			    TRAVELLER Digest 125

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) World Stats: Megatraveller to New Era	by Mark Clark <markc@brahms.udel.edu>
  2) Traveller software	by Glenn Myers <gem188@swanson.com>
  3) Re:Battle Rider Conversions(Silly)	by "Tariq M. Rashid" <spstmr@gsusgi2.gsu.edu>
  4) Re:SA Lasers and Orbital Bombardment(LOOOONG!)	by "Tariq M. Rashid" <spstmr@gsusgi2.gsu.edu>
  5) Re:Small Arms Lasers	by "Tariq M. Rashid" <spstmr@gsusgi2.gsu.edu>
  6) Where to send troubles...	by bonn0015@itlabs.umn.edu (STEVEN M BONNEVILLE)
  7) Xboat tender deck plans	by "Glenn M. Goffin" <sudet@well.sf.ca.us>
  8) Re: TRAVELLER digest 117	by PPUGLIESE@pimacc.pima.edu
  9) ASCII-subsector maps	by Stefan Matthias Aust <sma@informatik.uni-kiel.d400.de>
 10) Re: Where to send troubles...	by "David E. Brooks Jr" <dbj@MPGN.COM>

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

Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 13:37:00 -0500 (EST)
From: Mark Clark <markc@brahms.udel.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: World Stats: Megatraveller to New Era
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9412071220.A10463-0100000@brahms.udel.edu>

I've been thinking about updating a subsector I've been using for 
Megatraveller to New Era - i.e., figure out what's happened in the 
seventy-odd years in between.  I've already run the stats through the 
Hard Times procedures, so I'm at 1129 or so.  Has anyone developed tables 
or even some general ideas as to how to handle the changes after that point?

I've come up with some preliminary guidelines of my own - I'd 
appreciate comments.


Phase A: The Virus 

1) Doomed worlds are just that - Doomed.  I figure they become the 
"boneyards" of the new era.

2) Failing worlds with inhospitable environments get pushed over the edge 
by the Virus - population and tech level drops a lot.

3) Failing worlds in hospitable environments suffer some loss of tech 
level and population, but not much.

4) Worlds not in the above catagories suffer a loss of tech level but not 
of population, unless they have inhospitable environments that the 
reduced tech level can't cope with.

5) Starports are reduced, especially ones with an orbital component.

6) Decrease in technology level has some sort of floor - the Virus has 
little impact on worlds with tech levels below a certain point, say 6 or 
7, unless those worlds are non-industrial (they suffer from lack of 
interstellar trade).

7) There is some chance that a world is run by a virus (or viruses), 
though I'm not sure what criteria to use here.


Phase B: Recovery

1) High population worlds recover best, due to their larger market.  
Technology recovers, limited by pre-war tech level.  They also rebuild 
starports.

2) Moderate population worlds increase pop if in hospitable environment, 
maintain or decline if it's inhospitable.

3) Small populations have a random chance of increasing or decreasing if 
in a hospitable environment.  They decrease if in an inhospitable 
environment.





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

Date: Wed, 7 Dec 94 15:51:02 EST
From: Glenn Myers <gem188@swanson.com>
To: traveller%MPGN.COM@swanson.com
Subject: Traveller software
Message-ID: <9412072046.AA03902@fea1.swanson.com>



Hi All, 

Jo_Grant.LOTUSINT@PLATO.lotus.com wrote:

> Yo,
>	Has anyone told you folkes about
>the Traveller Tools Group? We have classes
>for doing most of this stuff anyway.

If I understand most of the queries it seems that there is 
interest in Macintosh Traveller software.

I have nothing against the Traveller Tools Group but if doesn't
seem like a good choice for Mac software.  As I recall it uses
Visual C++ (which doesn't exist on Mac yet, maybe next year...) 
I've thought that a compiled cross-platform traveller code library
would be useful. Alternatively, source for ANSI C (no User Interface)
routines would also be acceptable.

Traveller gamers - programing beginners interested in writing
gaming utilities might want to check out VIP-C, Prograph, or
AppMaker all of which speed UI development with the Mac toolbox.
They are all a bit expensive to justify for a hobby, but if anyone 
has access through work or school give them a try. I'm sure
FutureBasic and Hypercard are more reasonably priced.

I have switched to writing all my campaign materials using Setext
hypertext and use EasyView to link it all together. Once I have 
all my materials linked, I will work on software gaming aids.

