features
than my previous CD player (Which was the size of your typical stereo
component) and is the size of two and a half CD cases stacked on top of one
another... Quite a reduction in size, and we haven't even advanced a Tech
Level!! ;->

	 So I have been thinking if maybe we should have a formula for this. One of
the more sensible formulae that I have come up with over christmas has been
this ...

                           Introduction Tech Level Attribute Value
Modified Attribute Value = ---------------------------------------------------
                               (Current Tech Level - Introduction Tech Level)
							 10

     This seems to work in one instance I can cite - the infamous TL 11 Hand
computer. It says that it has a volume of 0.2 litres. Cool. Now, taking into
account the modifications expressed in the Starship Computer Tables in the
Referee's Manual, we have a value of 200 kl at TL 5 (or 200,000 litres) and
a weight of 50 t at TL 5 (or 50,000 kg). Now, applying the formula, we come
up with:

              200,000 l      200,000 l
	  0.2 l = ---------   = -----------
				(11 - 5)          6
              10                10

               50,000 kg     50,000 kg
	 0.05 kg = ----------  = ----------
                 (11 - 5)          6
               10                10


     Now, there is a whoops there. The mass is supposed to be 0.5 kg, not 0.05.
However, this could be due to the resident battery pack, which is by far the
most heavy piece of the device. As for the pricing of the computer, I don't
have a contingency as of yet. Now, The rule seems pretty reasonable to me for
physical aspects of equipment, but I'd like to know what you all think of it.

	 This would yield advances in the size of Robot Brain components also. The
idea that Linear CPU's, for instance, do not change in size from one tech level
to another is simply ludicrous! The Linear CPU and Storage Module would have
the following stats at TL 11:

Type           Vol (litres)  Wt. (kg)  Price (Cr)  TL
- -----------------------------------------------------
Linear CPU       0.0002       0.0001    0.5        11
Storage          0.0005       0.0001    0.25       11


	 This, in keeping with the idea that the robot rules should meld with the
computer rules, makes it possible to construct a Hand Held Tl 11 Mod/1 computer
with the proper number of CPU modules and Storage modules. In fact, this brings
the question forward of what are the module requirements for each of the
models of computers. I haven't bothered with the idea of how much memory should
reside in a Storage module as of yet. The various real world/Traveller Computer
correspondences are necessary, and I will have to do some research on the
various "most advanced computers" of the times. Don't ask me about the Control
Points thing... 8-(

     I eventually want to be able to extend these rules to the handling of
hardware add-ons. I kinda like the idea of actual computer construction rules.
I'm working in that direction.

	 Anyone want to comment?

     Anthony

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Anthony Neal                |"Lets bring up the cargo manifest. 2300 laser
anthonyn@mercury.cs.mun.ca  | pistols, 1600 laser rifles, 1 ATV, 67 suits of
Memorial University Of      | combat armor and...    What the hell are
Newfoundland                | 'tribbles'?"
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6575
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 1994 20:22:08 -0500 (EST)
From: William Richards <williamr@powhatan.cc.cnu.edu>
Subject: laser turrets

 Well I have worked with lasers and deal with physics from time to time
and I have to say this about the concept of lasers in TNE
 I don't like the look of them that is the asthetics as to how they work
well I don't care but in my universe they will look like they did in
classic traveller
    IE: they have three muzzles and no silly mirrors.

true they probably should look like a mirror as they do in TNE but I
can't bear to look at them.

but this is all a matter of interpitation and personal taste as we are
dealing with SCI-FI.

by the way Strephron dead????.....
  liar!!!!!!


Will Richards
 richards@cebaf9.cebaf.gov

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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6576
From: Graham.Spearing@mettav.royle.org
Date: 09 Jan 94  10:43:30

Whatho

Once upon a time, before the sinking of F.G.U. and the rise of Star Wars
licensed products, there was a game called Traveller. It came in three small
booklets and it was good. But with the waning of the years of innocence GDW did
look upon the face of their sales, and lo, begat Mega Traveller of Many
Colours, and did fill it with many fine and strangely crafted rules. But yeah
the people of the Imperium did look upon the new creation wrought in the image
of the three books and lo saw that it was flawed. Listening to the torment of
the multitiude GDW did release errata sheets; and they were legion. And the
people did name the Many Coloured One "Typo Traveller" and were filled with
dismay.

With the passing of the age of Innocence came 'The New Era', and there was many
wiping of slates clean. And lo the sides of the die did multiply thricefold and
more, the Imperium was swept away, and the people did weep. Yet from within the
lamentation the people did look upon the new book and did like the new
uncluttered task system and rejoiced over character generation. And yeah they
threw down their laser carbines for they were as nought in the face of the
enemy, and picked up rifled muskets for they had better penetration at small
range than the ACR with DS rounds.

And yet in this moment of triumph 'Errata', the Evil One, did once more spoil
the party with seditious mistakes and inconsistencies.

And it is Now, and I that speak to you from the far distant land of England. A
land that has not yet seen the light of FF&S or indeed this:

 U> From: gt6963c@prism.gatech.edu

 U> There are 2 books and 1 booklet in the deluxe box:  TNE rules, FF&S, adn
 U> an "upgrade" booklet that covers changes to the main rules that have
 U> been made by the creation of FF&S.  It says that "updated rule books
 U> will have the designation version 1 mod 1, dec 1993 on the title page".
 U> John

With confusion and a sadly dwindeling bank account, I seek T:TNE Errata to fill
the holes in our blessed book. Sages of the TML, answer me:

   What errata is currently available?
   Where may such wise lore be found?
   Does this involve more than changes to system travel times?
   Will GDW slay Errata for good with version 1 mod 1?

I can only watch and hope.

Pip pip

Graham

Internet:   Graham.Spearing@gspear.mettav.royle.org

 * Origin: The Drones Club (100:1011/0.14)

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

Bundle: 531
Archive-Message-Number: 6577
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 94 01:28:45 -0500
From: Derek Wildstar <wildstar@quark.qrc.com>
Subject: Type R2 "Rift Trader" TL-12


Type R2 "Rift Trader" TL-12

System Description	     Surface    Volume       Mass      Price      Power
			      in m^2    in m^3  in tonnes     in MCr      in MW

Hull, 400-ton Rate
  Cyl AF, SuperDense, L=44   1320+    5600+
  Plating, AV=10	                12.25     183.86       0.34
  Structure, GMax=1	                 0.04      14.14       0.01
Jump-2 (475-t) 498.75 m^3/pc   66.5    199.5      598.5       59.85
Controls (TL-12) DynLinked               0.56       0.56       0.6       0.4
  7xWorkstations	                49.0        1.4        0.0105
Avionics, TL-10+	                 0.001      0.001      0.25      0.1
NavAids, TL-10+		                 0.001      0.001      0.0025    0.01
Computers, 3xMod/12, Mult=0.35          24.0        4.8        9.0       1.2
1000AU Maser		        1.0      0.1        0.2        0.18      0.6
1-hex Radio		       10.0      0.01       0.02       0.03      1.0
3000km AEMS		        3.2      1.6        3.2        3.2       8.0
2-hes PEMS, antenna, L=5        2.0      0.1        0.1        0.1
            processor	                 0.6        1.2        1.2       0.06
2x3-ton Turret Sockets	       20.0     84.0                   0.01      6.6
Fusion Reactor, 51 m^3/yr              170.0      680.0       34.0     340+
Maneuver Drive, 59.375 m^3/hr  23.75    23.75      23.75       0.2375  237.5
Fuel Scoops, 160 m^3/hr	      132.0                            0.42
Grapple, 10-t Cyl AF 14m      196.0     70.0       70.0        0.21
FPP, 1969.82 m^3/12hr	               393.96     787.93       0.16      5.91
4xLarge Cargo Hatches	       80.0                            0.08
Contra-Grav, TL-12 Hi-Eff     149.6    138.0       92.0       13.8      46.0
4xAirlocks		        8.0     12.0        0.4        0.02      0.004
Extended Life Support	                44.8       44.8        2.8      28.0
14xSmall Staterooms	               392.0       28.0        0.56      0.007
4xLarge Staterooms	               224.0       16.0        0.4       0.004
13xLow Berths		               182.0       13.0        0.65      0.013
Cargo			              1551.008   1551.008
Fuel			              1969.82     137.8874

TOTALS			     [CHECK]  [CHECK]    4364.7574   126.9705  [CHECK]
			                         Maint=204

Range and Performance

Cargo: 	1551.008 m^3 (110.78 tons standard), 244.608 m^3 more than Type R.
	This is 17.5 tons standard *more* than the FF&S Type R.

Range:	2 Parsec, 15.5 G-Hours, and 1 standard year
	1 Parsec, 23.5 G-Hours, and 1 standard year
	In-System 32.0 G-Hours, and 1 standard year

Mods:	A maximum-cargo model (classified as Type R21) is available as a
	special-order from several shipyards.  Using the higher efficency of
	the J-2 drives, this version increases the available cargo space.  A
	total of 529.445 m^3 of fuel tankage is converted to cargo space,
	and the maximum performace becomes 1 parsec and 15 G-Hours.  Since
	this modification retains the R2's drives, 75-ton drop tanks can
	still be carried at no performance or cargo penalty.  This increases
	the total cargo to 2080.453 m^2 (148.6 tons).



Optional "Drop" Tanks
Hull, 75-ton Rate
  Cyl AF, Composite Laminate          1050+
  Plating, AV=10	                11.44      91.54       0.1830
  Structure, GMax=1	                 5.28      42.24       0.0422
Fuel			              1033.28      72.3296

TOTALS			              [CHECK]      [CHECK]     0.2252


Range and Performance with Drop Tanks

Cargo:	No Change

Range:	6 Parsec, 2.5 G-Hours, and 1 standard year (maximum range)
	5 Parsec, 7.5 G-Hours, and 1 standard year (J5 crossing)
	2 Parsec, 32.5 G-Hours, and 1 standard year (deep gravity well)
	In-System 49.5 G-Hours, and 1 standard year

Note:	Jump Drive, Maneuver Drive, and Contra-Grav are sized for the ship
	plus drop tanks.  There is no performance penalty for carrying the
	tanks, and they do not have to be shed before jump.



Comment about merchant operations: From a quick perusal of the relevant
rules in T:TNE, it appears that successful operations to and from a world's
surface can be carried out on about 2 G-Hours of fuel (1 G-Hour each way).
If we assume that a reasonable allowance for stellar and planetary orbital
motion is 2d6 G-Turns (2d6/2 G-Hours), then the 7.5 G-Hour fuel allowance
for the J5 crossing is tight but doable.  Performed as 2xJ2 and 1xJ1, such a
crossing would be time-consuming when compared to a J-3 or J-5 ship, but not
at least full cargo capacity is retained.  For more routine operations, a 12
to 15 G-Hour maneuver reserve was assumed to be standard procedure.



wildstar@quark.qrc.com
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In the Far Future

------------------------------
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by the University of
Western Ontario. All opinions and materials below are the responsibility
of the originator.

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

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 532  6578 10-Jan-1994 Joe Heck         Re: TML nightly: Msgs 6571-6574 V66#19
 532  6579 10-Jan-1994 Joe Heck         FFS << >A few comments:
 532  6580 10-Jan-1994 Steve Gibbons    Merc Battalion << Thanks to everyone wh
 532  6581 10-Jan-1994 Britta B. Damwi  X-Ray lasers << Hi ho!
 532  6582 10-Jan-1994 Britta B. Damwi  Robots & Tech level advances << Anthony
 532  6583 10-Jan-1994 Bruce E Johnson  re: Tech Level Advancements <<  Anthony
 532  6584 11-Jan-1994 pihlab@cbr.hhcs  Technology & incremental improvements <
 532  6585 10-Jan-1994 Mark Urbin       A 11.43x23mm pistol design using FF&S <
 532  6586 10-Jan-1994 Mark Urbin       FF&S self propelled Grenade design ques
 532  6587 11-Jan-1994 tom@csvax1.ucc.  Link between income and TL rise << A kn
 532  6588 11-Jan-1994 Goldman of Chao  << Graham Spearing  said the following:

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

Bundle: 532
Archive-Message-Number: 6578
Date:         Mon, 10 Jan 94 08:31:04 CST
From: Joe Heck <CCJOE@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject:      Re: TML nightly: Msgs 6571-6574 V66#19

On Sun, 09 Jan 94 20:30:03 EST you said:
>In the case of future Tech Level advancements on technology, how should I
>deal with the miniaturization issue? For certain, we have seen advances in
>our lifetimes of epic proportions in computer hardware and even common
>domestic equipment. I Just received a Discman CD player for Christmas, that
>has even more features than my previous CD player (Which was the size of
>your typical stereo component) and is the size of two and a half CD cases
>stacked on top of one another... Quite a reduction in size, and we haven't
>even advanced a Tech Level!! ;->
>
>So I have been thinking if maybe we should have a formula for this. One of
>the more sensible formulae that I have come up with over christmas has been
>this ...
>
>                           Introduction Tech Level Attribute Value
>Modified Attribute Value = ---------------------------------------------------
>                               (Current Tech Level - Introduction Tech Level)
>							 10
>
>     This seems to work in one instance I can cite - the infamous TL 11 Hand
>computer. It says that it has a volume of 0.2 litres. Cool. Now, taking into
>account the modifications expressed in the Starship Computer Tables in the
>Referee's Manual, we have a value of 200 kl at TL 5 (or 200,000 litres) and
>a weight of 50 t at TL 5 (or 50,000 kg). Now, applying the formula, we come
>up with:
>
>              200,000 l      200,000 l
>	  0.2 l = ---------   = -----------
>				(11 - 5)          6
>              10                10
>
>               50,000 kg     50,000 kg
>	 0.05 kg = ----------  = ----------
>                 (11 - 5)          6
>               10                10
>
>
>   Now, there is a whoops there. The mass is supposed to be 0.5 kg, not
>0.05.  However, this could be due to the resident battery pack, which is by
>far the most heavy piece of the device. As for the pricing of the computer,
>I don't have a contingency as of yet. Now, The rule seems pretty reasonable
>to me for physical aspects of equipment, but I'd like to know what you all
>think of it.

The basic formula seems to work quite nicely, with a problem from the
published rules - the computers don't decrease in size consistently through
the TL's, and are assumed to include 'synaptic processing'. When I created
the rules for the laptop and desktop comp's for my game, I just incremented
the TL and based the sizes, prices, etc off the published equivilants. For
example, the desktop/laptop models are 2 TL's behind the 'standard' comps
and the handheld's are 4 TL's behind the 'standard's. I made some allowances
for 'flight' versions of desktops - which essentially become laptops.

> This, in keeping with the idea that the robot rules should meld with the
>computer rules, makes it possible to construct a Hand Held Tl 11 Mod/1
>computer with the proper number of CPU modules and Storage modules. In fact,
>this brings the question forward of what are the module requirements for
>each of the models of computers. I haven't bothered with the idea of how
>much memory should reside in a Storage module as of yet. The various real
>world/Traveller Computer correspondences are necessary, and I will have to
>do some research on the various "most advanced computers" of the times.
>Don't ask me about the Control Points thing... 8-(

Anthony, I think you're really shooting yourself in the head trying to keep
the Traveller computers close to Real-World (tm) values. This is something
that's been 'broken' for a long time, and they've not gone back and
re-worked it to match. The component pieces for robots, etc are great - but
as soon as you try to match it to real-world data, you're going to have more
agruments than ever over 'how things work'. To give an example - Scott 2G
Kellogg had come up with some comments a while about about thin-film diamond
processing and the possible effects it might have on computer technology. It
was really something! (Although I don't remember all the details).

I'm not saying 'don't develop the components' rules, but rather just don't
match them too closely to the real-world. Even Book 8 didn't try to match
them all up, and simply relied on a table of 'skill X requires 3 storage
points' per level of skill.

BTW - I like the component conversions!

 joe                          University of Missouri - Columbia
 ccjoe@mizzou1.missouri.edu   (314) 882-5000

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

Bundle: 532
Archive-Message-Number: 6579
Date:         Mon, 10 Jan 94 09:12:46 CST
From: Joe Heck <CCJOE@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject:      FFS

>A few comments:
>     1)  Still no editting being done.  Typos all through the product.

There are some definite problems with layout, but I don't think that 'typos
all through the product' is an accurate description. The largest problem I
had with the book was some formulas are clearly stated and some are embedded
into the text. It can make things very difficult sometimes. :)

>     2)  Only one noticable problem in the starship rules - the
>"Subspace" rules give a method for computing "subspace velocity", but
>doesn't bother to provide clues as to what units the velocity so
>generated has.  Parsecs per day?  Parsecs per hour?  Furlongs per
>fortnight?  Feet per Candle-Inch?

A little bit of errata that Susan posting somewhere had the V representing
parsec's per hour. I understand she's working on a subspace ship just to see
how it works out. There's also errata concerning the multiplication for ship
combat. The reference in the same section to x200 should be x50.

>     3)  Who managed to hose up the small arms design rules?  I notice
>after only a few minutes of study that the most accurate round for a
>given barrel length is a large caliber pistol (straight case) round.
>This does not match reality very well.  I also notice that the lower the
>muzzle energy, the more inherently accurate the round is.  Very odd.

Could you post your obvious errors? Derek Wildstar and the GDW-beta kinda
folks actually posted some designs that came out -very- close to the real
thing. Although I'd defer to him, I think his biggest complaint was that the
weapons came out heavy when you got into the high-power range. If you've
come up with more obvious errors, I'd like to see them - maybe work up some
fix.

>     5)  In the Gauss weapon section, I notice that the rule for
>determining projectile mass produces reasonable numbers as long as the
>caliber is 5mm or less.  By the time you get up to 20mm (the limits that
>the rules apply to), you are firing something shaped rather like a
>hockey-puck out of your gauss weapon.

I believe that's perfectly reasonable. The Gauss weapons in CT and MT where
set at 4mm. What's the problem here?

>     6)  No rules for something like a Gyrojet or the old 10mm ARL.
>This can be fixed by using the rules for large rockets and scaling down,
>if necessary, but this is really no more accurate than using the
>artillery rules, scaled down, for handguns...

Unfortunate, but true. Derek Wildstar and John Bogan both made some yelping
regarding this lack of design sequence.

>On to the good (or not so bad) things:
> [...]
>     2)  The fusion rocket STILL has performance much better than
>reality.  But it no longer has an FTL exhaust, so it doesn't just blow
>my suspension of disbelief away like it used to.  Looks like it will be
>the drive of choice for warships, since it allows for a lot more delta-V
>than the Heplar does, even with the larger size of the fusion rocket
>taken into account.

Isn't this supposed to be part of the 'good things' list? They say straight
out (as much as anything is straight out) that the Fusion rockets and HELPaR
rockets don't match reality, and that if you're interested in being a
reality bug, stick to the ramjets & rockets.

>Oh yeah!  The Heplar (insert caps where approriate - I don't remember
>where they belong) drive description includes a pretty neat bit of
>misdirection.  It states (more or less) that the exhaust is not
>especially harmful because it isn't radioactive.  Well, that makes the
>Heplar a REALLY HUGE PLASMA GUN, as opposed to the REALLY HUGE FUSION
>GUN I originally thought it was.  It'll still trash a city quite
>handily....

Yet another bit of oddness. I don't know why they went to HEPLaR as opposed
to gravitics - but the TL15 grav vehicles are using them for thrust in the
atmosphere. Yep - a plasma gun it is, but If you think of it, this has been
been an aspect of SF for a long, long time - as well as beaten to death on
this list the same amount of time. :)

 joe                          University of Missouri - Columbia
 ccjoe@mizzou1.missouri.edu   (314) 882-5000

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

Bundle: 532
Archive-Message-Number: 6580
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1994 12:50:14 MST
From: Steve Gibbons <steve@nereid.sunquest.com>
Reply-To: steve@sunquest.com
Subject: Merc Battalion

Thanks to everyone who responded.  :)

I'll post the designs here sometime within the next week or so, after I fiddle
with the support-craft designs some more.

- --
Steve

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

Bundle: 532
Archive-Message-Number: 6581
From: bdamwitz@lonestar.utsa.edu (Britta B. Damwitz   )
Subject: X-Ray lasers
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 94 15:12:47 CST

Hi ho!

Greetings all, found something interesting here.

Tomorrow morning I start graduate classes in MEdical Physics, so, I
was starting to peruse the books.  Radiation Biology.  (neat stuff)
The first few pages included one particular fact that has kinda blown
my mind in regard to Traveller.

LD50 (a dose of radiation that will be fatal to 50% of a population)
is 4 Gray, that is, four joules of radiation per kilo.  My text goes
on to say that the equivalent energy of this in heat is 67 calories.
(Not the diet Kilocalories, but calories)  Which is about the amount
of heat your body would pick up from a sip of hot coffee.

Now, consider our X-ray lasers.  I know in TNE the lasers are no longer
x-ray lasers, but lets think about them anyway.  Ok, now these lasers
do their damage primarily by hitting the target and causing severe burns
through heat.  (Flash heating tissue to steam, vaporizing bone... etc)

Ok, now if the heat of one sip of coffee is the deadly mark, imagine
how much energy is in the x-ray beam that can cause the kind of damage
we are supposed to expect of an x-ray laser rifle.  I'd imagine it
would be many thousands of times LD50.

No wonder GDW got rid of hand held x-ray lasers!

But we still have the detonation x-ray lasers.  Well, with such a piddling
amount of energy being deadly, and the det-lasers ability to chew through
coherant superdense armor, consider what it could do to the humble human
frame.  By my guess, the X-ray laser should cause some SEVERE radiation
casualties.  Perhaps we better go back to the Imperial "No Nukes" laws.

As to particle accelerators...  If only a TINY amount of radiation leaks
through your hull armor.  Boy are you dead in one big hurry.

Scott 2G Kellogg
- --
"We are Space Guys.  We know what we are doing."  -- The Space Guys
                                       (Guys in Space) D. Pinkwater


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

Bundle: 532
Archive-Message-Number: 6582
From: bdamwitz@lonestar.utsa.edu (Britta B. Damwitz   )
Subject: Robots & Tech level advances
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 94 16:09:26 CST

Anthony Neal sez:
> In the midst of sorting my thoughts out about the Computer Thingy, I have
> come to a question that I have been skirting around for a while. In
> the case of
> future Tech Level advancements on technology, how should I deal with the
> miniaturization issue? For certain, we have seen advances in our lifetimes
> of epic proportions in computer hardware and even common domestic equipment.

I think that one of the basic assumptions in a lot of Trav's technology
is something along the lines that objects remain about the same size, but
their capabilities increase with advancing tech level.

Why?  Well, a TL 15 hand computer with the same capabilities COULD Be made
as a bulkier TL 11 hand computer.  And indeed it could be made a lot smaller.
But one thing that won't change is the hand that operates it.  The person
using the TL 15 computer still needs it to be big enough so he can hit the
keys (or jack in or whatever)  Basically, things have an optimal size.
As you go higher in tech you still have to retain that size, but you can
pack MORE capabilities in there.

Of course this only holds for hand held technology really.  But if you
look at other Traveller technology, it holds out across the board.  No one
wants to worry about items that take up a lot less volume than a single
liter.  (.001 M^3)  Anything smaller than that might prove a pain to
replace.  (Imagine fitting your hand under the hood of a Japanese car to
get at the oil filter and you get the picture)

I remember something similar coming up with Bertil's hand gun designs.
Ordinarily, you needed a certain weight of hand gun to keep recoil
under control.  He found that at TL 14-15, the superdense barrel and
trigger mechanisms of his gun weighed in at less than the optimal weight.
Solution?  He put lead in the handles to make it weigh more!

> This would yield advances in the size of Robot Brain components also.
> The
> idea that Linear CPU's, for instance, do not change in size from one
> tech level
> to another is simply ludicrous! The Linear CPU and Storage Module
> would have the following stats at TL 11:

Ah!  But you're forgetting something!  If you build one brain at TL11,
and another brain at TL 12 using identical components, the TL 12 brain
will get a +1 to its apparant intelligence that the TL 11 brain won't
have.

As to storage medium, you are right!  The 'standard' storage components and
'synaptic' too remain the same capacity and so forth all across tech levels.
10 storage units will have an education of 1 no matter what TL you're at.
:-(

> I eventually want to be able to extend these rules to the handling of
> hardware add-ons. I kinda like the idea of actual computer construction rules.
> I'm working in that direction.

Sounds good!  I'd like to see 'em.

Scott 2G Kellogg
- --
"We are Space Guys.  We know what we are doing."  -- The Space Guys
                                       (Guys in Space) D. Pinkwater


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

Bundle: 532
Archive-Message-Number: 6583
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1994 16:31:37 -0700 (MST)
From: Bruce E Johnson <bej@gas.uug.arizona.edu>
Subject: re: Tech Level Advancements

	Anthony writes:
>...Quite a reduction in size, and we haven't even advanced a Tech level!!
	(talking about CD players in specific, and computer and electronic
technology in general)

	Well, to get picky, you CD player analogy is off a bit...if you
look inside a tabletop CD player, most of it is either empty space, or
power supply.  The actual electronics and mechanism are generally much
closer in size to your Discman.  Of course, Sony has made a long corporate
history of miniturizing things.

	However, some of the stuff can't go down.  Recall, for instance
your "Infamous"  model hand computer, that at Tl11 is 0.5 kg, vs 50,000
at Tl5. Much of the weight is in things that cannot be reduced, like
keyboards, and readable screens, or at least touchpad areas large enough
to be useable. This limit has already been reached in our day and age...we
can make computers that'll fit in a matchbook (AMD has a complete "XT on a
chip"- all you add is memory and a battery, and the various connectors)
The problem, as many companies have found when marketing them, is that
humans have not miniturized well enough to keep pace, our fingers are
still those comparatively pudgy things that get in each other's way when
typing on a small keyboard (or like mine...when typing on a normal
keyboard ;-).  So size will not continue to go down...I suspect that in
truth, size will hit a certain plateau, while function continues to go up.

	Besides, a 100 mg robot brain (a true peabrain!!) is pretty
ludicrous...the miniturization required there pushes stuff way beyond
physical limits.  At that complexity/size ratio, you can't use electrons;
they'll just tunnel around rather than stay in their appointed circuits.
Photons would have similar problems. And biology, well, biology does
pretty well at brains that size, but I'd be scared to let something with
the brainpower of a pigeon control anything!

	Maybe I hit upon the answer earlier...use something like a
complexity/size ratio rather than size alone.

	Of course if Cadillacs followed the same technology/pricing that
computers have, they'd cost about $0.05 apiece (in quantity, more on
carriers for suitable surface mounting :), and be 1/4" in size!

	Bruce Johnson
	The University of Arizona
	bej@gas.uug.arizona.edu play
	johnson@tonic.pharm.arizona.edu work

	My opininons, Mine, Mine, all Mine!  Bwahahahaha!




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

Bundle: 532
Archive-Message-Number: 6584
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 1994 10:34:59 +1000
From: pihlab@cbr.hhcs.gov.au
Subject: Technology & incremental improvements


                  I N T E R O F F I C E   M E M O R A N D U M

                                        Date Sent:1994-Jan-11 10:34am
                                        From:     Bruce Pihlamae
                                                  PIHLAMAE BRUCE
                                        Dept:     Information Services
                                        Tel No:   (06) 289-7056

TO:  Remote Addressee                     ( _traveller@engrg.uwo.ca )


Subject: Technology & incremental improvements


    TNE provides an reasonable list of technology levels and equipment
    available; with size and cost, etc

    However, once you have technology X it is assumed to be static in
    characteristics until the next technology jump (to Y) occurs.

    TNE doesn't show it but I believe there should be scope in the game
    for incremental improvements.  These improvements (or MARK numbers)
    may infact improve a tech level X object (to MARK 22 say) that actually
    outperforms a tech level X+1 object (at MARK 1).  Of course the cost
    of the incremental improvements would eventually become more than the
    cost of the X+1 technology.  You could take a tech level to MARK 99
    but at some point it becomes more cost effective to take the tech
    level rise ... always assuming you know how to upgrade to the next
    tech level.  It is usually cheaper to retool a factory to build the
    next MARK level rather than retool for the next tech level.  Imagine
    running into a society thats been stuck at tech level 10 for 100's of
    years but have refined their weapons to be as effective as tech level
    12 or 13.

    How effective the MARK increments are would need to be determined
    and how many MARK levels are technically possible for an item for a
    tech level would need to be set.  You might want to allow for
    10 MARK increments between tech levels so a tech X MARK 10 would
    perform like a tech X+1 MARK 1; and allow for 1 to 25 MARKs as the
    maximum range developable.  A tech X MARK 21 item may be enormous
    and expensive and look nothing like a tech X+1 MARK 1 item but it
    could do the same function.

    The MARK levels would allow for different vendors to push the
    advantages of their new releases etc.

    The only example of this that comes to mind is how the Russians
    continued refining and using valves rather than switching to
    transisitors (and silicon?) as quickly as the USA.  I'm not big
    on electronics so I'm not sure if this is a good example but it
    was something that came up a while ago in a tech talk with friends.

    I assume that FF&S don't have anything like MARK increments within
    tech levels?

    I haven't done any vehicle/item building but from looking at the
    small arms and weapons there doesn't seem to be much scope for
    variation.  However, the recent computer discussion might want to
    consider incremental computer improvements to account for size and
    function variations.  The example of the DiscMan CD player being as
    function rich as the stereo version might be explained this way.

    Comments?

    Bruce...      pihlab@cbr.hhcs.gov.au



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

Bundle: 532
Archive-Message-Number: 6585
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1994 21:43:08 -0500
From: mju@wd40.ftp.com (Mark Urbin)
Subject: A 11.43x23mm pistol design using FF&S


Built using FF&S
TL 8 11.42x23mm (.45 ACP) stright ammo & semiautomatic pistol

Cartridge weights 19gms and costs Cr0.38 per round.
HE rounds cost Cr0.76 each.

Components:
 8cm light barrel                               0.16 Kg
 Light self loading reciever                    1.04 Kg
 Hollow Pistol Grip                             0.10 Kg
 Grip Magazine (holds 12 rounds)                0.18 Kg
 Laser sight                                    1.00 Kg
 Muzzle Brake (4cm)                             0.20 Kg
 Flash Suppessor (4cm)                          0.04 Kg

cost unloaded = Cr 720.42
Weight unloaded = 2.72 Kg
Weight loaded   = 2.95 Kg
Bulk = 3
Damage = 2
Penetration = 1- Nil
Recoil = 2
Short range = 13m

                                        Recoil
ROF     Dam     Pen     Blk     Mag     SS  Brst        Rng
SA       2      1-Nil    3       12      2   -          13

 Now compare this to the Colt M1911A1 out of GDW's `Infantry Weapons of
the World'.

Ammo: .45 ACP
Wt: 1.4 Kg
Grip Magazine: 7 rounds
Price: $100
                                        Recoil
ROF     Dam     Pen     Blk     Mag     SS  Brst        Rng
SA       2      Nil      1       7       3   -          12


Design notes:  The laser sight is on the FF&S version for two reasons.  One
is to have the targeting advantage.  The other is the added weight.  With
out it, Recoil jumps to 3.
The FF&S version is twice the weight, but carries 5 more rounds, has a
recoil of 2, rather than 3.  It does the same damage with a slightly better
range.  The combination of Laser sight, lower recoil and larger magazine
allow for more accurate substained fire.

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Urbin -- ftp Software, Inc.  North Andover, MA  These opinions are mine.
Ense Petit Placidam Sub Libertate Quietem -- By the sword we seek peace,
but peace only under liberty - Motto of the Massachusetts Commonweath
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Bundle: 532
Archive-Message-Number: 6586
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1994 21:57:02 -0500
From: mju@wd40.ftp.com (Mark Urbin)
Subject: FF&S self propelled Grenade design question...


I was reading through the munitions section last night.  I wanted to design
a light grenade launcher (for attachment to a rifle) and some grenades for
it.  I seem to be missing something in the design of the grenade.  The text
is not clear on self propelled grenade design (at least to me).
  Could someone please post or email a sample design sequence for a self
propelled grenade.  A medium velocity 20mm for example.

					Thanks!

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  \      oo    				Mark Urbin  mju@ftp.com
   \____|\mm   "Vouf, Vouf!"		These opinions are mine, no one
   // //\ \_\  "Good Dog!"		will claim them...
  /K-9/  \/_/  "Put down the Gauss pistols!"
 /___/_____\   				
 ----------- 	  Where am I going and what am I doing in this handbasket?
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Bundle: 532
Archive-Message-Number: 6587
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 1994 12:51:26 BST
From: tom@csvax1.ucc.ie
Subject: Link between income and TL rise

A known phenomenon in the various incarnations of Traveller is that high-
technology goods often increase vastly in cost with each TL rise while income
does not. This leads to peculiar artifacts of the system such as in High Guard
TL15 starships are so expensive that not enough of them can be bought to
overcome greater numbers of lower TL designs of equal cost (I think I remember
this referred to). Also in many cases the utility of the high-tech device does
not justify the cost. The extreme here is the TNE plasma rifle, which requires
ammunition, is short-ranged, guaranteed to give away the firer's position, and
in general inferior to an auto-grenade launcher, which happens to be much
cheaper ( The old main advantage of the man-portable fusion/plasma guns was that
apart from the prototype they had infinite ammunition, and that is now no
longer the case).

There is a case to be made that high tech-level civilizations should be very
rich compared to lower TL ones, apart from any details of exchange rates. In
this case the high costs are affordable and the equipment is seen as being the
minimum standard (while lower-tech equipment is seen as cheap, shoddy and of
course old-fashioned.) Massive automation and computerisation at all levels
would make the average TL15 individual richer than the richest TL8 individual
in terms of comfort and lifestyle(much as the average TL8 individual is better
off than the richest TL3/4 one). The income of people with equivalent jobs
would increase significantly at each TL.

This is not a traditional Traveller idea, and it would change the old Imperium
background in interesting ways (this is not hugely relevant to TNE except in
the Regency and the most advanced of the pocket empires). If high-tech planets
are comfortable and rich their inhabitants will not want to leave them for
barbarian(as they see them) planets, as they would have too much to
lose(extended lifespans amongst them). High-tech cultures will probably have
zero population growth, which makes colonisation difficult. Also, colonists
have historically been those with little or nothing to lose, such as the poor,
refugees, and dissidents; adventuring types have been a very small fraction.
High-tech planets would use resources prolifigately, even assuming recycling,
and would probably have to import raw materials from other systems. These raw
materials would come from poorer worlds who would probably not be paid much for
them. This could produce a rich country-poor country divide, much as is
becoming visible in the Northern/Southern hemisphere divide today.

I can see it now, stolid TL8 barbarians fighting against the effete high-tech
invaders who are attempting to replace the legitimate government with a puppet
regime, so that they can siphon off the planet's valuable natural resources at
way under a fair price. Thanks to TNE they have the benefit of superior TL8
weaponry over the invaders ineffective laser weapons and plasma rifles. Down
with the evil RCES........  oops, sorry, got carried away there :-)

  Tom O'Neill  |   Tom@CSVAX1.UCC.IE        SCCS6085@IRUCCVAX.UCC.IE
- ---------------!--------------------------------------------------------------
                    Fact is stranger than fiction

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

Bundle: 532
Archive-Message-Number: 6588
Subject:
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 94 10:38:25 GMT+4474076:08
From: goldman@orac.cray.com (Goldman of Chaos -- postmaster CRI-US)
Reply-To: goldman@orac.cray.com

Graham Spearing  said the following:
>
> Once upon a time...

[biblical like text deleted for space]

So what are the signs of the second coming of Strephon?

Is Lucan the Anti-Strephon?

Wait!  I finally have some more weird ideas:

	Judiasiam   == People who only play Clasic Traveller
	Christanity == People who play only CT and MegaTraveller
	Islam       == people who have embraced TNE?

and

	CT  == Old Testament
	MT  == New Testament
	TND == Koran

Okay, I'll climb back into my Morrow Team Bolt Hole (tm) and
set the sleep-sleep machine for 'long time'.  You can put down
the muskets. :-)

Matt

- --
Matthew Goldman  E-mail: goldman@orac.cray.com Work: (612) 683-3061

My day today? Nothing major, just Xenon base gone, Scorpio gone,
Tarrant dead, Tarrant alive and then I found out Blake sold us out.

------------------------------
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by the University of
Western Ontario. All opinions and materials below are the responsibility
of the originator.

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

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 533  6589 11-Jan-1994 James Buckley    player survey approach to scenario sele
 533  6590 11-Jan-1994 Anton Karridian  Getting in and out of the Regency <<
 533  6591 11-Jan-1994 RJR96326@vax1.u  X-ray death << I posted Scott's bit abo
 533  6592 11-Jan-1994 Mark Urbin       I need to be more careful and double ch
 533  6593 12-Jan-1994 Joe Heck         Economics - how many ships are in port?
 533  6594 12-Jan-1994 kenhagler@aol.c  TNE vehicle design << Here's another ve
 533  6595 12-Jan-1994 kenhagler@aol.c  TNE vehicle design << Here's another ve
 533  6596 12-Jan-1994 kspangler@aol.c  Archive list << James Perkins, can I ge
 533  6597 12-Jan-1994 "Susan M. Shock  Questions << Does anyone know anything
 533  6598 13-Jan-1994 Derek Wildstar   Traveller Campaign Survey << Last call
 533  6599 13-Jan-1994 psualum@aol.com  Campaign Suggestion << >I'm running a l
 533  6600 13-Jan-1994 kirschj@rhea.in  Fire, Fusion, & Steel << Hello fellow T
 533  6601 13-Jan-1994 c_hamilton%W036  To Hit vs. Size << This post references

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

Bundle: 533
Archive-Message-Number: 6589
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 94 08:54:33 -0800
From: James Buckley <hal9000@u.washington.edu>
Subject: player survey approach to scenario selection


A friend of mine doesn't have direct access to the Net, so he has asked me
to post his messages for him here.  As he is my Traveller Referee, I gladly
agreed (I don't want him to unleash the alien from the movie Alien on me
just yet).  His name is Roger Sanger.  Here is his first message:

                                                                         JB

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

Hi, my name is Roger Sanger.

