       TRAVELLER Digest 8

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Cybernetics in the Third Imperium by eclipse@world.std.com (Mark Urbin)
  2) Feudal Technocracy by alvin plummer <plummer@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
  3) TL16 Valkyrie 12G Interceptor by bonnevil@mermaid.micro.umn.edu (Steven M Bonneville)
  4) MFD`s & Batteries         by Roger Myhre <myhre@oslonett.no>
  5) 1) Space Junk: hazzards   2) Mega-structures by alvin plummer <plummer@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>

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Date: Sun, 14 Aug 1994 11:22:49 -0400
From: eclipse@world.std.com (Mark Urbin)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Cybernetics in the Third Imperium
Message-ID: <199408141522.AA06404@world.std.com>


  I'm currently running a campain set in the Spinward Marches, just
after the 5th Frontier War.  One of my players has put together a
character with a doctorate in Robotics and medical surgery background.
I remember somewhere in the MegaT books, there is a section about
feelings toward cyber mods on humans in various sections of the
Empire.  I can't find it though.  Could someone give me a pointer or a
summary of attitudes in the Marches?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Urbin -- eclipse@world.std.com -- These opinions are mine.
"We can't be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary 
Americans.." -- President William Jefferson Clinton,USA TODAY 11 Mar 93
---------------------------------------------------------------------------



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Date: Sun, 14 Aug 1994 12:24:44 -0400 (EDT)
From: alvin plummer <plummer@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Feudal Technocracy
Message-ID: <Pine.3.05.1.9408141244.A7814-9100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


Any bets on what form of government will replace Industrial Feudalism as
_the_ way to govern in the Traveller universe?  Any takers for
Repersentative Democracies?  Authoriarian Dictatorships?  Pure Anarchy?

Alvin Plummer 
(who just HAD to see 'Feudal Technocracy' as a subject one more time)



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

Date: Sun, 14 Aug 1994 12:39:36 -0500
From: bonnevil@mermaid.micro.umn.edu (Steven M Bonneville)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: TL16 Valkyrie 12G Interceptor
Message-ID: <199408141739.MAA05168@conch.micro.umn.edu>

Folks --

As promised, included below is my experiment with the edges of the
BL/FF&S rules, the 12G acceleration _Valkyrie_ Interceptor.  While
there may be some minor errors in the design since this was one of
the first craft I built with the new rules, I think that everything
has been interpreted properly.

Notice that the stats start off with _Battle Rider_ information.
While it is simple enough to derive this from the ship, I find
that including it is useful as a short summary of the craft's 
capabilities.

Comments are welcome!

 --Steve


_Valkyrie_ Interceptor (Early Production)

BATTLE RIDER: 

FZ Valkyrie
 --                      0
 --                  TL-16
 --                    --
L(x1) 10:1-1-0-0    M:0(2)
A:12 P:3 Msk       (S) G12
AV:4                   --
 --                      4
 
GENERAL
  Displacement:  50 tons       Hull Armor:  120
  Length:        22.4 meters   Volume:      700 cubic meters
  Target Size:   VS            Tech Level:   16
  Config'n.:     Cylinder AF   Price:    MCr 53.5 
  Mass (Loaded/Empty): 882.4/854.6 metric tonnes
  
ENGINEERING
  Power Plant:       558 MW Fusion (558 MW/hit), 1 month duration
  Jump Performance:  nil
  G-Rating:          12G (44 MW/G), CG Lifters (5 MW)
  G-Turns:           70, 5.52 cubic meters ea.
  Maint:             8
  
ELECTRONICS
  Computer:  2 x TL16St (0.6 MW ea.)
  Commo:     1000 AU maser (infinite, 0.6 MW)
  Avionics:  TL10+ Avionics, TL16 Terrain Following Avionics
  Sensors:   PEMS fixed array 90 Mm (3 hex, 0.04 MW)
             AEMS 360 Mm (12 hex, 11 MW)
  Controls:  2 x workstation/crew G-tanks
  ECM/ECCM:  EM Masking (0.7 MW)
  
