       TRAVELLER Digest 53

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Charter + freight by alvin plummera <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
  2) Stars and skills by alvin plummera <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
  3) Smash & Grab adventures by ccjoe@showme.missouri.edu (Joseph Heck)
  4) Known Stars In the Solomani Rim Update by "Harold D. Hale" <hdhale@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
  5) Laser fights in the rain by alvin plummera <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
  6) Re: TRAVELLER digest 49  by Seth "the Lesser" <slb22@columbia.edu>
  7) Re: additional RICE paper subjects by James Kundert <james@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>

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

Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 16:55:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: alvin plummera <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM, xboat@MPGN.COM
Subject: Charter + freight
Message-ID: <Pine.3.05.1.9409261603.A1775-8100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


How profitable is chartering your ship, as opposed to carrying cargo?
And is their a 'realistic' way to make freight profitable?

Alvin Plummer
(...from the "Harry Mudd" school of trade)




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

Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 17:28:49 -0400 (EDT)
From: alvin plummera <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Stars and skills
Message-ID: <Pine.3.05.1.9409261749.A3362-d101000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>

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More discoveries in my rummage in the old TML files....

Alvin Plummer
("And there you have it.  Dilithium crystals at TL 8.")

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To: dan@engrg.uwo.ca (Dan Corrin)
Subject: TML Bundle #286: Msgs 3508-3525
Reply-To: traveller-request@metolius.wr.tek.com (TML Administrator)
Precedence: bulk
Date: Wed, 05 Feb 92 08:55:36 PST
From: James T Perkins <jamesp@metolius.wr.tek.com>
Status: R


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

Archive-Message-Number: 3508
Date: Fri, 17 Jan 92 12:32:23 CST
From: bonnevil@stolaf.edu (Steven Bonneville)
Subject: Astronomy Field Trip  (Part 1?)

The recent mention in S&A of the long-range Solomani explorations into the
Perseus Galactic Arm got me to thinking about where some real interstellar
structures should be in the Traveller universe.  Five Imperial sectors are
named after real stars, after all (Spica, Fornast, Alpha CRU, Deneb, and 
Antares).  Ever wonder what the sky might look like from, say, Vland? 
Regina?  Using an old copy of _Norton's Star Atlas_, I went on a trip to
Vland.  (Of course, in terms of the Traveller chronology, this is like
using an Egyptian chart from 1800 B.C., but oh well.)

Vland is fortunate enough to have two very bright stars in its sky.  Located
about seventy parsecs away from Vland is the M1Ib red supergiant the Vilani
call Mika, known to Terrans as Antares.  Seen from Vland, Antares has an
apparent magnitude of about -0.5, which if it were that bright in the Terran
sky, would make it their third brightest star.  More impressive still is
Deneb, only 65 parsecs away.  Deneb shines at the incredible apparent
magnitude of -3.1, four and a half times brighter than Terra's brightest
star.  Tourists from Mora won't be impressed.  From Mora (21 pcs.), Deneb
has an apparent magnitude of -5.6, two times brighter than *Venus* from
Earth, and probably visible far into daylight hours!

Unless you brought your PRIS binoculars, don't plan to find Terra from
Vland.  Sirius, the brightest star in Terra's sky, shines at a apparent
mag. of +7.8.  Think "Neptune".  Sol, at a range of 200 parsecs, is an
eleventh magnitude star.  Usually, people can only see down to the sixth
magnitude or so with the naked eye.

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

In WBH, they say that supergiants should be rare.  They are!  I have
only found three others beyond Deneb and Antares so far. The three:
  Eakhoi    (2123 Dark Nebula)  F8 Ia
  Sardas    (0839 Mendan)       F0 Ib  M7 D
  ??????    (1530 Empty Qtr.)   M4 Ia  M4 D
Rare enough?  This is in the whole region of the Imperial Atlas!
Of course, whether these stars are real or which they are is another
question altogether....

