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Subject: TRAVELLER digest 397
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			    TRAVELLER Digest 397

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Re: Plasma Trails, Missiles
	by merrick@Rt66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)
  2) EMP vs. Virus
	by Christopher_Griffen@dmcwave.com (Christopher Griffen)
  3) vargr stats
	by myhre@oslonett.no
  4) couple of designs
	by Joni M Virolainen <jonimv@evitech.fi>
  5) one more design
	by Joni M Virolainen <jonimv@evitech.fi>
  6) Tempere Modular Transport
	by "Svenson G N" <svenson_g_n@space.honeywell.com>
  7) Regency Government
	by Steve Charlton/Avalon Software Inc
  8) Re:Advanced Recruiting Rules
	by CyHiggin@aol.com
  9) Mertactor and Glisten
	by Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
 10) A) Applause for GDW B) The Zhodani/Regency connection
	by Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>

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

Date: Wed, 30 Aug 1995 16:49:52 -0600 (MDT)
From: merrick@Rt66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Plasma Trails, Missiles
Message-ID: <9508302249.AA06814@Rt66.com>

Hi,
 
> 
> >I think we need to state what rules are being used here.  
> 
> I don't thinks the rules are the problem. I have said (written) it before. 
> The sensor rules are OK. If you wan't them real realistic I can construct 
> some for you, but then you would not play a game with space combat, but a 
> game of hide and seak within the frames of electronic warfare (EW). You 
> would just have too many things to work with that players would be bored 
> before the actual shooting starts.

The rules *don't* work!  Why even *have* passive sensors in TNE?  They
are never better than actives, and there is no real penalty for using
your AEMS.  
 
> I find EW interesting, but then I'm also trained for it from the Norwegian 
> Navy, but most players would not like to play a game looking at tables, 
> calculating cross section of targets, emission levels, ranges, wavelenghts, 
> pulse frequency, jamming, deception jamming, drones, chaff, chaff 
> dispersion, chaff movement, flare, local disturbances, relative speed, 
> doppler effects and so on. Tell you the truth, I would also get bored with 
> this. Those above things are done automatically by the system and a few of 
> them just happens. In a game you have to simulate most of it, which means 
> pre-calculate a lot of factors.
 
Actually, FFS/BL has rules for many of the things you mentioned.
Jamming, chaff, flares, decoys.  They attempt to have actives penalized,
but it is too weak a rule.  If they rules are written well, it won't be
any harder than BL as it stands.  I just record the basic modifiers a
ship has on the control shett.

> The sensor rules in TNE are not 100% realistic, but they are simple and easy 
> to use, and are far better than what we saw in MT.

True :)
 
> >And one KE missile at 10-20 hexes a turn will wreak your whole day
> 
> When we are on missiles. A contact missile has to spend an awfully lot of 
> reaction mass. And faster it goes, more of its mass must be used for course 
> correction if the target tries to dodge. A missile would burn out if it was 
> fired at too far a range.

I noticed that you use BL movement rules---no wonder!  Sorry, it's been
so long since I bothered using the movement crap from BL that I forgot
it existed.  I use (and most people I've talke to who play)
Mayday-like movement (Battle Rider uses the same) for everything.  If a
missile has 12gturns, it has a leathal area around its future position
with a radius of 12 hexes.  Both systems work, but BL requires dumb
quantized changes in course (whick can get really nasty).
 
> firing unit. As passive detection and lock on never gives a position, only 
> direction (and a general at that) exept for passive image tracking like a 
> telescope. When you don't know the range the impact missile will most likely 
> miss. And the time lag in Traveller terms will also make it very difficult 
> to get a direct hit with impact missiles.

PEMS *is* a telescope (broad band detector covers damn near all
wavelengths).  It will make hitting with a passive lock harder, though.
Hmmm.  If the target is a 2g scout, and the missile is 12gs, it really
won't matter though.
 
