       TRAVELLER Digest 60

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) TDR Topic wish list by Glenn Myers <gem188@swanson.com>
  2) Galactic Map Info by bonn0015@gold.tc.umn.edu
  3) Mass Driver Guns by "Tariq M. Rashid" <spstmr@gsusgi2.gsu.edu>
  4) Re: Mass Driver Guns by "Upton, Django" <DUpton@VTRNNTOV.TELECOM.com.au>
  5) 2300 tl ? by cs5025@wlv.ac.uk (L.T.Bryant)
  6) TL of 2300AD by "KMCCARTHY" <KMCCARTHY@qmgate.osc.hq.nasa.gov>
  7) Re: Mass Drivers by Derek Smith <Derek_Smith.LOTUS@crd.lotus.com>
  8) Change of address by CHiggin@aol.com

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Date: Mon, 3 Oct 94 16:46:07 EDT
From: Glenn Myers <gem188@swanson.com>
To: traveller%MPGN.COM@swanson.com
Subject: TDR Topic wish list
Message-ID: <9410032039>



Hi All, 

I would be very interested in a revived TDR list. A lot of the recent 
traffic on the TML would perhaps be better handled under such a list.

The recent thread on table data used in computerized gaming aids
raises an interesting point. Namely, if you are going to have the CPU 
do all the work, why stick with those clunky tables. A computerized 
gaming aid should expand the capabilities of the original not merely
mimic. 


In particular I am interested in the following topics.
(1) revamped world generation (TL, gov, etc.)
(2) Trade systems (Almost everyone seems to use house rules)
(3) Starship combat
(4) Upgradability of Starship components - I'd like to write up 
    more modular hardware designs (like the socket type turrets,
    but with drives, powerplants and computers.)
(5) Real Aliens (I'm sick of oxygen breathing humanoids)
    

I'd be happy to carry on email discussions with anyone who doesn't 
feel like posting to TML.


TIA

Glenn


----------------------------------
| Glenn E. Myers                 |
| gmyers@swanson.com             |
| gem188@swanson.com             |
| Numerical Verification Group   | 
| ANSYS, Inc.                    |
| (412) 873-2913                 | 
----------------------------------



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

Date: Mon, 3 Oct 94 15:55:21 -0500
From: bonn0015@gold.tc.umn.edu
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Galactic Map Info
Message-ID: <2e906fb90a2f002@gold.tc.umn.edu>

Update to the Astronomy Field Trip to Vland:


Funny that old article should get posted again right now.  Thanks to 
all for the answers to my old questions!

If you want to get a good look at "real-world" stellar positions and
structures in our galaxy, there's a great new book out entitled _The
Guide to the Galaxy_ by Nigel Henbest and Heather Couper, in the non-
fiction science/astronomy section.  Ever wonder how close the Traveller 
maps are to reality?  This book has rough *charts* of parts of our 
galaxy, showing a selection of key objects and structures we have 
estimated ranges on.  The spin orientation is identical to the fake 
Traveller maps.  It is also illustrated with many excellent color 
photographs of objects, and the text helps explain how our 
understanding of the galaxy has developed.

Of particular interest to Traveller players are plates A and C in 
chapter six, which coincidentally show the part of the Orion Spur 
containing the Imperium and a close-up of the Solomani Sphere, 
respectively.  One thing you should check out is the coincidental 
correspondence beteween the fictional border of the 50 parsec radius 
Solomani Sphere and the edge of an actual low-density region in the 
interstellar hydrogen called the "Local Bubble" shown on the chart.  
It makes for a handy scale.

It's a very interesting and educational book, and I recommend you 
take a look at it if you have a chance.  

"Harold D. Hale" <HDHALE@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com> wrote:

>   Someone a while back put out a map showing where "Known Space" is
>located in relation to the actual Milky Way Galaxy.  If your players get
>inflated egos about how much distance they've travelled (I have player in
>a campaign now who's playing a remnant who has literally travelled from
>Terra to Regina and back again during the course of several campaigns),
>it would be a good idea to show it to them.  Most measurements are in
>kpc (kiloparsecs--1000 parsecs equals a kiloparsec).  Known Space is just
>a glorified postage stamp in the grand scheme of things....

You might be able to find the GIF "galaxy.gif" or binhex'ed PICT 
"galaxy.hqx" at one of the ftp sites.  Otherwise, the book I plugged
above also has a map that gets the point across.  On the map in chapter 
three which shows the galaxy as best we know it, find the tiny red box
labeled "6".  That encloses the entire Imperium!

  Steve Bonneville
  <bonn0015@gold.tc.umn.edu>



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

Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 18:15:29 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Tariq M. Rashid" <spstmr@gsusgi2.gsu.edu>
To: Traveller Submission <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Mass Driver Guns
Message-ID: <Pine.3.87.9410031829.B6132-0100000@gsusgi2.gsu.edu>


You PEN figure of 482 may not be overly high when you realize that the 
penetrator of the M-1A1 120mm smoothbore is actually only 4cm in diameter 
with a muzzle velocity of 1700 m/s.  Your 7cm projectil may have double 
the mass or more.

