			    TRAVELLER Digest 487

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Re: Effects of Relic X-Boats & Tenders in The New Era 	by Jyrki.Paajanen/OU=im/OU=ccbi@smc.carel.fi
  2) RE: Effects of Relic X-Boats & Tenders in The New Era 	by robert.brennan@isocor.ie
  3) Too much mail concerning reality 	by Ethan Henry <ehenry@magmacom.com>
  4) Beacons 	by Michael Bailey <pd82495@wapol.gov.au>
  5) Satellite Beacons 	by Michael Bailey <pd82495@wapol.gov.au>
  6) Re: Effects of Relic X-Boats & Tenders in The New Era 	by Scott and Vivian Nolan <nolan@DGS.dgsys.com>
  7) Re: Collapse Data - Capella 	by Antti Lahtinen <al76188@cs.tut.fi>
  8) Terra! 	by Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
  9) Andor and Candory 	by E.Watters@Queens-Belfast.AC.UK
 10) RSB 	by aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
 11) Nilsen, GDW... and GDP? 	by Mark Fletcher <mf1@st-andrews.ac.uk>
 12) Re: Temporary Starports 	by Steven Bonneville <bonnevil@itlabs.umn.edu>
 13) #AWP-01244: Tirem 	by Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
 14) More errors in RSB? 	by Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
 15) Remnant's Guide 	by john.bogan@asb.com
 16) Re: Nilsen, GDW... and GDP? 	by PPUGLIESE@pimacc.pima.edu

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

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 95 14:20:46 +0200
From: Jyrki.Paajanen/OU=im/OU=ccbi@smc.carel.fi
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Effects of Relic X-Boats & Tenders in The New Era
Message-ID: <H00005870399fae2@MHS>

One thing why relic Xboats is not seen in TNE might be that they don't
have manouver drives. Every time when they jump from a system to another
they must rely on tenders to refuel and pickup.

The deep-space refueling sites are very intresting idea. Many adventure
ideas comes to my mind. Imagine spending weeks in deep space with no way
to go anyway. Good base for an murder mystery. Or players coming with a
ship's tanks empty to station and not finding anybody (or pirates or
vampire fleet) there and so on...

Jyrki Paajanen


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

Date: 17 Nov 95 13:09:34 +0100
From: robert.brennan@isocor.ie
To: traveller@MPGN.COM (Non Receipt Notification Requested)
Subject: RE: Effects of Relic X-Boats & Tenders in The New Era
Message-ID: <GUID:QKK/rytUgzxG2SAAAwFvilQ*/G=robert/S=brennan/PRMD=isocor/ADMD=eirmail400/C=ie@MHS>

I apologise if the following is not totally TNE, but I am a CT junkie ;-)

What about Drop tanks?  These effectively allow a "free" jump.  By 
establishing a large supply of standard drop tanks at a given Starport and 
suppling tenders to collect the dropped tanks, all ships that pay for the service
can do a double jump when leaving the starport.

I still thnk that any military/government force is going to want secret refuelling points in deep space to guarantee that important messages etc get through.  These would be implimented as you describe (except their exact location wouldn't be generally known...

Adventure seed: The PCs are returning from some routine government 
business that requires them to use one of  these secret refuelling points, 
however when they jump in the refuelling ship(s) are lifeless hulks.  To get 
home the players have to salvage jump-fuel from the wreakage, carefully 
checking for undamaged tanker holds and draining each with makeshift fuel 
connections in a debris-strewn vaccum enviornment (can anyone say suit 
repair patch?).  Then the problem is to find out how/why the refuelling ships are
 destroyed.  I smell the virus... or could it be due to infighting between political 
factions in the pocket empire (It's good to hurt someone in a place they can't 
admit exists)...or even, an old foe waiting to capture the players (in this case 
there isn't enough jump-fuel remaining for them to escape...or is there)
rgds
Rob
SMTP:Robert.Brennan@isocor.ie

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

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 08:27:11 -0500 (EST)
From: Ethan Henry <ehenry@magmacom.com>
To: xboat@MPGN.COM, traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Too much mail concerning reality
Message-ID: <199511171327.IAA14177@mag1.magmacom.com>


Wow.

There's been an unusual number of messages lately about GDW 
instead of about Traveller... I must have missed a few things
though.

