			    TRAVELLER Digest 428

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) help by "Andrew Murie" <MURIEAN@ee2.ee.cit.ac.nz>
  2) New ERA campaign I'm involved with... by chris@itd.sterling.com (Chris Olson)
  3) Sparklers by James Kundert <james@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>
  4) Re: TRAVELLER digest 423 by grimscal@dove.mtx.net.au
  5) Re: TRAVELLER digest 425 by Thanasis Kinias <tkinias@asu.edu>
  6) Re: TRAVELLER digest 427 by broussa@ConnectI.com (David C. Broussard)
  7) Re: Efate by Rob_Prior@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca (Rob Prior)
  8) Re: TRAVELLER digest 425 by merrick@Rt66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)
  9) Regency Sourcebook released today! by Christopher_Griffen@dmcwave.com (Christopher Griffen)
 10) Re: Dave's Editorial, Challenge 77 by "Bruce Johnson" <JOHNSON@tonic.pharm.arizona.edu>
 11) Solomani Rim subsector names and info needed by "Bruce Johnson" <JOHNSON@tonic.pharm.arizona.edu>

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

Date:          Mon, 25 Sep 1995 15:50:20 +1200
From: "Andrew Murie" <MURIEAN@ee2.ee.cit.ac.nz>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: help
Message-ID: <302B67D0D@ee2.ee.cit.ac.nz>

help--
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
|  I haven't lost my mind  -   It's backed up on tape somewhere.  |
|  muriean@ee2.ee.cit.ac.nz    http://www.ee.cit.ac.nz/~muriean   |
|               PGP public key available on request               |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

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

Date: Sun, 24 Sep 1995 23:04:41 -0500 (CDT)
From: chris@itd.sterling.com (Chris Olson)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: New ERA campaign I'm involved with...
Message-ID: <9509250404.AA19908@ssbell.ITD.Sterling.COM>

I must admint, reading this list, and the xboat list, that I have always
been somewaht doubtful about the playability of a New Era campaign, and the
lack of Traveller GM's in the area sort of assured that I would never really
be disuaded, until by Fortuitous circumstance, I met my current TNE GM, whom
I will just call Jeff (since his last name starts Kaz and ends ski with a
few gargles in between).

The game started with everyone creating characters.  Home-system:  Earth.
Time: mid-21st century.  Yup, not anywhere near the new-Era.  Cool setup,
we are the crew of a Bussard RAM jet, bound for a 200 year journy to the
nearest stars.  Currently, there is a thriving lunar and mars colonies, the
Jupiter (Ganymede?) moon colony will be settled during our launch, and the
asteroids are home to miners, who barter thier weath back to terra.  We are
all quite qualified for our respective jobs, and cross-trained in several
others.

The launch began, we go into cold sleep (scariest description of it I've ever
heard, descibed as feeling yourself die as the machines prepare you for cold
storage, *shiver*).  Anyway, we are awakened several times as we go out-system
for PR as we pass by each colony, accelerating as we go.  By the time we reach
Pluto, our velocity makes signal recpetion difficult.  we go to sleep expecting
to reach our first destination...

...we awake, but are terribly sick, several crew mwmbers do not survive.  We
are all suffering from varying degrees of minor brain damage, (everyone has
early stages of Parkinson's symptoms).  This is wrong, others have been asleep
longer.  When we give the ship a quick once over, we find three of the onboard
computers have crashed (no biggee, we have five more, and start to see what we
can do to maybe scavange one from the dead three, when we discover that two
of the eight reactors are leaking, and one is just ... gone.  Then we find
out that the system we have decelerated into is FV class, which isn't possible.
There are no F5 class planets anywhere near earth!  A check of the computer
clocks show 4000 years have passed.  We are seriously off course...

We are one week from orbital insertion when we detect a signal from the planet,
but it appears to be EXTERMELY dense and compressed.  We cobble together some
circuits to stretch the signal out and start to analyze it.  Hmm, the computers
just crashed.  *DAMN*  Looks like some hacker managed to leave a virus in the
system... I'll just shut it down and reboot...

