			    TRAVELLER Digest 204

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Re:What is Virus.CMD...	by CyHiggin@aol.com
  2) The Terrans/Solomani	by "fireplug" <pmm118@email.psu.edu>
  3) 	by "fireplug" <pmm118@email.psu.edu>
  4) What is "sand"?	by Leonard.Erickson@f51.n105.z1.fidonet.org (Leonard Erickson)
  5) starship design philosophy	by "David A. Nelson" <34TYHPE@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
  6) FF and S questions	by "Post, D L (Dan)" <PostD%HOST2@WLV.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM>
  7) 	by gdw.support@genie.geis.com
  8) Re: your mail	by Boris Zaidfeld <cs911408@red.ariel.cs.yorku.ca>

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Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 10:48:39 -0500
From: CyHiggin@aol.com
To: LONG2469@splava.cc.plattsburgh.edu
Cc: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re:What is Virus.CMD...
Message-ID: <950224104838_31100384@aol.com>

>	I recently d/l'd a copy of Virus.CMd and it's attendant programs.  
>What is it exactly and how do I use it, I listed it out and it seems to be 
>a source code for a program, But I have no Idea what language it's in.  
>HELP!!! I would like to try it out but don't know how.  I appreciate any 
>help you can give me for this.

It's an OS/2 REXX script I wrote to apply the Collapse Effects rules to
existing Genie-format sector files (which may even re-appear in the archives if
and when GDW ever makes up its mind on the copyright issues...)  There are
several other scripts for mangling your sector files in various ways that
should
be available... I haven't checked to see what actually got uploaded -- I
don't have
ftp upload capability yet, so I have to ask someone else (thanks, Ken!) to
take care
of it.

Anyway, REXX is useful if you have a computer with a REXX interpreter on it. OS/2
comes with it built in, Amiga has an implementation called ARexx, there are PD Rexxes
for most Unix flavors, and, since it was originally an IBM mainframe shell language, it
is probably available on any IBM "big iron" you might have lying around.  There are 
also REXX implementations for DOS, but not freeware, as far as I know.  Someone
who had Personal REXX for DOS downloaded the programs; he never told me how well
they worked in that version of REXX (Jeff? ).

                                                           -- Cynthia

"A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, 
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed."
                                                   -- 2nd Amendment, U.S.
Constitution


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Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 10:56:53 -0500 (EST)
From: "fireplug" <pmm118@email.psu.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: The Terrans/Solomani
Message-ID: <39419.pmm118@email.psu.edu>

I'm running a Solomani campaign, and I have some assumptions here:
1) People from the Terran Empire (what the subsector calls itself) don't
like the phrase "Solomani". The Imperium gave it to the Terrans, and, to the
Terrans, the Third Imperium meant suppression and conformity.
2) The Terrans cut themselves off from the rest of the galaxy in 1120, 4
years after the Imperium fell. Also, Terran ships never had the little black
boxes (transponder suites). So, when Virus hit around 1130, the Terrans were
better able to survive Virus.
3) Right now, Virus is more like the Barbary pirates. There's a lot of
vampire ships out there, and you never know when they're gonna attack - you
just know they will. Hence, Terran ships are armed to the teeth. Any sign of
a Virus-infested ship is grounds for immediate destruction.

I solicit any comments.

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

Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 10:58:47 -0500 (EST)
From: "fireplug" <pmm118@email.psu.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Message-ID: <39531.pmm118@email.psu.edu>

Any info on the Zhodani and Zhodani Consulate you can give me will be highly
appreciated. Also, any info on the Second Imperium (the "Rule of Man") and
theories on the Solomani will be appreciated.

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

Date: Fri, 24 Feb 1995 05:09:12 -0800
From: Leonard.Erickson@f51.n105.z1.fidonet.org (Leonard Erickson)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: What is "sand"?
Message-ID: <793646027.AA04077@puddle.fidonet.org>

TO: xboat@mpgn.com

During a discussion of lasers and defenses against them on
rec.arts.sf.science, I came to some interesting conclusions about about
sandcasters.

What got me started was someone talking about using some sort of
miniaturized "corner reflectors" for laser defense. I happened to
remember that there's *another* way to get much the same effect. (the
effect being "reflex reflection", the phenomenon of reflecting a beam of
light more or less back at its source).

What is this other method? Use tiny transperent spheres. The internal
reflections will bounce the light back at the source, with a bit of a
spread, and a moderate amount of chromatic aberration. This is how we get
rainbows. It's also how the reflective street signs, painted strips on
the roads, and reflective tape on clothing work.

All the reflective gimmicks above use tiny glass beads. (very tiny!).

It occurred to me that if similar beads *aren't* what sandcasters are
loaded with, they ought to be!

Here's what would happen when a laser hit a cloud of such "beads".

First, the bead would bounce most of the beam back at the source (or at
least fairly close to it). While this would be too dispersed to be a
serious threat to the firing ship, it would result in an increase in the
temperature of anything on that side of the ship. It'd also play hell
with any sensors affected by the wavelength in question. This would even
work to some extent with x-ray lasers, as the internal reflections in the
beads tend to be of the "grazing incidence" type required for decent
reflection of x-rays! A small portion of the beam would be reflected from
the surface of the bead, and thus be scattered.

Next, the bead would heat up, as the portion of the beam it didn't
reflect would be absorbed, resulting in heating. How much heating depends
on the composition of the bead, the wavelength of the laser, and possibly
on the *size* of the bead. Eventually (probably in seconds or less) the
bead will melt. But since it is in freefall in a vacuum, it'll stay
spherical! So it'll keep reflecting, just at lesser efficiency!

