Subject: #1(2) TRAVELLER digest 233
Date: 95-03-24 21:08:35 EST
From: traveller@mpgn.com
Sender: traveller@mpgn.com
Reply-to: traveller@mpgn.com
To: traveller@mpgn.com (Multiple recipients of list)

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------- cut here --------
			    TRAVELLER Digest 233

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) TL15 50-ton Missile Bay	by bonn0015@flipper.itlabs.umn.edu (STEVEN M BONNEVILLE)
  2) Re: TRAVELLER digest 232	by Caffein Achiever! <fok@chaph.usc.edu>
  3) Is this list alive?	by roger.myhre@niva.no
  4) Virus continued	by "Post, D L (Dan)" <PostD%HOST2@WLV.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM>
  5) Re: Bonded Superdense	by "Post, D L (Dan)" <PostD%Host2@WLV.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM>
  6) Re: Virus plausibility and DOS computers...	by "Bruce Johnson" <JOHNSON@tonic.pharm.arizona.edu>
  7) Virus	by "Post, D L (Dan)" <PostD%HOST2@WLV.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM>
  8) Release schedule???	by Mike Basinger <dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu>
  9) 	by Shalom Zaidfeld <cs911408@red.ariel.cs.yorku.ca>
 10) Re: RICE: Phoebus	by Zaidfeld <cs911408@red.ariel.cs.yorku.ca>
 11) Re: TRAVELLER digest 232	by mtr@globalx.net
 12) Re: TRAVELLER digest 232	by mtr@globalx.net
 13) The Fourth Imperium?	by "Salisbury, Tim" <salisbury@ftdetrck-atmo1.army.mil>

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

Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 23:36:30 -0600
From: bonn0015@flipper.itlabs.umn.edu (STEVEN M BONNEVILLE)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: TL15 50-ton Missile Bay
Message-ID: <199503240536.XAA01411@starfish.itlabs.umn.edu>

A useful weapon system for TNE starship designers:


TL15 50-ton MFD Missile Bay
---------------------------
Volume:   700 kL        Mass: 317.856 metric tons (709.856 tons loaded)
Power:      6.84 MW     Crew:   4
Price: MCr 36.3544      Surface Area: 91.2 square meters
MFDs have +6 Diff Mod.

Four high-speed launch systems for 7 kL missiles are installed in the bay.
Each includes a launcher, a mechanical reloader with eleven launch cradles,
and a gunner's workstation equipped with a 300 Mm laser communicator and
a 300 Mm MFD with pencil-beam AEMS.  The bay also includes a magazine for
storing eight more missiles, and 5.972 kL of space for customization.  One
custom possibility is a small fusion plant and fuel tank to run the bay.

The bay contains 56 missiles, of which 48 are loaded to fire; the bay may
fire 40 missiles in any turn and can control up to 24 of them.  If the bay
fires no faster than 16 missiles a turn, it may fire continuously until 
the ship's magazine is exhausted; at 24 per turn it can fire for two turns,
then needs to spend one to reload.  To fully load the bay and the bay's
local magazine with standard TNE TL15 det-laser missiles would cost MCr 70.

NOTES:

It turns out that it's more volume-efficient to use a launcher/reloader 
system if over five missiles are installed, and the system is also much
cheaper than an all-launcher system.

A larger bay could use a seventeen-cradle system for each launcher, which 
could fire as many missiles as it could control every turn until the ship
ran out of missiles.

Most of the cost and power requirement of the bay is caused by the four
local MFDs and the pencil-beam AEMS.  The reason that they're installed
here is that any ship with this bay will need them, and by giving them
to the gunners I'm reducing bridge crew by four.  Lower tech missile bays
can easily be built by using space from the local magazine to make up the
difference in the additional bulk of the electronic equipment.  More MFDs
could be installed on the bridge to enable massive single-round missile
salvos, maximum at eight additional MFDs per three bays, allowing control
of all 40 missiles the bay may fire per turn; of course, pauses would be
needed to reload at this firing rate.

The surface area was assumed to be exactly the same as a 50-ton laser
bay. 1 Mm == 1000 km.

