			    TRAVELLER Digest 95

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Verge Sector Query	by "Harold D. Hale" <hdhale@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
  2) Re: Starports and Spaceports	by Mark Clark <markc@brahms.udel.edu>
  3) Gov codes vs. population	by erich@bush.cs.tamu.edu (Erich Schneider)
  4) Questions, Comments, etc	by kendelhardt jason david <kendejd9@wfu.edu>
  5) many	by Joni M Virolainen <jonimv@evitech.fi>
  6) TRAVELLER digest 89	by Hugh Foster <100326.446@compuserve.com>
  7) Keipes System Data	by Stefan Matthias Aust <sma@informatik.uni-kiel.d400.de>
  8) Where can I find a floor plan of a 600t Liner?	by Stefan Matthias Aust <sma@informatik.uni-kiel.d400.de>
  9) TL14 _Azhanti_ fleet intruder	by bonn0015@itlabs.umn.edu (STEVEN M BONNEVILLE)

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

Date: Mon, 07 Nov 1994 16:47:57 -0500
From: "Harold D. Hale" <hdhale@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Verge Sector Query
Message-ID: <sebe599d.054@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>

   I have collasped the Verge Sector and plan on creating a pocket empire
based on the Tripolis system.  I'd like to know what, if anything, has been
previously published about the Verge Sector (aside from the Survival Margin
references, which I already have compiled).

Thanks for your help in advance,

Harold D. Hale


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

Date: Mon, 7 Nov 1994 17:21:58 -0500 (EST)
From: Mark Clark <markc@brahms.udel.edu>
To: Derek Smith <Derek_Smith.LOTUS@crd.lotus.com>
Subject: Re: Starports and Spaceports
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9411071744.A1107-0100000@brahms.udel.edu>


Just to show I'm not proud, here's the whole exchange:

On 7 Nov 1994, Derek Smith wrote:

> Mark,  I'm sending this to you rather than the list.
> 
> Eriwin Fritz asked:
> 
> >>Also, what exactly is the difference between a "Poor" quality spaceport and
> >>a class E starport?
> 
> And you answered:
> >From Traveller Book 3 - Worlds and Adventures
> 
> >D   Poor Quality Installation.  Only Unrefined fuel avalible.  No repair 
> >   or shipyards present.  Scout base (with refined fuel for Scouts only) 
> >    is present on a throw of 7+
> 
> >E   Frontier instalation.  Essentially a bare spot of bedrock with no 
> >    facilities, fuel, or bases present.
> 
> >X   No starport.  No provision is made for any starship landing.
> 
> 
> This doesn't answer his question, which was:
> 
> "What exactly is the difference between a "Poor" quality SPACEport and
> a class E STARport.
> 
> He wants the difference between a poor quality intRA system facility,
> and a class E intER system facility.
> 
> I sure don't know the answer, but thought you might, and would have
> given the correct answer having read the question correctly.

This is what I get for answering offhand.  Turns out my answer was almost 
right, but not quite.  According to Megatraveller Referee's Manual, p. 
23, an E starport has no facilities, other than a cleared place to land.  
You can get no repairs done and there is no fuel for sale.  It's just the 
place people meet ships when they land - we play that there is a 
automatic nav beacon but no buildings.

A Poor spaceport, on the other hand, is oriented toward in-system travel, 
and will not be the primary ship handleing facility in the system.  It 
has buildings, unrefined fuel is for sale, and the shops can repair 
Superficial level damage.  The code for this type of spaceport is G, by 
the way.

A G-class starport is in-between a D and an E, since a D is the same as a 
G except that a D can repair up to Minor Damage.  An F spaceport, by the 
way, is a D facility with nicer buildings (no lie!) - that makes sense 
(not!).

Boy, yet again I spend too much time telling folks what they already know 
(not to mention getting it wrong!).

Mark "Sadder but Wiser" Clark

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

Date: Mon, 7 Nov 94 16:29:34 CST
From: erich@bush.cs.tamu.edu (Erich Schneider)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Gov codes vs. population
Message-ID: <9411072229.AA03506@ bush.cs.tamu.edu>

Rob Prior, responding to me, writes:

>>IMHO, Marc Miller must've been on a Rousseau binge when he designed
>>the world generation rules - specifically, the secion of _The Social
>>Contract_ which claims that the best government is inversely
>>porportional in size to the governed population (democracies for small
>>states, republics for medium-sized, and monarchies for large ones.)
>
>Actually, Traveller doesn't relate the _quality_ of government to the
>population, just the _type_ of government.  (Of course, this distinction is
>moot if you automatically assume one type of governmental structure is
better
>than another.)

