       TRAVELLER Digest 28

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Gunners by White Dwarf <edq@unix.brighton.ac.uk>
  2) - by Joni M Virolainen <jonimv@evitech.fi>
  3) Re: Power Armour by Martin Fay <MFAY@fs2.cp.umist.ac.uk>
  4) Depot System (1911) Solomani Rim by "Harold D. Hale" <HDHALE@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
  5) Revised and Updated List of Solomani Rim Known Stars by "Harold D. Hale" <HDHALE@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
  6) Armor ect by David John Yeardly <djy@st-andrews.ac.uk>

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Date: Fri, 2 Sep 1994 09:02:37 +0100 (BST)
From: White Dwarf <edq@unix.brighton.ac.uk>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Gunners
Message-ID: <6593.9409020802@unix.bton.ac.uk>

Just a quick question ...

What are the gunners in the turrets doing, when there laser turrets, are
batteried together and under the command of an MFD ?

I can't see that they do enything apart from twiddle there thumbs, maybe an
important skill for a gunner ?

If they do just sit there, would it be possible to withdraw them from the
crew list, or if not from the crew list, assign them to dammage control in
the heat of the battle ?

here's hoping somone knows ....

Ewan


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- E.D.Quibell ------------------------------------ Thought is just about----
-- Data Communications Technician ----------------- the hardest thing a----
-- University of Brighton ------------------------- human can do - which----
--------------------------------------------------- probably explains why----
-- Email   edq@unix.bton.ac.uk -------------------- so few seem to do it.----
--         edq@vms.bton.ac.uk-----------------------------------------------
--         quibez@essex.ac.uk  ------------------------------ Henry Ford-----
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----- My spelling is entirely due to dyslexia, typos, and poetic licence-----
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Date: Fri, 2 Sep 1994 11:09:06 +0200 (EET)
From: Joni M Virolainen <jonimv@evitech.fi>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: -
Message-ID: <199409020805.EAA17454@Mithril.MPGN.COM>

To scharlto@avalon.com

I have to admit that I don't use battle dresses in my game so I can't much
comment your ideas. But about your trouble with TL 14 heavy combat armor,
I can give you 3 different options.

1)  You can shoot your PCs with heavy weapons and roll the dices, but don't
    read the results of all the dices and instead give them the results of 1.
    In that way your players can think that they were lucky but can't say for
    sure that you saved their asses once more.

2)  You can try to design a weapon for your taste.

3)  You can kill one or two of you PCs and injure the rest. Then try to move
    the survivors to place where they don't need or get their hands on such
    armors. This is the Cyber Punk way.

Joni Virolainen
jonimv@evitech.fi

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

Date: Fri, 2 Sep 1994 15:32:38 BST
From: Martin Fay <MFAY@fs2.cp.umist.ac.uk>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Power Armour
Message-ID: <452E771104C@fs2.cp.umist.ac.uk>

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

This is what Battledress/Env.Suit skills are for ;-)

A high skill could offset the penalty and it might also be useful for 
the skill to add to a fixed suit-dependant strength value to show how 
the user can get the best performance from the suit. I might even 
work out a few number tonight ;-)

---------------------------------------------------------
T.Eldritch - Regency Intelligence Service - Regina/Regina
martin.fay@umist.ac.uk
---------------------------------------------------------

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Date: Fri, 02 Sep 1994 11:11:17 -0500
From: "Harold D. Hale" <HDHALE@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
To: Traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Depot System (1911) Solomani Rim
Message-ID: <se670773.052@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>

   The Depot system is indeed the site of Alpha Ophiuchi A/B. 
Astronomically speaking, Alpha Ophiuchi (aka Ras Alhague) is very
interesting.  The star system consists of a F5 V, which is rotating at an
extremely high rate, and a companion star which is a K0 subgiant (class IV)
which has a period of rotation around the primary of 8.67 years.  The
subgiant is a large one--almost large enough to be considered a class III
giant.

Hypothetical Stats for the Depot system in 1201:

Depot    1911  X000000-0     Ba As       002   --   A5V  K0IV

Orbit
                Alpha Ophiuchi A     F5 V (Primary)
00-04       Empty Orbit
05            Alpha Ophiuchi B     K0 IV (Companion)
06-07       Empty Orbit
08            Asteroid Belt
09            SGG
         02   Ring System
         05   Moon  9-A  Y100000-0  Imperial Ruins present
         07   Moon  9-B  YS00000-0
         08   Moon  9-C  Y211000-0  Imperial Ruins present
         11   Moon  9-D  YS00000-0
         15   Moon  9-E  YS00000-0
10            SGG
         01  Ring System
         04  Moon 10-A  YS00000-0
         08  Moon 10-B  Y100000-0
         15  Moon 10-C  YS00000-0
         20  Moon 10-D  Y201000-0  Imperial Ruins present

Note: There were research stations constructed in this system by both
Vilani Imperium and the Third Imperium to study the rapid rotation of
the system's primary.  Both were located on Moon 9-C,  and survived the
Collaspe relatively intact, though their life support equipment and power
plants are not operational.  
   The big draw of this system is, without question however, the dozens of
TL 12-15 starships and other vessels that are parked in orbit around Moon
10-D.  Most of these have severe battle damage (from their days as warships
during the Second Solomani Rim War), and are therefore unusable as space
vessels--but could still be stripped for valuable parts.  Other damaged vessels
can be found in smaller numbers in the asteroid belt, particularly around the
planetoid that served as the main starport for the system (now a gutted mass
of metal and rock).
   Extreme caution should be exercised when visiting this system, as the
extent of vampire ship activity is unknown in this region, and any of the
de-activated starships in this system could be infected with Virus (and likely
are).  Several craters are visible from orbit on Moon 10-D which were
created by starships that impacted on the surface.  In other parts of the
system, there are large debris fields which contain blasted out planetoids,
pieces of space vessels, and an occasional unlucky individual who died
when he/she was sucked out into space, or the air ran out of their vacc suit.