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

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

Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 22:32:31 PST
From: Caffein Achiever! <fok@chaph.usc.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 232
Message-ID: <CMM.0.90.2.796026751.fok@phakt.usc.edu>

>This brings up a  point on FF& S. It only provides 1 type of armour
>at any tech level.  Bonded superdense is great unless you want
>to be a aircraft or speeder. Then you turn into a lead sled, or
>end up with huge powerplant to power the device. Surly high
>tech levels have come up with a light wieght alloy that provides
>reasonable armour.  Perhaps you could use the preceeding
>armour technology for a current version of a alloy.....

I developed a list of materials for use in a alternate setting
(...been working off and on for almost two years now.)  It consist of
35 different materials going up to tech level 13.  If there is
sufficient interest I can post it to the TML group and the gdw-beta
group.

Please express your interest to me directly so it won't clutter up the
list.  As soon as I complete my exams I'll post it to the
group...assuming there's sufficient interest.

Cheers

=================================| I will not torment the emotionally frail
Edward Fok			 | I will not torment the emotionally frail
University of Southern California| I will not torment the emotionally frail
EE-Electrophysics Department	 |            -The SIMPSONS

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

Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 12:25:35 +0100
From: roger.myhre@niva.no
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Is this list alive?
Message-ID: <d919af40@smtplink.niva.no>

Hey! What is happening? Has the list gone to the place where used 
electrons rest?


Roger Myhre

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

Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 13:03:00 PST
From: "Post, D L (Dan)" <PostD%HOST2@WLV.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM>
To: Traveller <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Virus continued
Message-ID: <2F71E23A@MX.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM>


> Item (1): how does software change hardware? [...] Imperial technology
> computers ...  are .. composed of self-configuring processors; ..they
> can literally rewrite their own circuitry as needed.
Very true.  Just in the 15 years that I have worked with computers there
has been a dramatic change of software controlling more and more
of the hardware. Try to find a dip switch on a 486 motherboard. They
have been replaced by "software settings" . Certainly by TL10 you
would have motherboards that were completely configurable by
software. The cost  savings would be enormous. A few computer
boards could be used for 80 to 90% of all computer needs. Now infect
a latent hardware chip with the virus in the manufacturers board. The boards
are shipped all over the imperium. Wait for the radio signal...Poof! instant
dark ages.
   Someone mentioned about different operating systems. , unusual computers, 

low tech computers would be very difficult to infect. The virus would be 
lucky to shut
the computer down or perhaps erase the software.  High tech computers if
infected would be very dangerous  with the silicon virus. The
lifeform could reconfigure the computer for  its own means.  Think about it.
Can't communicate?  reconfigure the laser designator to be a communicator...
 Can't win. wait tell the ship is entering the atmosphere of a planet and 
short circuit
 the computer system. Can't get through the security gateway?Take over the 
environmental
controls and shut it down, Remember this virus was designed by people who 
knew
the imperium computer network. They knew what the back doors were. They
had the military codes etc...  I heard rumors that IRAQ had viruses that
infected their system from eproms that were put into printers... When you
have the resources of an empire the virus could have been designed
to bypass 90% of imperium security codes.  Even after the break up
little would change to protect the new empires.......
I guess I have babbled enough...
                    Dan
"Nothing is safe unless you don't use it"
          

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

Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 09:20:00 PST
From: "Post, D L (Dan)" <PostD%Host2@WLV.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM>
To: eclipse <eclipse@qrc.com>, beta <gdw-beta@qrc.com>,
Subject: Re: Bonded Superdense
Message-ID: <2F71ADD1@MX.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM>


Having thought about it I think the weight is still to high
maybe-
TL 12 lightweight Crystaliron alloy - Toughness 7 Mass 6  Cost .042
 ----------
From: eclipse
To: beta; Traveller
Subject: Re: Bonded Superdense
Date: Wednesday, March 22, 1995 9:29PM

At 12:48 PM 3/20/95 PST, Post, D L (Dan) wrote:
> Someone was making comments on putting armour on planes.
   Something the pilots like. :-)  They like even more
armor around the cockpit.  Kinda like the titanium bathtubs the
A-10 pilots sit in.

