			    TRAVELLER Digest 89

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Minis, and BR question	by merrick@RT66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)
  2) Re: Gas Giant Refuelling: World Exploration	by chrisb@MPGN.COM (Christopher Beattie)
  3) Re: Classic Traveller PBEM	by Mark Clark <markc@brahms.udel.edu>
  4) Battle Rider or Brilliant Lances?	by Sablemane <HAYDENDJ@udavxb.oca.udayton.edu>
  5) Ship Classifications & Icy stuff	by "Upton, Django" <DUpton@VTRNNTOV.TELECOM.com.au>
  6) Game shops in the Los Angeles area	by "Glenn M. Goffin" <sudet@well.sf.ca.us>
  7) optional_rules	by Joni M Virolainen <jonimv@evitech.fi>
  8) PEMS Fixed/Folding Arrays	by bonn0015@itlabs.umn.edu (STEVEN M BONNEVILLE)

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

Date: Tue, 1 Nov 1994 14:21:42 -0700 (MST)
From: merrick@RT66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM (traveller)
Subject: Minis, and BR question
Message-ID: <9411012121.AA16598@RT66.com>


G'day,

Thanks for the post about the size of the ship miniatures, but does
anyone actually know the scale?  From the sizes posted it seems to be
around 1:1500 (I'm interested because I made a few ships in 1:1000
scale, just for kicks, and was wondering how they stack up).

Also, who carries them in the US?  Any mail order outfits?


As for BR, what do you folks do with the cards?  We decided to just use
dice because reshuffling all the time was a pain (and not reshuffling
every draw changes the odds).  


-Merrick


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

Date: Tue, 1 Nov 1994 16:31:41 -0500
From: chrisb@MPGN.COM (Christopher Beattie)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Cc: chrisb@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Gas Giant Refuelling: World Exploration
Message-ID: <199411012131.QAA11584@Central.KeyWest.MPGN.COM>

>Remember in your Elementary Astrophysis Class 101, where your
>professor claimed that Jupiter was really a failed star?

I'll admit it's been over 10 years since my studies for my astrophysics
minor but I'll give several of these questions a whack.

>Well, keep it in mind as I speak.

>Menorb (Regina: Spinard Marches 1803 C652998-8) has no gas giants and
>refuses to permit starships to refuell in it's small, precious seas.  And
the
>cost of even unrefined fuel is excessive.

>But... Menorb orbits a cool M5 II Red Giant.  Loaded with lots and lots of
>hydrogen.

Remember, "cool" is in the eye of the beholder.  "cool" maybe in terms of 
stellar temperatures, hot in terms of jovian atmosphere temperatures.

>So... can a typical Free Trader refuell at ole' Red Eye?  
>If I can't, is it because of a lack of armour?  No way to get rid of
>excess heat buildup?  Life support limits?  Sensor blindness?  

This is a rough question.  If you go out far enough to allow your scoop
not to turn into liquid when deployed the hydrogen density is driven by
the solar wind and is far less dense than a gas giant atmosphere.

On the other hand, if you rigged a solar sail and collected the solar wind
and waited a long long time, it might work.

>What if I chose to dive into a black spot... would it make a difference?

Well, it would be cooler, er sort of, but you would be blasted by higher
frequency photons, specifically radio emissions and magnetic field fluxes.
(Black spots are disturbances in the magnetic fields of a star.)

> - If Our Heroes were scouting on a world, what would the difference be if
>the world had a surface of - Carbonaceous rock
>                           - Sulfur compounds (ie. Io )
>                           - H2O ice 
>                           - NH3 (Ammonia) ice
>                           - CH4 (Methane) ice
>                           - N2 (Nitrogen) ice
>                           - CO (Carbon Monoxide) ice
>..my scientific knowledge is so limited, the only thing I know is that
>Io's soil stinks.  Should I avoid smoking on a world with CH4 ice surfaces?
>And how does "dry ice" work, briefly?

First problem.  "Dry ice" is CO2 not CO.  Dry ice has a property at 1
atmosphere
that it will go from a solid state directly to a gas state without a liquid
state.
(Real water ice will do that too if the pressure is low enough.)  If you
increase
the pressure you can liquify the CO2.  (Fire extinguishers have CO2 under
pressure.)