I love this "mailing list" concept.  Pen pals galore.  More Travellers to
ramble to!

I've been playing Traveller and several other RPG's on and off for the past
12 years.

Of all of the approaches to running a campaign, I've found the following to
be the most enjoyable and least frustrating:

Simply wait until a campaign is fully developed (or at least extensively
developed) by the publishers before you start running it.  That is, I
purchase each "module" as they come out, but don't start reffing a
particular campaign until there is sufficient background material.

A slant on this approach is to collect the entirety of a (large) campaign /
game system which has already run its course.

The pros and cons (as they occur to me):

Con:  Waiting can be hard for the impatient.
Pro:  Less development work for the ref.
Pro:  You don't have to worry as much about published materials obsoleting
      your custom changes to the campaign.
Con:  Your "investment" lies dormant.
Con:  Expensive if you try to collect everything at once.
Con:  Many veteran Traveller players have already run through the
      older adventures.
Pro:  There are lots of role-players unfamiliar with Traveller

This approach occurred to me when running TSR's World of Greyhawk (fantasy
setting).  I couldn't use much of the published material because I had by
necessity already developed much of the Flanaess -- I pretty much allow the
players to go wherever they want, and try to stay ahead of them whatever
direction they choose to head off in.  Running Greyhawk was frustrating,
especially when the City of Greyhawk and the Council of Eight (Tenser,
Mordenkainen, Bigby, Otiluke, etc.) were finally described, because they
were nothing like their namesakes in my campaign.  Also, waiting for the
Temple of Elemental Evil to finally come out put a major crimp on the
development of the related regions, especially since I had already run the
Village of Hommlet.  Now that Greyhawk is extensively developed, it
wouldn't be a bad campaign to start up (assuming you could find its now
out-of-print supplements and modules).

I was having the same difficulties in my (Traveller) Spinward Marches
campaign, but on a much larger scale.  Much of the material conflicted with
my custom developments and either had to be discarded or extensively
modified (especially world descriptions and rumors referring to worlds).
Also, it seemed like the material being produced for the game became
available in a mere trickle.

Eventually, for entirely unrelated reasons (reality impeding with its
demands upon my time), I put Traveller aside, and shifted my participation
in RPG's to being a player rather than a ref.  Eventually, this led to a
serendipitous discovery.

Eight years went by...

Recently (about 15 months ago), I started getting involved in Traveller
again.  I began by collecting as much material relating to Traveller as I
possibly could (my collection has just passed the 350-item mark).  Then,
about 6 months ago, after I had collected almost everything pertaining to
the Spinward Marches that was ever printed, I started a classic Traveller
campaign.

I've found this approach to offer a wider range of gaming options, due to
the wider selection of support material that has accumulated over the
years.  A large collection gives you many more options available
at-your-fingertips.  Many more than a fledgling game, for instance.

I started the campaign in the year 1100 Imperial (the very beginning of the
Classic era of the Traveller time line), and have been having a blast
running the various original Traveller adventures (though I use the newer
rules sets, from MegaTraveller and Traveller: New Era).  I have found much
of the background material developed in MegaTraveller (Rebellion era and
Hard Times era) and even much of the material in the New Era products to be
fully applicable to the "classic" era (the time frame of the adventures The
Kinunir, Twilight's Peak, Secret of the Ancients, The Traveller Adventure,
the adventures in DGP's Traveller Digest, etc.), simply because most
Traveller material (whatever-the-era) is written from an historical
approach about things that existed in or prior to the classic era (1100 to
1115).

Most equipment, ship designs, technology explanations, aliens, world
backgrounds, and much material on the inner-workings of the Imperial
bureaucracy and its various agencies, even though written for Meg or NewE
is quite applicable to classic Traveller settings.

I now have so much material to choose from (including literally hundreds of
adventures), that I've tried a new approach I call the "player survey."  It
consists of a set of questions via which the player(s) decide what kind of
scenario and in which kind of setting they would like to game.  I then go
through my collection, find the closest match (or design one), and about 2
to 3 weeks later, run them through it -- most of the time, I can find a
fairly close match.  As I get more of the collection read, I'll be able to
do this on-the-spot.  This process generally takes place simultaneously to
whatever other scenarios are currently being run (I spring the questionaire
on the hapless players during breaks, between sessions, etc.).


====================questionaire for your players=======================

            -----------------------------------------------
            The PLAYER SURVEY METHOD of scenario selection:
            -----------------------------------------------

"I would like to run an experimental adventure and need to know your tastes
and preferences.  I'll try to find the closest match, though the end-result
will likely be quite surprising, regardless of your answers."

  ------------------------ about your character: -----------------------
Would you like Custom characters, Prepared characters, or Special?
     ("Special" means anything the ref wants it to mean).
If your answer is "Custom", answer the following (indented) questions:
     What species and race of character would you like to play?
     What would you like your PC's Strength to be?
     Your PC's Dexterity?
     PC's Endurance?
     PC Intelligence?
     PC Education?
     PC Social Status?  (For group gaming, no higher than B.)
     Your PC's Career?
     How many terms do you want your character to have served?
     How about your PC's apparent (biological/physical) age?
     His/her/it's true (chronological) age?
     Roll 1d6 to determine the number of skill levels your character gets per
        term (1-3=3/term, 4-5=4/term, 6=5/term)
     Choose your skills and divide your skill levels between them
        (no skill is to be higher than level 8, even after Mustering Out).
     Choose your mustering out benefits (or roll them if you desire).
     What is your character's name?
     On a scale of 0 to 5, where 0 is completely biological and 5 is
        completely synthetic, what do you want your character to be?
     Do you want your character to be from the Imperium, from an Imperial
        colony or client state, from a territory allied with the Imperium, or
        from a non-Imperial region?

  ------------------ about your scenario preferences: ------------------
Grade your preferences on the following scales:                  Answer:
     Beginning (1-2) --> Intermediate (3-6) --> Advanced (7-10)  _______
     Human (1) --> Mixed (2-9) --> totally Alien (10)            _______
     Imperial 1 --> Imp Ally 2 --> Neutral 3 --> Imp Enemy 4     _______
     Sane (1) -->  Insane (5)                                    _______
     Non-robotic (0) --> Heavily Robotic (5)                     _______
     Familiar (1) --> Exotic (5)                                 _______
     Low Tech 0 --> High Tech 15                                 _______
     In between adventures 0 --> Starting in the action 1        _______
     Water-based --> Land-based --> Orbital --> Starship-based   _______
     Habitable Environment 1 --> Hostile Environment C           _______
     Peace 0 --> War-torn 5                                      _______
     Low Law 0 --> High Law C --> Oppressive in the Extreme L    _______
     Male-oriented M --> Gender Equality E --> Female oriented F _______
     Uninhabited (0) --> Low population (1) --> High pop (2)     _______
     Inside the Imperium (0) --> Outside the Imperium (1)        _______
     Suggestions for the genre (espionage, cutthroat, piracy,    _______
        mystery, action-adventure, law-enforcement, commando,
        WWII, post-holocaust, Ian Flemming (James Bond-like),
        Frank Herbert (Dune-like), archeological discovery,
        natural distaster, cat-and-mouse, "Psycho", sci-fi horror
        ("Alien", "Life Force", etc.) or "surprise me", etc.

==========================================================================

Well, there you have it.

Caution:  The above survey can cause you a lot of work if you don't have a
large collection to draw upon (because you'll have to design adventures to
fit), or if you haven't read your collection.

Note that the interpretation of several of the scales can overlap or even
contradict each other, depending on the answers chosen.  Thus, another reason
for the emphasis on finding the "closest match."

I've found the survey method of scenario selection to trigger thought about
adventure scenarios in much the same way the UPP (Universal Planetary Profile)
triggers ideas on the make-up of a world.

The use of the survey in my campaign has had some interesting results:

- ---
One player, who chose an "insane, exotic, heavily alien (9),
starship-based, start-in-the-action" scenario, wound up as the human
captain (of Solomani descent) of a ship with a crew of aliens and
minor-race-humans, and an even more bizarre passenger list, with a few
rather exotic pets thrown in.  (The aliens on-board consisted of a potpouri
of published "official" aliens, of both major and minor races, from the
vast array of Traveller products written over the years, along with a dozen
or more aliens of my own design).

The cargo consisted of exotic foods, medical supplies (including drugs),
anagathics, and some weird zoological specimens.  Placed in the Far
Frontiers Sector (two sectors spinward of the Spinward Marches, and thus
out of familiar territory for the player), the ship had just misjumped into
deep space (an empty hex), and had completely short-circuited its
jump-field-grid, yet it had enough fuel for a long sublight journey.  It
would take 130+ years to get back to civilized space, or more depending
upon the duration and degree of acceleration chosen.

The player's character was very old chronologically speaking (102),
and so had already maxed-out on anagathics.  Since he was growing an extra
thumb as a side-effect of his anagathics use, he had to decide between
either dying in deep space (he obviously didn't have that many years left
to live), or go into cold sleep.  He was also faced with the dilemma of
saving the rest of the sophonts on board, and had to (while avoiding a
potential mutiny) determine who got to go into cold sleep, who had to take
anagathics (assuming he broke into the cargo), who had to go into
hybernation (with medical "fast" drugs), and who had to live through it on
meager rations.

To make matters much much worse, there were many idiosyncracies within the
crew members and passengers.  One of the sophonts was a photosynth (i.e.,
he needed light for energy), which had to be taken into account when
considering the conservation of the ship's fuel and use of emergency
lighting.  There were couples or "mated-for-life-pairs" onboard who didn't
want to be seperated, and a passenger who had a symbiotic relationship with
his pet (i.e., he didn't want it sacrificed for food).  There was
bickering/fighting over supplies and equipment, the use of luggage, etc.
And the details went on-and-on.

While taking into account the language-barriers, the cultural differences,
the physiological characteristics (one of the passengers consumed
carbondioxide and produced oxygen when he "breathed"), the racial
prejudices and preferences, the uncertainties (at first, it wasn't even
clear that there were enough resources for them all to survive), and the
personal agendas and conflicts, the player was almost driven out of his
mind.  I however, had a blast.  And I loved his reaction when he came out
of cold sleep and saw how the situation had changed in the intervening
century!  (There were several interesting cross-breeds on board, and one of
the mated pairs had bred like rabbits; fungus had gone rampant, and his
ship was a total wreck)!

- ---
Another scenario inspired by the survey form above where an "exotic,
ship-based" scenario was selected, follows the adventures of a mercantile
captain who raised a litter of Vargr pups from shortly after birth to young
adulthood, giving them his (notably human) culture.  They're his crew.

- ---
The answer "Surprise Me" to the genre suggestion question resulted in my
running "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" on the planet Junidy in the Aramis
subsector of the Spinward Marches. For practical purposes I set the
adventure 50 years in the past (circa 1050 Imperial).  None of the players
escaped, but one came close -- though he sacrificed himself to save the
starport from falling to the pod people and thus saved the Imperium.  In a
future scenario, if the players ever visit Junidy again, they'll see the
giant memorial statue erected in his honor.

Those players of mine that did not participate in that night's session,
have been extremely paranoid that I shall spring the same scenario on them.
This makes it almost impossible for me to run a pod-people adventure with
as much impact (it caught the original group of players completely by
surprise), but I intend to use the atmosphere of paranoia to my advantage
by springing another closely-related movie-based scenario upon them, say
"They Live", or that episode of Star Trek NG where everyone got hypnotized
by a videogame brought back by Riker from his vacation-leave.  Zhodani mass
mind-control is another possibility.  The players' misassumptions could
have an interesting effect on play.

- ---
The survey has also been quite useful in selecting worlds upon which to
adventure.  "Imperial, Orbital, High Population, Heavily-robotic,
High-Tech" describes Glisten to a tee.  The selection "In-the-action,
War-torn, moderately Alien" resulted in a scenario dealing with the
evacuation of the Darrian bread-basket planet Roget, which had been
mysteriously infested with the Chamax Plague.  "Familiar, Imperial,
Mid-Tech, Non-robotic" fits Regina quite well, especially if you use it as
a standard mustering-out location.  Venejen works well as a "moderately
exotic, low-tech" setting, but adds even more playing options when
Adventure 2 is used.

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

Another benefit of an extensively developed game setting is that you can
accomodate just about every combination of players that turn-out to your
gaming sessions.  My campaign typically has 20+ branches going at any given
time, each one accomodating a different combination of the 8 players who
participate in the campaign.  Having hundreds of scenarios available makes
all the difference.

Thus, I've had to keep a "Campaign Roster" listing the combinations of
players and the scenarios currently being played by each.  The roster
includes the names of the players, a title for the scenario, the date that
branch of the campaign started, and where in the Traveller universe it
started.  When the players show up for a session, I simply look up on the
roster the scenarios applicable for the particular assortment of players
present, pick one, and away we go.

Of course, they're not always in the mood for a particular adventure (e.g.,
bug-hunting hordes of little nasties can get old real fast), so I always
have several scenarios in reserve, and can always fall back on the player
survey method.

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

Now that there is a lot of material available for the Traveller game
setting (albeit most of it out-of-print), it gives the referee who has it
more of a feeling that there's "a whole universe out there to explore"
rather than the ominous chore of "there's a whole universe that's supposed
to be out there that I need to create".


                                   Any comments?

                                   Roger Sanger


P.S.:  A comment concerning punctuation:  My peculiar usage of quotes is
on-purpose.  I use for them the same logical rules as pertain to
parentheses.  This is to avoid the ambiguity that can be caused by placing
punctuation marks such as commas, periods, colons, and exclamation points
within a quotation, when they actually belong to the overall sentence and
not the quote itself.  Therefore you'll see such symbols inside and/or
outside the quotation marks, depending upon context.  Simply stated, the
customized grammatical rule followed is:  "Don't include anything within
the quotation marks that is not a part of the quotation!"

Standard quotation punctuation is just a little pet peeve of mine.

 o o
\___/


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

Bundle: 533
Archive-Message-Number: 6590
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 94 09:23:49 -0800
From: Anton Karridian <hal9000@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Getting in and out of the Regency


Uploaded for a friend of mine named Roger Sanger:
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi, Rodge here.

This is in response to Jerry Alexandratos' letter about receding into pocket
empires.

I strongly disagree with your claim about playing New Era in the Regency.
Playing in the Regency is indeed a viable option, and for die-hard Imperium
fans, offers the best environment for roleplaying in the New Era.

As for venturing into the wilds from there, getting into and out of the
Regency is not that hard.  The border blockade is only 6 or 7 systems deep,
and patrolling the deep space (empty hexes) between occupied systems is not
only NOT easy, it is near impossible, meaning that by stockpiling fuel in deep
space, you could easily cross back over into the Regency after leaving it. I
assume black marketeers and pirates do it all the time.  Even the Virus could
use this method, which means that very strict contact protocols would have to
be mandatory throughout the entire Regency.

As for the big picture, of all the interests concerned with reclaiming the
wilds, the Regency by far has the biggest advantage.  It has the necessary
technological base (including some TL 16 worlds) to thwart and weed out the
virus wherever they find it -- they've even been breeding the Virus, mutating
it to serve their needs.

Not only that, but the basis of the Regency is the keeping of the flame, and
the restoration of the Imperium.  To the people of the Regency, the "Imperium"
isn't even considered to be dead.  In a territorial race between the Regency
and the Star Vikings, who do you think would win?  My bet is on the Regency,
its civilization of many billions, and its state-of-the-art fleets.

With the mounds and mounds of materials written for the Spinward Marches, I'm
glad that they didn't blast it out of existence like they did the rest of
developed space.  My campaign is proceeding ahead (circa 1105 in the Spinward
Marches, Foreven, and Far Frontiers sectors) without any undue acceleration --
I doubt if any of the present characters will be alive by the time the New Era
begins.  Heck, I haven't even put them through the Fifth Frontier War yet!
This will give the game developers plenty of time to flesh out the new
campaign enough for me to play it without requiring too much custom
development effort from me.  I've got enough Traveller and MegaTraveller stuff
to last me many years.

So far, I've found 350+ items written for Traveller.  Its going to take me
some time to play them, let alone read them all.

Anyways, when my campaign finally gets to the coming of the Virus, it will be
quite interesting to see how the players respond to Armageddon (sp).  I fully
intend to play it out.

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

Now to cover the issue raised by some about fleeing this message conference:

My attitude is this:  The more Traveller-related conferences the merrier!  I
collect them all anyways.  Adding another script to one's comm program just
ain't that hard.

If you are worried that this conference is waning because the participants are
moving to other conferences, then you are getting too political.  Enjoy this
conference, and make it more enjoyable, and people will flock.

By the way, 442 members ain't bad!


                                    Any comments?

                                    Roger Sanger

  o o
 \___/


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

Bundle: 533
Archive-Message-Number: 6591
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 1994 18:13:28 -0600 (CST)
From: RJR96326@vax1.utulsa.edu
Subject: X-ray death

I posted Scott's bit about radiation levels from X-ray lasers to the
GURPS list and got the response (paraphrased) that while that radiation
damage may kill you, it'll take time. Guns are supposed to make you die
RIGHT NOW. So while the X-rayted guns may pump massive radiation out, it
won't mater since you're already dead. The wounded, I imagine, can get some
sort of treatment - don't things like cellular regeneraton come into play
about the same time?


J Roberson

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

Bundle: 533
Archive-Message-Number: 6592
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 1994 22:21:33 -0500
From: mju@wd40.ftp.com (Mark Urbin)
Subject: I need to be more careful and double check my work...


The Bulk for the 11.43x23mm pistol I posted should be 1, not 3.  I should
start doing my designs in the daylight hours....


- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  \      oo    				Mark Urbin  mju@ftp.com
   \____|\mm   "Vouf, Vouf!"		These opinions are mine, no one
   // //\ \_\  "Good Dog!"		will claim them...
  /K-9/  \/_/  "Put down the Gauss pistols!"
 /___/_____\   				
 ----------- 	  Where am I going and what am I doing in this handbasket?
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Bundle: 533
Archive-Message-Number: 6593
Date:         Wed, 12 Jan 94 12:09:34 CST
From: Joe Heck <CCJOE@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject:      Economics - how many ships are in port?

I was the post regarding TL vs Income, and one of the biggest things I
always had a difficult time with was describing exactly _how_ economics
worked in the Imperium. I think there was something a year or two back on
how economics worked - mostly for income & ships for the planets in a TCS
game - but here's what I've worked up.

Now... these are all guesstimates, but seem to work for realities sake in
my game.

For the number of Naval ships in/around a planet, multiply the population
code by the trade # (the table in Traveller that rates exchange rates -
TL15, Starport A = 1). Some examples of this calc: Jenghe (Spinward Marches)
would have 4 naval ships, Regina: 8, Efate: 10. For naval ships - I had in
mind something along the lines of a TypeT patrol ship or SDB.

The number of merchanter's in port / orbiting at any given time is given by
the same calc (Pop Code x Exchange Rate) x (6+1d6-1d6). This gives a range
of the same number of Naval ships to 35x the number of naval ships.

I'm sure someone else has similiar ideas... anyone?

 joe                          University of Missouri - Columbia
 ccjoe@mizzou1.missouri.edu   (314) 882-5000

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

Bundle: 533
Archive-Message-Number: 6594
From: kenhagler@aol.com
Reply-To: <kenhagler@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 94 16:17:09 EST
Subject: TNE vehicle design

Here's another vehicle design done with FF&S.

                    Lancaster Aerospace 350gsc

Tech Level: 12 (TL13 reactor)
Price:  Cr4,182,455
Size:   28 kiloliters displacement = 2 tons (MC)
Weight: 23.9 tonnes empty, 24.2 tonnes loaded
Power:  9.3 MW fusion reactor
Propulsion: thruster plates producing 240 tons of thrust)
Maint:  5
Controls:   1 Model 12Fb flight computer, dynamic linked controls, TL10
    flight avionics, TL12 terrain-following avionics
Commo:  300-km radio
Sensors:    30-km Active EMS
Life Support:   Basic life support, G compensators
Load:   .16 tonnes
Crew:   1
Passengers: 1

Travel Move:    15,000/960
Combat Move:    695/22
Fuel Capacity:  enough LHyd for one year

Combat Statistics
Config: no turret       HF: 1
Susp: G                 HS: 1
                        HR: 1
Deck: 1                 Belly: 1


Comments: A product of the Alliance Free Trade Agreement, this grav car
is built on Neubayern, but depends on a New Home fusion reactor for
power. The 350gsc's thruster plates are far more powerful than they
really need to be--the extra power makes this car well suited to perform
fancy maneuvers in crowded terrain. It's basically a grav equivalent of
the aircraft used for pylon races on Earth prior to World War II.

This model is aimed primarily at rich enthusiasts, although several have
been sold as courier vehicles to large companies and government agencies.
Anyone buying this car must have an Aerospace Fighter license, which is
in itself rather expensive.

                        Kenneth G. Hagler
 _________________________________________________________________
|            kenhagler@aol.com           |  My insurance company  |
|             (619) 251-0054             |    is Beretta U.S.A.   |
|   PGP 2.3 key available on request     |                        |
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
|   ...study of the military arts will make one who is naturally  |
|   clever more so and one who is born somewhat dull rather less  |
|   so.     --Daidoji Yuzan Shigesuke, _Budo Shoshinshu_          |
|_________________________________________________________________|

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

Bundle: 533
Archive-Message-Number: 6595
From: kenhagler@aol.com
Reply-To: <kenhagler@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 94 17:31:30 EST
Subject: TNE vehicle design

Here's another vehicle designed using FF&S, this time a military vehicle.

                            F-6 Wyvern Gunship

Tech Level: 12
Price:  Cr171,126,100
Size:   1400 kiloliters displacement = 100 tons (S)
Weight: 4209.532 tonnes empty, 4447.027 tonnes loaded
Power:  286.1 MW fusion reactor
Propulsion: thruster plates producing 2500 tons of thrust
Maint:  51
Controls:   2 Model 12Fb computers, dynamic linked controls, TL10
    flight avionics, TL12 terrain-following avionics
Commo:  3000-km radio, 3000-km maser communicator
Sensors: 3000-km Active EMS with jammer, 3000-km Ladar, 3000-km Passive EMS
Life Support:  Extended life support, 3 bunks, airlock, G compensators
Additional equipment: Electromagnetic masking, 100-km area jammer, 1200
    sensor decoys (400 each type)
Load:   18.764 m3
Crew:   3
Fire Control: DM +4
Armament: Remote turret (bottom) with 30mm tri-barrel mass driver,
    200-tonne missile bay
Ammo: 25,000 rounds 30mm

Travel Move:    13800/960
Combat Move:    639/22

Fuel Capacity:  42.915 LHyd
Fuel Consumption:   42.915 kl/year

Combat Statistics
Config: small turret    TF: 560    HF: 560
Susp: Grav              TS: 420    HS: 420
                        TR:280     HR: 280
Deck: 350                          Belly: 420

                            Weapon Values
Type                ROF     Range       Dam         Pen
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
30mm APFSDSSD       5       900         20          437-380-323-209
30mm HE             5       675         C:2,B:10    Nil

Comments: The F-6 Wyvern is the standard gunship of the Neubayern Army.  It
entered service in 5618, and has been used in several recent conflicts.
The Wyvern's mission is primarily to engage ground targets and provide
close air support for friendly troops. It is also good at air superiority
missions, although this role is usually left to aerospace fighters.

Wyvern pilots have a huge missile load at their disposal, and are taught
to use it extravagantly. When engaging enemy aircraft, Wyverns generally
fire a dozen or more air-to-air missiles to keep the enemy busy while the
Wyvern maneuvers in for the kill. If the enemy aircraft tries to return
the favor, the Wyvern's 30mm cannon is equipped for point-defense fire.

Design Notes: Designing a useful turret gun for this gunship turned out
to be a major headache. None of the design sequences in FF&S produced a
totally satisfactory gun--the high energy weapon sequence was especially
bad. To get the 30mm gun here, I designed a mass driver 'by the book' and
multiplied its range by 10 and its damage by 3.

Does anyone have any idea why the book design sequence gives a 30mm
cannon with a muzzle velocity of 6000m/s good penetration, but less
damage and range than a .50 M2HB machinegun?

                        Kenneth G. Hagler
 _________________________________________________________________
|            kenhagler@aol.com           |  My insurance company  |
|             (619) 251-0054             |    is Beretta U.S.A.   |
|   PGP 2.3 key available on request     |                        |
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
|   ...study of the military arts will make one who is naturally  |
|   clever more so and one who is born somewhat dull rather less  |
|   so.     --Daidoji Yuzan Shigesuke, _Budo Shoshinshu_          |
|_________________________________________________________________|

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

Bundle: 533
Archive-Message-Number: 6596
From: kspangler@aol.com
Reply-To: <kspangler@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 94 17:39:18 EST
Subject: Archive list

James Perkins, can I get the listing for what is archived at your location?

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

Bundle: 533
Archive-Message-Number: 6597
Date:         Wed, 12 Jan 94 22:47:42 EST
From: "Susan M. Shock" <34ZBTXQ@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject:      Questions

Does anyone know anything about the status of the following:
   1. Traveller miniatures
   2. Challenge # 72
   3. Traveller novels
   4. Smash & Grab sourcebook and RCES equipment guide
   5. Traveller Referee Screen
                          Thanks
                       Allen Shock
        (only SLIGHTLY misusing his wife's Internet account)

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

Bundle: 533
Archive-Message-Number: 6598
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 94 00:40:59 -0500
From: Derek Wildstar <wildstar@quark.qrc.com>
Subject: Traveller Campaign Survey


Last call for the Traveller Campaign Survey!


In response to some traffic last week, I decided it would be interesting to
know how many of (correct me if I'm wrong, James) TML's 440-odd members are
actively playing or refereeing a Traveller campaign, and what they're
playing.

I'm making a second call for responses, because I simply can't believe that
only 15 of you (16 counting myself) are actually playing Traveller!

If you are currently (or in the recent past or very near future) playing
Traveller, please send me a short, quick email message and let me know what
rules system you are using and what background you are in.

Send e-mail to: wildstar@quark.qrc.com

And tell me:

1) What Rules System:
	a) Classic Traveller		This includes Traveller and Deluxe
					Traveller (the black books in the black
					box), The Traveller Book, and Starter
					Traveller

	b) Traveller:2300		This includes Traveller:2300 and 2300AD
	c) MegaTraveller		You know, the Rebellion-era stuff
	d) Traveller: The New Era	This includes Traveller: The New
					Era and Deluxe Traveller: The New Era
	e) GURPS			GURPS Traveller (GURPS rules and a
					"Traveller-esque" background are
					aparrently a popular alternative)

2) What Background Universe:
	a) The Third Imperium		Classic Traveller's background
	b) The Shattered Imperium	MegaTraveller's background, also
					known as the Rebellion
	c) The New Era			T:TNE's background, with or without
					the Virus.
	e) Custom			The referee's own universe


wildstar@quark.qrc.com
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In the Far Future

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

Bundle: 533
Archive-Message-Number: 6599
From: psualum@aol.com
Reply-To: <psualum@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 94 06:32:29 EST
Subject: Campaign Suggestion

>I'm running a little dry for ideas for my Star Vikings campaign, and I was
>wondering whether you creative folks out there could help me.

Allen, why don't you try a twist on creature contest idea mentioned recently?
 The next planet your group stumbles upon was once used for  hyper-reality
gaming where gaming computers assisted in running various gaming scenarios
using robots for NPCs and monsters played by patrons visiting this world.
When the Virus hit instead of the usual effect it corrupted the gaming
computers so that injury is now possible for those in the games, and the PCs
now find themselves in one!

You could then use modules from other games, Call of Cthulhu or TW2K could be
interesting or even Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (or is that Air/rafts &
Allosaurs?).  The gaming computers could be in such a state of disrepair that
the group would have to work through many scenarios before locating and
gaining entry into the main control building where they could shut down the
system (if they ever determine exactly what is happening!)  Maybe they'll
just be glad to find their way back to their ship and run to fight another
day!n

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

Bundle: 533
Archive-Message-Number: 6600
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 1994 14:18:53 MET
From: kirschj@rhea.informatik.uni-bonn.de
Subject: Fire, Fusion, & Steel

Hello fellow Travellers,

after the arrival of FF&S, I am back alife. Okay, here are the results of
the german jury:

At first the positiv remarks...they are a bit shorter!

- - I like the variety of FTL Travel methods.
- - I like the different Maneuver drives...especially the reintroduction
  of thruster plates. This includes the Dean drive...though I suppose
  it has nothing to do with Rob Dean ? ;-)
- - The addition of PNF Piezo nuclear Fusion is wonderfull!
- - I like the rules for Cyberware.
- - Wow...they used the metric system...I think I should mention that,
  because very few game companies do use this system in their design
  rules. Something to praise is the table on page 5!

Well let us change to the bad ideas.

Guys at GDW, what do you think about announcing a book full of technological
rules which cover all parts of technical problems, and then forget about
wet navy ships ? I am planning a campaign for such an environment since
TNE came out. And what happens? They do not include the required rules,
though they put in some artifical gills in the cyberware rules and even
aquatic skin! But how can I use such things without submarines ?

What the book does include are 62 pages full of weapon design rules, complete
with ideas how the weapons work and on and on and on and on.... all those
shit I do not like! Well I know that this is my own impression, but gee...
following the discussion on this list, even this thick book of rules is
not complete.

Some of the design sequences give me some trouble, but more detailed comments
on this in later postings.

All in all I was dissapointed by this source book. I thought I would get
more technic, and less weapons then I got.

Juergen Kirsch
kirschj@rhea.informatik.uni-bonn.de


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

Bundle: 533
Archive-Message-Number: 6601
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 94 09:02:56 EST
From: c_hamilton%W036_NW@mwmgate1.mitre.org
Subject: To Hit vs. Size

This post references High Guard, but I think Brilliant Lances has the
same type of concern.

Does anybody out there know the basis for the size code To Hit
modifiers in HG?  You know, ships less than 100T (Size 0) get a -2 to
be hit, <2000T gets a -1, <20,000T gets a +0, <75,000T gets a +1,
bigger gets a +2.

This looks sort of logarithmic.  However, it's not reduceable to an
equation.

So, I thought it might be based on the surface area of the sphere
whose volume is the tonnage.  Unfortunately, this didn't work either.

Has anybody else been concerned enough about this to figure it out?

Thanks.

- - Chuck

- -----

Chuck Hamilton                                           clh@mitre.org

"Crew or frozen watch casualties are replaced free at any naval base."

                                     - Trillion Credit Squadron, p. 35

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

The TML is made possible by facilities provided by the University of
Western Ontario. All opinions and materials below are the responsibility
of the originator.

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

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 534  6602 13-Jan-1994 kirschj@rhea.in  Helicopter design with FF&S << Hello fe
 534  6603 13-Jan-1994 kirschj@rhea.in  FF&S: questions << Hello fellow Travell
 534  6604 13-Jan-1994 "Susan M. Shock  Crew Sizes: old vs. new << Has anyone t
 534  6605 13-Jan-1994 mgood@MIT.EDU    Various Replies << Hi!
 534  6606 13-Jan-1994 Keeper Of The L  TML nightly: Msgs 6585-6591 V67#1  << I
 534  6607 13-Jan-1994 kenhagler@aol.c  TNE missiles << Here are some missiles,
 534  6608 14-Jan-1994 pihlab@cbr.hhcs  Small helicopter <<                   I
 534  6609 14-Jan-1994 MacGyver         Re: Questions << >    3. Traveller nove
 534  6610 14-Jan-1994 Leonard Erickso  X-Ray lasers <<
 534  6611 14-Jan-1994 "KMCCARTHY"      TNE Errata-Combat Engineer  <<
 534  6612 14-Jan-1994 "KMCCARTHY"      Converted 2300AD Weapons <<
 534  6613 14-Jan-1994 Ron Dawson       Regency << Keeper Of The Lint (Jerry) <
 534  6614 14-Jan-1994 AFP123@BANGOR.A  random thoughts <<  Hi people, this is
 534  6615 14-Jan-1994 rpiper@wri.com   ToryArms 3-Pack System <<  Heres a syst
 534  6616 14-Jan-1994 Bruce E Johnson  Closed Regency <<  In his message last
 534  6617 15-Jan-1994 AFP123@BANGOR.A  Introductions <<  Oops!Sorry, last nigh
 534  6618 15-Jan-1994 Anthony Neal     Compact Disk Question... << A strange q
 534  6619 15-Jan-1994 Britta B. Damwi  X Ray lasers << Leonard Erickson sez:
 534  6620 15-Jan-1994 Jeff Zeitlin     Forthcoming... <<   ::>From: "Susan M.

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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6602
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 1994 15:35:57 MET
From: kirschj@rhea.informatik.uni-bonn.de
Subject: Helicopter design with FF&S

Hello fellow Travellers,

the first thing I tried to do after getting FF&S was building a light
Helicopter. Browsing to the book, I found a special Lt MTR assembly, for
Helis with less than 2 tons. And so I start to build one using this
rotor assembly. I checked a source for actual (1994) Helicopter designs,
to find a base for a start.

Here is a list of the IC-Powered helicopters available on the market today:
                        Power  un/loaded weight  speed    range   Weight/
                       (in KW)        (in kg)  (in km/h) (in km)  Thrust ratio
Robinson R22 Beta        119          379/621     180      592      5.22
Rotorway Exec 90         113          420/646     153      290      5.72
Brantly B-2B             134          463/757     145      400      5.65
Schweizer 300C           142          474/930     153      360      6.55
(source: Flug Revue,January 1994, p.75; ISSN 0015-4547)

For my design, I take the following data:
loaded weight: 720 kg; range: about 500 km...so I get a performance between
the R22 and the B-2B.

I start using the Lt MTR construction, which provides a Thrust/Power-Ratio
of 4. Using 720 kg as base, we need a 180 KW engine...very big in comparison
to the numbers above. Next step is the engine weight: The improved
Internal combustion engine weights 450 kg...ups...only 270 kg left
for those necessities named Frame, Pilot Seat and Fuel. And because the
engine needs 112.5 kg of fuel per hour, I would get an endurance of
less than 1 hour if I would like to load at least two pilots (75 kg each).
Obviously this figures do not work.

The obvious problem is the weight of the engine and the Thrust-to-Power ratio
of the Light Main-Tail-Rotor assembly. To get the things running, I used
a Thrust-to-Power ratio of 6 instead of 4. The following design is the result:

projected weight: 720 kg; TL: 6
Power Plant (120KW)     300.00 kg      600 Cr (!) imp.IC
Lt MTR Assembly          54.00 kg     5400 Cr
Airframe (Simple)         7.20 kg     7200 Cr
Basic Mech. Controls      0.00 kg      200 Cr
2 Cramped Seats          40.00 kg     2000 Cr
TL-5 Flight Avionics      1.00 kg    10000 Cr used, because no power req.
Radio (30km) TL 8!       10.00 kg      250 Cr requires 1 KW! ridiculous!
Fuel (2h)               150.00 kg
                      -----------   --------
                        562.20 kg    25650 Cr
=> 157.80 payload, pilot and passenger.
Thrust: 120*6*0.1 = 72 tons => G-Rating: 72/720 *0.85= 0.085
Max Speed: 3500 * 0.085 = 297.5 kph => Cruising Speed = 220 kph
NOE Speed = 40 kph => range: 440 km.

Note that the TL-8 Radio is required, because it is small enough to fit in
the Helicopter. The power consumption of the Radio is - as mentioned -
ridiculous. My RC-sender uses 0.5 Watt (!) for a range of about 1 km.
And a CB uses between 1 and 4 Watts for ranges up to the horizon. Why
do I need 1 KW for a range of only 30 km ?

The sheet of this Helicopter looks like this:
TL: 6(8 for Radio)
Price: 25650 Cr   (compare to $113850 fly away price of a Robinson R22)
Size: 43.2 kl = 3.1 tons (Mc)
Mass: unloaded: 562.2 kg, loaded: 720kg max.
Power: Improved IC=120 KW, Lt MTR assembly creating 720 kg of thrust
Maint: how do I calculate this ?
Controls: Basic Mechanical, TL-5 Flight Avionics
Commo: Radio (39km) TL-8(!)
Sensors: None
Life Support: None
Cargo: 157.8 kg, pilot and passengers included !
Crew: 1
Passenger: 1
Speeds: Max: 297.5, cruising: 220, NOE:40
Travel Move: 880, Combat Move: 41 ...what ever this will mean in such a case
Fuel Capacity: 156 liters = 156 kg
Agility: 4

I did not bother to calculate any other combat factors, because this thing
is likly to come down if hit by something more serious than a pistol bullet.

