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			    TRAVELLER Digest 398

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Minor naval info
	by Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
  2) Mertactor...
	by Christopher_Griffen@dmcwave.com (Christopher Griffen)
  3) Mertactor Debate
	by Michael Bailey <pd82495@wapol.gov.au>
  4) FF&S Weapon Design question...
	by Michael Bailey <pd82495@wapol.gov.au>
  5) Re: The Zhodani/Regency connection
	by "Upton, Django" <DUpton@vtrnntov.telecom.com.au>
  6) Re: Tempere
	by James Kundert <james@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>
  7) Plasma trails, targeting
	by John Muir Macpherson <muirmac@uclink.berkeley.edu>
  8) John Barnes ref
	by John Muir Macpherson <muirmac@uclink.berkeley.edu>
  9) Cloudlords & Vog-Mur
	by Michael Bailey <pd82495@wapol.gov.au>
 10) TL-9 Helkana Shuttle
	by "Svenson G N" <svenson_g_n@space.honeywell.com>
 11) "lie undetectably"
	by john.bogan@asb.com
 12) Traveller Mailing List Owner
	by "Svenson G N" <svenson_g_n@space.honeywell.com>
 13) Zhodani vs the Regency
	by Ethan Henry <ehenry@magmacom.com>
 14) Re: Plasma trails, targeting
	by merrick@Rt66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)
 15) Wet Ships
	by Christopher_Griffen@dmcwave.com (Christopher Griffen)
 16) Regency Sourcebook primers...
	by Christopher_Griffen@dmcwave.com (Christopher Griffen)
 17) Re: Plasma Trails, Missiles
	by myhre@oslonett.no

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

Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 19:28:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Minor naval info
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.950831190657.7408A-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


Just reading through Crisis of Empire III:     [How space-opera can you get?]
The War Machine by David Drake and                      
Roger MacBride Allen.

Despite the title, they do have a few nifty 
tidbits for reaction-mass, jump-drive SF 
universes like ours.                           [The Story is good, too]
 
For example, the "four-to-one".  Basically, 'any false move in powered 
flight costs you four times as much fuel as the original burn.  You spend 
the original burn, then a burn to break your speed, then a burn to get 
you moving back toward where you started out, and then a fourth burn to 
break your speed after the return burn.  You end up where you started, 
moving at zero speed, after four power burns.'         - p. 277

I bet every Imperial Navy midshipman knows this.




------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alvin Plummer

"Take a look at their current disposition." Spencer ordered. "Give me a 
tatical projection for the enemy fleet."

"Hammer and anvil," the tactics officer replied instantly.  "They want to 
catch us between a small, fast, fleet and a larger, slower-moving fleet. 
The idea is that any countertactics that might be effective against one 
force will leave us exposed to the other.  If we boost and run from the 
smaller fleet, we run right into the big guys.  If we hunker down and 
make a stationary defense, then we have to defend simultaneous threats 
from both sides.  If we run from the slower fleet, we're headed away from 
our objective and run into the smaller fleet.  If we -- "

"Thank you, I get the idea," Spenser said.

                                                                 - p. 278

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


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

Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 16:34:07 -0700
From: Christopher_Griffen@dmcwave.com (Christopher Griffen)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Mertactor...
Message-ID: <04646f80@MailXFER.DMCWAVE.COM>

     Hans Rancke-Madsen writes:
     
     >>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 outof the ships (whoever "they" may 
     be). <<
     
     It was pointed out to me that Glisten was settled much later than 
     Mora.  I'll have to take that under consideration.
     
     >>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.<<
     
     Will do.  I'm going to go hit Supplement 8 and 11 tonight to get 
     things cleared up.  I'll release Mertactor 1.2 in the near future.  As 
     it stands, I'll probably adopt some of the ideas posited by others on 
     the TML as to how the trip from Mora (I'd still like to stick with 
     Mora) was made economically feasible.  It might just add another 
     dimension I hadn't thought about.
     
     --Chris
     

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

Date: Fri, 01 Sep 1995 07:31:28 -1600
From: Michael Bailey <pd82495@wapol.gov.au>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Mertactor Debate
Message-ID: <9508312330.AA03587@phq1002.wapol.gov.au>

Regarding the discussion surounding the Mertactor RICE paper.  There's
another perfectly good reason for shipping colonists all the way from Mora -
Penal Transportation.  I'm taking my example from the transport of convicts
from England to 'New Holland' (Australia) in the 18th and 19th Centuries.
The Crown cleaned it's prisons and rotting prison hulks of it's criminals,
rebels and other undesirables (like poor people) and shipped them literally
to the other end of the earth, for a limited term or for 'the term of their
natural lives'.