>This brings up a  point on FF& S. It only provides 1 type of armour
>at any tech level.  Bonded superdense is great unless you want
>to be a aircraft or speeder. Then you turn into a lead sled, or
>end up with huge powerplant to power the device. Surly high
>tech levels have come up with a light wieght alloy that provides
>reasonable armour.  Perhaps you could use the preceeding
>armour technology for a current version of a alloy.....
   A fine idea.  It's much like one that was raised for small arm
design.  Alloy for the receiver, hard steel for the barrel, plastic for
the stock and magazines.

> Here could be a potential example:
>TL 12 lightwieght Crystaliron alloy - Toughness 7 Mass 7.5 Cost .042
>Compared to bonded superdense it would be half the
>toughness, half the mass and triple the cost. Any
>thoughts?
   I like it!  The cost can be justified by a performance aircraft.

>                         Dan
>pg 3221 of imperial tank manual......
>"Never land your 200ton grav tank in a swamp......"

  Unless you *want* to hide!
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
eclipse@ultranet.com -- These opinions are mine, no one else wants `em.
"[Clinton's] Administration is easily the most reckless in interfering with
the integrity of Federal investigative agencies since that of Richard 
Nixon."
   -- NY Times editorial, "White House Ethics Meltdown", 3/4/94
              http://www.ultranet.com/~eclipse/
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------


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

Date:          Fri, 24 Mar 1995 09:39:52 MST7
From: "Bruce Johnson" <JOHNSON@tonic.pharm.arizona.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Virus plausibility and DOS computers...
Message-ID: <5691225467@tonic.pharm.Arizona.EDU>


> 
Michael T. Richter  mtr@globalx.net sez'


> > Oddly enough, the technical aspects of the Virus make more sense than
> > the societal ones, as I hope to show you.  How does the Virus, nominally
> > a program, change (1) hardware on (2) another computer?  
> 
> Actually the two make no sense at an equal level.
> 
> > Item (2) is easy -- the two computers merely have to be in communication.
> 
> My computer is currently in communication with another one through a serial
> link.  I challenge ANYONE, ANYWHERE (Bulgarian Underground Hackers
> included!) to infect me.  I'll leave the link up for as long as they like.
> 
> The fact is that my computer simply does not execute any data sent from the
> remote system unless I explicitly do so.  It takes my direct actions to
> infect this computer system the way it is right now.

	Uhhh...one silly question...why are you using TL7-8 computers in
3000-something?  Of coiurse, we don't have the technology that would
be affected by this thing, but where does the rationale that
computer systems at TL12 work the same as those at TL 7-8 come from?
 Your objections to Virus being unable to infect computers based on
current systems standards is a little like saying (in 1942) GUI's
are impossible because the coding necessary on Eniac I is physically
impossible, or that floating point arithmetic errors are impossible
on Pentuims (aka the 80586.874456 ;-) because the gearing on your
Babbage difference engine is too precise to allow that (in 1890).

	Finally, if you read TNE, that's pretty much how they did end up 
running systems on ships to avoid virus infections (that truly dumb 
trhing about having a human type in codes from one computer to 
another to run a starship.  Yikes! IMHO that's more unbelievable than 
Virus.  Something like an active immune system (those 'domesticated' 
Viruses of the Hivers) are much more reasonable.

	This  is a bit afield, but Wired Magazine (the february issue, I
think It's got a sort of Conan the Barbarian pastiche on the cover
mostly in orange tones) has an interesting article about computer
viruses. Now the article is written in the typical Wired 'I'm so
goddamn hip you should need dark shades to gaze upon my visage'
style, but there are some very interesting nuggets of information,
particularly about the possibilities of using viral produced code as
a 'software farm'.  Apparently, in an artificial environment, self
mutating software viruses can produce some very efficient code.

	Extrapolate that into several tech levels higher than today, add in 
solid state life forms, and I don't think it's at all unlikely that 
something like Virus could exist. However, I do agree that the 
timescale in TNE is absurdly short...a couple of hundred years would 
be a better timescale for the Collapse into the Wilds, particularly 
if part of the Virus problem is 'life-hating' Berserker ships, or 
fleets of them.  Go back and read Fred Saberhagen's Berserker stories 
to find out what (IMO) Vampire ships and fleets would be like.

Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Info Technology Group




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

Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 09:50:00 PST
From: "Post, D L (Dan)" <PostD%HOST2@WLV.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM>
To: Traveller <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Virus
Message-ID: <2F71B50A@MX.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM>



Also From: mtr@globalx.net writes...
>This is nonsense.  Computer B would have to allow computer A to execute
>code directly.  Not all communications links allow this.  (The one I'm 
using
>to collect my mail and news, for instance...)
First off the point is not that a virus would infect your computer. (a 
personal
workstation). The point is that the virus affect the banking,miltitary,etc 
systems.
A large corporation or miltitary by definition needs common means to
communicate and exchange data .(not just E-mail). The "information highway"
is mostly about bussiness exchanging data at a unparallel rate. As tech 
levels
increase the entire world would become (more or less) a networked system
net. Sure there would be security systems and some of them did work, but
look at the current battle of security verses hackers. Virus detection works
great agianst a old virus, but a really new design of a virus still causes 
fits.
Sure computers now have many levels of security , but most company
computers managers still never bother to change the root password
that came out of the box. Backdoors and security holes exist in about
every major system. If simple security was enough why do top secret
military systems remain isolated from 'any' outside contact?  For the
virus to have its effect I doubt is would have to have infected over
30% of any one world's computers to reek havoc. I think current
hackers would agree they could get into 30% of the systems.
One infected starship plunging into a capital city would destroy alot of
 "isolated" computers or even personal computers. :-) Even if the isolated
systems survived the impact of the virus on the economic structure would
still cause things tofall apart.

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

Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 14:21:21 -0500 (EST)
From: Mike Basinger <dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu>
To: Traveller Mailing List <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Release schedule???
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9503241456.A23475-0100000@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu>

What is the release schedule for GDW for the next few monthes, I have 
heard about the Vampire Sourcebook, Aliens of the Rim, and The Regency 
Sourcebook.

Any of these going to be out in the near future?

Mike

--
D. Michael Basinger [N9YYO]
dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu
<http://bronze.ucs.indiana.edu/~dbasinge/>
"Not speaking for Indiana University"


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

Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 14:36:30 -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>
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.950324143148.25952A-100000@blue>

Hi All,

Here is my newest motorcycle design using FF&S.  Any comments, errors 
etc. are welcome.  Enjoy.
	
	-Shalom Zaidfeld

====================8<===============================================

The Z'voov Scooter, although designed to carry only one individual, 
can support one more rider by squeezing on the scooter, but operating 
the scooter (Driving) will be at one difficulty level higher.
 
TL-7 Z'Voov City Scooter                                         
                   
TL              7                                               
Price:          379.05 Credits                          
Size:           0.028 Cubic Liters =0.002 Displacment Tons          
Weight:         70 kg Empty
                170 kg Loaded [270 kg w/Passenger]
Power:          0.004 MW  TL-5 Improved Internal Combustion Engine
Maint:          0.06                              
Controls:       TL-6 Enhanced Mechanical Motorcycle Controls       
Commo:          None
Sensors:        1xFront Headlight, 30 meters range 
Life Support:   Light, Heat       
Cargo:          0 kg [All cargo is carried with rider]
Crew:           1   
Passengers:     0 [* See note above]                
Armament:       None            
Movement:                               
        Road:    78 Kph [58 w/Passenger] top speed                      
        OffRoad: 8 Kph [6 w/Passenger] top speed             
        Travel:  156/16 [115/12 w/Passenger] Kilometers per 4 hours

        Combat:  36/4 [27.3 w/Passenger] Meters per Turn       
 
Fuel Capacity:                         
        Fuel Type:      Hydrocarbon Distillates 
        Fuel Tank:      7 liters  
 
Fuel Consumption:                               
        Refill:         1.75 Credits 
                        1 liter/hour [ 7 hours]
 
Combat Statistics:                      
 
Config: Open Frame (W 1.002)
                        HF:     [0.2]
                        HS:     [0.2]
                        HR:     [0.2] 
Deck:   Open            Belly:   0.2     
 
 
 
DESIGN NOTES:
 
HULL:           Passengers:     0                
Rate:   0.002   Crew:           1
Volume: 0.028   
TL:     7              
MV:     0.02                                                 
MVM:    2       Config: Open Frame                        
 
HULL PLATING:                                    
Material:     Light Composite                          
Thoughness:     4      
AV:     0.2              
Thickness:      0.05                   
Volume: 0.002   
Mass:   0.014 
Price:  4.2                
 