> Now I will tie this in with missile reaction mass. As starships missiles 
> would coats most of the time towards its target. As a missile got limited g 
> turns of reaction mass it should be launched in the same vector as the 
> firing unit is travelling. The missile should hold a coasting speed that are 
> well above the targets so it just can't speed away. It should only fire its 
> engine to correct the course when it is on the final approach. If the 
> missile are remote controlled time lag has to be taken account for. It may 
> be a lag up to 5 seconds. If the target tries to dodge on the final 
> approach, there will be a lot of fuel usage. A missile with a vector of 20 
> will need 10g turns to change 30 degrees. And if you are trying to steer a 
> missile against a target to a point which it will be in 5 seconds you will 
> miss, the time taken for the course correction to be in effect is more than 
> 5 seconds. The missile would burn out. A FF missile would have far better 
> chance, but would be shot down most likely, and/or fooled by ECM.

See comments above regarding BR/Mayday movement.
 
> Repulsors are not available to RCES, but a TL 16 repulsor sends out 600 
> tonnes of thrust per 4MW power. How much would a pellet mass at a speed of 
> 20 hexes? Lets say it weight 500grams to start with. And what penetration 
> power would it have? Anyone?
 
So in the Imperium they basically don't exist (CT/TNE, anyway). 


I was working on FIM rules, they trick is writing playable rules to
force them to reacta certain way.  I use the homing methods you mention.
I would agree that SIM is a pointless term.  That of FIM is :)  I assume
in my rules that FIM are programmed right before launch, and that if
they have commo, even after.  Kinda like torpedos on the wire for the
first few hundred meters.  Programs might be "coast until AEMS target
aquisition, then intercept"  something like that.  Also I thought it
might be useful to give missiles a program like: "use no more than 2
gturns per turn if you cannot intercept *that* turn".. That way you
don't get a missile using its full 12gturns when it it too far to hit.

-Merrick

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

Date: Wed, 30 Aug 1995 16:33:53 -0700
From: Christopher_Griffen@dmcwave.com (Christopher Griffen)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: EMP vs. Virus
Message-ID: <044f5680@MailXFER.DMCWAVE.COM>

     Joni Virolainen wrote:
     
     >>Don't you think that Virus is very vulnerable to EMP 
     (ElectroMagnetic 
     Pulse)? EMP would fry the Virus like A-bomb blast would fry a human 
     being.
     
     If that is the case, then Vampire ships are very vulnerable to 
     missiles, even
     if they don't hit. Any quite nearby nuclear detonation of a missile 
     will 
     send EMP that fries Vampire ship's computer chips (as well as 
     uninfected 
     computer chips). <<
     
     Most likely not.  Starships would likely be EMP-hardened much like 
     modern military equipment is, to provide protection for our electronic 
     equipment in the event that nuclear explosions occur nearby while the 
     Russians invade Western Europe. <g>
     
     Now a Virus entity that has taken over and controls a ground-based 
     civilian computer system, like say, an air-traffic control computer, 
     might be susceptible.
     
     --Chris

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

Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 06:53:06 +0200
From: myhre@oslonett.no
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: vargr stats
Message-ID: <199508310453.GAA02414@hasle.oslonett.no>

>Attributes: STR -1, AGL +1, CON -1. All other attributes are >generated 
normally, except social standing. Charisma replaces >social standing, and 
starting charisma is generated using 1D6+1. >Vargr mass slightly more than 
Humans on average. The formulae are: >Male [4x(STR-AGL)]+90; Female 
[4x(STR-AGL)]+70.
Sorry, but the Vargr generally weights less than a human. Use 60 as a base 
for both sexes.

--------------+-------------------+-----------------------------------
Roger Myhre   | myhre@oslonett.no | http://www.oslonett.no/home/myhre/
HIWGmember 142| Some people have one of those days, I got one of 
              | those lifes.
--------------+-------------------------------------------------------


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

Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 13:37:05 +0200 (EET)
From: Joni M Virolainen <jonimv@evitech.fi>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: couple of designs
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9508311359.A18472-0100000@evitech.evitech.fi>

So here they are. I hope it works now. And as usual, any comments are 
most welcome.



15x75mmE-9 Heavy Duty Sniper Rifle
----------------------------------

TL:9/A/C
Ammo:15x75mmE
Muzzle Energy:54,057 joules
Weapon Lenght:237 cm
Weapon Weight:60 Kg Loaded, 59.2 Kg Empty
Weapon Price:Cr9566
5-Round Mag Weight:0.8 Kg
5-Round Mag Price:Cr32
Ammunition Price:Cr6.65 for Ball Ammo, Cr13.3 for DS Ammo, 
                 Cr33.25 for Flechette Ammo
Features:Bipod (27 Kg, Cr320), Electronic Sight

Round       ROF    Dam Val    Pen Rtg Bulk Mag SS Burst SR
Ball        SA       16        2-2-2   16   5  4    -   300(288)
DS          SA       16        1-1-1   16   5  4    -   300(300)
Flechette  
Short       SA     4x9 hits      2     16   5  4    -   80(83)
Medium-Long SA(10)    4         2-3    16   5  4    -
*) If bipod is used, SS=2.