The problem of this Helicopter is the fact, that it is much too fast for
its power, but according to the rules, we have no choice.

Any comments are strictly encouraged!

Juergen Kirsch
kirschj@rhea.informatik.uni-bonn.de

P.S.: I will check the design of heavier Helicopters too. They have
      turbine engines as power plants. Perhaps those have a better
      weight to power ratio than the poor Improved Internal Combustion
      engines. Note that a 100 KW imp.IC engine weights 250kg. A bit too
      much if you ask me.


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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6603
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 1994 16:15:16 MET
From: kirschj@rhea.informatik.uni-bonn.de
Subject: FF&S: questions

Hello fellow Travellers,

here are some more complaints about FF&S:

1. A serious question to GDW: I though NOTaR is a Trademark of Hughes/
   McDonnel Aircraft corporation. Is this true ?

2. What about wingtip powered rotors ? They do not need any counter torque
   rotor. All those alternative technology, and such an easy variant of
   rotors is not available ?

3. High and Ultra High bypass Turbofans are easily available today. What I
   cannot understand is the low weight to thrust ratio of the engines you
   show in the design table (p.70). A thrust of three tons for 1 ton of
   engine mass is indeed not state of the art today. What about this:
      TL  Type  Th   MCr    MaxT  FC   FT   Airframe
       8  UHBT  10  0.0800  100  0.09  HCD  Fast Supsonic
   I think this will fit to the engines used on an Airbus A330.
   This engine is build for best performance at subsonic speeds!

4. What does EAPlaC mean ? A solid fuel technology I assume ?

5. I thought MHD is a method of moving a ship. Is it possible to
   use the method the other way around ? I wonder because MHD is
   counted as chemical power plant (p.63).

6. Why is the Glide ratio for Helicopters treated as nil ? The autorotation
   is similar to the method of flying an autogiro use.

7. Do workstations include the weight of the operator ?

I hope I can do some designs soon...perhaps I can go around some of
my troubles with the FF&S rules.

Juergen Kirsch
kirschj@rhea.informatik.uni-bonn.de


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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6604
Date:         Thu, 13 Jan 94 12:54:43 EST
From: "Susan M. Shock" <34ZBTXQ@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject:      Crew Sizes: old vs. new

Has anyone tried comparing the old crew complements for the ships in BL and
their CT and MT counterparts, to see if the rate of increase is relatively
constant, and where those increases usually take place (Engineers, Bridge Crew,
etc.)? if not I might sit down and do that. (I don't have access to much ship
information from MegaTraveller, but I can compare the old game and TNE.)

                                               Allen Shock

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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6605
From: mgood@MIT.EDU
Subject: Various Replies
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 94 13:26:10 EST

Hi!

Archduke Brzk of Antares <arakins@iastate.edu> asked if the following
things were in FF&S.

  Jump Projectors-not that I've seen
  Jump Dampners-not that I've seen
  Plasma Guns-Yes, sort of.
  Fusion Guns-Yes, sort of.
  Disentegrators-Not that I've seen
  Tractor Beams-Yes
  Repulsors-Yes
  White Globes-Yes
  Anti-matter warhead missiles- I think so
  Proton screens-??

"Not that I've seen" means "I think no, but I don't have the book with me".

 James Kundert said:

>>How Nuclear Dampeners work

>  How often do you use these?
All the time.  I run a campaign on a AHL class cruiser.

>  Actually, they just got better explained.  They did not change
>appreciably.  Dig out Striker and read the section on Dampers.  MT
>never bothered to tell us that Dampers required surface exposure,
>probably because they assumed that dampers were "matter-transparent"
>technology.  GDW says no, they require an antenna, so we now mount
>them in turret cans. With the hardpoint limit gone, this is a non-issue.

Yes and no.  In BL it states that larger installations of Nuclear Dampeners
can attack all incoming targets, but no rules for such a device are provided
in FF&S.  You can make bigger turrets, yes, but not a large "screen"

>The high energy weapons are _very_ short-ranged from the space
>combat point of view.  PAWs are in FF&S, but I haven't played with
>the numbers to see if the old PA barbette is doable.  With
Yes, they are, but at TL 15 the short range is only one hex.

>Laser barbettes reaching to maximum combat ranges for a measly few
>megawatts, I can happily leave PAs in the spinal mount and in bays.
Even in Bays, they have questionable value ;-)

Anthony Neal's article on minuaturization was neat!

Graham.Spearing@gspear.mettav.royle.org asked:
>   What errata is currently available?
Several sheets and a booklet.  If you get the booklet that comes with
FF&S, that should bring you up to date GDW-wise. You could mail GDW and ask
them for the booklet, if you aren't planning on buying FF&S.  I don't know if
they'll send it to you, but I assume that they will.

>  Does this involve more than changes to system travel times?
I can't answer that ;-)

>  Will GDW slay Errata for good with version 1 mod 1?
I would vote no ;-)

Matt




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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6606
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 1994 15:58:39 -0500
From: Keeper Of The Lint <darkstar@chopin.udel.edu>
Subject: TML nightly: Msgs 6585-6591 V67#1

In Reply to Your Message of Tue, 11 Jan 94 20: 30:03 EST
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 94 15:58:38 EST
From: Keeper Of The Lint <darkstar>


Roger Sanger said:

:Hi, Rodge here.
:
:This is in response to Jerry Alexandratos' letter about receding into pocket
:empires.
:
:I strongly disagree with your claim about playing New Era in the Regency.
:Playing in the Regency is indeed a viable option, and for die-hard Imperium
:fans, offers the best environment for roleplaying in the New Era.
:
:As for venturing into the wilds from there, getting into and out of the
:Regency is not that hard.  The border blockade is only 6 or 7 systems deep,
:and patrolling the deep space (empty hexes) between occupied systems is not
:only NOT easy, it is near impossible, meaning that by stockpiling fuel in deep
:space, you could easily cross back over into the Regency after leaving it. I
:assume black marketeers and pirates do it all the time.  Even the Virus could
:use this method, which means that very strict contact protocols would have to
:be mandatory throughout the entire Regency.
:
[deleted the rest]

I don't recall saying that the Regency wasn't a viable option.  If I
did, then I'm sorry, I gave you the wrong impression.  Hell, what am I
saying, my campaign is starting out in the Regency.

But, the impression that I get from reading Survival Margin, and the
background of the Regency in the TNE rulebook is that this is definitely
a *closed* system.  I mean, the way everything is written, I get the
impression that Norris has ships covering every literal inch of his
border.  Also, the problem that I forsee is venturing to Regency worlds.
How is one suppossed to be able to land on them, if their ship doesn't
pass inspection?  Granted, a ship could start in the Regency, venture
out into the Wilds, and then sneak back into the Regency, but that isn't
the "closed" Regency that I'm talking about.

It seems (to me at least) as though GDW has made the Regency a block of
space that share the old Imperium history, and has nothing to do with
the rest space.


	--Jerry


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

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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6607
From: kenhagler@aol.com
Reply-To: <kenhagler@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 94 20:38:35 EST
Subject: TNE missiles

Here are some missiles, designed with FF&S. I found the missile design
sequence rather confusing, so I'm not at all sure there aren't some small
mistakes here. However, they're 'close enough for government work.'

Inertial guidance got left out of FF&S for some reason, use your discretion
on how to work it.

     Missiles

Name     TL  Guidance   Weight   C-B/Dam     Pen   Range  M/Turn  AGL
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
AA-32SR  12 Homing  100  Dam: 66    1058   7811  10415  8 Cr12,019

Comments: The AA-32SR is the standard short-range missile of the Neubayern
Army.  It is normally used against aircraft, but can be used against any
other target as well.  The AA-32SR has a superdense penetrator warhead, and
tracks its targets with imaging radar.


AP-15I  12 Inertial 10  C:7, B:26 85C   19460   1390  5 Cr4,090

Comments: The AP-15I is Neubayern's standard anti-personnel weapon for
aircraft.  Its inertial guidance carries it to a location selected when it
is fired, and once there the SEFOP warhead ejects a parachute and drifts to
the ground.  The warhead looks for targets with an IR sensor, and when a
target is found fires into its top armour.

                       Kenneth G. Hagler
 _________________________________________________________________
|            kenhagler@aol.com           |  My insurance company  |
|             (619) 251-0054             |    is Beretta U.S.A.   |
|   PGP 2.3 key available on request     |                        |
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
|   ...study of the military arts will make one who is naturally  |
|   clever more so and one who is born somewhat dull rather less  |
|   so.     --Daidoji Yuzan Shigesuke, _Budo Shoshinshu_          |
|_________________________________________________________________|

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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6608
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 1994 14:20:34 +1000
From: pihlab@cbr.hhcs.gov.au
Subject: Small helicopter


                  I N T E R O F F I C E   M E M O R A N D U M

                                        Date Sent:1994-Jan-14 02:20pm
                                        From:     Bruce Pihlamae
                                                  PIHLAMAE BRUCE
                                        Dept:     Information Services
                                        Tel No:   (06) 289-7056

TO:  Remote Addressee                     ( _traveller@engrg.uwo.ca )


Subject: Small helicopter


    Haven't got FF&S yet.

    Saw a helicopter on Beyond 2000 last night.  Designed/built by the
    guy who designed that expensive Italian car - Lamborghini (?).

    It is a real one person helicopter, not a gyro-copter.

    It weighs 175 Kg.

    Can you come close to building that in FF&S at tech 8-9 ?

    Bruce...      pihlab@cbr.hhcs.gov.au



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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6609
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 94 0:52:44 EST
From: MacGyver <macgyver@cis.ohio-state.edu>
Subject: Re: Questions

>    3. Traveller novels

no one has made any pitch at GDW yet. Sure, there have been many "can
I write a novel for you?" but no one has submitted anything yet.

>    5. Traveller Referee Screen

end of month, I think.


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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6610
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 94 03:01:52 PST
From: Leonard.Erickson@f51.n105.z1.fidonet.org (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: X-Ray lasers


Just a note, but Scott should check the *time* until death associated
with the LD50 he quotes. Last time I checked, it was around 30 days, and
the time until 50% dead were reached was halved every time you doubled
the dose (and vice-versa, which led to the interesting observation that
approximately 50% of the people exposed to "background" levels of
radiation would die after 70 years. :-)

Another factor is that this is the *absorbed* radiation dosage. People
don't absorb X-Rays and gamma rays very well.

My books are packed, but I was *very* interested in these sort of
figures back when we were designing shelters 20 years ago.
- --
uucp: uunet!m2xenix!puddle!51!Leonard.Erickson
Internet: Leonard.Erickson@f51.n105.z1.fidonet.org

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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6611
Date: 14 Jan 1994 07:47:01 U
From: "KMCCARTHY" <KMCCARTHY@qmgate.osc.hq.nasa.gov>
Subject: TNE Errata-Combat Engineer

                       Subject:                               Time:7:41 AM
  OFFICE MEMO          TNE Errata-Combat Engineer Skill       Date:1/14/94
While creating a Marine/Special Ops charater using T:TNE I noticed that the
Combat Engineer skill is not offered in any of the Military careers or
Mercenary career.  I suggest that GDW add Combat Engineer to the Special Duty
Skill list for these careers in their T:TNE errata.



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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6612
Date: 14 Jan 1994 08:12:19 U
From: "KMCCARTHY" <KMCCARTHY@qmgate.osc.hq.nasa.gov>
Subject: Converted 2300AD Weapons

                       Subject:                               Time:8:10 AM
  OFFICE MEMO          Converted 2300AD Weapons               Date:1/14/94
Some time ago someone offered to send stats on 2300AD weapons converted to
T:TNE format.  If you are still out there, please email them to me.  I'm
looking for a wider array of TL10 weapons to flesh out a campaign and I donot
have FFS yet.

Eternal thanks and all that stuff.

Kevin Mc Carthy
kmccarthy@qmgate.osc.hq.nasa.gov



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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6613
From: rdawson@business.carleton.ca (Ron Dawson)
Subject: Regency
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 94 12:22:40 EST

Keeper Of The Lint (Jerry) <darkstar> writes:

> But, the impression that I get from reading Survival Margin, and the
> background of the Regency in the TNE rulebook is that this is definitely
> a *closed* system.  I mean, the way everything is written, I get the
> impression that Norris has ships covering every literal inch of his
> border.  Also, the problem that I forsee is venturing to Regency worlds.
> How is one suppossed to be able to land on them, if their ship doesn't
> pass inspection?  Granted, a ship could start in the Regency, venture
> out into the Wilds, and then sneak back into the Regency, but that isn't
> the "closed" Regency that I'm talking about.
>
> It seems (to me at least) as though GDW has made the Regency a block of
> space that share the old Imperium history, and has nothing to do with
> the rest space.
>
   I think that the closed border is a fact more in the minds of the
   citizens of the regency than in actual fact.  From reading survival
   margin, I get the impression that the governing forces in the regency
   would like to "officially" get back in contact with the rest of the
   old imperium, but that they are treading cautiously because of the
   virus fear in the general populace.

   There probably would be opportunities for campaigns based around this
   internal debate within the regency, with players coming down on
   either side, although I imagine most would take the side of expansion
   into the wilds, unless of course the virus was proven to somehow
   still be a threat, maybe throwing them against the powers that want
   to open the borders.

   As for the Star Vikings.. I don't like these guys.  They feel like
   both pawns of a Hivers game, plus their economy is based on piracy
   and stealing from other cultures/societies wealth.. very much like
   some of the European powers in the past.  I almost wish they could
   run into a new Solomani league.

   I'm really curious what happened on Earth/Terra.  YEs, it was
   probably terrible, but Earth should come back a lot faster than most
   places assuming there wasn't a nuclear exchange or something.  There
   are real non-compter based libraries on earth from which to rebuild,
   unlike on may more recently settled worlds.  I wonder what would have
   happened to the Solomani movement.. if it woudl have survived.. or if
   it would be even more rabid given what was unleashed by the Imperium
   with the virus.

- - Ron


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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6614
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 94 19:28 GMT
From: AFP123@BANGOR.AC.UK
Subject: random thoughts


	Hi people, this is the first ever mail message I've sent across the
net so I hope that this gets through. I've been reading this mailing list
for about a month now and have decided to throw my tuppence worth into the
ring.
	First, I GM TNE and love it, despite the bugs. I also GMed CT
and MT in my murky past and found that the one thing that the Universe
lacked, for me at any rate, was a Frontier. Somewhere to go for things
like first contact missions. Somewhere for the thrill of discovering
lost civilisations, being somewhere no-one had been for a while etc.
The wilderness gives that. Thanks.

	Second, I too think that the RCES will make good bad guys. I
can see their 'become one of us or we'll shoot you' attitude contrasting
violently with the IISS (remember them?) when they come out of their
self-imposed retirement in the Regency. What happens if the RCES come
across not a TED but a well-organised society that is perfectly happy?
Don't knock low-tech equiptment. The Lea-Enfield .303 rifle first came
out at TL4-5, has more stopping power than an M16 and an effective
range of over a kilometer. Contrast that to to 400m or so of modern
assault rifles. A British soldier of the period was trained to fire 15
AIMED shots a minute with that beastie, a feat that can seem like
auto-fire to those on the other end (cf Germans at Mons 1914).
	Come to think of it, a Brown Bess musket fires a ball a solid
inch in diameter. Not pleasent.

	Next, a personal plea from little me, for I am an ecologist
and know little of the arcane arts of technology. It seems to me that
quite a few people out there are somewhat hardware obssessed. The point
of an RPG is surely to interact with people/aliens, not to lose
sleep over the finer points of aiming lasers. Now I enjoy the use
of large guns at certain times as much as anyone (although I consider
the moral point raised in Challenge 71 that blowing large hole in someone
is nicer than blinding them a bit suspect to say the least), but there
is more
	I would like to see more on the various culture people have come
up with. The purpose of Travellers is travel. This pursuit will rapidly
lose its interest if everywhere is like late 20th century America. My
current campaign is run on Atsa, which I've given a very Russian feel
to - including the names. It immediately makes the PCs feel like
outsiders. What have other people done - I'm sure there are far more
original cultures people have come out with that I could steal - please
post them!

	Ranting over. One final thing. To the outside world the difference
between the Black Curtain and the Regency will be nil. Nothing that goes
in is ever heard of again. Something to consider when trying to hire
a Free Trader in Deneb.

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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6615
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 94 14:24:17 CST
From: rpiper@wri.com
Subject: ToryArms 3-Pack System

 Heres a system I worked up this week for recreating standard CT and MT weapons
 turrets.  These designs allow you to have the traditional single, dual, and
 triple turrets we're used to seeing.  Note that the turrets are now 42m^3 to
 fit into a TNE standard turret socket,  and that the missiles I've presented
 are 1.6m^3 and 1.6tn.  I wasn't very succesful getting a 50Kg space missile,
 so I opted instead to fill the space in a module up.  The designs were done
 using FF&S.

- -----8<-----

ToryArms 3-Pack System:
 Early in 560ti, the Imperial Navy put out a request for Proposal for a new
modular weapons system.  Several companies entered into final bidding in late
561ti,  and the Navy accepted the ToryArms bid before years end.  As the Navy
expanded,  and the Scout service accepted the 3-Pack, ToryArms had more and more
trouble meeting Imperial orders.  The First Frontier war created a huge demand
for 3-Pack systems,  and ToryArms couldn't meet it.  In desperate need of more
units,  and under extreme pressure from several megacorps,  the Imperial Navy
releases the 3-Pack specifications to the public.  As more and more
manufacturers started producing 4-Pack systems, they became cheaper and more
common.  As the years passed,  the 3-Pack became the standard turret system
built and installed on almost all ships.

 The basis for the system is the 3-Pack turret.  The turret combines three
modular bays and an appropriate Tech Level of workstation.  The turret is then
fitted with up to three modules.  Most modules are completely self contained,
except for power input.  Self contained modules are available for lasers,
missile launchers, and sandcasters.  Both fusion and Plasma guns are available,
but require an additional Ammunition module.

 During the rebellion, as the Imperial Navy splintered and production centers
were bombed,  the 3-Pack began to be replaced by a wide variety of weapons
systems.  With the collapse of the Imperium,  the 3-Pack system has become even
more rare.  Without the high level of Imperial standardization,  and Imperium
wide mass production,  the 3-Pack has been replaced by other designs.  The
3-Pack system can still be obtained at many spaceports in the Regency,  but
availability outside of the Regency is unknown.

Commonly Available 3-Pack Weapons Modules
TL-9 3 Pack Missile Launcher
  8.11tn  Cr60960  .15MW  Magazine for 3 missiles. Includes 300,000km Laser
   communicator for missile control.
  3-Pack missiles:  1.6m3  1.6tn  Cr4654  Rating: 16/10  Controlled missile
   TL-9 Warhead:  C:42  B:64  PV: 209
   TL-13 Warhead:  C:53  B:73 PV: 227

TL-9 3-Pack Sandcaster
  16tn  .21MCr  1MW  6 Canisters, each 1D6x5 at Cr400
TL-13 3-Pack Sandcaster
  16tn  .28MCr  1MW  11 Canisters,  each 2D5x5 at Cr800

TL-9 3-Pack Laser  26Mj
  22.51tn  1.1426MCr  .75MW  0:1/4 - 13 (as long range)
  If multiple laser packs are installed,  their beam pointers can be replaced: *
    +.15MCr,  0:1/4 - 13 (at normal difficulty)
TL-13 3-Pack Laser 31Mj X-Ray
  18.06tn  1.0977MCr  .86MW  Range: 4/8/16/32 : 1/4 - 14
  If multiple laser packs are installed, their beam pointers can be replaced: *
   Dual Lasers:  +.8MCr, Range: 8/16/32/64 : 1/4 - 14
   Triple Lasers: +1MCr, Range: 10/20/40/80 : 1/4 - 14

* Lasers of differing designs or Tech Level cannot share beam pointers.

TL-12 3-Pack Plasma Gun
  11.518tn  3.3MCr  0:10-109,  includes a Point Defense computer and an EMS RF.
  Ammo Pack: *
    400 rounds 90Mj CPC cartridges  86.4tn  .9MCr
TL-14 3-Pack Plasma Gun
  12.26tn  4.123MCr  0:10-115,  includes a Point Defense computer and an EMS RF.
  Ammo Pack: *
    360 rounds 100Mj PPC cartridges  86.4tn  .9MCr

* Ammo packs are specific to each weapon.  They cannot be shared between
  different Tech Level or power of weapon.

TL-14 3-Pack Fusion Gun
  12.26tn  16.57MCr  0:4-140, includes a Point Defense computer and an EMS RF.
  Ammo Pack:
    360 rounds 150Mj PFC cartridges  86.4tn  .432MCr

3-Pack Turret Base:
  The turret base fits into a standard 3 ton turret socket.  The base includes a
  workstation for a gunner and support for 3 packages.  The TL of the socket and
  it's workstation must be specified at purchase time.
    .4tn  .006MCr  first available at TL-9.

 Fire control limits allow mixing of different weapons only on ships with ten
or less turrets.  Fire control on larger installations of mixed turrets hampers
effective weapons control.  All weapons tasks become 2 levels more difficult on
ships with mixed weapons turrets and more than 10 turrets.

- ----8<----

Enjoy.

  Bob.

- --------------------------------------------------------
| Bob Piper | rpiper@wri.com  | Wolfram Research, Inc. |
- --------------------------------------------------------
|  "We are Game Guys. We know what we are doing."      |
|     -- Frank and Dave (The Guys who Write Games)     |
- --------------------------------------------------------


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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6616
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 1994 15:40:33 -0700 (MST)
From: Bruce E Johnson <bej@gas.uug.arizona.edu>
Subject: Closed Regency

	In his message last night, Jerry Alexandros says, from his reading
of Survival margin and TNE that the Regency is *closed* tight.

	I have to differ...if it was truly closed tight, then they
wouldn't be able to tell that " But there is increasing evidence that the
Virus has largely died back in the Wilds..." (TNE manual, p 171) I suspect
that the Regency is far more open than anyone but the highest authorities
and the smugglers know.  Granted, this is reading between the lines of TNE,
but it's supported by the the section on the Regency Economy on the
previous page, that it's already known within the Regency that they have
to open up or collapse.

	Since, realistically, any blockade of interstellar space is going
to be as leaky as a sieve, and the book states that "..it [Quarantine
measures] has evolved into an efficient system of taxation and revenue
generation.." (TNE p. 168), I would suspect that in many places,
particularly the inner portions of the Regency, less exposed to the Wilds,
and amid impending signs of economic collapse, the whole process is quite
open to evasion and corruption.

	This woould make a good basis for a campaign in the Regency; the
players could be smugglers, or the cops trying to catch the smugglers,
all, of course an the QT, since 'officially' there ARE no smugglers.

	Bruce Johnson
	The University of Arizona
	bej@gas.uug.arizona.edu play
	johnson@tonic.pharm.arizona.edu work

	My opininons, Mine, Mine, all Mine!  Bwahahahaha!




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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6617
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 94 11:08 GMT
From: AFP123@BANGOR.AC.UK
Subject: Introductions

	Oops!Sorry, last night I forgot to introduce myself. My name is
Stewart Johnson, so all of you who wish to abuse me can now do so
personally instead of using my nom-de-guerre of AFP123@BANGOR which, to
my taste, lacks a certain something.

	Something I forgot from last night. Aren't the TLs a bit out
at lower levels? TL4 is c1850 whilst TL5 is c1930. Thus WWI was
officially fought at TL4 wasn't it? I tend to find it easier to
think of TLs in terms of weaponry and the first single-shot rifles
can into service c1860-1880. Certainly we Brits were using Martini-Henry
rifles in 1879 to fight Zulus with, and the Winchester probably
predates that?

	As ever, all thoughts gratefully accepted.

	

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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6618
From: Anthony Neal <anthonyn@cs.mun.ca>
Subject: Compact Disk Question...
Date: 	Sat, 15 Jan 1994 15:43:11 -0330

A strange question...

	 Does anyone know the memory capacity of the current Compact Disk (CD ROM)?

	 Anthony

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Anthony Neal                |"Lets bring up the cargo manifest. 2300 laser
anthonyn@mercury.cs.mun.ca  | pistols, 1600 laser rifles, 1 ATV, 67 suits of
Memorial University Of      | combat armor and...    What the hell are
Newfoundland                | 'tribbles'?"
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6619
From: bdamwitz@lonestar.utsa.edu (Britta B. Damwitz   )
Subject: X Ray lasers
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 94 22:11:31 CST

Leonard Erickson sez:
> Just a note, but Scott should check the *time* until death associated
> with the LD50 he quotes. Last time I checked, it was around 30 days, and
> the time until 50% dead were reached was halved every time you doubled
> the dose (and vice-versa, which led to the interesting observation that
> approximately 50% of the people exposed to "background" levels of
> radiation would die after 70 years. :-)
>
> Another factor is that this is the *absorbed* radiation dosage. People
> don't absorb X-Rays and gamma rays very well.

Well, my point was that the Traveller hand held x-ray laser (be it pistol
carbine, or rifle) is going to hit a person with many many many orders
of magnatude more x-ray energy than an LD50 of 67 calories.  You can't
even heat a milliliter of water to boiling with 67 calories, nevermind
vaporize someone's skin with it.  I would estimate that it would be on
the order of more than a THOUSAND times the LD50 value.  Probably more.
Probably much more.

And in order to do as much damage as those lasers are supposed to do to
actual body tissue (burn off and or vaporize arms, legs, heads and other
useful extremities...)  We are clearly working with energy densities where
the radiation absorbed IS a thousand times more than LD50.

I admit that I am only a week into the Grad program here in Radiological
Sciences (Medical Physics) but the time scale we're talking about here
says death occurs in hours to days.

Someone else (who's name I forget unfortunately) pointed out that the
dose of x-rays was incidental to the initial damage done.  Who cares
about radiation poisoning when you have all that medical tech hanging
around at those Tech levels.  Well, I'd say that the x-ray laser of TL13
is rather like the cyanide coated bullets of today.  If it hits you, you
need treatment IMMEDIATELY or you will die.  If it hits you in the hand,
or the foot, you are just as dead as if it hits you in the chest.

A low powered x-ray laser would make the perfect assasin weapon.  You hit
someone with a tiny x-ray laser.  They don't see it or feel it.  (Not if
LD50 is only 67 calories)  Unless they're carrying an x-ray detector on
their person, and unless the beam hits the detector, they won't even know
they've been hit till they start feeling sick.  (Too late)  And if you
can put an x-ray laser inside a pistol that can punch holes in walls, I'd
guess you could put a low power one inside your hand computer or digital
watch.

Scott 2G Kellogg


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

Bundle: 534
Archive-Message-Number: 6620
Subject: Forthcoming...
From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 94 23:26:00 -0500

  ::>From: "Susan M. Shock" <34ZBTXQ@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
  ::>Subject:      Questions

SS::>Does anyone know anything about the status of the following:
  ::>   2. Challenge # 72

  Has just gone to the printers.  I had opportunity to call them to
  ask this very question.  I spoke to either the editor or the art
  guy, I forget which.  He just completed the "enlargement" phase
  of project "family", so things were rather hectic for him...
==========================================================================
Jeff Zeitlin                                      jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com
- ---
 ~ QMPro 1.51 ~ Who put the "arse" in Arsenio?

------------------------------
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by the University of
Western Ontario. All opinions and materials below are the responsibility
of the originator.

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

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 535  6621 16-Jan-1994 kenhagler@aol.c  Background: NeuBerlin Metro Police << R
 535  6622 17-Jan-1994 langsl@cbr.hhcs  Traveller Settings <<
 535  6623 17-Jan-1994 grue@cs.uq.oz.a  Subsectors << hi,
 535  6624 16-Jan-1994 "BORIS ZAIDFELD  Re:  Subsectors << What utility are you
 535  6625 17-Jan-1994 Anthony Neal     Thanks!! << Hello!
 535  6626 17-Jan-1994 Adrian Hurt      Re: X ray lasers << bdamwitz@lonestar.u
 535  6627 17-Jan-1994 rancke@diku.dk   Tech Levels <> Terran dates << Stewart
 535  6628 17-Jan-1994 "KMCCARTHY"      RE<CD-ROM  Capacity <<
 535  6629 17-Jan-1994 gsw@aloft.att.c  CD capacity << Anthony Neal asks:
 535  6630 17-Jan-1994 Mike Basinger    Mote in God's Eye << One idea I had for
 535  6631 17-Jan-1994 rpiper@wri.com   100-ton Scout 'New Hope' <<  100ton Sco
 535  6632 16-Jan-1994 Kirk Schnorr     tech levels << Hi, I'm Kirk Schnorr and
 535  6633 17-Jan-1994 colin@anamorpho  INCIDENT AT OMEGA RIM << [Forwarded man
 535  6634 17-Jan-1994 "Herb M. Petro"  re: capacity of compact disks << Someon
 535  6635 18-Jan-1994 langsl@cbr.hhcs  Traveller Questions <<
 535  6636 18-Jan-1994 Joe Heck         Closed Regency << I spoke with Dave Nil
 535  6637 14-Jan-1994 intacc!Shalom_Z  Re:  Regency << Ron Dawson said:
 535  6638 14-Jan-1994 intacc!Shalom_Z  Re: Getting in and out of the Regency <

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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6621
From: kenhagler@aol.com
Reply-To: <kenhagler@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 94 18:45:08 EST
Subject: Background: NeuBerlin Metro Police

Recently somebody (I forgot who it was, sorry :-)) suggested that it would be
nice to see some more role-playing stuff to go with the hardware, so...

I have a rather large amount of info for a campaign set in the universe of
Steve Higginbotham's just-ended TCS game. Most of it is still to disorganized
to make sense to people who weren't in the game, but some of it can stand
alone (more or less), like this file.

The city of NeuBerlin is the capital city (indeed, the only city at the
moment) of Neubayern, and was founded in 4517 AD. The population in 5641
(1120 Imperial) is approximately 2.56 billion, and the city covers 350,000
square kilometers.

Disclaimer: The following information is only a rough draft, and ia not
guaranteed to be complete or logical. Any suggestions are welcome.

                NeuBerlin Metropolitan Police Force (circa 5641 AD)

The NeuBerlin Metropolitan Police Force is the largest law enforcement
agency of the Neubayern Federation. It was established shortly after the
founding of the city, in 4520 AD. At present the NMPF employs around 5.8
million police officers, making it one of the largest metro police forces
in the Cluster (possibly even the largest).

The NMPF has divided the city into sectors, each of which is roughly 625
square kilometers--there are 560 sectors in NeuBerlin. A sector is
patrolled by a police division, which has around 7000 officers (officers
in the starport sectors like to remind Marines that the NMPF has more
than ten times as many divisions as the Marine Corps).

Each division has a sector headquarters that serves as a base of
operations. In addition, some of the more crime-ridden sectors have
additional stations located throughout the sector. Each sector HQ contains
offices, holding cells, interrogation rooms, forensic labs, weapons
lockers, parking garages, hangers, firing ranges, and everything else
needed for the day-to-day operations of the police division.

Police officers normally patrol in a two-seat police spinner. When
arrests are made, officers call for a grav van to take the prisoners back
to the sector HQ. In addition to the officer's sidearms, each spinner
normally has an ARC-10 stored inside. If the patrolling officers
encounter anything they can't handle with the ARC-10, they call in one of
the NMPF's numerous special units.

                            Special Units

In addition to the patrol officers, the NMPF has a number of departments
which handle special duties. Many of these departments enjoy a high
degree of autonomy, a fact which sometimes leads to resentment from the
regular NMPF.

                    Special Weapons and Tactics Department

The SWAT Department is the special unit with the closest ties to the
regular Force. Each sector HQ has one or more SWAT Teams assigned
permanently--these teams are dispatched to deal with any crisis (defined
as citizens who shoot back). SWAT officers wear combat armour, and carry
ARC-10s, Police Blasters, and an assortment of allegedly non-lethal
weapons. Whenever SWAT runs into something they can't handle (citizens
who shoot back with bigger guns), they call in another special unit--the
Advanced Police Department.

                        Advanced Police Department

The AD Police are a relatively small unit, with only 15,000 officers.
This is the unit with the highest funding and training standards, and it
shows in their performance and equipment. The ADP is organized into
Mobile Forces, each of which is equipped with a wide variety of heavy
weapons. AD Police officers normally use Police Hardsuits, a lightweight
class of power armour which has slightly less protection than Imperial
Battledress but much greater maneuverabiity. When facing criminals with
especially heavy firepower, the ADP uses an unusual type of Armoured
Trooper which is designed to either operate independently as a police
robot or be worn over the Police Hardsuit.

In addition to their role as a response force, the ADP is also
responsible for investigating acts of terrorism and crimes involving
unusually dangerous perpetrators.

The ADP is largely autonomous, and its high visibility makes it a natural
target for criticism from assorted advocates of civil rights. Although
most residents of NeuBerlin will never personally see the ADP in action,
the violent nature of its activities ensures that virtually anything ADP
does will get on the news.

                        NeuBerlin Highway Patrol

The NHP is the largest of the special units, and like the AD Police it is
somewhat autonomous. However, it is more closely tied to the regular
NMPF, with NHP stations generally being located within NMPF Sector HQs.
NHP and NMPF officers often work together, and it is not uncommon for
NMPF officers to transfer to the NHP and vice versa.

The NHP is responsible for patrolling NeuBerlin's highways and flyways.
To do this, the NHP uses a tremendous variety of vehicles, ranging from
wheeled motorcycles to police spinners to FA-1 fighters discarded by the
Navy.

The NHP is somewhat unappreciated because many citizens blame them for
NeuBerlin's chronically bad traffic problems, but they actually manage to
keep the roads pretty safe.

                        Network Police Department

The Network Police Department (NetPol) is responsible for investigating
crimes conducted using the computer network. NetPol has somewhat broader
jurisdicion than the rest of the NMPF--it is responsible for all computer
networks on Neubayern, not just in NeuBerlin. This jurisdiction dates
back to the early years of Neubayern when NeuBerlin was the only city
that really needed police for its network. Before the Serendip War, other
cities had lobbied to make NetPol a Federal agency, but the destruction
of those other cities has ended such efforts.

NetPol employs a small number of highly-skilled investigators. They
generally have little street experience, and whenever they expect to
encounter armed criminals they bring local Metro officers along for backup.

                        Esper Crimes Department

Since Esper Crimes aren't very common, this department (also called ESPol)
has jurisdiction over all of Neubayern space.  ESPol is the newest special
unit, having been formed in 5640 after the Imperial forces were ejected.
The ESPol normally looks into crimes commited by espers, although it can
look into other crimes at its discretion.  ESPol is very powerful, and
recruite are required to be responsible and never abuse their power.  ESPol
is familiar with the Tavrchedl', and is determined to never act anything
like it.

There has been some tension between AD Police officers and ESPol
officers. The ADP officers feel that esper crimes should fall into their
jurisdiction (as they involve unusual and dangerous perpetrators), and
regard the creation of ESPol as something of an insult.

                        NMPF Patrol Officer Equipment

A Metro officer's uniform is dark blue with a badge and equipment belt. A
ballistic cloth vest is worn under the uniform to provide protection.
Although the equipment is much improved, the uniform itself is basically
identical to those worn by Southern California police deparments in the
late 20th century.

NMPF officers are armed with SGP-22 "Police Blasters," and they carry two
spare magazines. They also carry superdense handcuffs, a tonfa, and a
hand computer (which includes communication equipment).

                        NMPF Patrol Vehicle Equipment

The police spinners used by the NMPF have a larger computer, a long-range
radio, and active and passive EMS systems.  They also carry heavier armour
(generally breastplates and helmets), an ARC-10, and several magazines for
the ARC-10.  Although not officially authorized, many Metro officers manage
to pick up a rifle grenade or two for use with the ARC-10.

                            Police Powers

Police power is somewhat limited by the fact that Neubayern's legal
system has a split personnality. For most of its history, Neubayern was a
socialist republic very much like those that existed in Europe when the
colonists left Earth. Under this system, police powers had substantial
limitations, and many of the "victimless crimes" such as drug use and
prostitution had been legalized.

Neubayern's legal system, like everything else, was substantially altered
following the first attacks by Serendip Belt starships. When the current
system of government was instituted, the ruling class became interested
in increasing police powers, but only where such an increase would not
affect them.

Because the rulers wanted to remain a _charismatic_ oligarchy, they
needed to find ways to increase police powers without making the common
people unhappy. To do this, they resorted to a method which had proven
successful on Earth millenia ago--they began a "War on Drugs." This
basically involved producing lots of propoganda about how evil
recreational drugs (and people having anything to do with them) are,
making them illegal, and then passing lots of laws that basically let the
police do whatever they want to. However, they included exemptions for
all members of the ruling class in their new laws.

Law enforcement agencies still want to keep the people happy, though, so
when they decide to ignore someone's civil rights they are careful to
feed the media lots of stories about how the target is an evil drug
dealer/terrorist/child pornographer/hacker. In this respect, they have
much in common with American federal law enforcement in the 20th century.

The most important restraint on police power is the fact that members of
the ruling "samurai" class (which makes up almost 10% of the population)
still have rights. These people can say what they want, are innocent
until proven guilty, can't be searched without a warrant, and are exempt
from gun control laws. Because of all this, the police leave them alone
unless they actually do something wrong.

The Imperial Occupation didn't interfere greatly with Neubayern law, but
nevertheless once the Alliance drove them away the government decided to
restrore many of the rights that had been taken in the years before.

