			    TRAVELLER Digest 213

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Re: GDW and the RC	by Shalom Zaidfeld <cs911408@red.ariel.cs.yorku.ca>
  2) TL-4 Xenocide Beta Class I Motorcycle	by Shalom Zaidfeld <cs911408@red.ariel.cs.yorku.ca>
  3) 2nd Solomani Rim War and Terra	by Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
  4) Transponders	by Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
  5) [T211] TL8 InnerCity Bus	by jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (JEFF ZEITLIN)
  6) Subscribe	by muskrat@msn.fullfeed.com (John Kovalic)
  7) Hiver warbot's	by Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
  8) Re: TRAVELLER digest 212	by Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>

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

Date: Sat, 4 Mar 1995 13:54:24 -0500 (EST)
From: Shalom Zaidfeld <cs911408@red.ariel.cs.yorku.ca>
To: TNE Mailing List <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re: GDW and the RC
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.950304135144.23479B-100000@blue>


On Fri, 3 Mar 1995, PETE BURKE wrote:

> Does GDW plan on developing the worlds in the RC? I think I have most 
> of the current books out, and I don't remember seeing any world maps of 
> any of the member worlds of the RC. I'd really like to create some 
> adventures within the RC and submit them to Challenge. I don't want to 
> waste my time if GDW is planning on fleshing out the worlds any more 
> than they already have.

Umm..  I don't think GDW is flesh out the RC world.  I think they want to 
leave them for the refs, so any ref can set up his adventures as he 
wishs.  If you want to write adventures for RC, Why don't you write 
somme, and submit to Challenge..  If they like it, they will use it to 
help them establish the information on RC.  I don't think it should stop 
you from designing adventure for RC.

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



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

Date: Sat, 4 Mar 1995 15:05:45 -0500 (EST)
From: Shalom Zaidfeld <cs911408@red.ariel.cs.yorku.ca>
To: TNE Mailing List <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Cc: GDW-Beta List <gdw-beta@quark.qrc.com>
Subject: TL-4 Xenocide Beta Class I Motorcycle
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.950304145941.28589A-100000@blue>

Hi,

Here is another design of a motorcycle.  This time a TL-4 one.  Any 
commments, ideas, errors are welcome.  

	-Shalom Zaidfeld

TL-4  Xenocide Beta Class I Motorcycle       
 
Price:          2,154 Credits                         
Size:           7 Cubic Liters = 0.5 Displacement Tons                     
Mass:           4.24 Tonnes Empty, 4.78 Tonnes Loaded                    
Power:          0.15 MW Internal Combustion Engine                     
Maint:          1                               
Controls:       TL-4 Primitive Mechanical Motorcycle Controls            
                TL-4 Magnetic Compass Navaigational Aid        
Commo:          Radio Receiver Only [*]                  
Sensors:        1xFront HeadLight                              
Life Support:   Light, Heat                           
Cargo:          34.8 kg                      
Crew:           1                               
Passengers:     1 [Restricted Seat]                               
Armament:       None                            
Max Speed:      83 kph Road speed/33 kph Cross Country 
speed                           
Travel Move:    167/67  [kilometers per 4 
hours]                                      
Combat Move:    39/15   [m/s]                                   
Fuel Capacity:  
                   Fuel Tank:  500 Liters
                   Fill up:    125 Credits
                   Fuel Type:  Hydrocarbon Distil.
Fuel Consumption:  30 Liters Per Hour [17 Hours Endurance]   
 
Combat Stats                                                    
Config: Open Frame      HF:     1                       
Susp:   W (1.5)         HS:     1                       
                        HR:     1                       
Deck:   Open         Belly:     1
 
[*] Can only receive Radio transmissions.  FM/AM Radio
 
 
-----------------------------------------------------------
DESIGN NOTES:
                                                              
General Info:                                                           
 
Rate:   0.5     Config: Open frame      Material:       Soft Steel

Volume: 7                               Though.:        1.70            
MV      0.3     MVM     0.6             Thickness:      0.59            
Length  1.2     LM      1.2             AV:     1.00            
                                        Mass:   2.83            
                                        Price:  566.40          
                                        Volume: 0.35            
                                                                