HDSR uses standard ETC HMG ammunition. It is still under field tests.
Because HDSR has barrell lenght less than average (to reduce lenght and weight)
HE and HEAP are obsolete when compared to DS ammo. Of course this barrel type
is only 6 cm shorter than average so it is arguable if designers should
change barrel lenght.
Weapon is designed to be manufactured in TL-9 using TL-10 receivers and TL-12
magazine batteries.
It is also possible to remove bipod from weapon. As you can see the weight of
the weapon drops to 33 Kg, that is quite manageable. It doesn't affect recoil.
Althought this weapon is designed to be a long range sniping weapon it is also
good to have some close range support ammo and that is flechette ammo. 

-----

TL-7 81mm Light Infantry Mortar
Bore Size:8.1 cm
Barrel Lenght:81/20 (162 cm long)
Barrel Weight:26.2 Kg
Carriage Weight:42.0 Kg (Bipod and plate)
Muzzle Energy:3.6 Mj
Crew:3
Indirect Fire Range:10.21 Km
Reloading:2 rounds
Set-Up:65 rounds
Price:Cr608

Ammo
----
HE-7 C:10 B:30 Pen Val:5C Mass:10 Kg Price:Cr100
WP-7 C:2 B:16 Pen Val:Nil Mass:10 Kg Price:Cr200
Chem-7 C:2 B:25 Pen Val:Nil Mass:10 Kg Price:Cr100
ILLUM-7 C:- B:590 Pen Val:Nil Mass:10 Kg Price:Cr100

81mm Light Infantry Mortar is commonly found in the wilds. It is relatively
light weight but effective against lightly or unarmored targets. It is also
used to provide lightning during night time attacks and also for smoke screens.
It is ideal for low-budget guerrila warfare. Just think about all those TEDs
and other roosters who used to rule over planets that RC has just conquered.


Joni Virolainen
jonimv@evitech.fi








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

Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 13:45:01 +0200 (EET)
From: Joni M Virolainen <jonimv@evitech.fi>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: one more design
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9508311312.A18472-0100000@evitech.evitech.fi>



                Dannell H-7A Police Hovercraft
                ------------------------------

TL: 7
Price: Cr100,000
Size: 28 kiloliters, displacement=2 ton (MC)
Mass: 6.52 tonnes
Power: 0.6 MW MHD turbine, 0.15 MW devoted to HEPlar thruster
Maint: 2
Electronics: 3 km HRT, 30 m headlight
Controls: Electronic, inertial positioning
Commo: 30 km radio
Life Support: Light, heat
Cargo: 6.14 m3 = 0.44 tonnes
Crew: 1
Passengers: 3
Travel Move: 800/600
Combat Move: 190/140
Max Speed: 400/300
Fuel Capacity: 630 l liquid hydrogen (4 h endurance)
Fuel Consumption: 145.5 l/h

        Combat Statistics
        Config: Standard/Closed HF:4
        Susp: H(2)              HS:4
                                HR:4
        Deck:4                  Belly:4

This hover-craft is manufactured in Schall. It is exported to Lancer 
where it is used as a police craft as well as in Schall itself. It is 
normally unarmed, but can be armed if needed. Some parts are TL-8 but it 
is mostly TL-7 design.

Joni Virolainen
jonimv@evitech.fi


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

Date: 31 Aug 1995 08:24:40 U
From: "Svenson G N" <svenson_g_n@space.honeywell.com>
To: "Traveller" <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Tempere Modular Transport
Message-ID: <199508311218.IAA18427@Mithril.MPGN.COM>

The following is the second ship, the Tempere Modular Transport. It like the
Viiborg are actually the first ships of their class built at Mnemosyne (0232
Foreven sector). 