Uh, that blew right past me. I'm not really talking about quality of
government either. Rousseau, in the text mentioned, claims that it's
best to have a democracy in a small state, a republic in a
medium-sized one, and a monarchy in a large one. Lo and behold,
planets in the Imperium tend more toward democracies if they're small
(in terms of population), republics/bureaucracies if they're
medium-sized, and dictatorships if they're large. Thus my implied
correspondence.

>Leaving all political debate aside, keep in mind that the Traveller
>government code represents the effective style of government as it affects
>the players and the general population.  This is quite distinct from the
>formal structure of the government.

Yes, well, I never got this impression from the materials
(descriptions of worlds tend to portray the government as being
exactly what it is in the gov code), and this doesn't explain to me
why high population worlds should have such a greater chance to have a
dictatorship of some kind. 
-- 
Erich Schneider  erich@bush.cs.tamu.edu  http://tamsun.tamu.edu/~ers0925

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

Date: Mon, 7 Nov 1994 19:45:57 -0500 (EST)
From: kendelhardt jason david <kendejd9@wfu.edu>
To: "Traveller:TNE list" <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Questions, Comments, etc
Message-ID: <Pine.HPP.3.91.941107192432.2451A-100000@acg60.wfunet.wfu.edu>

Hello again. I've finally read all the way throught the Brilliant Lances 
game (BL), and have  a few comments and questions about it.

1. It seems that all the Battle Rider (BR) people don't like particle 
cannons, and prefer lasers, but in BL, the PPCs are way more powerful, 
and lasers, while they can penetrate armor will only a litle reduction in 
penetration, have very little actual punch. The biggest laser only does 
like 45 points, which will take out a few minor hits or one major hit. 
PPCs have penetration up to 200+ and with the low armor levels, this will 
atomize a large chunk of ship. Even at fairly extended ranges the punch 
is still strong. It seems to me that PPCs and meson guns are MORE 
powerful than lasers, at least in BL. Are there much more powerful lasers 
in BR?

2. Why are all the BL ships so low on armor? It seems that except for the 
System Defense boat, all the other ships have just enough armor to handle 
the G-forces, and no more. Is armor really that useless? I know that 
lasers will go through it easily, but I would think that 40-60 extra 
points could help in conjunction with sand casters, another think most 
ships don't have. I have yet to design a ship myself, but is space so 
tight that armor and defense have to be neglected?

3. What is the point of a fighter? Is it really hard to hit or detect, or 
does the advantage of having a mobile missle to screen your main ship 
outweigh the incredible ease it must be to destroy a fighter? I guess I 
could tally up a quick fight with a few fighters and a small ship to see 
for myself.

I've gotten all the old tml logs, at least for the most recent 
reincarnation of it. I read about trouble with the old one, causing the 
switch of addresses. Do the logs for tml previous to the crash still 
exist somewhere? I am trying to loot all the TNE archive sites, but have 
only been able to get into ftp.MPGN.COM so far. Any others (I've heard of 
ghost.cc.missouri.edu as well)?

Finally, I've been kicking myself daily for not bringing my rulebook and 
FF&S to school with me (how stupid can you get? :) so I'm not sure if 
this is covered in FF&S, but I have an idea for a new fleet weapon. 
Considering the fact that most armor is of very heavy metal elements (at 
least that's what I gather from Superdense, bonded superdense, etc.), 
would it be possible to make a neutron projecting cannon that bombards 
the armor with a heavy stream of neutrons, causing them to become heavy 
isotopes and decay? I figure that it would produce an effect like a 
radioactive meltdown of the armor, maybe even cause the ship to become a 
nuke. Any comments? I have to get cosy with my physics and chemistry 
books to really iron this out, but it's a thought.

