			    TRAVELLER Digest 83

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Re: Stutterwarp	by Michael Llaneza <mllaneza@mercury.sfsu.edu>
  2) Re: Supernovas & s**t	by Derek Smith <Derek_Smith.LOTUS@crd.lotus.com>
  3) Re: Stutterwarp & Sensors	by Rob_Prior@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca (Rob Prior)
  4) RAFM miniatures and other things	by "Glenn M. Goffin" <sudet@well.sf.ca.us>
  5) Supernovae,Supernovae,Supernovae!	by Stewart Eyres <spe@jb.man.ac.uk>
  6) challenger 33	by "p.a.c.tavares" <cabr85@ccsun.strath.ac.uk>
  7) Big Ships of the Line	by michel_v@cpx.Prograph.Com (Michel R. Vaillancourt; ACP)
  8) Stutterwarp Detection	by michel_v@cpx.Prograph.Com (Michel R. Vaillancourt; ACP)
  9) Virus	by Mark Fletcher <mf1@st-andrews.ac.uk>
 10) -No Subject-	by Derek Smith <Derek_Smith.LOTUS@crd.lotus.com>
 11) wow!	by Joni M Virolainen <jonimv@evitech.fi>

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

Date: Wed, 26 Oct 1994 15:22:49 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michael Llaneza <mllaneza@mercury.sfsu.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Cc: Multiple recipients of list <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re: Stutterwarp
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9410261519.A24925-0100000@mercury>

	As I recall, most of Poul Anderson's SF used something much like 
stutterwarp for ftl. He handled deep space combat by requiring ships to match
location
velocity
phase

	Where phase is the frequency at which the ship makes its 
microjumps. Go and reread the Flandry series, that'll give you a good 
feel for stutterwarp ships.

Michael Carter Llaneza
Conceptual Design Services             The Worse it gets,
Pi Kappa Phi                           The more I get used to it.
"I am the NRA"			       Duty Now For The Future


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

Date: 26 Oct 94 11:37:07 ES
From: Derek Smith <Derek_Smith.LOTUS@crd.lotus.com>
To: traveller <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re: Supernovas & s**t
Message-ID: <9410262327.AA02876@internet1.lotus.com>

I originally wrote:
>> speeds).  Remember though, that the density of this energy falls
>> off with the inverse of the cube of it's distance from the star
>> from which it was expunged...  By the time it gets, say, one
>> parsec away, it will be pretty feeble.
>> 

spe @ jb.man.ac.uk (Stewart Eyres) replied:
>Isn't this as radius squared.  I might be missing something here, but the 
>thing that matters is how it is spread over the surface of an ever 
>expanding sphere, particularly as the change in distance from the star 
>from one end of a ship or distant planet to the other is pretty small 
>compared with the distance from the star.

You are correct about it being an inverse square rather than an inverse
cube relation.  My apologies.  I was typing faster than I was thinking.
However, even radius squared is going to make it pretty F'ing Feeble 
by the time it gets to the nearest system.

Thanks for the correction.

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

Date: 26 Oct 1994 19:59:14 GMT
From: Rob_Prior@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca (Rob Prior)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Stutterwarp & Sensors
Message-ID: <1913253854.70389310@nynet.nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca>

There was an article in Challenge 33 about sensors and stutterwarp.  Really
good summary of tactics, as well as a 2300 naval campaign game.  Lots of good
stuff.  Check it out.

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

Date: Wed, 26 Oct 1994 23:37:37 -0700
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <sudet@well.sf.ca.us>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM, xboat@MPGN.COM
Subject: RAFM miniatures and other things
Message-ID: <199410270637.XAA29436@well.sf.ca.us>

Patrick Murphy asked about RAFM miniatures.  I posted a list of
miniatures on the TML a few months ago, which GDW support
indicated was complete as of that date.  But here it is again (note that
the numbers are not in sequence): 



5801 Scout (2)
5802 SDB (2)
5803 Gazelle (2)
5804 Patrol Cruiser (2)
5805 Free Trader (2)
5806 Far Trader (2)
5807 Lab Ship & Boat
5808 Subsidized Merchant & Launch
5809 Yacht (2)
5810 Launch (4)
5811 Ship's Boat
5812 Modular Cutter (4)
5813 Shuttle (3)
5852 Marinein Battle Dress (3)
5853 Technos (Hiver and Human)(
5858 Combat Robots (3)
5859 Aslan Mercenaries (3)
5860 Grav bike & Rider

>...alien  languages of Traveller...
>...these languages a la Marc  Okrand.  