SUSPENSION:                                      
Type:  Restricted Wheel  
TL:     5      
Volume: 0.0028             
Mass:  0.00056             
Price:  0.7             
Surface: 1.4       
      
 
CONTROL SYSTEMS:  
Type:  Enhanced Mechanical
TL:     6              
Volume: 0.000028                         
Mass:   2.8E-06 
Price:  0.6             
Power:  4E-07   
 
CREWSTATIONS:                    
Type:   Open Crewstation [Scooter]             
Volume: 0                
Mass:   0.04   
Price:  300             
 
SENSORS:         
Type:   1xFront Headlight                
TL:     4                
Range:  30               
Volume: 0.002        
Mass:   0.001         
Price:  50               
Power:  0.0001
 
POWER PLANT:                            TRANSMISSION:           
Type:   Improved Internal Combustion    Type:   Wheel   
TL:     5                               Volume: 0.0012  
Volume: 0.01                            Mass:   0.0012       
Mass:   0.01                            Price:  1.8     
Price:  20                              
Power:  0.004                 
Fuel Type:      Hydrocarbon Distillates             
Fuel Tank:      0.007               
Fuel Mass:      0.007               
Fuel Price:     1.75                           
Endurance:      7                                              
 
TOTALS:              
                                           
Volume:              
Used:   0.025028     
Left:   0.002972                                                        
Cargo:  0                        
Mass:                          
Loaded: 0.173763                         
Empty:  0.066763      
Price:  379.05                           
Surface Area:    
Used:   0                        
Left:  1.4                     
 
SDR:    Type:   W 1.002            
Power   Used    Engine       
0.004   0.0001  0.0039           
Movement:                   
Road:   78.10522       
Cross:  7.810522             
Combat: 36.16272        3.162272                                        
Travel: 156.2229        15.62229                             
Maint:  0.057921 

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

Date: Fri, 24 Mar 1995 16:27:45 -0500 (EST)
From: Zaidfeld <cs911408@red.ariel.cs.yorku.ca>
To: TNE Mailing List <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re: RICE: Phoebus
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.950324161958.21401C-100000@blue>


On Wed, 15 Mar 1995, Michael Llaneza wrote:

> I'm working on the RCES world of Phoebus for a RICE paper and my own 
> campaign. So far I have a very interesting solar system. Those darn dice 
> come up with the darndest things, but I like these. I also have some 
> notes on culture and history. There will be one NPC (at least) of the 
> sole RC representative since one of my PC's is his nephew.

Post it to the list when you're finished.

> Is anyone else detailing the worlds of the RC? I suspect that enough 
> different people are doing the major worlds (Aubaine, Oriflamme, ...) 
> that some may want to collaborate. Since GDW is, apparently, not going to 
> further detail the RC, I think that the TML list is the best way to get 
> and share details on those worlds.

Well, I'm working (slowly though..) on detailing Apollo (0436/Aubiane).  
It's an intersting world.  A TL 8 boneyard with 4000 people 
digging around for TL 11 equipment, all this on a world with an 
atomosphere rating of C..   I'm still working on the star system itself, 
and didn't touch any else yet.

If you need any help, let me know.

                -Shalom Zaidfeld
----
Toronto, CANADA
Internet: cs911408@ariel.cs.yorku.ca

	

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

Date: Fri, 24 Mar 95 18:41:35 -0500
From: mtr@globalx.net
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 232
Message-ID: <9503250248.AA0083@C8.globalx.net>

>> Also, I challenge anyone to write a program whose binaries will run
>> both on my PC here and on my AIX workstation at work. 

>    Probably can't but you're assuming that things like seperate system
> architectures for PCs and workstations exist at TL 15 or 14 or 13 or 12
> or 11....  You seem to be stuck on what your system can and can not do

The number of architectures, both software and hardware, has been
INCREASING with the development of computer technology, not reducing!

> now.  Hell, the space shuttle can't get jump to Alpha Centauri and back
> in two weeks, yet I'm sure you buy off on FTL travel.  Why can't your
> imagination work that well in envisioning computer technology in the
> future?