Eventually, the bead will start boiling. At this point the absorption
will probably take a drastic jump, and the bead will quickly flash into
vapor. The vapor will continue to absorb at least some of the laser
energy going thru it, until it ionizes and forms a plasma. How much the
vapor absorbs, and how easily it ionizes will depend on the omposition of
the bead.

Once it's a plasma, it may be very transperent or very aborbent depending
on the composition and the laser wavelength. Plasmas tend to have *very*
strong absorption bands! Proper selection of bead composition could cause
the plasma to be *very* opaque at common weapon-grade laser wavelengths.

Even better, the plasma can be made to emit energy at other wavelengths
when "pumped" by some wavelengths. This can increase the sensor jamming
effects.

Given how long the Imperium and others have been playing with laser
weapons, I'd be willing to bet that the "sand" in the sandcasters is an
optimized mixture of various beads optimized for reflecting and later
absorbing various sorts of laser wavelengths.

There's probably a "general" mix, selected to be reasonably effective
against the sort of stuff a normal ship might run into. Warships going
into combat against a specific enemy may carry large amounts of a mix
optimized against the wavelengths the enemy is know to use.

Definitely something to think about...

BTW, this would make a laser attack intercepted by "sand" into a quite
spectacular lightshow!

Production of "beads" is rather simple given access to free fall and
vacuum. Determining the "best" materials would take a lot of research,
but the military probably worked it out centuries ago.

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

Date:         Fri, 24 Feb 95 15:27:02 EST
From: "David A. Nelson" <34TYHPE@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: starship design philosophy
Message-ID:   <950224.154901.EST.34TYHPE@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>

  greetings
    I'M interested in the philosophy being used by starship designers out
 there.  what are the general guidelines people out there are using when
 building warships for an imperaial space background.
      just to foster discussion, her are the guideline I use

  1. armor is your friend. most warship want a armor values around 100.
    the few Cubic meter you lose will be made up for with the protection
    gained.

2. One big hole is better to many little holes.  Putting 1 150 point blast
   into an enemy is better then 3 50 point blast.  The bigger damage, the
more
likely you can cause a critical hit and totally take out cital systems (i.e,
   life support, powerplant, etc.).

3.  If you ship's mission is to 'lie in the line' keep the small craft to the
s
mallest number possable.  Unless you design is going to carry a large number
of troops, or be used for police/coast guard type duties a good deal, forget
th
e small crate use the space something mission related (i.e., firepower)

4.  I allways use lazer turret/barrbet insted of nuclear dampers turrerts/
    barrbets;a lazer is more flexible.  A lazer allow you to stop a missle
from
    you, but tne can be used to hit the person who fired that missile at you.

5. no MFD = DEAD


I still have not come up with a good answer a few question like these.

what is a good g-rating for a war ship of given size?

how long should a ship design to work with a fleet take to purify it fuel?

any and all comment are welcomed

                            David Nelson RCN
          "it's ok we're staff"

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

Date: Fri, 24 Feb 95 17:29:00 PST
From: "Post, D L (Dan)" <PostD%HOST2@WLV.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM>
To: Traveller <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: FF and S questions
Message-ID: <2F4E8833@MX.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM>


I have a few questions on FF and S
pg 146
how is average velocity calculated????

     
on pg 70 - self contained thusters
is the FC rate mass in kg or tons for thrust calulations?

I was wondering if any errata sheets for Striker II are out yet.

Also  a question about striker II.  On pages 132 and 133 it mentions
notes about the missiles,, Where are these notes located??

Also some other comments...

  1.  FFS- On small turrets FFS  have some huge multipliers for space.
       I understand some of the problems with the mechanics of multiple
        turrets, but surely some of these could be solved with high tech. 
levels.
       For example I designed a small turret for a APC. The Heavy mg
       I designed took up about 2 square meters. That's 20 cubed
       meters(!!!) of space with the *10 modifier. Did I do something wrong? 

       It the very least I would think you could have a unpowered cupola 
that
       would be crewed.(Such as the M48 and the  M60 have).  I am sure you 
would have
       a space/wt. limit , but it would serve for small weapons since it 
would not take
       up alot of space. :-)

   2.  Pg. 126 of the Reformation equipment manual has a Pyrrhus tank and a 
12mj
        fusion gun of 40 penetration. In the striker manual the same vehicle 
has a
         penetration of about 100. Which one is correct?


  

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

Date: Sat, 25 Feb 95 02:31:00 UTC
From: gdw.support@genie.geis.com
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Message-ID: <199502250626.AA043823567@relay1.geis.com>

Challenge #76 and _Death of Wisdom_ (GDW Press' 1st Traveller novel) are
now available.
 
 DoW is US $5.95 plus $1.00 P&H (domestic). Overseas customers please
enquire via email, stating whether you prefer Airmail or surface mail.
 
      LKW
         for GDW

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

Date: Sat, 25 Feb 1995 03:27:30 -0500 (EST)
From: Boris Zaidfeld <cs911408@red.ariel.cs.yorku.ca>
To: TNE Mailing List <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Cc: Game Designers Workshop <gdw.support@genie.geis.com>
Subject: Re: your mail
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.950225032611.8883A-100000@blue>


On Sat, 25 Feb 1995 gdw.support@genie.geis.com wrote:

> Challenge #76 and _Death of Wisdom_ (GDW Press' 1st Traveller novel) are
> now available.
>  
>  DoW is US $5.95 plus $1.00 P&H (domestic). Overseas customers please
> enquire via email, stating whether you prefer Airmail or surface mail.

How is the author of the novel?  Could you post a brief discription of 
the novel?

Thanks,

                -Shalom Zaidfeld
----
Student, Newtonbrook Secondary School
Toronto, CANADA
Internet: cs911408@ariel.cs.yorku.ca

	

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End of TRAVELLER Digest 204
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