Where is Dave N. going?
Someone said they called GDW to order a copy of TNE and GDW said
it's out of print! Could TNE be _permanently_ out of print?

Anyways, I hope GDW doesn't go the way of DGP, as I doubt Roger
Sanger has enough spare change to buy the rights to all of GDW's
Traveller material too. :)

Also, are there any list-lurkers in Ottawa out there who would
be interested in playing in the new year? Care to start commuting
up here for the odd game, Alvin?

Ethan

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

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 22:09:05 -1600
From: Michael Bailey <pd82495@wapol.gov.au>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Beacons
Message-ID: <9511171407.AA14204@phq1002.wapol.gov.au>

>Good morning.
>Has anyone out there designed orbital beacons using FF&S?
>I'm thinking of something that a survey mission would leave in orbit, be 
>it planetary or stellar, after conducting missions into the Wilds.  The 
>device would have to be fairly self-sufficient for long periods.  No 
>engines would be necessary.
>The design I've slowly been working on (my first experiment with FF&S) 
>has a 1000-AU transmitter powered by a TL-12 fusion reactor.  Any 
>suggestions?  How wrongly am I going about this?
>Thanks,

Wrong?  I'd say that you're doing it exactly the right way.  You do have
options, of course.  For example, some beacons reasonably close to the
system primary may use solar collectors instead of fusion power plants for
power...they'd be cheaper too.  

You may want to add a couple of small thrusters for
station-keeping...perhaps ion drives (FF&S pp71-72), as their power
requirements are low.  0.01g thrust should be enough.

More advanced versions could add optical sensors and a small computer so
that positional information is continually checked an updated.  These types
of beacons would have been very common in the Last Imperium.

Hmmm...interesting idea, I think I'll have a play around.
Michael Bailey (pd82495@wapol.gov.au)

"I was implying that the Honorable Member for Wentworth was like a lizard on
a rock - alive, but looking dead"
	Prime Minister Paul Keating (on former Opposition Leader John Hewson)


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

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 23:06:28 -1600
From: Michael Bailey <pd82495@wapol.gov.au>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Satellite Beacons
Message-ID: <9511171504.AA14702@phq1002.wapol.gov.au>

Following on from Andy Davis' post regarding satellite beacons, I've (very
quickly) knocked up two examples.  Both use fusion power plants, and the
radio beacon itself is by far the greatest consumer of power.

URLI Model 44B satellite beacon (TL-12)

Size:   2 tons (28 m^3)
Mass:   55.34t
Power:  22MW Fusion power plant
Equip:  1 x 1000 AU radio transmitter
        1 x 60,000km passive EMS
        1 x Mod. 12 Flt computer.
Price:  MCr 3.825/3.055 (quantity)

The URLI 44B is representative of a great number of satellie navigations
deployed throughout the Last Imperium.  The 44B is typically deployed at
system jump and gas giant refuelling points, it's powerful radio transmitter
can be detected from anywhere in the system.

Passive EMS and optical sensors provide information to the Model 12 Flt
computer, which continually updates positional and navigational data.
Transmissions are fully programmable, normally by remote transmission to the
unit's inbuilt radio receiver.

The satellite contains a low thrust (0.01G) ion drive for station keeping,
and sufficient ionizates for 10,000 hours operation.  Power plant fuel is
sufficient 5 years operation.

The 44B has 4 m^3 and 1.39 MW spare capacity, which can be used for a
variety of applications.

URLI Model 43 satellite beacon (TL-12)

Size:   1 ton (14 m^3)
Mass:   33.26t
Power:  12MW fusion power plant
Equip:  1 x 300,000km radio transmitter
        1 x 60,000km passive EMS
        1 x Mod. 12 Flt computer
Price:  Mcr 2.623/2.098 (quantity)        

The URLI 43 is a smaller version of the 44B, using a less powerful radio
transmitter.  The Model 43 is typically deployed in  far orbit around the
system's mainworld, and provides realtime navigational and traffic control
data.  The Model 43 is also deployed in great numbers on the surface of many
worlds - providing instant 'E' class starport facilities to any cleared area
where it is deployed.

The ion thruster and power plant fuel specs are identical to that of the
Model 44B.