I also have a request for the "old-style" Traveller players out there.
Remember that old map of Charted Space with the star field background?
Traveller Deluxe and "Library Data A-M" had copies of it.  I don't have
a copy myself, but I remember that it showed some bright star names on
it, as well as a few nebulae.  It would be interesting to know where
(what sector, roughly what part) some of these nebulae were placed.
For instance, do we know what Dark Nebula the sector of that name is
named after, according to Traveller?  I'm putting together a list of
stars/systems that I've seen referred to in sector library data, and will
post it if anybody is interested.

Incidentally, I haven't been able to find Spica, Alpha Crucis, or Fornast
yet (although I haven't looked for Fornast much), so if anyone has a hex
coordinate for them, I'd appreciate it.  For owners of "Solomani Rim":
what subsector of Alpha Crucis was named "Denebola"?  Any help with this
would be appreciated!

- --Steve

[Coming Soon? -- Part Two: Stars and Objects/Hex Locations]


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

Archive-Message-Number: 3523
Date:    Mon, 20 Jan 1992 11:57:58 -0600 (CST)
From: A_COPEAB@CCSVAX.SFASU.EDU (Brandon Cope)
Subject: more bandwith on battlesuits and skills

>From Scott Kellogg:

>Skill Levels and their meanings (In my book)
>(Using Ground Car as an example)
>Ground Car-0 (Know how to drive, fill the tank, when to get routine
  maintainance, knows when car is malfunctioning.)
>Ground Car-1 Can Drive in bad weather, diagnose of minor faults, can
  perform minor maintainance: change oil & filters
>Ground Car-2 Can Drive in bad weather at speed.  Perform most maintainance
>Ground Car-3 Professional Racer.  Can overhaul engine & transmission.
>Ground Car-4 A.J. Foyt
>Ground Car-5 Speed Racer
>Ground Car-6 Racer-X

 You remember Speed Racer, too?... ;-)

>(Using Hand gun)
>Hand Gun-0 Can point the gun and shoot it.  Knows how to reload
>Hand Gun-1 Can strip and reassemble it under battle field conditions
>Hand Gun-2 Can strip weapon & reassemble blind folded
>Hand Gun-3 Competition level marksman
>Hand Gun-4 Olympic level marksman
>(Please note, I am Ground Car-1, and Hand Gun-0.)

 Same skills with me, though I probaly would have something like a
Knowledge(firearms/20th century)-2 or 3... 
 These skill levels seem okay. I generally have considered 
level-5 the 'master' skill level; For example, Han Solo had a piloting of
at least 5, and Scotty had an engineering of at least 5. Two character's
in my campaigns have managed this level (both scouts), one in piloting
and the other in electronics.

>It herefore seems to me that Battle Dress-1, would give the user a damn
>good knowlege of the system that is there to keep him ALIVE.  Marines
>would be sleeping in the things in boot camp.  Probably the best thing
>on the subject of training in battledress is in Joe Haldeman's "The
>Forever War".  Now it seems to me that a drill sargent ought to be able
>to fix his men up in this stuff.  His skill levels would be around
>Battle Dress-2 or 3.   (I would guess)


--0-1099795984-780615109:#3362--


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

Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 13:04:10 -0500 (CDT)
From: ccjoe@showme.missouri.edu (Joseph Heck)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM (TML Submissions)
Subject: Smash & Grab adventures
Message-ID: <9409261804.AA37821@showme.missouri.edu>

Ola,

So.... has anyone played through the Smash&Grab adventures for TNE? I 
decided to give it a go, and it's been really hellish. Mostly, it was
mis-estimation from my part - but it doesn't really brief out to
referee's HOW much firepower and goodies the players should have.

They died a horrible death last night. It was really sad to see them 
mowed down by Assault Rifle fire in the prison complex. I'm going to give
it another round (and they're still interested), so anyone have some
suggestions?
-- 
 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: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 17:56:02 -0500
From: "Harold D. Hale" <hdhale@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Known Stars In the Solomani Rim Update
Message-ID: <se870a77.029@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>

   I have an update to the Known Star List for the Solomani Rim.  This
list is effective as of 9/26/94.  Special thanks to Wade Allen of the Dayton
Museum of Natural History who is helping me confirm or debunk some
of the previous locations.