                        Kenneth G. Hagler
 _________________________________________________________________
|            kenhagler@aol.com           |  My insurance company  |
|             (619) 251-0054             |    is Beretta U.S.A.   |
|   PGP 2.3 key available on request     |                        |
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
|   ...study of the military arts will make one who is naturally  |
|   clever more so and one who is born somewhat dull rather less  |
|   so.     --Daidoji Yuzan Shigesuke, _Budo Shoshinshu_          |
|_______________
__________________________________________________|

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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6622
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 1994 10:33:43 +1000
From: langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au
Subject: Traveller Settings


                  I N T E R O F F I C E   M E M O R A N D U M

                                        Date Sent:17-Jan-1994 10:33am
                                        From:     Alistair Langsford
                                                  LANGSFORD ALISTAIR
                                        Dept:     Information Services
                                        Tel No:   289 7870

TO:  Remote Addressee                     ( _traveller@engrg.uwo.ca )


Subject: Traveller Settings


Anthony Neal <anthonyn@cs.mun.ca> asks:

<A strange question...
<
<    Does anyone know the memory capacity of the current Compact Disk (CD
<ROM)?
<
<    Anthony

I think it holds about 600Mb.

==========================================================================

"KMCCARTHY" <KMCCARTHY@qmgate.osc.hq.nasa.gov> writes:
<Subject: Converted 2300AD Weapons
<
<                       Subject:                               Time:8:10 AM
< OFFICE MEMO          Converted 2300AD Weapons               Date:1/14/94
<Some time ago someone offered to send stats on 2300AD weapons converted to
<T:TNE format.  If you are still out there, please email them to me.

I wouldn't mind a copy either. I don't remember seeing them posted on the
list (I could easily be wrong though) - so if they exist a posting to the
list might be the way to go.

Otherwise, post me a copy at: langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au

==========================================================================
AFP123@BANGOR.AC.UK writes:

<   Next, a personal plea from little me, for I am an ecologist
<and know little of the arcane arts of technology. It seems to me that
<quite a few people out there are somewhat hardware obssessed. The point
<of an RPG is surely to interact with people/aliens....
[snip]
<   I would like to see more on the various culture people have come
<up with. The purpose of Travellers is travel. This pursuit will rapidly
<lose its interest if everywhere is like late 20th century America.

First, thanks to those h/w freaks who post their designs to the list. Since
I lack the patience to work through designs most of the time I appreciate
having a source I can steal extra designs from.

Now, to address AFP123's request - I not an expert on culture so I'll just
give you some scenario settings I have used:

Probably the most memorable Traveller I ever ran was based on Western
movies. Simply called 'The Mexicans', PCs were members of the scout service
of a colony descended from Scouts/Colonists. Their culture was 'Hispanic',
whenever we needed details. However, they as PCs were the 'heroes',
wandering around an area loosely based on the Hollywood version of the
American West. There were also some 1920s gangster elements mixed in. So,
at least a little different: late 19th/early 20th century America.

Another scenario was based on Western Europe in WWII. A lot of WWII war
movies provided background for that. The plot was sort of borrowed from
Star Trek: a Balkanised planet within an area known as the Neutral Zone was
being used as a testing ground by one of two rival planetary alliances.
Each of these alliances existed within an overall body known as the
Commonwealth(it wasn't a standard traveller universe). Meddling in the
Neutral Zone was of course a no-no as far as the Commonwealth was
concerned. The PCs were 'special forces' types (ie MERCENARY generated
characters) sent in by the alliance which was losing to gather evidence of
the other alliance's meddling in the Neutral Zone. Their tech was of course
limited to that of the locals, except for some miniaturised high tech comms
gear.

Both of these worked quite well. Both were different - not just the fact
that both were lower tech than Imperial norm either. I hope you can make
use of them.

Another setting I have used in SF is inspired by the 3 Aliens movies plus
Blade Runner. This for me tends to define what the Early Stellar tech code
is like. While it may not be standard Traveller, I don't have a problem
with modifying 'low passage' a bit to allow for passengers and crew to
travel relatively safely.

As you can probably guess by now I get a lot of inspiration from movies: I
find they are a good way to convey 'look and feel' and the general 'spirit'
of a setting to the PCs. And with the availability of films etc on video,
if people didn't see the movie that is something fairly easily remedied.

Anyone else have some good settings/cultures they'd like to share?

Alistair,
langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au

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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6623
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 94 12:25:02 EST
From: grue@cs.uq.oz.au
Subject: Subsectors

hi,

Does anybody have the names of the subsectors of the published sectors?
If so could they post them (or mail them to me)?  I'm writing a utility
program for TNE and I've just added subsector names to it and I find that
I don't have the names for many different sectors :-(





        Pauli

Paul Dale                       | grue@cs.uq.oz.au
Department of Computer Science  | +61 7 365 2445
University of Queensland        |
Australia, 4072                 | Did you know that there are 41 two letter
                                |     words containing the letter 'a'?

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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6624
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 21:54:01 -0500
From: "BORIS ZAIDFELD" <cs911408@red.ariel.cs.yorku.ca>
Subject: Re:  Subsectors

What utility are you writing for TNE?..  for what platform? language?

-Shalom Zaidfeld
============================================================================
Shalom Zaidfeldcs911408@ariel.cs.yorku.ca
Toronto, Canada

"The Imperium is dead, Long live the New Era!"

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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6625
From: Anthony Neal <anthonyn@cs.mun.ca>
Subject: Thanks!!
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 1994 03:00:42 -0330

Hello!

 A quick thanks to the following people who replied on my CD question:

     Bruce Johnson, John Lewis, Kerry Harrison, Dave Hornford and Alistair
Langsford (in order of receipt).

 Thanks people! You've been inifinitely helpful!

     Anthony

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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6626
From: adrian@cee.hw.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt)
Subject: Re: X ray lasers
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 94 10:07:24 WET

bdamwitz@lonestar.utsa.edu (Britta B. Damwitz   ) writes:
>
> A low powered x-ray laser would make the perfect assasin weapon.
> ...
>And if you
> can put an x-ray laser inside a pistol that can punch holes in walls, I'd
> guess you could put a low power one inside your hand computer or digital
> watch.

I love it!  A hand computer with the ultimate interface - point it at
someone and press "Delete", and it deletes them.  :-)

> Scott 2G Kellogg

So did Britta B. Damwitz or Scott 2G Kellogg write what I quoted?  Or is
Scott about to change his name? ;-)

- --
 "Keyboard?  How quaint!" - M. Scott

 Adrian Hurt     |JANET:  adrian@uk.ac.hw.cee
 UUCP: ..!uknet!cee.hw.ac.uk!adrian  |  ARPA:  adrian@cee.hw.ac.uk

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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6627
From: rancke@diku.dk
Subject: Tech Levels <> Terran dates
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 1994 15:09:13 +0100 (MET)

Stewart Johnson writes:

>Something I forgot from last night. Aren't the TLs a bit out
>at lower levels? TL4 is c1850 whilst TL5 is c1930. Thus WWI was
>officially fought at TL4 wasn't it? I tend to find it easier to
>think of TLs in terms of weaponry and the first single-shot rifles
>can into service c1860-1880. Certainly we Brits were using Martini-Henry
>rifles in 1879 to fight Zulus with, and the Winchester probably
>predates that?

You touch on a pet peeve of mine. IMO those TL to Terran dates mappings
are NOT meant to be taken to litterally. The dates are only a rule of
thumb to help Refs estimate the TL of stuff that isn't explicitly
mentioned. Anything explicitly mentioned is independent of Terran dates.
Thus I believe that a TL 8 computer corresponds to the state of the art
on Terra today. We may be at TL 9 or 10 already  -  with respect to
computers. We obviously aren't wrt. space travel. Single-shot rifles
are TL 4, and will remain so even if historians discover a working
medieval single-shot rifle (design by da Vinci, perhaps? ;-).
(Incidentally, rifles were used in the Napoleonic war; some multi-shot
pistols were made in France around 1760 (They were revolved by hand,
and never really caught on)).



      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

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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6628
Date: 17 Jan 1994 09:22:42 U
From: "KMCCARTHY" <KMCCARTHY@qmgate.osc.hq.nasa.gov>
Subject: RE<CD-ROM  Capacity

                      Subject:                              Time:  10:51 PM
  OFFICE MEMO         RE<CD-ROM  Capacity                   Date:  1/16/94
It is somewhere between 600mb and 650mb.

Kevin

__________________________________________________________>A strange
question...
>Does anyone know the memory capacity of the current Compact Disk (CD >ROM)?
Anthony
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Anthony Neal



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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6629
From: gsw@aloft.att.com
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 94 09:35:59 EST
Subject: CD capacity

Anthony Neal asks:

>  Does anyone know the memory capacity of the current Compact Disk (CD ROM)?

According to my references, about 680 Megabytes, although recent
technological breakthroughs promise to push the capacity of optical
storage up to over a Terabyte per cubic inch.

,-----------------.
|Gerald S Williams|
|gsw@aloft.att.com|
|  (215)439-7237  |
`-----------------'

      _  |     ____/    _  |
     /   /    /        /   /      /                     /
    /   /  ____ |     ____/   _  _/    __ |    __ |    /      ____/
   /   /        /    /          /     /   /   /   /   /    ____
______/  ______/  __/         ___/  _____/  _____/  ___/  ______/


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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6630
From: Mike Basinger <dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu>
Subject: Mote in God's Eye
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 1994 12:25:21 -0500 (EST)

One idea I had for a Traveller game, was a campaign based in the
universe of Mote in God's Eye (by Niven and Pournelle).

The technology of this universe is very simular. The jump drive
(Aldersen Drive) is more powerful, but also more limited. In the
Langstrom field is basically a black globe device.

mike


- --
D. Michael Basinger: Not speaking for Indiana University
dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu
dbasinge@nations.ucs.indiana.edu (NeXT Mail)

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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6631
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 94 14:09:57 CST
From: rpiper@wri.com
Subject: 100-ton Scout 'New Hope'

 100ton Scout 'New Hope'- Former 100ton Scout 'Peregrine'
 General Data
  Displacement: 100tons     Hull Armor: 28
  Length: 35m               Volume: 1400m^3
  Price: MCr 39.45          Target Size: S
  Configuration: Wedge SL   Tech Level: 10 (Hull and Processor Plant 15)
  Mass (Loaded/Empty): 900.5/832.33

 Engineering Data
  Power Plant: 140MW Fusion Power Plant (47MW/hit)
  Jump Performance: 1 (140m^3 fuel)
  G-Rating: 2G (50MW/G)
  G-Turns: 91.2 (113.6 using jump fuel), 6.25m^3 fuel per turn
  Maint: 38

 Electronics
  Computer: 2x TL-10 St. Computers (.3MW each)
  Commo: 30,000km Radio (1 hex, 1MW),  30,000km Laser (1 hex, .08MW),
    1000AU Maser ( Inf., .6MW)
  Avionics: TL-10+ Avionics
  Sensors: 120,000km Passive EMS (4 hexes, .25MW), TL-10 Neutrino Detector
  Controls: 6x Workstations

 Armament
  1 Missile Turret (Loc: 10,  Arc 1,2,3) 2 ready missiles

 Accomodations
  Life Support:  Extended (.28MW), Grav Compensators (7MW)
  Crew: 7 (2x Manuever, 2xEngineering, 2x Electronics, 1x Gunner)
  Crew Accomodations: 4x Large Staterooms (0.001MW each)
  Cargo: 17m^3, one Large Cargo Hatch
  Launch Facilities:  2tn Minimal Hangar and Launch Port
  Air Locks: 1

 Notes
  The 'New Hope' was GUESS's first jump capable ship, and was initially fitted
 for system survey.  The 'New Hope' is equipped with a standard missile launcher
 and carries 4 Pinto Recon Drones on Survey missions.  With better survey
 vessels coming on-line, the 'New Hope' is being used mainly as a transport,
 with her crew reduced to one pilot and one electronics/engineering crew member.
 The 'New Hope' is a salvaged Third Imperium Scout hull,  with only the Fuel
 Processing Plant salvaged.  The Fuel Processing plant can refine 710m^3 fuel in
 20.28 hours,  and can skim 710m^3 in 1 hour.

 Area       Surface             Internal
 1          Ant                 Elec
 2-3        Ant                 1-5 Elec, 6-20 Quarters
 4-5                            1-10 Elec, 11-20 Quarters
 6-7                            1-10 Hold, 11-20 Quarters
 8-9                            Hold
 10         1-5 ML, 6-15 Ant    1-10 ML, 11-20 Quarters
 11                             Hold
 12-15                          Hold
 16-17                          1-15 Eng, 16-20 Hold
 18-19      1-5 CH, 15-20 LP    Hold
 20         1-5 AL              Eng

 Electronics-
  Neutrino Sensor 1H, Passive EMS 2h
 Quarters-
  Large Staterooms 1H,  Life Support 1H, Emergency Life Support 1H,
  Artificial Gravity 1H
 Engineering
  Jump Drive 1H,  Power Plant 3H,  Manuever 2h,  Contra-Grav 1H, FPP- 1H
 All else 1h.

 Pinto Recon Drone:
  7m^3, 8.5tn,  MCr 3.81,  12/10 G's.
  60,000km Passive EMS,  Folding Array.
  Size: Mc

 What do y'all think?


 Bob.

- --------------------------------------------------------
| Bob Piper | rpiper@wri.com  | Wolfram Research, Inc. |
- --------------------------------------------------------
|  "We are Game Guys. We know what we are doing."      |
|     -- Frank and Dave (The Guys who Write Games)     |
- --------------------------------------------------------

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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6632
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 11:41:10 +0100 (MET)
From: Kirk Schnorr <schnorr@tournesol.versailles.inra.fr>
Subject: tech levels

Hi, I'm Kirk Schnorr and am working in France.
Regarding Stewart Johnson's comment on tech levels:

"Aren't the TLs a bit out
at lower levels? TL4 is c1850 whilst TL5 is c1930. Thus WWI was
officially fought at TL4 wasn't it? I tend to find it easier to
think of TLs in terms of weaponry and the first single-shot rifles
can into service c1860-1880. Certainly we Brits were using Martini-Henry
rifles in 1879 to fight Zulus with, and the Winchester probably
predates that?"

I agree with the points Stewart makes.  Regarding tech advances between
1855-1920 in the non military fields there are many examples of a rapid
increase in technology.  The emerging fields of microbiology and
immunology made possible the first rational medical treatments for
diseases of civilization i.e. cholera, syphilis,  and the first vaccines
for things like rabies.  The explosion of breakthroughs in chemistry led
to the ability to make nitrogen compounds from the air (instead of bird shit)
which in turn drove the agricultural (fertilizer) and weapons(smokeless
powder, dynamite, TNT) revolution.  All the the advances between 1870-1914
allowed populations to increase, people to live longer and specialize in
these new technological fields but at the same time new fears emerged that
worsened and reached its peak in the nationalistic 30s.
I would consider the time between 1855 and 1930 and interim time
between tech levels 4 and 5.  You have to draw the line somewhere.  So
tech level 4 is coal and steam driven industrialization.  Tech level 5 is
technology uninfluenced by atomic and subatomic physics that brought on
the atomic age.
Of course you cannot pigeon hole an entire civilization into a
"tech level".  Part of the fun of going to a civilization is the surprize
twists you can have in the plot when the players encounter say germ
warfare in a tech level 4 society.



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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6633
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 1994 00:49:43 -0500
From: colin@anamorphosis.usra.edu (colin@anamorphosis.usra.edu)
Subject: INCIDENT AT OMEGA RIM

[Forwarded manually to traveller@engrg.uwo.ca.  The auto-reply came to
traveller-request@engrg.uw.ca alone by mistake -- James]

YES!  Finally some meat to the TML!  I love hearing about other people's
scenarios.  I've felt very much a novice in this list because I have a very
old version of Traveller and haven't played for years.  However, I have
designed a Rimworld scenario that I feel might provide some interesting
possibilities for other gamers.


                _I N C I D E N T  A T  O M E G A  R I M_
                             * * * * * * * * *

     Omega Rim is a small imperial outpost on the rim of the galaxy which
orbits a Type K star.  The station consists of a series of domed sectors
and is under military rule (Imperial).  While on a routine sweep through
the sector, 3 civvies are rescued from an escape pod and tell an unlikely
story of hijacking and aliens.  Apparently, the liner "Penelope" (which has
been missing for about a month) was hijacked and taken to an uncharted star
system near Omega Rim.  The captives (those who survived the hijacking)
were told they would be kept alive as long as they cooperated.  The
Hijackers then sent them down in an unarmed ship's boat to the uncharted
planet's surface where they encountered a pyramidical stone structure.
After touching off an automatic door mechanism by mistake, the party finds
a (formerly) sealed control center which appears to have been on this
planet for centuries.  Reptilian skeletons adorn the control room in
attitudes that indicate they were struck down in mid-duty.  One of the more
medically-inclined of the survivors discovered that the aliens were killed
by strange lightning-fast virus. All of the survivors have noticed a change
in their eyesight since entering the pyramid, but no other effects.

The control room is STILL ACTIVE and some fiddling reveals a starship and a
sealed chamber with an intact alien in stasis nearby.  They give the alien
a wide berth and decide to use the starship to escape the pirates.  As they
power up the ship, a loudspeaker chimes and crackles in some alien
language, then the entire complex comes alive - literally.  The alien wakes
up and starts shooting.  The civvies escape (barely) and as they leave the
planet, they notice the tell-tale lights of other ships leaving the
planetary gravity well.  The ships are identical to their own.  The last
sight they see before slipping into hyperdrive is the Penelope being
vaporized by blue-white light.  The alien ship gets them close to Omega
Rim, but they discover that the ship has a radiation leak that is
life-threatening.  Their last desparate act is to launch the escape pod
before finally, the ship explodes.  They are convinced that the planet was
host to a forerunner outpost or the advance party for a centuries-old
invasion that may have been stopped by the virus.

The commandant of the outpost doesn't believe a word of their story. He
puts them in quarantine until he can verify the story.

The questions that remain to be answered:
(1) What happened to the other alien ships that launched from the planet?
(2) What long-term effect did the virus have on the humans?
(3) Why were the pirates interested in the first place?
(4) What's being done with the alien escape pod?


Let me know what you think of this scenario and I can email you
(separately) more of the particulars for Subsector Carina at the galaxial
rim.


Colin Enger
MacVantages Consulting


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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6634
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 1994 17:40:22 -0500
From: "Herb M. Petro" <hmpetro@char.vnet.net>
Subject: re: capacity of compact disks

Someone inquired about the capacity of a compact disk.  Though I don't
know the exact capacity, the CD game the 7th Guest claims that it would
require 3000 3.5" HD disks to contain all the data on the compact disk.

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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6635
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 1994 14:08:45 +1000
From: langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au
Subject: Traveller Questions


                  I N T E R O F F I C E   M E M O R A N D U M

                                        Date Sent:18-Jan-1994 02:07pm
                                        From:     Alistair Langsford
                                                  LANGSFORD ALISTAIR
                                        Dept:     Information Services
                                        Tel No:   289 7870

TO:  Remote Addressee                     ( _traveller@engrg.uwo.ca )


Subject: Traveller Questions

Traveller Questions(Long):
==========================

I have been doing some preparation for when my Traveller campaign comes out
of cold sleep later on this year. This has prompted the following
questions. I've sketched out some answers I've thought of and would like to
know what other people's views are, for and against - any feedback would be
appreciated, especially from the point of view of the 'Classic' Third
Imperium, c.1100-1115

Q: I can't remember where it is stated but it is my impression that once
you go outside the boundaries of the starport on the world you are subject
to that world's law level. So what happens if/when PCs get in trouble? Can
the Imperial gov't intervene, and does it? How would this relate to the
Imperial Ministry of Justice as described in a Challenge article some time
ago?

A: It depends on the circumstances of the treaty by which the world became
a member of the imperium. A standard agreement would be that no world could
harbour an 'Enemy of the Imperium' - ie wanted for an Imperial offense. In
return, those guilty of local crime are extradited if caught back to the
planet, with the exception of status B (nobles) and above, who can elect to
be tried by an Imperial court - typically for the crime of 'Conduct
prejudicial to the good of the Imperium'.

Imperial military have better things to do than hunt down any but major
criminals, so bounty hunters are likely to do a thriving trade. There are
also likely to be extradition agreements and police cooperation agreements
between many collections of systems, 'brokered' as it were by the Imperium:
perhaps by the Imperial Ministry of Justice?

As for the idea of the Imperial Ministry of Justice, except for such
Interstellar Crime and influence on Military Justice I don't think it would
have much say about what happens locally.  I'm not real sure: I can't find
the article in my collection so I could be remembering incorrectly.

Q: If the law & government level describes the world outside the starport,
what determines what is the law level and government type -in- the
starport?

A: Law level and Government are based on the applicable subsector capital.
Note however that appeals could be made to the Sector Court at the Sector
Capital, and are likely to be influenced by the Sector Capital's law/Gov't
type.

Q: If you assume the UWP is describing the world and not the starport, what
tech level should the starports be?

A: Average Stellar, or world tech, whichever is higher.

Q: If a world is TL'n', does that mean that outside the starport the PCs
are limited to TL'n' equipment? If not, how do you deal with the effects of
having PCs with high tech equipment on low tech worlds? And what about the
reverse?

A: Yes, characters are limited to equipment in the same tech code. Why? so
they don't disrupt the local society and economy too much. Political,
social, and economic stability are valued highly, and having all three most
of the time is probably why the Imperium lasted as long as it did.

Alistair,
langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au


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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6636
Date:         Tue, 18 Jan 94 08:51:02 CST
From: Joe Heck <CCJOE@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject:      Closed Regency

I spoke with Dave Nilsen regarding this very thing when TNE had just come
out, mostly because I was developing an adventure in the area and was
curious which way things were going to go. Something he pointed out to me,
but which I don't remember reading anywhere, was that there are 'listening'
posts in that section of the rift between the Regency and what was the core
of the Imperium.

Not sure how it's going to effect your individual campaigns, but it's an
interesting tidbit.

 joe                          University of Missouri - Columbia
 ccjoe@mizzou1.missouri.edu   (314) 882-5000

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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6637
Reply-To: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@web.apc.org
From: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@sp-eug.com
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 1994 22:56:09 DST
Subject: Re:  Regency

Ron Dawson said:

>As for the Star Vikings.. I don't like these guys.
>They feel like both pawns of a Hivers game, plus
> their economy is based on piracy and stealing from
>other cultures/societies wealth.. very much like
I must disagree.  I like the RCES (or Star Viking..)  the setting
will let you have more freedom to create whatever
 background that you want.  develop the service as you wise
 and more.  About the Hivers, well, they help the RC to get back
on their feet, but the Hiver do not control the RC.  about Piracy..
 well, their are other good points for the service (RCES) like
 recontact lost worlds, help rebuild them, help develop the RC,
to raise the level of living within it and around it (the near wilds
 area).  basicliy, a young coalition building it's self.  I like the
 settings/RCES
>some of the European powers in the past.  I almost
>wish they could run into a new Solomani league.

 history always repeats it's self.  :-)

-Shalom
Zaidfeld
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Shalom ZaidfeldToronto, Canada

"The Imperium is dead, Long Live the New Era!..."
*#******************************************************************************
*#This message was sent from MATRIX  ARTS  BBS
*#The views expressed in this posting are those of the individual author only.
*#******************************************************************************

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

Bundle: 535
Archive-Message-Number: 6638
Reply-To: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@web.apc.org
From: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@sp-eug.com
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 1994 22:18:00 DST
Subject: Re: Getting in and out of the Regency


Roger Sanger Said:
>I strongly disagree with your claim about playing New Era
> in the Regency.  Playing in the Regency is indeed a viable
>option, and for die-hard Imperium fans, offers the best
>environment for roleplaying in the New Era.

You are right.  GDW created T:TNE while thinking
 about all the Mega/CT players..  "You want to continue
 playing in the Imperium?..  Use the
 Regency.  You want to play in a kinda Imperium
 (young Imperium, where you can control it's development?..
 play the StarViking.
 you want to play your own game, use the Pockets.."..
 thus, opening T:TNE for all levels of players.  ofcourse
 there are a few changes, but a CT adv. can still be
 played if people want to in T:TNE rules/history.

>My attitude is this:  The more Traveller-related conferences
> the merrier!  I collect them all anyways.  Adding another
> script to one's comm program just ain't that hard.

Yap.  it also helpful if a group of people want to talk about a
 spacific subject like T:TNE Pockets empires and stuff.  So if
 the reader is intersted in Pockets, they can join that group
 for more detailed  information.  As it was said before, it would
 be nice to get some updates reports back to TML.

Take care,

-Shalom
Zaidfeld
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Shalom ZaidfeldToronto, Canada

"The Imperium is dead, Long Live the New Era!..."

*#******************************************************************************
*#This message was sent from MATRIX  ARTS  BBS
*#The views expressed in this posting are those of the individual author only.
*#******************************************************************************

------------------------------
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by the University of
Western Ontario. All opinions and materials below are the responsibility
of the originator.

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

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 536  6639 14-Jan-1994 intacc!Shalom_Z  Re: Questions << Allen Shock said:
 536  6640 14-Jan-1994 intacc!Shalom_Z  Re: TNE Errata-Combat Engineer << "KMCC
 536  6641 18-Jan-1994 psualum@aol.com  Subject: Tech Level Advancement << >Ant
 536  6642 18-Jan-1994 Curtis Peer      Re: Crew Sizes: old vs. new << The two
 536  6643 18-Jan-1994 Curtis Peer      Traveller Artists << Who have been peop
 536  6644 19-Jan-1994 KHALESS@delphi.  World Builders Handbook << I am looking
 536  6645 19-Jan-1994 KHALESS@delphi.  Watercraft << In the 101 Vehicles guide
 536  6646 19-Jan-1994 Jo_Grant.LOTUSI  Re: Megacorporations? << So you've seen
 536  6647 19-Jan-1994 Joe Heck         Favorite Artists << >Who have been peop
 536  6648 19-Jan-1994 "KMCCARTHY"      Combat Movement Rates -  Su <<
 536  6649 19-Jan-1994 William White    On the Virus  <<           How I Learne
 536  6650 19-Jan-1994 AMNUSS@delphi.c  Traveller questions << >Law at the star
 536  6651 20-Jan-1994 "Anthony K. Bag  The Virus, and other TNE strangeness <<
 536  6652 20-Jan-1994 "KMCCARTHY"      Re: What Does a Combat Engin <<
 536  6653 20-Jan-1994 "Susan M. Shock  Re: On the Virus <<   Mr. White's opini
 536  6654 20-Jan-1994 intacc!Shalom_Z  Mining Equipment- anyone? << Hi,
 536  6655 19-Jan-1994 intacc!Shalom_Z  The Mote in God's eye << Michael Basing
 536  6656 19-Jan-1994 J Roberson       Law, TL, Cbt Egnrg, Miniaturization <<
 536  6657 20-Jan-1994 James T Perkins  Re: World Builders Handbook  << KHALESS
 536  6658 20-Jan-1994 Christofer Bert  Re: Traveller Artists << >Who have been
 536  6659 20-Jan-1994 Caffine Achieve  Mass Drivers------>>> [ << I was trying
 536  6660 21-Jan-1994 Shane Thomas     Re: The Mote in God's eye << Shalom Zai

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6639
Reply-To: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@web.apc.org
From: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@sp-eug.com
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 1994 22:34:56 DST
Subject: Re: Questions

Allen Shock said:
>Does anyone know anything about the status of the
>following:
> 1. Traveller miniatures
>2. Challenge # 72
>3. Traveller novels
>4. Smash & Grab sourcebook and RCES equipment
>guide
>5. Traveller Referee Screen

Hi there, well to answer your questions (whatever I can...)
1.  they are out..  I've already seen them at my local RPG store..
2. no idea..
3. as last i read (from the package GDW sent me when I
 asked for a list of products)  they consider a few writers,
 but no date is set for release) common day words:
 I'll buy it for my grandkids (and i'm only 18 :-)

take care,

-Shalom Zaidfeld

'...The Imperium is dead.  Long live the New Era!'
*#******************************************************************************
*#This message was sent from MATRIX  ARTS  BBS
*#The views expressed in this posting are those of the individual author only.
*#******************************************************************************

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6640
Reply-To: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@web.apc.org
From: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@sp-eug.com
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 1994 22:41:57 DST
Subject: Re: TNE Errata-Combat Engineer

"KMCCARTHY said:

>While creating a Marine/Special Ops charater
> using T:TNE I noticed that the
>Combat Engineer skill is not offered in any of the
> Military careers or
>Mercenary career.  I suggest that GDW add Combat
> Engineer to the Special Duty
>Skill list for these careers in their T:TNE errata.

What does a Combat Enginner do?..  Could you discribe the skill a bit?

thanks,

-Shalom Zaidfeld
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Shalom ZaidfeldToronto, Canada

"The Imperium is dead, Long Live the New Era!..."

*#******************************************************************************
*#This message was sent from MATRIX  ARTS  BBS
*#The views expressed in this posting are those of the individual author only.
*#******************************************************************************

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6641
From: psualum@aol.com
Reply-To: <psualum@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 94 18:18:13 EST
Subject: Subject: Tech Level Advancement

>Anthony writes:
>...Quite a reduction in size, and we haven't even advanced a Tech level!!
> (talking about CD players in specific, and computer and electronic
>technology in general)

 >Well, to get picky, you CD player analogy is off a bit...if you
>look inside a tabletop CD player, most of it is either empty space, or
>power supply.  The actual electronics and mechanism are generally much
>closer in size to your Discman.  Of course, Sony has made a long corporate
>history of miniturizing things.

> However, some of the stuff can't go down.  Recall, for instance
>your "Infamous"  model hand computer, that at Tl11 is 0.5 kg, vs 50,000
>at Tl5. Much of the weight is in things that cannot be reduced, like
>keyboards, and readable screens, or at least touchpad areas large enough
>to be useable.

A discussion that recently appeared in one of the Computer magazines I
subscribe to (PC World or PC/Computing) theorized that computers could become
smaller by using small screen that could be worn like eyeglasses and
positioned in front of the user's eye when in use.  In Traveller hologram
projecters would be another alternative to screens  to permit miniturization.
 An alternate method of input that is within reach today are computers that
accept voice commands and eliminate the need for keyboards.

Granted there will probably be limits to miniturizing computers but smaller
devices than currently present in official rules are within reason.

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6642
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 1994 18:42:07 -0500
From: curtis@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Curtis Peer)
Subject: Re: Crew Sizes: old vs. new

The two biggest increases come with engineers and gunners.

Keep those two down, and you can get results akin to CT and MT.

That was the goal of that HAIS system I posted. I just have time
for quick notes right now, so I'll post the revised version
on another day.

an open note for Loren: This disparity in crew levels between
FF&S/BL and previous editions is a real obstacle for those of
us who want to use NEW ERA rules in an Imperial setting.(and/or
gamemasters who don't want to keep track of 15-20 NPC crew)

I would REALLY like to see something "official" (ie. usable by
most Traveller players, not just my own house rules) on this.
I suspect many "old" Traveller players will be making their
own house rules on this point also, and the more everybody's house
rules are in line with the published rules, the more usable
published designs are for everybody.

"Why MERC:2000?....because our customers wanted it"
    --Loren Wiseman, Merc:2000 designers notes (possibly slightly
                        misquoted, but not much)

The Traveller customers are wanting.


John H Bogan, abusing his friend's account

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6643
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 1994 19:24:27 -0500
From: curtis@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Curtis Peer)
Subject: Traveller Artists

Who have been peoples' favourite Traveller artists.

Name names where possible so that GDW can hire them (hopefully).

John H Bogan

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6644
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 1994 01:33:38 -0400 (EDT)
From: KHALESS@delphi.com
Subject: World Builders Handbook

I am looking for The World Builders Handbook on disk.   If anyone has it, and 
would be willing to send me a copy, please respond.   I am tired of doing world
  generation by hand.

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6645
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 1994 01:31:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: KHALESS@delphi.com
Subject: Watercraft

In the 101 Vehicles guide, it shows a mini-sub.  My question is how does one 
figure the speed of the craft, the craft design book does not explaign themeone
  please explaign how to do it??

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6646
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 94 05:41:15 EST
From: Jo_Grant.LOTUSINT.LOTUS@CRD.lotus.com
Subject: Re: Megacorporations?

So you've seen Stern Metal? I just came back from the States through
Boston airport where there was a big advertisment for
THE TRAVELLER'S AID SOCIETY!
Jo

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6647
Date:         Wed, 19 Jan 94 09:20:07 CST
From: Joe Heck <CCJOE@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject:      Favorite Artists

>Who have been peoples' favourite Traveller artists?

Well, I'd stick Tom Peters right up there in to top bits, and follow him up
by Rob Caswell (who I understand isn't doing SF art anymore) and Blair
Reynolds (who I can't seem to find within the borders of the US). I like the
old Keith brother's stuff - although I tend to like the previous artists a
little better these days. I really like Blair's figures and aliens.

 joe                          University of Missouri - Columbia
 ccjoe@mizzou1.missouri.edu   (314) 882-5000

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6648
Date: 19 Jan 1994 11:45:16 U
From: "KMCCARTHY" <KMCCARTHY@qmgate.osc.hq.nasa.gov>
Subject: Combat Movement Rates -  Su

                       Subject:                               Time:11:48 AM
  OFFICE MEMO          Combat Movement Rates -  Suggested_    Date:1/19/94
I have reviewed T:TNE rules and I can not find any movemnt penalty for
charaters carring equipment up to there load  level (did I miss anything?).

For example a Character carrying up to 36Kg (79.2 lbs), with a STR and CON of 6
each, moves as fast as  as when he is carrying no equipment.  I spent 12 years
in the Infantry and I know life doesn't work that way.

I don't know the exact errata fix for this but maybe the following:  Any amount
over 1.5 x (STR + CON) in Kg. carried requires the expenditure of 1 fatigue
point per combat turn to run (trot and slower no penalty).

I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Kevin Mc Carthy

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6649
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 94 13:20:55 EST
From: William White <whitew@eden.rutgers.edu>
Subject: On the Virus

          How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Virus:

     Okay.  I've read _Survival Margin_.  I've read _Arrival
Vengeance_.  I've read _Hard Times_, the Rebellion sourcebook,
and the New Era rulebook.
     And somehow I'm still not convinced that destroying
thousands of (albeit imaginary) worlds and killing trillions of
(admittedly notional) sophonts is the right way to go about
revising your rules system.
     Like many of the people on this list, I'm a bit
uncomfortable with the Virus.  Here's why:

     I *like* the Third Imperium.  I agree with Strephon:  "Shall
not perish...shall not perish."  The idea of a community of
autonomous worlds, each free to chart its own path under the
umbrella of a benevolent Imperium, is an attractive one to me.
     The Rebellion Era background, it seems to me, is informed to
a large extent by the American Civil War.  By that I mean:  the
issue, ultimately, is in both cases to decide the fundamental
nature of a federal government "conceived in liberty".
     That may sound like a boring question, but it really isn't.
The workings of government are the game mechanics of freedom, if
I may be excused for drawing such a metaphor.  They're important.
     Unleashing the Virus put the brakes on how that issue gets
resolved, in our fictional Traveller universe at least.  And
that's an unsatisfying resolution to a rather dramatic story.

     "But who won?" one asks.
     "Oh," says GDW.  "Nobody.  Everybody dies at the end."

     Dave Nilsen (I think) has Dr. Kuligaan seemingly argue in
_Survival Margin_ that to resolve the Rebellion in victory or
compromise would be to fool (imaginary Traveller universe)
humanity into believing that it could routinely walk along the
brink of the abyss without plunging over.
     So to make this point absolutely clear, the logic seems to
be, we have to kill *practically everyone* in Charted Space and
send most of the rest back into the Stone Age.  I dunno.  I think
there may be a better way to make PCs, at least, understand how
high the stakes are.
     Because the question of how to best rule 11,000 worlds
hasn't been resolved, and seems to be part of what drives
the RCES' Star Vikings and the Regency, with its newer, more
democratic institutions.  But the Virus isn't necessary for
either of those.  The Regency was already isolated "behind the
Claw" by vargr corsairs, and the Wilds existed as early as
1125--the Reformation Coalition could have begun as one of Chuck
Gannon's "emergent autonomous polities".
     The only thing you really have to wait for is whatever it is
from Project Longbow that's closing in at lightspeed on "Meridian
78, Prime Radial" (where ever that may be).  My guess is that
it's the 57th Century's equivalent of the telegraph.  Sub-space
radio, anyone?  Let's see...90 years plus 1115 is...1205.  Not
much longer, now.  I guess all those years in cold sleep will be
worth it, after all.
     My prediction is that it will be a technological fix that
will solve the problems of governance that plagued Strephon,
Dulinor, and the rest of the leaders of the Shattered Imperium,
and make a reformed New Imperium possible in the official GDW
future history.
     My point is simply that the Virus is extraneous to the drama
that was being played out in the Traveller universe 1117-1130,
and in fact detracts from it, IMHO, and that's why I dislike it.  If I
took too long to say so, I apologize.  I would appreciate
whatever comments anyone cares to make, even it's just an "Oh,
shut up."

