			    TRAVELLER Digest 73

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Questions	by kendelhardt jason david <kendejd9@wfu.edu>
  2) Capital	by Mark Fletcher <mf1@st-andrews.ac.uk>
  3) WELCOME JASON	by john.bogan@asb.com

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Date: Sun, 16 Oct 1994 17:13:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: kendelhardt jason david <kendejd9@wfu.edu>
To: "Traveller:TNE list" <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Questions
Message-ID: <Pine.HPP.3.91.941016171119.8971G-100000@acg60.wfunet.wfu.edu>



This is part test (to see if this posts) and mostly questions. A little 
background. I bought the deluxe box set (TNE rulebook and FF&S) after it 
had been catching my eye ever since it came out (92ish?), mailnly to get 
a hard SF game to base some fiction on. I must admit, I was not 
disappointed. I have only played TW:2000 2nd ed. a few times, so I knew 
what to expect, but had forgotten most of the rules. So I slugged through 
the rulebook, skimmed FF&S, intending to use it once I started on the SF 
stories. THen I found you guys, and so I bought Brilliant Lances ('cause 
I found a hobby store with lots of TNE stuff). Now I am pretty hooked 
(but left my TNE stuff at home, alas), and have a few non-rules questions.

1. Are the 2300AD, Traveller, Megatraveller, and TNE games in the same 
universe (as in same background, but different time periods)? You all 
seem to be using supplemnets from one game with another, and since I 
have seen only a microscopic amount of the other games, I am curious.

2. Does Battle Rider have new ships and stuff, or is it just a 
streamlined way to play Brilliant Lances (which for large scale battles, 
could use some streamlining). I want real BIG ships, none of those puny 
3000 ton Midu Agashaam destroyers, I'm talking Leviatian-style ships.

3. What supplements are out? I've seen an equipment guide, a survival 
guide book, a Star Viking book, and something called Smash and Grab (is 
that the SV book?), some modules perhaps. I'm interested in aliens, more 
equipment, maybe a good universe guide.

4. Is Challenge magazine a TNE exclusive mag, or does it cover all of 
GDWs products? And is it any good, and how much does a subscription cost?

5. Heard some disappointing things about the computer prog they advertized, 
like it was just lists of stuff, not a ship builder prog or an actual 
working program (run combat on it or plot travel times).

6. Any word on a new TW:2000 computer game, I loved the first one (until 
the missions got REAL repetitive), or maybe a TNE one?

Once I scam a ride home, I'll get the rest of the books, crunch numbers 
to make some FF&S stuff, and be a regular (I hope) contributor to this 
group. One more thing, are the Daily Logs kept FTPed somewhere? I started 
at about 58 and would like to get the earlier ones. Later

P.S. I've been trying to get this to post for a week, if you see this 
Alvin, then I figured it out for myself. Thanks all the same.


******************************************************************************
Jason Kendelhardt                         Violence is Golden
kendejd9@wfu.edu                     and I have the Midas Touch

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


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

Date: Mon, 17 Oct 1994 11:08:50 +0100 (BST)
From: Mark Fletcher <mf1@st-andrews.ac.uk>
To: Traveller <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Capital
Message-ID: <Pine.3.87.9410171150.A15065-0100000@pasta>

Does anyone have UWP or extended UWP in the style of DGP's World Builders 
Handbook for the Capital system itself? Principally im looking for UWP 
for the other planets of the Capital system pre-collapse. If anyone has 
it, I would be grateful if someone could post it to the mailing list (bar 
copyright) or myself personally.

P.S. Just two queries:
    
(1) Wouldnt Io be a suitable breeding ground for the semiconductor chips 
that were the precursor to virus? I think it would be viable since Io and 
Cymbeline have similar environments (Hot, lots of tectonic activity). The 
only difference is that Io would have a weaker magnetosphere, and 
radiation from Jupiters Van Allen belts would corrupt chips that would 
try to breed on Io.

(2)Is Lucan back? If so is he some kind of mutated cyborg freak ala Darth 
Vader????