One more thing. I think it would be a good idea if GDW gathered up all 
that CT and MT data they have in their old supplements, updated it a 
little, then resold it for us TNE guys who have never even SEEN a CT or 
MT product. I'm thinking of the aliens, old ships, equipment, etc. Right 
now, I have NOTHING about the Imperium, I doubt I could even replicate a 
ruined pre-virus city. Sure the info would be redundant to those 
old-timer Travellers, but it sure would help out the new ones. Later


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

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


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

Date: Tue, 8 Nov 1994 09:46:11 +0200 (EET)
From: Joni M Virolainen <jonimv@evitech.fi>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: many
Message-ID: <199411080743.CAA22596@Mithril.MPGN.COM>


TNE Damage (in Traveller 93)
----------------------------
Well, what can I say? I would not want to get involved to many fire fights in
your game. I also thought that the system is not lethal enough but after the
last mission my players had I changed my mind. Well, actually all PCs got out
alive, but about half of them very badly wounded and that's enough for me.
And this was done by 7mm rifles and Pathie's machineguns. But then again 
it's a matter of taste. BTW I suppose your campaign is NOT very shooting
oriented. 

In fact I believe that the more lethal the combat the less you need it to
have the thrill of the combat. And same goes to the Virus (for those of us
who use it in the campaign), because Virus is so powerful it does't have to
be all-out-attack-machine to make things interesting.

Underbarrel laser
-----------------
After reading my Cyberpunk material again I got the idea of underbarrel laser.
I think it will be DEI laser because it can have larger powerpack and it is
lower TL. I inted it to be TL 9. It will be placed under SMG so the 
combination will be quite effective. I'll post it here when I get it ready.

But I'd like to know should I require the users to have laser pistol/laser
rifle skill to use that weapon and if so which one?

Battledress
-----------
Yes, I know I'm a bit late for that topic but how have you managed with 10 h
duration of RCES Light Battledress? And how about maintenance? I think it 
needs maintenance more than just the suit of kevlar and thus also needs
Wear Value!

Combat Drugs
------------
Has any one generated combat drugs for TNE? I think it must be used to enhance
the performance of (special forces) troops because cybernetic implaments are
so rare. So instead the drugs are the answer.

The Chirpers
------------
As I have intended to use chirpers in my game, I'd like to know more about
them and any suggestions you would like to give me about them. Notice that
I don't have access to old Traveller material so I can't go and see from some
book.

Thaks in advance for helping me out.

Joni Virolainen
jonimv@evitech.fi

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

Date: 08 Nov 94 03:36:02 EST
From: Hugh Foster <100326.446@compuserve.com>
To: "INTERNET:traveller@MPGN.COM" <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: TRAVELLER digest 89
Message-ID: <941108083601_100326.446_BHB36-1@CompuServe.COM>

>>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!) <<

"We will all go simultaneous / when the air becomes uranious / Yes we all will
go together when we go"

Hit me!

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

Date: Tue, 8 Nov 1994 16:37:23 +0100
From: Stefan Matthias Aust <sma@informatik.uni-kiel.d400.de>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Keipes System Data
Message-ID: <9411081536.AA20350@donald.informatik.uni-kiel.d400.de>

I don't know whether the system data of Keipes exist, so I've rolled
them up and felt free to name some worlds.  Perhaps if of some
interest.  

In 1119, there where three other settlement in the Keipes system.  A
mining colony on "Fav Prime", an larger asteroid of the planetoid
belt.  I think, there could be still survivors, perhaps under the
control of some virus infected working and guarding robots.  Or as an
alternative, some mad virus infected mining machines are still working
and producing ore.  Keipes' moon Nio had a small station, either
military or scientific I think.  I see no chance for survivors.  And
there's the (unnamed) moon of Peyateo, orbit 30, were 7 people
(preferable non-humans) lived.  I think, thats the human personal of a
science station and I feel the could have survived in cold sleep.

Another interesting planet is the moon in orbit 60.  A good colony, if
you have the needed tech.

Has anybody made other system data for other world of the RC?