Bill White
Terran Psychohistorical Institute
whitew@eden.rutgers.edu

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6650
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 1994 19:48:21 -0400 (EDT)
From: AMNUSS@delphi.com
Subject: Traveller questions

>Law at the starport

 There are two articles about Imperial law--Law In The Imperium in
 Challenge 50 and Imperial Law in MegaTraveller Journal 4.  I haven't looked
 at either in a while but I believe that the MOJ is talked about in the
 Challenge article.

>Law & government level type in the starport

 In Far & Away 1 the article The Complete Starport says that the local
 law and government types within the starport is derived from the
 interstellar authorty.

>Starport tech level

 I don't remember where but I did read that the minimum tech level for any
 class A or B port is 10.

If my players want to buy an item that is at a higher TL than the planets I
look at the starmap and find the highest TL within a jump3 and that is the
highest TL they can buy.  I also charge a higher price and add shipping
charges and sales tax.

I have the Scouts enforce a law that you cannot bring any item that is 3 TL's
higher than the planet; outside the starport of course.

Alan

------------------------------
Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6651
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 94 10:43:06 GMT
From: "Anthony K. Baggaley" <MCDAPAB@cms.manchester-computing-centre.ac.uk>
Subject: The Virus, and other TNE strangeness


  Re-  Bill White's comments on The Virus

    A round of applause from this corner, I think you put your finger on
   another reason the virus felt wrong. I also liked the Rebellion (but then
   again, plenty of old Traveller players didn't, and said they would never
   use the new background and rules- history tends to repeat itself :) )
   and stopping it  dead (and a half) with the virus was a bit of a anti-
   climax, especially since the virus only came along *because the Rebellion
   failed to sell* - rather like those big disasters that come along in soap
   operas when the viewers start disapearing (Traveller 90210?)
    Anyway, here is a question for all those sad people who remember MT and
   maybe joined HIWG when it's brief was to detail the course of the Rebellion.
    The question is- What would have been the course of the Rebellion if the
                     virus had never been created? (discuss)
    This is not something that was ever decided (to my knowledge)- for example
    the original post-rebellion map indicated the destruction of Margarets(sp)
    faction, but their HIWG supporters persuaded GDW that they were in too
    good a position for this to occur. Another reason for the virus?- with no
    plan for the Rebellion it was just getting too big to handle.
     So do people think that- 1) does Lucan roll over the Third Imperium
                              2) do the Solomani land on Capital?
                              3) do the K'Kree take over the Universe?arrghh
     ....any suggestions?

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

  Oh, and just to prove I'm not an old stick-in-the-mud, yes I have got FF&S,
  and it looks quite good. (not Traveller though- Fusion Gun Ammo?)
   Just a few notes for people making the consumer choice- HEPlaR or Thruster?

   1. take a 1 ton vehicle, with a HEPlaR drive and 1MW power source (note that
      FFS says that Fusion ISN'T needed- we'll use TL15 Ever-Ready.)

   2  Run the drive for one second

   3. The power plant has produced 1 MJ of energy. The vehicle, however, is
      now moving at 200 m/s, and has energy of about 20 MJ. And then they dare
      to explain why Thruster Plates are against the laws of physics.

      ie. Thruster plates require no more suspension of disbelief than HEPlaR
         (OK- this only proves that HEPlaR is a Fusion drive, but I find both
          means of propulsion equally improbable)

   And if you DO use thruster plates, remember that HEPlaR is 10 TIMES more
   efficient per ton of drive, at 2/1000th the cost, with power being cheaper
   than thrusters at high TL, it is actually more weight and price efficient
   to use HEPlaR for short (a day or two) duration vehicles.
   I might use HEPlaR after all...

   One minor quibble (pedantic, moi?)- on page 64 it says that Fusion has only
    been achieved in H-Bombs... not exactly right. That whole Fusion section
    was useless- it didn't help illustrate how *Traveller* fusion reactors
    might work.(Not that anyone knows)

   And finally- I like the TNE jump fuel rules; the only part of Classic Trav
   I could never accept was that ships automatically emptied their fuel tanks
   every jump. The new rules also make large jump drives more efficient,
   an interesting change.
                       Off to see the Magistrate...
                                        Anthony K.
                                        (someone has been telling lies about
    mcdapab@cms.mcc.ac.uk                                             me)
    .sig? We dont need no steenkeeng .sig

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6652
Date: 20 Jan 1994 10:19:54 U
From: "KMCCARTHY" <KMCCARTHY@qmgate.osc.hq.nasa.gov>
Subject: Re: What Does a Combat Engin

                      Subject:                              Time:  9:57 AM
  OFFICE MEMO         RE>What Does a Combat Engineer Do     Date:  1/20/94
>What does a Combat Enginner do?..  Could you discribe
> the skill a bit?
>thanks,
>-Shalom Zaidfeld
_________________________________________________________
Refer to page 117 of T:TNE, if you have it.

Partial Quote Follows:
"Combat Engineer (Engineer-CON): This skill alows the construction and
demolition of obsticals, minefields, and field fortifications, and the ability
to enhance mobility by building temporary bridges, ramps, and causeways across
or around natural obsticals."

In the American Army a Division, about15,000 troops, has one Battalion, about
850 troops, of Combat Engineers.   They are very handy on both the offensive
and defensive.  For Traveller, it is always nice to have a character that knows
how to blow things up.

Kevin Mc Carthy



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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6653
Date:         Thu, 20 Jan 94 10:01:03 EST
From: "Susan M. Shock" <34ZBTXQ@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject:      Re: On the Virus

  Mr. White's opinions on the Virus and the New Era background in general were
very thought-provoking. Of course, he is entitled to his opinion, and it isn't
my intent to change those opinions (I doubt if I could anyway), but to present
some of my own on the New Era background.
  I will certainly agree that the Third Imperium was a wonderful background for
a science-fiction roleplaying campaign; one needs only look at some other SFRPG
to see how widely it's been imitated. One nice thing about this is that if one
still desires to use that background, one can.  GDW owns Traveller, and they
can of course do whatever they like with the published background-but once YOU
buy the game, you can do whatever YOU want with it. If you feel that the saga
of the Third Imperium should have a different ending, then it can.
Hopefully, GDW will realize that a lot of others feel this way, and when the
New Era materials have been established, will put out sourcebooks for those who
prefer to game within the confines of the Imperium.
  That being said, I must say that throughout the original Traveller writings,
I always had a feeling that the Imperium was stretched to it's limits, and was
in danger of the very thing that happened to it with the Rebellion. The vast
areas that needed to be governed, and the vast diversity of interests which
were present in Imperial Space virtually assured that the Imperium would fail
in a major way someday. While Virus and it's effects may not have been part of
a master plan (if indeed there was one, whether by Marc Miller or someone else)
it always seemed to me that the disintegration of the Imperium was virtually
assured. I think it's important to point out that a careful reading of Hard
Times points out that the Third Imperium died long before the Virus. Virus
trashed interstellar civilization as a whole, not just what was left of the
Imperium.
  The AI Virus was an act of desperation, somewhat akin to the fears that
people had that the Soviets might have a "doomsday device" which they would use
to destroy civilization on Earth should they be losing a war. The fact that it
was set off by Dulinor rather than Lucan is immaterial; it was still Lucan's
doomsday device, although he didn't intend it to be. Catastrophes happen. Not
all stories are allowed to proceed to a logical conclusion. The very act of
conceiving of the Virus proved that Lucan, like all the other factions in the
Rebellion, was thinking only of his agenda. ARRIVAL VENGEANCE clearly showed
that there was no hope of ever reuniting the Imperium. The logical conclusion
to the story would have been that a series of squabbling interstellar states
would have settled into place, and that somewhere down the line, someone would
have tried to unite them, with a huge war which would have killed trillions.
The Virus, whether by accident or by Hiver design, as some have suggested, has
wiped the slate clean, teaching humanity an abject lesson and hopefully making
sure that the state which replaces the Imperium will be better governed.
  Or maybe that should be states! The Regency will eventually begin expanding
outward, and will run into the Reformation Coalition at some point. It's been
hinted in CHALLENGE that there will be a supplement dealing with this. When
they meet, they may make bitter war at first. Eventually they may become like
the United States and England are now, because despite some differences, they
both beleive in the same thing; the importance of returning humanity to the
stars, and the fundamental rights of all beings. Whereas one mighty Imperium
couldn't rule the stars effectively, two smaller but allied powers just might
be able to make it work.
  I too like the Third Imperium; I also like the New Era. That's why I run in
both. As gamemaster, I can keep or throw out whatever I like. If you like the
Imperium, and wish to extend it's history beyond 1116 or 1130, by all means
do so.
    Sorry about the length; I guess I had more to say than I thought.
                                                    Allen Shock

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6654
From: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@sp-eug.com
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 1994 00:01:42 DST
Subject: Mining Equipment- anyone?

Hi,

I am looking for anyone that has Mining Equipment designs,
and that would like to share them.  Equipment like Mining
Platforms, drillers etc.

preferable in FF&S rules, but anything else would be
 welcome too.

Thanks,

-Shalom Zaidfeld
-Toronto, Canada
#*******************************************************************************
#This message was sent from MATRIX  ARTS  BBS                                  *
#The views expressed in this posting are those of the individual author only.  *
#*******************************************************************************

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6655
From: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@sp-eug.com
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 1994 23:56:17 DST
Subject: The Mote in God's eye

Michael Basinger said:

>One idea I had for a Traveller game, was a
>campaign based in the universe of Mote in God's
>Eye (by Niven and Pournelle).

very good book in my own opinion.  I was think
about it too.  It shouldn't be hard, It would be
nice to be able to  generate a PC based on the aliens :)

was there a follow book after Mote.. ?

>The technology of this universe is very simular.
>The jump drive (Aldersen Drive) is more powerful,
>but also more limited. In the
>Langstrom field is basically a black globe device.

The aldersen Drive could be discribed as a Jump Drive.
Probebly Jamp-4 or 5 ?.. not sure.  and the Black
Globe thing, well I don't think it's the same as in
Traveller, but a nice device indeed.

Are you planing on running a campaign based on
Mote's in god's eye?

>mike
-Shalom Zaidfeld

- -------------------------------------------------------
Shalom Zaidfeld
Toronto Canada

    "The Imperium is dead, Long live the New Era!"
#*******************************************************************************
#This message was sent from MATRIX  ARTS  BBS                                  *
#The views expressed in this posting are those of the individual author only.  *
#*******************************************************************************

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6656
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 1994 19:44:29 -0600 (CST)
From: rjr96326@vax1.utulsa.edu (J Roberson)
Subject: Law, TL, Cbt Egnrg, Miniaturization

[Improve subject line, resent to traveller@engrg.uwo.ca, came to
traveller-request@engrg.uwo.ca instead -- James]

langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au:

>Q: I can't remember where it is stated but it is my impression that once
>you go outside the boundaries of the starport on the world you are subject
>to that world's law level. So what happens if/when PCs get in trouble? Can
>the Imperial gov't intervene, and does it? How would this relate to the
>Imperial Ministry of Justice as described in a Challenge article some time
>ago?

As you said in your own answer, much of this will be dependent upon that
planet's relations with the Imperium. Some will be like the city/county/state/
federal hierarchy of the modern US; others may actively resent Imperial
"meddling" and either stall or negotiate their dealings with the Imperium;
depending on a criminal's crime, he may be welcomed (secretly) by members
of certain worlds! But generally, I think local laws, including ordinances
mandated by the Imperium, will be enforced by the local constabulary, with
the Imperium retaining the right to arrest criminals who have broken Imperial
law elsewhere (whether offworld or in space).

I think extradition between worlds (i.e, you run a stoplight at Matewan
and flee to Jamaica but the Imperium has no rule against running stoplights)
will not involve the Imperium except in unusual circumstances (hostility
between worlds, for instance)

>Q: If the law & government level describes the world outside the starport,
>what determines what is the law level and government type -in- the
>starport?

I've always taken them to be inclusive of the starport, and assumed that
starports (but not naval bases and the like) fell under the purview of
the local planetary or stellar government.

>Q: If you assume the UWP is describing the world and not the starport, what
>tech level should the starports be?

Again, I find it easier to put them at world TL; if that is not high enough
for the construction of a starport, make it the minimum needed.

>Q: If a world is TL'n', does that mean that outside the starport the PCs
>are limited to TL'n' equipment? If not, how do you deal with the effects of
>having PCs with high tech equipment on low tech worlds? And what about the
>reverse?

>A: Yes, characters are limited to equipment in the same tech code. Why? so
>they don't disrupt the local society and economy too much. Political,
>social, and economic stability are valued highly, and having all three most
>of the time is probably why the Imperium lasted as long as it did.

Don't be silly. If I gave a fusion gun and you have bows and arrows, who's
going to stop me from going wherever I want. (flippant answer).

Seriously though, this will again be dependent upon the world. I believe that
many worlds allow people to walk around with their own equipment, 1) to
encourage trade and 2) it's too difficult to keep all that stuff out. Granted,
in many instances there will be provisions regarding high-tech assault weaponry
(the aforementioned fusion gun) which will likely be prohibited anyway, and
enforced (if need be) with specialized paramilitary units or by petitioning
the Imperium to enforce the law. Whatever the case, however, I believe it
will be different from planet to planet.


- -Shalom Zaidfeld:

>What does a Combat Enginner do?..  Could you discribe the skill a bit?

Combat Engineers construct platforms, dig embankments, build bridges, and
create other structures and fortification in a battle area. They also destroy
said structures.

Such a skill would involve rudimentary knowledge of demolitions, structural/
civil engineering, and possibly mining (they started out as diggers who built
tunnels beneath castle fortifications, and later moved to constructing
earthen embankments that could withstand the recoil of early field artillery).


>. . .[computers could become}
>smaller by using small screen that could be worn like eyeglasses and
>positioned in front of the user's eye when in use.  In Traveller hologram
>projecters would be another alternative to screens  to permit miniturization.
>An alternate method of input that is within reach today are computers that
>accept voice commands and eliminate the need for keyboards.

Ah, but how does one initiate commands in say, a word processor? I think a
small unit consisting perhaps of nothing but control/alt/delete will be
neccesary so that the computer knows you want to "save" a document, not add
word "save" to it.

>Granted there will probably be limits to miniturizing computers but smaller
>devices than currently present in official rules are within reason.

Essentially, the control devices will mass more than the processors themselves,
except in the case of neural implants. Maybe in the future the computer will
be carried from point to point, plugging them into whichever peripheral is
handy.


J Roberson


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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6657
Subject: Re: World Builders Handbook
Reply-To: jamesp@sp-eug.com (James T Perkins)
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 94 07:56:28 PST
From: James T Perkins <jamesp@sp-eug.com>


KHALESS@delphi.com writes:
> I am looking for The World Builders Handbook on disk. If anyone has
> it, and would be willing to send me a copy, please respond. I am tired
> of doing world generation by hand.

You can ftp to ftp.maths.tcd.ie and look for Jo Jaquinta-Grant's LIBRARY
program for PC. It slices, it dices, it does julienne fries. It might
even solve your needs. Jo can be reached by email as
jaymin@maths.tcd.ie.

James

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6658
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 1994 11:15:44 -0800
From: chrisber@netcom.com (Christofer Bertani)
Subject: Re: Traveller Artists


>Who have been peoples' favourite Traveller artists.
>
>Name names where possible so that GDW can hire them (hopefully).
>
>John H Bogan

Easy.  Donna Barr.  (Remember the extremely funny line drawings
in the old TAS Journal?)

Chris Bertani

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6659
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 94 21:54:13 PST
From: Caffine Achiever! <fok@scf.usc.edu>
Subject: Mass Drivers------>>> [

I was trying out the Mass Driver design in FF&S and I believe I found
an error in the Direct Fire range computation.

On page 110 second paragraph under Direct Fire Range it state:
"...direct fire range in meters...is equal to the sum of the bore
diameter (in centimeter) and the muzzle velocity (in meters per
second) all multiplied by 0.015."

For my design I used have a muzzle velocity of 4000m/s and a bore size
of 4cm.  Per the given equation my short range is equal to:
(4+4000)*0.015=60.06 meters
hmmmm....quite a "short" range.

Can Loren, Dave, or any other enlightened ones provide any suggestions?

- -Ed Fok

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

Bundle: 536
Archive-Message-Number: 6660
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 94 09:14:14 GMT
From: shane@nuclear-medicine.ucl.ac.uk (Shane Thomas)
Subject: Re: The Mote in God's eye

Shalom Zaidfeld said:

> was there a follow book after Mote.. ?

Yes.  It was called "The Gripping Hand" in the US I believe, and "The Moat
around Murcheson's Eye" elsewhere.

It's pretty good as a sequel, but of course like pretty much all sequels
it's not nearly as good as the original.

Shane
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Shane Nicholas Thomas               Internet:  s.thomas@nucmed.ucl.ac.uk
Institute of Nuclear Medicine       Telephone: +44 71 380 9423
UCL Medical School                  Facsimile: +44 71 637 0578
London, UK

------------------------------
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by the University of
Western Ontario. All opinions and materials below are the responsibility
of the originator.

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

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 537  6661 21-Jan-1994 l.wiseman1@geni  <<   Several Long posts here, but I've
 537  6662 21-Jan-1994 l.wiseman1@geni  <<   Part III
 537  6663 21-Jan-1994 kspangler@aol.c  TNE Virus << TNE Virus: A while back pe
 537  6664 20-Jan-1994 Caffine Achieve  From the "mote" to "The Gripping Hand"
 537  6665 22-Jan-1994 "Susan M. Shock  A question... << Here's a question for
 537  6666 22-Jan-1994 Leonard Erickso  reality checks bouncing <<
 537  6667 22-Jan-1994 Jeff Zeitlin     67:10 - Non-Virus his 2/2 << Subject: 6
 537  6668 22-Jan-1994 Jeff Zeitlin     67:10 - Non-Virus his 1/2 << Subject: 6
 537  6669 23-Jan-1994 David Paxson     Re:  Reality checks bouncing << Leonard
 537  6670 24-Jan-1994 langsl@cbr.hhcs  Traveller NewsPaper <<
 537  6671 24-Jan-1994 langsl@cbr.hhcs  TV series question <<
 537  6672 23-Jan-1994 "Susan M. Shock  Re: TV series question << The show you'
 537  6673 23-Jan-1994 FELLOWS STEVEN   Traveller Newspaper << In response to t
 537  6674 24-Jan-1994 "Anthony K. Bag  Electrothermal Carnage <<
 537  6675 24-Jan-1994 Mike Basinger    FF&S computer design sheet << Has anybo
 537  6676 24-Jan-1994 MacGyver         Re: TV series question << > The questio
 537  6677 24-Jan-1994 Glenn Myers      CT jump fuel & black globes << Hi All,
 537  6678 22-Jan-1994 intacc!Shalom_Z  Re: The Mote in God's eye << Shane Said
 537  6679 22-Jan-1994 intacc!Shalom_Z  Re:  From the "mote" to "The Gripping H

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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6661
From: l.wiseman1@genie.geis.com
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 94 04:27:00 BST
Subject:

  Several Long posts here, but I've been off a long time, and
  accumulated a lot of things to answer, and I have to do it
  in clumps.

   Anthony Neal:
  > Hey, why don't we all get together and design a new role
  > playing game? Collectively we all have enough knowledge
  > of SF to do it...

  > By the way, Loren, if you're listening, I'm not proposing a
  > conspiracy. More a creative endeavor.

  Good Luck! Would that all that is required was a knowledge of
  SF... : )

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

  Andrew Akins:
       Jump Projectors: No
       Jump Dampners: No
       Plasma Guns: Yes, but not for starships.
       Fusion Guns: Yes, but not for starships.
       Disintegrators No
       Tractor Beams Yes?
       Repulsors No
       White Globes No
       Anti-matter warhead missiles No
       Proton screens No

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

   Jeff Zeitlin

  > Stern Metals, Incorporated

  > Do you really think that one of the former Imperial megacorps
  > can really trace its history back about 3500 years? :)

  I don't know, but a couple of years ago I got a letter from the
  Aslan Investment Group, LTD. Tends to give one pause.

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

  Steven Gott
  > can the nine laser turrets function in concert forming a "Big
  > Dish" Laser for long distance target engagement?

   I'm afraid not.

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

   > Any news on when the second printing WILL be coming out?

  Tomorrow (18 January), assuming the truck from the printer
  doesn't run afoul of the weather. Weather people are predicting
  minus 50F to minus 70F wind chill for tonight and early tomorrow
  (that's minus 45C to minus 56C), and diesel fuel turns to syrup at
  that temperature.

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

   Allen Shock:
   > Does anyone know anything about the status of the following:

   > 1. Traveller miniatures
   Starships: SIx packages are already out, and another six are in
  the works. 25mm: RAFM is still working up prototypes for these.

   > 2. Challenge # 72
   At the printers

   > 3. Traveller novels
   In the works, but nothing definite to announce yet.

   > 4. Smash & Grab sourcebook and RCES equipment guide
   In preparation as we speak. Also,Path of Tears (The star Viking
  Sourcebook)

   > 5. Traveller Referee Screen
   At the printers, due back last week of January.

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

   Wildstar:
   We (GDW) will be interested in the results of your campaign
  survey.

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

   Juergen Kirsch Re: FF&S:
   > Wow...they used the metric system...I think I should mention
   > that,

   Traveller has always used metric units.

   > wet navy ships?

   We didn't have room for everything. We'll cover wet navy
   designs somewhere else.

   > Why do I need 1 KW for a range of only 30 km ?

  The range listed for a given radio is its short range. Medium
  range is twice that, Long is twice that, Extreme range is twice
  that, so the actual extreme range is 240 km. Difficulty level in
  getting a message through varies with range, getting tougher over
  longer ranges.

   > I thought MHD is a method of moving a ship.

   It can be.

   > Why is the Glide ratio for Helicopters treated as nil?

   Because even on autorotation they can't get very far compared
  to the distance a fixed wing aircraft can glide.

   > Do workstations include the weight of the operator ?

   No.

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

   Scott "Don't Call me Britta" Kellogg Re: X-Ray lasers
   bdamwitz@lonestar.utsa.edu:

  When your FF&S arrives (it was shipped friday so it should be
  there any day now) check out the Atmospheric Absorbsion Graph on
  page 127. It will make a couple of things clear.

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

 End of #1



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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6662
From: l.wiseman1@genie.geis.com
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 94 05:05:00 BST
Subject:

  Part III
   Graham

  > Will GDW slay Errata for good with version 1 mod 1?

   "Verily, I say onto you, the beast whose name is E-Rah-Tah and
  its brother Ty-Po have each nine heads and seven crowns, and when
  thou slayest one head, two rise in its place."

  > What errata is currently available?

   TNE has one, but We will be issuing a new one within a few
  weeks. This will bring the old (1st printing) books up to the
  standards of version 1 mod 1, and will be available free. FF&S
  will have an errata sheet issued at about the same time, although
  a certain amount of corrections were included in the update
  booklet.

  > Where may such wise lore be found?

   Send us your land address, and one will find its way to you.


  > Does this involve more than changes to system travel
  times?

   Yes

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

   Mark Urbin
   > A 11.43x23mm pistol design using FF&S

   The test design Frank worked up differs from yours in minor
  details, among which are the fact that we did the round at TL-5,
  not TL-8.

   As a side note, the TL-5 .357 magnum revolver I designed
  matched prototype specs almost perfectly, barrel length, ammo
  length, weapon mass, etc...only ammo mass was off by a bit.

   > FF&S self propelled Grenade design question...

   > Could someone please post or email a sample design sequence
   > for a
   > self propelled grenade.  A medium velocity 20mm for example.

   OK. TL-10 (chosen for no particular reason) 2cm Med Vel grenade

   First, design the rounds (using the Munitions chapter, starting
  on page 135 of FF&S, see FF&S for the meaning of the
  abbreviations)

   Damage TL-10
  1*0.66 = 0.66 = rounds to 1

SQRTC*7 = SQRT2*7 = 1.41421*7 = 9.89947, which has to
he nearest burst template, which in this case is 5 (see
84 of the TNE rules).
     5*.5 = 2.5 = 3. A 3 meter burst pattern uses the 15
ern as shown on page 284 of TNE, but the squares of the
ern are 2 meters, not 10 meters.
tion
- -4 = Nil
2*10-7 = 13C
ss: 0.2*0.4 = 0.08 kgs
cm GL Weapon Design
: 2cm TL-10 medium velocity propelled grenades
 Attached
n: Single shot (since you didn't specify)
 system: none
 . barrel 25 cm (10 calibers) This will vary depending on what
 to attach it to.
s
ange: R = 3.75*(D+Bl+Vm) = 3.75*(2+10+25) =
rounds to 140m (to get even 10 meter increments).
c*Vm = 140*4 = 560m
= D*(Bl+Rl)+S = 2*(10+2.5)+0 = 25 cm
1, but this is not relevant unless you make a shoulder-
iers: None
 = (D*Bl*Vm*Cm)+S = (2*10*1.5*0.1)+0 = 3 kgs
 Mass: 3+0.08 = 3.08 kgs, which will change the recoil
tever it is attached to.
le Energy: E = (0.5*M)*V2 = (0.5*0.08)*15625 = 625
feed into recoil formula below as sqrt E)
coil will vary depending on the mass of what it is
0. Price: P = (Mw-Ms)*Am+Ps+Pc = (3-0)*250+0+0 = Cr750 (Am
 the update booklet)
in a usable table
- -10 GL
     Pen:   Recoil:   Rng    IDF Range
 5    Nil     ?       140     560
, B: 3    18C     ?       140     560
kgs empty, 2.08 loaded
ice: Cr750 empty
 Mass: 0.2*0.4 = 0.08 kgs, or
Price: HE: 0.08*10 = Cr0.8, HEAP: 0.08*15 = Cr1.2
- -----------------------
 II


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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6663
From: kspangler@aol.com
Reply-To: kspangler@aol.com
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 94 00:24:55 EST
Subject: TNE Virus

TNE Virus: A while back people were discussing why crew requirements doubled?
Well with a severe fear of virus, most  governments would rather be dependent
on more  labor intensive ran ships than on computers.(i.e. think of the
degrees of fear in the aids situtations. This does not mean I am making light
of this disease. Justing making a fictional comparison on how fear can make
people react.)

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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6664
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 94 20:13:47 PST
From: Caffine Achiever! <fok@scf.usc.edu>
Subject: From the "mote" to "The Gripping Hand"

[Sent to traveller-request@engrg.uwo.ca (the admin), so manually resent to
traveller@engrg.uwo.ca -- James]

Shalom Zaidfeld said:

>Michael Basinger said:
>
>>One idea I had for a Traveller game, was a
>>campaign based in the universe of Mote in God's
>>Eye (by Niven and Pournelle).
>
>very good book in my own opinion.  I was think
>about it too.  It shouldn't be hard, It would be
>nice to be able to  generate a PC based on the aliens :)
>
>was there a follow book after Mote.. ?

Yes!  It's call the "Gripping Hand" and it's out on paper back.  I
personally perfer the original but GH is still quite good.

>
>>The technology of this universe is very simular.
>>The jump drive (Aldersen Drive) is more powerful,
>>but also more limited. In the
>>Langstrom field is basically a black globe device.
>
>The aldersen Drive could be discribed as a Jump Drive.
>Probebly Jamp-4 or 5 ?.. not sue.  and the Black
>Globe thing, well I don't think it's the same as in
>Traveller, but a nice device indeed.
>
I thought the Alderson Drive is more like the Wormhole drive mentioned
in FF&S.  Specifically the closed type.  You right in that the
principle for the Lanston Field is different than the Black
Globe...but I always though if it quacks and walks like a duck, it's a
duck.

Also I think the "mote"'s universe haven't mastered control of gravity
yet.

Good Luck!

- -Edward Fok

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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6665
Date:         Sat, 22 Jan 94 12:13:29 EST
From: "Susan M. Shock" <34ZBTXQ@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject:      A question...

Here's a question for all gamemasters running a Star Vikings campaign; what
kind of ship would you give your PCs? Mine have been running around in a Far
Trader, and they want a more combat-capable ship. I thought about a few things
such as a Gazelle close escort or a Donosev-class survey ship. but these need
a lot of crew and their TL is too high for the Reformation Coalition. (They
could be relics, I suppose, but with the computers, controls and weaponry all
changed to TL 12 systems). Suggestions?

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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6666
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 94 13:24:12 PST
From: Leonard.Erickson@f51.n105.z1.fidonet.org (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: reality checks bouncing


I see we've abandoned reality in the rules again. First I see the post
about the HEPLAR drive violating the conservation of energy. Then I see
Loren's post regarding the 1 kw required for a 60 km range on a radio.

Let's hit the radio first. Loren stays that the 60km is "short" range,
and that the range bands double until you reach extreme range at 240 km.
Sorry, but that won't work.  Amatuer radio operators are limited to 1
kw. And they *routinely* achieve "planetary" range at *AND BELOW* those
power levels. A *5* watt CB can routinely achieve 30 km ranges, given a
decent antenna. And when "skip" is a dactor, they can make
intercontinental contacts (not reliably though!).

So *two* changes need to be made for radio. First, the power levels
need to go *down*, or the ranges need to go up. Second, somewhere
between 20 and 100 MHZ, the signals quit bouncing off the ionosphere (if
the planet has one). At that point, range is *restricted* to
line-of-sight. Below it, you can reach whatever range you have the power
for. Oh yeah, the amount of interference has a *major* effect on
*usable* range. :-)

Now for the drive problem. This is a twofold problem also. Reaction drives give 
a vehicle velocity by imparting velocity to reaction mass, which goes in the
  other direction. So a constant power input gives a constant exhaust velocity, 
and a constant acceleration.

Reactionless drives are converting power plant energy into kinetic
energy (via some sort of magic, as this violates a couple of
conservation laws). But the problem here is that kinetic energy is
proportional to the velocity *squared*. So the amount of energy that it
takes to go from 100 m/s to 200 m/s is 4 times that required to go from
0 to 100 m/s. That means that you *can't* get a sustained acceleration
at a constant power output!

If you can convert power plant energy directly to *momentum*, then you
could get a constant acceleration from a constant input energy. But
you'd be breaking more laws.

Here's the kinetic energy of 1 ton at various speeds:

m/s     MJ
- ------- -------------
100       5
200      20
300      45
400      80
500     125
600     180
700     245
800     320
900     405
1e3     500

For a reaction drive, the acceleration is equal to:

sqrt(2*(power plant output)*(drive efficiency)/(mass of ship))

So a 1 megawatt plant in a 1 ton hull with a 100% efficient drive
will give:

Sqrt(2*1e6*1/1e3)=44.7 m/s^2 of acceleration.

That's about 4.6 gravities.

With a nore reasonable drive effieciency, things drop rapidly. (You *don't* 
want to know what the efficiency of an internal combustion engine is. :-)
- --
uucp: uunet!m2xenix!puddle!51!Leonard.Erickson
Internet: Leonard.Erickson@f51.n105.z1.fidonet.org

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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6667
Subject: 67:10 - Non-Virus his 2/2
From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 94 23:01:00 -0500

Subject: 67:10 - Non-Virus history

(Continued from previous message)


  The Solomani have the largest single government in Human space.
  Furthermore, there is a high level of popular support for the
  "reliberation" of areas "occupied" by the former Imperium.  The
  capture of Terra provides a much-needed morale boost to the
  Solomani, with the result that there is less internal dissent
  making itself felt.  Solomani irredentist societies are being
  formed throughout the "occupied" area, and are major players in
  planetary governments in Old Expanses.  Further Solomani gains
  can be expected.  There are two problem locations for the
  Solomani:  Muan Gwi, where mistreatment under Solomani domination
  is almost a racial memory among the Vegans, and Daibei under Duke
  Craig.  Craig is a comparatively charismatic leader, and he has
  shown that he intends to lead the people of the Federation of
  Daibei in a viable direction.  The Solomani cannot have the
  example of a successful former Imperial state on their borders;
  too many of the "reliberated" areas might start getting ideas.
  If the situation in the Old Expanses can be stabilized, a major
  effort against Duke Craig is inevitable.  With no allies, Duke
  Craig will either have to fight to the death (of his state), or
  reach an "accommodation" that would leave him merely the titular
  ruler of Daibei as a Solomani Client State (or perhaps
  Protectorate, putatively against future aggression from Ilelish
  or the Aslan), and would also force him to abandon the Vegans
  (part of any treaty would be that he is to close his borders to
  Vegan "terrorists").  It is unlikely (despite Solomani
  representations to Craig) that the Aslan would choose to become
  militarily involved in this area unless provoked, and the
  Solomani know that they cannot take on the entire Hierate.
  Similar concerns with respect to the Hive Federation will exist,
  though here, it would be more a concern with higher technology
  and psychohistorical manipulation (Naively, the Solomani believe
  that they are not being targeted for manipulation at this time.
  The Hivers have not and will not reveal anything, either way).
  Look for an increasingly militant Solomani Confederation, though
  one that will be increasingly paralyzed by internal debate as the
  "occupied" areas are "reliberated" and the decision must be made
  as to whether to expand further into Human space, or to start
  worrying about the "alien problem."

  Summary:      Regency:        See New Era, but no sealed borders.
                Core:           Increased tyranny, no fundamental
                                changes.
                Ilelish:        As Core, though the Verge Combine is
                                something of a wild card.
                Usdiki:         Non-issue.  Eventual absorption by
                                Ilelish.
                Ziru Sirkaa:    Eventual stasis and dry rot, behind
                                borders strong enough to hold off
                                Ilelish and Core while they play
                                with each other.
                Antares:        Balkanization, with Human worlds
                                being absorbed by Julian
                                Protectorate and Core, and Vargr
                                worlds balkanizing further.  Those
                                that survive the race wars, anyway.
                Delphi:         Stability until one of the other
                                factions or the Solomani come
                                calling.  Accommodation probable,
                                rather than fight to the death.
                Daibei:         Too dangerous (as an idea) to the
                                Solomani.  Bye-bye, as soon as
                                they can divert enough attention
                                from Delphi and Old Expanses.
                Solomani:       Continued expansion to the "real"
                                borders, followed by internal
                                paralysis over the Alien Problem.

  Other matters:  Since we don't know what the Black Curtain is, or
  what caused it, no comment on whether it even exists.  The
  "border incident" with the K'kree is played down; neither side
  really wants a full-scale war.  Instead, the Government of the
  Two Thousand Worlds quashes the splinter state that sent the
  mission (see Lords of Thunder [I think...]).  We had an inkling
  that the Zhodani were having problems of their own; they still
  are in the revised history, but we don't know any more on this
  timeline than we did on the other.  Strephon and Norris are still
  the sole "custodians" of JumpStart and Longbow; we know no more
  about them than we did before.
==========================================================================
Jeff Zeitlin                                      jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com
- ---
 ~ QMPro 1.52 ~ If you can read this, thank a teacher.


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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6668
Subject: 67:10 - Non-Virus his 1/2
From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 94 23:01:00 -0500

Subject: 67:10 - Non-Virus history

TA::>  Re-  Bill White's comments on The Virus

  ::>    The question is- What would have been the course of the Rebellion if t
  ::>                     virus had never been created? (discuss)
  ::>    This is not something that was ever decided (to my knowledge)- for exa
  ::>    the original post-rebellion map indicated the destruction of Margarets
  ::>    faction, but their HIWG supporters persuaded GDW that they were in too
  ::>    good a position for this to occur. Another reason for the virus?- with
  ::>    plan for the Rebellion it was just getting too big to handle.
  ::>     ....any suggestions?

  I see it as follows:  In no particular order:

  After the assassination of Bzrk in Antares, the cohesiveness of
  the factional society would have disappeared, and local
  infighting would have become the order of the day.  With racist
  organizations on all sides, both Vargr and Human, massacres and
  race wars would have been common, and eventually, there would
  have been "Vargr" and "Human" worlds.  Shortly thereafter, the
  Vargr worlds would balkanized the way Lishun sector did, and the
  Human worlds would have been absorbed into either the Julian
  Protectorate or Lucan's Imperium (Referred to hereafter as the
  Core Tyranny, or just Core).

  The Ziru Sirkaa (ZS) would have continued to concentrate on
  consolidating its hold and forming secure borders.  With Core
  attempting to absorb Antares, there would have been a reduction
  in border incidents between the ZS and Core.  By the time that
  Core was ready to turn its attention to the ZS, the ZS would have
  been able to hold them off, and a long war of attrition would
  have started.  Within the ZS, the Vilani mind set would become
  well-established, and the ZS would sink into the "dry husk"
  stasis that allowed the dynamic Terran Confederation to triumph
  over the original Ziru Sirka.

  The Regency (which still would have been called that internally;
  recall the Arrival Vengeance mission) would be much the same as
  it is today.  More open borders would have been the case (no
  virus fear), but the same kind of multiracial rapprochement
  between the area Vargr, Aslan, and various Human states
  (including the Zhodani Consulate) would likely have occurred -
  strictly in the name of economic self-interest.  After the Vargr,
  Zhodani, and Aslan Ihatei situations were stabilized, an effort
  to reopen Corridor, and contact with the ZS would have been the
  next step.  A push for spinward exploration would be unlikely, as
  it would provoke the Zhodani (recall the reasons for the Frontier
  Wars).

  Strephon's Imperium (Future references: Usdiki) was already of no
  consequence, and the Arrival Vengeance mission made it clear (at
  least to the Regency government) that Strephon had in fact
  abdicated from the throne.  I believe that a small principality,
  under the Marquis of Usdiki, would have survived until either
  Core or (more likely) Dulinor's Imperium ("Ilelish") turned its
  attention to it.