Now on the chemestry of CO with reguards to that old chemestry curve.
Haven't the foggiest.  (Hmmm, no pun was intended I think)

>(Forget about the Beanstalk - I want to do some Stardiving!)

Roumers have it that Beanstalks are out, and Bunge jumping is in.
Yes now you can plummet through the atmosphere will full faith
that the tech level F bunge cord will halt your plummet before
you hit the ground.  Using stae of the art technology and no computers
this baby is VIRUS PROOF GUARENTEED.  Of course the factory that
made these cords just exploded last week (virus possibly) and these
cords are the last batch from the factory and some have claimed that
they are defective.  But remember our motto, "Your money back if
you go splat!"

|[[[]]][[[]]][[[]]][[[]]]|Christopher Beattie |Tantalus Incorporated|
|  []     [] []  [][]  []|Tantalus @ Key West |        P.O. Box 2310|
|  []   []   []  [][[[]]]|Development Division|   Key West, FL 33045|
|  []  [[[]]][[[]]][] [] |chrisb@mpgn.com     |Phone: (305) 293-8100|
|Disclamer:My opinions are mine, not Tantalus.|  Fax: (305) 292-7835|


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

Date: Tue, 1 Nov 1994 16:57:17 -0500 (EST)
From: Mark Clark <markc@brahms.udel.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Classic Traveller PBEM
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9411011650.A1327-0100000@brahms.udel.edu>

Game now full - thanks for all the response.

One address I got is not working - if your user ID is "mismith", please send 
another message with your address in body of message.

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

Date: Tue, 01 Nov 1994 18:36:19 -0400 (EDT)
From: Sablemane <HAYDENDJ@udavxb.oca.udayton.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Battle Rider or Brilliant Lances?
Message-ID: <01HIZ3W1XM7U0021X3@udavxb.oca.udayton.edu>

Hi there.  First time poster. :)
I'm going to start up a T:TNE campaign based from the RC and was wondering 
which of the two space simulations would be best.  The local hobby shop I
go to has both of them in stock and I'd figure it would be best to ask here
first for suggestions.

	Thanks,
	   Sablemane



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

Date: Wed, 02 Nov 94 13:43:00 EST
From: "Upton, Django" <DUpton@VTRNNTOV.TELECOM.com.au>
To: tml <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Ship Classifications & Icy stuff
Message-ID: <2EB83D86@msmail.trl.oz.au>


 Wesley.Esser@hd62.haledorr.com writes:

A while back (before my system mailpurge) someone submitted a
fairly comprehensive system for classifying ships by mission.
Coul someone let me know which digest that was in, or possibly
even mail me a copy?  Thanks a heap!
Wes
 ------------------------------

If you are referring to my Functional Ship Classifications then it is tml 
digest number 4. I also put a tonnage based classification system in tml 
digest number 6.
Steven M Bonneville <bonnevil@mermaid.micro.umn.edu> also did an analysis of 
ship classifications which appeared in a later (number 10 or so) tml digest.

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

alvin plummera <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca> writes:

Menorb (Regina: Spinard Marches 1803 C652998-8) has no gas giants and
refuses to permit starships to refuell in it's small, precious seas.  And 
the
cost of even unrefined fuel is excessive.

But... Menorb orbits a cool M5 II Red Giant.  Loaded with lots and lots of
hydrogen.

So... can a typical Free Trader refuell at ole' Red Eye?
If I can't, is it because of a lack of armour?  No way to get rid of
excess heat buildup?  Life support limits?  Sensor blindness?

What if I chose to dive into a black spot... would it make a difference?
 ----------------------------------

No, the Moties will get you anyway ;-)

 ----------------------------------
And how does "dry ice" work, briefly?
 ----------------------------------

My understanding of the behaviour of solid CO2 (aka "dry ice") under 
terrestrial conditions is that as it warms, it undergoes a phase transition 
from a solid straight to a gas because the air pressure is too low to allow 
CO2 in liquid form. As there is no liquid the ice is dry!

 ---------------------------------
.also, in a sf story I read (a "mini-Forever War", I think), The boot
camp was on Pluto, and great care had to be taken to avoid contacting a
hot surface with the world's icy surface.  Or else, the hot stuff would
boil the ice it touches, and "sketter" across the surface of the world.
(and "hot", in this instance can mean -100 C, I think)

Since I know nothing about physics, I would appreciate any other "strange 
and bizzare" phenomena I should be aware of when exploring those Ice Balls.

