			    TRAVELLER Digest 71

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Re: Traveller 68	by "Harold D. Hale" <HDHALE@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
  2) Data: Queen Ashki, Marchioness of Persephone.	by alvin plummera <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
  3) Re: Library World Gen Program & Traveller Tools Group	by Jo_Grant.LOTUSINT@PLATO.lotus.com

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

Date: Thu, 13 Oct 1994 11:47:52 -0500
From: "Harold D. Hale" <HDHALE@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Traveller 68
Message-ID: <se9ebb0f.011@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>

Derek Smith says:

>Now, a ship design PHILOSOPHY question.  What levels of Armor to
>people tend to put on WARSHIPS that they design, and why?

   The answer is, that depends.  There are any number of variables,
armament, speed, fuel tankage, sensors, stealth, protection, etc.  My ships
tend to have moderate amounts of armor, large quantities of armament
(far beyond the mythical "1 socket per 100 displacement ton limit" that
used to exist), the best in sensors at the TL, and some redundacy with
regard to key systems (especially antennas) which get broken a lot.

   Yes, it is possible to design "flying tanks", but having your ship blinded
by laser fire is just as deadly sometimes as running around  in a ship with
notebook paper as armor.

>I envision 3 sort of "plateaus" in Armor level, and these give
>Armor Values of 310, 602, and 1975.

   1975?!!! I can't believe this is a valid design, but if it is, the ship
must be
denser than a diamond.

>What do people think?  Do you put higher armor levels on, just in case
>you run into someone who's _higher_ tech level than you?

   No, but I do mount more guns...think of it of the Soviet Approach...
throw a fall of fire up at them and let _whoever_ sort it out.  If I can't
kill him, I'll blind him, and then his better sensors will be useless.


Steve Charlton says:

>After sending my message about the GDW rumors, I called GDW and got
>an answer (as I expected).  I took this info (and a copy of yesterday's
>GDW posting) to my local shop, and encountered the same assistant
>flunky.  I told him that I did verify GDW was still around, and offered to
>show him the posting.  His response was that he honestly could not care
>less, that GDW produced shoddy product that never sold, and went back to
>his ongoing Magic game.  

   When you saw that he was a Magic player, that should have told you
immediately that he had no soul.  Magic players routinely sell them to
Satan in exchange for rare booster cards for their decks.  Such individuals
should be executed, but unfortunately they seem to find their way into
public service jobs (at near minimum wage), which makes them even more
bitter and insufferable.
   His opinion probably comes from friends who attempted to play the
1st printing of MegaTraveller (which *was* an errata filled nightmare).
Subsequent printing improved in quality, and TNE has turned out to be
excellent.  He of course missed these facts, as he was probably too busy
haggling with Satan over a particularly cool rare dragon card he wanted.
We could go on a bit about his unprofessional attitude, but I doubt he ever
had a professional thought in his pea-sized mind, so I will let it rest for
now.

>All of this was started when I foolishly asked him if he knew what the
> release date for Vampire Fleets was.  

   Fall of 1995, last I heard.

>This whole situation reminded me of the Challenge 74 editorial,  and has
>definitely prompted me to not return to this store.  This is too bad, as the
>store in question was a relatively new store, that I started patronizing in
>hopes of encouraging a second game store in this city (Tucson).

   It might be a good idea to give the manager of the store a call to see
what
he/she thinks about their employees being rude to customers, lying to them
about the status of products, and playing games on company time when they
should be assisting you, the customer.  Many distributors put out catalogs
of the products they handle, and these catalogs get distributed to game
stores.  It would have taken the souless pea brain about 30 seconds to look
up GDW products in one of those catalogs and confirm if they were still in
business (I know this is possible because one of the staff of the game store
I frequent looked up another GDW product for me to see if it was still being
published a few weeks ago).  I hope you manage to get the souless pea brain
severely reprimanded.

>I have always enjoyed GDW's product, so this attitude really surprised me. 
>Is this a common attitude out there, or did I just happen upon a nest of
>fools?

   Traveller has a no-so-good reputation amongst certain gaming circles
because of the errata problems, disagreements over how the Rebellion
Era was handled (many of these people believe that there shouldn't have
been a Rebellion Era to start with), and lack of support from GDW.
All that is of course old news, but like the reputation of the American
automotive industry, it takes a while for people to change their minds about
a product (GM, Chrysler and Ford have had record years this year for the
first time in *ages*).  TNE is a good product, and it is just a matter of
time before even the snot-nosed kids that run the gamestores think of it
in a better light.  I have personally witnessed some conversions myself.  :-)

Derek Smith says:

>You happened upon one nest in a larger Wide-Area-Nestwork.
>We are Virus in the Global nest of fools.  Fools are ubiquitous.