  Ilelish is having its own problems.  A continuing war of
  attrition with Core (across the wilds, and therefore both sides
  will also have to contend with renegades and "pirates"), plus
  internal problems with the so-called Verge Combine, limit its
  ability to cause mischief.  If the Verge situation is controlled,
  Ilelish is most likely to clean up the loose end at Usdiki next.
  Like Lucan in Core, Dulinor in Ilelish will become increasingly
  more autocratic and tyrannical, and for the same reasons.  The
  only real difference is that Lucan is additionally of
  questionable sanity.  The Coronation Fleet expedition did make it
  to the Research Station at which Virus was being developed, but
  Lucan had enough force there to fight off the Coronation Fleet,
  and Dulinor, knowing that he would have to face further battles
  on his way to Core, elected instead to turn back.  In the process
  of attempting to break through the Core forces, the Research
  Station was destroyed, and the Virus project was abruptly
  terminated, and set at nought.

  Duke Craig (Daibei) is not a factor in Ilelish calculations.  An
  arm of the Rift separates the two factions, and a much more
  pressing matter to Daibei is the Solomani Confederation, and the
  influx of refugees from Muan Gwi (the Vegan Autonomous District).
  This will be further addressed in the Solomani outline.

  Margaret's concentration on "making the trains run on time" will
  prove to be her undoing.  Concentrating on strictly economic
  development, without regard for human rights and dignity, and
  having no "head" for military or intelligence policies will put
  her at a severe disadvantage with respect to the Solomani,
  Ilelish, and Core.  Additionally, she does not have the strong
  loyal following that Dulinor and Lucan have, because she is not
  as public a figure.  The general perception seems to be that
  Delphi is ruled by committee.  The Solomani annexation of Old
  Expanses places a threat on that front; trade with the Hivers
  through newly developed routes in the Hinterworlds furthers her
  economic goals, but does nothing to relieve the military threat
  of the Solomani.  Expect Delphi to either fall to or reach an
  "accommodation" with the Solomani.

(Continued to next message)
- ---
 ~ QMPro 1.52 ~ If you can read this, thank a teacher.



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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6669
From: dpaxson@unix.cc.emory.edu (David Paxson)
Subject: Re:  Reality checks bouncing
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 94 13:38:57 EST

Leonard.Erickson@f51.n105.z1.fidonet.org (Leonard Erickson) says:
> .... Second, somewhere
> between 20 and 100 MHZ, the signals quit bouncing off the ionosphere (if
> the planet has one). At that point, range is *restricted* to
> line-of-sight. Below it, you can reach whatever range you have the power
> for. Oh yeah, the amount of interference has a *major* effect on
> *usable* range. :-)

Actually, it IS possilbe to get non-line-of-sight signals reliably
through at frequencies around 4-5 GHz.  The effect is known as
troposcatter.  The US Army uses this for medium range multi-channel
radio shots.  Typical ranges are in the 50 to 200 mile range.  For
up to around 50, the Army uses line-of-sight radios, and above this
range, the Army uses satellites.

It is very true that interference has a vast impact on ranges.  Another
factor influencing range is terrain.  In Desert Storm, the Army
discovered they could get longer ranges out of their line-of-sight
radios than it was rated for when used over the sand.

I do agree with you that for the radios listed, the power consumption
is way too high.  The highest power radio the Army uses is the Tropo
radios.  Those have a power consumption in the 1-2 kW range.  All
other radios are less than that.

One of these days, when I get time and get settled in my new house,
I'll try to organize some of the information I have on Army radios
and send it out.

- - David Paxson
dpaxson@emory.edu

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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6670
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 09:55:05 +1000
From: langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au
Subject: Traveller NewsPaper


                  I N T E R O F F I C E   M E M O R A N D U M

                                        Date Sent:24-Jan-1994 09:54am
                                        From:     Alistair Langsford
                                                  LANGSFORD ALISTAIR
                                        Dept:     Information Services
                                        Tel No:   289 7870

TO:  Remote Addressee                     ( _traveller@engrg.uwo.ca )


Subject: Traveller NewsPaper

I have been thinking of producing a 'newspaper' as a prop for my Traveller
Campaign. Aside from putting in TNS articles from Challenge and JTAS, I'd
like to include such things as a Positions Vacant (job advertisements) and
Jobs Wanted (people advertising their skills) column.

Any suggestions on content, format, production etc appreciated.

I'd also appreciate material for inclusion.

If anyone would like to post me what they think would be a good sample
advertisement I can include that. An advert offering the services of one of
your favourite PCs, or NPCs, or a job advert that you might like to see in
a Traveller game (jokes accepted, but serious adverts would be nice) are
suggestions. Patron descriptions along the lines of 76 Patrons would also
be ok.

If I manage to produce an edition I'll post it to the list. Just think - If
1 in 10 lurkers produced 1 item I'd probably be swamped with material -
which if you post to the list rather than just me direct, everyone can take
advantage of.


Alistair,
langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au




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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6671
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 11:32:23 +1000
From: langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au
Subject: TV series question


                  I N T E R O F F I C E   M E M O R A N D U M

                                        Date Sent:24-Jan-1994 11:31am
                                        From:     Alistair Langsford
                                                  LANGSFORD ALISTAIR
                                        Dept:     Information Services
                                        Tel No:   289 7870

TO:  Remote Addressee                     ( _traveller@engrg.uwo.ca )


Subject: TV series question

I recently started a 'GURPS Traveller-esque' adventure which had characters
being agents for an intelligence agency. As a change, a more flamboyant
atmosphere was requested. So, based on an American TV series whose name we
can't remember, the team is posing as a group of models and photographers.

The question is: what is the name of the TV series. All we can remember
about it is the female lead ran this group of models, and the male lead who
was pretending to be a model was ex-army or something. They basically
operated in Europe rescuing Americans who had gotten themselves into
trouble and so on.

I think the male lead was the actor John Eric Hexum(sp?), who accidentally
killed himself with a gun loaded with blanks.
- ---------------------
Now, the typical work and lifestyle of models and journalists are not areas
I have a great deal of knowledge on. Any suggestions on typical work
activities and for appropriate plot ideas taking advantage of this setup
would be -greatly- appreciated.  Or good source material (books, films,
etc).

Alistair,
langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au

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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6672
Date:         Sun, 23 Jan 94 23:36:20 EST
From: "Susan M. Shock" <34ZBTXQ@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject:      Re: TV series question

The show you're asking about was called "Cover-Up". I thought it was pretty
decent. The guy who replaced Hexum was (I beleive) Simon Corkindale, who now
stars in USA Networks' "Counterstrike".

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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6673
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 1994 22:02:08 -0700
From: sfellows@slate.Mines.Colorado.EDU (FELLOWS STEVEN B)
Subject: Traveller Newspaper


In response to the idea about a Traveller Newspaper and the kinds of ads
that you would put in, I suggest you check the Journal of Commerce for
examples of ship listings.  My father used this when he would look for
ships to carry cargos.  I haven't looked at it in a long time, but I
remember the listings were heavily abbreviated (like auto ads for instance).

Good luck, and why not post the results of your first effort to the list?!

Steven B. Fellows
sfellows@slate.mines.colorado.edu

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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6674
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 94 10:49:23 GMT
From: "Anthony K. Baggaley" <MCDAPAB@cms.manchester-computing-centre.ac.uk>
Subject: Electrothermal Carnage

  Before I started my grand socio-military analysis of the Imperium to work
 out who would REALLY win the civil war, I came to my senses and designed a
 gun instead.
  Introduction-
    I got fed up of seeing pistols that did 2 dice of damage, and of a weapons
  list that assumed PCs would arm themselves with military-surplus stock when
  civilians can get weapons much better, but too expensive for military use
  or illegal under the rules of war.
    So- if you want to really make TNE combat more dangerous, here's a way

      FMA 5- TL 12  ETC  Heavy Pistol  (Magnum Snub Pistol?)
                             Weight                  Price
 Calibre     TL Ammo    Empty Loaded Clip   Mag     Wpn.  Ammo

 19mm Magnum 12 19*21mm 0.9kg 1.04kg 0.14kg 7/4.54g 384Cr 0.182/38Cr

                                    Recoil
 Calibre     ROF Dam Pen Bulk  Mag  SS  Bst.  Rng.

 19mm Magnum SA  2   Nil    1   7    2   -    10    Ball
                 8   2-2-2                     8    HEAP
                -1   Nil                       5    tranq
                 2   1-Nil                    12    DS

 Notes- Designed with FF&S, 590J energy, 10cm light barrel
        I guess you can see the ammo it's designed to use- it's illegal on
        most planets, but if your a RCES or on a ship, who cares?
        If you fit a 0.5kg laser sight, recoil drops to 1
 Coming Soon (when I type them in) FMA-5bis Machine Pistol
                                   FMA-13   SMG
                                   FMA-1X   Gatling LAG
                 Off to see my Lawyer
                            Anthony K. (someone has been telling lies about me)

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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6675
From: Mike Basinger <dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu>
Subject: FF&S computer design sheet
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 08:43:38 -0500 (EST)

Has anybody created a spreadsheet for starship design for FF&S, or any
other design sheets?

Thanks,
mike
- --
D. Michael Basinger: Not speaking for Indiana University
dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu
dbasinge@nations.ucs.indiana.edu (NeXT Mail)

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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6676
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 94 11:50:56 EST
From: MacGyver <macgyver@cis.ohio-state.edu>
Subject: Re: TV series question

> The question is: what is the name of the TV series. All we can remember
> about it is the female lead ran this group of models, and the male lead who
> was pretending to be a model was ex-army or something. They basically
> operated in Europe rescuing Americans who had gotten themselves into
> trouble and so on.


The series is called "Cover Up."
> ---------------------
> Now, the typical work and lifestyle of models and journalists are not areas
> I have a great deal of knowledge on. Any suggestions on typical work
> activities and for appropriate plot ideas taking advantage of this setup
> would be -greatly- appreciated.  Or good source material (books, films,
> etc).

The plot idea for journalists are limitless. covering stories for a
newspaper tend to make the reporter chase one lead after another.
There are plenty of examples in mystery novels. Model is a bit more
difficult, a friend of mine is a model. She travels frequently for
photo shoots. It will give the character a lot of oppunity to travel,
perhaps he/she runs arcoss something during the travel.

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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6677
From: Glenn Myers <gem188@swanson.com>
Subject: CT jump fuel & black globes
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 94 15:06:32 EST


Hi All,

I was looking over CT material as I prepared to code a set of Traveller
Utilities when I realized I've misunderstood some things for years. I was under
the impression that Jump Drives "worked" by storing huge amounts of energy in
zuchai crystals and releasing it to enter jump space. The only fuel needs seemed
to be that which the powerplant required to generate the huge amount of energy.

Then I noticed in High Guard under the section on Black Globes, page 43

"If a ship absorbs enough energy to make a jump, and is supplied with
sufficient fuel, it may jump at the end of the turn."

Why is additional fuel required? How much is needed? I never noticed this before
because I never used Black Globes that much. I figure that someone who has
gamed with TCS has to have encountered this at some point.

It seems as though you have to pay twice. Does anybody know why?

TTFN

Glenn

- ----------------------------------
| Glenn E. Myers                 |
| gmyers@swanson.com             |
| QA software engineer           |
| Swanson Analysis Systems, Inc. |
| (412) 746-3304 x188            |
- ----------------------------------

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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6678
From: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@sp-eug.com
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 1994 02:16:23 DST
Subject: Re: The Mote in God's eye

Shane Said:

>Yes.  It was called "The Gripping Hand" in the US I believe,
>and "The Moat around Murcheson's Eye" elsewhere.

are you sure?..  "The Mote around Murcheson's Eye"..
what would be my best option when I look for it?.
the Gripping Hand or the other name?

>It's pretty good as a sequel, but of course like pretty much
>all sequels it's not nearly as good as the original.

So that's why we have Traveller <smile>

Thanks for the info,

-Shalom Zaidfeld
#*******************************************************************************
#This message was sent from MATRIX  ARTS  BBS                                  *
#The views expressed in this posting are those of the individual author only.  *
#*******************************************************************************

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

Bundle: 537
Archive-Message-Number: 6679
From: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@sp-eug.com
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 1994 01:58:50 DST
Subject: Re:  From the "mote" to "The Gripping Hand"

Edward Fok said:

>Yes!  It's call the "Gripping Hand" and it's out on paper
> back.  I personally perfer the original but GH is still quite good.

Great.  I'll look for it here, in Canada.  Could you send me the
 information on the book (Like Pub. company etc.. will help me
 find it faster..)
thanks..


>I thought the Alderson Drive is more like the Wormhole
>drive mentioned in FF&S.  Specifically the closed type.
>You right in that the principle for the Lanston Field is
>different than the Black Globe...but I always though if it
> quacks and walks like a duck, it's a
>duck.
>Also I think the "mote"'s universe haven't mastered control
>of gravity yet.

umm.. a wormhole.  my impresion from the book was that it
 seemed more like a jump drive, dunno..  maybe you're
right.  about Black Globe: yeah, it's close enough :)

I have a question for you, do you remember if in the book
there discussed about the kind of ships that the Motes had?
like what it was made of ?.. i don't seem to remember.

I would like to try to design one :)

regards,
-Shalom Zaidfeld

Good Luck!

- - -Edward Fok
#*******************************************************************************
#This message was sent from MATRIX  ARTS  BBS                                  *
#The views expressed in this posting are those of the individual author only.  *
#*******************************************************************************

------------------------------
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by the University of
Western Ontario. All opinions and materials below are the responsibility
of the originator.

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

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 538  6680 24-Jan-1994 mgood@MIT.EDU    Blair Reynolds << Joe Heck Said:
 538  6681 22-Jan-1994 intacc!Shalom_Z  Deluxe Traveller: The New Era? << Hi TM
 538  6682 24-Jan-1994 Alexandre Pedne  Mecha in Traveller? <<
 538  6683 25-Jan-1994 Mark Watson      Re: TML nightly: Msgs 6667-6671 V67#13
 538  6684 25-Jan-1994 Derek Wildstar   Re: On the Virus << I couldn't manage t
 538  6686 25-Jan-1994 langsl@cbr.hhcs  Cover Up and Traveller NewsPaper <<
 538  6687 24-Jan-1994 Caffine Achieve  Spreadsheets & motes 8)- << >From: Mike
 538  6688 25-Jan-1994 Adrian Hurt      Re: The Mote in God's Eye << intacc!Sha
 538  6689 25-Jan-1994 Shane Thomas     Re: Mecha in Traveller? << Alexandre Pe
 538  6685 24-Jan-1994 Steve Gibbons    RE: CT jump fuel & black globes << Glen
 538  6690 25-Jan-1994 Shane Thomas     Re: The Mote in God's eye << Shalom Zai
 538  6691 25-Jan-1994 b.borich@genie.  DESIGNS <<     Looking for TNE designs.
 538  6692 25-Jan-1994 S_DMOODY@pstcc.  Deluxe TNE <<  Yesterday, I picked up t

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

Bundle: 538
Archive-Message-Number: 6680
From: mgood@MIT.EDU
Subject: Blair Reynolds
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 94 17:46:27 EST

Joe Heck Said:

>>Who have been peoples' favourite Traveller artists?

>Well, I'd stick Tom Peters right up there in to top bits, and follow him up
>by Rob Caswell (who I understand isn't doing SF art anymore) and Blair
>Reynolds (who I can't seem to find within the borders of the US).

He went on to say how he liked Reynolds' aliens.

Blair's MT art came as a surprise to me.  I was more familiar with
his current topic.  Blair's been doing Cthulhu art for a magazine called
"Unspeakable Oath" by Pagan Publishing: if you like Call of Cthulhu, I can't
recomend this magazine enough.  According to UO, Blair lives in Alaska,
and sends his friends at PP frozen dogs heads.  See the mag for more details.

His Cthulhu stuff is some of the most gruesome, revolting (read best) horror
artwork I've seen in awhile.  I liked his Traveller stuff too ;-)

Matt

PS-- I second the vote for Donna Barr as a great Traveller artist, but I
think most of her time is being taken up by The Desert Peach, a comic about the
Desert Fox's gay brother.  She did a musical on this topic, too.


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

Bundle: 538
Archive-Message-Number: 6681
From: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@sp-eug.com
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 1994 01:48:32 DST
Subject: Deluxe Traveller: The New Era?

Hi TMLers..


Just wondering if anyone knows when the DT:TNE is coming out.  I'm waitinf for
it to so I can get FF&S with it already (and with errors corrected in those
versions.)..


-Shalom Zaidfeld
-Aubaine, Coaltion Today Newspaper Link, RC
#*******************************************************************************
#This message was sent from MATRIX  ARTS  BBS                                  *
#The views expressed in this posting are those of the individual author only.  *
#*******************************************************************************

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

Bundle: 538
Archive-Message-Number: 6682
From: profnut@nyongwa.cam.org (Alexandre Pedneault)
Subject: Mecha in Traveller?
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 18:41:17 -0500 (EST)


 I'm a new Traveller player/gamemaster and I intend to do a campaign which
will include some mechas. ( Yeah, like the Mobile Suits in the Gundam
series) Did any of you had that idea before? If you did, please share
your results with me.


- -----------------------
Alexandre Pedneault
profnut@Nyongwa.CAM.org
- -----------------------

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

Bundle: 538
Archive-Message-Number: 6683
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 94 02:03 GMT0
From: Mark Watson <watsonm@cix.compulink.co.uk>
Subject: Re: TML nightly: Msgs 6667-6671 V67#13
Reply-To: watsonm@cix.compulink.co.uk


In-Reply-To: <9401240130.AA08825@engrg.uwo.ca>
(this may also have ended up at traveller-request ... sorry)

Alternate traveller timelines:
Here's the one I was going to go with, but have now discarded:
1119 Antares re-allies with Julian Protectorate to form a new
republican federation (Coreward Federal Republic). Brzk is elected
first president with little opposition. The Menderes Corp granted a
series of federal monopolies to keep them quiet.
1120 Margaret concludes pact with Dulinor. Her domain emerges as a
Hiver client state - the Hive is attempting to establish a stable
buffer state to protect military and trade interests between the hive
and the Imperium.
1121 Military coup in Illelish. Dulinor assassinated. "Pact of Dlan"
brings together CFR, Daibei, Margaret, Vland, Illelish, Gushemege and
Core factions to agree ceasefire. Verge is reincorporated into
Illelish.
1121 Daibei overrun by new Solomani push. Craig disappears. Solomani
agree border with key Aslan clans in return for land grants in the new
Daibei and Reaver's Deep territories. The Aslan are effectively given
those worlds with the largest non-human minor race populations to use
as they wish. In return for the peaceful concession of Daibei, the
Solomani agree terms - "Peace of Terra" - for ceasefire with remaining
factions, basically legitimising wartime gains. The entirety of Daibei,
Reaver's Deep and the Rim, along with Diaspora and the Old Expanses as
far as the old Solomani border are ceded to the Confederation.
1122 new Zhodani core expedition
1122 Deneb joins the Pact of Dlan. The treaty is extended to seek
agreement on the reunification of the Imperium, possibly under a
successor to Lucan. All parties except Vland agree to abide by the
conclusions. Two years of relative peace see Vland, Deneb and the CFR
force back Vargr forces in Lishun and Corridor.
1124 Gushemege falls to Lucan's reconstructed Vengeance Fleet.
Strephon disappears. Pact of Dlan collapses. Margaret agrees private
terms with Lucan. Remaining factions (CFR, Vland, Illelish and Deneb)
unite to declare renewed war on Lucan.
1124 partial return of Solomani home expeditions with word of a new
major race with a vast empire two sectors spinward of the hierate.
1126 Pact fleets retake Capital. Lucan flees but is found and killed by
bounty hunters some weeks later. "Pact of Kashuggus" establishes a
Fourth Imperium consisting of Lucan's remaining possessions, Illelish,
and Gushemege under the commander of the Illelish forces. Vland, CFR
and Deneb acquire their independence. Margaret declines to join the new
Imperium, and her domain becomes a semi-autonomous region of the Hiver
Federation.
worlds are barely sustainable, and the remaining powers are in no
economic condition to repair them. The results: a massive refugee
problem; piracy; general economic collapse. There are relatively rich
and safe areas around Capital and Dlan, but they are all the more
resented for that. On the other hand, the CFR, Vland, Deneb, Delphi and
the Solomani Confederation are all fairly stable, albeit quite
distinct. Each of them is primarily occupied with reconstruction,
especially the Solomani, whose political rifts are becoming more and
more pronounced. Oh, and:
1125 A ship misjumps into the Palasha system, Massilia. All the crew
are dead, and half of them were Hivers. Transponders and flight
documentation indicate the craft is set off from Usdiki in 1124, bound
for Glea. Further investigation indicates that the human crew are IRIS
agents. In the hold is a highly sophisticated pseudo-biological robot,
with the features of the late emperor Strephon ....

Why discard it? I decided to stay with the GDW program ... The intro to
Survival margin implies a fairly stable political arrangement 60 years
after the Star Vikings; I'm hoping that GDW sees the light and
publishes at least SOME details of that stage of the timeline by the
time that the Virus hits my campaign. Any guesses, anyone, on what
happens next?

Alastair's TV question:
the series was Cover Up, according to a colleague at work ... the theme
tune was Bonnie Tyler/Jim Steinman "What I Need is a Hero" (or
something like that) and Hexum was replaced by his (Australian) best
mate after he accidentally shot himself.

Finally:
Picked up FFS at the weekend. Am I mistaken, or were there not meant to
be rules for robot design? And they're not there?

Mark


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

Bundle: 538
Archive-Message-Number: 6684
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 94 00:46:29 -0500
From: Derek Wildstar <wildstar@quark.qrc.com>
Subject: Re: On the Virus


I couldn't manage to pass up an opportunity to reply to
William White's thoughtful post.  Thank you, William; you've
made one of the most intelligent and reasonable posts that
I have ever seen on the New Era / Virus issue.


William White <whitew@eden.rutgers.edu> writes:
>      That may sound like a boring question, but it really isn't.
> The workings of government are the game mechanics of freedom, if
> I may be excused for drawing such a metaphor.  They're important.

And it's one of the more important and thoughtful questions that Traveller
has ever raised.  And this from a game that has, like it's source material,
Science-Fiction literature, frequently addressed moral issues that many
games ignore.

Early role-playing games had built-in black and white morality: The PCs were
Lawful Good, and the bad guys were Evil, so it was OK to slice and dice them
on sight.  Traveller was one of the first games to break away from that mold
entirely, and present a universe that had as many shades of gray as the
referee and the players were prepared to deal with.

Even within the confines of the Third Imperium, there was a great variation
on what level of detail you could play at, and what kind of universe you
played in.  You could explore issues from animal testing (Research Station
Gamma) to saving the whales (Nomads of the World Ocean) and from meddling in
the affairs of worlds for fun and profit (Divine Intervantion) to saving
worlds from ecological disaster - like it or not (Chamax Plague/Horde).

And then a very interesting question was posed: What holds the Imperium
together?  How do you govern something that large?

>      Unleashing the Virus put the brakes on how that issue gets
> resolved, in our fictional Traveller universe at least.  And
> that's an unsatisfying resolution to a rather dramatic story.
>
>      "But who won?" one asks.
>      "Oh," says GDW.  "Nobody.  Everybody dies at the end."

"Nothing holds it together", or "You can't".

Not very dramatic, and not very heroic.  And there's nothing that the PCs
can do about it.  While Dominic Flandry's ultimate goal, holding the Terran
Empire together, is futile, he *can* make a difference - at least on the
scale of individual worlds, and he *can* make it measurably better for his
efforts.

>      Dave Nilsen (I think) has Dr. Kuligaan seemingly argue in
> _Survival Margin_ that to resolve the Rebellion in victory or
> compromise would be to fool (imaginary Traveller universe)
> humanity into believing that it could routinely walk along the
> brink of the abyss without plunging over.

To continue the Civil War metaphor you introduced above, the American Civil
War showed the people of the United States that they can routinely walk the
abyss?  I don't think so.  Did the fact that the Jews, as a people, survived
a monster like Adolf Hitler mean that we should be willing to allow another
such madman to come to power?  I sincerely hope not (although the current
Balkan situation is enough to make me pause before I say that).

In the Traveller universe, the Third Imperium was the greatest social
construct Humaniti had ever created.  The Rebellion was the greatest blow it
had ever been dealt.  Had some faction won, had Avery Alkhalikoi re-united
the Third Imperium in 1160, the effects of the Rebellion, even without the
Virus, would still be felt for hundreds of years.  Like in similar conflicts
before, the horror and bloodshed would be enough to remind humaniti: "Never
Again".

>      Because the question of how to best rule 11,000 worlds
> hasn't been resolved, and seems to be part of what drives
> the RCES' Star Vikings and the Regency, with its newer, more
> democratic institutions.

Are you sure about this last?  When I read the Star Vikings material, I see
an interstellar government that is *LESS* tolerant that the Imperium.
According to Traveller: The New Era, worlds that survived the Crash have had
to embrace the Leader Principle: a government, typically a charismatic
leader who makes the hard decisions, and is willing to implement them for
the good of all of the people.

 The
The Reformation coalition thinks nothing of toppling governments that it
doesn't approve of, or institutions that could become potential obstructions
to it's expansion plans.

Note the "could become" - a government or institution doesn't actually have
to be malignant before it is removed.  It can even "... do a lot of good
 ..." and "... be successful in moderating the worst excesses of the local
warlords ..." or "... be quite popular with the people ...".  It would still
need removing, if it is in the way of "... an ideal site for establishment
of a RCES hub base ...".

It's also worth noting that the toppling of governments and institutions is
so routine and accepted within the Reformation Coalition that these
decisions are not made, or quite possible even discussed, at the top level.
A relatively small staff, operating out of a planning bureau, can order up
such missions relatively informally.  To put this into perspective, it's as
if the U.S. military operation had been undertaking without the knowledge or
approval of the President, but instead on the authority of a Marine Lt.
Colonel operating on a planning committee somewhere.



wildstar@quark.qrc.com
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In the Far Future

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

Bundle: 538
Archive-Message-Number: 6686
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 1994 17:30:46 +1000
From: langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au
Subject: Cover Up and Traveller NewsPaper


                  I N T E R O F F I C E   M E M O R A N D U M

                                        Date Sent:25-Jan-1994 05:30pm
                                        From:     Alistair Langsford
                                                  LANGSFORD ALISTAIR
                                        Dept:     Information Services
                                        Tel No:   289 7870

TO:  Remote Addressee                     ( _traveller@engrg.uwo.ca )


Subject: Cover Up and Traveller NewsPaper


RE: TV Series Question
- ----------------------
Thanks to all those who responded on the TV series. I would never have
remembered it was called 'Cover Up' - the name doesn't ring any bells at
all.

RE: Traveller NewsPaper
- -----------------------
<Steven B. Fellows (sfellows@slate.Mines.Colorado.EDU) writes....
<Subject: Traveller Newspaper
<
<In response to the idea about a Traveller Newspaper and the kinds of ads
<that you would put in, I suggest you check the Journal of Commerce for
<examples of ship listings.  My father used this when he would look for
<ships to carry cargos.  I haven't looked at it in a long time, but I
<remember the listings were heavily abbreviated (like auto ads for
<instance).

Thank you for the suggestion. I'm not sure what the equivalent publication
is here in Australia, or is the Journal you are referring to an
International publication?

<Good luck, and why not post the results of your first effort to the list?!

I will if I get enough material together. Meanwhile, your reponse makes
contribution number 3. If anyone out there thinks the 'newspaper' might be
of use to them, support it by emailing me a contribution. I can't promise
brilliance, but I can collate the info, provide some filler, put it all
together and post it to the list. Then you can all tell me how I -should-
have edited it 8-).

langsl@cbr.hhcs.gov.au



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

Bundle: 538
Archive-Message-Number: 6687
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 94 23:03:39 PST
From: Caffine Achiever! <fok@scf.usc.edu>
Subject: Spreadsheets & motes 8)-

>From: Mike Basinger <dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu>
>Subject: FF&S computer design sheet
>
>Has anybody created a spreadsheet for starship design for FF&S,
>or any other design sheets?

I'm currently working on several FF&S spreadsheet for Quattro Pro
Windows.  It'll include designs for all FF&S weapons except for
Meson Guns and Energy Weapons(...soon though).  The spreadsheet was
design to produce TL 9 to 12 equipments for use in my off again on
again 2300 "LIKE"' campaing.  Under seperate files are spreadsheets
for design of lift vehicles and ground vehicles.  I can try to port
it over to Lotus or Excel format.  But I incorporate grapics (lines
and color coding) to make it 'user friendly' and I don't know how
well those will go through.

BTW I don't use gravitic focusing for the laser designs.  I'll
include an explaination with the upload if it ever gets to that
point.

>From: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@sp-eug.com
>Subject: Re:  From the "mote" to "The Gripping Hand"
>
>Edward Fok said:
>
>>Yes!  t's call the "Gripping Hand" and it's out on paper
>> back.  I personally perfer the original but GH is still quite good.
>
>Great.  I'll look for it here, in Canada.  Could you send me the
> information on the book (Like Pub. company etc.. will help me
> find it faster..)
>thanks..

Publisher is Pocket Books and the ISBN for the hardback is:
0-671-79573-2

>>I thought the Alderson Drive is more like the Wormhole
>>drive mentioned in FF&S.  Specifically the closed type.
>>You right in that the principle for the Lanston Field is
>>different than the Black Globe...but I always though if it
>> quacks and walks like a duck, it's a
>>duck.
>>Also I think the "mote"'s universe haven't mastered control
>>of gravity yet.
>
>umm.. a wormhole.  my impresion from the book was that it
> seemed more like a jump drive, dunno..  maybe you're
>right.  about Black Globe: yeah, it's close enough :).

It's like a Wormhole mainly because it's a 'geographic' element
in that universe.  The Jump Drive will allow one to go FLT anytime
they're 100+ diameter out.  But with a Wormhole drive one gotta
find the 'hold' and open it...much like the Alderson Drive.

>I have a question for you, do you remember if in the book
>there discussed about the kind of ships that the Motes had?
>like what it was made of ?.. i don't seem to remember.

I recall the ship was described as some kind of metal-ceramic mix.
The drive was like a overgrown MagnetoPlasmaDynamic drive so in
FF&S it'll be like a Fusion rocket with a smaller danger space.

>I would like to try to design one :)
>

Good Luck!

- -EF

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

Bundle: 538
Archive-Message-Number: 6688
From: adrian@cee.hw.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt)
Subject: Re: The Mote in God's Eye
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 94 9:33:29 WET

intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@sp-eug.com writes:
> Shane Said:
>
> >Yes.  It was called "The Gripping Hand" in the US I believe,
> >and "The Moat around Murcheson's Eye" elsewhere.
>
> are you sure?..  "The Mote around Murcheson's Eye"..
> what would be my best option when I look for it?.
> the Gripping Hand or the other name?

It's "The Mote Around Murcheson's Eye" here.  (Here, being the U.K., counts
as "elsewhere" in Shane's text. :-)  Enough other people have mentioned
"The Gripping Hand" on TML to convince me that for some reason, the U.S.A.
does indeed have a different title for the book.  As for what to look for -
take no chances, look for both! :-)

> >It's pretty good as a sequel, but of course like pretty much
> >all sequels it's not nearly as good as the original.
>
> So that's why we have Traveller <smile>

MegaTraveller: it's pretty good as a sequel, but of course like pretty much
all sequels it's not nearly as good as the original.  The same goes double
for TNE. :-)

> umm.. a wormhole.  my impresion from the book was that it
>  seemed more like a jump drive, dunno..

You can only jump between specific points linking pairs of star systems with
an Alderson drive.  A jump drive works from anywhere to anywhere in range.

> I have a question for you, do you remember if in the book
> there discussed about the kind of ships that the Motes had?

Customised!

> I would like to try to design one :)

Good luck!  The Moties rebuilt the thing on the fly.  A High Guard profile
of the ship would basically be a row of question marks.  If the players
got their hands on one, either because it had been abandoned or because
the Moties inside were dead (possibly as a result of interaction with the
PC's ;-) then you could draw up a design for its final state.  Otherwise
the ship is purely a matter of referee's discretion, and liable to change
at any time.

- --
 "Keyboard?  How quaint!" - M. Scott

 Adrian Hurt     |JANET:  adrian@uk.ac.hw.cee
 UUCP: ..!uknet!cee.hw.ac.uk!adrian  |  ARPA:  adrian@cee.hw.ac.uk

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

Bundle: 538
Archive-Message-Number: 6689
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 94 09:43:11 GMT
From: shane@nuclear-medicine.ucl.ac.uk (Shane Thomas)
Subject: Re: Mecha in Traveller?

Alexandre Pedneault said:

> I'm a new Traveller player/gamemaster and I intend to do a campaign which
>will include some mechas. ( Yeah, like the Mobile Suits in the Gundam
>series) Did any of you had that idea before? If you did, please share
>your results with me.

Get hold of the "Maximum Metal" supplement for Cyberpunk 2020.  It has pretty
good design rules for powered suits and I had no trouble integrating them
into my Traveller campaign.

Just be careful about what you let your players get their hands on:  The
armour that my Imperial Marines wander around in shrugs off most ammo under
20mm, and has built in a 7.62 minigun, a 30mm rifle, and an auto grenade
launcher ( among other goodies ).  And if they need more firepower they can
always carry a FGMP ( except of course that since the armour gives them
about 10x strength it can be rather larger that the average FGMP :-)

Shane

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Shane N Thomas                      Internet:  s.thomas@nucmed.ucl.ac.uk


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

Bundle: 538
Archive-Message-Number: 6685
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 23:06:02 -700
From: Steve Gibbons <steve@aztech.com>
Subject: RE: CT jump fuel & black globes

Glenn Myers <gem188@swanson.com> writes:

#I was looking over CT material as I prepared to code a set of Traveller
#Utilities when I realized I've misunderstood some things for years. I was
under
#the impression that Jump Drives "worked" by storing huge amounts of energy in
#zuchai crystals and releasing it to enter jump space. The only fuel needs
seemed
#to be that which the powerplant required to generate the huge amount of
energy.

#Then I noticed in High Guard under the section on Black Globes, page 43

#"If a ship absorbs enough energy to make a jump, and is supplied with
#sufficient fuel, it may jump at the end of the turn."

#Why is additional fuel required? How much is needed? I never noticed this
before
#because I never used Black Globes that much. I figure that someone who has
#gamed with TCS has to have encountered this at some point.

#It seems as though you have to pay twice. Does anybody know why?

Good question.  Unfortunately the mechanics of jump drive seem to have changed
with each new generation of Traveller, and never quite got a full explanation,
with _detailed_ rules that weren't ambiguous.

Here're my house rules for CT and MT:

In order to jump, a starship must have a jump drive (high output power plant)
powered up and producing energy.  The first faze of the sequence is to divert
energy into the jump capacitors.  After the (zuchai crystal) capacitors are
fully charged (generally during the relatively low-output "power-up" cycle of
bringing the jump drive online), energy from the capacitors is shunted to the
lanthanum grid along with remaining output from the J drive.  The remaining
several (mili?)seconds of the jump initiation is sustained by the J drive
alone.

Graphically:

Time--->
                             .......................................
O                           .
u                         .
t                      .
p                  .
u             .
t       .
 .
|---- Charging Capacitors------------|-Initiation-|-Completion-|

Time--->
                                      .

                                        .
                                         .
                                           ........................
I
n
p
u
t

Chart 1 represents the output produced by the Jump drive.  Chart 2 represents
the input of energy into the lanthanum grid.  Neither is to scale, since I
postulate a lengthy "warm-up" phase.  It's this warm-up phase that the
black-globe rules allow you to "ignore,"  but you must still have a jump-drive
online and ready to roar (with a full [maybe 95%] fuel supply for the jump.)
In my campaigns, it's assumed that the drive is being brought online during the
phases previous to the jump.

In any event, it's all hand-waving and magic...  :)

(Especially since the MT Starship Operator's Manual states pretty explicitly
that this rule no longer applies.  Just goes to show that you can't trust an
old Vilani fart farther than you can smell him...)

My personal feeling is that capacitors were intoduced without much thought, and
that they haven't been exploited in standard designs enough.  (Enclosed is my
[Updated] Ape class fighter, as an example: [High Guard design])

Date:           12/31/93

                                     -Off-
                              ---Def---
FS-???? Gibbon     FS-0106611-D00000-05002-0 MCr15.611  8 tons
  batteries bearing                   1  1              Crew=1
          batteries                   1  1              TL=15
Passengers=0 Low=0 Cargo=0 Fuel=0.04 EP=0.48 Agility=6

Hull:            1              8.00 Tons        120KCr/Ton              960KCr
M-Drive:         6      17%     1.36 Tons        500KCr/Ton              680KCr
P-Plant:         6       6%      .48 Tons       3000KCr/Ton             1440KCr
Fuel:                    0.5%   0.04 Tons
Armor:          13      14%     1.12 Tons        300KCr+(1300KCr/Ton)   1756KCr
Capacitor       54EP            1.50 Tons       4000KCr/Ton             6000KCr

Computer:        1              1.00 Tons       2000KCr                 2000KCr

Fusion Gun:      5              2.00 Tons       2000KCr                 2000KCr
Missile:         2                               750KCr                  750KCr

Pilot Couch:                    0.50 Tons         25KCr                   25KCr
                                ---------                              --------
                                8.00 Tons                              15611KCr

The Ape class fighter, while small in stature more than makes up for its
diminutive size with its blazing fusion gun, uncanny agility, and thick hide.

