       TRAVELLER Digest 27

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Re: Errata from GDW? by "Upton, Django" <DUpton@VTRNNTOV.TELECOM.com.au>
  2) Re: Lack of human cultural diversity in Traveller by Ray_Pullar <csh019@cck.coventry.ac.uk>
  3) NPC Motivations & FFS by Rob_Prior@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca (Rob Prior)
  4) TRAVELLER ITEM AUCTION by rodge@cyberspace.com (Roger Sanger)
  5) Regency Victim Disarmamen by jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)
  6) DNI (and Virus) by jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)
  7) Power Armor by jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)

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

Date: Wed, 31 Aug 94 16:33:00 EST
From: "Upton, Django" <DUpton@VTRNNTOV.TELECOM.com.au>
To: tml <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re: Errata from GDW?
Message-ID: <2E66D356@msmail.trl.oz.au>


PR James <prj91@ecs.soton.ac.uk> writes:

> Errata from GDW?
>  --------------------
> Tariq:
>  > Has anyone else noticed that 0.04*(Pi)*r/`2 gives
>  > exceptionally light masses for Gauss Rounds.
>
>  Yes. That's why we changed it to 0.02*(Pi)*r/`3. However, go
>  ahead and use your formula if you like the results better.
>  --------------------
> Lets get this straight. Someone at GDW discovered that they had stuffed up 

> their gauss round ammo formula and came up with a fix. Then they proceeded 

> to NOT tell anybody about it! If they did tell someone then I would like to
> know how they decide who gets to know these things. I don't think I've just
> "missed" it as I own copies of all TNE products currently released except
> for Star Vikings (which has only just appeared over here) and am a member of
> HIWG, TML and Xboat.
I bought TNE delux boxed set, and the new formula is in my version of
FF&S. There are some errata for FF&S in the little booklet provided
with the boxed set, but the gauss round weight is not one of these.
 ---------------------------------
Well when I bought my copy of deluxe TNE the gauss ammo formula in FF&S was 
the old one listed above.
My complaint is that the above comment "That's why we changed it to 
0.02*(Pi)*r/`3" by GDW implies that knowledge of this change is widespread 
or at least an attempt has been made to inform people that a change has been 
made!
While updating the later printings of a product is good it does nothing to 
help all the people who have bought the earlier printings and might not even 
know that a change has occurred. I don't see what is so hard about GDW 
sticking any errata in Challenge which would reach most people.
Also are there any other "little changes" that GDW would like to share with 
the rest of us about any TNE products?

Django.

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

Date: Thu, 1 Sep 94 14:30:28 WET DST
From: Ray_Pullar <csh019@cck.coventry.ac.uk>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Lack of human cultural diversity in Traveller
Message-ID: <199409011330.OAA11536@cck.coventry.ac.uk>

David Reed says:
> The most likely chain of events following the discovery of jump drive tech.
> would be that each and every "minority"/splinter-group could run off and
> form their own "utopia" where nobody else could bother/molest/"descr-
> iminate against" them...  That would make up for a large number of
> worlds that are very disparate in culture, religion, language, etc.  Hmmm.

It sounds as if you have never seen DGP's Solomani and Aslan sourcebook but
nonetheless you've managed to exactly reconstruct the history of the Solomani
described therein.  Great minds think alike, eh?

David Reed continues:
> It would seem, however, that every human in the Traveller universe is
> caucasian, and cultural spice is added by the use of alien cultures.  Why?
> We have so much spice available here within our own "sphere".
> 

I agree that this is the impression that many people get upon first
encountering the Traveller universe.  The main cultural distinction within
the Imperium is that between the Vilani and the Solomani and there is a
tendency
amongst white Europeans (and their descendants) to think of both groups
as being like themselves.  A close examination of the Traveller background
reveals that this impression is erroneous.   The Solomani certainly contain
descendants of all the major racial groups currently abiding on the Earth.
As for the Vilani, by the time of the Third Imperium they were no longer
considered to be a distinct racial group but are instead decribed as
being a cultural influence.  I'm not quite sure what that means myself:
if someone asked an Imperial citizen if they were Vilani or Solomani, does
this mean that no-one would ever describe themselves as being Vilani?  It
sounds as if the Vilani have the same significance for the Third Imperium
that the Ancient Greeks and Romans have for us today.  Both groups no
longer exist but their cultural artifacts (poetry, art, music, plays,
philosophy and political ideas) continue to influence us.  The Solomani,
however, do continue to exist as a racial group, mainly because of the
Solomani Confederation.  The 'Solomani' though, as you point out, consist
of a multitude of different cultural and racial groups.  This results in
the Solomani being much less united than they would like to appear to
the rest of the universe.  The Vilani by contrast, were much more
homogeneous, this lack of variety being one of the causes of their
downfall at the hands of the upstart Terrans.  The implication of
Traveller's history would seem to be that cultural diversity is a good
thing because it leads to innovation.  Cultural homogeneity leads to
stagnation and decline.