Keipes/AUBAINE (0132 B677884-6)

Sun: "Koneo" F6 V (white, main sequence star)
Planets:
	O1 Rock ball (Y58A000-0)
	O3 Planetoid belt "Fav Prime" (H000312-A)
	O4 "Keipes" (B677884-6)
	Moons:
		O9  "Nio" (HS002BC-A)
		O10 "Ten" (YS00000-0)
		O30 "Yan" (YS00000-0)
	O5 Large gas giant "Peyateo"
	Moons:
		O5   Y300000-0
		O6   Y100000-0
		O7   Y330000-0
		O8   Y200000-0
		O9   Y300000-0
		O12  Y550000-0
		O30  X200160-B
		O50  Y223000-0
		O60  Y897000-0
		O200 Y300000-0

[all data but UPP of Keipes are pre-virus]
-- 
Stefan Matthias Aust // keep the soldiers gunning, keep the cameras running,
                    //  cause the rulers always laugh at the video bloodbath

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

Date: Tue, 8 Nov 1994 16:45:21 +0100
From: Stefan Matthias Aust <sma@informatik.uni-kiel.d400.de>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Where can I find a floor plan of a 600t Liner?
Message-ID: <9411081545.AA20438@donald.informatik.uni-kiel.d400.de>

The Subject: line already says it.  I wonder if there's a floor plan
of the 600t Liner starship available.  My players are travelling on
the Eos, which is such a type of ship, and a deck plan would be nice.

Thanks in advance,
bye
-- 
Stefan Matthias Aust // keep the soldiers gunning, keep the cameras running,
                    //  cause the rulers always laugh at the video bloodbath

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

Date: Tue, 8 Nov 1994 13:15:38 -0600
From: bonn0015@itlabs.umn.edu (STEVEN M BONNEVILLE)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: TL14 _Azhanti_ fleet intruder
Message-ID: <199411081915.NAA07901@conch.itlabs.umn.edu>

I wasn't entirely satisfied with the TNE design that was done
for the TL14/15 _Azhanti_ frontier crusier that's on the ftp
sites.  (No offense to the designer!)  Rather than tinker with
that design (in deference to that ship's designer and to avoid 
duplication), this is a version of the original TL14 _Azhanti_
fleet intruder, designed for TNE at TL14 from the ground up.
This design is also by no means official, but I was very
satisfied with how well it converted from the original. 


_AZHANTI HIGH LIGHTNING_ Imperial Fleet Intruder

BATTLE RIDER

FI Azhanti
P(-2)10:14                  -3
 --                      TL-14
L(x13-2)10:2-2-1-0       FC:-5
L(x63-2)2:1         M:168(768) 
A:16 P:6 J:16 Msk    (P) J5 G2 
AV:10 AuxB                   !
MS:12 SC:43 D:8            107
!60 9-ton fighters; 4 gunboats             

BRILLIANT LANCES/FF&S

GENERAL
  Displacement:  58400/60000 tons  Hull Armor:       504
  Length:        406 meters        Volume: 817600/840000 cu. meters
  Target Size:   L                 Tech Level:        14
  Config'n.:     Open Frame USL    Price:    MCr 39050.6 (n/i craft)
  Mass (Loaded/Empty): 711300/650430 metric tonnes (incl. craft est.)
  
ENGINEERING
  Power Plant:       114000 MW Fusion (100 MW/hit), 1 year duration
  Jump Performance:  5 (252000 kL hydrogen fuel)
  G-Rating:          2G (30000 MW/G), CG Lifters (6000 MW)
  G-Turns:           50 (117.2 with jump fuel), 3750 cu. meters ea.
  Maint:             19188
  
ELECTRONICS
  Computer:  3 x TL14Fb (1 MW ea.)
  Commo:     4 x 1000 AU radio (infinite, 20 MW ea.)
             4 x 1000 AU maser (infinite, 0.6 MW ea.)
  Avionics:  TL10+ Avionics
  Sensors:   2 x PEMS fixed array 180 Mm (6 hex, 0.4 MW ea.)
             2 x AEMS 480 Mm (DF capable; 16 hex, 50 MW ea.)
             2 x TL14 Densitometer (0.5 MW ea.)
             2 x TL14 Neutrino Detector (0.01 MW ea.)
  ECM/ECCM:  EM Masking (817.6 MW)
             EMS Jammer 480 Mm (16 hex, 50 MW)
  Controls:  462 x Bridge workstations, 462 x AuxBridge workstations,
             (both bridges incorporate a fighter control bridge and
             half of the laser MFDs), 950 other workstations
			 
ARMAMENT
  Offensive: 1 x TL14 105495 MJ Particle Accelerator parallel mount; 
                  29304 MW (overpowered x10); 70 crew; (Loc: Parallel;
                  Arcs: 1)
             10:1624  20:1624  40:1624  80:1624
  