...we find the source of the signal, an apparent orbital facility.  Aliens! We
aren't alone!  Proof!  Not just a signal!  An artifact.  The planet, however,
seems to be near earth normal (at least we could be comfortable near sea level
(kinda thin and light).  As we draw closer, we see more and more evidense of
orbital bombardment.  Looks like a war was fought here.  We are solemn as we
continue to approach...

... things are fine for the next 6 days, until suddenly, our belter announces
something is fighting him for control of the telescopes,  With his
announcement, the ship starts accelerating at 2G, and the course shifts from
orbital insertion to collision with the orbital facility.  Panicked, we try and
wrest control from the computers, but we can't.  We decide to use the landing
shuttles to abandon ship and land on the planet, as the facility is doomed
(the ship is quite large).  Somoe of us make it, and we detatch from the
ship (luckily for us, the shuttle has been powered down and the computers off-
line, eh?).  As we watch, the ship accellerates toward the facility which
opens fire with some sort of energy weapons which sends the tumbling wreckage
of our ship into a meteroic journy into the northern hemispher.  We decide to
de-orbit on the far side of the planet from the faciliy...

...ever tried to land a shuttle on a plain?  Due to phenominal pilot skill and
an incredibal hot streak with dice the shuttle is down.  In pieces, with the
landing gear a considerable distance to the rear, the nose buried in the final
moments of the crash, err, landing.  Re-entry tiles litter the landsacpe, with
bits of wing and under-structure, but no lives are lost.

Sick tired and lost, we leave the ship and begin to try and figure out how a
misift bunch of scientist, a belter, a medic, a nurse and a space-force
commander are going to survive on a bombed out world, when in a scene from 
mad max, a native (human appearing) rids up on a moped (towing a cart with
all of the looks of a peddler) and hands us a critter and mimes cooking it...

...which sends us into hysterical arguments involving parallel evolution,
alternitve star-drives, ancient astronauts and such.  Eventually things calm
down and we get on with it.

Well, enough of that.  Some background on the group:  Only the GM and I have
any background in Traveller.  One player has never played any RPG before.  It's
been a blast so far!  The adventure went on, and I know what's coming up, but
the GM keeps it interesting by throughin obsicles in our way (we are travelling
with a band bound for heaven, if that's a clue :-).  We can all now speak at
least some of the local language (Food?  Alchohol?  Repair?  Trade?)

This is pretty cool (and despite what people think, standard TNE combat is
lethal enough, thank-you!  There's this certain sewer critter which practically
ate me in a single combat turn) anmd a lot of fun, due in part to the GM, the
crowd, and the richness of the background (as long as you can ignore the bad
science in parts :-).

Felt the need to share that with you all (it's late, I'm tired, and it seems
a lot of people are just complaining instead of playing...)

Later
	Chris
-- 
  // chris@Sterling.COM           | Send comp.sources.x submissions to:
\X/  Amiga: The only way to fly!  |    sources-x@sterling.com
GCS d++(--) h++ s++:+ g+++(?) p? au(*)(0) a w+ v-(*) C++ US+++ P+ L+ 3 N++ K
  !W M V-- -po+ Y+ t+ 5++ j- r+ G+ v b+++ D- b-- e+ u+ h- f+ r+++ !n y+++

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

Date: Sun, 24 Sep 95 23:16:04 PDT
From: James Kundert <james@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Sparklers
Message-ID: <9509250616.AA28784@dumbcat.sf.ca.us>

<sigh>
 The Sparklers, as described in MegaTraveller Journal #4 by DGP, are unofficial
now and will likely remain so. Forever.  Your mileage may vary. I personally
don't ever intend to use them in the fashion DGP planned on, and probably not
at all...

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

There was a young lady named Bright,
Whose speed was much faster, much faster than Light.
She departed one day in a relative way,
And returned on the previous Night.
   --Albert & the Heart of Gold

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

Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 16:41:23 +0930
From: grimscal@dove.mtx.net.au
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 423
Message-ID: <199509250711.QAA12523@dove.mtx.net.au>

Hello out there
After reading a message about a possible sucsesfull virus empire I thought
of a race I have created. So I have desided to tell you all about them. I
would welcome any Opinions. Also I would Apolagise for my spelling now.