David continues:
 > In the thirty-five or so centuries that pass after the Solomani enter the
> interstellar club, I still find it difficult to presume homogeneity...  
  With all
> the "space" out there (no pun intended), it would merely allow a greater
> latitude for diversity and cultural/racial isolationism, particularly on 
  worlds
> "relatively" close to Terra, in a relative backwater (such as Old Expanses
> Sector)...  Generally, genetic/cultural populations homogenize only under
> pressure, i.e. nowhere else to go.  [...]

I think that you are underestimating the pressures to join larger, 
interstellar communities (such as the Imperium and the Solomani 
Confederation).  The history of the Earth itself is not one of cultural
groups living in peaceful isolation from each other.  It's of cultural
groups in conflict with one another over resources and over different
conceptions of the universe.  There are many theories about why
European colonialism occured and one of them is that the growing economies
of Europe in the 19th century required new markets to sell their products
to.  Assuming that a colony had a growing economy, this would result in
a need to find new markets and to seek them out.  It has already been
established in the Traveller universe that those periods which saw a
decline in interstellar trade i.e. the Long Night  were periods of
technological decline.  Trade is presented as being vital to progress 
in a technological sense at the very least.  This is very apparent in
the New Era setting:  why else is the Reformation Coalition trying to
reconquer the Imperium?

David Reed says:
> I plan to "inflict" on my players, a world or two with cultures descended
> from fundamentalist Islamic societies...  Imagine the fits it would give
> "caucasian" PCs (not politically correct, necessarily, but Player Char-
> acters) trying to accomplish a deep cover "Moonshadow" mission on
> a world populated by the descendents of an Ethiopian muslim colony!
> (Hint:  carotene supplements and tanning beds won't do it!)  Plus, my
> players and I feel it adds a certain amount of "plausability" to the game.
> 

Classic Traveller adventure no. 9 "Nomads of the World Ocean" was set
on a world in the Solomani Rim that had been colonised originally by
Turkish people.  The adventure managed to achieve an exotic atmosphere
through its' use of elements of Turkish culture: names, customs etc.
translated into an unusual environment (the Turkish descendants lived
in large ocean-going ships).

Dave Reed continues:
> I can understand the rationale behind GDW leaving something of this
> nature entirely out of their mainstream products, due to the STUPID
> Politically Correct (tm) society we live in.  But dare to stand up to the
> nonsense!  It's okay to be wierd, like ME!
> 

GDW's reluctance to deal with these issues started long before PC.
I always believed that the lack of religion in the Traveller universe was
due to a desire on GDW's part not to offend the religious sensibilities
of its' readers, something that seems to be very important in the States.
It would be politically controversial to describe the state of Christianity,
Islam, Judaism etc. 30 centuries in the future.  Imagine the possible
consequences: GDW offices bombed by Islamic fundamentalists, Christian
Fundies mount a nationwide T.V. campaign against this 'demonic' games
company, B'nai B'rith sue...




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

Date: Thu, 1 Sep 1994 07:04:10 -0400
From: Rob_Prior@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca (Rob Prior)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: NPC Motivations & FFS
Message-ID: <94Sep1.122610edt.95364-3@mail.uunet.ca>

I kinda like the playing card system for motivations.  There was an article
in
Challenge several years ago that classified them according to Maslow's
hierarchy of needs - I use this approach to make the NPCs behaviour change as
the circumstances change.  Seems to work OK.

-----

Question to those rewriting FFS to beef up lasers and energy weapons: Are you
keeping physical reality in mind when making these changes, or is it a matter
of changing the game mechanics to give you a desired effect?