The 43 has 0.5 m^3 and 0.39 MW spare capacity.

Michael Bailey (pd82495@wapol.gov.au)

"I was implying that the Honorable Member for Wentworth was like a lizard on
a rock - alive, but looking dead"
	Prime Minister Paul Keating (on former Opposition Leader John Hewson)


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

Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 23:39:21 -0500 (EST)
From: Scott and Vivian Nolan <nolan@DGS.dgsys.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Effects of Relic X-Boats & Tenders in The New Era
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.951116233654.3319E-100000@DGS>



On Thu, 16 Nov 1995, Franklin Cain wrote:

<Excellent RC refueling article deleted>

> 	If you like this idea, please let me know.  Constructive
> criticisms greatly appreciated!

Franklin:

Well reasoned and presented.  My question is: would these refueling 
points operate like the Regency's "Calibration Points", being military 
secrets and strongholds; or would civilians have access to them?

Scott

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

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 18:11:34 +0200
From: Antti Lahtinen <al76188@cs.tut.fi>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Collapse Data - Capella
Message-ID: <199511171611.SAA03374@cs.tut.fi>

>From: Michael Bailey <pd82495@wapol.gov.au>
>Subject: Collapse Data - Capella Subsector
>
>UNOFFICIAL collapse data for Capella subsector (N/Solomani Rim).  This area
>is part of the site for my Near Bootes Commonwealth campaign.

        Interesting data. I am also running a campaign in Near Bootes area,
        but I had't collapsed the whole sector yet. The main problem is that
        I don't have enough data about the real stars in capella sector, and
        it is impossible to create correct World Tamer values for each star
        system without this information. I would greatly appreciate if someone
        with access to good source material would post a list of corresponding
        star names. (That is, "the Tarsus star system is DM???", etc.)

        Currently my campaign is mostly running around Saxe, Vantage and
        Vyborg. This is because Vantage and Vyborg were probably the only
        systems in Capella sector that were described in old Classic Traveller
        materials.

        PS. The native finnish name for Vyborg is "Viipuri". The name "Vyborg"
        is just an english (or galanglic) way to call it.

        Antti Lahtinen    :     Justice is Only a Wish of a Weak
        al76188@cs.tut.fi :


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

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 12:18:57 -0500 (EST)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Terra!
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.951117112300.32210A-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


This post is to provide some information on Terra, as presented in 
Solomani & Aslan.  Copyright by Digest Group Publishing, (c) 1991

[I have some sympathy for those who, like me before I got Cats & Rats, 
long to have my local system translated into Travellereze, but I'm too 
lazy/scientifically illiterate to do it myself...]

A good amount of information is omitted, but is easy to figure out 
["How many hours is in a Terran day?" asks a Marchman child.
 "If atmospheric pressure 1.0 = Earth normal, what's the atmospheric 
  pressure of Terra?"]

Terra, Subsector Sol, Solomani Rim.  Hex 1827. A867A69-F in 009-1121
Diameter 12,742 km, 
Axial tilt 23.45 deg. Orbital ecc. .016, Semistic stress 3

Base temp. 15 deg C, Orbital ecc mod. 0.45 deg C, lat temp effects +21 to 
-49 deg C. Noon plus +6, Midnight minus -12

Hydro 71%, 10 tetonic plates, 3 major, 3 minor continents. One notable 
volcanic hex.

(Where- it isn't on the map! The Ring of Fire - the edge of the Pacific 
Ocean Plate, from Indonesia to Japan to Alaska to L.A. to Argentina - is 
a LOT bigger than a single hex, and only a few areas have volcanos...

Hey! I know - that "hot spot" in the Pacific which made the Hawaiian 
Islands!  Still going on, and always active - if admittedly undersea.)