I have used a demo for RPGTools, a shareware RPG database for
rules and background which uses plug-ins to support different
gaming systems. (It doesn't currently support TNE rules.)

To experience what a well supported computerized RPG can be
like, check out REALMZ by Tim Phillips (AD&D based) . I tried it
and immediately mailed my shareware payment. Best entertainment
value I've found.

I disagree with the idea of directly translating gaming rules
to code. I think that is greatly underutilizing the power of a 
computer in gaming. I would prefer to do a computerized SFRPG
in the spirit of Traveller. Things I would like to see are 3-D
universes, 3-D space combat, and a nearly infinite amount of
variation in world generation.

It does seem a shame that the other games systems are having 
all the fun. I hope GDW authorizes shareware gaming distribution.
Commercial operatives may not see a big enough target market.

Oh well, enough of my babbling...



Glenn


Note: EasyView, RPGTools, and Realmz are all available on 
Info-Mac Mirror sites. 

---------------------------------------
| Glenn E. Myers   gmyers@swanson.com |
| Numerical Verification Group        |
| ANSYS, Inc.  (412) 873-2913         | 
---------------------------------------


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

Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 17:23:46 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tariq M. Rashid" <spstmr@gsusgi2.gsu.edu>
To: Traveller Submission <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re:Battle Rider Conversions(Silly)
Message-ID: <Pine.3.87.9411081153.A6710-0100000@gsusgi2.gsu.edu>

Hey All
Now that Im all done for the quarter I can finish this post in good 
conscience.


Played Battle Rider for the first time this past Saturday, pretty cool.
I can see how it could be very addicting.  The vector based movement really
forces a board wargamer like me to think differently.  The game can also 
be pretty violent as well, I was suprised...33% ships KO'd after turn two 
and 66% KO'd after turn three, of course they were 1000-2000 ton size.  
The two remaining were Starburst CLs on opposite sides.  The game rightly 
favors large ships.  It seemed that It would prove difficult for the two 
to hurt each other except with outstanding success.  However the 
starbursts mauled the opfor's small boys, in two cases getting kills with 
one blast from that meson gun.  I now see why everyone was so incredulous 
when someone reported a while back that even 7 Auroras managed to get an 
Azhanti High Lightning.  All in all a pretty cool game...hope it catches 
on in the general gaming public, could be a classic IMHO.

Warning slightly silly materiel to follow.
Before actually playing Battle Rider, Lewis Roberts and I converted some 
of the less glamorous BL ships to BR, they would maybe be useful as 
victims or as a convoy to be escorted, who knows?  

Key....	MA=Merchant Armed
	L=Lab Ship
	SS=Survey Ship
********************************
MA	Jayhawk-Far Trader
-		-1
-		TL-12
-		FC:0
L(x1)4:1-1-0-0	M0
A:0 P:1		SP J2 G1*
AV:0		-
-		5

*********************************
MA	Moraine Free Trader
-		-1
-		TL-10
-		FC:0
L(x1)1:0	M:0
A:0 P:1		SP J1 G1
AV:0		-
-		4

*********************************
L	Lab Ship
-		-1
-		TL 15
-		FC:0
L(x4)10:1	M:0
A:10 P:5	P J4 G4
AV:2		-
-		7

*********************************
SS	Donosev
-		-1
-		TL-15
-		FC:0
L(x4)10:1	M:0
A:1 P:8		P J3 G2
AV:1		-
-		12

***********************************
	Bastien Liner
-		-1
-		TL 12
-		FC:0
L(x3)4:1-1-0-0	M:0
A:0 P:1		P J3 G1
AV:0		-
-		9

************************************
Note that the Adm Bertil below was not formally converted to BL, just a 
type of back of envelope guessing and approxiamation.

MA	Admiral Bertil
-		-1
-		TL 13
-		FC:1
L(x3)10:1-1-0-0 M:1(2)
A:2 P:2		P J3 G1
AV:1		6xKestrel
SC:2		10

**************************************
MA Eakhau Aslan Trader
-		-1
-		TL 14
-		FC:0
L(x2)2:1	M:0
A:2 P:1		SP J2 G1*
AV:2		0
-		9

***************************************
MA 	Vargr Trader
-		-1
-		TL 13
-		FC:0
L(x2)10:1-1-0-0 M:0
A:0 P:1		SP J2 G1*
AV:0		-
-		6

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


Ive also converted the Common Imperial Transport from the Rebellion 
Sourcebook, first to BL then to BR, Price comes out about the same as I 
recall.  Not nearly as many weapons however but still decently armed.  
I'll post it BL and BR as soon as I dig it up.