ARMAMENT
  Offensive:  1 x TL16 144 MJ laser lance (Loc. 1; Arc 1; 4 MW; no crew)
                 10:(1/10)-30  20:(1/10)-30  40:(1/4)-15  80:(1/2)-7
     2 x AF grapples for standard missiles
     
ACCOMODATIONS
  Life Support:   Extended (0.14 MW)
                  Artificial Grav (7G, 3.5 MW) 
  Crew:           2 (1 x Maneuver/Gunner, 1 x Engineer)
  Accomodations:  1 x Sm Stateroom (0.0005 MW)
  Cargo:          0.408 cubic meters
  Airlocks:       1 hatch
  
SYSTEMS
  LS 5H; ELS 2H; LT 1H; MD 1H; PP 1H; SSR (2h); AG (2h); CG (2h); 
  Others (1h)
  
DAMAGE TABLES:
  AREA (1d20)  SURFACE       INT. EXPLOSION
  1            1: Ant.       1-14: Laser; 15-20: Electronics
               2: EMMR
  2-3                        1-7: Electronics; 8-20: Fuel
  4-5                        1-2: Weapon; 3-9: Elec.; 10-20: Fuel
  6-7          1: Hatch      1-16: Quarters; 17-20: Fuel
  8-9                        Fuel
  10,12-13                   1-5: Quarters; 6-20: Fuel
  11,14-15                   Fuel
  16-19                      1-16: Engineering; 17-20: Fuel
  20                         Engineering

Fuel scoops refuel in 40.6 minutes.  No purification.

The _Valkyrie_ was a very high-tech interceptor design which was being
developed by the Third Imperium in the early 1100s.  Unlike the lighter
9-ton _Iramda_, _Dragonfly_, and _Rampart_ fighters commonly seen in
Imperial service, the _Valkyrie_ was based on the 50-ton "heavy fighter"
model.  Heavy fighters trade stealth for the ability to carry additional
equipment, usually heavier weapons and more armor.  In the _Valkyrie_,
much of the additional available space was put into a high-performance
maneuver drive.  The primary mission of these craft was to intercept
enemy vessels and occupy them until reinforcements had a chance to 
arrive. 

The 12G maneuver drive installed in the fighter can make a squadron on
maneuvers perform maneuvers which can only be performed by missiles, and
the fighter has many more G-hours available than a standard missile does.
Imperial G-compensation technology was stretched to its' limits in order
to allow the crew to withstand so much acceleration for even a short 
time.  Ensconced in their G-tanks and with the 7G compensators operating
at full capacity, the crew can function continuously at accelerations
of up to 10G, or 9G of evasion, with no ill effect.  Above these levels,
all tasks are one difficulty level more difficult per additional G-turn
applied.  Most crews are therefore equipped with neural links so that
they can regain a difficulty level under extreme maneuvers.  Even so,
accelerations above 10G are used only for brief periods and under very
specific circumstances.  Unfortunately, Virus-infected craft are not
bound by this restriction, as they need carry no organic crew.  
Fortunately, such craft are quite rare.

The _Valkyrie_ design is very tight.  The original prototype had fiber
optic computers installed, but these were removed in later models on
the grounds that they were too expensive, and the space filled with a
small cargo bay and additional fuel.  A compact tech-16 144 MJ laser
was installed which replicated the performance of the tech-15 laser
lance of the same power.  The fighter can carry two fully-independent
missiles.  Both crew members are somewhat overworked, one with flying
and fighting the craft, the other with baby-sitting the gigantic 
propulsion system.  Since the vehicle has no airlock, but only an access
hatch, the vehicle must be depressurized in order to perform an EVA, 
but this is typical in fighter designs.  Facilities are provided to
allow the _Valkyrie_ to make extended patrols or sweeps of an area, a
traditional heavy fighter role.

While performing well in tests by the Massilia Fleet and Deneb Fleet,
two flaws exist in this vehicle.  First, she is somewhat under-armed
for her size, and second, she is a bigger sensor target than the 
typical 9-ton fighter.  Additional missile grapples might be installed, 
but at the cost of a G of performance; a slightly larger HEPlaR thruster
to help address this problem was proposed for the next variant.  Some
experiments with robotic assistance to lighten crew workload were also
performed.

