TRAVELLER Digest 504

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) RE: GDW and the Future by "Benedict Wolf" <Benedict.Wolf@WiSo.Uni-Augsburg.DE>
  2) Re: Vland and long lived Vilani by nwhitehe@mic.dundee.ac.uk (Nik Whitehead)
  3) Size of Known Space by lewis@chara.gsu.edu (Lewis Roberts)
  4) Re: Two and a half civil ship designs by "David J. Golden" <goldendj@whip.com>
  5) RE: Letter to FASA: Save Traveller! by David Elrick <Dave.Elrick@ps.co.uk>
  6) Ship Request by Rob_Prior@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca (Rob Prior)

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Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 10:28:20 +0100 (CET)
From: "Benedict Wolf" <Benedict.Wolf@WiSo.Uni-Augsburg.DE>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: RE: GDW and the Future
Message-ID: <199512041028213317.Benedict.Wolf@WiSo.Uni-Augsburg.DE>

In message Sun, 3 Dec 1995 18:37:39 -0500,
  "Harold D. Hale" <hdhale@smtpgate.read.tasc.com>  writes:

> Design and manufacture of recreational games makes up 95 percent of
> their business, magazines (this includes Challenge) 5 percent.  While
> sales figures are down, the numbers for 1989 and 1991 indicate a trend
> toward reducing the amount of liabilities owned by the company.
> The debt to asset ratio in 1989 was 1.71, in 1991 it was 2.62.  There
> are no figures available for later dates.  Also, in case you were
> interested, 20 percent of GDW's sales are to locations outside the US.

If your debt/asset ratios are correct, GDW is _increasing_ its liabilities
(or reducing equity).

Benedict

+------------------------------------------------------------+
| J. Benedict Wolf                                           |
| Department of Finance and Banking                          |
| Universitaetsstrasse 2                                     |
| 86135 Augsburg                                             |
| Germany                                                    |
+------------------------------------------------------------+
| E-mail: Benedict.Wolf@WiSO.Uni-Augsburg.de                 |
| Tel:  +49 821 598 4119            Fax:  +49 821 598 4223   |
+------------------------------------------------------------+

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Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 09:39:23 +0000
From: nwhitehe@mic.dundee.ac.uk (Nik Whitehead)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Vland and long lived Vilani
Message-ID: <v01530509ace87060a28f@[134.36.34.81]>

>Others on the TML have suggested that the Terrans would have an
>easier time rebuilding because they had developed many technologies
>from scratch, and would have examples of older technologies just
>lying around in museums.  The same would be true of Vland.

Unfortunately the Vilani have a cultural problem with this. Since Vilani
society is structured so that inventors get little credit and people learn
tasks by rote rather than from first principles, (IMHO) it would take longer
for lost technology to be recovered. This also leads to problems when things
break down, as without the knowledge-based diagnostic systems to aid in the
repair of advanced technologies, the rate of collapse could be greater than
that on Terra.

Nik Whitehead

****************************************************************************
                Sorry... was I getting carried away again?
                You know what us mad scientists are like...
****************************************************************************
           Dr. Nik Whitehead - Seeker of the Lost Island of Munga
          http://www.mcs.dundee.ac.uk:8080/~nwhitehe/homepage.html
****************************************************************************



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Date: Mon, 4 Dec 95 06:24:40 -0500
From: lewis@chara.gsu.edu (Lewis Roberts)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Cc: lewis@chara.gsu.edu
Subject: Size of Known Space
Message-ID: <9512041124.AA13832@chara.gsu.edu>

Charles Pratt asked about the percentage of the galaxy
that is made up of known space that shows up in the TNE rulebook.
Well, the map is 7 sectors by 7 sectors. Each sector is 40 pc by 32
pc. So the entire map is 280 pc by 220 pc.  THe galaxy is 30,00
parsecs in diameter.
The area of the map is 6.3e4 square parsecs the galaxy is 7.1e8 sq pcs
for a percentage of 8.9e-3%.
The map in the TNE rulebook isn't all of known space, most of the
alien modules for CT showed territory beyond the Imperium. ALso
the Zhos have their Core Expiditions and the Solmani launched
ships to explore the Galactic arm, but none of the ships