Tariq

"There is absolutely no cannibalism in the British Navy...
 absolutely none! and when I say none I mean that there is a
 certain amount."
                                Monty Python





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

Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 17:43:21 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tariq M. Rashid" <spstmr@gsusgi2.gsu.edu>
To: Traveller Submission <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re:SA Lasers and Orbital Bombardment(LOOOONG!)
Message-ID: <Pine.3.87.9412071721.A898-0100000@gsusgi2.gsu.edu>

Hey All

A while back someone brought up the subject of small arms laser 
penetration.  The idea was that if laser were allowd to have IPR of less 
than 1 then it should be possible to have a small arms laser that 
penetrated personal rigid armor.  
Taking this to mind I built a laser with a 5 kg HPG and 10kg battery 
where each shot is 0.04 MJ, this had a DV of 10 and PR 6(1/.16) such that 
it loses 6D6 for each AV1 penetrated.  Such a laser would be very effective 
against someone in light rigid personal say AV 1 but would not 
affect someone in AV 2.  As this is about as heavy a personal weapon 
should be, this seems reasonable.  
I dont think that a small arms laser should be able to punch through 
battle dress at any TL but light rigid armor is another thing.  
The gist of all this is that maybe small arms lasers can be assigned  
Some minimum penetration rating (say 3) that reflects the point beyond 
which the laser is most effecient at "holing" the armor.  This could 
reflect the plasma formed at the beam/armor interface dissipating the 
beam energy.  Since in reality this is a nonlinear effect...you would get 
to a point where this plasma would suck up most of the extra energy you 
tried to put in one place.  This is related to intensity so once you get 
to a certain intensity you no longer increase PR.  I think PR 3-4 or even 
5 is a good place to start.


The same thing with Plasma and Fusion weapons.  It seems you could 
increase the PR without increasing DV just with a tighter focus on the 
stream.  If you were to do this, this should not apply to the PV to be 
used against vehicles not if you like balance.  Then maybe it should :-]


Well that's enough on this subject.  

MUSINGS ON ORBITAL BOMBARDMENT

A couple of quick formulas for reference.

KE =1/2 M*V^2
PE = M*g*r

>From FF&S
PV for KE penetrators with greater 12 MJ

FROM Fundementals of Astrophysics (Hsu)
If I remember correctly...I will verify and repost tomorrow.
Crater Diameter proportional to cube-root of impact/explosion energy
Also 1E+17J (equiv to about 20 MT tnt) buried gives crater 
diameter 1000.  I dont think this is right but crater diameter IS 
proportional to cube-root impact energy.  I cant remember the base energy 
that gives a 1000m diameter crater but its in my book at home.

>From Impact and Explosion Cratering
US Geological Survey
Impact cratering is closely modeled by shallow buried explosions of 
equivalent energy.

The gist of all this is......
IF you know the impact energy of your rock/ball/tungsten rod dropped from 
orbit you can figure out the crater diameter.  Figure anything within 
this is pretty much toast and anything out one crater radius again from 
the rim will be badly damaged.  As soon as I dig up the source I can tell 
you how deep (Per MJ) your explosion has to be to correctly model an 
impact of the same energy.  This will tell you the depth of the crater.  
I suppose you can fing PV just using the FF&S equation.

A few things to remember.
For aerodynamic objects dropped onto a planet with standard 
atmosphere...Meaning they are simply released above the planet....
the Kinetic Energy at impact will be 90% or better of its 
Potential Energy at the drop point.

In general PE is 

PE = (G* Mp * Mo)/(Rp+Alt)
Where G is gravitational constant   6.67E-11
Mp is mass of the planet in KG
Mo is the mass of the Object in KG
Rp is the radius of the planet in Meters
Alt is the distance above the planet surface it is dropped from in meters.

Multiply this by 0.9 to account for maneuver and friction and you have 
the impact energy.
If youre trying to penetrate a hardened target just convert this to MJ
(ie divide by 1E+6) and use the KE table in FF&S.  It would probably be 
cheating to use anything more than the AP multiplier(1.7?) as even though 
it is a tungsten rod it is not DS strictly speaking.