I am trying to figure out what kind of ship construction capacity Mnemosyne
would have to determine how many of each class of ship they might have. In my
universe after the collapse Mnemosyne's UWP would be B669887-A. I have read the
discussions here on Starports, so I realize that a Starport B will have a small
drydock and a grav dock. How do I transalate that information into a maximum
number of ships that could be under construction at one time, a maximum number
of tons per ship and a total maximum number of tons that could be building at
any one time.  Any help or advice would really be appreciated.

-----------------------------------------------------
Tempere Modular Transport

General Data

Displacement      300 tons/1000 tons      Hull Armor        12 (2 cm Comp.
Lam.)
                  (unloaded/full)         Length            70 m
Volume            4200 m^3/14000 m^3      Target size       S/M
Configuration     Open USL                Tech Level        9
Mass - no modules 3816.071 / 4077.96      Price             567.27 MCr

Engineering Data

Power plant       50 MW Fision Reactor, 1 year duration (5 kl radioactives)
Jump Performance  1 (jump fuel with no modules 420 kl, with modules 1400 kl)
G-rating          1 G (with modules), 10,000 ton thrust Fusion Rocket 
                  (50 kl/G-turn)
G-turns           17 (using internal fuel), can be increased with the use of
                  drop tanks and/or a Viiborg class fuel skimmer

Electronics Data

TL9 computer linked controls              3 x TL9 Std computers
30,000 km radio                           30,000 km radar
1000 AU Maser Comm                        120,000 km HRT sensor (folding array)
30,000 km Maser Comm                      30,000 km HRT sensor

Armament

3 standard turret sockets

Accomodations

Life support      extended, the hull spins to provide gravity
Crew              23 (3 x engineering, 3 x electronics, 3 x manuever,
                  3 x gunnery, 4 x maintenance, 5 x flight crew for Viiborg
                  skimmer or other smallcraft, 3 x command)
Workstations      8 x bridge, 7 x regular
Accomodations     12 small staterooms (11 double occupancy)
Cargo             107.389 m^3 of cargo with small cargo hatch, 5 m^3 for
                  radioactives (fision reactor), 850 m^3 for fuel
Airlocks          6
External grapples 700 tons worth to hold a variety of modules and small craft,
                  one or more drop tanks could be carried also

Area  Surface hits                        Internal explosion

1     1 30k maser comm, 2 radio,          Electronics
      3-4 30k HRT
2     1 airlock, 2 turret, 3 1000AU maser quarters
3     1 airlock, 2 turret, 3-4 radar      quarters
4     1 airlock, 2 small cargo hatch,     hold
      3-20 grapples
5-10  1 airlock (areas 7 and 10 only),    hold
      the rest grapples
11-13 120k HRT (or grapples when HRT is   hold
      folded and stowed away)
14    1 airlock, 2 turret, 3-20 120k HRT  1-3 hold, 4-6 electronics, 7-20 engr
15-20 120k HRT array                      engineering

Damage table

30000 km radio            1h          Radio antenna            1h
30000 km maser comm       2x1h        30k maser antenna        2x1h
1000 AU maser comm        1h          1000 AU maser comm       1h
Fusion rocket             11H         Jump drive               9H
Fision reactor            3H          Computers                3x1h
30000 km radar            1H          Radar antenna            1h
120000 km HRT             2h          120k HRT antenna         1H
30000 km HRT              1h          30k HRT antenna          1h
turrets                   3x1h        life support             4h
Workstations              15x1h       grapples                 10H

Notes

The Tempere is designed as a modular transport. It normally carries a Viiborg
fuel skimmer, a drop tank, a Helkana class shuttle and modules totalling 300
tons displacement, in this configuration she can do two Jumps without
refueling. The Viiborg has a 1400 kl fuel tank fitted to be used as a fuel tank
for the Tempere in addition to her own fuel supply, this supplies the Tempere
with the ability to do a single jump when fully loaded. She has been known to
travel with as many as four drop tanks (without the Viiborg and Helkana on
board) allowing four jumps. Where fuel is available in the destination system
she will travel with only one drop tank and 600 tons of modules (allowing for a
single jump).

Modules come in a variety of sizes up to 100 tons displacement. The most common
are the 35 ton modules that can be carried to by Helkana. Modules can have a
variety of purposes also, ranging from general cargo, quarters, a reactor,
weapon systems, labs, small craft, etc. Since the Tempere can not enter a
planets atmosphere, modules are lifted to orbit by specially designed Lifters
such as the Tsuga Heavy Lifter (thank you Joe Heck for getting me started
thinking about TL 9 worlds).