Suspension:                     Controls:                               
Type:   Restricted Wheel        Type:   Primitive Mechanical     
Volume: 1.05                    TL:     4                       
Mass:   0.21                    Volume: 0.007                   
Price:  262.5                   Mass:   0.0007                  
Surface: 490                    Price:  50                      
                                Power:  0                       
 
Navigation Aids                 Comm:   Range:  -
Type:   Magnetic Compass        Type:   Radio Receiver  
Volume: 0.0001                  Volume: 0       
Mass:   0.0001                  Mass:   0       
Price:  100                     Price:  100     
TL:     4                       Antenna: 0       
Power:  0                       Power:  0       
 
Crewstations                    
Sensors:                                        
Type:   Cramped Crewstation     Type:   1xHeadLight          
Volume: 2.5                     Volume: 0.002                           
Mass:   0.1                     Mass:   0.001                           
Price:  100                     Price:  50      
                                Power   0.0001          
                                Range:  30                             
                                
                                Power Plant                             
Type:   Restricted Seat         Type:   Internal Combustion             
Volume: 1.5                     Volume: 0.5     Power:  0.15
Mass:   0.02                    Mass:   1               
Price:  100                     Price:  250             
                                Duration:       16.67           
                                Fuel Tank:      0.5     Fuel:   HCD
                                Fuel Price:     125             
                                Fuel Mass:      0.5             
Transmission:                                                           
Type:   Wheeled                                                        
Volume: 0.45                                                    
Mass:   0.45                                                    
Price:  450                                                     
                                                                
TOTAL:                                                          
 
Volume:                                                         
6.86    0.14                                                    
Mass:                                                           
4.78    4.24                                                    
Power - Systems Power    =      Engine Power:     
0.15    0.0001           =         0.1499                 
Price:                                                          
2,153.90                                                              
SDR:    1.5                                                     
Movement:                                                               
Road:   83.41                                           
Cross:  33.36                                                   
Combat :        38.62   15.45                                           
Travel: 166.83  66.73           Maint:  1                       
   

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

Date: Sat, 4 Mar 1995 22:08:12 +0100 (MET)
From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: 2nd Solomani Rim War and Terra
Message-ID: <199503042108.WAA12416@embla.diku.dk>

Harold D. Hale writes
>   The war of 1117 represented their best hope for retaking Terra (and
>possibly securing the other worlds they lost) in their lifetimes.  What
>ever the outcome of the civil war in the Imperium, the new emperor
>was probably not going to be in any shape in launch an offensive
>to retake territory seized by the Solomani (first order of business
>at any rate would have probably been to drive back the Vargr--a job that
>would have tied the Imperium up for several years).  At any rate,
>the Solomani were in a much better position to win than they were in the
>first war.
> 
>   The Solomani war plan probably talked to the "fact" that local
>populations would welcome the them with open arms.  While this may
>have happened in some locations (particularly in the Old Expanses),
>many worlds the Solomani didn't expect to fight their "liberation" did.
This
>undoubtedly threw the time tables off in their plans and was a
>major factor in their getting bogged down (add this factor to the list of
>three I posted yesterday).

Ironically, the planet that gave them most trouble was propably Terra.
Consider: By 1117 conditions on Terra had been normalized. Civil government
had been returned a few years before. Relations between Terra and the
Imperium were propably more cordial than ever before. And then the 
Confederation moves in. Do you think the Confederation leaders at Home
is going to turn over leadership of the Confederation to Terra? Not bloody
likely! I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that the first thing they do when they
move in is to decapitate the Terran leadership with treason trials and put
Terra under occupation  -  this time by _Confederation_ forces! By the time
the Virus topples the Confederation Terra is propably fighting a guerilla
war FOR the Imperium! 

Idea for GDW: Loren, can you imagine the fun the RC would have with a
pocket empire centered around Terra that considered itself the legitimate
successor of the Third Imperium? Wouldn't that be deliciously ironic?