If you want general damage just use the stuff below.

Crater Diameter = 1000m *Cube-Root(IE/SE)
Where IE is your impact energy in MJ
SE is the standard energy to get a 1000m diamter crater.
I need to look this up.

Figure anything within the craters toast.
Anything out another crater radius takes 10% of the concussion they 
wouldve if it had been an explosive of the same mass.  You demolition 
stuff from TNE rulebook.
To simplify say, 

>From Impact point
1st Crater Radius-Total Destruction
2nd Crater Radius-Unshielded Personnel Killed/Light Struc Dest/Med Struc Dmg
3rd Crater Radius-Unshielded Personnel Inj/Light Struc Dmg

I dont know play with it


**************************************************************************
Thats enough on this today.
Next time around, I'll talk about the use of Non KE weapons in the 
orbital bombardment role as well as finding those standard energies from 
the textbook.  Particularly submunitions/guided missiles/cruise missiles.

Maybe even later delivery methods for these weapons including time delays 
between firing and weapon arrival which can be considerable for dropped 
weapons.  (IE 5 minutes from 500KM)

Ive also developed some weapons that will fit the tube for a standard 
space missile.  One is a missile that carries multiple busses of 10-12 
OBM(Orbital Bombardment Munitions) on each BUS. Say 2 Busses 20 to 24 
projectiles per missile.  These could either be KKV or explosives or 
Submunition dispenser.  This would allow weapon delivery from multiple 
hex range (IE away from close defenses) with great accuracy if you still 
used the missile MFD to guide the thing.

For close orbital bombardment...Ive played with a launcher tube that 
slips in place of a missile.  It has 10-16 tubes within it and a rate of 
fire of 1 per second.  It really just spits them out to drop to the 
planet.  Each is a 16cm OBM.  Given 5 of these in a barbette, this would 
allow even small ships to provide an incredible volume of close support.  
Set up auto loaders from a bay and ships can deliver ridiculous amounts 
of ordanance in support of your force on the surface. 

Also if you want.  Just stand off at 20+ Hexes and fire a missile at a 
target on the planet.  The warhead would be 1000 KG metal plug.  With a 
12G missile impact velocity would be on the order of 192,000 m/s.
This introduces guidance problems I believe.  You might not hit anywhere 
near your target but whatever you hit would be creamed.  Impact energy 
here is about 2E+13 J or about 4000 tons of TNT! 

ACCURACY LIMITATIONS

Somehow the accuracy limitations of your guidance systems must be brought 
into account.  Lets face it, hitting a building from 20 hexes with a 
missile doing 190 km/s would be difficult at best.

Well now Im really finished..so More on this stuff tomorrow.



Tariq

"I've personally flown over 194 combat missions......
 And I was shot down on every one.
 Come to think of it, I've never landed an airplane
 in my life"




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

Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 19:03:43 -0500 (EST)
From: "Tariq M. Rashid" <spstmr@gsusgi2.gsu.edu>
To: Traveller Submission <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re:Small Arms Lasers
Message-ID: <Pine.3.87.9412071943.B898-0100000@gsusgi2.gsu.edu>


About those lasers...I neglected to mention I was operating at TL 12
when I was designing lasers.


Tariq




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

Date: Thu, 8 Dec 1994 00:30:29 -0600
From: bonn0015@itlabs.umn.edu (STEVEN M BONNEVILLE)
To: rodge@cyberspace.com, rwm@MPGN.COM
Cc: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Where to send troubles...
Message-ID: <199412080630.AAA10936@landshark.itlabs.umn.edu>


[cc: to list]

>Rob doesn't read the digest that often [...] you need to contact him

So, in case we have some similar list problem later, should we be directly
mailing Rob at that personal e-mail address, or should we be directing
the messages to traveller-request@mpgn.com?  (Just asking so this is
perfectly clear for next time!)

