			    TRAVELLER Digest 238

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) From the Core: A Marriage Made in Deneb
	by Jo Grant <Jo_Grant.LOTUSINT@crd.lotus.com>
  2) Aldeberan Sector data
	by pd82495@wapol.gov.au (Michael Bailey)
  3) Re: Sparklers
	by James Kundert <james@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>
  4) The Virus
	by Sean Harradine <S.Harradine@mmu.ac.uk>
  5) Re: TRAVELLER Digest 236
	by "Harold D. Hale" <hdhale@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
  6) Re: "Sparklers"
	by bonn0015@flipper.itlabs.umn.edu (STEVEN M BONNEVILLE)
  7) Re: TRAVELLER digest 236
	by aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
  8) TRAVELLER digest 237
	by pete.burke@compudata.com (PETE BURKE)
  9) Robots in TNE
	by Hugh Foster <100326.446@compuserve.com>
 10) Some Common Courtesy, Please
	by LONG2469@splava.cc.plattsburgh.edu

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

Date: 29 Mar 95  4:12:08 EDT
From: Jo Grant <Jo_Grant.LOTUSINT@crd.lotus.com>
To: traveller <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Cc: "Robert.Brown" <Robert.Brown@newcastle.ac.uk>
Subject: From the Core: A Marriage Made in Deneb
Message-ID: <9503290422.AA15696@internet1.lotus.com>

Bob Brown writes:

>Norris in the true traditions of Imperial Nobles has 
>a True Daughter to take over, when he is gone, he also has Strephons 
>clone child kicking around somewhere, who may want to go back to the 
>Imperium, to get back what is rightfully theirs i.e. The Iridium 
>Throne,even if it isn't worth much these days.

Hoo boy. I had missed that one. Now, it seems to me that
a marriage between Ms Norris and Master Strephon would be
the political opportunity of the century that couldn't be
missed. Is the Strephon clone the official Heir? The Norris
clone is, isn't she?

It seems obvious these two's fate is written in the Stars.
Has this been made note of anywhere or has it been left
to the gentle reader to deduce the obvious?

Jo

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

Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 14:02:30 +0800
From: pd82495@wapol.gov.au (Michael Bailey)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Aldeberan Sector data
Message-ID: <9503290602.AA02201@phq1002.wapol.gov.au>

G'day all,

I'm looking for 'official' UWP data for the Aldeberan sector (rimward of the
Solomani Rim).  I haven't been able to loacate anything in the 
archives, and I'm not really sure if it exists.

Does anyone know of a UWP file for the Aldeberan sector?  It's 
no great hassle if not, I'll knock one up myself...

Thanx
Michael Bailey, Police Dept. of Western Australia:  pd82495@wapol.gov.au
                        Any opinions expressed above are strictly my own.
     "..when you list all the qualities that you despise and you realise, 
          you're describing yourself"    Marillion, 'the Rake's Progress'





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

Date: Tue, 28 Mar 95 23:34:51 PST
From: James Kundert <james@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Sparklers
Message-ID: <9503290734.AA07546@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>

 Ah.
 For months I've listened to TMLers and ex-TMLers (and XTMLers) bitch
and whine about Virus. Now it's my turn to tell you that the alternative
would probably have been WORSE. Our beloved Spinward Marches would have
been scrambled so badly as to make the 5th Frontier War as nothing, too
many primal secrets of the Traveller Universe would have stood revealed,
and the complaining here on the TML would likely still be going at
pre-XTML levels. The alternate timelines would be as numerous as they are
now, if not more so. I speak, of course, of what DGP had planned:


"Bob Brown" <Robert.Brown@newcastle.ac.uk> writes:

>I don't think the Zhodani are going to be in any position to stop
>Norris from doing anything. According to MJ4 The Zhodani core
>expedition encounters the Sparklers (Primordials), have a failure to
>communicate, promptly launch...