This sounds like a fun project.  Who's Marc Okrand?  Let me know
if you need help.  (I'm not trained in linguistics, but I have a little
ability with languages.)

Glenn F. Gorsuch wrote:


>Glenn (not the one that posts all the time, but rather a newcomer)

>--  This insightful commentary was brought to you by Glenn F.

Gorsuch. 


Welcome.  I'm glad to see that all three Glenns on the TML/XTML
use both ns

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

Date: Thu, 27 Oct 1994 08:58:10 +0000 (GMT)
From: Stewart Eyres <spe@jb.man.ac.uk>
To: "Trav. Mailing List" <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Supernovae,Supernovae,Supernovae!
Message-ID: <Pine.3.87.9410270810.A2484-0100000@jbss4>

Supernovae NOT supernovas

Bl*$#dy foreigners, can't even spell words that aren't even English 
without changing them into American! :->

____________________________________________________________________________
"Traveller Done Wrong 
	- Let's get the Fiction back into Science Fiction Roleplaying"

Stewart								N.R.A.L.
								Jodrell Bank
								Macclesfield
spe@jb.man.ac.uk						Cheshire
								SK11 9DL
____________________________________________________________________________




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

Date: Thu, 27 Oct 1994 11:12:18 +0000 (GMT)
From: "p.a.c.tavares" <cabr85@ccsun.strath.ac.uk>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: challenger 33
Message-ID: <9410271112.AA01858@lui.cc.strath.ac.uk>

Just saw a reference to lone wolf, a star cruiser extension
on challenge 33.  does anyone in the UK (or better still
in Glasgow) has this issue?

---------------------------------------
Pedro A.C. Tavares

Dept of Physics & Applied Physics
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK

Email: p.tavares@ccsun.strath.ac.uk
       cabr85@ccsun.strath.ac.uk

Tel No: +44-41-552 4400 (ext. 3151)
Fax No: +44-41-552 2891
---------------------------------------

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

Date: Thu, 27 Oct 1994 08:35:17 -0500
From: michel_v@cpx.Prograph.Com (Michel R. Vaillancourt; ACP)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Big Ships of the Line
Message-ID: <9410271135.AA01480@Prograph.Com>

Derek Wildstar <wildstar@qrc.com> commented:
>Matt did an excellent job at designing a truly large ship for T:TNE (and, as
>far as I know, the only such design - does anyone else have FF&S designs for
>ships larger than, say, 50,000 displacement tons?).  The complete design
>evaluation, as well as the complete set of calculations for everything (not
>only the ship itself, but the spinal and bay weapons, and the subordinate
>craft)

  Myself and Les Howie are going to do an experimental set of combats
involving my High Guard "Ulitmate Big Ship".  Patterned and named after the
Dreadnaught/ Carrier in _Battlestar_Galactica_, in my campaign the Humanex
Compact (my empire) realized that thier hostile neighbours were slightly
more advanced in military technology.  As a result, any ships the Humanex
Compact designed had to be of such size and firepower as to overwhelm any
force they might encounter.  Thus began the Battlestar Project.  Rough hull
dimensions are 1500m long, 300m wide by 150m thick in a slab configuration.
 Rough tonnage is 6.5MT.
  Once we are done the conversion process, I'll publish it here.  Currently
we have the main armorments in place; a single messon gun with a bore
length of 1200m and a support battery of PAWs with a bore length of 1200m. 
Secondary armarments will include armor-breaking lasers (5pts all bands),
point defense lasers (2 pts all bands) and "Standard" and "Cruise" missles
bays.  Carried ship compliment will include 150-ton fighters, landing craft
and scoop-shps.  It is being built at TL 13, so the effencies are awful on
the MG and PAWS, but it is a realistic TL.  Both the PAWs and MG still do
20 points and can reach out to *80* hexes.
  Once we have this done, we are, as I said, going to do some experimental
combats.  The intent is to prove/ disprove that big ships make sense in a
fleet context...  Because of the way BattleRider uses critcal hits, we have
been wondering if dozens of fast battlecrusiers are the right answer.  Or,
does the Dreadnaught/ Super-Dreadnaught still have a place in BattleRider. 
We'll keep you posted.
--
    -+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=-
 Michel Vaillancourt            Written from, not for:          
 "Live, Love, Learn"            Prograph International      
 MetroCity 2.0.2.0 BBS          2745 Dutch Village Rd,         
    902.835.9766                     Halifax, NS                
1:251/17@fidonet.org            "Watch your language!"          

