       TRAVELLER Digest 32

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) RC Campaigns by PSUAlum@aol.com
  2) Re: DNI by bonnevil@mermaid.micro.umn.edu (Steven M Bonneville)
  3) More About Gauss Weapons by Lahtinen Antti <al76188@proffa.cc.tut.fi>
  4) Fiddling with FF&S by "Upton, Django" <DUpton@VTRNNTOV.TELECOM.com.au>
  5) AUCTION TWO by rodge@case.cyberspace.com (Roger Sanger)
  6) BARTER ANYONE? by rodge@case.cyberspace.com (Roger Sanger)
  7) Net-surfing and the Virus by Roger Myhre <myhre@oslonett.no>
  8) Regarding Stellar Data by "Harold D. Hale" <HDHALE@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
  9) Fighters for Battle Rider? by alvin plummera <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
 10) Humor, anyone? by alvin plummera <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
 11) Virus vs. deckers by rancke@diku.dk
 12) Re: TRAVELLER digest 30 & Syleans by Steve Charlton/Avalon Software Inc
 13) Alright,        l right, all right... by 556N@delphi.com
 14) Library Data and Deckplans by ccjoe@showme.missouri.edu (Joseph Heck)
 15) Re: Regency Sourcebook by ccjoe@showme.missouri.edu (Joseph Heck)
 16) TRAVELLER digest 26 by jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)

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

Date: Mon, 05 Sep 94 22:41:37 EDT
From: PSUAlum@aol.com
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: RC Campaigns
Message-ID: <9409052241.tn361395@aol.com>

How many TMLers are involved w. RC campaigns?  If any how involved are
the politics of the member worlds of the RC in the campaign?

Not to open a discussion that already occurred in another context but
skimming thru the RC Equip Guide a Tech Lvl manufacturing capability
question occurred to me.  The RC 7mm Advanced Combat Rifle has its ammo,
magazine bttys, & laser sight imported but the rest of the weapon is
capable of being manufactured on Oriflamme.

Now this arrangement seems to make little economic sense.  While the
overall TL of Oriflamme is 9 I can't see why the technology for
producing the components of a single weapon could not be imported from
either other RC member worlds or the Hivers so that the entire ACR could
be produced on Oriflamme.  Or, and here's an adventure hook that begs to
be explored, an industrial espionage team would be recruited to obtain
the necessary technological know-how to permit production of these
components.



PBJuzyk                             | 'Most plans don't even survive
Reading, PA                         |  contact with Reality'
Terra/Solomani Rim (1827 G867975-8) |   -Hammer Lanthrop, *Smash & Grab*


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

Date: Tue, 6 Sep 1994 01:04:02 -0500
From: bonnevil@mermaid.micro.umn.edu (Steven M Bonneville)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: DNI
Message-ID: <199409060604.BAA21125@barracuda.micro.umn.edu>

Joni Virolainen <jonimv@evitech.fi> writes:

>Let's assume that Virus acts with about speed of light.
>That is about the speed the signal moves in human nerve cells also.
>Okey, then comes the reaction time. Much of the reaction time needed to
>physical tasks can be forgotten, because DNI is just that (*Direct* Neural
>Interface) which also transfers data at the speed of light. And when the
>net jockey is well trained (in simulations which can be done easily) then
>he also acts by instincs not thought.

Er...no.  The net jockey is toast.  Human nerve conduction rates never,
to the best of my knowledge, crack 100 meters per second, which is only
about three-tenths of a percent of lightspeed.  Neurons work quite a
bit differently from electrical cabling.  The computer has an edge in
reaction time, even using a "direct neural interface" to bypass as many
delays as possible.  There is the possibility that the "Virus" computer
runs slower than light (and some possible good justification for it too),
but I wouldn't count on it yet.  Same goes for possible slow "Virus" 
reaction times -- there's some reasons why it mightn't be very efficient,
but still plenty why that might not be true either.

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

 

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

Date: Tue, 6 Sep 1994 11:01:27 +0200 (EET DST)
From: Lahtinen Antti <al76188@proffa.cc.tut.fi>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: More About Gauss Weapons
Message-ID: <199409060801.LAA05188@proffa.cc.tut.fi>

 Gauss Projectiles:

 Gauss projectile weight can be calculated by using the following
 formula:

 (1) Wa = (pi * r^2) * (2 * r * 5) / 1000 * d

 Where 'r' is the radius of the projectile in millimetres, and 'd'
 is material density.