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

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

Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 22:40:02 -0800
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <sudet@well.sf.ca.us>
To: xboat@MPGN.COM
Cc: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Xboat tender deck plans
Message-ID: <199412080640.WAA17596@well.sf.ca.us>

A very long time ago, Seeker published deck plans for the Xboat Tender.  I
would very much like to obtain a set of these plans.  If you have a set and
would like to pursue this further, please send me email.
Thank you.
--Glenn

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

Date: 08 Dec 1994 01:56:48 -0700
From: PPUGLIESE@pimacc.pima.edu
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 117
Message-ID: <01HKDTSJO4N694HUPP@pimacc.pima.edu>

From:	IN%"traveller@MPGN.COM"  1-DEC-1994 08:34:51.36
To:	IN%"traveller@MPGN.COM"  "Multiple recipients of list"
CC:	
Subj:	RE: TRAVELLER digest 117

[on Alternate Vision..]
>Seems like a good reason for the change in physical laws would >be various
Black Weapons from Lucan's faction, designed to >temporarily change local
phys
ical laws. 

I will admit that the change in the physical constants governing
Gravitics are due to a sentient agency.  It is also a limited area
of effect -- say 1000-2000 parsecs.  Beyond there, the old
rules of the Universe apply.  This did bad things to communications
with the Zho Core Expedition, BTW... and there's a transition 
zone, where NO gravitics, old or new, work reliably.

As I postulated, the laws of Jumpspace did not change, it was
just that a lesser-known aspect of jump physics suddenly 
manifested itself... and that Imperial jump theory was slightly
flawed in the first place.
                          -- Cynthia
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Perhaps this is the "Return of Grandfather"?

Or maybe some of the 'Primordials' are still hanging around?



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

Date: Thu, 8 Dec 1994 13:15:42 +0100
From: Stefan Matthias Aust <sma@informatik.uni-kiel.d400.de>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: ASCII-subsector maps
Message-ID: <9412081215.AA26373@donald>

Hi,

I've written a small emacs-lisp program to generate ASCII subsector
maps from sector data listings similar to the ones that could be found
at the sunbane ftp-server. The program still needs improvement but
maybe it's useful for someone out here.  Feel free to copy and change
the program, but I would like to see a copy of the new program.

The maps are looking as following
	    _____
	   /  Co \       /
	  / 5 @ B \_____/
	  \Chaiwa /  Xo \
	   \_____/ 0 @ 0 \
	   /     \ Sadwe /
	  /       \_____/

where the letter over the `@' is the spaceport class, the `o' means
gas giant available and the left (hex)digit is the population code and
the right digit the techlevel.

For a more complete, but unfinished example check out

	http://www.informatik.uni-kiel.de/~sma/tar/sector.html.
or	http://www.informatik.uni-kiel.de/~sma/tar/rolocan.html.

There you can also find the source file and the sector data listing.
Feel free to send me a note if you're interested in the source file
and you haven't WWW access.

I think about inserting more html-code, so that every world name is a
hyperlink to another file that contains more information about the
worlds.  I also would like to add code to insert the names of the
neighbor subsectors on every border of the map.  Another cool feature
would be a method to automatically draw allegiance borders, but I've
no idea how to do this.

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


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

Date: Thu, 8 Dec 1994 09:29:19 -0500 (EST)
From: "David E. Brooks Jr" <dbj@MPGN.COM>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Where to send troubles...
Message-ID:
<Pine.ULT.3.90.941208092232.9161A-100000@Central.KeyWest.MPGN.COM>

On Thu, 8 Dec 1994, STEVEN M BONNEVILLE wrote:

> >Rob doesn't read the digest that often [...] you need to contact him
> 
> So, in case we have some similar list problem later, should we be directly
> mailing Rob at that personal e-mail address, or should we be directing
> the messages to traveller-request@mpgn.com?  (Just asking so this is
> perfectly clear for next time!)
> 
>   Steve Bonneville
>   <bonn0015@gold.tc.umn.edu>

Actually, traveller-request@MPGN.COM is preferred, mostly because it's
a ``standard'' for mailing lists.  This way, if we (meaning MPG-Net)
want to add someone else to the alias to monitor the list if Rob is on
vacation (for instance), it could save some time and avoid confusion.

Also, the Listproc document eveyone receives when they subscribe
mentions me (dbj@MPGN.COM) as a contact for general Listproc problems.

Looking out for those Zhodani Hackers....

-- Dave Brooks

--
David E. Brooks Jr                                    Phone: (305) 293-8100
Tantalus Incorporated/Multi-Player Games Network        Fax: (305) 292-7835
P.O. Box 2310                                        E-Mail: dbj@mpgn.com
Key West, FL 33045                                    Quote: print chr$(34);


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

End of TRAVELLER Digest 125
***************************