             40 x TL14 300 MJ laser barbettes; 83 MW ea. (overpowered x10);
                  0 crew; (8 x Loc:2-5 Arcs:1-3; 8 x Loc:6-9 Arcs:2-4;
                  8 x Loc:10-11 Arcs: All; 8 x Loc:12-15 Arcs:2-4;
                  8 x Loc:16-19 Arcs:3-5)
             10:(1/14)-43  20:(1/14)-43  40:(1/8)-26  80:(1/4)-13
			  
             190 x TL14 150 MJ laser turrets; 42 MW ea. (overpowered x10); 
                  0 crew; (38 x Loc:2-5 Arcs:1-3; 38 x Loc:6-9 Arcs:2-4;
                  38 x Loc:10-11 Arcs: All; 38 x Loc:12-15 Arcs:2-4;
                  38 x Loc:16-19 Arcs:3-5)
             2:(1/10)-31  4:(1/10)-31  8:(1/10)-31  16:(1/10)-31
			 
             Laser barbettes and turrets are controlled from MFDs only.
             (Local socket workstations are installed, but are unused.)    
	
             24 x 50-ton Missile Bay (32 ready msl. ea.; 18.4 MW ea.; 
                  7 crew ea.)  Each bay includes:
               Barbette socket (damper barbette installed; see below)
               7 x TL14 Beam/Msl MFD (5 Diff Mod; Msl 10 hex; 10 hex; 
                  1.77 MW ea; 1 crew ea.)
               32 x individual missile launchers with supporting laser
                  communicators
               (5 x Loc:2-5 Arcs:1-3; 5 x Loc:6-9 Arcs:2-4; 5 x Loc:10-11 
               Arcs: All; 5 x Loc:12-15 Arcs:2-4; 4 x Loc:16-19 Arcs:3-5)
			    
  Defensive: TL14 Meson Screen (PV = 1000; 817 MW; 31 Crew)
  
             24 x TL14 Nuclear Damper Barbettes (in missile bay sockets);
                  6 MW ea.; 1 crew ea.; (5 x Loc:2-5 Arcs:1-3; 5 x Loc:6-9 
                  Arcs:2-4; 5 x Loc:10-11 Arcs: All; 5 x Loc:12-15 
                  Arcs:2-4; 4 x Loc:16-19 Arcs:3-5)
				  
             130 x TL14 Sandcaster turrets; 40 cannisters ea.; 2D6x5 beam
                  reduction; 1 MW ea.; 1 crew ea.; (26 x Loc:2-5 Arcs:1-3; 
                  26 x Loc:6-9 Arcs:2-4; 26 x Loc:10-11 Arcs: All; 
                  26 x Loc:12-15 Arcs:2-4; 26 x Loc:16-19 Arcs:3-5)
  
  MFDs:      40 x TL14 Beam MFD (5 Diff Mod; No Msl; 10 hex; 1.62 MW ea.;
             1 crew ea.); 190 x TL14 Beam MFD (5 Diff Mod; No Msl; 2 hex;
             0.66 MW ea.; 1 crew ea.); MFDs in missile bays (see above)   
			             
ACCOMODATIONS
  Life Support:   Extended (73.3 MW); fuel tankage not supported
                  Artificial Grav (6G, 4088 MW) 
  Crew:           2913 (4 x Maneuver, 8 x Electronics, 950 x Engineering,
                  625 x Gunnery, 187 x Maintenance, 120 x Flight Crew,
                  682 x Command, 94 x Steward, 25 x Medical, 150 x 
                  Marines, 68 x Frozen Watch)
                  Marines crew four missile bays.
  Accomodations:  341 x Sm Stateroom (double-occupancy; 0.0005 MW ea.)
                  643 x Sm Stateroom (quad-occupancy; 0.0005 MW ea.)
  Cargo:          5621.60 cubic meters, sixteen large cargo hatches
  Small Craft:    2 x Int. Hangar (Minimal) for 33 x 9 ton fighters ea.
                  (total of 66 spaces for 9 ton fighters);
                  2 x launch ports for 9 ton fighters;
                  2 x launch tubes for 9 ton fighters;
                  4 x 20 ton docking rings; 1 x 40 ton docking ring; 
                  1 x 50 ton docking ring; 4 x USL Grapples for 400 ton 
                  fuel shuttles.
                  Normally carries: 4 x 20 ton gunboats; 60 x 9 ton
                  fighters; 4 x 400 ton fuel shuttles.
  Airlocks:       584
  
  4 x Labs; 2 x Sick Bays; 5 x Electronic Shops; 3 x Mechanical Shops.
  