The 50 MW fision reactor provides a surplus of 43.234 MW to power modules and
weapons turrets. The modules usually draw on the power supply of the Tempere,
however, some have their own power supply and one module has a 200 MW fusion
reactor which can feed surplus power to the ship.

Gravity is provided by spinning the entire ship. The spin is usually stopped
while approaching a world to make docking and cargo handling easier. A flight
crew of five is carried to man the Viiborg fuel skimmer and/or Helkana shuttle.
If additional personnel are needed they can be carried in quarters modules.

The Viiborg is built on Mnemosyne (0232 Foreven sector) in the wilds. While
several relic ships exist at Mnemosyne, the Tempere is the backbone of
Mnemosyne commerce and exploration.


Tempere Drop Tanks

Displacement       102 tons         Armor value    12  (2 cm Composite
Laminate)
Configuration      Open USL         Volume         1428 m^3
mass               212.303/310.303  Price          213,500 Cr
Cargo              1400 m^3 fuel (sufficient for a Jump 1 with a fullly loaded
                   ship)
Power consumption  0.001 MW

The required power is provided by the Tempere.
------------------------------------------------------
I hope that some of you can use this!
Greg Svenson
gsvenson@space.honeywell.com

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

Date: 30 Aug 95 12:18:59 MS
From: Steve Charlton/Avalon Software Inc
To: traveller <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Regency Government
Message-ID: <9508301828.AA25322@khan.avalon.COM>

Alvin Plummer says:
>It should be noted that if the Regency is run in a strictly democratic 
>way, Deneb sector will be making all the decisions: and the six high 
>population systems - Borlund/1406, Askigaak/0629, Deneb/1925, 
>Beaxon/1439, Lilad/1135, and Pikha/1633 - will be making all the 
>decisions for Deneb, as they have 81% of Deneb Sector's population, and 
>55% of the population of the entire Regency.

I would suspect that just this problem would have made for some interesting 
compromises when the Regency was formally created.  Setting up an interstellar 
political entity with one region dominating the other regions was hard enough 
for 
the Third Imperium.  I suspect it would simply be an invitation for rebellion 
and 
civil war in an area as small as the Regency.  Many people do not mind being 
ruled by somebody, but they tend to get irate when that ruler is their neighbor.
I would imagine that the solution to that would be to create a multi-part 
legislature, 
to prevent population-based political domination.  

A bicameral legislature, with one house based on population and one house based 
on one representative per world (excepting only those worlds that are 
corporate-owned 
or owned by other worlds).  This would prevent domination from one portion of 
the 
Regency, and would address the desires of the radical democrats (small d 
democrats 
who seek representative government, not large D Democrats who run for office in 
the US).  
I think this would cause a lot of resistance from the nobility, who are likely 
to be the controlling 
element in terms of Regency economics.  They would be the old money that 
controls the 
megacorporations, which would be a large part of the Regency tax base.

A tricameral legislature, with one house based on population,one house based on 
one 
representative per world, and the third house based on nobility.  As above, it 
would prevent 
single-subsector domination and please the radical democrats.   It would also 
allow the old 
power structure (the nobility) to retain some power in the new regeime.  A 
tricameral system 
is somewhat bulky and unweildy, but would seem to be the system most likely to 
get buy-in 
from the old power brokers and the new political powers.  This was the route I 
took in my own 
campaign.

Of course, the official GDW answer will be out soon enough.  Based on the few 
tidbits in the 
TNE rulebook, I suspect they will take a route closer to the bicameral idea, 
but I've been 
wrong before.  Unless they come up with something really neat, I'll probably 
stick with my 
current  tricameral government.  I'm still anxious to see the Regency 
Sourcebook, though.


Glad you're back, Alvin!

Steve Charlton
scharlto@avalon.com (work)
sharlto@rtd.com (home)

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

Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 14:57:46 -0400
From: CyHiggin@aol.com
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re:Advanced Recruiting Rules
Message-ID: <950831145746_68067598@mail02.mail.aol.com>

Christopher_Griffen@dmcwave.com (Christopher Griffen) came up with some
ideas for recruiting rules, and invited comments/criticism....