Tariq



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

Date: Tue, 04 Oct 94 10:16:00 EST
From: "Upton, Django" <DUpton@VTRNNTOV.TELECOM.com.au>
To: tml <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re: Mass Driver Guns
Message-ID: <2E91B801@msmail.trl.oz.au>


PETER MCNAE <pmcnae@ozemail.com.au>

Recently I decided to see if I could construct some of the hover tanks from
2300AD. My first step was to create their mass driver cannons. I soon came
across some interesting/puzzling things.
1. The direct range fire formula. It says and I quote here;
"Short direct fire range in meters for a mass driver gun firing a kinetic
kinetic penetrator round is equal to the sum of the bore diameter (in
centimeters) and the muzzle velocity (in meters per second) all multiplied 
by
.015"

To my way of thinking that translates for a 7cm round at 2000m/s
(7 + 2000) * .015
= 30.105
That's not a very good range for a projectile travelling at 2000m/s
 --------------------------------------
Try the following:

Short Range (m) = (1/k)ln(ukt+1)

Where u= muzzle velocity (m/s)
t=0.3 (s)
k=(4dr^2)/MS
d=air density (atm)
r= 1/2 projectile diameter (m)
M= mass of projectile (kg)
S=special KEAP ammo pen mod eg 3 for apfsdsdu.
 ----------------------------------------
2. I'm assuming that you use the warhead design sequence for designing the
penetrator. If that's the case, my mass driver gun from above would have
13.47kg mass, 26.94Mj energy. Going to the KEAP section of warhead 
generation
this would give the penetrator a PV of 107.76. Multiply this by the
penetrator
type (at TL-10 APFSDSCI) and you get a PV of 484.92. A little high?
 ---------------------------------------
No that is right (until I get around to redesigning the KEAP pen formulae)
 ---------------------------------------
3. What is everyones best quess as to the TL of 2300AD? I noticed in the
discussion on Stutterwarp it was 13. Any others?
 ---------------------------------------
The tech doesn't match exactly. about TL13  for stutterwarp and plasma guns, 
about TL 10-11 for most other things.
Wait till you try to power the mass drivers in a hovertank!

Django.

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

Date: Tue, 4 Oct 1994 09:58:44 +0100 (BST)
From: cs5025@wlv.ac.uk (L.T.Bryant)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: 2300 tl ?
Message-ID: <m0qs5ht-0003taC@ccub.wlv.ac.uk>

HI
In  reply to mr Mcnae , My self and Mark Archer worked  out  last
year  that the TL was either high 12 low 13 and settled  on  TL12
if  you  want  the reson it was based on the  interveiw  in  Role
player  indepndent magazine with one of the GDW staff , I  forget
which one.

As for the second point abought the ranges on the mass drivers  i
came  across  that problem and after checking  my  dictionary  to
make  shure  i  was wrong i decided to multiply  round  size   by
muzzle  energy to get the range , it works on the smaller  rounds
but it may hash up on the larger ones, but considering the  power
drain on the larger rounds i decided that they wouldent be  used,
and  there for in MY game didnt matter, ( note in outher  peoples
games  differnt ruleings will be made , this is very  much  there
dicision.)

Hope  these  ramblings have helped, oh and if any one  wants  the
firearms for 2300 for TNE let me know and ill post them up again

L Bryant
-- 
oh rose thou art sick
               the invisible worm that flys by night.....STEEL


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

Date: 4 Oct 1994 10:10:54 U
From: "KMCCARTHY" <KMCCARTHY@qmgate.osc.hq.nasa.gov>
To: "New TML Broadcast" <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: TL of 2300AD
Message-ID: <199410041418.KAA27753@Mithril.MPGN.COM>

                       Subject:                               Time:7:55 AM
  OFFICE MEMO          TL of 2300AD                           Date:10/4/94
PETER MCNAE <pmcnae@ozemail.com.au> said:

>3. What is everyones best quess as to the TL of 2300AD? I noticed in the 
>discussion on Stutterwarp it was 13. Any others?

2300AD had three levels of technology, this is how *I* believe they relate to
T:TNE:

2300AD                                                           T:TNE/FFS
Old Comercial                                                  TL 11
New Comercial/Old Military                            TL 12
New Military                                                    TL 13

2300AD made a point of saying that the Core (Earth & Alpha Centari) was much
more advanced than the Colonies.  Also, in "Beanstalk" a narative passage
described the TL of a villiage which described a great deal of variation of
Tech Levels present in any colony.  It described a fishing village where
fishermen used electromagneticly enhanced nets and other devices but the
villages still used outhouses.  

The WBH defines a colony's tech level as the TL of the capital machinery that
is capable of making other equipment.  Tech levels of the colonies would be
much less than the Core, with variations for length of settlement, colonial
power controlling the colony, etc. but higher TL equipment is avaliable as
imported items from off world.  

I'd be interested in  seeing your designs of 2300AD vehicles and equipment
using FFS.

Kevin Mc Carthy

PS: The FFS Mass Driver formula has been modified but I don't recall the
correct fix.









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

Date:  4 Oct 94 11:30:21 ES
From: Derek Smith <Derek_Smith.LOTUS@crd.lotus.com>
To: traveller <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re: Mass Drivers
Message-ID: <9410041538.AA02511@internet1.lotus.com>

Kevin Mc Carthy writes:
>
>PS: The FFS Mass Driver formula has been modified but I don't recall
>the correct fix.

Does anyone remember the fix.  I ignored it at first (because I hadn't
bought the game yet), but now I'm making heavy use of FF&S.  Please
post the fixed formula if you know it.

Derek
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Derek R. Smith - Lotus Development Corporation - All opinions are Mark's

"Make it idiot proof and they'll build a better idiot.  And said idiot
will post execrable poetry to the Amber-RPG mailing list.  Judging from
the advanced level of idiocy on that list, I'd have to assert that *it*
has been made idiot proof, several times."

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

Date: Tue, 04 Oct 94 15:04:31 EDT
From: CHiggin@aol.com
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Change of address
Message-ID: <9410041504.tn312381@aol.com>

My address is changing to:

cyhiggin@aol.com

alternate: cynthia.higginbotham@sstar.com

Ciao!

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End of TRAVELLER Digest 60
**************************