Orbit
Primary  Sol      G2 V
1        Mercury  G30046A-E     Re               Neither Venus, Luna, or
2        Venus    G8B0168-E                      Mars has been terraformed
3        Terra    A867A69-F  G  Hi Mr            in 3700 year's of star
  60     Luna     F20076C-F     Co Re Nv         travel and high technology?
4        Mars     F43056A-F     Co Mi            
5   Asteroid belt F00066B-E     Co           

6       Jupiter   Small GG      Size 90          True, this isn't so bad
  2      ring     YR00000-0                      in Traveller, where star
  6      Io       Y210000-0                      travel, not in-system
  9      Europa   H200000-0                      development is the thing
  15     Ganymede F30046A-F     Nv               to watch.  Still, I suspect
  25     Callisto Y30016A-F     Re               that the original developer
                                                 of Terra's system was more
7       Saturn    Small GG      Size 75          concerned with accurately
  2      ring     YR00000-0                      modelling the current 
  3      Janus    YS00000-0                      Solar System than taking in 
  3      Mimas    YS00000-0                      account a heavily-humanized 
  4   Enceladus   GS00268-F     Re               system.
  5     Tethys    YS00000-0
  6     Dione     YS00000-0                      Another thing: there should
  9     Rhea      H10046B-E                      be some size indicator
 20     Titan     Y3A0168-E                      for planetary rings.  Trin
 25     Hyperion  YS00000-0                      has a thin "veil" around it,
 60     Iapetus   Y100000-0                      Saturn has a glorious Ring
 225    Phoebe    YS00000-0                      (note the cap), Jupiter
                                                 and the others have thin,
8       Uranus    Small GG      Size 32          pitiful affairs.
  2     ring      YS00000-0 
  5     Miranda   YS00000-0                   If you note Europa's UWP  
  7     Ariel     Y100000-0                   (Y200000-0), you note that
  10    Umbriel   HS00269-E                   UWP codes do not differenciate
  15    Titania   H100168-E                   between worlds without a drop
  20    Oberon    Y100000-0                   of water and worlds which are
                                              covered with solid ice, but may
8.5     Neptune   Small GG      Size 31       have lot's of water under it...
  1     ring      YR00000-0
  15    Triton    Y210169-E                    I always liked big moons...
  20    Nereid    YS00000-0
9       Pluto     F10046C-F     Nv Re          We need to model the Oort 
  20    Charon    YS00000-0                    Cloud, or does every 
                                               system have one?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alvin Plummer                             Say hi! to Rodge Sanger for me...

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


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

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 17:34:09 +0000
From: E.Watters@Queens-Belfast.AC.UK
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Andor and Candory
Message-ID: <0099989B.5D5F2640.166@v2.qub.ac.uk>

Hi all,

I was thinking about the Imperial Blockade of A+C - perhaps the reason
for the blocade is that the Imperials don't want the Droyne expanding out
of A+C and introducing another Psionic state into the Spinward Marches.
Also, they'd gobble up worlds that the Imperium would want for themselves.

The Tigresses would probably prevent large ships suitable for colonization
from leaving.

How this policy would evolve into the new era - I don't know, but A+C's tech
increase could possibly indicate they are preparing to  expand outwards.

Eamon Watters. 

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

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 95 18:01 GMT
From: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Cc: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk
Subject: RSB
Message-ID: <memo.518767@cix.compulink.co.uk>

I'm about two thirds of the way through the RSB, and it's looking pretty
good so far. It's nice to see that the Marches are still the same old dump
I remember (I've been spoiled by being in the Solomani Rim for over 5
years, where every other world is A Starport, Pop 9+, TL E+). One thing I
miss (from Path of Tears too) are Sector maps - Subsector maps are okay,
but you really need larger ones to get a feel for the shape of things. It's
like having maps of each individual state, and trying to figure out what
the USA looks like. I guess it's a photocopier/scissors/selotape job...

---===---
Andrew Boulton

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

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 15:51:44 +0000 (GMT)
From: Mark Fletcher <mf1@st-andrews.ac.uk>
To: Traveller <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: Nilsen, GDW... and GDP?
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.951117153520.27714A-100000@pasta>

Just my 1cent/IMVHO worth...

Mr Nilsen leaving GDW doesnt necessarily mean that GDW are in dire 
financial trouble. He left AFAIK for a job that paid more; that does not 
reflect on GDW's state. Also, the postponement of Challenge #79 could be 
because GDW are trying to replace Nilsen _internally_, so there could be 
some reshuffling going on at GDW which would temporally postpone CH79.

However what is worrying is that certain members on this list are having 
trouble with their subscriptions to GDW. Not Good. GDW's profile on this 
side of the Atlantic has been a little quiet since the glory days of 
2300AD and MegaTraveller. So... I dont really know. Does this mean that 
GDW are in real trouble?