Harold Hale told us about GDW's finacial situation.
Thanks.  Pretty interesting stuff.  We should remeber
just because a company has hard times it isn't doomed.
One of the other games I play is Champions and during the late
1980s they were in dire straights, but they manged pull
through, and now are one of the bigger games.  So cheer up
Lewis

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

Date: Mon, 4 Dec 1995 06:49:21 -0700
From: "David J. Golden" <goldendj@whip.com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Two and a half civil ship designs
Message-ID: <199512041349.AA28036@ns-1.csn.net>

At 03:19 pm 12/3/95 -0500, you wrote:
>> WASP deep space fighter
>>
>> General Data
>>   Displacement: 12dt
>>   Hull Armor: 40
>>   Volume: 21m x 6m x 3m
>>   Price: 9.1 MCr (unarmed)
>
>List an armed price as well (what god is an unarmed fighter? :-)
                                   ^^^

        Well, we all know Thor uses a hammer, and Odin a spear ... hm, I
find I don't know my ancient gods that well. The only unarmed fighting I
recall was when Jacob wrestled with an angel of God. Does that count?
 ___________________________________________________________________
  Dave Golden                              PGP Public Key available
  goldendj@whip.com        http://www2.csn.net/~goldendj/index.html

 "He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his
  enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes
  a precedent that will reach to himself" -- Thomas Paine

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

Date: Mon, 04 Dec 95 13:56:00 PST
From: David Elrick <Dave.Elrick@ps.co.uk>
To: "traveller%mpgn.com" <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: RE: Letter to FASA: Save Traveller!
Message-ID: <30C36EA3@pc136>



Christopher_Griffen_at_DMC-SJ3@dmcwave.com (Christopher Griffen) wrote:

> To celebrate the 500th edition of the TML, I thought I'd send a copy to all
> of you of an e-mail message I recently sent to the president of FASA Corporation.
>
> Basically, my message suggested that FASA should solicit GDW for the right to
> purchase the Traveller line from them.

Well, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but I understand that FASA
are currently dealing with some legal problems concerning their BATTLETECH
licence. Given the state of the US legal system, they'll be protecting any
free cash they have just in case they have to go to court. Because of this,
I don't imagine there'll be any help from that quarter - even if it's
required.

Your only hope (if Harold Hale does prove to be wrong), is possibly to
arrange a Secret Service raid on GDW [well it worked for Steve Jackson!]*. ;-)

Personally, I think we should be considering what we can offer to do to help
Frank and the others at GDW (assuming they even want our help!), rather than
picking over the corpse before it has even stopped breathing!

Dave Elrick

* (Note for the Sense-Of-Humour-Impaired: the paragraph about a Secret
Service raid was intended as humour. Do not flame as a result of anything in
that paragraph. I know how badly SJG were affected by the Secret Service
raid and the aftermath, and I'm aware that only the goodwill of others in
the industry saw Steve and SJG through.)

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

Date: 04 Dec 1995 14:31:17 GMT
From: Rob_Prior@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca (Rob Prior)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Ship Request
Message-ID: <3530523.31274286@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca>

If any designers are interested, I'd like to see a design for a drop-troop
carrier.

Specifications:

- Able to carry one platoon of Imperial Marines with all their gear.  Troops
to be landed by drop capsule, with enough capsules for two missions, and
hopefully room for some decoys.

- Pickup capability provided by a small craft or assault shuttle.

- Sufficient communications to direct the platoon.

- Either sensors, or a remote drone.

- Some orbital fire support capability would be nice, as well.  Possibly
smart rocks?

- TL 15, although if you can provide earlier-tech models and sho the evolving
capabilities that would be fantastic.

In a sense, I guess I'm after the dropships from Starship Troopers, converted
to the Traveller universe.

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End of TRAVELLER Digest 504
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