And, in Traveller terms, how many rings does Saturn have?
 -----------------

Either extensive plagary is going on or what you read IS The Forever War!

I don't know whether it is real but "helium3" was used in a traveller 
tournament at a convention years ago. The characteristics of this substance 
are supposed to be:
 -It has a freezing point below hydrogen (H2)
 -It is a "superfluid" in when in liquid form
The PC's inadvertently got some in their fuel tanks (when refuelling from an 
ice capped world) where it froze the H2 and they only got it out when they 
got it to flow UP a pipe!

Traveller book 6 scouts had a listing of the Terra system which included 
Saturn's rings.

 --------------------------
(Forget about the Beanstalk - I want to do some Stardiving!)
 --------------------------

You should join Disaster Area's stunt team :-)

Django.

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

Date: Tue, 1 Nov 1994 23:25:24 -0800
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <sudet@well.sf.ca.us>
To: xboat@MPGN.COM
Cc: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Game shops in the Los Angeles area
Message-ID: <199411020725.XAA17813@well.sf.ca.us>

I'm going to be in Los Angeles (staying in Santa Monica,

and working downtown) next week.  What suggestions for

shopping for out-of-print Traveller items?  What's the best

store for miniatures (new and old)?  I will of course have a

car, so don't let geography limit your suggestions too

much.



Thanks!

--Glenn

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

Date: Wed, 2 Nov 1994 13:54:41 +0200 (EET)
From: Joni M Virolainen <jonimv@evitech.fi>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: optional_rules
Message-ID: <199411021152.GAA09284@Mithril.MPGN.COM>

Optional rules
--------------
1)      I suggest that all recovery times should be multiplied by 4. 
        Personally I think it is much more realistic and don't unbalance the
        game too much.

        Current    New      Severity
        -------   -------   --------
        24 h      24 h      Scratch to unwounded
        3 days    12 days   Slight to unwounded
        4 days    16 days   Severe to slight
        7 days    28 days   Critical to severe
        --------------------------------------
        14 days   56 days   Critical to unwounded

        This system does not make fire fights more deadly but it gives them
        much longer term effects as you can see from table above.

        I keep these recovery times as a base. These numbers are used when
        injured characters are treated every day (with Medical skill) and
        a medic uses low TL equipment (like those presented in TNE book).
        If medic has just treated a patient and don't continue treatment in
        successive days, those recovery times should be multiplied by 1.5.

        I suppose most parties have access to higher TL medical equipment so
        healing time will be shorter than presented above. With higher TL
        medical equipment recovery times are as above if just treated once
        but if medic treats patient every day those numbers should be halved.

        If patient is in high TL hospital those numbers should be divided by
        4 (ie. back to normal recovery rates).

2)      As I am fed up with current TL 7 medical equipment I have "generated"
        some of my own. In fact most of them are ripped off from ICE's
        Space Master.

        Hyposhot   TL-8   Mass:0.3  Vol:0.25  Price:Cr 100
        * Hyposhot is just ordinary air pressure 'injector' used to inject
          liquid drugs found in TNE book. It is easier to use so common 
          troopers with no medical skill can use it with EDU attribute to
          inject various drugs.

        Medtab Applicator TL-9 Mass:0.3 Vol:0.3 Price:Cr 400
        * Medtab Applicator is another achivement (sp?) in the field of drug
          injection. Medtab Applicator applicates one medtab of diameter of
          1 cm to patients skin. Once applied the medtab releases it's drug
          to patient's system and drops off when used. These tabs are 
          usually sold in the packet of 10 and each dose costs double to
          conventional injected drugs. This can be used without medical skill
          in emergency situations. #

        Bone knitter TL-11 Mass:1.0 Vol:1.0 Price:Cr 1600
        * Bone knitter is used to repair broken bones and other 'hard' human
          tissue. This is primarily in need when patient has received 
          critical wound or multiple serious wounds to same place. This 
          device draws material to bone knitting from patient's body and thus
          leaves the patient quite drained for 24 hours (+1 exhaustion
level).
          In order to use this equipment the user should have Medical skill
          (surgery) of 5 or higher. #