This would give the Mertactans a pretty good reason to hate Mora's guts.
Perhaps this happened a few centuries after the initial colonisation of the
planet - that way you could reconcile the colonisation date with the paper's
data.

As a footnote, the English were still using convicts for forced labour as
late as 1890 (approximately), in the Swan River Colony (now Western Australia).

Michael Bailey (pd82495@wapol.gov.au)

"...the scum also rises..."
                          Hunter S. Thompson



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

Date: Fri, 01 Sep 1995 09:15:09 -1600
From: Michael Bailey <pd82495@wapol.gov.au>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: FF&S Weapon Design question...
Message-ID: <9509010113.AA08180@phq1002.wapol.gov.au>

Quick question, one to which I could not find an answer in the F&S rulebook:

I'm currently designing a TL-5 multi-barreled mortar (8 x 80mm, carriage
mounted), similar to the 'Nebelwerfer' used by the Germans during WWII.  How
would multiple barrels affect the weapon's damage values?  Gut feeling says
that penetration wouldn't change, but damage and burst radius would be
larger - by how much, I don't know.

Any ideas?

Michael Bailey (pd82495@wapol.gov.au)

"...the scum also rises..."
                          Hunter S. Thompson



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

Date: Fri, 01 Sep 95 12:34:00 EST
From: "Upton, Django" <DUpton@vtrnntov.telecom.com.au>
To: tml <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Re: The Zhodani/Regency connection
Message-ID: <30478BBB@msmailv0.telecom.com.au>


Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca> writes:

 --------------------------
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.
 ---------------------------

And prehaps the Regency maintained trade restrictions to retain their 
technological edge.
I think that after the Virus threat was explained the ever pragmatic Zhodani 
would trade high tech for psi skills and gain an interest in any psi 
projects the regency undertook.

 ---------------------------
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?
 -------------------------

I thought Zhodani R&D in psionics was pretty good actually.
Undetectable Psions? Time to re-read Dune books and Phil K. Dick ;-)
Psionic machines like the ALREADY PRODUCED psionic shield helmets?
I thought the Zho's tested at or after birth, not 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.
 -----------------------

Not that anybody else (grandfather aside) does either...

 -----------------------
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?)
 -----------------------

All Zho nobles are trained in psionics but have the usual spread of psionic 
strengths so some are very weak psions.
Lower classes may get trained if they show particular ability.

 -----------------------
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...
 -----------------------

The Regency on the Zhodani or the Zhodani on the rest of Humanity?

Django.

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

Date: Thu, 31 Aug 95 22:56:49 PDT
From: James Kundert <james@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Tempere
Message-ID: <9509010556.AA21302@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>

>From: "Svenson G N" <svenson_g_n@space.honeywell.com>
>Subject: Tempere Modular Transport
>
>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.


  According to a _really_ old source (Trillion Credit Squadron), a world
with a class A or B port can handle roughly one-thousandth of its
population in ship tonnage in its drydocks. This maximum applies to the total
of all ships being built, all ships being repaired, and all ships in for
yearly maintenance, added together. The actual number varies depending on
government type and whether or not the world is on a war footing economically.

  The caveat is that only class A ports can build starships. Class B
ports are limited to in-system craft. What causes this difference is a
matter of opinion. The lack of jump-producing facilities can be due to
resources (no lanthanum nearby), lack of industrial capability (nobody's
bothered to build it yet), lack of technical know-how (more feasible
outside the Imperium than in), lack of raw TL, or lack of licensing (more
likely within large states: no personnel licensed to build or install
jump drives -> no class A rating despite having all the other prerequisites).

  For individual ships at class B ports there are a couple of ways around
this limit. The starport class is really on a very coarse scale, and it
could be decided that Mnemosyne, despite the size and extent of its
shipyards, is only capable of building one or two jump drives at a time,
and perhaps only of a limited size. Thus, as far as the casual traveller
is concerned, Mnemosyne is a class B port because you can't order starships
from their shipyard unless you are their planetary government.
  You could also decide that Mnemosyne builds the hulls and everything
else _except_ the jump drive, which they contract out to another nearby
world with a class A port. Realistically this drives up the price of the
jump drive and of the ship.

  Another point. Why has Mnemosyne been Collapsed? It is well behind the
Quarantine line and unlikely to have been hit by Virus. It is also part
of an organized state that could protect its own borders.