      Hans Rancke
University of Copenhagen
     rancke@diku.dk
------------
        "The referee should determine the nature of subsequent
         events based on the individual situation."
                                _76 Patrons_, p. 8

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

Date: Sat, 4 Mar 1995 22:32:17 +0100 (MET)
From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Transponders
Message-ID: <199503042132.WAA12509@embla.diku.dk>

Harold D. Hale writes:
>   If they don't have "little black boxes" what do they have?  They have
>to have some way of telling good guys from bad guys--that would be
>critical to enforcing a blockade, unless you are prepared to visually
>communicate with all ship traffic (military and commercial), and don't
>mind blowing up the ocassional ship who's communications array isn't
>working.

They have what every navy back to pre-spaceflight Terra have had: A way
of transmitting information (be it flags, aldis, or radio) and secret
verification codes. You don't NEED anything as elaborate as the chip
transponders. A courier with a scrap of paper sent ahead will allow a
ship commander to recognize a friendly ship. It's simple, really.

>   The other presumption is  that the Terrans would *know* to do away
>with "little black boxes" because they transmit Virus.

No, the presumption is that noone would be silly enough to incorporate a
'black box' in their ship's electronics that was manufactured by a rival,
potentially hostile, government. This is the aspect of the Virus story
that I have most trouble accepting. The Live Psionic Silicon Chips is
just a McGuffin. I can accept them as readily as I accept jump drives
and psionics. But to believe that any of the Imperium's neighbours would
accept something like those black box transponders... GDW says that they
did it because it was the only way to get to trade with the Imperium. BS!
Let me tell you what (IMO) would happen if the Imperium tried anything
like that: All the surrounding states would impose a trade embargo on the
Imperium (perhaps totally, perhaps limited to ships carrying such a
transponder ;-). The Imperial Megacorporations would ask the Emperor for
an audience and the magic transponders would be scrapped toot suite. Mind
you, the Navy would propably keep using them. (Btw. the whole story proves
that the Imperium was ripe for disaster; they make a discovery that makes
true artificial intelligence possible, and what is the first thing they
use it for? Number plates!) 


      Hans Rancke
University of Copenhagen
     rancke@diku.dk
------------
        "This gives a possible range of 56 to 178 starships
         total  in the three Terran starport facilities,  a
         believable quantity for such a star system."

        "We have a maximum of 178 ships in port, and (as it
         is a busy star system)  we will say that there are
         70 docking berths at the Phoenix facility."

                        ---Journal of the Traveller's
                           Aid Society # 22

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

Date: Fri, 03 Mar 95 19:36:00 -0500
From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (JEFF ZEITLIN)
To: TRAVELLER@MPGN.COM
Subject: [T211] TL8 InnerCity Bus
Message-ID: <8A4C498.0100043E93.uuout@execnet.com>


T::>Here is a FF&S generic design of a city bus.  Any comments, errors etc
are
 ::>welcome.  This design is for all of you out there who wish to add the
 ::>famous, yet unrealistic scene from _Speed_ to their Traveller: The New
Era
 ::>adventures. :)  Have fun.

 You asked for it, you got it...

 ::>TL 8 InnerCity Public Transportation Bus

 ::>Price:          10,834 Credits

 Only if an Imperial credit is worth five or more 1960 US 
 Dollars...  and to buy the model of bus that appeared in SPEED, 
 you'd probably need a seven-to-one rate today...

 ::>Size:           56 Cubic liters = 4 Displacement Tons

 I can't comment on this.  I'll try to get some measurements the 
 next time I ride one...

 ::>Mass:           6.00 Tonnes Empty, 6.63 Tonnes Loaded

 This is probably about right...

 ::>Power:          0.2 MW TL 5 Improved Internal Combustion Engine

 Probably not improved.  1940's vintage Diesel would be about 
 right...

 ::>Maint:          1
 ::>Controls:       TL-8 Enhanced Electronic Ground Vehicle Controls

 Manual linkage.  Period.  Easy to maintain, less likely to break.