 (explanation: volume of a cylinder which length is 5 times its
 diameter, divided by 1000 to get the volume in cm^3, and multiplied
 by the density of projectile material.)

 If 'd' = 2 g/cm^3, the formula can be simplified to:

 (2) Wa = .02 * pi * r^3

 Formula (2) can be found in FFS (Mk 1, Mod 1) in page 102, and it
 gives 4x20mm bullet the weight of 0.5 g.

 The gauss rifle design in Digest 24 used steel projectiles, and their
 mass was calculated using formula (1), with 'd' = 8 g/cm^3.

 IMHO, if imperial railgun projectiles are plastic darts with metal
 contacts, formula (2) in FFS gives quite realistic values.


 Gauss Pistols:

 According to FFS, the gauss weapon receiver houses only the magazine
 feed system and internal homopolar generator. I was wondering if it
 would be possible to make a Webbley&Scott-style compact gauss pistol
 by placing the HPG under or over the barrel. (W&S made compressed-air
 handguns where the large air cylinder was under the barrel.)

 In this design, the 10.8 cm barrel is placed under the 21 cm 
 receiver, and additional 4 cm receiver is added to the breech end of
 the barrel to represent the ammunition feed system. (I assume that
 the minimum length of a magnetic feed system is twice the length of a
 projectile.)

----------

4mm Zhodani Gauss Pistol
This weapon is short and heavy machine pistol used as a sidearm by Zhodani
forces. The grip-mounted pistol magazine has similar head as 4x20mm/36 gauss
rifle magazine, and pistol magazine can be used in the rifle. However, the
gauss rifle requires 4 times more energy than pistol, and the whole battery
is consumed after 8 rifle shots are fired.

TL 14
Ammo: 4x20mm/18
Muzzle energy: 3240 joules, required energy 5144 joules
Weapon length: 21 cm
Weapon weight: 0.967 kg empty, with no magazine
        1.809 kg with full 35 round magazine
Weapon Price: 882 Cr
Magazine Weight: 35-round magazine: 0.773 kg empty, 0.843 kg loaded
Magazine Price: Cr2 (35 round)
Ammunition Price: Cr0.04 (Bullet), Cr0.08 (Tranq), Cr0.12 (APHE,HEAP)
Ammunition Weight: 2 grams per round (density 8 steel)
Features: Two-stage trigger mechanism (short pull fires single shots,
deep pull fires full-automatic). Grip safety. Scope rail that can
mount optical or electronic sight. Optional laser sight.

Round  ROF Damage Pen Bulk Magazi Recoil Short
4x20mm Bullet SA/5 4 1-2-Nil 1 35 3/8 30 (28.46)
4x20mm APHE SA/5 4+2 1-2-Nil 1 35 3/8 20 (21.35)
4x20mm HEAP SA/5 5 2-2-2 1 35 3/8 20 (21.35)
4x20mm Tranq SA/5 1D6-1 Nil 1 35 3/7 17 (17)

----------


 Reality Check: Bullpup Rifles

 In FFS page 96, is a boxed article about bullpup configuration
 rifles. The article and picture states that bullpup conversion
 is made by switching the places of the feed system and trigger
 mechanism!

 That does not work in real world.

 The feed system must be behind the barrel, and the purpose of
 receiver is to transfer ammunition from the feed system to the
 breech, and handle the recoil forces.

 Real bullpup conversions are made by removing the stock and
 placing the pistol grip and trigger mechanism in front of the
 feed system. A good example of bullpup-converted kalashnikov-
 style rifle is Valmet Rk.82, which is basically a converted M76.

 Note: for autoloading small arms, the minimum length of receiver
 is about 4 times the length of a single round of ammunition.
 Most pistols and bolt-action rifles have shorter receivers, about
 3 times the length of a round, but the slide or bolt will produce
 out of the receiver frame during loading.


 Bullpup Ranges:

 Because bullpup rifles have shorter sight radius than conventional
 rifles, they have shorter ranges if they use only iron sights.

 (using iron sights, range modifier is 0.9)

 However, when a bullpup rifle is equipped with optic, telescopic
 or electronic sights, which do not rely on sight radius, they
 have similar ranges as conventional rifles. Some modern bullpup
 rifles have a build-in optic sight and no iron sights.