Hex System Name Associated Known Star System 
0426 Eyck             Iota Piscium                                    F7V
0606    Ishadar            Epsilon Cygni
K0III K4V
0618 Stralsund Alpha Cephei (Alderamin)            A7V
0825 Duriim             L935-50                         A0V
0938 Cicero             Delta Eridani                         K0IV 
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
1523    Zaggisi             DM-36 13940
K3V M5V
1526 Meshan  Epsilon Indi                                    K5V
1529    Markhashi       Groombridge 34                                 M2V
M4V
1530 Shulimik  Epsilon Eridani                        K2V
1622 Apishal  DM+4 4048                                    M3V
1629 Sirius             Alpha Canis Major (Sirius)             A1V A0D
1720 Vega             Alpha Lyrae (Vega)                         A0V
1822 Nusku             61 Cygni                                     K5V K7V
1824 Agidda             Ross 154                                    M2V
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                        G2V K0V
2027 Prometheus Proxima Centauri                        M5V
2028 Peraspera Sigma 2398                                    M2V M4V
2029    Midway           Lalande 21185                                   M2V
2030 Hades             Ross 248                                    M6V
2227 Ember            Wolf 424                                    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 A5V 
2339 Castor             YY Geminorum                        K6V K6V
2407 Cambria Epsilon Scorpii                        K2III
2816 Immir             Theta Centauri                        K0III
2820 Aqilat             Eta Bootis (Muphrid)                        G0IV M0V
2921 Arcturus Alpha Bootis (Arcturus)            K2III

Further updates as this ongoing project develops....

hdh



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

Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 17:50:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: alvin plummera <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Laser fights in the rain
Message-ID: <Pine.3.05.1.9409261751.A4162-c101000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>

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And this find is about lasers....

Alvin Plummer
("Now Klingons are opening restaurants and serving food to the
grandchildren of men I slaughtered in battle.  Things are not what they
used to be. " - Kang in _Bood Oath_)


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--0-1050117600-780616496:#4162
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Content-ID: <Pine.3.05.1.9409261756.B4162@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
Content-Description: 

>From sis!torn!news.cs.uwindsor.ca!johnsob Wed Sep 21 18:05:21 1994
Xref: sis rec.arts.sf.science:11989
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science
Path: sis!torn!news.cs.uwindsor.ca!johnsob
From: johnsob@server.uwindsor.ca (Johnson Eric)
Subject: Re: Laser in rain
Message-ID: <CwG7I0.FDw@uwindsor.ca>
Sender: news@uwindsor.ca (Usenet)
Organization: University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada
References: <35i018$n7u@kantti.Helsinki.FI> <ayen.779941378@access1>
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1994 21:53:59 GMT

In article <ayen.779941378@access1> ayen@access1.digex.net (Doug Ayen)
writes:
>ronni@cc.Helsinki.FI (Tapani Ronni) writes:
>
>>In a novel by William Gibson, "Count Zero" there is a scene
>>where bad guys blow someone's head off from a helicopter
>>with some kind of laser gun. From the text it is obvious
>>that the distance between gun and target is approximately
>>5 - 15 meters. BUT at the same time there is a real
>>downpour of rain. Is the physics solid in this scene:
>>should not the rain disperse the laser light and practically
>>make it ineffective?
>
>That depends upon the frequency the laser is using. I have set up WAN 
>networks using laser links that have never failed in rain, snow, and 
>hail. The secret? Using a laser that uses a frequency to which water is 
>as transparent as air. I imagine that it would be simple to set a 
>weapon-grade laser so that rain would not bother it.
>
>On the other hand, if rain (i.e. water) won't bother it, then the human 
>body (some ungodly percent of which is water) might not suffer too much 
>damage. SO either choose a frequency that won't react to water but will 
>react to, say, bone, or up the power so that the first few milliseconds 
>of laseing vaporize  the water in its path.
>
>Then again, I could be completely wrong.
>
>
>--Doug
>

The big question is the power of the laser weapon, since the range, 
according to the original post, is very short. Sure, the rain will 
scatter some of the laser light but a simple way to see if the beam will 
reach its target is to see if you yourself can see the target. If you can 
see what you are aiming at, the laser will follow the same optical path. 
Just remeber that the laser has way, way more power in its beam than the 
light you see. Even though rain will scatter some of the light, if the 
beam is powerful enough the scattering loss will be relatively small and 
the beam will still reach its target, doing substantial damage.