   I would like to state for the record that I am neither Virus or a fool.
I am, however, criminally insane.  There can be no other explaination
for why I read all this stuff and enjoy it.    :-)

-hdh





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

Date: Fri, 14 Oct 1994 16:51:09 -0400 (EDT)
From: alvin plummera <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Data: Queen Ashki, Marchioness of Persephone.
Message-ID: <Pine.3.05.1.9410141549.B13033-e100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


Data and an interview on 

Queen Ashki Medish Saakekuu
  Queen of Mudemzalushush     (Persephone Royality)
  Marchioness of Persephone   (Imperial Royality)
  Master of the Ushama
  Champion of the Widows
  Judge of the Balance

UPP 544759-4-D    born: 1158   age: 42

skills...
  Liaison      6 (15)   Persuasion      5 (14)   Vilani    3 (11)
  Admin/Legal  6 (11)   Interrorgation  3 (10)   Galanglic 2 (10)
  Leader       4 (13)   Observation     2 (9)    History: 
  Act/Bluff    2 (11)   Psychology      4 (11)      Persaphone/Ushama 2 (7)
  Unarmed M.A. 1 (6)                                General           1 (6)
  Theology: Naminolus 1 (8)
  Grav Pilot   2 (6)    Enviro Suit     1 (5)    Marketing  1 (6)

psionic skills...
  Telempathy       4    Project Though, Willpower Drain, etc...      0
  Project Emotion  2

family...
  Prince Consort Ikigmis (born 1154)... a pleasent, harmless fellow. Her
husband whom she dearly loves.
  Princess Khukude (born 1179) ........ a religious daughter, currently in
religious training.
  Prince Inuksi (born 1181) ........... a happy-go-lucky son, just
returned from a trade mission to the Sword Worlds.
  Princess Aargir (born 1184) ......... at home being tutored.  The
Queen's favorite.
  Prinesss Ashki (born 1190) .......... at home being tutored.
 
[NOTE TO REFEREE: the Queen will NOT openly discuss her psionic powers, or
the
psionic powers of the ruling Digamu aristocracy.  

The Digamu has had connections with the Zhodani Consulate for a long tome,
streching back to 502.  This psionic order arrived at Persephone at 603 as
Naminalus pilgrims, and stayed.  By 720 they were the ruling elite,
but when the Psionic Suppression hit in 800, they offically gave up their
psionics.

Well, they kept it, but "under wraps", and mainly in connection with
their religion.  Much of the nobility eventually 'semi-legimitized' their
psionics by secretly promoting, and later patronizing, the secret Imperial
Psionic Institute on Mora (Mora: Spinward Marches 3124 A99AB7-F).  They
never fully revealed their family connections to the Consulate, though. 
They 'kept in touch' with Zhodani family members back in the Far Frontiers
sector (the zhodane "Afachiabr Sector"), though always discreetly and
never seriously treasonous...except in 'flexing' a few laws here and
there.  

Even after the Psionic Suppressions were repealed in the 1140's, they did
not "come out of the closet".  They remain quite secretive about their
psionic powers; although the Regency Govt. knows about it, they rather
aviod the general public knowing.  And their family connections to the 
Zhodani Consulate is a deep deep secret. ]

Details: 

Born at 1158 to King Shi (at age 62) and Concubine Agiigugig
Raised as the Heiress to the Crown, under a regent
 (King Shi died in 1167)
Crowned Queen at 1179; married that same year

Visual:

A slim, attractive elegant woman of 42.
Typically Vilani features (large oval head, bronzed skin, large grey eyes.
   sharp facial features)
Long, greying brunette hair, always swept back
Clothing in typical Vilani style, of asymmeterical form and thick, bulky
   material.
An affection for tasteful hair jewelery

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

Queen Ashki is a good example of how a minor noble can dominate a
subsector, if the political enviroment permits it.

At 1179, Ashki inherited a bankrupt government from her father, King
Shi (1194 - 1179).  For centuries Gekashiishaa, a ancient form of Vilani
communism (it originated at Diaspora, at -7200 Imperial), worked well on
Persephone.