 (using TL-9+ optic sight, range modifier is 1.3 * 1.15 = 1.495)


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

Date: Tue, 06 Sep 94 14:22:00 EST
From: "Upton, Django" <DUpton@VTRNNTOV.TELECOM.com.au>
To: tml <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Fiddling with FF&S
Message-ID: <2E6D4A44@msmail.trl.oz.au>


Rob_Prior@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca (Rob Prior) writes:
 -
 -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?
 ------------
Both! I have been going back to ( almost ) first principles in order to see
how the formulas presented in FF&S were derived and to try and resolve the
glaring inconsistencies present in FF&S. At the same time there are certain
features of traveller's technological development that would NOT happen 
using
the FF&S rules, ( the viability of energy weapons is one ).
 ------------
 -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.
 ------------
You said it! Our current understanding of energy weapons makes them 
inefficient
so high technology ( eg. 'gravitic focussing' ) is required to make them 
work
in a way consistent with the background information. What is really strange 
is
the removal or imposition of additional limitations eg. lasers can have ANY
energy density on their focal arrays and are unable to focus their energy on 
a
spot smaller than 1 cm in diameter at ANY range!
 -----------
 -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.
 -----------
Oops! You've caught me here. Upon re-reading the energy weapon design rules
the ammo should remain at the size stated in the rules. However this doesn't
explain why CPR gun propellant is about 5 times as efficient at propelling
things as the plasma cartridges.
 -----------
 -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.)
 -----------
Hmmm the problem is that we are stuck with the hard science we know about 
NOW
not the hard science available several thousand years hence. I have tried to
stick with physics as far as I can and have come up with solutions that seem 
to
be better balanced that he originals!
Email me if you would like explanations and derivations of my formulae.

Django.

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

Date: Tue, 6 Sep 94 02:13:08 PDT
From: rodge@case.cyberspace.com (Roger Sanger)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM, xboat@MPGN.COM
Subject: AUCTION TWO
Message-ID: <9409060913.AA19175@case.cyberspace.com>

 
 
 
 
                            TRAVELLER AUCTION #2
 
 
For you fanatics out there, here's another list of out-of-print
Traveller items for you to fight over...
 
 
    Atlas of the Imperium (35 Sectors)                         GDW
    Darthanon Queen   (cT adventure)                  Judges Guild
    101 Vehicles                                             M DGP
    Tancred           (cT adventure)                  Judges Guild
    Knightfall                                               M GDW
    Geptorem          (cT adventure)                     Group One
    Traveller's Digest # 8                                     DGP
 
Have fun!                                     ("M" = MegaTraveller)
 
Send bids to rodge@cyberspace.com
 

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

Date: Tue, 6 Sep 94 02:15:36 PDT
From: rodge@case.cyberspace.com (Roger Sanger)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM, xboat@MPGN.COM
Subject: BARTER ANYONE?
Message-ID: <9409060915.AA19220@case.cyberspace.com>

 
 
 
                        Barter time!
 
I'm finding it harder and harder to find the Traveller items I
don't have.  In the meantime, I've accumulated a lot of Traveller
items I already have.
 
Therefore, I'm expanding my collecting efforts to other sci-fi
and modern-era-adventure game systems, and I'm resuming my
efforts to further build my sizeable fantasy collection as well..
 
If you have any roleplaying or related game products that you
find you are tired of or are not using anymore, email me a list,
and perhaps we can work out a trade.
 
Sincerely,
Roger Sanger
 
 
 

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

Date: Tue, 6 Sep 1994 16:13:33 +0200
From: Roger Myhre <myhre@oslonett.no>
To: TRAVELLER@MPGN.COM
Subject: Net-surfing and the Virus
Message-ID: <199409061413.AA26155@oslonett.no>

The thread about cyber-decking into the computers in traveller has so
far been interesting, but still I hope I never have to see a cyberpunk
module for it.

I don't think that a human (or other alien) operator would be able to
beat the virus in it's own environment. There are several reasons for
this. One of them (as Bryan Borich pointed out once) the virus will make
multiple copies of itself in the computer memory and saturate the
defence program of the operator/deck.

Then there is the reaction time. The oprator will be far too slow for
the virus either way. And the weak link is the interpreter between the
software and the wetware.

Then there is the time lag between the operator and the host machine
when it comes to communicating. This time depends on if the host is
local or remote, and how the connection is made.