All for now....

-hdh
 
------------------------------

Date: Fri, 02 Sep 1994 11:27:42 -0500
From: "Harold D. Hale" <HDHALE@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Revised and Updated List of Solomani Rim Known Stars
Message-ID: <se670b63.054@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>

Here is the revised and updated list of known stars in the Solomani Rim. 
Thanks to Steve Bonneville for his input:

Hex System Name Associated Known Star System(s) 
0606    Ishadar            Epsilon Cygni
K0III K4V
0618 Stralsund Alpha Cephei/Alderamin             A7V
0938 Cicero             Alpha Tauri/Aldebaran             K5III
1024 Fomalhaut Alpha Piscis Austrini/Fomalhaut A3V
1127 Gashidda Epsilon Ceti                                    F8V M0V
1214 Boskone Alpha Indi                                    K0III
1222 Dingir            40 Eridani                                    K0V M1V
A0D
1332 Mirabilis 82 Eridani                                    G5V
1427 Shuruppak BD + 50 1668                                    M5V
1429 Iilike             Tau Ceti                                    G8V
1440    Capella            Alpha Aurigae/Capella                       G8III
F9III
1522 Altair             Alpha Aquilae/Altair                        A7V
1526 Meshan Epsilon Indi                                    K5V
1529 Markhashi Groombridge 34                        M2V M4V
1530 Shulimik Epsilon Eridani                        K2V
1629 Sirius             Alpha Canis Major/Sirius            A1V A0D
1720 Vega             Alpha Lyrae/Vega                        A0V
1822 Nusku             61 Cygni                                   K5V K7V
1824 Agidda             Sigma 2398                                   M2V M4V
1830 Fenris            Alpha Canis Minor/Procyon            F5V F0D
1911 Depot            Alpha Ophiuchi/Ras Alhague            A5V K0IV
1926 Barnard Barnard's Star                                   M5V
1929 Junction Wolf 359                                   M3V
1931 Hephaistos Luyten 726-8                                   M0V M6V
2027 Prometheus Alpha Centauri & Proxima Centauri  G2V K0V M5V
2028    Peraspera        Lalande 21185                                  M2V

2029 Midway Ross 154                                   M2V
2030 Hades             Ross 248                                   M6V
2227 Ember            Wolf 424 A/B                                   M0V M5V
2228 Loki             Ross 128                                   M4V
2236 Pollux            Beta Geminorum/Pollux            K0III
2325 Kaguk            Lacaille 9352                                   M1V
2330 Dismal            Luyten 789-6                                   M6V
2339 Castor            Alpha Geminorum/Castor &               A1V A1V A5V
                                  YY Geminorum                        A5V K6V
K6V
2407 Cambria Epsilon Scorpii                        K2III
2820    Aqilat             Theta Centauri
K0III
2921 Arcturus          Alpha Bootis/Arcturus                        K2III


Here is also some additional comments based on Steve's response:

<Cicero can't be Aldebaran, because the subsector rimward of it is Aldebaran
subsector in Aldebaran sector!  Depot can't be alpha Oph, since both listed
stars are dwarfs, etc.>

   Depot is the correct location of Alpha Ophiuchi (see Depot system
submission).

   Cicero falls within the parameters for the location of Aldeberan, though
it is certainly at the edge of minimum distance.  A more precise location
would place it three to four hexes further spinward-rimward (in the Jardin
subsector), according to my research.  That of course still means that the
Aldeberan subsector of the Aldeberan Sector is not the correct location
for Aldeberan the star (though it could be if GDW had the direction to
Aldeberan incorrect as well).  I have consulted with Dave Nilsen about the
subject, and he would rather "let sleeping dogs lie" for now.  The main
problem is that Cicero as the location of Aldeberan has become part of
the Traveller orthodoxy, and GDW has in the past been very reluctant to
change stellar data (among other things) if the data is at all plausible and
works with the storyline.

All for now,

-hdh

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

Date: Fri, 2 Sep 1994 17:44:19 +0100 (BST)
From: David John Yeardly <djy@st-andrews.ac.uk>
To: "traveller@mpgn.com" <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Armor ect
Message-ID: <Pine.3.87.9409021719.B2850-0100000@psych>

As I have recently joined this mailing list i have the following comments/requests

1. Battledress
 why penitrated ? if a trooper in battledress is hit by a large mass 
moving at even relitively low speed then the kinetic energy will have to go 
somewhere and at best this will result in brusing/fractures.

consider a trooper in TL14 battledress is hit by a large boulder (mass 
approx 10kg ) rolling down a hill, slope 45 degrees, for 20 meters. IS 
this trouper going to be a happy bear?.

If this is the case then if TL2 use siege weapons then battledresse 
troupers are going to take damage as when the projectile hits the 
momentum that it has has to be disapated and as a result the trooper 
will suffer damage

an effective weapon could therefore be designed around a HSHE round, a 
modern tank killing weapon. As the target is a trouper then the round 
could be of small caliber say 10-15 mm and this would do damage without 
penitrating the suit thus leaving it for future re-use.

Remember kinetic energy has to go someware when it hits battledress

Melee weapons

These can be effective at close range and would be standard issue to TL8 
and would be mail use weapons to TL3 and widely used to TL6

3. Requests

1. Is the errta sheet for Traveller The New era on the net ?

2. Could somebody please send me traveller digest No. 1-12 Thanks

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End of TRAVELLER Digest 28
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