 >   Successful recruiting depends on a number of facets.  Among them are:
     
 >    --Recruiting Skill
 >   RECRUITING SKILL    +Recruiting Skill (as per normal at Difficult 
 >    level)
 
No argument there...

 >    --Population
>     POPULATION          -1 if Low Pop     0 if Med Pop     +1 if High Pop 

I think you badly underestimate the impact of population.  Remember, the
pop. number and accompanying fuzzy descriptors is a LOG scale!  The
more people to choose from, the more people that (a) have the skills you
are interested in, and (b) are interested in working for you.  Conversely,
on a Low Pop world, *if* there is someone with the skills you want, he/she/it
is probably "already engaged".  
Recommendation: Population CHANGES THE DIFFICULTY LEVEL.
+1 diff if Low, -1 or more diffs if High Pop.

 >    --Sampling Rate
>     SAMPLING RATE (EFFECTS NOT CUMULATIVE)
>     -2 if same system sampled within 30 days -1 if same system sampled 
>    within 60 days
>     0 if system not sampled within 60 days or more

This should only be detrimental if you have only a small pool of potential
applicants to draw from, i.e. the skills required are very specialized or 
you are recruiting from a Low Pop world.  If you have a larger group of
potential applicants to recruit from, previous recruiting has the effect of
"waking up" those who weren't bothering to look before, because they 
now realize that someone is hiring in their line of work... thus drawing more
potential applicants into the pool.  
Recommendation : Only apply sampling mod to Low/Med Pop
worlds, or very hard-to-fill positions.

 >    --Military Proximity
>     MILITARY PROXIMITY  +1 if naval base present and hiring ship's crew or
>     mercenaries
>     0 if no military base present
>     +1 if Government 7 or Law Level 0-3 (and hiring mercenaries)

Not much argument.

 >    --Starport Level
     STARPORT LEVEL      +1 if Starport A (+2 if recruiting trader crew)
     0 if Starport B-D (+1 if recruiting trader crew)
     -1 if Starport E-X (0 if recruiting trader crew)
   
I would make the task one diff level harder for starports D-X.

Other factors you should consider:

- State of Local Economy  : High Unemployment means people will leap at the 
chance for work; Low unemployment + high standard of living means people 
will laugh all the way to the bank at your recruiter.  Ref's option; could
change
things a diff. level either way.

- Rarity of skills required : if all you require is that recruits be
breathing, it's easy
to find recruits.  OTOH, if you require that all recruits meet strict
physical fitness
requirements and have skill level 4+ in multiple skills, it could be very
hard to find
what you want.

- Pay scale : if you're too cheap, you'll have a hard time getting anyone
competent.
If you offer higher than normal wages, they'll beat your door down.
  
>    If the recruiter is successful, he is able to muster a number of 
>     recruits equal to his Recruiting skill level (not his asset level, but 
>     his skill level).  If he achieves exceptional success, he is able to 
>     muster a number of potential recruits equal to twice his Recruiting 
>     skill level, modified by the rules listed below.
 
Please sanity-check this.  If your skill 4 recruiter posts an offer on the
planetary
JobNet of, say, Louzy for a double-normal-pay job, open to anyone with any
military experience, while Louzy is still in its decades-long Depression, I
think 
he'll get more than a max of 8 applicants in 3 days.

OTOH, if Esteban and friends try to recruit on a pop 4 world, they should be
deliriously happy if they get as many as 9 applicants....

                                                 Cynthia,
                                                  Lurker at the Threshold


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

Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 23:16:29 +0100 (METDST)
From: Hans Rancke-Madsen <rancke@diku.dk>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Mertactor and Glisten
Message-ID: <199508312116.XAA22044@embla.diku.dk>

Cynthia takes me to task for claiming that
>>Profoundly untrue. Whenever people have done something that didn't make
>>economic sense in the long run they may have managed in the short run,
>>but they've always been caught in the crash eventually. It's like... no
>>it IS a law of nature: You can keep piling stones on top of each other
>>for a while, but eventually they're going to come tumbling down.
> 
>Very true, but GOVERNMENTS especially have been known to do some
>damn stupid things in the short term...
>
>[...]
>
>Face it, Hans, Governments do spectacularly stupid things with tax monies...
>All it takes is someone to get the idea that they gain politically from the
>stupid thing in question, or that he/she/it can line his/her/their own 
>pockets as a result, and they're off to the Government Budget Follies...