Is the operator's mind in the host computer, or does the link fuction
something like the World Wide Web? This has a significance on how the
information is transmitted between the deck and the host computer. If
the link is more like the WWW on Internet, there will be an easily
traceable flow of information between the host and the deck. The deck
then converts these data for viewing through a neural-jack connected to
the skull/left nostril whatever. Thus all defences of the operator and
the deck is in the deck like a virus killer these days. This bring quite
a lot of communication lag, and the Virus will appear to "move" in fast
forward in relation to the operator. And for infecting the operator the
Virus only needs to send an egg with the communication stream. When this
egg is hardwired into the deck it is ready for junkyard.

But if the mind is "detached" from the body and transmitted to the host
computer the reaction time is increased manyfold, but the operator is
more vulnerable now than ever. This "mind" transmitting process is the
most common depicted for of netsurfing is cyberpunk books and games.

This "mind-transmitting" process may be done in two ways.

1. The "mind" is copied and sent out on its own. The physical operator
disconnects and awaits a signal from the deck when the task is done.

2. The mind is not copied but "disconnected" from the body. Note that
the disconnection is not fully, but enough to improve response time in
the net and still ensure that the body fuctions are active. A cut
of the link between the host and the operator will surely spell
braindamage or some other kind of injuries.

If the "mind " is sent out to explore the cyberspace, the host computer
must have software to allow this kind of communication protocol. The
Virus will most effectively protect itself by infecting this software
or deleting it all together. Thus you only got the old fashioned
keyboard/screen communication with the host. Maybe neither that if the
Virus decides to disconnect those too by routing new paths in the
silicon/whatever material used for chips.




Roger "StarWolf" Myhre



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

Date: Tue, 06 Sep 1994 12:01:45 -0500
From: "Harold D. Hale" <HDHALE@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Regarding Stellar Data
Message-ID: <se6c5956.019@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>

Comments on Steve Bonneville's last post:

<Capital is clearly identified  as having a yellow G-class star not unlike
Sol.>

   I think that makes more sense, both game-wise and logically (why yes,
those two concepts can be mutually exclusive :-) )--especially given that the
Imperium was predominately a human empire.

<I don't know how solidly it's in the canon, but as far as I can tell, that
position is pretty bad for Aldebaran -- the angle  should place it closer to
Capella/more rimward than Cicero.>

   I will bring up the subject one more time with Dave Nilsen, but I promise
nothing.  While I am convinced that Cicero could _theoretically_  be the
location of Aldebaran, a more logical location would be further rimward, as
I had indicated previously.  As to whether Aldeberan should be closer
angle-wise to Capella, I don't know that's actually the case, but I have
friends of the astronomical persuasion who I can check with.

<Not that that's going to stop anyone, especially with the two-d sparsely
populated grid we pretend is a galactic map, but  somebody might want to
know.>

   Now see here, Mr. Bonneville.  Are you actually trying to say that the
map of known space we currently use for Traveller is <gasp> riddled with
errors?  That the maps only list at best half the stars (and that's being
generous) that are actually out there?  Are you implying that all those
little
DM (white dwarf type 'M') companions we have all grown to ignore aren't
really there (or probably should be 'M' main sequence)?  What are you
saying?!  Oh God, do you realize that you have just said the Traveller
equivalent of "there is no Santa Claus"?!!  <Mock Indignity furnished by
the Baseball Player's Union, who says we'll strike until we get our way, or
until there is no game left for future major leaguers to play>

   But seriously folks, my survey of the Solomani Rim shows that out to
about 5 parsecs, the stars are there as shown, with only minor corrections
necessary.  Beyond 5 parsecs, things get to be pretty dicey, and only the
well known stars (Capella, et. al.) are located "where they should be"
(Aldeberan possibly excluded).  Everything else is pretty much randomly
generated, using whatever stellar generation system was in place at the time.
 
   BTW, a typical white dwarf is NOT of 'M' type from what my research
indicates, but is in fact of 'A' or 'K' type (though 'O', 'B', 'F', and 'G'
types can
be found).  This is certainly true out to about 50 light years, as listed in
Gilese's Catalog of Nearby Stars.  What's more, I have not found any
confirmed type 'M' white dwarfs in my research (though I've been told they
do exist--interesting that one of the most common stellar types in Traveller
can't be found nearby--but in defense of those who say they are there, they
would be particularly hard to spot because of their low luminosity).
White dwarfs are as likely to be solo stars as they are to be companions of
younger (?) types.  How bright they are is usually a function of how old
they are, and what they are emitting.  Many astronomers today don't even
classify white dwarfs by the OBAFGKM type, but instead use a three capital
letter system based on spectral characteristics.