This isn't intended as an insult to your intelligence but an honest question.
 As an engineer, I tinkered with a lot of the old rules because they had
devices like household robots using 10 kW of energy.  A robot using this much
energy could do a nice job of heating your home (all energy is eventually
converted to heat, which is then radiated into the environment).  I also sent
GDW lots of letters on the subject, and was pleased that FFS seemed to take
reality into account so much.  Energy weapons, as we currently understand
them, really do have a lot of drawbacks - eg. look at the need for 'gravitic
focussing' of space lasers.

If the changes are for game effects, don't forget to percolate them through
the design system. If (for example) you postulate greatly increased chemical
energy storage (so that a plasma gunner can carry more rounds) then this will
also have an effect on power sources for other uses, unless you can come up
with a reason why it can't.  

Let me emphasize here that I'm not trying to 'run down' the game effect
approach: I've run both hard science and space opera games and enjoyed both. 
At the moment I tend to be hard science with respect to equipment and world
design but space opera with gametime rules.  (In fact, I will probably be
using Deam Park rules for combat, because (a) they are fast, (b) my group
already knows them, and (c) we don't really have much combat anyway.)

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

Date: Thu, 1 Sep 1994 10:53:40 -0700
From: rodge@cyberspace.com (Roger Sanger)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: TRAVELLER ITEM AUCTION
Message-ID: <199409011753.KAA23585@cyberspace.com>

 
 
                         TRAVELLER ITEM AUCTION
 
I've found a few rare items...
 
High Passage Magazine, #1         digest-sized  56 pages   High Passage Group
 
    After a small initial print run, High Passage Magazine was
    picked up by FASA and published as a joint venture as of
    issue #2, and ran through issue #5.  Each one further
    developed the sector known as the Old Expanses.
 
    High Passage #1 got the ball rolling with the adventure "The
    Solar Flare Mystery", one of the few adventures published for
    Traveller that actually includes robots
    (descriptions/illustration included).  Everybody is dead --
    be ready for a nasty surprise.  Also featured is an article
    on the Ministry of Justice and characters thereof, plenty of
    equipment, a starship write-up with deck plans (in addition
    to the Solar Flare), and subsector data for the Old Expanses.
 
101 Robots, "an illustrated catalog"    folio-sized  48 pages    DGP
 
    "101 Robots" presents 101 robots, with illustrations, and
    stats designed according to the design rules detailed in
    GDW's "Book 8 - Robots".  Each description includes some
    elaboration on the background of the model, its quirks, its
    uses, etc.  Aside from this book, only a handful of robot
    designs have been published for the Traveller game system.
 
MegaTraveller Journal #1                folio-sized  48 pages    DGP
 
    The Wardn Enigma is an adventure, by J. Andrew Keith, set in
    the Spinward Marches, that actually requires the use of the
    players' intelligence to solve.  Also included in this issue
    is "A Concise History of the Rebellion", a "Guide to the
    Domain of Deneb", Enaaka Worldguide, Interview with the
    Regent Norris, a special in-depth equipment feature on Battle
    Dress, and the highly sought after Domain of Deneb fold-out
    map.
 
MegaTraveller Journal #2                folio-sized  48 pages    DGP
 
    This issue includes the adventure "Defying the Wolf", by Rob
    Caswell, designed for the starmerc character in mind.  It
    takes the PC's into Vargr controlled Corridor space in search
    of a missing courrier ship.  Also included in this issue are
    the following features:  Deneb Dossiers, Q&A, Starship in
    Detail (including deckplans), Starship Combat Expample,
    Equipment Cache, Gaming Digest, Life Under the Vargr
    Corsairs, and Random Nuggets.
 