>But this is only the tip of the iceberg, the former Imperium was large 
>enough that other examples must exist where virus society has evolved more 
>successfully, where Virus is actively rebuilding, where virus recognises the 
>usefulness of humans and co-operates with them. This doesn't have to be a 
>peacemaker strain infested utopia though, as the Virus/human society could
have 
>an extremely agressive attitude. If any virus like this developed, then its 
>starports would not only be able to maintain the Vampires, but also to
build new 
>ships.

For use in my game I created a race of people that were once Human.
They, before the collaps, engaged in Secret Psionic, Bio & Cybernetic
engineering to very high level. This was done on a planetery scale and a
deeply rooted part of there culture. Then the virus came. But instead of
desroying them it forged them into somthing far stronger and resileant. I
call them the Hedran. Thay are not a player race more a NPC race that can be
evil or good depending on where and when you see them. There motives are
hard to guess, becouse they are not human any more. they are somthing more.

> Far from dying out, Virus/Human cultures would have major benefits - 

Thay had reached the point of Bio engineering Computers as Implants and
making everone telepathic. There cybernetic Implants where also moveing
towards Biological Equivalents. Then the Virus changed Everything becouse
the virus provided somthing thay were looking for but could not produce. A
group Mind.
The virus could not invade the Computer implants becouse thay where to Alien
to Invade Quickly enougth. So the Hedran Helped it, You could say thay
invaded it.

There tech Level verys from TL 17 to TL 9, the High end is in Psionics, Bio
Engineering and Material Technology. Beond this there TL falls off to rughly 
R.C. Standards. SO..

Now Its Soldiers and Scouts are reching out into the dark Looking to see
what is left of the empire. On face value they seem Human and Can pass as
such in most sercumstances. so for now it is content to spy and study EVERONE.

PS.. As a test I through a Single Soldier at my Pc's, I gave them a Platoon
of Marines in combat armour, armed with hevy weapons. The hedran hade Gauss
and Laser Implants with computer assisted Aimming and TL 16 Dermal Plating.
Thay just Managed to Kill him after taking 85% Casulties. Had thay got it in
the open I think they could have Killed it quickly. But in a building It
almost had to much of an advantage. With Str 20, Con 18, Agl 18, Int 16, Edu
16 Chr 12
and Psi 16 it Fires first, almost never misses and can take a lott of damage.
But then again I dont intend to have them run into it very much. Just make
them nervice about strange places and unexplored space.

In my campain, you could say thay are the Boogyman.
 But my Pc's Call then Charlie's. 
Grimscale the Unsmiling One. :-(


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

Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 00:46:16 -0700 (MST)
From: Thanasis Kinias <tkinias@asu.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 425

>From Mr. Lane:

> > 
> > (2) The Lab Ship. Must explore strange, new worlds but can't land. Can only
> > refuel at A, B, or C starports, asteroids, or by launch (how many trips?!).
> > Doesn't make sense even in CT era (should have kept the pinnace). 
> 
> True enough.
> 

As I recall from the description, the lab ship is not intended for 
exploratory missions (that being the duty of the survey ships like 
_Donosev_), but for anything else requiring labs.  This doesn't 
necessarily mean the ship will be terribly far from support facilities.  
By analogy, Jacques Cousteau's vessels are not equipped, as far as I 
know, to be self sufficient to any great extent.  They are, however, 
research vessels somewhat akin to a lab ship.

> Final question regarding meson weapons; I know they are part of traveller 
 . . .
> Only neutrinos can go through most matter without interacting. 
>  
> have I missed something, or do I have to resort to "It's physics we haven't
> discovered yet" when my players ask?

I think this is the case.  I can't really justify them either, if for no 
other reason than that the "known lifetime" of the mesons is only a 
statistical average of sorts; the decay times will vary around this to 
quite an extent.  This means that the penetration cannot be really 
controlled that precisely.