Thus ends your Astronomy lesson for today,

hdh



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

Date: Tue, 6 Sep 1994 15:00:55 -0400 (EDT)
From: alvin plummera <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Fighters for Battle Rider?
Message-ID: <Pine.3.05.1.9409061555.E4639-8100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


Can anyone here converted fighter wings for use in Battle Rider? 

(the rules in FASA's _Levathian_ Renegade Legion's game may be of some
help...)

Thanks for any interest,

Alvin Plummer
("Houston, Houston, we have a problem.")


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

Date: Tue, 6 Sep 1994 14:39:19 -0400 (EDT)
From: alvin plummera <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Humor, anyone?
Message-ID: <Pine.3.05.1.9409061419.C4639-a100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


I seem to recall a Philip K. Dick story, about an explorer ship landing on
a world.

Unfortunately, on this world, human artifacts tend to become murderous. 
One of the scenes in this story involve one of Our Heroes struggling with
an insane microscope, wrapping it's eyepiece around his neck.

This is said to be - possibily - the most funniest scenes in Science
Fiction. 

Later, they have to fight carpets, walking chairs, household appliances,
sentient hand blasters, their own clothing, etc. 

Another scene of technology run amok is in "The Mote in God's Eye", where
the baby moties -- ultra-intelligent critters, who have an impossible
aptitude for technology -- take control of the ship.  

Has anyone out there run a "Last Days" micro campaign at 1130, just when
the Virus hits?  Done right, I suspect that it would keep all involved in
stitches for quite a while to come...


Alvin Plummer   
(Hey, it was just an Idea!)


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

Date: Tue, 6 Sep 1994 21:54:13 +0100 (METDST)
From: rancke@diku.dk
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Virus vs. deckers
Message-ID: <199409061954.AA05281@embla.diku.dk>

Ewan Qiubell
>jonimv@evitech.fi writes :-
>  
>>You are right that it would be REALLY scary possibility to get infected by
>>the Virus. And you are actually right that cyberspace IS Viruses home turf.

>>BUT I think that it is also really scary possibility to get shot down by
>>someone or mugged down. But still PCs (and NPCs) goes to fights again and
>>again until they drop. Of course they don't usually do suicides that is
true.
> 
>Yes I agree, characters go into fire fights all the time, and I expect that
>they don't appreciated having bodily parts blown off or dying, but there is
>something in human psycology which is different about, going blind, going
mad
>and dying by battlefield fire. This is one reason that GW has no blinding
>rules for lasers in TNE. As you said as well charachters are not suicidal, 
>you have a relativly good chance of surviving a firefight, especialy if 
>your wearing battledress.... 

I haven't gotten so used to the TNE battle rules that I can say wether a
character has a good chance of surviving a firefight in a battledress. I
will say that if any SF game portrays weapons in a remotely realistic
way then going into a firefight with properly equipped adversaries is a
really, really dangerous thing to do. This is, in fact, one of my main
problems with SF games: If I give my players the kind of weaponry they
could reasonably expect to be able to get hold of, then I either have to
let them walk all over the opposition (which is boring) or give the
opponents equivalent equipment, turning any firefight into a 50/50
survival chance (And players don't appreciate rolling up new characters
every other day  -  at least, mine don't, YMMV).
 
>while decking into virus infected cyperspace would be suicidal.

How do you know? We have no real idea about how a true omputer/brain
interface would work. That leaves us delightfully free to define our
own rules to provide maximum fun and entertainment. Unlike with weapons,
where we can reasonably extrapolate from know data (and where we come
up with instant-death-no-saving-throw pocket cannons at TLs only slightly
beyond what we have today (or even AT our present-day TL)) we really
don't know enough about how such an interface would work out to rule out
anything.

So instead of arguing about the difference between chemical and electronic
reaction times I'd simply ask one question: What is the most fun? A virus 
that makes decking totally impossible or one that makes decking dangerous,
but survivable?