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

"I am the downhill tumble and roll champ,
 King of the Toad Finders, Captain of the
 High Altitude Tree Branch Vista Club, second
 place finisher in the 'round the yard backward
 dash, premier burper state division, Sodbuster
 and Worm Scout First Order, and generalissimo
 of the Mud and Mayhem Society!"
                    -Calvin (not the theologian)

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

Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 23:11:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: John Muir Macpherson <muirmac@uclink.berkeley.edu>
To: Traveller Mailing List <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Plasma trails, targeting
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9508312304.A9210-0100000@uclink.berkeley.edu>

	We've established that you can see a plasma trail, and therefore 
bogies under thrust, from a long way off.  So why can't you target-lock 
them?  One idea that occurred to me was that while all that radiated 
energy in the plasma exhaust may make it easier for a bogie detection, it 
may actually make target locks _more_ difficult.  Think of it as trying 
to target someone standing behind a spot light.  Next to the enormous 
radiated energy of the exhaust, the sig of the ship (what you want to 
target) would be comparatively small, and might easily drowned out by the 
"noise" of its drive.  I don't know if this is technically accurate, but 
it might be useful as a kludge rules "fix" if nothing else.

	Re: Using ion drives for "stealthy" ships.  I think this might 
help, but IIRC, ion drives make a lot of noise in the radio band.  Though 
I'm sure this is still better than a 100km+ plasma trail :)

	Someone mentioned that Heplar had to be a fusion rocket based on 
the KE of the exhaust.  Why is this so?  Couldn't a fusion NERVA-type 
engine produce exhausts with KE's just as good as a fusion drive?  Is 
there a relevant upper limit on the plasma temps one can create by 
heating from a fusion plant, other than the temp of the plant itself?


	--Muir

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

Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 23:12:52 -0700 (PDT)
From: John Muir Macpherson <muirmac@uclink.berkeley.edu>
To: Traveller Mailing List <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: John Barnes ref
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9508312349.A20188-0100000@uclink.berkeley.edu>


	Where can I find the John Barnes essay someone mentioned on 
"Building a Future?"

	Thanks,
		Muir

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

Date: Fri, 01 Sep 1995 16:03:02 -1600
From: Michael Bailey <pd82495@wapol.gov.au>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Cloudlords & Vog-Mur
Message-ID: <9509010801.AA02468@phq1002.wapol.gov.au>

I'm in a position to get hold of 1 (possibly 2) copies of 'Cloudlords of
Tanara', and 1 (possibly 2) copies of 'Vog-Mur'.  My own campaigns focus on
Middle Earth and Agharya (my own world), so I've got no use for them -
although I'm sure that plenty of you would have.

The books are in reasonable condition, and will cost me about A#14.00
(US$10.00), plus postage.  I'm not in this for profit, so if anyone is
interested, I'll grab them and send them to you for cost.  First come, first
served!

Catchya,

Mick

Michael Bailey (pd82495@wapol.gov.au)

"...the scum also rises..."
                          Hunter S. Thompson



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

Date: 1 Sep 1995 08:00:13 U
From: "Svenson G N" <svenson_g_n@space.honeywell.com>
To: "Traveller" <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: TL-9 Helkana Shuttle
Message-ID: <199509011152.HAA15656@Mithril.MPGN.COM>

Hi all,
Here is the third of my TL-9 ships, the Helkana shuttle. I hope you find it
useful.

BTW I miss stated the UWP of Mnemosyne, the TL is 9 not A. I would be very
interested in a source of information on how to determine the ship yard
capacity for a world and for the construction times for ships.

--------------------------------------------
Helkana - 94t TL9 Shuttle

General Data:

Displacement      94 tons                 Hull Armor        12
Length            20.7 m                  Volume            1316 m^3
Price             95.0997 MCr             Target size       VS
Configuration     Disc/dome AF            Tech Level        9
Mass              677.292 / 1641.553 tons

Engineering Data

Power plant       38 MW Fision Reactor, 1 yr duration (3.8 kl
                  radioactives)
Jump performance  0
G-rating          0.5 G, 470 tons thrust AZHRAE
G-turns           2 (470 using fuel carried as cargo), 235 m^3 each
                  (HCD)
contra grav lifters

Electronics

TL9 Computer linked controls              3 x TL9 Std Computers
Imaging radar                             TL-9 Avionics (130 km NOE)
30000 km radio                            30000 Maser comm
30000 km HRT sensor                       Satellite positioning