That's why it's science _fiction_.


>From Mr. Watters:

> trusting, I let them replace the MFD crewperson too. I found that the 

How is this done?  I don't recall seeing a way for MFD crew to be 
eliminated.  By the way, what are the effects of being undercrewed (as 
the "Star Shark" design at one FTP site is)?  I can't find any rules for 
this in TNE/BL.

				Thanasis Kinias
				Student of Quantitative History
				  and Info. Tech. Computing Asst. Trainee
				Arizona State University
				Tempe, Ariz., U.S.A.

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

Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 07:30:09 -0500
From: broussa@ConnectI.com (David C. Broussard)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 427
Message-ID: <9509251230.AA08309@ConnectI.com>

>THe RC is very limiting. 
>But that's what GDW wants, and the make the game, so it's their call. 
>I will merely try to take advantage of the material in the sourcebooks.
>which is why vehicles, worlds, equipment, and to a small extent weaponry is 
>very much desired. 
>Although I must say that I am seeing an undue fixation with weaponry lately.
>sure, it's cool that you can make your own ACR, or that by know you can find 
>about 20 different types of plasma gun on the Net, but come on, there is more
>to the game than guns. 

This is true, however, we see a lack of all types of technology.  The RC
tends towards a military setting, yet they only provide 1 example of each
type of weapon.  What about Plasma GRenade Lauchers or under-barrel lasers.
GDW has taken FF&S and all they have done is redesign all of the old weapons
and vehicles.  (And not always very well)  Look at the Intrepid Grav Tank.
It has the same armor value as pen in the frontal arc.  This means that it
cannot kill itself except through minor penetrations.  In our times, and
always in the history of tank warfare, a MBT has the ability to kill a tank
with similar protection out to a good range.  In this case, Armor weight
should be sacrificed to carry a larger Plasma Gun, and under the new rules,
who says that Plasma Weapons are the best.  Just because thay were under
Striker doen't mean that thay are now.  The same variation need to be seen
in EVERY aspect of RC technology.  How about Air/Rafts (gee they all
displace 4 tons, they all seat 4 and carry 4000 Kg of cargo.  What about a
cargo only variant, or a closed top, or a bus, or one that is slightly
larger or smaller.  How about the sporty two seater with the hot new Imaging
Radar and Autopilot for NOE driving.  This is also the area that Traveller
has always been lacking.

>in FF&S there is 77 pages on making weaponry, half a page on computers, and
>not a word on biological modifications. true, there is a whole chapter on 
>cybernetic modifications - but it's all hand lasers, fist knives, subdermal 
>armor, etc. If I wanted to play cyberpunk, I would play Cyberpunk. 

This is too true.  GDW's cyberpunk was never the best, and for such an
advanced civilization, how come computers still take up soo much space?

>THe best sourcebook I've ever seen was "World Builders handbook" by DGP.
>General enough to be useful to everyone (even if you weren't a scout. Or 
>nowadays an RC marine). lots of equipment, a good (not entirely out of 
>touch with science) system for making worlds. 

This book is good, but it too has drawbacks.  The biggest is that is is
almost impossible to produce a habitable world.  Temperature extremes
usually make it either too hot or too cold.  It does provide an appreciation
of the Earth.  I have tried using it, and I do, but it is hard to spend even
that much more time generating a world for your players who will then spend
only a week in-system then never return.  It goes back to the Imperial
Survey/Tarsus debate Dave alluded to.  Do you spend the time generating gobs
of background data for a world and then never let your players leave?  And
then what do you do when you have decided that System X is actaully a moon
of a Gas Giant locked in a tidal orbit (a la 2300AD) with all of these cool
evironmental details and city sizes, etc.  Then GDW puts out a product that
totaly blows it out of the water?  I have had this happen numerous times,
and I HATE IT!  You are face with either reconciling your world, or dumping it.