Assuming you agree that the second option has considerable more appeal
than the first, I'd suggest that we turn the argument around and approach
it from the other direction: Given that we want human deckers to have a
fighting chance against the Virus, what rules and assumptions do we have
to make? 

You know, this could be a whole new approach to virus-proofing and virus-
protecting your systems. A computer/human combo with the human providing
the intelligence that we're told is the Virus' main advantage over 
conventional computers. Gives a whole new luster to the profession of
Computer Operator.


      Hans Rancke
University of Copenhagen
     rancke@diku.dk
------------
        "The referee should determine the nature of subsequent
         events based on the individual situation."
                                _76 Patrons_, p. 8

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

Date:  6 Sep 94 13:29:46 MS
From: Steve Charlton/Avalon Software Inc
To: traveller <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 30 & Syleans
Message-ID: <9409061930.AA04017@khan.avalon.COM>

In reference to GDW's response to Steve Bonneville's refutation of my opinion
about Sylean racial status:

Foolish mortals!  You would dare try to refute my opinions with mere
documents?  Your pathetic literary references are as nothing compared to the
power of massive cash bribes to GDW.  I am invincible!

scharlto@avalon.com
Recovering nicely in a quiet sanitorium.

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

Date: Tue, 06 Sep 1994 19:10:36 -0400 (EDT)
From: 556N@delphi.com
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Alright,        l right, all right...
Message-ID: <01HGSWU45NEA8X1TPI@delphi.com>

Fellow TMLites!  Denizens of the Void!


Joni M Virolainen <jonimv@evitech.fi> writes:

$ About sensors.
$ Actually I asked about WHAT KIND OF SENSORS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR 
$ THAT KIND OF TASKS! But thanks anyway. [snip]

Oh...  Well, all of them, I suppose.  EMS, long range radar, IR, depends
on how low tech your sensor suite is.  I prefer the full-spectrum EMS,
but sometimes all ya' got is radar and radio...  Also, are you orbiting
geosyncronously, dayside or nightside, or in a high-(but silly)-flying
"passover" (no angel-of-death humor intended)?  Is your computer too
stupid to give you the real-time enhancement you need?  My 386sx takes
years to update simple .gifs...  And if I'm on the sharp end and you're
waiting to tell me what the bad guys on the other side of the ridge are
doing because your non-Virus-host-type-stupid-computer is still in the
middle of screen refresh...  I'll remember to request reassignment for
one of us, if I live through it.

$ BTW my players also prefer being in middle of the fight rather than just
$ watching it from distance. 

Good.  I'm glad I'm not the only one who has players who blatantly ignore
anything that I might have had the time to plan for...

$ In fact I have tried to device a method which gives ratings of alertness
for
$ characters maybe from 1 to 3, a bit similar to space combat alertness.
$ If you are highly alerted, then you react quickly but by instinct and you
$ can shoot your friend instead of foe. Low alertness affects you so you act
$ more slowly, but then you don't propably shoot your friend. Any ideas?

What system are you using?  Classic Traveller?  Wake up and smell the
INITIATIVE characteristic!!!  That's why it's in the "House Rules" (tm).

$ So, keep it hot!

You got it.

#########################################################################
HOT - HOT - HOT - PRIORITY MESSAGE FOLLOWS

For all those wishing to insert a wire directly into the pleasure
centers of the brain, BRAIN FUNCTIONS DO NOT MOVE AT THE SPEED OF
LIGHT.  The brain functions more slowly, at the speed of various
neurohormones which TRANSMIT various electro-CHEMICAL impulses to
other neurons, and then in a chain all the way down to the little-
bitty toes which should have carried the little-bitty feet, along
with the rest of the included organic baggage, in rapid flight
from such sheer lunacy.

Assuming that a hostile Virus takeover does NOT send a surge of
pure ELECTRICITY straight through your *DNI* and on straight through
your cortex, the battleground will NOT necessarily be OUTSIDE your 
head in some safe, clinical third-party client computer, but 
INSIDE your SKULL!!!  Virus does NOT descriminate against the type
of hardware that it infects.  Ask the Hivers, or the K'kree, or the
Aslan, or especially the Vargr.  It may not even be aware that the
hardware already houses another sentience, but then again Virus
competes with itself over starships, etc.  Simply overwriting the
code which was its opponent.  (NOTE:  I can't wait for all the
little goodies in the VAMPIRE SOURCEBOOK.)  SURVIVAL MARGIN, and
TNE give a pretty frightening view of Virus.  [BTW, how "realistic"
is the picture of little, proto-sentient chips hopping and hovering
around looking for other little proto-sentients to imprint them-
selves on?  Any ideas on true means of locomotion, power, etc.?
It would take a tremendous amount of power and storage-capacitance
to do some of the things that the Cymbeline chips are reputed to do.]
I DO NOT want anything or anyone inside my characters' heads, in-
cluding BRAIN CELLS.  That might actually ENCOURAGE intelligent
play!  Ha!