The 8 ton needle-shaped fighter is available (with slight modifications) at
tech level 12 and higher.  The fighter mounts maneuver-6 and power plant-6
which produces 0.48 energy points, providing an agility rating of 6.  Fuel
tankage is minimal, at 0.04 tons, giving a duration of 2.5 days constant
operation.  Fuel scoops allow for easy refueling, and the craft may burn
unrefined fuel directly.

Much of it's 20% size reduction is due to the 1.5 ton capacitor that it leeches
engergy off of in combat situations.  The capacitor can provide enough energy
to the craft's fusion gun for 27 turns of combat.  A missile rack rounds out
the armament.  The hull is armored to a strength of 13.

The fighter has no bridge, but does carry a Model/1 computer.  For crew, the
craft carries a pilot/gunner, requiring one couch.  As no gunner has been
provided for, the pilot may only fire one weapon at a time.

Many commanders are willing to endure this short duration in exchange for the
25% increase in guns (and the comparative strength of the fusion gun) that can
be brought against the enemy compared to conventional 10 ton fighters.

The TL 14 variety is same basic configuration, except that the armor factor
drops to 7.  The volume obtained by the reduction in armor is used to
supplement the power plant.  Double the cost of the power plant, but reduce the
cost for the armor.

The TL 13 variety is the same as the TL 14 version except that the armor factor
drops to 3, and the fusion-gun rating is reduced to 4.

The TL 12 variety is the same as the TL 13 version except that the maneuver
drive, power plant, and agility ratings are all reduced to 4, and the missile
rating is reduced to 1.  The volume obtained by the reduction in the manuever
drive is used to supplement the power plant.

Below TL 12, this class of ship just isn't possible...

Design notes:  As it stands, the only rules that were bent were the 1-ton
minimums on the fuel requirement, and the provision of two different weapon
types on board.

Oh yeah, the capacitor rules are on pages 31 and 42 of my edition of High
Guard (c) 1980 under the headings "Screens" and "The Black Globe",
respectively.  I think this design is a logical extension of those rules.

- --
Steve@AZTech.COM

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

Bundle: 538
Archive-Message-Number: 6690
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 94 09:43:09 GMT
From: shane@nuclear-medicine.ucl.ac.uk (Shane Thomas)
Subject: Re: The Mote in God's eye

Shalom Zaidfeld said:

>Shane Said:
>
>>Yes.  It was called "The Gripping Hand" in the US I believe,
>>and "The Moat around Murcheson's Eye" elsewhere.
>
>are you sure?..  "The Mote around Murcheson's Eye"..

The US edition is definately called "The Gripping Hand" ( or possibly
"Gripping Hand" but you get the idea ).
The edition I have ( UK ) is most certainly called "The Moat around
Murcheson's Eye" ( which IMHO is a much better title :-) & I've been
told by a usually reliable source that this is the title being used on
all non-US editions.

>what would be my best option when I look for it?.
>the Gripping Hand or the other name?

Your best option would be to look for it under both titles I guess.

>So that's why we have Traveller <smile>

If you can find players :-(

>Thanks for the info,

It's a pleasure.  Good luck in looking for the book.  It is worth reading
if you liked the original.

Shane

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Shane N Thomas                      Internet:  s.thomas@nucmed.ucl.ac.uk

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

Bundle: 538
Archive-Message-Number: 6691
From: b.borich@genie.geis.com
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 94 12:25:00 BST
Subject: DESIGNS

    Looking for TNE designs. Starships, vehicles, weapons, etc...

    Wanted for publication in various fanzines and just general collection
(available on disk) to make available to other traveller players. If used
in the fanzines the author still retains all copyright to the material for
future sale as they desire.

=====================================================================

    And A word from Loren c/o GEnie:

GDW.SUPPORT [Loren W]        at 22:17 EST

  Announcing, the FF&S/RCEG Design Search

  GDW is seeking designs for items of equipment to be featured in
  their upcoming product, the Reformation Coalition Equipment
  Guide. This book will deal with the standard personal equipment
  of the Reformation Coalition Exploration Service, as well as the
  equipment they are likely to encounter on the various worlds they
  contact, as well as recovered Imperial equipment.

  There are, of course, some ground rules:

  1. We don't need very many more small arms. If you have a
  really neat gun that you think will beat out everything else
  under the sun, go ahead and submit it, but bear in mind that we
  already have designs for a great many small arms, and we are
  likely to get a lot more. This applies less to heavy weapons, tac
  missiles and such weapon systems. We are primarily looking for
  personel equipment, although small vehicles, non-starships, or
  similar designs will be considered. Likewise, we are not looking
  for starships, but we will consider non-jump spacecraft that are
  particularly interesting or innovative.

  2. All designs must use the standard Imperial campaign
  technology as described in FF&S. Designs using optional or
  alternative technologies (even though included in FF&S) cannot be
  considered. Likewise, all designs must follow the rules in FF&S
  to the letter...no house rules or variants will be acceptable.

  3. The highest tech level of the coalition is 12 (C for you
  folks who insist on alphnumerics). Equipment in the hands of
  other groups will probably be lower than this. "Remnant" Imperial
  equipment will be TLs 13 to 15 (D to F).

  4. Show your worksheets. We need to see every calculation,
  simply printing out a spreadsheet design will not be adequate, as
  we cannot always tell from such things which values you have used
  for various variables, where and when you rounded, etc. Be neat
  and legible. E-mail entries are OK, provided we can decipher
  them.

  5. The only payment you will receive is the inner sense of well-
  being resulting from a job well-done, your name on the credits
  page of the RCEG, the fawning adulation of your peers for getting
  your name in print, and a free copy of the book if we use one or
  more of your designs.

  6. If you want to send a sketch or drawing to help our
  artists illustrate your brainchild(ren) feel free. GDW's art staff
  is unable to decode electronic sketches, so these will have
  to be sent to us on paper...sorry.
  7. All submissions become the property of GDW, Inc., and cannot
  be returned (but we will try to acknowledge receipt of each). GDW
  reserves the right edit and/or alter any design as we deem
  necessary.

  Loren K. Wiseman
       for GDW,Inc.

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

Bundle: 538
Archive-Message-Number: 6692
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 1994 10:19:57 -0400 (EDT)
From: S_DMOODY@pstcc.cc.tn.us
Subject: Deluxe TNE

Yesterday, I picked up the Deluxe T:TNE boxed set (for $40.00 US) and
the 200 ton trader minis.  The Deluxe boxed set has the first printing of the
TNE rulebook, FF&S (the REAL reaseon I got the set), a nice color map od
Diaspora Sector, two infolios, one that has UWP data for 1119, one for 1200,
character cords that have such info as skill by attribute, etc, and a little
gem of a booklet that changes some of the TNE equipment and weapons as
redesigned using FF&S.  All together, possible the best valued boxed set from
GDW since the original Deluxe Traveller.
The minis are superb, bringing back memories of some of the MArtian
Metals minis.  There are two ships in this pack (for $6.75 US).  Each has four
parts: the ship body, two fins, and one turret.  The minis are made of the
100% pewter stuff, not lead.  Again, they done good on this one.

Recomendations:
Deluxe T:TNE: Get it if you are going to play TNE.
Minis: Excellent.

Stuck in the Imperium:
-Vanya

------------------------------
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by the University of
Western Ontario. All opinions and materials below are the responsibility
of the originator.

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

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 539  6693 24-Jan-1994 Jeff Zeitlin     67:13 - Want ads << Subject: 67:13 - Wa
 539  6694 24-Jan-1994 "PASSOLT, DON"   Re: The T.V. show that has models << [S
 539  6695 25-Jan-1994 Mark Urbin       Gripping Hand Question and DT:TNE << Sh
 539  6696 25-Jan-1994 James T Perkins  TML Reply-To has changed << The Reply-T
 539  6697 25-Jan-1994 intacc!Shalom_Z  Re: Traveller Newspaper << Alistair Lan
 539  6698 25-Jan-1994 kenhagler@aol.c  Background: NeuBerlin << Here's some ad
 539  6699 25-Jan-1994 kenhagler@aol.c  Mecha in Traveller << Alexandre Pedneau
 539  6700 25-Jan-1994 psualum@aol.com  TV Series question << Subject: TV serie
 539  6701 25-Jan-1994 Grant Sinclair   WBH errata << Seeing some references to
 539  6702 25-Jan-1994 Derek Wildstar   Re: reality checks bouncing << Leonard.
 539  6703 25-Jan-1994 Mike Merrell     Re: TML nightly: Msgs 6695-6700 V67#16
 539  6704 25-Jan-1994 Graham.Spearing  << Star Diameters as a Limit on Jumping
 539  6705 26-Jan-1994 "Anthony K. Bag  More Guns <<

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

Bundle: 539
Archive-Message-Number: 6693
Subject: 67:13 - Want ads
From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 94 19:09:00 -0500

Subject: 67:13 - Want ads

TA::>Subject: Traveller NewsPaper

TA::>I have been thinking of producing a 'newspaper' as a prop for my Traveller
  ::>Campaign. Aside from putting in TNS articles from Challenge and JTAS, I'd
  ::>like to include such things as a Positions Vacant (job advertisements) and
  ::>Jobs Wanted (people advertising their skills) column.

TA::>Any suggestions on content, format, production etc appreciated.

  I started to do this once, and chose the small-print Classifieds
  style from my hometown newspaper.  In an 8.5x11 format, six
  columns of six point text works acceptably; use three or four
  columns of 9 point for news.

TA::>I'd also appreciate material for inclusion.

  I've included the text of what was in the issue I started to do.
  It's not a complete page, and may not be to your taste.  But
  maybe it will give you some ideas...

  Headings have been enclosed in <>; paragraphs within an ad are
  indented, blank space between ads.

  <LEGALS>
     DEBTOR'S COURT, THIRD ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICT, BENDEN
  DOWNPORT.  Benden Shipwrights and Financing, Plntf, vs. Stellar
  Charters Pty., Dfndt.  Idx #1129-2538.  Pursuant to Judgement of
  Foreclosure and Sale, I will sell at public auction the 132 day
  of 1130 at Berth #17-A-West, Benden Downport, that vessel
  registered as a Free Trader in the Stellar Confraternity of
  Arnheim under the name Elijah Baley.
     ALL components, fittings, accessories including subordinate
  vehicles comprising a vessel of the Free Trader design, Beowulf
  class, modified so as to allow the use of 1107 kiloliters of
  cargo space as space suitable for the housing and provisioning of
  ten passengers.
     This vessel is capable of interstellar travel at the maximum
  rate of one parsec per week, during which time the vessel is a
  self contained environment suitable for the use of individuals of
  the Humaniti, Aslan, Vargr, and Droyne races, as well as for
  members of the several major and minor races who require life
  support conditions not incompatible with those of the
  aforementioned races.
     Amount of Judgement, Cr2,483,000 plus costs and interest.
  Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgement, and
  terms of sale.  Tiodor Roez-Phelt, Solicitor for Plaintiffs,
  Benden Downport Administrative Center, Wing C, Suite 4 East.

     NOTICE OF ANTICIPATED CLOSURE,  ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER, ISTA
  DOWNPORT.  Effective thirty (30) days from the initial
  publication of this notice, Ista Downport will be closed to all
  vehicles with hull displacement of 50 tons or greater.  Vehicles
  affected by this closure are advised to switch all commitments to
  Fort or Igen Downport or one of the two Skyports as soon as
  possible.

  <ADVISORIES>
     Unidentified ships not belonging to the Confraternity have
  been reported patrolling in several nearby non-aligned systems.
  No Confraternity ships are reported as having been stopped or
  attacked.  Nevertheless, the Confraternity Advisory Service has
  issued an advisory emphasizing that extra care should be taken
  when travelling outside Confraternity borders until the situation
  is clarified.

     The  Scout Ship Red Giant is overdue to arrive at Fort
  Skyside.  Any vessels in the system are requested to watch for
  any sign of this vessel.

     Due to damage from the recent earthquake and volcanic eruption
  at Ista Downport, all atmosphere-capable ships are advised to use
  Fort Downport if reasonably possible.

     All traffic into and out of Nerat is suspended for the
  duration of the current quarantine.  The quarantine area is
  defined as all of Nerat Peninsula south of a line running due
  east and west from the northernmost point of Half-Circle Seaport

  <CARGOES>
     NOTICE All cargoes are cleared through the Benden Downport
  Administrative Center, Office of the Department of Customs.
  Sales of cargoes are via individual negotiations, but must be
  initiated through this office.  Certain cargo contracts may be
  handled directly.  These advertisements appear with the actual
  contact address.  All other cargoes should be pursued through
  this office.

    INFORMATION Holorecorded.  1,000 kl.  Trade patterns through
  Confraternity space, including trade with non-member planets.
  Best offer.

     MANUFACTURED GOODS 40.5 kl blank holorecord crystals.  Best
  min.  Cr200/kl

     MAIL CONTRACT Std terms, Std Req.  Norstrilia, round trip.
  Benden Downport Admin Center, Wing B, Suite 17 East.

  <BROKERS>

  <CLEARED IN>
     Arnheim Charters Free Trader Galimaakaa.  Benden Downport
  berth #12-A-North.

     Tukera Lines Frontier Merchant Phoenicia.  Fort Downport berth
  #140

     Confraternity Courier Horace Greeley.  Benden Skyside berth
  rad40/theta10-up

  <CLEARED OUT>
     Blaine Starlanes psgr liner Kleoptra, for Norstrilia.

     Confraternity Navy cruiser Lt. Darryl Prather.

  <FOR SALE>
     Ship's Air-Raft, Beowulf compatible.  Good condition. Owner
  upgraded to small grav vehicle for orbit-to-ground capability.
  Cr8000.  FreeTrad Bayta Darrel.  High Reaches Downport berth
  #3-D-South.

  <FOR LEASE>

  <CHARTERS>
     Scout Ship Daniel Boone.  3 SR, DblOcc OK.  Mid Acc only.  Yr
  sched, itin.  Cr7000 per week per person.  Fort Skyside
  rad60/theta0-up.

  <CREW OPENINGS>
     ENGINEER.  Perm.  Cert 2+.  SuSAG Starlines, Liner Doru Sirka.
  Apply liner rad45/theta345-down or SuSAG ofc Benden Skyside hub 4.

     PILOT/NAVIGATOR.  Perm. Cert 3 pref, 2 OK.  Any TL12 or
  LabShip.  SpaceLab Thomas Alva Edison, Benden Skyside, Berth
  rad30/theta45-down.  Std + 50% of delta.

     STEWARD. Wkg Psg 2 jumps. UPP xx8987+ Cert 2+.  FreeTrad
  Richard Milhous Nixon, Benden Downport Berth #14-C-South. 75% +
  share, neg.

  <PERSONALS>

==========================================================================
Jeff Zeitlin                                      jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com
- ---
 ~ QMPro 1.52 ~ Ultimate office automation:  Networked coffee machines!

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

Bundle: 539
Archive-Message-Number: 6694
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 94 18:59:32 EST
From: "PASSOLT, DON" <F024@MUSIC.FERRIS.EDU>
Subject: Re: The T.V. show that has models

[Sent to traveller-request@engrg.uwo.ca instead. This is changing today
folks, I've forwarded my last email, you're on your own for avoiding
public embarrasment -- James]

the show could be ACCAPOLCO HEAT. But I think that the actor who was
shot with a blank and died was in KNIGHT RIDER. In Northern Mich
Accapolco Heat runs at midnight till 1 a.m. check your local listings...

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

Bundle: 539
Archive-Message-Number: 6695
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 1994 11:32:34 -0500
From: mju@ftp.com (Mark Urbin)
Subject: Gripping Hand Question and DT:TNE



Shalom asks:
>>Yes.  It was called "The Gripping Hand" in the US I believe,
>>and "The Moat around Murcheson's Eye" elsewhere.
>are you sure?..  "The Mote around Murcheson's Eye"..
>what would be my best option when I look for it?.
>the Gripping Hand or the other name?

  `The Gripping Hand' is the title it was released under in the US.  It's
out in paperpack and the SF Book Club was giving it away in hardcover.
"The Moat around Murcheson's Eye" is the title it was released under in the
UK.  Take your pick.


and also
>Just wondering if anyone knows when the DT:TNE is coming out.  I'm waiting
>for it to so I can get FF&S with it already (and with errors corrected in
>those versions.)..

   It's out.  I saw it on the shelves of a local gaming store last week.
I liked the cover of the box.  It's the old CT boxed set cover, but ripped
(like a Christmas package) to show the TNE basic book cover beneath.

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  \      oo    Mark Urbin  mju@ftp.com
   \____|\mm   "Vouf, Vouf!"These opinions are mine, no one
   // //\ \_\  "Good Dog!"will claim them...
  /K-9/  \/_/  "Put down the Gauss pistols!"
 /___/_____\   eclipse@world.std.com
 -----------   Where am I going and what am I doing in this handbasket?
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------




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

Bundle: 539
Archive-Message-Number: 6696
Subject: TML Reply-To has changed
Reply-To: traveller-request@engrg.uwo.ca (TML Administrator)
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 94 08:50:56 PST
From: James T Perkins <jamesp@sp-eug.com>


The Reply-To header on an email message directs the receiving mail
programs to use that address when sending a reply to that message. Up
until just now, all TML digests have had a Reply-To header set to
"traveller-request@engrg.uwo.ca", the list administrator address. This
has been changed. Now the Reply-To header is set to
"traveller@engrg.uwo.ca", the list submission address.

What this means is that when you reply to the TML digest, your response
will go to the list submission address and into the automatic digester,
instead of coming only to me. This should save me the effort of
forwarding messages to TML which errantly came to me alone, which are
now running into a handful of messages a day.

Frustrated and rebellious TML admin, signing off. :-)

James

__   __/         /   /    Internet Traveller Mailing List, Administrator
    /     /  /  /   /   James T. Perkins in Eugene, Oregon, USA
 __/   __/__/__/ _____/   traveller-request@engrg.uwo.ca

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

Bundle: 539
Archive-Message-Number: 6697
From: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@web.apc.org
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 1994 11:45:30 DST
Subject: Re: Traveller Newspaper

Alistair Langsford said:

>I have been thinking of producing a 'newspaper'
>as a prop for my Traveller Campaign. Aside from
>putting in TNS articles from Challenge and JTAS,
>I'd like to include such things as a Positions
>Vacant (job advertisements) and Jobs Wanted (people
>advertising their skills) column.

Sounds intersting.  What's the settings of your Campaign?
T:TNE? MT?

>If anyone would like to post me what they think
>would be a good sample advertisement I can include
>that. An advert offering the services of one of

Check the yellow pages for Comapnies' ads and stuff like
that, also any local newspaper in the jobs section
would be helpful too.

>your favourite PCs, or NPCs, or a job advert that
>you might like to see in a Traveller game (jokes
>accepted, but serious adverts would be nice) are
>suggestions. Patron descriptions along the lines
>of 76 Patrons would also be ok.

Sure, I'll see what I can add to your newspaper.


Take care,
-Shalom Zaidfeld
-Aubaine, The Coalition Today NewsLink
-Reformation
Coalition
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Shalom Zaidfeldintacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@sp-eug.com
Toronto, Canada
#*******************************************************************************
#This message was sent from MATRIX  ARTS  BBS                                  *
#The views expressed in this posting are those of the individual author only.  *
#*******************************************************************************

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

Bundle: 539
Archive-Message-Number: 6699
From: kenhagler@aol.com
Reply-To: <kenhagler@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 94 17:41:06 EST
Subject: Mecha in Traveller

Alexandre Pedneault writes:

>  I'm a new Traveller player/gamemaster and I intend to do a campaign which
> will include some mechas. ( Yeah, like the Mobile Suits in the Gundam
> series) Did any of you had that idea before? If you did, please share
> your results with me.

I've had that idea myself. The Neubayern army is a heavy user of small mecha,
which were inspired by designs from the Bubblegum Crisis series. I posted the
two most common types to the TML a while back, in fact. However, these aren't
anywhere near the size of the mobile suits. To be believable, big mecha have
to have some reason to exist, be it Minovsky Particles, Zentraedi, or
whatever, and no such reason exists on Neubayern.

I'd recommend that you design your mecha using GURPS and then convert them to
TNE. That's what I did with the small mecha, and it worked quite nicely. FF&S
is a good product, but it was simply never meant for mecha design. I also
recommend getting a copy of Guns! Guns! Guns! (3rd edition) to help convert
from one system to the other.

                        Kenneth G. Hagler
 _________________________________________________________________
|            kenhagler@aol.com           |  My insurance company  |
|             (619) 251-0054             |    is Beretta U.S.A.   |
|   PGP 2.3 key available on request     |                        |
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
|   ...study of the military arts will make one who is naturally  |
|   clever more so and one who is born somewhat dull rather less  |
|   so.     --Daidoji Yuzan Shigesuke, _Budo Shoshinshu_          |
|_________________________________________________________________|

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

Bundle: 539
Archive-Message-Number: 6698
From: kenhagler@aol.com
Reply-To: <kenhagler@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 94 17:40:42 EST
Subject: Background: NeuBerlin

Here's some additional background info made up during Steve's TCS campaign.
As usual, this is not by any means the final version of this article, and any
comments are welcome.

       NeuBerlin (circa 5640 AD)

NeuBerlin is the major city of the planet Neubayern.  It was settled in
4517 AD, one year after the _Van der Lubbe_ reached Neubayern.  NeuBerlin
has a population of approximately 2.2 billion people--considerably higher
than the population thirteen years ago, due to the concentration of the
planet's population after the Serendip War of 5631.  The population of the
city is presently growing at a rate of 4% per year, in response to the
government's policy of encouraging population growth.

The city has a population density of 6500 people per square kilometer.
This density is a bit higher than Tokyo in the late 20th century. The city is

spread across 340,000 square kilometers--an area slightly smaller than
the area of California on Terra. Despite the similarity in population
density, residents of NeuBerlin actually have considerably larger homes
than residents of 20th century Tokyo. Buildings in NeuBerlin are very
tall, giving residents around four times the living space that Tokyo
residents had.

Aside from being generally larger, most buildings in NeuBerlin would not
have looked too out of place in a major Terran city of the 20th century.
In recent years, though, there has been a trend towards buildings that
incorporate gravitic technology. Some examples are buildings that lean
over at a 45 degree angle and buildings in the shape of the owning
company's logo.

NeuBerlin is laid out in a grid pattern. Streets are laid out at 500
meter intervals, and run either north/south or east/west. These streets
include pavement and pedestrian walkways at ground level, and flight
bands above the streets for grav vehicles. Larger streets, placed at 5
km intervals, mark district boundaries. These streets have broad medians
which are covered by decorative vegetation.

Vehicles travel on the right side of the street (or flight band) on
Neubayern. Speed limits are generally low for surface traffic, never
above 100 kph even on major streets. The lowest flight band begins 30
meters above the street, and is 10 meters thick--it has the same speed
limit as the street. There will often be additional flight bands higher
up allowing faster travel, and travel along paths other than those
followed by surface streets.

In addition to the surface streets (and their corresponding flight paths)
there are many highways that facilitate rapid travel around NeuBerlin.
These highways are often two-level structures, often suspended above the
surface streets and buildings by grav generators. There are also
high-speed, high-altitude flight paths known as "flyways" that serve as
highways for grav vehicles.

There are broad spaces between each flight band. These spaces allow
access by government traffic, provide the equivalent of "turn lanes" for
grav vehicles, and give space for special traffic such as flying
billboards.

Civilian grav traffic is restricted to following designated flight paths
for the most part. Civilians with sufficient cause (i.e. political pull)
can get permits that let them fly outside flight paths. Also, these
restrictions do not apply to police and emergency services traffic.
Small spacecraft are allowed to fly over NeuBerlin, but they must first
pass a safety certification (basically, the same certification required
for ordinary grav vehicles). Many spacecraft are denied certification
because they are too large to navigate the flight paths, which often pass
between buildings.

NeuBerlin has a very efficient public transportation system which
combines a subway network for short-distance travel with a gravitic
bullet train system for long distances. There is also an extensive bus
system and many taxis.

Despite the availability of public transportation, many residents of
NeuBerlin prefer to own private vehicles. The high standard of living
enjoyed by citizens of Neubayern allows almost anyone who wants one to
own a vehicle. Unfortunately, the large number of private vehicles has
led to a rather severe traffic problem, both on surface streets and in
the flight paths. To counter this, NeuBerlin has a sophisticated traffic
control system which attempts to keep traffic moving by adjusting the
upper and lower speed limits, placing restrictions on ground or air
vehicles allowed through a district, and issueing traffic advisories to
travellers.

Ground cars remain very popular on Neubayern, largely because they are (on
the average) so much cheaper than grav vehicles. They are also easier to
maneuver in enclosed areas such as tunnels and indoor parking structures.
On the down side, they are slower and can be trapped by gridlock.

Grav vehicles have the advantage of speed, but they are more expensive
than ground vehicles and less maneuverable in some situations. Also, the
laws regulating grav vehicles are more strict, since an accident
involving a grav vehicle can cause much more damage than one involving
only ground cars.

A third type of vehicle which is popular on Neubayern is the spinner--a
hybrid vehicle that can function as both a ground car and a grav vehicle.
Spinners have become especially popular since the government began
placing restrictions on numbers of ground or air vehicles that can pass
through a district, since spinners can simply land or take off to avoid
the restrictions. Spinners also combine the speed of grav vehicles with
the close-quarter maneuverability of ground vehicles. They are slightly
more expensive than grav vehicles, and remain the least numerous of the
three types.

Sizeable areas of NeuBerlin were destroyed in the Old Islands War and the
Serendip War.  Most of these areas have been reclaimed and now hold new
districts accomodating the increased population.  Portions of the remaining
destroyed zone have been occupied by criminal elements (who are not greatly
alarmed by government warnings that they might suffer leukemia in 90 years)
and by an assortment of bums, misfits, and people to stubborn to leave
their damaged homes.

In 5630, the government began making long-term plans to build a beanstalk
in NeuBerlin, and a 100 square kilometer area was set aside for the beanstalk

complex. Construction began on Neubayern's beanstalk on January 3, 5636,
and is expected to finish in 5646. Although the beanstalk has not yet
been officialy named, it is widely known as 'Spirals.' This name
originated as an inside joke among project engineers, and gradually
caught on among the general public.

The destruction of the two wars and the resultant social and
economic upheaval has led to skyrocketing crime rates in NeuBerlin,
although during the Imperial Occupation crime stayed fairly low--during
this period, social unrest was directed mostly at the occupying forces. The
NeuBerlin Metropolitan Police Force has been steadily growing since 5628,
and has begun purchasing high-tech equipment from other Alliance worlds
to equip various specialist units.

Neubayern's technology is advanced enough to allow mobile
(grav-propelled) buildings to be constructed. This has led to some
unusual phenomenon in recent years. First is the "drive-by" fast food
restaurant. These fast-food buildings cruise along the flyways selling
food to commuters, who place their orders via personal datalink and dock
with the restaurant briefly to pick up their food.

A even newer development (within the past sixten years) is the commuting
building. Some companies have begun providing housing for their employees
in a specific housing development. Every day, the company's building
commutes to the housing development from it's normal location (usually
near the financial district or spaceport). The NeuBerlin government has
just decided to begin discouraging this practice, as it has begun to
aggravate the city's already terrible traffic problem.

Neubayern's center of government is located in NeuBerlin, in a huge
building which resembles a metallic volcano. Government Center is a tower
three kilometers high. It is three kilometers at its base, and tapers to
a diameter of 1.5 kilometers at its top, which is flat. Government Center
contains all the workings of Neubayern's government, although everything
is duplicated in other, less conspicuous locations.

The Museum of Terran Culture and History is a major tourist attraction in
NeuBerlin. The Museum contains copies of all information that was brought
from Terra by the original colonists, and has assorted displays of what
life was like on Terra throughout history, up until the colonists left.
In addition, the grounds of the Museum hold many reproductions of famous
buildings on Terra. Some examples are the U.S. Capital, Wawel Castle, the
Tower Bridge, and the Imperial compound in Kyoto.

The _Prussia_ Monument is another popular location with tourists. The
_Prussia_ was a sublight warship of the Neubayern System Patrol during
the period when the Serendip Belt first developed jump drive. It played a
major role in defending Neubayern against the Serendip Belt's initial
onslaught, and was the only armed Neubayern vessel to survive the first
attacks. The _Prussia_ was the first flagship of the NFN, although it was
retired shortly thereafter and placed in a park adjacent to Government
Center as a monument to those who had died in the fighting.

Neubayern University is located on a bluff overlooking the bay at the
center of NeuBerlin. Founded in 4580, the University is the oldest and
largest institute of higher learning on Neubayern, and attracts students
from all over the Cluster. The University presently has around 200,000
students enrolled.

                        Kenneth G. Hagler
 _________________________________________________________________
|            kenhagler@aol.com           |  My insurance company  |
|             (619) 251-0054             |    is Beretta U.S.A.   |
|   PGP 2.3 key available on request     |                        |
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
|   ...study of the military arts will make one who is naturally  |
|   clever more so and one who is born somewhat dull rather less  |
|   so.     --Daidoji Yuzan Shigesuke, _Budo Shoshinshu_          |
|_________________________________________________________________|

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

Bundle: 539
Archive-Message-Number: 6700
From: psualum@aol.com
Reply-To: <psualum@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 94 19:43:27 EST
Subject: TV Series question

Subject: TV series question
Alistair asked:
>The question is: what is the name of the TV series.

>Now, the typical work and lifestyle of models and journalists are not areas
>I have a great deal of knowledge on. Any suggestions on typical work
>activities and for appropriate plot ideas taking advantage of this setup
>would be -greatly- appreciated.

My wife says the series name was "Cover Up."  There is also a sindicated show
that just started called "Alcupulco H.E.A.T."  that has a similar premise.

Some suggested work activities would be various undercover missions (adapt
James Bond or Top Secret scenarios), counter-terrorist work, guerilla-warfare
(use the cover to enter a world to perform demolition, kidnapping, or
assassination mission).

PBJuzyk

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

Bundle: 539
Archive-Message-Number: 6701
From: Grant Sinclair <grant@cleese.apana.org.au>
Subject: WBH errata
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 1994 23:56:16 -40962758 (CST)

Seeing some references to World Builders Handbook here recently reminded
me of some problems that I noticed with it, that were not (as far as I
know) corrected in any errata:

1.Size related details step 9 (p 62) states "P" is in standard
days; should be hours, as in the example that follows it.

2.WBH strongly implies that the orbit number of a satellite is in
central planet diameters (e.g. step 8a on page 62); it is in fact radii
(e.g. MegaTraveller Refs Manual, old Book 6).  The same error also
appears explicitly in Travellers Digest (e.g. TD 19 p 35).  So halve
orbital distance in radii to get distance in diameters.

3.The definition of gas giant size is inconsistent with TNE,
MegaTraveller Refs Manual [e.g. p17), old Book 6, and other DGP
publications (e.g. Terra system writeup).  Small gas giants should range
in UWP size from 20 to 74; large gas giants should range from 75 to 140;
brown dwarfs start above that.  I use the table below which corrects
these problems (as far as I know!).  It also categorises gas giants from
the Terra system correctly (i.e. matches previously published official
writeups).  Saturn (UWP size about 80) and Jupiter (about 90) are large
gas giants; Uranus and Neptune are small gas giants (UWP size each about
30).  Previously, even Jupiter was a small gas giant according to WBH.
Don't use brown dwarfs without reading up on them first - they are
complex beasties (e.g. the more massive they are, the smaller they get).

      Gas Giant Size
   Small          Large
Die    UWP      Die   UWP
(1D+1) Size    (2D)   Size
  2     20       2     80
  3     30       3     80
  4     40       4     80
  5     50       5     90
  6     60       6     90
  7     70       7    100
                 8    110
                 9    120
                10    130
                11    140
                12  Brown Dwarf

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Grant Sinclair                  "Cream rises to the top...
grant@cleese.apana.org.au        but so does scum..."
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------


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

Bundle: 539
Archive-Message-Number: 6702
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 94 23:37:14 -0500
From: Derek Wildstar <wildstar@quark.qrc.com>
Subject: Re: reality checks bouncing

Leonard.Erickson@f51.n105.z1.fidonet.org (Leonard Erickson) writes:
> Subject: reality checks bouncing

That's why *you* need *our* product!

The Space-Time Fabrication Institute is pleased to announce a new
service, a STFI exclusive:

Overdraft Protection for your Reality Checks (tm)!

Yes, that's right.  The same people who brought you the Reality
Patches with Extra-Strong Gluons (tm) can, through a new universal
creditability arrangement, prevent the embarrasment of having your
reality checks bounce!

And don't forget about our patented Reality Patches with Extra-Strong
Gluons (tm).  They are just the thing when your universe gets strange,
and their 100% certified up to improbability levels of 4.2x10^17 against.


> So *two* changes need to be made for radio. First, the power levels
> need to go *down*, or the ranges need to go up. Second, somewhere
> between 20 and 100 MHZ, the signals quit bouncing off the ionosphere (if
> the planet has one). At that point, range is *restricted* to
> line-of-sight.

It seems as though GDW assumed that both the transmitter and the reciever
would be using low-efficency omnidirectional antennas, and if you want to
get any sort of directional antenna, you have to buy a 'maser'
communicator.

Seriously, though, I've got an off-the-cuff suggestion to "fix" the radio
range problem (and yes, it *is* a problem).  What about the following:

Unless special conditions apply, any planet with a thin, standard, or dense
atmosphere (tainted or not) has an ionosphere.  The referee should determine
the presence or absence of an ionosphere in other cases (none, trace, and
very thin normally don't, while exotic, corrosive, and insidious normally
do).

Radio communicators should be designated as 'space' or 'planetary' when
constructed (this is a rough idea of it's frequency capabilities).  'Space'
radios are designed to take advantage of radio windows in planetary
atmospheres to be able to line-of-sight broadcasts through the ionosphere.
'Planetary' communicators take advantage of the ionospheres to bounce
signals around the planet.  For existing designs, spacecraft are assumed to
be equipped with 'space' radios, while planetary vehicles are assumed to be
equipped with 'planetary' radios.

'Planetary' communicators of 1kw or more can be recieved anywhere on the
planet, as if at long range.  'Space' communicators follow the standard
rules.

The second change I would suggest is that the range of the *transmitter* be
used to determine the range (the range rating of the reciever being
irrellevant in this case).  Of course, if you are trying to establish 2-way
communication, both sides will be transmitting, limiting the range of 2-way
conversation to the shortest of the ranges of the communicators involved.

However, you should be able to use the energy gathering qualities of a dish
antenna, combined with powerful low-noise amplification provided by a maser
or the more efficient TWT (travelling wave tube) amplifiers, to improve the
eception range.  This is assuming that the FF&S radio communicators are
designed assuming an omnidirectional antenna on both the transmitter and
reciever, and that FF&S 'maser' communicators represent any radio with a
directional transmit or recieve antenna.  The change I propose is as
follows:

You may use radio communicators and maser communicators in together.  The
short range of such a combination is the longer of either half the short
range of the maser communicator, or the shorter of the ranges of the two
communicators.  For example, if a radiocomm of 60km was used to communicate
with a 30,000km masercomm, the short range would be 15,000km.  On the other
hand, the short range of a 30,000km masercomm and a 30,000km radiocomm is
30,000km.

No, it's not perfect, but it just might be a 'quick-n-dirty'
fix.  Any other comments?


> Now for the drive problem.

Well, Traveller maneuver drives have never conserved energy.  Violating
conservation of energy makes interplanetary travel much more 'interesting',
in that it doesn't take unreasonable amounts of time to get where you're
going.

The HEPlaR drive as detailed in FF&S is *COMPLETELY* and *TOTALLY*
impossible, and breaks at least three different physical laws.  If this
bothers you, work out some guidelines for "reasonable" drives (you've gotten
off to a good start in your post) and go ahead and use them.

However, HEPlaR drive makes Brilliant Lances space combat interesting and
playable.  Other drives would profoundly affect the game, and you should
consider the playability effects that this would have (not to mention you
would have considerable work to do to prepare new ship designs and new rules
for your new drive).

If HEPlaR bothers you only a little bit (and that's about the category it
falls in for me), slap a reality patch on it, and buy some overdraft
protection for your reality checks, and then you don't have to worry about
it ;-)


wildstar@quark.qrc.com
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In the Far Future

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

Bundle: 539
Archive-Message-Number: 6703
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 1994 21:33:02 -0700 (MST)
From: Mike Merrell <Mike.Merrell@m.cc.utah.edu>
Subject: Re: TML nightly: Msgs 6695-6700 V67#16

> >Just wondering if anyone knows when the DT:TNE is coming out.  I'm waiting
> >for it to so I can get FF&S with it already (and with errors corrected in
> >those versions.)..
>
>    It's out.  I saw it on the shelves of a local gaming store last week.
> I liked the cover of the box.  It's the old CT boxed set cover, but ripped
> (like a Christmas package) to show the TNE basic book cover beneath.