Send bids to rodge@cyberspace.com
 
Sincerely,
Roger Sanger

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

Date: Wed, 31 Aug 94 21:16:00 -0500
From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)
To: TRAVELLER@MPGN.COM
Subject: Regency Victim Disarmamen
Message-ID: <1.198640.256.0CB5EF1D@execnet.com>

Subject: Regency Victim Disarmament

T::>Tariq
 ::>Crime Bill 1201 (Imp)
 ::>"All gauss weapons with a muzzle velocity in excess of 1500 m/s shall be
 ::>prohibited"

T::>"In addition magazines with capacity greater than 10 rds shall be
prohibite

T::>"Any ammunition which is DS or HEAP shall also be prohibited"

 I'm sorry, but this is a matter for the local governments to 
 decide.  According to my planet's charter, all citizens have the 
 right to keep and bear arms, to protect themselves from each other 
 and from a potential tyrannical government.
==========================================================================
Jeff Zeitlin                                      jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com
---
 ~ QMPro 1.52 ~ Chief Archivist, Regency Institute for Cultural Education

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

Date: Wed, 31 Aug 94 21:40:00 -0500
From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)
To: TRAVELLER@MPGN.COM
Subject: DNI (and Virus)
Message-ID: <1.198641.256.0CB5EF1E@execnet.com>

Subject: DNI (and Virus)

T::>I admit that this stuff could be obselete when adventuring in the Wilds
but
 ::>don't you think it could give an edge to PCs when they hit a place where
is
 ::>relic data nets or Virus infested machinery. There could be even combat
 ::>deckers who are responsible for EW in planetary raids, take your pick and
 ::>let your imagination fly with Jump Drives burning.

 Actually, I suspect that DNI is obsolete, period, by the time the 
 New Era rolls around.  Remember, Virus was primarily an 
 intelligence that spread through computer-to-computer 
 communication.  Worse, it did so apparently without regard for the 
 differences in hardware of different computer systems.  DNI 
 presents Virus with a pretty complex "hardware" platform, but one 
 that is in principle no different from any other infectable 
 hardware platform - at least from Virus's point of view.  I don't 
 know about you, but that would scare me shitless, and as soon as I 
 heard about any kind of Virus that could span hardware platforms 
 with impunity, I'd make damned sure that there ain't gonna be no 
 DNI (Damned Neural Interface) to _my_ head.

 Question (somewhat tongue-in-cheek) to GDW:  How many computer 
 jockeys went stark raving looney, or had radical personality 
 changes, between Release and Crash on any particular planet?  Or, 
 more to the point, how many cases of HIV (Humans Infected by 
 Virus) were there at the time of the Fall of the Last Imperium?
==========================================================================
Jeff Zeitlin                                      jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com
---
 ~ QMPro 1.52 ~ Chief Archivist, Regency Institute for Cultural Education

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

Date: Wed, 31 Aug 94 21:13:00 -0500
From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)
To: TRAVELLER@MPGN.COM
Subject: Power Armor
Message-ID: <1.198639.256.0CB5EF1C@execnet.com>

Subject: Power Armor

T::>Do the rest of you guys reckon the power armour strength rules
 ::>are a bit silly too? If you double the strength of a weedy
 ::>character that only makes them average - how then can the
 ::>support weapon business be justified? If a control system were
 ::>designed correctly the suit would be adjusted/calibrated to the
 ::>user and be able to exert it's own maximum strength. Would a
 ::>fixed strength value or an addition to the users strength be a
 ::>bit more sensible?

 Well, given that we have the technology today to calibrate 
 robots to give a response within the _robot's_ range proportional 
 to the stimulus exerted within the _operator's_ range, I would say 
 that a fixed strength value for (much more advanced) power armor 
 makes more sense.

 What I mean with the statement about proportionality is that no 
 matter how weak or strong I am, a robot that is programmed to 
 react to my stimulus can be calibrated so that when I exert what I 
 believe is my reasonable maximum force on the controls, the robot 
 exerts its maximum force upon the target object.  If you are 
 stronger than I am, it makes no difference, as the robot would be 
 calibrated for you at that point.

 In fact, there is no reason that the robot need be calibrated for 
 a particular individual; merely set the robot to a high response 
 at a relatively low level of stimulus, and allow the operator to 
 calibrate him/herself to the robot instead.  Again, the result is 
 a fixed strength for the robot.

 I haven't read the rules for powered armor, but the analogy holds.  
 Moreover, such a "fixed response" low input calibration would also 
 potentially have the beneficial side effect of reducing the effort 
 expended by the operator, thus granting an END (CON, now) benefit 
 as well.

 I would impose a DEX/AGL penalty, however, unless the armor was 
 equipped with full VR feedback and controls.

Jeff Zeitlin                                      jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com
---
 ~ QMPro 1.52 ~ Chief Archivist, Regency Institute for Cultural Education

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

End of TRAVELLER Digest 27
**************************