HOT - HOT - HOT - PRIORITY MESSAGE ENDS
#########################################################################


********************************************************************
All right, all right.  I admit that I DID NOT do sufficient homework
prior to my post about racial diversity in Traveller.  I'M SOOORRRY!
Would someone please sell me their copy of this oh-so-famous SOLO-
MANI AND ASLAN that I keep hearing about and cannot find?  And while
you're at it, throw in a free copy of VILANI AND VARGR, too, please?
********************************************************************


Jo Grant <Jo_Grant.LOTUSINT@crd.lotus.com> writes:

$ Firstly, in the setting your species and/or extraterrestrial
$ racial origin are more important than your planetary or terrestrial
$ racial origin. Out there in the first empire of man it was much
$ more important to be Solomani than to be Nigerian Solimani.
 
How can we convince modern <hyphenated> Americans to feel the same?
Or is it feasible to think that they will eventually develop to feel
more American than, say, Nigerian or Nigerian-American (read in p.c.
terms:  African-America)?  Hmmm...

BTW, did GDW ever do any serious demographics research into their
audience?  If not, would they be willing to hire ME at some outrageous 
rate to do it for them?  (humor!)
 
Thanks, Jo, for your anecdote, though.  I appreciate the humor, 
especially since I have yet to meet anyone of "ethnic-diversity"
at a Houston hobby shop, of which there are many...  Is it a class
differentiation, or mere perception of one that causes this?  The
same phenomena seem evident in American baseball card collectors,
gun-culture, et cetera.  Perhaps I should leave political science
in favor of socialism, I mean sociology.  (humor!)

********************************************************************

In response to the *Trigger Incident* of Challenge 74 fame, I have
only Machiavelli to quote:

"... if one keeps his state founded on mercenary arms, one will never
 be firm or secure; for they are disunited, ambitious, without disc-
 ipline, unfaithful; bold among friends, among enemies cowardly; no
 fear of God, no faith with men; ruin is postponed only as long as
 attack is postponed; and in peace you are despoiled by them, in war
 by the enemy." (Niccolo Machiavelli, _The Prince_, Chapter XII)

********************************************************************


David Reed
::Not doing his Machiavelli dissertation, as he should be.


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

Date: Tue, 6 Sep 1994 18:37:23 -0500 (CDT)
From: ccjoe@showme.missouri.edu (Joseph Heck)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM (TML Submissions)
Subject: Library Data and Deckplans
Message-ID: <9409062337.AA24503@showme.missouri.edu>

Hello all,

I've had Library Data and GIF format deckplans available via FTP, Gopher, 
and HTML for a couple of months now. I no longer have them available. 
I removed them quite voluntarily after speaking with Loren Wiseman at GDW.
I had letters of permission for both sets of information, and technically
I think I _could_ put them out there, but I was getting a little nervous
about copyright issues, and frankly didn't want to be involved in the 
possibility of lawsuits. 

When I spoke with Loren, he said that the request to remove such information
was _temporary_, but that it was for an unknown amount of time. I hope that
at least some of this past background information can be made available again
soon, as it's now hard to come by and GDW's production schedule doesn't
look to include old library data and deckplans. 

I apologize for the "teaser" for those of you who were counting on the 
information. If anyone was expecting this information to be out there (for
a game resource or whatever) contact me directly and I'll try to help. 