 ::>                TL-8 Inertial Positioning Navigational Aid

 No navaids.  Except the driver's eyes, the street signs, the 
 kerbs, and the yellow line down the middle of the street...

 ::>Commo:          30km Radio Communication Suite

 Probably only about 10km.

 ::>Sensors:        2xFront HeadLights
 ::>Life Support:   Light, Heat
 ::>Cargo:          125kg

 Zero.  This is an urban rapid transit bus, not an intercity bus.  
 Strictly carryon, in the passenger compartment.

 ::>Crew:           1
 ::>Passnegers:     12

 Seats for 20-30 (I never counted.  Probably closer to the 30).  
 Standing room for another 30, officially.  Try about 50 standees 
 during rush.  Total capacity officially about 50, really 75-80.

 ::>Armament:       None
 ::>Max Speed:      93 kph Road speed/19 kph Cross Country speed

 Downhill, with a _good_ tailwind.  Maybe.  Most of those busses 
 can't do better than about 45km/h on level ground.  65 when new, 
 and empty.

T::>Travel Move:    186/78  [kilometers per 4 hours]
 ::>Combat Move:    43/18   [m/s]
 ::>Fuel Capacity:          Fuel Tank: 500 Liters

 No, probably about 3/4 of this.  I'll check this as well.

 ::>                        Fill up:   125 Credits

 Close.  Probably a bit more, at least in NYC.  Call it 150, at 
 $1=1Cr.

 ::>                        Fuel Type: Hydrocarbon Distillates

 Low grade...

 ::>Fuel Consumption:       50 Liters Per Hour (10 Hours Endurance)

 No more than 2km/l.  At any speed.

T::>Combat Stats

 <snicker>  These things are a liability in combat, not an asset...
==========================================================================
Jeff Zeitlin                                      jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com
---
  QMPro 1.53  If you want your DREAMS to come true, don't oversleep.

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

Date: Sat, 4 Mar 1995 16:41:54 -0600
From: muskrat@msn.fullfeed.com (John Kovalic)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Subscribe
Message-ID: <199503042241.QAA14772@fullfeed.msn.fullfeed.com>

subscribe-traveller@mpgn.com

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

Date: Sun, 05 Mar 1995 11:13:19 -0500 (EST)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Hiver warbot's
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.950305110750.28302B-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


A question for GDW, if _Alien's of the Rim_ hasn't been 
finalized/published yet...

How did the Hivers take control of their very dangerous warbot's?
Is the questioned answered in the _Rim_ book?
(For those without the CT Robot supplement, Hiver warbot's were so 
dangerous that importing them into the Imperium was a crime...)


A question for everyone else...

How do you think that infected Vargr robot's should be played?
(Vargr robots are built to truly shoddy specifications... anytime that 
good `Vargr' robots are sold, they are invariably ex-Imperial property 
(often stolen). 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alvin Plummer
"Preserve what we created, Norris, and remember what we stood for."
                               - Strephon, 179-1126

Reply to: alvin.plummer@SHERIDANC.ON.CA

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


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

Date: Sun, 05 Mar 1995 11:50:08 -0500 (EST)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Cc: xboat@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 212
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.950305113009.28302E-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


From: "Harold D. Hale" <hdhale@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
> 
> "count" says:
> 
> >TNE is a totally new game, built from the ground up using T2000 (not 
> >Arnie), and Dark Conspiracy (all TM/c GDW).  Hence it is a distinct 
> >possibility that those who enjoyed CT and/or MT will not enjoy TNE. 
> > If  however you enjoyed T2000 2nd _AND_ CT/MT then you would
> > very possibly  love TNE!!  However I'm one of the former.  I enjoyed CT
> > and to a lesser  degree MT, but not Tw2000 etc.  Hence I'm
> > disappointed to say that I  think GDW and I have gone our separate
> > ways to a significant degree.
> 
>    TNE is Traveller, simply a further refinement of the game.  There is
> no reason why anyone who enjoyed playing Traveller in 1985, shouldn't
> enjoy playing it in 1995, except they might find the way the storyline
> advanced a bit disagreeable (which is why the Regency exists).
>  I think this is where your problem with TNE lies.  Some people in my
little
> gaming group were none too happy about the Rebellion storyline, and
> even less happy about the way it ended.  Somehow I have to believe
> that if the rules changes had been implemented and Strephon were still
> on the throne (in year say, 1125), you'd be quite happy with TNE.

Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on! 
Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on! 
Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on! 
Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on!  Right on! 

> 
> Cynthia says:
> 
> >1. They didn't lose the Solomani Rim War... they lost Terra, which would
> >have been like the Union losing Washington D.C. in the Civil War -- a 
> >devastating blow to morale to lose the Capital, but doesn't imply a very
> >deep penetration of the borders...  As it was, the Solomani fleets broke
> >the back of the Imperial Navy; that's why they STOPPED at Terra.
> 
>    The First Solomani Rim War ended in a marginal Imperial victory.  While
> they did succeed in reclaiming a portion of the worlds they stood to lose
> through Solomani succession, and captured the Confederation's
> homeworld (Terra),  they failed to crush the rebellion completely.  This
> left the Imperium in a position where they had to fortify a border that
> had previously been a quiet region.  One wonders how the Rebellion
> would have played out differently had all those Imperial assets fighting
> the Solomani were instead fighting one of other factions.

More interesting "Alternate questions"!  I suspect that, if the Confederation
was part of the Imperium during the Rebellion, it would depend vitally on 
who was the Archduke at the time.  If he was a strong, pro-Imperial 
Archduke (a la Norris) the area would either have provided muscle and a
centre for the `Moderate pro-Imperial' fractions (Norris, Margaret, Craig, 
maybe Brks and that guy in charge of Gateway) to retake the Imperium.  If he 
was strong and pro-independent, the Solomani Confederation v.2 would have 
been born.  If he was weak, the area would have fractured into a billion 
fragments as local independent movements take off. 

> Also, Terra was at the center of the Solomani Confederation prior to
> Rim War I.  If capturing Terra isn't deep penetration, what is?

An excellent point.

> We know that the Battle
> of Dingir in 1117 was one such foul-up (the Solomani failed to secure
> the system)--there were probably others, as I indicated in my last post.

Where is the 1117 Battle of Dingir covered?

> 
> Pete Burke says:
> 
> 3) Has Aslan society collapsed as well as the Imperium? What about the 
> K'kree?  Have the K'kree disappeared from the official universe?
> 
>    It can be assumed that the Virus adapted itself to Aslan computer
> circuitry pretty quickly, and that there was enough commonality
> between clan computers and software so that the Virus was able
> to jump from one to another until finally it had spread through out the
> Hierate trailing of the Great Rift.
> 
>    This fact would not preclude the existence of Aslan pocket empires
> where the old Hierate once stood.

THIS is interesting, to see if the Aslan New Lords can retake their old 
clan holdings!  Does the infected portions of the Hierate even remember 
the old clans?  Have new clans formed to replace the old ones? (I would 
think yes!)  How has the Aslan Honor Code chaned in the Wilds?  It 
certainly isn't the universal code it used to be!

> It also opens up the possibility of
> new Virus types--ones that have a more Aslan-like outlook on the
> Universe (Vampire clans, anyone?).  There is also a strong likelihood
> that the Aslan colonies would begin expanding back across the
> Great Rift to find out what, if anything, might be left of their brethren.

The Aslan's are so LAND... LAND... LAND hungry, I wouldn't be surprised 
if they have ALREADY started their reconquest!

From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (JEFF ZEITLIN)
> 
>   Let me note that I am _not_ doing a book review, nor am I
>   discussing the plot.  My comments are purely on production 
>   issues, and are strictly my opinions, nobody else's.
> 

Thank you, Mr. Zeitlin, for not discussing the plot!
Anyone who has bought the book, please DO NOT post spoilers here!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alvin Plummer
"Preserve what we created, Norris, and remember what we stood for."
                               - Strephon, 179-1126

Reply to: alvin.plummer@SHERIDANC.ON.CA

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


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

End of TRAVELLER Digest 213
***************************
