			    TRAVELLER Digest 137

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Comments	by "Mary E. Poynter" <3I4KQ7X@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
  2) ghost FTP site	by ccjoe@showme.missouri.edu (Joseph Heck)
  3) Translating & languages	by Alvin Plummer <plummera@sheridanc.on.ca>
  4) Free Trader Culture	by Alvin Plummer <plummera@sheridanc.on.ca>

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Date:         Mon, 19 Dec 94 17:16:53 EST
From: "Mary E. Poynter" <3I4KQ7X@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Comments
Message-ID:   <941219.171653.EST.3I4KQ7X@CMUVM>

The weapon designs for starships looked interesting. Of course, they'd be
more useful to me if they were in a READABLE format, say, plain ASCII?
   I get kinda lost during the technical discussions as well, and often find
myself thinking "Who Cares,it's only a game". That being said, I see no
reason
why they shouldn't continue, as long as the participants remain sensitive to
the fact that REALLY LONG technical discussions might increase the signal-to-
noise ratio for some of us.
   What I would REALLY like to see are characters, weapons, ships and PLOTS
usable for an RCES campaign (and later a Regency campaign )or even for "CT"
(using TNE rules). My desire to run Traveller frequently outstrips the time
I have available to ferment ideas of my own, so I will most cheerfully use
others' ideas if given half a chance.
                                     Allen

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Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 17:50:36 -0600 (CST)
From: ccjoe@showme.missouri.edu (Joseph Heck)
To: traveller@showme.missouri.edu
Subject: ghost FTP site
Message-ID: <9412192350.AA28951@showme.missouri.edu>

Hello All,

Ghost.cc.missouri.edu is still around, but I had to change network
connections, and the nameserver hasn't been updated yet. Was supposed
to have been done by now, and they assure me it will be done
"real-soon-now (tm)". Yeah.

The IP address if you want to access the place:

128.206.222.222

Within a day or two, "ghost.cc.missouri.edu" should point to the correct
address.
-- 
 joe                          (314) 882-5000
 ccjoe@showme.missouri.edu    University of Missouri - Columbia  
 "with a little practice, writing can be an intimidating and
 impenetrable fog!" -- Calvin
 <A HREF="http://www.missouri.edu/~ccjoe">ccjoe</A>


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

Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 18:59:07 -0500 (EST)
From: Alvin Plummer <plummera@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Translating & languages
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.941219183148.22916A-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


Discussion topic:

What is the place of languages in Traveller (Regency or Wilds), and how 
would I role-play it?

Personal comments:

IN THE REGENCY:  Things arn't so bad here when it comes to 
communication.  First, just about every human speaks proper Imperial 
Galanglic (with that famous Deneb drawl).  When you need to talk to 
someone who can't speak Galanglic, you grab your translator, and talk on. 
(P.S. the other guy needs a translator, too!  Translators are in common 
use on worlds of TL B +)

IN THE WILDS: Well, you can forget the translator.  Even if you can find 
one, it's likely that it's infected.  Admittedly, it's typically just a 
egg, which means that you can forget adding info... and possibily the 
entire contents of the memchip's been wiped.  Our neighbourhood, 
homocidal Virus, however, may have left a nasty little surprise for the 
unwary.

I expect that that your average Free Trader in the Wilds can speak  
least 3-4 different languages fluently (skill 4+), and a couple of words 
in 6-10 languages. 

TRANSLATORS: First off, living (I was going to say 'human') translators are 
most valuable in _Written_ material (which regular TNE translators are
useless,
being angled for speech).  The more subtle and specialized the material, the
more needful your living translator is.  

(Yes, I know that translator-software is being written now, even as we 
speak.  However, this software is not exactly astounding [ie. it's 
current 99% accuracy rate is simply not good enough for professional 
work].  Moreover, I feel that translation software (verbal or script) 
will always have certain limitations, since the meaning behind the words 
can be best sensed by a fellow sophont, rather than a machine.  These 
problems can be overcome by [say] expensive TL E+ software, but only 
moderately-wealthy Regency citizens would benefit from this)

More importantly than this is the fact that translators are usually good 
at Liaison, too.  Thus, they can act as guides for the visiting stranger, 
warning about local taboos, provide guidance about what to eat, etc.

SUMMARY:  If you're in the Wilds, one of the most interesting 
carrer-choices available is as Translator/Guide (consider it a varient 
of the Diplomatic carrer).

If in the Regency, you can still have fun with conversations.  A small 
mistake in translating, a misreading of verbal stress or hand gesters, 
and a mission can go down the drain, or an Incident arise...

Alvin Plummer 
(Then again, you can pretend that this is Star Trek, where small, 
bug-eyed monsters and primitive civilizations all speak perfect English...)

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

Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 19:03:25 -0500 (EST)
From: Alvin Plummer <plummera@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Free Trader Culture
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.941219185909.22916B-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


Dear Mr. Wiseman:

Just an idea in my head.

How about a sourcebook for the Free Traders?

I'd think that being a Free Trader in the Wilds would make a fasinating 
culture in it's own right, with it's own 'governments', dialects, 
history, clothing styles, myths and lore, religions & superstitutions.

Perhaps, after you're finished with the Alien books...?

Of course, in my mind, this has a lower priority to my Wet Ships and 
Robots...


Alvin Plummer

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End of TRAVELLER Digest 137
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