DCB
David C. Broussard (broussa@connecti.com)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The opinions represented herein are the sole responsibility of
the proclaimer, and should not be interpreted as dogma, doctrine
philosophy, or anything else other than blabber.  However, if you
REALLY like it, then gimme a dollar!
-----------------------------------------------------------------


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

Date: 25 Sep 1995 13:18:26 GMT
From: Rob_Prior@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca (Rob Prior)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Efate
Message-ID: <61406.295388387@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca>

This doesn't sound like the Efate from Classic Traveller.  Check out
adventures like "Dagger to Efate" in JTAS for the feel.

Of course, you could always move your world to somewhere that hasn't been
described/used yet.  Lunion or Vilis Subsectors might be a good bet: GDW
hasn't done much there (except for Garda Vilis).

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

Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 12:29:45 -0600 (MDT)
From: merrick@Rt66.com (Merrick Burkhardt)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: TRAVELLER digest 425
Message-ID: <9509251829.AA14993@Rt66.com>

Hi,

There was a comment about the reality of meson guns and I thought I'd
put in my 2 credits as well as maybe ask a few more questions.

The comments regarding the smeared nature of the beam are certainly
correct.  A pi0 meson decays in something like 10E-17 seconds as I
recall, but they will decay around this point since this is just the
probable time of decay. Does anyone have the decay for Pi0s handy?  I
think it's gamma + gamma due to pair production... the gammas will be
beamed preferentially in the direction of motion of the beam.

So we have a sloppy beam, but I still am not sure about the interaction
question raised... it's a good one.  What's the pi0 cross section of
Bonded SuperDense?  Maybe MGs would be more like PAWs with a penetration
rating (although maybe a high one).  If that were the case it might be
high enough not to matter too much for space combat, but deep site MGs
might have problems.

I'd say from a gaming standpoint (and from a canon point of view) that
you could give MGs a really good penetration (like 1/DV) or something)... 
in space combat nothing will change since screens would be easier than
the required armor, but it'll explain to the PCs why the MG can't get them 
through that gas giant.

-Merrick

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

Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 15:29:13 -0700
From: Christopher_Griffen@dmcwave.com (Christopher Griffen)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Regency Sourcebook released today!
Message-ID: <0672d9e0@MailXFER.DMCWAVE.COM>

     At long last, the Regency Sourcebook is being released by GDW today.  
     Those who have pre-ordered the book direct from GDW should receive 
     your copies within the week.  Stores should have them in about the 
     same amount of time.
     
     Yes!!!  Long live the First Regent!  Keeper of the Flame!
     
     (Knowing me, I'll probably ruin a perfectly good night's sleep by 
     staying up late trying to read the darn thing from cover to cover.)
     
     --Chris

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

Date:          Mon, 25 Sep 1995 15:55:53 MST7
From: "Bruce Johnson" <JOHNSON@tonic.pharm.arizona.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Dave's Editorial, Challenge 77
Message-ID: <195C50B6FC1@tonic.pharm.Arizona.EDU>

	I, too, have been simmering on about the editorial.  It's almost as
if he's never actually GM'ed a system without his insider
information about it.  I know that's not true, but it does exhibit a certain
lack of contact with us out here.

	If you want to tell a grand story, write a novel (or two or three).
 
	Treating GM's and players alike, and keeping information from them
is counterproductive at best, and highly alienating at worst.

	GDW seems torn between offering a generic SF gaming system and a 
highly structured 'we own the Traveller Universe' system where you 
have to stay in the confines of the gaming they allow you to do.

	What I see again and again, in this group, is a plea for more 
background...if GDW is going to have this grand story to their 
universe, then you HAVE to tell the GM's at least the outline of it.  

	Otherwise we're forced to do what we've always done: make it up as we 
go along...if GDW comes out and says 'XYZ happens', it may or may not 
happen within the confines of MY campaign. Jeez, you'd a thought 
they'd learned, from the howls of anguish from Classic Trav devotees 
when they wrought Virus, and destroyed the Imperium, overnight.