 The Sparklers (or "Baddies from the Core") were what DGP _would_ have
done to the game had GDW not awakened from their long T2k period and
taken control of Traveller again.  Frankly, my reaction to the Sparklers
was as bad as many TMLers reactions to Virus. Yech. Similar to the
Virus reaction of many others, my objections weren't to the whole idea
so much as to the details. By comparison Virus is a marvel of organized
plot design, IMHO, and is much more useful to stories (campaigns, that is)
placed afterwards.

 Don't get me wrong, DGP did some marvelous things for Traveller, but
the Sparklers would not have been one of them. As it sits now there
are no Baddies from the Core, the tales of the 8th Zhodani Core
Expedition remain to be told, and the real reason Grandfather made the
Zhodani Map Artifact remains unrevealed. Finally, the Marches remain
largely isolated from and unconcerned by the events in the rest of the
Imperium.
 Just the way I like it, Thank You.

 (This rant kept short in consideration for our paying members)



James Kundert <james@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>
              <j.kundert@genie.geis.com>

  "O wad some power the giftie gie us,
   To see oursels as others see us!
   It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
   And foolish notion."
                     -Robert Burns

ps: Is anyone else having problems receiving the TML? I've been having to
    ftp my TMLs for the last week, while the XTML comes in just fine in the
    mail. Go Figure.

    Jim

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

Date:          Wed, 29 Mar 1995 09:32:48 GMT
From: Sean Harradine <S.Harradine@mmu.ac.uk>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: The Virus
Message-ID: <BF6E984B96@ALARIC.MMU.AC.UK>

Different architectures are not a real problem for the Virus,  if you take 
the view that original code is source code,  and the binary instructions are 
generated by the compiler for a specific architecture - therefore,  one 
source code that can run on many different architectures.  (this will work 
for your Dos,  aix/unix,  PowerPc, MVS,  VMS, etc, etc)  

As to being able to run executables on computers,  obviously having a 
security setup is of extreme importance,  but sadly is overlooked or given 
short thrift by a great many companies today.  Even when a security policy 
is implemented,  the implementation itself usually has gapeing holes caused 
by human laziness/misunderstanding/lack of interest. There are also quite a 
few technical tricks that can be used,  depending on operating systems 
and/or archtecture.  There is generally a way in. (Of course,  Military 
systems are considerably more security conscious.)  I would presume 
extrapolation from todays society,  to give the Traveller universe,  would 
include all the foibles of today. Sean Harradine
Assistant Network Officer
Manchester Metropolitan University
Tel:  0161 246 1482
Email S.Harradine@mmu.ac.uk





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

Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 10:16:23 -0500
From: "Harold D. Hale" <hdhale@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER Digest 236
Message-ID: <sf79332e.019@smtpwpo.dayt.tasc.com>

Mark Urbin writes:
>  Another book on my wish list is FF&S II.  This is the manual that covers
>some of the vital stuff that the first one missed.  "Wet" ship design,
>robots, primitive transport & genetic engineering are the topics that leap
>to mind.  A good add on would be "liftwood" rules for "wet" ship design
>and Ether Propeller rules.   That should please the pith helmet crowd
>with only a page or two.  A release of FF&S (I), that is upto date with all
>current errata and includes black powder *and* updated plasma/fusion
>rules would be welcome also.

   I second the motion.  I think that it should also include a discussion of
things like the Ancient#s pocket universes, parallel universes (and
machines that allow access to them), and time travel (and machines that
allow it)--it would be interesting to run a few H.G. Wells ``Time Machine``
type adventures.

  Now on to Challenge articles I'd like to see...

>   Imperial uniform designs.  This has been covered in sources before,
>but could use a recap in an official GDW publication.  It would be real
>darn handy for GM's like me and Rebellion types.   It would be useful for
>the TNE/RCES types as good detail filler on reclaimed relic equipment.

  Absolutely.  But not only Imperial uniform designs, but Solomani, Vargr,
Aslan, Sword World, Zhodani, etc. as well.

>   Critters.  A few pages on some basic animals.  Herd animals, work
>beasts, luxury pets, riding animals, etc.  A good spot for an artist with
>sketchpad full of animal beasts to provide colour to the article.