_________________________________________________________________________
|"To me cool is about knowing who you    |  Mark Fletcher,              |
| are and liking who you are and walking |  University of St Andrews,   |
| without fear of who you are, with no   |  Scotland.                   | 
| baggage, no mask."                     |  (mf1@st-andrews.ac.uk)      |
|                      Bono.             |                              |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------



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

Date: Mon, 17 Oct 94 01:24:10 
From: john.bogan@asb.com
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: WELCOME JASON
Message-ID: <9410170124.A6383wk@asb.com>


                                                                 +

                 > This is part test (to see if this posts) and mostly
questions.

Welcome aboard


 A little 
background. I bought the deluxe box set (TNE rulebook and FF&S) after it 
had been catching my eye ever since it came out (92ish?), mailnly to get 
a hard SF game to base some fiction on. I must admit, I was not 
disappointed. I have only played TW:2000 2nd ed. a few times, so I knew 
what to expect, but had forgotten most of the rules. So I slugged through 
the rulebook, skimmed FF&S, intending to use it once I started on the SF 
stories. THen I found you guys, and so I bought Brilliant Lances ('cause 
I found a hobby store with lots of TNE stuff). Now I am pretty hooked 
(but left my TE stuff at home, alas), and have a few non-rules questions.

> 1. Are the 2300AD, Traveller, Megatrveller, and TNE games in the same 
> universe (as in same background but differet time periods)? You all 
> seem to be using supplemnets from one game with another, and since I 
> have seen only a microscopic amount of the other games I am curious.

Traveller (in its various forms) has been around since 1977.
The original TRAVELLER (now usually referred to as Classic Traveller or CT)
established the "charted space" universe that MegaTraveller and TNE
take place in.  It featured the old, huge, and civilized Imperium, but
most material focussed on its fronteir and border areas, where it
was easier to find "interesting" situations for your poor, hapless PC's :-)
     Most of the published material for CT from GDW took place in the
Spinward Marches (the core of the Regency in TNE), with some scenarios
in the Solomani Rim (the sector rimward of Diaspora [below it on the map]).
A number of licensees published material in orther parts of the universe.
(For instance, some material in Old Expanses was published by FASA,
when their stock-in-trade was Traveller supplements and deckplans).
Most of these took place in the years 1105 to 1112 (Imperial calender).

MEGATRAVELLER was an attempt to modernize CT's game mechanics
(I won't go into that here), and to showcase the new edition, they threw
the background universe into civil war.  The Rebellion took place from
1116 to 1130, with the period between 1125-1130 called the "Hard Times",
due to the damage the war caused.

Since you have TNE, you know that perspective on things.

2300 AD (originally called Traveller: 2300, causing great confusion)
is NOT in the Imperial background.  Instead, 2300 takes the
Twilight:2000 background 300 years down the road.

> 2. Doe Battle Rider have new ships and stuff or is it just a 
> streamlined way to play Brillat Lances (which for large scale battles, 
> could use some streamlining). I want real BIG ships, none of those puny 
> 3000 ton Midu Agashaam destroyers, I'm talking Leviatian-style ships.

Battle Rider DOES have more ships.  I think the largest is about
300,000 tons.

> 3. What supplements are out? I've seen an equipment guide, a survival 
> guide book, a Star Viking book, and something called Smash and Grab (is 
> that the SV book?), some modules perhaps. I'm interested in aliens, more 
> equipment, maybe a good universe guide.

Aside from TNE itself, Battle Rider, and Brilliant Lances:
FF&S-  design rules
RCES Equipement Guide -- what it says
Smash & Grab -- "smash and grab" mission scenarios (several)
World Tamers Handbook -- planet detailing, running a colony, two
     scenarios, and archaic weapons design
Star Vikings -- detailed NPC's from the RC and environs.
anything I'm forgetting?

For aliens, there is a module upcoming for the Hivers and Ithklur,
but try digging around for the CT and MT aliens modules, as well
as any old issues of the Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society which
have 'Contact:' articles in them.


> 4. Is Challenge magazine a TNE exclusive mag, or does it cover all of 
> GDWs products? And is it any good, and how much does a subscription cost?

Challenge covers SF gaming in general, which means it covers games besides
those by GDW (Shadowrun and Cyberpunk usually have articles)

> 5. Heard some disappointing things about the computer prog they advertized,

> like it ws just lists of stuff, not a ship builder prog or an actual 
> working program (run combat on it or plot travel times).

Can't comment there, as I don't know.

John Bogan


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End of TRAVELLER Digest 73
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