Armament

1 standard turret socket

Accomodations

Life support      basic, no artificial gravity
Crew              6 (1 x maneuver, 2 x electronics, 1 x engineering,
                  1 x gunnery, 1 x command)
Accomodations     none (the crew lives on the mothership or
                  spacestation)
Cargo             4.261 m^3 ships locker, 470 m^3 HCD fuel for AZHRAE,
                  490 m^3 for 35 ton modules, 3.8 m^3 for radioactives
                  (fision reactor),
                  large cargo hatch
Air locks         2

Area  Surface hits                  internal explosion

1     1-4 radar ant, 5 maser ant,   electronics
      6 Avionics ant
2     1 radio ant, 2-5 HRT ant,     1-6 quarters, 7-18 gunnery, 19 hold
      6 airlock                     20 engineering
3                                   1-10 engineering, 11-20 hold
4-17  1-12 large cargo hatch (area  hold
      7 only)                       hold
18    1 air lock                    1-8 hold, 9-20 engineering
19-20                               engineering

Damage table

Sensor (HRT)            1h          Sensor ant (HRT)        1h
Commo (radio)           1h          Commo ant (radio)       1h
Commo (Maser)           1h          Commo ant (Maser)       1h
Radar                   1H          Radar ant               1h
computers               3 x 1h      crewstations            6 x 1h
life support            2h          Power plant             3H
AZHRAE                  2H          Contra grav lifters     1H
turret socket           1h          Imaging radar           1h
Avionics                1h          Avionics ant            1h


Notes:

The Helkana is designed to be carried aboard the Tempere Modular Transport. It
is also used at space ports on planets that have the recources and ability to
make HCD fuel. The crew live on the mothership or at the space port. The 35 ton
modules on the Helkana are the same as those carried by the Tempere.

The Helkana has 4.457 MW of surplus power to operate a turret weapon.

The Viiborg is built on Mnemosyne (0232 Foreven sector) in the Wilds.
-------------------------------------------
Thanks,
Greg Svenson
gsvenson@space.honeywell.com

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

Date: Fri, 01 Sep 95 07:50:36 -0500
From: john.bogan@asb.com
To: traveller@mpgn.com
Subject: "lie undetectably"
Message-ID: <9509010750.0B0OE00@asb.com>


>> Will they develop the Zho's greatest nightmare:
>> Psions who can lie undetectably?  

[some snips]
>
> Undetectable Psions? Time to re-read Dune books and Phil K. Dick ;-)


I think you're mis-reading the "lie undetectably" part.

Not "lurk" or "hide", more like "lie undetectably" as in:
"tell falsehoods with a straight face";
"shoveling intestinally processed kian food and having it accepted
as rose petals;
"''e's not dead, 'e's just resting'";

et cetera.....

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

Date: 1 Sep 1995 08:25:51 U
From: "Svenson G N" <svenson_g_n@space.honeywell.com>
To: "Traveller" <traveller@mpgn.com>
Subject: Traveller Mailing List Owner
Message-ID: <199509011220.IAA28744@Ambassador.MPGN.COM>

Hi,
I have recently subscribed to AOL and wanted to see if they would add this
mailing list to their database of mailing lists. First, is there any opposition
to the idea of making the Traveller Mailing List available in the AOL database?
Second, who is the owner(s) of the list?

Thanks,
Greg Svenson
gsvenson@space.honeywell.com

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

Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 10:29:42 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ethan Henry <ehenry@magmacom.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Zhodani vs the Regency
Message-ID: <199509011429.KAA09770@mag1.magmacom.com>

Alvin Plummer writes:
> 
> 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.

Don't forget, the Imperium had a systematic supression of ANYTHING to
do with psionics since the 700's. Chances are that Zho psi drug technology
is several TLs above anything in Imperial space at its peak, much less
in the New Era(tm). Also, the remnants of Imperial pharmacaetical (sp?)
corps would have been avoiding psi-drug research for centuries, or at 
least have been doing it under the table, so would have very little base
to start working from once attitudes towards psionics change.

> 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?

I doubt that the Regency is very close to doing anything on the psi-technology
frontier, unless they bring in the basics from the Zhos first. Also,
the overall amount of psi-related activity in the Regency is nothing 
compared to its everyday use in the Consulate, so even from the same
starting point, I think the Zhos would outpace any Imperial remnant state
in terms of psi-related development.
 
> 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.

But it's a culture that has lasted that long in the face of many changes.
That imples a fair amount of cultural flexibility. 
 