SYSTEMS
  LS 1532H; ELS 766H; JD 1260H; PP 1140H; MD 60H; CG 120H; AG 164H; 
  MBay 99H ea.; Hangars 83H ea.; EMM 166H; EMMR (818h); PEMS (2h); 
  LT 1H ea.; SandT 1H ea.; LB 1H ea.; PA 633H; FPP 138H; MScr 123H;
  EShop 1H ea.; MShop 1H ea.; SickBay 1H ea.; Labs 1H ea; SSR (2h) ea.; 
  Jammer (2h); AEMS (2h); Grapples 6H ea.; Others (1h)
  
DAMAGE TABLES:
  AREA  SURFACE                 INT. EXPLOSION
  1     Antenna                 Electronics
  2-3   1-10: Ant; 11-14 EMMR   1-4: Qtrs.; 5-6: PA; 7: MBay; 8-20: Hold
  4-5   1-10: Ant; 11-14 EMMR;  1-4: Qtrs.; 5-6: Elec.; 7-20: Hold
        15: LH
  6-7   1: AL; 2-4: EMMR        1-2: Engr.; 3-4: PA; 5: LT; 6-20: Hold
  8-9   1-6: Fuel Shuttle A;    1-2: Engr.; 3: Elec.; 4: MBay;
        7-10: EMMR              5-20: Hold
  10    1: LTube; 2: Ant;       1-7: PA; 8: LB; 9-10: Qtrs.; 11-20: Hold
        3: AL; 4-6: EMMR
  11    1-12: Fuel Shuttle B;   1-2: Qtrs.; 3: Elec.; 4: LB; 5: SandT;
        13-15: EMMR             6: Engr.; 7-20: Hold
  12-13 1: AL; 2-5: EMMR        1-3: Engr.; 4-7: Qtrs.; 8-9: PA; 10: MBay;
                                11-20: Hold
  14-15 1-6: Fuel Shuttle C;    1-2: Engr.; 3-6: Qtrs.; 7: LT; 8-20: Hold
        7: AL; 8-10: EMMR
  16-17                         1-8: Engr.; 9-10: PA; 11: SandT; 
                                12-20: Hold
  18-19 1-6: Fuel Shuttle D     1-8: Engr.; 9: MBay; 10-20: Hold
  20    1: Fuel Shuttle D;      1-2: Hold; 3: PA; 4-20: Engr. 		
        2-4: Docking Rings
				

Jump and maneuver fuel can be purified in one day.  Normally the fuel
shuttles are used to refuel, but in an emergency, fuel scoops can fill 
the tanks in 2 hours 45 minutes (5%).  However, since the ship is not 
streamlined, this is only possible due to massive assistance from the
CG lifters, and skimming is a very hazardous operation:

  The task to successfully skim fuel is at +1 difficulty level.  
      Failure indicates fuel leakage in addition to any other problems.  
      Catastrophic Failure indicates contragrav or drive failure -- a 
      Formidable: Ship's Engineering task by the chief engineer must 
      succeed or the ship is lost.  
  The pilot of a vessel docked to the USL grapples while skimming is
      underway must make an Average: Pilot(Int/Grav) to avoid having
      the craft torn off the grapples.
	  
All fighters may be launched or recovered in three turns, and fighter
control bridges are integral to the main/auxiliary bridges.

The ship has sufficient controls, CG, and drives for 60000 ton operation
(four fuel shuttles attached in grapples).

Ten pre-modernization "flint boats" with primary weaponry intact were
believed to exist in the early 1100s; of these, four were modified by 
the IISS for their own purposes, one IISS-modified version was believed 
to be in Zhodani hands, and one was stripped of her fighter hangars 
and some secondary armaments and operated by Oberlindes Lines as a 
heavily-armed merchant in Vargr territory.  Of the other four, the
_Mire_ and _Darrian_ operated with the Darrian Confederation Navy,
and the _Sudden Star_ and _Accompanist_ with the Vegan District Navy.
Those four best fit the original specifications.