I just bought it (and subscribed to this group).  The errors ARE
NOT CORRECTED.  The Update book is included, but I'd rather they had
waited until the second printing (December 1993, according to the Update
book) to put the deluxe box together.

I'll reserve critical, or other, input until I've caught-up on
some of the old bundles (up to 509 from 500).

--Mike   they should include a spreadsheet diskette with
 FF&S...




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

Bundle: 539
Archive-Message-Number: 6704
From: Graham.Spearing@mettav.royle.org
Date: 25 Jan 94  19:54:20

Star Diameters as a Limit on Jumping

Quick question for you all. When determining safe 100 diameter jump distance
for your ship, how many of you check out whether you are also within the stars
100 diameters as per Scouts Book 6
p.42?

It struck me that for many main planets who circle at orbit 0 around dim M
class stars the 100 diameter thresh hold of the star would be far more
important than the world's. Thus for each world generated using the more
detailed stellar information found in 'Scouts' a special calculation of the
safe jump distance from the star would need to be
made.

Comments and thoughts . . .

Graham

Internet:   Graham.Spearing@gspear.mettav.royle.org

* Origin: The Drones Club (100:1011/0.14)

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

Bundle: 539
Archive-Message-Number: 6705
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 94 10:54:46 GMT
From: "Anthony K. Baggaley" <MCDAPAB@cms.manchester-computing-centre.ac.uk>
Subject: More Guns


  Well here are a few more gun designs, all using 19mm explosive bullets. Since
 Loren said GDW didn't need any more RCES firearms, I guess these are anti-
 Star Viking weapons (suits me- the only good Star Viking is one you use as a
 barricade). I hope these are some use to Refs next time they need to scare
 the players away from combat. In the hands of PCs..... well at least the
 combats will go quicker.
                        ------------------------

              FMA 5bis  ETC Machine Pistol
                             Weight                    Price
 Calibre     TL Ammo    Empty Loaded Clip   Mag      Weapon Ammo

19mm Magnum  12 19*21mm 1.1kg 1.67kg 0.57kg 30/4.54g 494Cr  0.182/156Cr

                                    Recoil
 Calibre     ROF Dam Pen Bulk  Mag  SS  Bst.  Rng.
19mm Magnum  3/5 2   Nil   1   30   1   1/2   10     Ball
                 8   2-2-2                     8     HEAP
                -1   Nil                       5     Tranq
                 2   1-Nil                    12     DS
 Notes- with 0.5kg Laser Sight, ROF 5 recoil drops to 1.
        Includes Muzzle Break, and don't forget the clips are reusable
                               (at this price they have to be)
        It can use clips from the previously posted pistol version.
 Big Note- FF&S doesn't tell you when to round numbers, and whether you round
           them up or down, and which way you round 0.5. I've followed the
           ACR example in FF&S, but it's a matter of taste whether the ranges
           for HEAP are 7 or 8
           i.e. the range for ball comes to about 9.7, round to 10
                ACR example shows you use the figure of 10 for calculating
                ranges of other rounds, not the 9.7, so HEAP has a range of
                7.5 - round to taste.
                    _____________________________________

              FMA 13  TL 12   ETC  Sub-Machine Gun

                             Weight                  Price
 Calibre     TL Ammo    Empty Loaded Clip   Mag     Wpn.  Ammo

19mm Magnum  12 19*21mm 2.65kg 4.5kg 1.85kg 100    1057Cr 0.182/521Cr

                                       Recoil.
 Calibre     ROF    Dam Pen  Bulk Mag  SS  Bst.  Rng.

19mm Magnum  3/5/10  2  1-Nil 2/3 100  1    1    21/68  Ball
                     8  2-2-2                    16/51  HEAP
                    -1  Nil                      10/30  Tranq
                     2  1-Nil                    25/81  DS
   Notes- includes Gyro. Recoil is 1 for ALL burst sizes.
          Uses a Grip Magazine in handle like the two previous designs
          Has folding shock-absorbing stock- use the first range values when
          fired one-handed/stock folded, and the second for fire using the
          stock. Same with Bulk value.  Recoil is always 1 either way...
          It has a heavy barrel and receiver, so hopefully it won't overheat.
                   -----------------------------------

              FMA X1  TL 12 ETC  Gatling LAG

                             Weight                      Price
 Calibre     TL Ammo    Empty   Loaded   Clip    Mag  Wpn.    Ammo

19mm Magnum  12 19*21mm 7.724kg 11.609kg 3.885kg 250b 2882Cr 0.182/1296Cr

                                       Recoil.
 Calibre     ROF    Dam Pen  Bulk Mag  SS  Bst.    Rng.

19mm Magnum  10/50   2  1-Nil  4  250b 1   1/2      68  Ball
                     8  2-2-2                       51  HEAP
                    -1  Nil                         30  Tranq
                     2  1-Nil                       81  DS

 Notes-  Includes-Optic Sights (*1.15 to all ranges except tranq)
                 -Bipod        (oops, I forgot to note down the range mod,
                   I think it's *1.3  to all ranges except tranq)
                   These are not included in above range scores.
                 -Long Muzzle Break
                 -Shock absorbing stock
                 -Gyro
          Has 6 barrels. If you think that one Muzzle break for 6 barrels is
         a bit silly, replace with 6 shorter muzzle breaks and make the gun
         slightly heavier-
         i.e. +0.876kg  +100Cr.  but Bulk drops to 3. Recoil remains the same.
          And don't forget that recoil drops to 1 if you use the bipod....
 Minor Note- it may not be a good idea to let PCs use this on NPCs, for the
             following reason....
             With ROF 50 it fires as ROF 10 but every hit counts as 5 normal
             hits. Even if the target is wearing 16 point armour, the blunt
             trauma effects of each HE or HEAP bullet are 8 points of damage
             8*5 = 40 = remove NPC from board. And it fires 50 of those shots
             a turn...
                          Hope this is useful to SOMEONE out there
                                        Anthony K.
                                  (someone has been telling lies about me)

------------------------------
The TML is made possible by facilities provided by the University of
Western Ontario. All opinions and materials below are the responsibility
of the originator.

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

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 540  6706 26-Jan-1994 Jerry Sanders    Re: Traveller Chronicle #3 << Hi fellow
 540  6707 26-Jan-1994 gt6963c@prism.g  RE: the tv show with models << I think
 540  6708 26-Jan-1994 intacc!Shalom_Z  The Gripping Hand Question << Just want
 540  6709 26-Jan-1994 M.A.S.           Fighters in Classic Traveller << steve@
 540  6710 26-Jan-1994 Mike Merrell     Design Question <<  I am designing a cr
 540  6711 26-Jan-1994 "Susan M. Shock  MegaTraveller Computer games << I have
 540  6712 27-Jan-1994 Stewart Eyres    Star Diameters as a Limit on Jumping <<
 540  6713 27-Jan-1994 j.kundert@genie  Battledress and Mecha in Trav <<  Re: B
 540  6714 27-Jan-1994 caseinc@aol.com  Re: #2(2) TML nightly: Msgs 6701-6711 V
 540  6716 27-Jan-1994 Daniel Deremiah  Please remove me. << Please remove me f
 540  6717 27-Jan-1994 Mike Merrell     More FF&S questions (and bonus opinion!
 540  6718 27-Jan-1994 Curtis Peer      Star diameter Jump limits << The follow
 540  6719 27-Jan-1994 kenhagler@aol.c  CT fighters << As Lee pointed out, High
 540  6720 27-Jan-1994 Curtis Peer      DT:TNE Diaspora map << To those who bou
 540  6721 27-Jan-1994 Curtis Peer      Damper Screens Questions << The game ru
 540  6722 27-Jan-1994 AMNUSS@delphi.c  Stellar diameters <<  When I detail a s
 540  6723 27-Jan-1994 Curtis Peer      Star 100 Diameters << > So, thoughts: T
 540  6724 28-Jan-1994 Steve Gibbons    RE: CT fighters << In Bundle #540, Arch
 540  6725 28-Jan-1994 Mike Basinger    RE: DT:TNE Diaspora map << You can orde

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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6706
From: Jerry Sanders <xminusjs@indirect.com>
Subject: Re: Traveller Chronicle #3
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 94 9:56:31 MST

Hi fellow Travellers...

Thought I'd post a message letting everyone know that
THE TRAVELLER CHRONICLE #3 is out! It came back from the printers Jan. 14
and Kevin mailed copies to suscribers last week. The table of contents
for issue #3 follows:

The Far Frontiers
The second installment of the Far Frontiers Sector by Dale Kemper
(with subsector maps for: Taermerlyk, Inverness, Wulfek)

Bonnie Mess
A Traveller: The New Era adventure by Mark "Geo" Gelinas

Lady Charlotte Class Yatch
A complete TNE ship including deckplans by Mark "Geo" Gelinas

Mercury Quest
The conclusion to Ridpath's quest by Gary A. Kalin
(More about this later)

Astrogator's Update to Diaspora Sector
Continuing the Diaspora Sector update by Charles E. Gannon


All good stuff, especially the Traveller Fiction . If anyone likes the
Traveller fiction that Gary Kalin wrote as much as I did - then PLEASE
write a short note encouraging him to produce more. Due to a change in
jobs, he doesn't plan on it - but maybe we can change his mind! Send the
notes to either Kevin or myself, and we will see that he reads them.

I'd also like to Thank Geo for the excellent adventure, and hint that if
all goes well, you will be seeing his work on a regular basis... (a column
is in the works).

The Keith brothers have contacted us at last!!! They are presently swamped
with book contracts, so do not have the time to write anything *new* for
us yet.... HOWEVER, they have given us permission to publish some of their
older, little known material. I'll keep you posted as things develope in
the future...(we might be printing something as soon as next issue). I
would just like to add - if you want to see some NEW material from the
Keith brothers....then write 'em a note requesting it! I mean, it can't
hurt right, and just might tempt them to set aside those book manuscripts
for a couple of days...

  ** CONTEST ** CONTEST ** CONTEST ** CONTEST ** CONTEST ** CONTEST **

We are having a little contest starting this issue....let me quote Kevin:

"Lastly, in issue two, I promised there would be a new contest and here it
is. I want you to send me something little that can be put in the
magazine. A  fake classified ad (like the one in this issue), an ad for an
item in the Traveller universe (like the Zilan Eiswein ad in issue two),
an identification badge, whatever! Be creative. You don't have to be a
mojor artist or writer to come up with something witty or funny. Just try.
The prize is a grab bag of old, odd Traveller items, including
the Cardboard Heros from Steve Jackson Games [all three sets, complete],
the Traveller Badge Set from that company 'down under', and more! So send
in those entries...."

I would like to add that if anyone has an odd, interesting NPC that would
make a good 'casual encounter' article, then send it in!


** NEWS FLASH ** NEWS FLASH ** NEWS FLASH ** NEWS FLASH ** NEWS FLASH **

The Keith brothers still had some of their old folio adventures on hand
and Kevin obtained as many of them as he could. They include FLEETWATCH,
SALVAGE MISSION, and FLIGHT of the STAG..... They are good stuff, and
Classic Traveller... and here is what we are going to do with them:

We are going to give them away... :)

The first thirty people to suscribe or renew their subscription will
receive a free copy of EACH one of these adventures.

One last thing, and then I will head out systen...

I would like to thank all of the people, many of you TML'ers, for helping
make TTC#3 a reality. Things were real iffy when issue #2 first came out,
but then subscriptions picked up, and word has spread  and we are still
here and going strong! We are not ready to take the money and run quite
yet (altho if you know of a cozy garden planet with lax tax laws...) - but
Kevin informs me that issue #3 is the first one he has not had to take a
loan on to get it printed...anyways, we are at the break even point, and I
want to thank all our suscribers.

The Traveller Chronicle is also available from four distributors (with
more one the way). They are:

Armoury
Wargames West
Everything Unreal
Liberty Hobby Distributors

Until issue #4...(due out first week of April), take care and
Happy Travelling!

Strephon Lives,
Paul
( xminusjs@indirect.com )

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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6707
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 94 12:08:05 -0500
From: gt6963c@prism.gatech.edu
Subject: RE: the tv show with models


I think the show you're looking for was called "Cover Up".  It had
John Eric Hexum (the actor who shot himself with a blank pistol).

It most definitely wasn't Knight Rider.. and unless Fabio has
killed himself recently (we can all hope) it wasnt' Acapulco Heat
either.  Cover up (if I've got the name of the show right) ran in
the early/mid 80's, and ended kinda quickly.. the guy they got to
follow up Hexum was an awful actor.

In case you're not sure who Hexum was, he also played the Pirate
time traveller in "The Voyagers" (I think)..where he had the side
kick, and they'd go through time fixing things (kind of a predecessor
to Quantum Leap, except that instead of Al with a palmtop terminal,
they had a very ambiguous stop-watch type thing called "the omni").

Anyways, hope I cleared something up (and sent this to the right
addy).


John


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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6708
From: intacc!Shalom_Zaidfeld@sp-eug.com
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 1994 14:57:05 DST
Subject: The Gripping Hand Question

Just wanted to thank everyone who replied to my original message
 about the Mote in God's Eye book.

Thanks,

-Shalom Zaidfeld
-Coalition Today Reporter, Aubaine
#*******************************************************************************
#This message was sent from MATRIX  ARTS  BBS                                  *
#The views expressed in this posting are those of the individual author only.  *
#*******************************************************************************

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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6709
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 94 16:37:20 -0600
From: mas@vortex.lgs.lsu.edu (M.A.S.)
Subject: Fighters in Classic Traveller

steve@aztech.com writes:
                                     -Off-
                              ---Def---
>FS-???? Gibbon     FS-0106611-D00000-05002-0 MCr15.611  8 tons
>  batteries bearing                   1  1              Crew=1
>          batteries                   1  1              TL=15
>Passengers=0 Low=0 Cargo=0 Fuel=0.04 EP=0.48 Agility=6

>The Ape class fighter, while small in stature more than makes up for its
>diminutive size with its blazing fusion gun, uncanny agility, and thick hide.

I hate to say it, but no it dosen't.  Such a vessel would be useless for
anything other than planetary bombardment or beating up on free traders.
Even a large target with agility-0 and a TL15 computer could not be hit.
That's a very unlikely target, but it illustrates how futile it is to build
fighters that have no bridge and a comp mod 1.  I have designed fighters at
TL 11 that could mop this TL 15 design up, and never take a single hit in
return.  Of course, my fighter designs have a tendency to be somewhat costly,
but that's OK as you lose far less of them.  Against an opponent of equal
TL, of course.  If you run up against an enemy fighter with a computer just
2 factors higher, you're dogfood. :-)


Thank God, CT.  Something I can comment on! :-)

---Lee
---mas@vortex.lgs.lsu.edu




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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6710
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 1994 17:17:59 -0700 (MST)
From: Mike Merrell <Mike.Merrell@m.cc.utah.edu>
Subject: Design Question

I am designing a craft for operation between surface and orbit.
When using the FF&S design rules, should I use an aircraft frame or an
airframe spacecraft hull?

I also have a question concerning blast radius for HEAP rounds.
The printed rule states that the blast radius is half that of an HE round.
This sounds right to me, as a HEAP round is a shaped charge and would vent
more energy in one direction.  My question arises from the update booklet
which "corrects" the blast radius to equal that of an HE round.  Is this
correction correct?

Has anyone addressed the issue of overpenetration?  You can fire a
DS round (small arms) at someone that has a large amount of energy, but if
it is slender enough, it will pass right through the target without
transfering most of that energy.  I guess my question might be, what is
the AV of a Human/Aslan/Vargr/etc. ?

--Mike



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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6711
Date:         Wed, 26 Jan 94 20:03:41 EST
From: "Susan M. Shock" <34ZBTXQ@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject:      MegaTraveller Computer games

I have the MegaTraveller computer games The Zhodani Conspiracy and Quest for
the Ancients. Are the clue books for these still available? If not, can
someone give me some help? I'm mainly playing Ancients right now, and if I
don't get some progress made soon, I'm going to give up (in which case I will
be getting rid of them...there's a broad hint for anyone looking for them...)
                                         Allen

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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6712
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 1994 09:55:10 +0000 (GMT)
>From: Stewart Eyres <spe@jb.man.ac.uk>
Subject: Star Diameters as a Limit on Jumping

Graham Spearing said:

>Quick question for you all. When determining safe 100 diameter jump distance
>for your ship, how many of you check out whether you are also within the
>stars 100 diameters as per Scouts Book 6 p.42?
>
>It struck me that for many main planets who circle at orbit 0 around dim M
>class stars the 100 diameter thresh hold of the star would be far more
>important than the world's. Thus for each world generated using the more
>detailed stellar information found in 'Scouts' a special calculation of the
>safe jump distance from the star would need to be
>made.
>
>Comments and thoughts . . .

I thought about this a while ago, as I was using Scouts to work out 100
diameter limits from the central star.  This can cause difficulities,
especially for large stars, where the typical habital zone is way within
the 100 diam limit.  I had one world which had to be about 40+ days from
the jump point to me reasonably habitable!

So, thoughts: The 100 diameter rule was originally intended to apply to
planets, coming as it does direct from CT (where stars were just pretty
lights in the sky).  This means that the gravity at the jump point is
0.0025 % of the surface gravity.  Now stars (taking the Sun as a model)
are less dense than planets, so the diameter for a given mass is far
greater.  This means you have to travel *fewer* stellar diameters to
reach a safe jump point.  I put some figures together to come up with a
rule of thumd, and I reckon that you can jump at only *20* stellar
diamters.  Gas Giants turn out to have a similar density (near enuogh for
this sort of rough rule), so I've adjusted the gas giant jump point also.

Of course, this has some sonsequences for increased use of micro jumps
closer to the star, but I think the whole thing works better.  Also, this
*is* only a rule of thumb; if the jump distance depends on gravity, then
it would vary dramatically between small, icy bodies, and large, extra
dense bodies.
_____________________________________________________________________________
"Traveller Done Wrong
- Let's get the Fiction back into Science Fiction Roleplaying"

StewartN.R.A.L.
Jodrell Bank
Macclesfield
spe@jb.man.ac.ukCheshire
SK11 9DL
____________________________________________________________________________


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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6713
>From: j.kundert@genie.geis.com
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 94 04:34:00 BST
Subject: Battledress and Mecha in Trav

 Re: Battledress Volume & Mecha in Traveller

  For the person who asked about the volume capacity of battledress
last week, there isn't any.  The volume of all added gear is _in_addition_
to the base Storage Volume listed.  The only controlling factors are
weight (by exoskeleton class) and power (by power supply).

 Onwards...

 <profnut@nyongwa.cam.org (Alexandre Pedneault)> says:

 > I'm a new Traveller player/gamemaster and I intend to do a campaign which
 >will include some mechas. ( Yeah, like the Mobile Suits in the Gundam
 >series) Did any of you had that idea before? If you did, please share
 >your results with me.

  I first had this idea back when Robotech was new.  Unfortunately, all
I had to work with was a combination of MegaTraveller and Striker.  I've
still got a page of "ideas" around here somewhere for integrating
humanoid transforming vehicles into the Traveller rules.
  Fortunately I discovered Mekton soon after.  This game allowed me to
play with "mecha" in an otherwise straight SF setting and not worry
about the mechanics mix.
  The next edition of Mekton (called Mekton II, though it's really the
third edition) was even better for this, since it came right out and
said that since mecha combat _looked_ like two guys in funny suits, it
should be played that way.  Mekton II uses the same set of mechanics for
both scales (human and "giant robot") with differences only for scale
and such things as catastrophic powerplant failure.  This idea will
drop into TNE (or any earlier edition) without any problems.

  I've always been of the "What a NEAT toy!" persuasion regarding
Traveller in general and vehicles in particular, and thus I prefer my
mecha small.  The various hardware in the Robotech conglomerate of
stories (Macross, Southern Cross, and Mospeada for the initiated) is
about as big as I want to get, though I confess to a fondness for Dynamo
Joe and the Gunbuster.

  But to business.  What Traveller is missing first and foremost if
you want to do giant robots of any sort, is _arms_.  The arms presented
in the Robots rules (both versions) are too small and too poorly
described to be of much help.  Instead of sitting down and working out
the whole spectrum of possible sizes and strengths, you should limit
your work to the range you intend to work in.  Unfortunately, this range
is rather broad even in the Gundam material (The "O"'s secondary arms
all the way up to the Alpha Azire; gulp!).  Find a smaller range or
risk loss of interest.
  Arms should be defined by inherent characteristics (volume, wt, power,
cost), and by how much volume and/or weight can be added to them in the
form of hardware.  The Armor building section in FF&S does this correctly
for our purposes: Volume is calculated last, based on the Storage Volume
(Volume of the skeleton, armor, power and control for mecha) plus the
added volume of other stuff (weapons, flight systems, streamlining, etc).

  Another point of definition is the "quality of movement".  Do your
Traveller mechs move like Anime mechs (ie. like humans in funny suits),
or are they stiff, slow, and of precarious balance?  A good example
of the two classes would be Ultraman vs. an Imperial ATAT.  If you
just want one of these then the Legs in FF&S (and earlier rules) require
no modification.  If you want both at the same time (but in different
mechs) then two classes of legs will be required, as well as a provision
for "Agility" in the MT Starship sense: more excess power = better
ability to dodge, weave, and otherwise parrot human motion.
  The Anime motion style gives its own excuse for the existence of
large humanoid vehicles:  a vehicle that can react to terrain, dodge
shells, and aim weapons as fast as a human can will earn a place on the
battlefields of the future.  If you go for the ATAT style of movement,
then your designs have to have some other advantage of survivability,
(ATATs have unreasonable amounts of armor, for instance) or they'll
never get very big.  Conventional vehicles with turrets and heat- or
laser-guided munitions will hit a slow-moving, clumsy and TALL mech
every time.

  While I have considered going further in this direction, I find that
I can get away with designing my desired suit in Mekton II (using the
Mekton Advanced Construction Manual for odd stuff), then convert the
armor, weapon damage, and range scales to Traveller.  Mekton already
has a characteristic which will convert nicely to TNE Initiative,
and which already applies to both human and giant scales.
  Note that Mekton and the ACM produce results similar to the Cyberpunk
Maximum Metal book, but slanted toward the Anime style instead of the
'Punk/realist style of MM.  I haven't tried the GURPS approach, but
I understand that it will produce a few more of the details that
Traveller designs often have: powerplant Megawatts, tonnage to some
decimal value, etc.  It really depends on what feel you want for your
mecha.

 James Kundert
 <j.kundert@genie.geis.com>
 <james@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>

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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6714
>From: caseinc@aol.com
Reply-To: <caseinc@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 94 09:46:03 EST
Subject: Re: #2(2) TML nightly: Msgs 6701-6711 V67#17

Has anybody got a reason why they cut the fighter stats out
of the book? I have read it through and can't find any mention
of a space fighter. If anyone knows the stats please contact me I would like
to know for my game.

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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6715

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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6716
>From: dand@netcom.com (Daniel Deremiah)
Subject: Please remove me.
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 1994 09:53:44 -0800 (PST)

Please remove me from the mailing list.  My address is dand@netcom.com

thank you.


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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6717
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 1994 12:18:51 -0700 (MST)
>From: Mike Merrell <Mike.Merrell@m.cc.utah.edu>
Subject: More FF&S questions (and bonus opinion!)

The question is in regards to barrel weight and rifling.  When
computing barrel price, is the barrel light-rifled or heavy-rifled
depending upon the weight of the barrel, or is this related to how much
the barrel is rifled?  I woldn't even be asking this question (the first
option is the common-sense one) if it weren't for the fact that the
example ACR has a light barrel, but uses the heavy-rifles multiplier in
considering cost.  I'm also having a bitch of a time finding the range
formula.  <sigh> At least I've almost finished my spreadsheet for
slugthrowers...kludgy as it may be.

HO time:  I too like the TNE rules and universe.  I think that the
rules are an improvement, and well, the universe is more to my like.  The
background preference is very subjective, and so I do understand the
feelings of those that have posted stating their dismay at the fall of the
Imperium (how many are in denial?).  It would be nice if GDW marketted
three different lines of product, one for each universe (3rd Imp, HT, and
NE).  Figure the odds.  Well, someone can always compile an e-magazine for
the different subject areas.
As to why I like TNE...I have to echo someone else's opinion about
a universe with a "frontier".  That's what I like in an RPG. This is why
my opinion is MY opinion.  The CT universe (I never played MT) provided
for a wide variety of play options, but most of them did not appeal to me,
and the frontier-flavor ones that did seemed like they made the rest of
the background unimportant.  There also just weren't that many real
frontiers.  In TNE there are nothing but frontiers...and I am happy.
I also must sympathize with (at least) one of the CT players that
does not have time to synthesize everything himself now that the Imperial
universe is in ruins.  In my case, I'm lacking the time to set up a
campaign in TNE, and it's a supported product!

--Mike  sneak & peek is more fun than search & destroy


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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6718
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 1994 16:10:46 -0500
>From: curtis@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Curtis Peer)
Subject: Star diameter Jump limits

The following table lists the first "clear" orbit number for
  the 10/100 (respectively) diameter jump zones. Orbits interior
to these will have to make some accounting for travel to the star's
"clear" zone (sometimes trivial, somettimes NOT)

      Ia       Ib     II     III    IV      V
B0    6/10     5/9    5/9    4/8    4/8    3/7
B5    7/10     6/9    5/8    3/7    2/6    2/6

A0    8/11     6/10   5/8    2/7    2/6    1/6
A5    8/11     6/10   4/8    2/6    1/5    0/4

F0    8/12     7/10   4/8    2/6    1/5    0/4
F5    8/12     7/10   5/8    2/6    1/5    0/4

G0    9/12     7/11   5/9    2/7    1/5    0/3
G5    10/13    8/11   6/9    3/7    1/5    0/3

K0    10/13    9/12   6/10   4/8    1/6    0/3
K5    11/14    9/13   8/11   6/10   XXX    0/2

M0    11/15    11/14  9/12   7/10   xxx    0/2
M5    12/16    12/15  10/14  9/12   xxx    0/1
M9    13/19    12/16  11/14  9/13   xxx    0/0

I finally remembered what my fix for this was:
    density * 10 or 100 = actual diameters of jump thresholds

For low-density bodies like GG's and stars, the "100-diameter"
mark is now at 20-40 diameters, which in most cases makes the
problem go away.

  If you want to keep the long times for gas giants, one could
wave one's pseudo-physics wand and say it has something to do
with stellar-scale fusion reactions....

John H Bogan



- ----- End Included Message -----


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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6719
>From: kenhagler@aol.com
Reply-To: <kenhagler@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 94 17:35:09 EST
Subject: CT fighters

As Lee pointed out, High Guard fighters with a small computer are easy prey
for anything better. In fact, my fighters were at the wrong side of that
equation from his fighters at the beginning of Steve's TCS campaign, before
the Alliance.

And now, the War Channel presents, "Wings of the Neubayern Federation." :-)

FA-2B Asp  FH-0606C51-000000-00003-0 MCr74.42  45 tons
bearing                          1   Crew=1
batteries                        1   TL=12(13)
Fuel=6. EP=6. Agility=6.

Has fuel scoops, bridge, and small craft stateroom.

The Asp was the mainstay of the NFN fighter force when the TCS campaign
ended, although it was being phased out of service. Over 2000 were also in
service with the Alliance Navy. The Asp was actually only marginally better
than Sansterre's Barracuda fighter, but it was more than capable against the
fighters the Alliance faced early on. Since the Alliance couldn't count on
the rest of the Cluster keeping their junk fighters, several heavy fighter
designs were built.

FA-5 Krait  FH-0606G81-000000-00004-0 MCr175.25  90 tons
bearing                           1   Crew=1
batteries                         1   TL=12(14)
Cargo=.41. Fuel=7.49. EP=14.4. Agility=6

Has fuel scoops, bridge, and stateroom. The Krait uses some non-standard
technology that was developed by the more technologically advanced members of
the Alliance, specifically an NH3 fuel system and a dual missile turret
system.

The Krait was slowly being phased in as the new standard NFN fighter when the
game ended, a process made slow by the great expense of refitting carriers
that were built for 50-ton fighters. Although it normally carried only the
pilot, it could also carry a gunner who would guide in extended-range
missiles (a Sansterrean invention), which could be launched from ships well
outside normal weapon range. It's capabilities are very similar to
Sansterre's Pike fighters, which carried two missile gunners instead of the
second turret. The Krait, and the other fighters like it, were so superior to
non-Alliance fighters that they could be expected to go up against ten times
their number or more and come out victorious with no losses. However, they
were not the end of Alliance fighter development.

FA-5B Streak Krait  FH-0606(C)N81-000000-00004-0 MCr185.45  90 tons
bearing                                      1   Crew=1
batteries                                    1   TL=12(15)
Fuel=19.96. EP=19.8. Agility=6(12).

The Streak Krait is outwardly identical to the Krait, but with the additon of
a TL15 enhanced output maneuver drive and afterburning power
plant--technology that was still in the prototype stage on St. Hilaire when
the game ended. When using afterburners (that is, using the power plant as a
fusion rocket), it could reach 12G acceleration and Agility 12. In practice,
it wouldn't need to go above 10G/agility 10 to be essentially unhittable with
conventional weapons. It carries 9.66 tons of fuel dedicated to the
afterburners, enough for almost 16 hours at 10G. St. Hilaire's Shark fighter
program was working on a similar fighter.

The NFN Fighter Design Bureau had designed the Streak Krait fighter knowing
that the TL15 drive systems would not be available for a year or more, and
went ahead with production of the Krait in the meantime. Krait fighters were
to be converted into Streak Kraits as soon as enough replacement engines
became available. Afterburning fighters would doubtless become the standard
during the Cluster Liberation War against the Imperium.

Although afterburning craft (there were plans for cruisers and battlecruisers
as well) seem invincible by virtue of their high agility, there are
apparently some weapons that were being developed at the end of the TCS game
that could hit them. What those weapons were exactly remain a mystery.

                        Kenneth G. Hagler
 _________________________________________________________________
|            kenhagler@aol.com           |  My insurance company  |
|             (619) 251-0054             |    is Beretta U.S.A.   |
|   PGP 2.3 key available on request     |                        |
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
|   ...study of the military arts will make one who is naturally  |
|   clever more so and one who is born somewhat dull rather less  |
|   so.     --Daidoji Yuzan Shigesuke, _Budo Shoshinshu_          |
|_________________________________________________________________|

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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6720
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 1994 17:44:45 -0500
>From: curtis@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Curtis Peer)
Subject: DT:TNE Diaspora map

To those who bought Deluxe T:TNE:

How does the Diaspora Map look?
Is it made with New Era stats, or Classic Era "what it used to
look like" stats?



John H Bpgan

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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6721
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 1994 18:01:04 -0500
>From: curtis@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Curtis Peer)
Subject: Damper Screens Questions

The game rules of Brilliant Lances specifically state that
while the turret and barbette-mounted dampers listed there
can only engage one missle per turn, but "Larger damper
installations may conduct defensive fire against all missles
that fire on the ship during the turn."(pg.21)

In FF&S Dampers are designed by range.  What's the cutoff?
The TL-15 damper shown has a range of 40,000 km.

If I build a range-10 damper, can I engage all missles within
10 hexes, even if I don't know if it is targeted on my ship?
(range difficulty modifiers are applicable here, of course)

If I have such a damper, but a fighter is braving defensive
fire to bring the missle in close, could I focus the damper
on it's missles while they're still on the launch rails?

For that matter, if I'm using a damper powerful enough  to
have that kind of range, could I damp the figher's fusion powerplant?
What if it's using a fission plant?


John H Bogan (on his friend's account)

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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6722
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 1994 19:51:14 -0500 (EST)
>From: AMNUSS@delphi.com
Subject: Stellar diameters

 When I detail a system for players to mess around in I *ALWAYS* check
 to see if the planet falls with the stars 100 diameter limit.  I use
 Book 6 and list on the sheets I prepare where the jump limit is.  If
 the world orbits a gas giant I check to see if the worlds jump limit
 is inside the gas giants limit.

 Sometimes an inhabitied world falls well within the stars jump limit
 (mostly K's and M's).  So if the TL is high enough I place a space
 station just within the jump limit.  Players then must get permission
 to take their ship to the planet or they buy tickets for the next
 scheduled shuttle.  Unless they have a reason to visit the planet,
 the players spend time on the station.  I use station deck plans from
 other rpg adventures so they don't see the same station all the time.

 Alan

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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6723
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 1994 22:48:53 -0500
>From: curtis@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Curtis Peer)
Subject: Star 100 Diameters


> So, thoughts: The 100 diameter rule was originally intended to apply to
> planets, coming as it does direct from CT (where stars were just pretty
> lights in the sky).  This means that the gravity at the jump point is
> 0.0025 % of the surface gravity.  Now stars (taking the Sun as a model)
> are less dense than planets, so the diameter for a given mass is far
> greater.  This means you have to travel *fewer* stellar diameters to
> reach a safe jump point.  I put some figures together to come up with a
> rule of thumd, and I reckon that you can jump at only *20* stellar
> diamters.  Gas Giants turn out to have a similar density (near enuogh for
> this sort of rough rule), so I've adjusted the gas giant jump point also.

Don't use the 0.0025% G-threshold.  For our Sun it occurs at 500 diameters.
I know that sounds weird, but I worked through the gravity equations
several times just to convinvce myself. The distance (in diameters) to
a given g-threshold winds up being _inversly_ related to density.

ie. if one body has a density one-fifth that of a second body,
a given g-threshold of the first body will be at five times the
diameter-distance as the same threshold from the second body.

But my solution was the same as yours, and I just chucked saying
it was tied to anything other than density.

 >
>

John H Bogan

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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6724
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 1994 03:20:20 MST
>From: Steve Gibbons <steve@nereid.sunquest.com>
Reply-To: steve@sunquest.com
Subject: RE: CT fighters

In Bundle #540, Archive-Message-Number #6719; kenhagler@aol.com wrote:

#As Lee pointed out, High Guard fighters with a small computer are easy prey
#for anything better. In fact, my fighters were at the wrong side of that
#equation from his fighters at the beginning of Steve's TCS campaign, before
#the Alliance.

Agreed, although it really is a cost/benefit equation.  I can bring three Ape
class fighters to bear for _each_ model 5 computer that your fighters are
equipped with, or 5 Apes to your Asp.  (Really only 4, but much closer to 5.)

In other words, you'll hit one target on an six or better (penetration on a
zero or better.)  Hits will be scattered on the Surface damage table from 9-19,
centered around 14, with fuel hits being the most critical (I'd require a
Jump-drive hit to affect the Ape's capacitor, though), so at the very worst an
Ape would last three turns (assuming two weapon-2 hits on the fusion gun, and
one on the missile.)

Note that the TL-15 ape will last substatially longer than the TL-12 variety,
but what did you expect?...  :)

In the mean time, you've got four fusion guns that are'nt going to hit you,
ever.

Excellent analasyis, and something I noticed quite a while back, but forgot
sometime between then and now.

I think I'll have to go and re-design most of my small-craft (again...)

Did you include the bridge in your designs?  I haven't reverse enginerred them,
so I'm just wondering...  I'd guess that yes you did, because: by the time
computers start requiring energy points to maintain, it becomes cheaper/more
space efficient to include a bridge in the design.

#The Streak Krait is outwardly identical to the Krait, but with the additon of
#a TL15 enhanced output maneuver drive and afterburning power
#plant--technology that was still in the prototype stage on St. Hilaire when
#the game ended. When using afterburners (that is, using the power plant as a
#fusion rocket), it could reach 12G acceleration and Agility 12. In practice,
#it wouldn't need to go above 10G/agility 10 to be essentially unhittable with
#conventional weapons.

Actually, _my_ extrapolation of the M-Drive tble shows that M-12 would be
available by TL-11.  Admittedly, there are only a few data points, and the
curve could be just about anything, but my assumption was three-Gs per TL.

#Although afterburning craft (there were plans for cruisers and battlecruisers
#as well) seem invincible by virtue of their high agility, there are
#apparently some weapons that were being developed at the end of the TCS game
#that could hit them. What those weapons were exactly remain a mystery.

Do tell?  I once designed a vessel that was "invulerable" do to it's agility.
I wound up compromising on the design, since I wanted it to be able to perform
in atmosphere as well as hydrosphere, and I didn't think that pulling 10 Gs
underwater was advisable, so I added lots of armor and trimmed the maneuver
drive back into the realm of the standard tables.

Note that one can still design TL 14 craft that are impervious to "small arms"
(anything but a spinal mount, or a nuclear missile.) based on armor factor
alone.

[All of the above related to CT/HG, and had nothing to do with MT or TNE.]

A question for GDW: Why are there arbitrary limits on the range of available
drives?  Rather than having to extrapolate, I'd really like to see official
numbers/ratings posted or in print.  (Thanks Loren!)

- --
Steve@Sunquest.COM

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

Bundle: 540
Archive-Message-Number: 6725
>From: Mike Basinger <dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu>
Subject: RE: DT:TNE Diaspora map
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 1994 08:49:14 -0500 (EST)

You can order the Deluxe T:TNE map and charts separate by calling GDW
direct. The maps cost $3.00 and the charts cost $5.00.

The number for GDW is 1-309-452-3632

mike
- --
D. Michael Basinger: Not speaking for Indiana University
dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu
dbasinge@nations.ucs.indiana.edu (NeXT Mail)

------------------------------