The unexpected loss of Glisten in [1125? help, anyone?] slashed revenue to
Persephone, and the enormous bureaucracy failed to react quickly or
creatively enough to avoid the long-term consequences.

At 1179, Ashki became Queen of Persephone. Two months later, Persephone's
four main creditors arrived at her palace for discussions on debt
servicing.  But, Persephone could give no more without threatening the
very stability of her society, and the Crown itself.  So she recieved an
ultimatim...
  
"Turn over the administration of your government to us"
[Give us your crown]

or

"Slash social spending."
[And face the planetary equivelant of the Rebellion and Collapse]

or

"Declare bankrupcy"
[And have your crown stripped from you by the Archduke, for dereliction of
Duty.]

Queen Ashki choose to end social spending, but in a way that kept her
crown on her head.

Basically, she maneouvered the political situation so that not only did
her political and ideological enemies, the leaders of the Old Order, recieved
the blame for the financial crunch, they also had to publicly sign the
documents that ended the old system of Gekashiishaa.  Moreover, in a
stunning move, the Queen held them _personally_ liable for the debt, and
confisitated all their property and wealth to pay for it.  All this at the
tender age of 21.

After destroying the Old Order - by implication, but never by openly
challenging it - Queen Ashki began to establish her New Order - again by
her actions, rather than proclimation.

She surrounded herself with wealthy, aggressive young men who's destiny
she controlled with steel smiles and velvet words.  The priests who she
favoured did not wish to perfect their inner faith, like the old
establishment
wanted.  The "New Balance" required the conversion of offworlders, rather
than "keeping your own life clean next to the spiritually dying, crying out
for help and Balance in their lives".

Those who suffered the most in the nameless New Order were mocked and
attacked ruthlessly if they dared complain.  Very few even understoon what
was going on, as the situation was so novel in their 770 year history that
their wasn't even a name for it, or a word to describe it.  Those that did
understood could do nothing: their leadership was discraced, their
ideology in ruins.

By 1190 the economy was finally recovering.  With the death of
Gekashiishaa a new, vigourous society was being born.  In this society
freedom reined, with one limit: never challange the elite, the Digamu.
The drive of this society was for raw, unlimited wealth and power,
cloaked/limited by an extreme piety to the High God and His Balance. 
Anyone could rise as high as they can, but if you fall, not a hand will be
given in aid.  A lot better than the old 100% income taxes.  A lot crueler
than the excellent old health care system, free to all.

At 1193, Queen Ashki again sent a political earthquake throughout
Persephone, when she sent out most of Persephone's 70 million-man army to
fight on Florine (District 268: Spinward Marches/1533, D312975-A), a
balklanized world on the edge of the Aslan New Lord territories. 
Currently, Florine is involved in a bitter civil war with pro-Aslan,
pro-Regency, and pro-Independent fractions (among others).  The decision
to send Persephone troops under the Imperial Banner to war electrified the
planet at the time, providing a potent kick of patriotism.  The troops are
still there, but now mainly as garrison troops.

[This is the first time that Persephone's army has fough (in anything
tougher than police actions) in 360 years.  AND the first time that the
Army has left the subsector.]

>From 1195, the Queen, now sure of herself in the interstellar sphere,
began to promote Persephone interests throughout the subsector.  Diplomats
and missionaries have been sent as far as the Consulate and the coreward
Vargr states.  Several major deals with large subsector corporations are
turning Persephone into a hub of industry and activity.  Her Royal Majesty
is promoting large families, to increase population and become a major
contender for the title of subsector capital.

The Queen feels that the greatest limitation to future Persephone
greatness is tech level limitations and the fact that Glisten
(Glisten: Spinward Marches/2036 A000986-F) remains in
Aslan hands, limiting commerce through Persephone.  To remedy this, she is
openly courting TL B and C companies to shift their operations to
Persephone, via tax breaks, stressing the lack of trade laws and
regulations of any kind, and the low, low wages that Persephonians are
willing to accept.  Slowly but surely, interest is picking up.  She is
certain that a "Critical point" is nearing that will change Persephone
forever as a flood of 'high-tech' companies move in.

As for Glisten, she is pulling strings in both Naval circles and at the
Archduke's palace to create a naval base at Persephone.  She is also
stressing the critical political and geopolicial importance of
reconquering Glisten.  As for Virus, we all know that Virus has died out
back in the wilds, now don't we?  This ain't 1130, after all.