If they arent... GDW, if you can read this, get a new staff writer quick!

If on the other hand, GDW are going under (not a good idea), what options 
are available? I wouldnt like TNE and its setting to pass away, I think 
the RC has still got *lots* of potential for development, especially 
after the Vampire Fleets sourcebook. Of course we, on this group, can 
still backup non-copyrighted material onto the WWW, FTP sites etc, 
providing we have the permission of the authors first.

What I would like is for DGP to pick up the rights to Traveller. What 
limited material I have bought from them has been of the highest quality 
(Alien Sourcebooks Vol 1+2, WBH etc) and Ive missed Blair Reynolds 
artwork for ages... :-) We know that DGP are out there, somewhere...

All we can do is sit back and wait for some more news... and hope the 
worst isnt going to happen.

Mark

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 /"Life is what happens when you're busy |Mark Fletcher@St-Andrews     \
 \ making other plans" John Lennon       |1995 (mf1@st-and.ac.uk)      /
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------


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

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 12:53:09 -0600
From: Steven Bonneville <bonnevil@itlabs.umn.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Temporary Starports
Message-ID: <199511171853.MAA23990@natasha.itlabs.umn.edu>

Shalom Zaidfeld asked:

>Are there any examples of E class ports in the traveller history (World 
>writeups?)

The world 567-908 in Safari Ship had one.  A patch of exposed bedrock in
a region filled with same was designated the "starport".  There was an
antenna a few meters high connected to a sealed underground transmitter 
and a log recorder so ships could voluntarily leave records of comings
and goings and their flight plans.  That's it.  No buildings, no people,
and nothing else.

Mithril had one that was verging on D status.  It actually marked the 
landing area, threw up a couple of buildings, had a port warden and a
maintenance shed with some heavy equipment and parts!  It didn't have
a tank farm to store unrefined fuel, so it was still class E -- you 
still had to melt your own snow and ice, which Mithril has plenty of.

Michael Bailey's E port is exactly right, and has more atmosphere than
Mithril's ever got.  :) 

>old BB serves as the local E port, an astroid whatever.. 

Heck, does the refining plant still work, and do the tanks still hold
fuel?  Better still, can the repair shops be brought back on-line with
portable fusion generators?  You could get this thing up to D+ class,
no sweat!  :)  Of course, if it's a complete hulk....

To get to C status, you need to have regular commercial shuttle service 
to orbit and a repair facility capable of dealing with serious problems.  
The nicer C-class ports will have an orbital terminal, which might
be dwarfed by the transports it serves or might be fairly decent. 
This doesn't mean that some primitive worlds might not have big D-class
ports that even have refined fuel -- or kerosene, if you want it. :)

Throwing together even a D-class temporary port wouldn't be too hard.
Some portable repair shops of appropriate types (machine, electronic,
gravitic, etc.) and a parts shed, a few prefab buildings, some water 
tankage or a maybe a big storage pool, a place to park ships, and
the usual E-class beacon-and-bedrock and you're set.  A portable 
detector set and a tower might be nice too, and a weather satellite,
but even a good E-class port might have these.  Getting to C-class from
there would take more work, or even getting this far on a hostile world.

  Steve Bonneville
  <bonnevil@itlabs.umn.edu>


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

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 16:17:54 -0500 (EST)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: #AWP-01244: Tirem
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.951117141127.23322A-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>

Tirem (Glisten: Spinward Marches/2233)
B7B5A75-B   Fl Hi  B221 Re K5 V
g= .179 to .827 day=25:18:47.1  year(Imp) 979d 2:42:34.2 
                                  (Local) 928d 7:44:40.1 
atmos=.88, natural weather
temp=-169 (6/lat -151 to -211) (season +20 to -33, 8 deg lat)
daily temp range: +6 noom, -13 midnight 
Crystals; Parts, Consumables, Weapons
Conservative/Indifferent, Competitive/Neutral, Harmonious/Friendly
Legal=5-29922                          Tech:CB-CBBCC-BBBC-CC-F

Note: Orbit of Tirem is 6, tilt 33 deg

Tirem is just one of the larger asteroids in the Incalescens Belt: there 
are another 247 "asteroids" with a size between 1 and 8, orbiting as a 
belt around the primary, Kinkos.  According to the most common theory, 
the Belt is the result of the destruction of a small (size 22?) planet 
 - perhaps during the Final War - with the resulting fragments forming a 
mass of small planets in orbit around Kinkos. Navigation within the 
boundaries of the Belt is satisfactory throughout the Belt: however, gas 
traces of nitrogen and methane is thinly spread throughout the Belt, and 
may cause limited communication problems.