OK, I'll back down on that. I'm afraid my delight in playing Devil's
advocate has made me climb out on a too thin limb.

>The question to ask about the Mertactor colonization is, "Who profits?"  
>Shipowners, for one...

You may be on to something there, Cynthia.

Christopher Griffen writes:
>Hans Rancke-Madsen wrote:
>>That way their move to a spot so far from Mora makes sense. As for 
>>the date, now that you've moved it that close to 300, could you put it 
>>a little before 300 to keep the map honest? ;-). <<
>      
>Hmm.  I don't see how Glisten, which is more trailing and settled in  298, 
>could have been settled _after_ Mertactor.  

Why not? Glisten was a much harder system to colonize, for one thing (For
all that tells us Mertactor could have been colonized by the year 100). For 
another, the position of Mertactor nine jumps away indicates that whoever
was in charge of the settlement and whatever motives they had, getting far
away from Mora was a priority. Mertactor is, as pointed out previously,
nine jumps away from Mora. That cuts down on the use "they" can get out
of the ships (whoever "they" may be).

>Also, I don't know if you've been reading the other posts on this little 
>discussion, but a few folks have come up with several interesting methods 
>by which my little colonial kick in the pants might work, even from remote 
>Mora.  Such as the involvement of a third party who is interested in 
>purchasing the ships after the Mertactan colonists are unceremonially 
>dumped on the planet.
>      
>I'd be interested in seeing your opinions before publishing my third, 
>and hopefully _final_ version of Mertactor.

Well, you've convinced me that some explanation is possible. I'd still
like to see the explanation, though. And I still think you ought to
respect the information on those settlement maps.



      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: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 18:27:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: A) Applause for GDW B) The Zhodani/Regency connection
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.950831182645.7214J-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


First, some well-earned applause to GDW for Vampire Fleets.  Ho-hum 
cover, blah art, Yummy information, SOLID adventures! (even if I'm a 
Regency man, myself.)

Second, the Zho/Regency interaction.  How have the Zho's reacted to the 
new Regency use of psions?  Have any worlds taken adventage of Zho advise 
to build their own, planet-wide Thought Police? (VERY useful in 
dictatorships and theocracies!)  

I think it would be interesting if the Regency have asked for advise from 
the Zho thought police on how to best tame the Wilds, and the best use of 
psions in that task. After all, many of the problems of the Wilds stem 
from having the wrong mental attitude...

Third, Zho reaction to new Regency technology.  The Regency, like the 
Imperium before it, has always maintained a definite technological edge 
over the Zho's.  Now that they can freely apply technology to psionics, 
they should have by now created/are creating a new host of psi drougs and 
boosters, which can certainly produce a threat to the Zhodani nobility.  
They may maintain their trade restrictions vis-a vis the Regency long 
after the threat of Virus receed, persicely for this reason.

The Zho's are also watchful of Regency psions: depending on how they 
develop, they can provide a welcome mat for eventual incorporation of the 
Regency into the Consulate, or become a seroius security threat to the 
Zhodani.  Knowing how those crazy, anti-authoritartian Solomani's are, 
the answer is probably the latter.  Will the psions discover methods that 
the Zho's overlooked?  Will they develop the Zho's greatest nightmare: 
Psions who can lie undetectably?  Will Regency technology create psionic 
machines?  Will psionics become available to anyone, or be selectable in 
vitro?

And just how adaptable are the Zhos to any unexpected challange, anyway?  

Points against: as a culture, they're older than Ancient Egypt.  This 
                implies SEROIUS cultural rigidity.

                they have been dependent on Psionic Rule since -7000 
                Imperial.

                they have no knowledge of artifically-produced psionics 
                (though they know it can be done, thanks to certain Ancient 
                artifacts.

Point for:      they have managed to avoid total dependence on psionics

                some Zhodani nobles are non-psionic (I think: can the 
                local Zho expert verify this?)

Personal guess: remember what happened when the Europeans contacted the 
Indians?  Or when the Solomani hit the Vilani?  I think that we are going 
to see a repeat of this in a century or two...


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

Now Waiting for 
             - Regency Sourcebook
             - The Wet Ships supplement
 [How can I build a proper adventure on Beaxon without Wet Ships?]

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



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End of TRAVELLER Digest 397
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