   Yes, absolutely.  Some of the illustrations could also be taken from
previous GDW works.

Bob Brown writes about the ``baddies from the core``

>I don't think the Zhodani are going to be in any position to stop Norris
>from doing anything. According to MJ4 The Zhodani core  expedition
>encounters the Sparklers (Primordials), have a fiailure to  communicate,
>promptly launch their Core Fleet at the new arrivals and  get
>exterminated for their troubles, well what do you expect, considering
>the Sparklers tech level. 

   <snip>

   The Sparkler storyline has been classified by GDW as a ``variant``
which means that it didn`t happen.  This is not to say there couldn`t have
been some kind of revolt within the Consulate, or that the Zhodani really
did encounter the Sparklers but didn`t shoot it out with them (the Zhodani
probably would have re-deployed their fleet to meet the potential threat
just in case), just that some other explanation for all the naval starship
traffic must be found.

Sir George Anonymous writes:

>Make that two.  The virus plot device has its problems, and it's not what
>I  would have designed had I been in charge, but it works OK for me.  It
>*is*  just a game after all.

   Ditto, though I like to add my own ``embellishments`` from time to time
for use in my own homegrown campaigns (only). 

>Only if you also manage to steal the "top secret" research notes on the
>project.  Otherwise, yes you will save some time, but I wouldn't think 
>you would save *most* of it.  But, then again, I'm not a research 
>scientist, so I could be wrong.

   My thinking in this case is that it is a heck of a lot easier to fabricate
something if you have a copy of whatever it is you want to duplicate
sitting in front of you.  It leads you down paths you otherwise would not
of thought of, and keeps you from turning down a blind alley.  As a
librarian (my day job), I can tell you from experience that being able
to adapt a previous search strategy to a bit of research gives you a
considerable time savings over having to come up with a search
strategy from scratch.

>I am also "intimately familiar with the technology field Virus  supposedly
>operates in."  Since I can't prove that something like this  can not
>possibly exist, I am willing to accept it in order to advance the  story
>line.

   This is all that anyone could ask.


Mike Basinger writes:

>The idea I'm thinking about is having the RC making contact with a
>pocket empire/coalition that has ideas and goals similar to the RC. This
>group would be ask would be asked to join the RC, since it has a large
>amount of raw material and one of the planets of this group has a Class
>A or B starport.

   Take a look at the adventure that accompanies the Referee#s Screen
and Challenge 76.

>[If GDW or anybody else likes this idea and wishes to complete it and
>publish it, please do so. I doubt if I would ever do so. Since I ain't a
>writer :-).]

   You appear to be one to me....just expand on the outline you just wrote.


Harold (not Howard as Cynthia pointed out previously)



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

Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 10:53:02 -0600
From: bonn0015@flipper.itlabs.umn.edu (STEVEN M BONNEVILLE)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: "Sparklers"
Message-ID: <199503291653.KAA06138@flounder.itlabs.umn.edu>

Michael Ryan <mryan@foop.mit.edu> wrote:

>Incidentally, in my defense :), I was merely pointing out another explanation
>as to why the Zho's were leaving the Domain alone.  As I said, the Sparklers
>never really sat well with me.

Me neither.  Luckily, as far as I can tell, it was just a non-canon story
idea of DGP's that was thrown into the back of MTJ #4 as an indication of
something they were thinking about.  Personally, I'm hoping that the odd
stuff going on to galactic coreward from _Survival Margin_ and the weird
Zhodani movements at Esalin indicate that GDW is going to take the threads
that the DGP folks left lying around to start setting this up and are going
to do something more clever and interesting with this one.