Boy, this whole thing makes archives awfully darn difficult. :-/

-- 
 joe                          (314) 882-5000
 ccjoe@showme.missouri.edu    University of Missouri - Columbia  
 "with a little practice, writing can be an intimidating and
 impenetrable fog!" -- Calvin
 <A HREF="http://www.missouri.edu/~ccjoe">ccjoe</A>

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

Date: Tue, 6 Sep 1994 18:41:23 -0500 (CDT)
From: ccjoe@showme.missouri.edu (Joseph Heck)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM (TML Submissions)
Subject: Re: Regency Sourcebook
Message-ID: <9409062341.AA33396@showme.missouri.edu>

Challenge 74 had an interesting tidbit regarding this:

they asked for an "informal" survey of what people wanted as far as 
sourcebooks. Drop a postcard to "commodore bwana" at GDW, Inc. P.O. Box
1646, Bloomington, IL 61702-1646 with either "Regency" or "Reformation
Coalition" on it. No debates, just a couple of words...

Oh - if you want to read it yourself it's on page 81. the "ask commodore
bwana" segment.
-- 
 joe                          (314) 882-5000
 ccjoe@showme.missouri.edu    University of Missouri - Columbia  
 "with a little practice, writing can be an intimidating and
 impenetrable fog!" -- Calvin
 <A HREF="http://www.missouri.edu/~ccjoe">ccjoe</A>

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

Date: Tue,  6 Sep 94 00:43:00 -0500
From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)
To: TRAVELLER@MPGN.COM
Subject: TRAVELLER digest 26
Message-ID: <1.200841.256.0CB5F5C1@execnet.com>

Subject: TRAVELLER digest 26

Alvin Plummer writes...

T::>My three RICE candidates....
 ::> 1) Regina/Spinward Marches

T::>I just want to know what's going on at 'home')

 So write it!  I never intended RICE to be my private playground; 
 I'd thought that I'd made it clear that everyone who wants to can 
 come and play.  The only thing I ask is that the "standard" format 
 (as exemplified by my Glisten paper) be followed - and that only 
 for the world capsule data at the top.  And if you want, just 
 provide me with the body text and the one-line UWP listing, and 
 I'll generate the capsule data.  And the only reason I ask for 
 that is to present a "unified" appearance to the RICE papers - 
 which would only be expected in a similar situation here on 
 preJump Terra.

T::> 2) Deneb/Deneb

T::>This TL D, Religious Autocracy is quite interesting.

 I'll say!  I could have a lot of fun with this!  But I'm not 
 greedy; anyone who wants to can have the fun!

T::>I believe - correct me if I'm wrong - that this was the Sector capital of
 ::>Deneb, during the era of the Third Imperium ("pre-Rebellion", for us
 ::>Regency citizens).

 Yes, and it would also have likely been the titular capital of the 
 Domain of Deneb, had Strephon, Paulo, or one of their predecessors 
 appointed an archduke for the domain.

T::>During the Rebellion period it was lost for a time to the Vargr Hordes,
 ::>but the Archduke managed to recapture it for the Domain.

 Which would likely leave a sizeable Vargr population on the 
 planet, making for an interesting culture in itself, not to 
 mention the things that can happen when two cultures meet.  Recall 
 the things I touched on in the Glisten paper concerning the 
 admixture of Glistenite human and ihatei Aslan cultures...

T::>Now, it stands in the Quarrentine Zone of the Regency, as a major base of
 ::>operations for the Qarrentine Service and the Regency Navy.

 Which will also have an effect on the culture - being on a 
 frontier has an effect on the psychology of a society - even (or 
 perhaps especially) when they weren't _always_ on the frontier.

 This would be a _very_ good planet to write a RICE Paper for.  I 
 hope someone does!

T::> 3) Trin/Spinward Marches

T::>What, exactly, happened here when the AI Virus hit?
 ::>How many people still live here?
 ::>And how does the Regency plan to rebuild (or at least disenfect) Trin?

T::>(Incidentally: RICE notes is a detailed 'paper' for systems within the
 ::>Regency's purview.  Ask around if further info is needed, or grab the new
 ::>TNE archives - the details are in there, somewhere...)

 Or just ask me, and I'll email you the introductory paper 
 explaining (in a Traveller-POV context) what they are.

T::>..Also, what happened to the *Shall Not Perish* Regency sourcebook for
TML?

 Good question.  I'd like to see the project/discussion 
 resurrected.  That's one of the reasons I reposted the RICE 
 Papers - I originally conceived them as a section of the Shall Not 
 Perish sourcebook...
==========================================================================
Jeff Zeitlin                                      jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com
---
 ~ QMPro 1.52 ~ Chief Archivist, Regency Institute for Cultural Education

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

End of TRAVELLER Digest 32
**************************