>                 they have been dependent on Psionic Rule since -7000 
>                 Imperial.

Totally. More that just political rule, it has been the key to social stability
for most of that time.

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

No, but they've probably been trying for quite a while. The overall max
tl in the Consulate of 14 isn't _that_ far behind the (ex-)Imperium. Also,
the Zhos have a fairly strong interest in Ancient artifacts, especially
psionically active ones. The Zho intelligence network has probably seen
if not stolen every psi-active artifact dug up in Imperial space over 
the last several centuries. Chances are the Imperials wouldn't
have even recognized a psi-active artifact if Grandfather came over and 
told the Emperor himself what was going on.
 
> 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?)

Well, I dunno if I'm an expert, but I read the Aliens module a few times.
Yes, some nobles born into nobility are non-psionic and were the major 
drive to develop non-psionic methods for doing things. I'd imagine that
at some point in Zhodani history, there were a lot of growing pains
and questions about why certain things were being developed. For instance,
did the Zhos ever have a planet-wide telephone network? Proles don't
need to use the phone, most nobles have telepathy and telephone technology
is developed so closely to wireless comm. technology, chances are that
wire-basd communications technology for voice-only is a rarity in Zho space.
This probably would have hindered their development of planetary data networks,
etc.

> 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...

Interesting. Perhaps. The Zhodani, in general, dislike absorbing more into
the Consulate than they feel comfortable handling. The Regency would
be very uncomfortable. On the other hand, the Zhos have never faced a large
enemy (to our knowledge) that had wide-spread psionic usage. That would be 
a bit of a change...

Ethan


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

Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 10:17:51 -0600 (MDT)
From: merrick@Rt66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Plasma trails, targeting
Message-ID: <9509011617.AA29770@Rt66.com>

Hey,
 
> 	We've established that you can see a plasma trail, and therefore 
> bogies under thrust, from a long way off.  So why can't you target-lock 
> them?  One idea that occurred to me was that while all that radiated 
> energy in the plasma exhaust may make it easier for a bogie detection, it 
> may actually make target locks _more_ difficult.  Think of it as trying 
> to target someone standing behind a spot light.  Next to the enormous 
> radiated energy of the exhaust, the sig of the ship (what you want to 
> target) would be comparatively small, and might easily drowned out by the 
> "noise" of its drive.  I don't know if this is technically accurate, but 
> it might be useful as a kludge rules "fix" if nothing else.

I redid (mostly a clean-up) my sensor rules, drop a line if you want
'em).
 
> 	Someone mentioned that Heplar had to be a fusion rocket based on 
> the KE of the exhaust.  Why is this so?  Couldn't a fusion NERVA-type 
> engine produce exhausts with KE's just as good as a fusion drive?  Is 
> there a relevant upper limit on the plasma temps one can create by 
> heating from a fusion plant, other than the temp of the plant itself?
 
I think that was me :)  You're right, but on the other hand we *know*
how much energy is added, it's the thrust MW of the recombustion
chamber.  Since they said it was "safe", and the mdrives are *really*
small compared to a fusion drive, if it says 50MW/gturn that's what it
is.  You have Joules per second, and you know how long a turn is, and
how much fuel is spit out, so there you have it.  It doesn't add up
unless some fraction of the propellant is actually fused in addition to
the input power from the PP.

-Merrick


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

Date: Thu, 31 Aug 1995 16:48:39 -0700
From: Christopher_Griffen@dmcwave.com (Christopher Griffen)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Wet Ships
Message-ID: <047364b0@MailXFER.DMCWAVE.COM>

     Alvin Plummera writes:
     
     >>Now Waiting for 
                  - Regency Sourcebook
                  - The Wet Ships supplement
      [How can I build a proper adventure on Beaxon without Wet Ships?]<<
     
     
     Simple.  Convert NOMADS OF THE WORLD OCEAN to be on Beaxon instead of 
     Bellerophon!  That's what I'm doing!
     
     Still, I have to admit that without relying too heavily on CT rules, I 
     don't have the ability to do much on the water.  I can't even recreate 
     those fantastic catamaran-style nomad ships or the daghadasa-hunting 
     ships of Seaharvester.  I was even thinking of throwing in a couple 
     "Waterworld"-style jet skis for laughs.
     
     Has anybody developed watercraft rules independently in FF&S style?
     
     --Chris

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

Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 08:04:46 -0700
From: Christopher_Griffen@dmcwave.com (Christopher Griffen)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Regency Sourcebook primers...
Message-ID: <04736990@MailXFER.DMCWAVE.COM>

     I picked up a few tidbits about the long-awaited Regency Sourcebook 
     that we're all clamoring about.
     