_Mire_, formerly FI-6332 _Vengeance_, is the second oldest _Azhanti_
still in operation, having entered service before the name ship of 
class in early 994.


DESIGNER'S NOTES:

This is a faithful rendition of the original AHL "flint boat" depicted
by GDW for classic Traveller.  Conversion decisions, and even the hit
locations, were driven by the floorplans and High Guard stats.

Fusion turrets were replaced by the nearest TNE equivalent high-energy
weapon, the laser barbette.  Sensors and communicators were selected
based on those in _Arrival Vengeance_.

I chose to use the Open Frame USL hull for a number of reasons.  First,
the length conversion (in FF&S) came out nearly identical to the original 
design, which was aesthetically pleasing.  It helps explain the skimming
problems -- it depends on contragrav to refuel, and the USL makes flying
controllably harder.  Also, using open frame required use of a parallel
mount, which is off the axis of thrust and only 0.8 the length of the
ship, which matches the artwork.  The text in _Supplement 5_ actually
claims the Azhanti is built on an unstreamlined "outer frame" design.

Unfortunately, there isn't enough surface area in that configuration to
make the design work.  But since the hull isn't actually open, I ruled
that I could pay double to get the same surface area as Slab.  This is
the only place the rules were bent for this design.  If you don't like
this solution, it is very easy to convert this to Slab configuration;
all arcs of fire and damage tables reflect Slab configuration.  The
parallel mount becomes a spinal mount; it would only be 5.8 meters too
long.  Either way, the design decision is not crucial, since I don't
gain anything by choosing Open Frame over Slab with these restrictions,
except "atmosphere".

Since I didn't have handy TNE designs for the subsidiary craft, the
Manta, Armed Gig, and Rampart stood in for the Fuel Shuttle, Gunboat,
and TL14 Fighter masses respectively.  The following spaces have been 
reserved for flight crew: 9 for each shuttle, 3 for each gunboat, and 
1.2 for each fighter.  Fighter hangars and launch tubes were adjusted 
to launch only fighters, and not gunboats -- there just wasn't the room 
in the design, and anyway, the gunboats would be too long for the 18 meter 
high hangar decks!  Therefore, they must use the four aft 20 ton docking 
rings.  Fuel Shuttle length (and thus surface area in grapples) was 
estimated based on Cylinder configuration.

Since some volume is wasted in standard missile turrets, it turns out
that volume-wise, the centralized missile bay is quite economical.  There
are enough built-in MFDs in the bays to control all ready missiles.

Crew requirements have grown substantially.  The only way everyone could
fit involved going to quadruple-occupancy in small staterooms for the 
ratings.  ("Hot-bunking" using bunks in three shifts would be equivalent 
to sextuple-occupancy.)  Since the rules say naval command crew has to be 
carried for ship's troops, I figured I'd put the marines to work, and as 
suggested in the old scenarios, a detachment mans one of the six bay 
weapon decks.  Frozen watch seems to have little place in TNE, but I put 
in as large a watch as I could.  The Darrians are advised to install TL16 
computers to greatly reduce the crew requirements.  Auxiliary bridges are
a pain, since you need to duplicate the entire bridge crew to man them!

The design turned out to need to be highly optimized (read: it was hard
to fit everything in and still have 50 G-turns!).  One implication is
that this ship is armed and equipped about as well as it could have
been if it were designed specifically for TNE.  Fuel tanks don't have
life support, but you wouldn't want any there anyway.

On a craft this large, low-volume items like turrets are hard to show
accurately on damage tables.  I did the best I could above to spread
them around so that the few points I had to work with were evenly 
distributed over the areas I said the weapons were in.  Besides, you'd
have to be a bit loony to use _Brilliant Lances_ to run a combat with
this monster.

377.8 MW of power and an insignificant amount of surface area remain 
unused for potential modification.  The dimensions of the main "PA-1688" 
PAWS parallel mount are: length 324.8 meters; diameter 10.5 meters; 
cross-section 86.6 square meters; total volume with supporting facility
equipment (MFD, workstations, etc.) 49723 cubic meters; MCr 3027.5.


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

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

End of TRAVELLER Digest 95
**************************