I can buy off on FTL travel and not on Virus for two reasons:

1) I am not intimately familiar with the physics which makes it impossible.
I can thus very comfortably ignore the silliness.  I am intimately familiar
with the technology field VIrus supposedly operates in.  I cannot,
therefore, as comfortably drop it.  That, combined with the social
stupidities surrounding Virus, means I simply cannot suspend disbelief
when Virus is mentioned.

2) FTL travel is a strong, traditional component of SF.  I have plenty of
"case law" from past reading which has brought FTL travel into the norm.
(Besides, lets face it -- SF games would be pretty damned boring without
"the wonders of interstellar space"!)  Virus is weak in tradition and adds
no new, fascinating plot potentials which couldn't be used without it.  If
you don't believe me, read in the RISKS forum just what sorts of horror
stories are possible with our current, primitive (by Traveller standards)
technology...

---

Michael T. Richter
mtr@globalx.net
(613)592-7994

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

Date: Fri, 24 Mar 95 18:50:07 -0500
From: mtr@globalx.net
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 232
Message-ID: <9503250257.AA0084@C8.globalx.net>

> 	I'm engaged in designing an alternate world somewhat similar to 
> your own.  I'd be particularly interested to see what you come up with 
> for ship designs to account for these shorter range lasers.  Are you 
> using gravitic focusing at all?  How about meson guns?  I haven't been 
> using either, and, in general, I've found it makes for large, heavily 
> armored ships with several large laser bays along the sides of the ship 
> (to accomodate the focal arrays).  It also makes missiles much more 
> important.  I've also been fiddling with changing the time and space 
> scale for BL because at the range you mentioned above, most of the action 
> takes place within a single hex.  How have you handled this?

I do not use gravitic focusing as this requires much better gravitic
technology than I postulate being possible for my setting.  Meson guns are
in the questionable status.  (The issue hasn't come up yet, so I've been
putting off this particular decision.)  Your ship designs coincide roughly
with mine, although the lasers tend to be in remote devices instead of in
bays on ships.  (Manpower, as always, is EXPENSIVE!)  Since I haven't
considered much above the anti-pirate Corvettes in size yet, I haven't
been too careful in my assessments of technology...

The BL stuff I ignore and resort to the "dramatic tactical system".  I keep
an eye out toward orbital mechanics, et. al. and then make judicious use of
tactical rolls and player descriptions to assess difficulties and outcomes.
(I've always found BL to be WAY too time consuming for RPG starship combat!)
Since starship combats are not a vital part of my campaign, I don't feel the
need to write up complex rules variants to handle them.

(You should have seen my first draught of the campaign setting.  I didn't
even allow for high-G acceleration over long periods of time.  The primary
in-system drive was...  brace yourself...  solar sails!  A few calculations
and a few kicks to my head from my players convinced me to ditch this
concept!:-)

---
Michael T. Richter
mtr@globalx.net
(613)592-7994

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

Date: 24 Mar 1995 20:10:34 -0500
From: "Salisbury, Tim" <salisbury@ftdetrck-atmo1.army.mil>
To: "Traveller Mailing List" <listproc@MPGN.COM>, traveller@MPGN.COM,
Subject: The Fourth Imperium?
Message-ID: <n1416046624.32919@ftdetrck-atmo1.army.mil>

Bob Brown writes:
>Am I just being to simplistic here, to me Norris is a pretty strong 
>power after the Virus. What do you think? 

I saw TNE stats for the Azhanti High Lightning.  One alone could take out =
the entire Reformation Coalition, even if the RC had all it's forces in =
one place waiting for it.  The Domain has 4 of these, and considers them =
obsolete.  So, take a BatRon of First Rate vessles (Tigresses anyone?) =
and equip them for long range operation ( lots of extrra missles and =
supplies in cargo, enough streamlining and fuel scoops to keep thing =
flying without a base, etc..) and go party!
The Rebellion would have desrtoyed most of the front line vessles, and =
the few remaining would have been infected with early versions of Virus, =
and so most likely destroyed themselves.  I would say, if the Domain =
maintained anything near the fifth frontier war fleet it had, it would be =
unstoppable in the Wilds.
Then again, the Rule of Man showed us the problems with expanding your =
empire to fast....


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

End of TRAVELLER Digest 233
***************************