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

Date: Thu, 27 Oct 1994 08:49:33 -0500
From: michel_v@cpx.Prograph.Com (Michel R. Vaillancourt; ACP)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Stutterwarp Detection
Message-ID: <9410271150.AA01526@Prograph.Com>

>From: "p.a.c.tavares" <cabr85@ccsun.strath.ac.uk>
>
>About FTL space combat with stutterwarp.
>
>The argument posed by GDW is that speeds outside a system (that
>is FTL speeds) make fighting encounters close to impossible.
>So combat only happens at subluminal speeds.  
>
>The description of the effect of FTL on normal sensors actually
>strenghens the above argument.  Since ships will in general be
>travelling at FTL between systems they are virtually undetectable.

  In my short-lived 2300 game, I stated that the SW effect produced a
"Foot-print" of high-energy emmssions on each "real-space" segment of the
SW cycle.  As a result, while you might not be able to do anything about
them directly, you could build up a vector on where they were headed and at
what speed.
  
--
    -+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=-
 Michel Vaillancourt            Written from, not for:          
 "Live, Love, Learn"            Prograph International      
 MetroCity 2.0.2.0 BBS          2745 Dutch Village Rd,         
    902.835.9766                     Halifax, NS                
1:251/17@fidonet.org            "Watch your language!"          

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

Date: Thu, 27 Oct 1994 14:10:51 +0000 (GMT)
From: Mark Fletcher <mf1@st-andrews.ac.uk>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Virus
Message-ID: <Pine.3.87.9410271449.A12468-0100000@pasta>


Erich Schneider writes:
 
> 1) Black Curtain
> 
> Regardless of our speculation about what is "really" behind the
> Curtain, it can't be _too_ overwhelming. I base this from the
> following (_Survival Margin_, p. 5):
> 
> "It is still common for archaeological and historical artifacts
> relating to Lucan to be destroyed in an irrational exorcistical
> frenzy within the area of the former Black Sphere." 
>   - Victoria Kiigun and Norris Ushakov
>     Regence University of Deneb, Mora, NE 65
 
Stay tuned, anything can happen in the next 64 years!

Loren Wiseman writes:
 
>  >(2)Is Lucan back? If so is he some kind of mutated cyborg
>  > freak ala Darth Vader????
>  
>  Actually, Lucan's brain has been transplanted into the body of
>  a 6-foot ppurple dinosaur, and he is now pursuing a
>  career singing children's songs on TV and videos...

I guess that answers alot of questions then. Right! Thats it! Ive had 
enough!! Im going to write an adventure for the RC which pits them against...
THE POWER RANGERS!!!

>  Re: The Black Curtain:
>  >
>  > Please, please, pretty please GDW, my favourite game
>  > company, could you shed some light on the situation??
>  > (Whine, beg, plead!!)
>  
>  I wish I could...Dave hasn't told _me_ everything yet...I still
>  don't know who the lady in black on the TNE cover is (I prefer to
>  think it is Malificent, the evil queen from Disney's _Snow
>  White_, but I'm funny that way :-) ).

Couldnt you drop up just a little hint
 (like whats her E-mail address...? ;-) ) ?