ON TIREM

Tirem is an elongated, misshapen brick of a world, with it's diameter 
varying from 3000 km to 22,000 km.  Long riddled with tunnels, it remains 
one of the greatest sources of nickel in the Regency: a few other items 
are here also, largely copper and iron.  The convoluted shape of the 
world - along with relentless "hollowing" by kilometer-wide mobile 
excavation complexes - contribute to the variable gravity on Tirem.

The 21.48 billion people who reside here include a large number of 
ex-Trini and "assimilated", dispossessed Aslans who couldn't afford to 
leave the Regency.  These immigrants, fleeing their homes with only the 
clothes on their back, have begun to reverse the grim atmosphere that 
pervades throughout the system, but even today face entrenched 
discrimination and suspicion by Natives.

HISTORY

Centuries of hard living has shaped both the culture and the lifestyles 
of Tirem.  Always overshadowed by Glisten, Tirem is where the hard-luck 
miners who can't afford Glisten anymore eventually migrate to.  Despite 
Tirem's evident natural wealth, the good times never seemed to stick 
around, and the only thing that was built for future generations was bad 
debts and old hatreds.  

The Tirema have an extremely strong family system, which long made the real 
dicisions on what happened here.  The Families divided up Tirem - and the 
rest of the system - to over 32,200 tiny, seperate, fiercely independent 
nations.  During good times - say, between 350 and 475, or from 1000 to 
1116 - this system provided a support system for all Tirema, providing an 
outlet for pride and mutual help.  When times were bad, the situation 
deteriorated to a war of All againast All, with truly ugly consequences 
(between 580 and 610, about 1/4 of the entire population died via warfare 
and its consequences).

Unfortunately, these cycles tended to coincide with the wealth of Tirem.  
When desperately poor, violence was pratically nonexistant, with
everyone desperately engaged in simply keeping the heaters operating and 
the air purifiers working for one more day.  As wealth grew, so did envy, 
eventually resulting in a cataclysmic civil war between every Family and 
every other Family - and impoverishing all in a very short period of time.

Tirem was still recovering from it's last nadir (at 1085) when the 
Rebellion swept over it in the late 1110's.  After the fall of Glisten, 
the Domain began to mass it's forces at Crout, just a parsec away.  The 
Aslan ihatel warships desired Tirem as a staging area to further press 
back the Regency, and fought a host of shirmishing actions and sharp, 
short battles here.  Crout faced a full scale assault three times - in 
1119, 1123 and 1125 - and each time the fighting spilled over to Tirem, 
ruining much of it's industrial base.  Ownership of Tirem itself changed 
hands 11 times (three times in 1120 alone) with the usual exorborant level 
of damage and tragedy as the price for being a battlefield.

When the Domain returned to stay in 1130, Tirem was in ruins, without a 
government and it's peoples largely in despair, helpless to prevent the 
destruction.  The Domain's arrival initally just worsened things, as 
billions of poor Aslan immigrants, fleeing Glisten and other occupied 
worlds, but unable to afford the pumped-up fares needed to return home, 
were just dumped on Tirem by the Domain.  Eventually, aid and repair 
funds arrived, and a government was installed by the newborn Regency, 
but not before several riots and urban battles were fought.  By the 
time another massive wave of immigrants arrived - over 4 billion from Trin, at 
1139 - the Regency was able to quickly provide housing and food, while 
stifling the local hotheads easily (via both political and militarily means).

By 1200, Tirem has rebuilt itself well, becoming definitely more richer and 
more stable than before the Rebellion.  The provisional All-Tiren 
government has become pernament, and, wonders of wonders, is even 
respected by the citizens.  Several new ports have been built, with the 
main port at CorkRock upgraded to "B" level.  Traditional freedoms are 
maintained, but the Tirema are no longer willing to permit the Families to 
destroy their hard-won semiprosperity for the sake of pretty promises.