This year (1200), she has just bough 4 TL B, 350 disp. traders to handle
increasing traffic.  The new starport will be ready within the year.  And
the Naminolus religion is spreading throughout Strouden. The only fly in the
bottle remains the new subsector governor, Subsector Governor Anthony E.
Prentice-Hall, who attempts to stymize her every move.  He endlessly
proclames, in his nasal whine, that Persephone is upsetting the entire
subsector economy, with the possibility of a major economic shift in power
and economic consequences which no one can forsee or control.

In subsector affairs, she has increasingly sided with Strouden
(Lunion: Spinward Marches/2327 A745988-D) against Adabicci (Lunion:
Spinward Marches/1824 A571896B-B) and the subsector capital of Lunion
(Lunion: Spinward Marches 2124 A995984-D).  This increasing acrimony is
dividing the subsector into two competing blocks, and massive girdlock in
the subsector government houses.  The subsector Duke is attempting to calm
the subsector with ineffectual meetings and soothing words, but "It ain't
working". 

Among her other drives, she is attempting to persuade the sector nobility
to help her convince the Archduke to declare himself Emperor.  She feels
that this would give a strong boost to the fortunes of the Nobility, and
promote the drive to reunify the Empire.  Both "Good Things" from her
perspective.

She is angling for a promotion, eventually as Duchess of
_Persephone_ Subsector, but right now as Countess of Ushama. As 
Countess, she would have authority over nearby Penkwar (Lunian: Spinward
Marches/2128 X978000-0) and Harvosette (Lunian: Spinward Marches/2129
C330737-9).  Harvosette are of the same culture as Persephone - Ushama -
and have the same system of rule; Harvosette was a colony of Persephone
from the 870's to the 960's.  Of course, only the Emperor can grand new
noble patents... but maybe Regents can do so, too.  Queen Ashki is trying
out both avenues.

Finally, as Champion of the Widows, she is involved in several major
charities throughout the subsector.  She also promotes several events,
both throughout the subsector and on Persephone, to bring the plight of
widows (and widowers) to public attention. 

Alvin Plummer
"When I had come to this part of my dream, the wind rose with rumbling
rain which disturbed my sleep... You have made me realize the enchantment
of other regions."  - Johannes Kepler  1609 A.D.



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

Date: Sat, 15 Oct 94 05:49:29 EDT
From: Jo_Grant.LOTUSINT@PLATO.lotus.com
To: UNIXML::"traveller @ MPGN.COM"@lotus.com
Subject: Re: Library World Gen Program & Traveller Tools Group
Message-ID: <9410150949.AA06153@Mail.Lotus.com>

~~inner_header~~
To: UNIXML::"traveller @ MPGN.COM"
Subject: Re: Library World Gen Program & Traveller Tools Group

alvin plummera writes:
>I was looking through some old bundles, and I noted that there is a way to
>tweak that Library program.  Is there a way, excluding Notron Utilities &
co.?
>(I'm thinking of a text editor, maybe hopefully please please) 
	If you are refering to the LIBRARY or SYSGEN program,
I am the author (as indicated in the on-line help and readme
files). What are you interested in seeing tweaked? (Aside from
the later builds being grossly unstable :-)
	If you haven't been reading XBOAT (like any civilised
gentlesophont should) you are probably unaware that I have
called for and created the "Traveller Tools Group". We are
seeking to produce tools useful to traveller users as gaming
aids and to those seeking to write game aids. The output is
along three levels:
	(1) Libraries of Classes for common required objects.
Just the functionary stuff. No UI at all.
	(2) Libraries of Controls (possibly VBXs). Basically the
number one deliverables wrapped or integrated with a UI.
	(3) Applications for basic stuff (Windows/Chicago).
Basically the number two deliverables taken to their logical
extreme.
	The charter is for MegaTraveller compliancy in (preferably)
Visual C++ with Windows as the target platform. I am willing
to tolerate TNE compliancy as an extension to the base
functionality or for conformance where no MT standard
exists (e.g. weapon's design).
	Anyone is welcome to join in. Either as a coder/architect
if they have basic C++ skills, or as a designer/reviewer if they
are just skilled in Traveller. Just write to me at:
		Jo_Grant@crd.lotus.com

				Jo

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End of TRAVELLER Digest 71
**************************