        Tissue regenerator TL-10 Mass:0.5 Vol:0.75 Price:Cr 700
        * Tissue regenerator is used to repair 'soft' tissue like skin and
          muscles. It also stops bleeding even from major arteries and veins.
          This also helps tissue to grow faster when used daily (no, it can't
          be used to body building). This equipment requires that operator
has
          medical skill (surgery) of 3 or higher. #

          # means that this equipment qualifies as high TL medical equipment
            in order to get faster recovery times.

3)      Another aspect of wounds that is often forgotten is BLEEDING. I 
        admit that it has been considered in a rule that critical wound
        should be stabilized within 10 minutes or patient dies. But I think
        the threat is more acute even when one is 'only' severely wounded.

        I suggest that every character has blood points equal to 3*CON.
        They bleed at the rate of:
        - if severely wounded: 1 point/min/body part
        - if critically wounded: 2 points/min/body part

        That is if character's both arms are severely wounded and one leg is
        critically wounded, he would loose 1+1+2=4 points per minute and
        average character with CON 6 would expire in 6*3/4=4.5 minutes or
        in 54 rounds. Still I think the character is extremely unlucky if he
        can't be saved.

4)      Some time ago I posted an optional rule considering weapon jamming.
        Last weekend I finally found that 5% chance for jam is too high.
        Therefore I suggest that when player rolls unmodified 20 when
        conducting small arms fire, he/she should roll a d20 again and try
        to success in difficult:Gunsmith. For example: a mariner fires with 
        his ACR and gets 20. Now he has to get ten or less (with gunsmith of 
        10) to avoid weapon to jam. When firing bursts gunsmith should be 
        halved (round up).

5)      New skills:

        Gunsmith (AGL)
        --------------
        It is primarily used to clean your weapon and remove badly fed ammo
        (ie jammed). It can also be used to quickly get your rocket launcher
        ready to fire. When weapon jams it takes one full round to get it
        fixed. If one manages to success with gunsmith he can fire normally
        in the next round.

        Concealment (INT)
        -----------------
        It is ability to conceal camp sites and vehicles. This can be used
        also as an enabling skill when ambushing.


So that's it. What do you like? Any comments and questions are welcome.



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

Date: Wed, 2 Nov 1994 14:20:53 -0600
From: bonn0015@itlabs.umn.edu (STEVEN M BONNEVILLE)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: PEMS Fixed/Folding Arrays
Message-ID: <199411022020.OAA18710@seahorse.itlabs.umn.edu>

_Battle Rider_ oddness:

In _Battle Rider_, many of the ships have 8 hex (240 Mm) PEMS arrays
that are fixed, including the 10,000 d-ton _Rapier_.

The 240 Mm PEMS has a diameter of 400 meters.  Using unmodified length
from configuration, the first ship that can mount this array fixed 
displaces 2.4 million d-tons!  Using modified length from configuration,
without resorting to open frame the first ship that can mount this is 
probably about 80,000 d-tons.  Only the BTs and BBs are this big in 
_Battle Rider_.  However, according to FF&S, this is *illegal*; you
use unmodifed hull length, so we're back to the first figure!  This is 
a pain, especially since folding arrays may not be used under thrust.

This suggests that large warships should have a 6 hex fixed PEMS 
array for use when maneuvering (7 on bigger ships or if you ignore 
the nasty "unmodified configuration" part of the rule), and an 8 hex 
folding PEMS array for fine work, if you have the surface area for 
both of them.

The only other possibility I can think of is that the _Battle Rider_ 
ships have some great new top secret Imperial Navy passive detector 
we civilians don't know about.... :)

alvin plummera <plummera@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca> writes:

>And how would you explore the Methane seas on a Gas Giant, anyways?
>(Seasme Street: "Care - fully,  Care - fully, Care - full.....-L-Y!")

Or else, "We will all go together when we go,/ All suffused with an 
incandescent glow...."  At least if you aren't careful with those
hydrogen leaks!  (Tom Lehrer fans unite!)


  Steve Bonneville             
  <bonn0015@gold.tc.umn.edu>
 
  "...but one man deserves the credit, one man deserves the blame,
      and Nicolai Ivanovitch Lobachevsky is his name.  OY!"

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

End of TRAVELLER Digest 89
**************************