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


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

Date: Wed, 29 Mar 95 18:01 BST-1
From: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Cc: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 236
Message-ID: <memo.350723@cix.compulink.co.uk>

In-Reply-To: <199503280154.UAA23681@Ambassador.MPGN.COM>

  > From: eclipse@ultranet.com (Mark Urbin) 
  > Supplements I'd like to see 
  >  
  > What I'd like to see is Aliens of the Marches, Volume I (Vargr &
  > Aslan). That would do me the most good personally.   My campain runs
  > in the Spinward Marches, post 5th FW.  No Rebellion, no Virus.  Ya
  > just don't see a lot of Hivers and Ithklur out there. 

Aslan and Vargr both got written up for MT - I'd prefer to see supplements
on aliens that've only been covered in CT first, (K'Kree, Droyne, Zhodani,
etc).
 
  > Another book on my wish list is FF&S II.  This is the manual that
  > covers some ot the vital stuff that the first one missed.  "Wet" ship
  > design, robots, primitive transport & genetic engineering are the
  > topics that leap to mind.  
  
I think that one's on *everyone's* list. I'm still waiting for the neural
weapon design rules.

  > A release of FF&S (I), that is upto date with all current errata and
  > includes black powder *and* updated plasma/fusion rules would be
  > welcome also. 

Could combine the two.

  > Imperial uniform designs.  This has been covered in sources before,
  > but could use a recap in an offical GDW publication.  It would be
  > real darn handy for GM's like me and Rebellion types.   It would be
  > useful for the TNE/RCES types as good detail filler on reclaimed relic
  > equipment. 

Yep. I'm doodling Solomani uniforms atm - anyone know what colour the
Marine uniforms are?

  > Critters.  A few pages on some basic animals.  Herd animals, work
  > beasts, luxury pets, riding animals, etc.  A good spot for an artist
  > with sketchpad full of animal beasts to provide colour to the article.

While we're on the subject of artists, I really wish GDW would get someone
who can draw...

  > From: "Bob Brown" <Robert.Brown@newcastle.ac.uk> 
  > Subject: From the Core; the Zhodani Nemesis? 
  >  
  > I don't think the Zhodani are going to be in any position to stop
  > Norris from doing anything. According to MJ4 The Zhodani core
  > expedition encounters the Sparklers (Primordials), have a fiailure
  > to communicate, promptly launch their Core Fleet at the new arrivals

I thought this plot line had been dropped?

  > From: "Post, D L (Dan)" <PostD%HOST2@WLV.IIPO.GTEGSC.COM> To: Traveller
  > Subject: Virus 
  >  
  > > ...  I heard rumors that IRAQ had viruses that 
  > > infected their system from eproms that were put into printers...
  >  
  > > This was actually one of the more successful April Fools pranks
  > > commited in print in a long time...it was a Computer World April
  > > 1 column that started this rumor. 
  > Sorry , I guess I was wrong about this one!  Maybe a virus infect%$
  > my br#in$%^&**(&^%$$## 

On a silimar subject, I read somewhere that the US wanted to put
self-destruct code in the s/w of hi-tech military vehicles sold to foreign
countries, just in case the vehicles in question got captured or the
country in question turned out to be not as friendly as first thought. For
some reason, the customers weren't too happy about the idea...



---
Andrew Boulton

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

Date: Wed, 29 Mar 95 09:28:00 -0400
From: pete.burke@compudata.com (PETE BURKE)
To: uunet!mpgn.com!traveller@uunet.uu.net
Subject: TRAVELLER digest 237
Message-ID: <8A66238.01F402EE55.uuout@compudata.com>


TT> From: E.D.Quibell@bton.ac.uk (Ewan D Quibell)

TT> Subject: Re: From the Core; the Zhodani Nemesis?

TT> The Primordials bod about chartered space for a bit, destroying the
TT> vampire fleet olong the way, untill they find the black currtain, wh
TT> are repelled. Having suffered heavy losses they go searching for som
TT> more interesting else where in the Galaxy.

I don't think the Primordials can be stopped by anything short of 
Grandfather. From my understanding of _Survival Margin_, the Black 
Curtain is the area where no sophont has ever entered and returned. I 
assume that the Vampires have set up strong defenses in the area of the 
Black Curtain, but nothing with a high enough tech level to repel the 
Primordials.