     For one, the First Regent is one Coranda Alkhalikoi-Aledon, son of 
     reluctant royal couple, Avery and Seldrian, whom I'm sure you all 
     remember from Arrival Vengeance.  Coranda was apparently a dynastic 
     offspring (I believe that means born in a test tube).
     
     Mora has been elevated to tech level 16.  I think this is the only 
     world to be elevated as such.  I would guess that the other worlds 
     rated this high are Depot/Deneb, Vincennes/Deneb, Daryen/Spinward 
     Marches, Tobia/Trojan Reaches and possibly Pashus/Deneb.  From what I 
     understand, though, Mora and Vincennes are the only two TL-16 worlds 
     on which consumer products are readily available.
     
     The book details all the subsectors of the Regency and not just the 
     Spinward Marches as I had been led to believe some time back.  This 
     includes all 32 subsectors of both Deneb and the Spinward Marches, the 
     coreward four subsectors of the Trojan Reaches and most of Reft (not 
     including the rimward-trailing wilds portion next to Gushemege and 
     Dagudashag (or is it Zarushagar; my astrography eludes me).
     
     There are some 8-10 new ship designs, including the ones you may have 
     seen listed among the new RAFM miniatures.  The listed RAFM miniatures 
     to be added to the line are:
     
     -- RQS Inspection Launch w/Missile Rack
     -- Aslan RQS Quarantine Cutter
     -- Darrian Patrol Cruiser
     -- Cuspid Class Gunboat
     -- Fang Class Gunboat
     -- Jump (Ship Boat)
     
     I have no idea what that cryptic last one is.  I'm just typing them as 
     I see them from RAFM's order sheet.  Could it be a jump ship?  Like 
     the one listed in Supplement 9, Fighting Ships?  Hmm.
     
     Since only six are listed above, I would guess there are a few more in 
     the book.
     
     CT fans will be happy to find out that the Regency Sourcebook makes 
     references to CT books.  For instance, the double-adventure story, 
     Divine Intervention, is referenced when Pavabid is discussed.
     
     Mind you I don't have a copy of the Regency Sourcebook either, so this 
     is all technically hearsay.  But it should be pretty accurate for the 
     most part.

No
     w 
     I'm anticipating this darn book even more!  I hope it makes its mid-
     September ship date.

--
     Ch
     ris

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

Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 19:31:26 +0200
From: myhre@oslonett.no
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Plasma Trails, Missiles
Message-ID: <199509011731.TAA12149@hasle.oslonett.no>

merrick@Rt66.com (Merrick Burkhardt) Wrote:

>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.  
Try this on for size, and it is (near) realistic. When someone use active 
sensor, take the active sensor short range and multiply with 2. Within this 
range the task to detect are easy. Increase the difficulty as you move 
outwards in rangebands. The Extreme rangeband wil go far out as 160 hexes 
for an active sensor with a short range of 10.. Outside this the task 
becomes impossible. 

 
>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.
Jamming yes, but not in a sense that makes lay men understand waht jamming 
means. Chaff and flares? Naah.


>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).
Sorry haven't played MayDay. 




>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.
It will. I'll show you the math. I now assume that we remote control the 
missile. The target are 10 hexes away from the controlling unit. The missile 
are moving with a speed of 10 hexes, while the target is moving 5 hexes a 
turn. Com lag is roughly 1 second, and the detection lag is the same (the 
time EM radiation goes from the target to the passive sensing unit). This 
gives us a lag of about 2 seconds. The Scout is moving at a velocity of 
83333 meters a second. The missile twice as far. When a course correction 
comes from the controlling unit, the target has moved 166666 meters, 
including what ever it manages to increase and decrease of velocity in these 
seconds, and course alterations too. If this missile is impact oriented, it 
will never hit. And the situation becomes worse if the attacker are using 
active radar. In additon as the missile tries to close. it is just x and y 
coordinates that the defender needs to put down to nail the missile with a 
laser shot. This is the reason that I never liked the big hex/time scales of 
Traveller space combat. It's just too large to make any real sense.


 
>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.
It sounds interesting, but alas missiles tend to work poorly in the scale 
Traveller present its space combat. Never liked the time and hex scale. 
Would rather see something like 1000Km hex and 1 minute turn or something.


--------------+-------------------+-----------------------------------
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.
--------------+-------------------------------------------------------


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End of TRAVELLER Digest 398
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