	The great thing about Traveller is that there is (was) so much background 
stuff out there, enabling a GM to develop a campaign in about any way 
they want.  Clamping down on that, and starving GM's of necessary 
information "to preserve a sense of mystery" is starving a GM of 
exactly what he/she needs: solid information to base the reponse to 
players on.  The whole point isn't to keep GM's guessing, after all, 
it's to provide the players with a solid, believable place to play.

	The current system basically seems oriented to keeping everyone, 
players and GM's alike, 'in line' so we play by their rules, and don't 
stray away what they want us to do. I think there's a line or two in 
the 'Bastard GM from Hell' list about people like that...

	This might work for a while as a marketing ploy, guys, witness the 
fever built up for the Regency sourcebook, but in the long run, it'll 
alienate your customers.

	Just remember that you're publishing a role playing game system, not 
an extended novel, and and games depend as much on a broad base of 
source material as anything else.  Try to control the games your 
customers are playing with your system, and they'll go away.

Bruce Johnson
Information Technology/College of Pharmacy
The University of Arizona
johnson@tonic.pharm.arizona.edu 


As if this place HAD any opinions...

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

Date:          Mon, 25 Sep 1995 15:56:12 MST7
From: "Bruce Johnson" <JOHNSON@tonic.pharm.arizona.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Solomani Rim subsector names and info needed
Message-ID: <195C6730A7C@tonic.pharm.Arizona.EDU>

	Actually any history or at least references to the history of the
sector would be useful...I'm in the initial process of developing a
campaign set in the Rim...a lone RCES ship misjumps, badly, deep
into the sector and must find their way back.  They will be heroes
in the Coalition...if they survive.

	I'll outline the broader aspects and several details of the worlds, 
societies and personalities they encounter as they go in further 
posts. It won't be giving much away to say they'll probably stumble 
across some verrry interesting parts of the old imperium...Cymbeline 
anyone? heh heh heh.

	I'll be taking hints from what GDW has already said about the sector 
in the few references they have in New Era docs, and expanding on it 
in my own fashion.  It certainly won't be vanilla TNE, but no 
campaign I've ever run in any system ever played completely by the 
rules...you see I have a story to tell, too, Dave (see my reply Re: 
Dave's Editorial)

	What I'd like to have happen is some more New Era stuff come out,
not just RICE papers.  No offense, guys, those are really well done,
but the Regency is just pretty much the same old traveller, and I'd
like to see some stuff covering what is out in the Wilds. A sampling
of what I have in mind:

A biowarfare Hobbyist vampire: (BW rules posted, and ship design 
upcoming)

An investigation of just what is the 'Evangelical Doomslayer'
running Cymbeline, now, per Vampire Fleets. (Burning Spear, a high tech level mutant
Virus who had a large database of human mythology and legend as well
as other resources avaliable...one of Lucan's techs had a hobby...)

A human society that has embraced Virus as a partner, and is out to conquer the 
universe. (They hate the Imperium, and on the principle of "The enemy 
of my enemy is my friend"...)

A large ship full of TL 14 computer systems.  It crashed on a planet 
during the Rebellion, and has slowly been covered by the shifting 
sands.  It's secret is known only by the sole surviving crew member, 
now an aged advisor to one of the planets many warlords...this is my 
homage world to the Road Warrior series. This is actually an 
adventure originally done for classic Trav that I didn't get to run 
when I lived back east, it'll need some dusting off and reworking.

	This kind of stuff.  Most of it will be relatively low on stats, and 
higher on narrative content.  This way GM's can tailor it to their 
particular campaign.

	But before I can do all of this, I need some info on what is known 
about the Solomani Rim sector. I'm using the Sector files from 
ftp.ghost.missouri.edu as a starting point for system names and 
stats, and running them through a collapse-ifier program I have to 
get a lot of the new era grunt work out of the way.

	This is a work in progress, so it may go in fits and starts.






Bruce Johnson
Information Technology/College of Pharmacy
The University of Arizona
johnson@tonic.pharm.arizona.edu 


As if this place HAD any opinions...

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

End of TRAVELLER Digest 428
***************************