MINING

The major mining concerns of Tirem revolve around bulk nickel mining and 
refining.  Massive 300,000 to 1,000,000 ton motherships slowly devour the 
smaller asteroids, with the miners looking like so many hyperactive ants 
as they devour the asteroid.  When that asteroid is finally emptied of 
valuable metals, the ship slowly coasts off to new pastures. 

The motherships slowly tow their cargo to the starport on CorkRock, and 
as they do so, the interior of the ship is consummed with the task of 
refining the nickel ore into useful bulk blocks.  After a journey that can 
take several months, the mothership arrives at CorkRock, where enormous 
Regency bulk carriers load on the blocks, to be taken to industrial and 
high-pop systems throughout the rimward Marches.

Almost all of these motherships are themselves hollowed-out asteroids, 
which rely on dangerous fusion rockets for transportation for themselves 
and their cargo (which can outmass the ship 20:1!) The folk on there are 
among the poorest folk of the Regency above TL 10, living short, dangerous 
lives: very few has ever known of any place other than their ship's, 
CorkRock (which is viewed as a temporary haven), and the Outer Rocks.  
The wealth of Glisten is only a week away via jumpspace, but as distant 
as Capital in it's effect on the lives of the people here.

CULTURE

Celtic influences are easily found in Native Tirema culture, but are most 
obvious in the language, songs and storytelling.  Most folk speak a form 
of Anglic and Aslan-influenced T'nair, which has endured from the 
original settlements of Tirem. Names like Rosann (Rose), Siun Ni Dhuibhir
(Susan O'Dwyer), and others are especially popular for girls, even among 
the Aslan (how many Aslan femals named Susan can be found outside of Tirem?)

The Aslan's have also influenced the locals - although the locals will 
vigourously deny this.  Aslan concepts of honour and tradition have begun 
to seep into local thought, and is rapidly intergrating itself into the 
fabric of society.  This has led to a lessening (!) of violence, and a 
greater rigidity in gender roles.

Dress for men tend's to be simple, sensible and close to the skin.  A 
skin-tight suit with 'pockets' that run down the legs is common apparel 
among the Tirema.  Women's fashion largely follows standard Regency 
mores, but with rather more modesty and with certain, aslan-influences 
touches (say, T'nair runes along their hems and edging their blouses).
  
Religions tend to be widely varied, and personal, with a general 
preference to the more "philosophical" faiths rather than the "supernatural" 
ones.  Every ship and even the most pitiful "tunnel rat" shacktowns has 
at least one Shrine or Temple, which are lavishly decorated and perfumed.

Several local priesthoods are famed for having having their "bone" skull 
replaced by a "glass" skull.  It's rather... disturbing... to see those 
veins just pounding away, but the locals don't seem to mind at all: if 
anything, the average local finds it "cute"!

Robots are among the few things absolutely forbidden: the descendents 
of the Trini will tolerate nothing less.  Even cybernetically enhansed 
people will be casted out of the better eating extablishments, and 
brutalized by young thugs if the enhansement is obvious. (And believe 
me, these folk carefully watch strangers for even the slightest sign of 
artifical anything!)

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

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




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

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 16:20:55 -0500 (EST)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: More errors in RSB?
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.951117161759.23322B-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>


pg. 56  Amirante, a high-pop system who's name isn't capitalized on the 
        subsector map
pg. 50  Crout's naval base isn't on the UWP listing
pg. 62  Deneb has a Rw:V.  Rw:V means....?

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

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


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

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 95 23:10:44 -0500
From: john.bogan@asb.com
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Remnant's Guide
Message-ID: <9511172310.0WK8Z0B@asb.com>



Jeff Zeitlin wrote:
  > It is for this reason that we have decided to expand the scope of
  > the RICE Papers, to allow our researchers and reporter to write
  > on any aspect of Imperial culture (to which we of the Regency are
  > the heirs) that they feel worthy of note - from topics as simple
 
Damn! Beaten to the punch! Oh, well, here it is anyway:


One of the problems that's acknowledged to have developed in 
Traveller is the fact that players are often too well informed -- having
access to GM materials (and thus knowledge) that CHARACTERS
would not have. One way around this is to make it a little more clear 
about what sort of things characters would actually know, given 
their circumstances.