There are several wavelengths the laser may operate to which water is 
transparent and flesh isn't. A blue laser, at say 488 nm, would be a good 
choice. It pass right through water, but be absorbed by hemoglobin in the 
blood. Enough power, and the heating of hemoglobin will boil blood 
(ouch!). As a matter of fact, this type of technique is currently being 
explored for medical applications (i.e. zapping tumors, etc.).

Eric Johnson
johnsob@server.uwindsor.ca



--0-1050117600-780616496:#4162--


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

Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 20:57:26 -0400
From: Seth "the Lesser" <slb22@columbia.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 49 
Message-ID: <199409270057.AA16459@mailhub.cc.columbia.edu>

Also sprach Hugh Foster:
> 
> I thought Space: 1889 was discontinued ?

Not to mention having been based, as far as I can tell, on a few chapters
from
_...The Number of the Beast_, by Robert A. Heinlein.

--
Seth L. Blumberg, M.S.E.  \     The whole thing was an accident.  No saboteur
slb22@columbia.edu          \ could have been so wildly optimistic as to
think
CUSFS President-in-Exile      \    he could destroy an airplane this way.
    > No one I know shares my opinions, least of all Columbia University. <

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

Date: Mon, 26 Sep 94 18:27:04 PDT
From: James Kundert <james@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: additional RICE paper subjects
Message-ID: <9409270127.AA22969@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>

Alvin Plummer <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca> asks:

>A little help on Zhodani culture, please?  (suddenly, I can hear an
>avalance rumbling in the distance...)

 Indeed. The two self-proclaimed Zhodani experts that I know of on this
list don't much agree with each other.

>Would Zhodani Consulate systems be as diverse as Regency cultures?  Or
>would all that psiconics and mind-reading tend to fore all
>to conform into a single mold?

 First, the short answer: No. Zhodani worlds are not as culturally
diverse as those in the Regency.

 The "psionics and mind-reading" have little to do with it. The fact is
that the Zhodani were a homogenous race and society LONG before they
discovered Jump Drive. There has been no parallel to the Imperium's
Long Night within the borders of the Consulate, either (not in the last
6000 years, anyway). These two factors result in a fairly homogenous
Consulate, border-to-border.
 That said, each world's people have changed to fit their environment.
On worlds where the environment is a daily (or hourly, or constant)
concern, you will find an entirely different set of cultural habits
than on the Zhdant-like worlds. Similarly, you will find some differences
based on common occupations (an Agricultural world will be a bit different
than a "Rich" world).

 How pronounced these differences are will depend on one decision that
you must make for your RICE papers: are the Thought Police locally
recruited and trained, or is there a single Tavrchedl' Academy per
Province? The former will lead to somewhat more pronounced differences,
while the latter will lead to a higher degree of conformity to the
Zhodani "norm." I tend toward the first choice, myself.

 Based on the CT Zhodani Module, there are differences in government
types. As I read it, the Consulate as a whole is the Democratic
Meritocracy described as typical of the Zhodani. Each world sets up
government (over the Proles) according to the whims of its nobility
and the realities of environment, population, and economics.
 Much to _some_ people's annoyance, this means that you have to look at
the numbers of the UWP and figure out how the world got to that point.


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

There was a young lady named Bright,
Whose speed was much faster, much faster than Light.
She departed one day in a relative way,
And returned on the previous Night.
   --Albert & the Heart of Gold

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End of TRAVELLER Digest 53
**************************