I like the idea of the Primordials kicking Zhodani butt, 
and having the Zhodani beg the Domain to help in defeating them. 
Grandfather gets word of this and secretly joins an expedition of PC's to 
the Primordial Fleet. Grandfather (being Grandfather) doesn't want to 
wipe out the Primordials, he just wants them to leave his arm of the 
galaxy ("There ain't 'nough room in the Orion Arm fer the both of us, 
pardner!"). After getting nowhere with the Primordial Fleet 
diplomatically, he transports himself and the PC party to the Primordial
homeworld, and convinces the Primordial Head Poobah to get his troops out 
of Dodge City. After much negotiation, the PC's find out that the 
Primordials are merely combing the Milky Way for the recipe for the 
perfect egg salad sandwich, which in fact was manipulated out of 
existence by the Hivers. Luckily, the Darrians have a secret copy of 
the recipe, kept in the same vault as the instructions for the Star 
Trigger. Grandfather quickly retreives the recipe from the Darrians, 
and presents it to the Primordials in a grand ceremony. The Primoridals, 
with recipe in hand finally get to complete their greatest experiment: 
they travel to Kirur and ask to have lunch with the Steppelord of the 
2000 Worlds. While the Steppelord isn't looking, they switch his lentil 
sandwich with the egg salad.  He didn't notice the differnce...

BTW, When I started this rant, I had no intention of being this silly. 
The first paragraph and the first couple sentences in the second are 
serious. I don't know what happened. I think I've been infected with the 
SI strain of Virus (Silly version). I better stop writing: I feel a 
need to explain my Assassination of Strephon theory.

He's not dead. He's on the one of the southern continents of Terra with 
Jim Morrison and Elvis playing Doom over a Virus-free network.

(thanks to Woody Allen for the egg salad inspiration)
 * RM 1.3 01608 * RoboMail -- The next generation QWK compatible reader!

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

Date: 29 Mar 95 15:30:29 EST
From: Hugh Foster <100326.446@compuserve.com>
To: <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Robots in TNE
Message-ID: <950329203028_100326.446_BHG119-8@CompuServe.COM>

>>  Don't worry toomuch about Robots, it's coming round 
with Vampire Ships,   coming out... sorry, I don't have a clue <<

Oh, hurray. Virus-ridden robots as dungeon monsters. 


-----------------------------------------------------------------
| Hugh Foster [100326,446]                                      |
|                                                               |
| Think you've got influence?  Try commanding someone else's    |
| dog.                                                          |
-----------------------------------------------------------------


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

Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 19:36:26 -0500 (EST)
From: LONG2469@splava.cc.plattsburgh.edu
To: Traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Some Common Courtesy, Please
Message-ID: <01HOPX71ATIU9JILZU@splava.cc.plattsburgh.edu>

Date sent:  29-MAR-1995 19:32:06 

Fellow Traveller Players:

	I would dearly appreciate it if, when I write to the list, there be 
at least some acknowledgement of the posting.  I don't mean to seem pushy, 
however It seems to me as if you are ignoring anything I can add to the 
list out of hand.  I would appreciate it if you could at the least scrible 
a little something to show that what I had to say got a least a glancing at. 
 I however understand, if you ignored it because it was part of a topic 
that had become stale, and boring, Like the argument over VIRUS, Thanks for 
letting me get that all off my chest, I just don't like it when I'm ignored.  

Stay Frosty, 

_______________________________________________________________________________
Jamison J. Long (AKA Neuromancer, Flag Admiral, Jamie)  [{Founder T.E.R.R.A}]
LONG2469@SPLAVA.CC.PLATTSBURGH.EDU or LONG2469@SNYPLAVA.bitnet
 
Alea Iacta est.  (The Die is Cast.)  -Iulius Caesar, upon crossing the Rubicon.
   {Also the Motto of T.E.R.R.A. [The Embry-Riddle Roleplaying Assoc.]}
 =============================================================================

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

End of TRAVELLER Digest 238
***************************