Rob Miracle writes: 

> I think that Borg like is a bit difficult to fit in considering the current
> environment.  However a Cylon like group would be more appropriate for
> Virus.  Pure machine, pure AI, absoulte control.

I think so too. Also its a bit of a rip off to copy one of ST:TNG's 
adversaries. As for Cylons, see below.
 
> Traveller already has sofisticated enough Bots that they could easily
> perform all ships functions.  In fact, they would probably cause humans to
> be slaves, (depending on the Virus type that was controlling the Bots).
> 
> There is a lot of possiblities, unfortunatly, the best ones have been used
> by other SciFi sources.  Also, does any one who has read Asmov's Robot
> series see any relationships here?

There are also other examples of societies where Humans and Computers 
rely on each other to survive. One example that springs to mind are the 
works of the author Iain M Banks. I dont know if his books are sold in 
the States, but for the benefit of those who have not read his stuff 
(shame on you!) I will now explain

Bank's novels (Consider Phlebus, Use of Weapons, Player of Games and 
State of the Art) are centred round an interstellar civilization known as 
"The Culture". The Culture is a human/computer symbiotic society. There 
are no laws, no formal hierarchy. Money does not exist, and the only 
things which are in short supply are energy and matter. Humans and 
computers both have an equal status in society, and both contribute to 
maintain the culture.

I think the society behind the Black Curtain, will not be like the Borg, 
nor like the Cylons. Instead it will be like the former 3rd Imperium, but 
with a few subtle twists.

(1) History has been rewritten within the Black Curtain, so as to make it 
look like the Collapse occured due to outside influences (not Lucan.). 

(2) Cybernetics have become an accepted part of the society. There is 
still a patent of Nobility, The Nobility having a greater percentage of 
metal being grafted on. There is no longer an Emperor, but instead a High 
Regent (Lucan with a lot of metal perhaps..?). Positions in high places/ 
Navy etc also have Cybernetics involved. The majority of people however 
still do not have prosthetics ("They do not have the privelige")

(3) An AI Virus runs the whole show (unofficially).

Its a bit sketchy (ha!) but I'll be working on it this weekend so 
hopefully I should be able to post something a bit more concrete next week.


Alan Huscroft writes:

> I have seen some of the new (RAFM?) Traveller miniatures on sale at
> Leisure Games in Finchley, north London.  If anyone twists my arm hard
> enough I'll look up the address/phone number.

Alan I would greatly appreciate it if you could post that address.
_________________________________________________________________________
|"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: 27 Oct 94 11:04:48 ES
From: Derek Smith <Derek_Smith.LOTUS@crd.lotus.com>
To: traveller <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: -No Subject-
Message-ID: <9410271637.AA02847@internet1.lotus.com>

I  wrote:
>> If you put Stutterwarp in your campaign, you'd better also add FTL
>> (ie: Tachyon) Sensors, or be willing to assume that space combat 
>> never occurs except in the immediate vicinity of a large mass.

Les Howie responded: 
>Its been a while since I read the 2300 rules, but I think the cutoff for SW 
>going sublight is somewhere around the orbit of Jupiter -  In fact, a far 
wider 
>sphere then you have with Jump equipped ships.  

That may be true, but I was referring to Stutterwarp in TNE.  I
believe the cutoff for Stutterwarp in TNE is much closer to the
star than that.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Derek Smith - Lotus Development Corporation - Release Engineering

"I haven't lost my mind - I'm sure it's backed up on tape
somewhere."

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

Date: Thu, 27 Oct 1994 20:48:53 +0200 (EET)
From: Joni M Virolainen <jonimv@evitech.fi>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: wow!
Message-ID: <199410271846.OAA03641@Mithril.MPGN.COM>

I have to admit that this post Super Nova campaign sounds good. I'd like to
hear more of it.

One question. HOw to handle situation when PCs find a starship which have
defunct jump-drives and want to get the ship to RC area to overhaul, they
have converted Scout ship w. J-3 jump-drives.

Thanks in advance.

Joni Virolainen
jonimv@evitech.fi


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End of TRAVELLER Digest 83
**************************