To this end, let's start something in the RC:

REMNANT'S GUIDE

The "Remnant's Guide" is a series of articles, written by knowlegable
(but not expert) remnants on a wide variety of subjects, especially where
recovered data is spotty. They are intended for a general RC audience, 
and provide a working overview of some aspect antebellum life. 
Specific technical topics are avoided, not so much from censorship as 
from the fact that there are technical journals already devoted to such topics.
Therefore, you won't see "A Remnant's Guide To: the Instellarms 
PFKXG-15 Mk 246 Battle Dress."

What you will see is "A Remnant's Guide To:
Coalition Space (what it was like before)
The Major Races (except the Hivers, since there's plenty(?) of
          information on them from other sources
The Ancients (and how do the Droyne fit in?)
The Travellers' Aid Society "

etc.

Since the "Remnant's Guide" series is from remnants' (i.e. Imperials')
P.O.V., the information should also be useful to folks playing in 
the Regency (heirs to the Impys) or in a setting sometime pre-Collapse
(i.e., 5th Fronteir War, Rebellion-era, etc.).

Calling "dibs" on the "Ancients" guide,

John Bogan  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Calling the Imperium 'sick' and 'fatally diseased' is a lie of convenience.
 In 1116, he was given a choice, and chose the path that meant war.
 In 1123, he was one of the few beings in a position to have even a
 chance of taking out one of the engines driving the war on and on.
 Under such circumstances, those of conviction might feel compelled
 to take action, to do something to actually SAVE lives by ending the
 chaos. But if one feels the whole system is 'sick', it's easier to
 rationalize cowardice. So instead, he fled and gained a reputation for 
 'wisdom' by spouting nice but effectively useless platitudes.

"Ililek Kuligan is one of the most morally bankrupt beings in ten thousand 
 years of human history"
                                           --- Alfonz Ozaky, Aubaine 1201

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

Date: Sat, 18 Nov 1995 02:01:50 -0700
From: PPUGLIESE@pimacc.pima.edu
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Nilsen, GDW... and GDP?
Message-ID: <01HXRS5I4KG28Y66TX@pimacc.pima.edu>

From:	IN%"traveller@MPGN.COM" 17-NOV-1995 11:41:59.89
To:	IN%"traveller@MPGN.COM"  "Multiple recipients of list"
CC:	
Subj:	Nilsen, GDW... and GDP?

From: Mark Fletcher <mf1@st-andrews.ac.uk>
Subject: Nilsen, GDW... and GDP?
Sender: traveller@MPGN.COM

Mr Nilsen leaving GDW doesnt necessarily mean that GDW are in dire 
financial trouble. He left AFAIK for a job that paid more; that does not 
reflect on GDW's state. Also, the postponement of Challenge #79 could be 
because GDW are trying to replace Nilsen _internally_, so there could be 
some reshuffling going on at GDW which would temporally postpone CH79.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

If these events had happened in isolation I might be inclined to agree
with you but with everything else that's happened plus the rest of what
you yourself posted I think it's too much of a coincidence that 2 of the
key members of GDW have left the comp. for financial reasons relatively
close together (esp. considering the long tenure they've both had).
===================================================================

However what is worrying is that certain members on this list are having 
trouble with their subscriptions to GDW. Not Good. GDW's profile on this 
side of the Atlantic has been a little quiet since the glory days of 
2300AD and MegaTraveller. So... I dont really know. Does this mean that 
GDW are in real trouble?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I think they've been on thin ice for awhile & now it's gotten worse.
====================================================================

All we can do is sit back and wait for some more news... and hope this
isnt going to happen.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

GDW may still have a chance. IMO it's a slim one at best. If they do
survive there'll, no doubt, be some more changes coming. The worst
aspect is one that you didn't mention & that is that GDW could not
even fill an order for a single copy of TNE, as reported by another
member of this list. That is very, very grave. This all gives me a
strong feeling of deja'vu. It takes me back to early '82 & the demise
of SPI.

Phil

ppugliese@pimacc.pima.edu



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

End of TRAVELLER Digest 487
***************************