Combat advice:  Note that if you aren't going to be using all twelve
gees of acceleration, you can overpower the laser x10 and pick up the
-2 bonus.

  Steve Bonneville
  <bonnevil@mermaid.micro.umn.edu>

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

Date: Sun, 14 Aug 1994 19:40:12 +0200
From: Roger Myhre <myhre@oslonett.no>
To: TRAVELLER@MPGN.COM
Subject: MFD`s & Batteries        
Message-ID: <199408141740.AA11539@oslonett.no>

bonnevil@mermaid.micro.umn.edu (Steven M Bonneville)
[Explanation of batteires deleted]
Thanks :) It cleared a few things.

>If the batteries thing is really confusing you, think of it like the
>old "batteries bearing" rule from _High Guard_.  Some small ships
>can bring all weapons to bear at once -- the big ones can't do this.
Sorry doesn't have that, but it sounds like something out of
MegTraveller. I started with Traveller after MT was released.

>For MFDs:  Missile MFDs are the first digit in the missile
>field. Except for the ships listed on p. 25 (most of the _Brilliant
>Lances_ ships, actually), the assumption is that these ships have one
>MFD per meson gun, PAWS, and every two lasers, in addition to the ones
>for missiles.  This is all from the conversion notes on pages 26-7.
But not everyone does include that many MFD's in a design. If you got
120 laser turrets or barbettes, it would mean that it is 60 MFD's just
for lasers. This by it selves are 180 crew. I like to keep the crew low
as possible. Thus limiting the number of MFD's, and the number of manned
mounts. Especially then for laser turrets and barbettes.

>[about the famed "anti-missile" laser]
>>The "p" is designation for point defence capability . . .
>Ummm...don't all space combat weapons in TNE have beam pointers, and
>if you hook 'em up to an MFD don't you get the benefit of a point
>defense computer?  I know I saw that somewhere.
But wouldn't it be better to have one MFD engaging several targets
simultaneously? And use the dif mod from the turret. You can save a lot
of crew positions this way.



**StarWolf**
                                                       

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

Date: Sun, 14 Aug 1994 13:45:26 -0400 (EDT)
From: alvin plummer <plummer@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: 1) Space Junk: hazzards   2) Mega-structures
Message-ID: <Pine.3.05.1.9408141326.A8292-b100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


1) Space junk

I have a newspaper article here about the problems of the space junk
orbiting Earth.  In it's listings...
   a speck (travelling at 28,000 km/h) impacting will cause surface erosion 
   a pinhead-sized object might cause serious damage 
   a pill's damage (again, at 28,000 km/h) will impact like a bowling ball 
at 95km/h, causing serious damage
   a 12 mm aluminum ball at this speed will impact like a 180 kg safe at
95km/h, destroying modern spacecraft.

I calculated the damage that a 100 kg mass would cause using the
collision tables, and I came up with 75 damage points, enough to cause a
'critical hit' to small spacecraft.

Does anyone have a grip on this problem?  

How would a long-time starfaring civilization deal with space-junk?

2) Mega-structures

Just FYI, there is a usenet group which believes that we should built 'the
Beanstalk' , a multi-mile tower used like an elevator for spacecraft.
This, they feel, is needed to save on fuel needed to break out of Earth
Gravity.  The Beanstalk would deposit spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit,
leaving the craft to continue it's journey at major fuel savings.

Is this a typical structure at a good 'B' class spaceport?

Incidentally, we already have the tech to build a mile-high towers, if we
wish it.  Also, the Japanese has _plans_ to build a set of artifical islands.
(all this at TL 8!) At what tech level would we be capable of building
elevators to the Moon?

It seems a good bit more difficult to go underground than to enter space. 
Our deepest shaft goes about 1 mile below ground.  How would this change
with tech levels?


Alvin Plummer
(I want to ride the Beanstalk!)

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End of TRAVELLER Digest 8
*************************
