			    TRAVELLER Digest 523

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Re: Anti-grav design questions
	by "Brendan O'Donovan" <Brendan@odonovan.demon.co.uk>
  2) Nova Ryll Adventure Maps
	by broussa@ConnectI.com (David C. Broussard)

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Date: Fri, 22 Dec 1995 15:47:50 GMT
From: "Brendan O'Donovan" <Brendan@odonovan.demon.co.uk>
To: traveller@mpgn.com
Subject: Re: Anti-grav design questions
Message-ID: <143@odonovan.demon.co.uk>

Steve Deemer wrote :

> How small/cheap/low-powered can an anti-grav device be produced? I remember

According to FFS, .03m^3/ 20kg at tl12.

> from somewhere seeing an illustration of a starship common area. There
> were hanging plants and light fixtures floating in air, implying some kind
> of lift plate or other anti-grav device. Would anti-grav be common and cheap
> enough to be used in plant vases and lamps?

This size module would cost Cr3000. At this size and cost it probably wouldn't 
be feasible for furniture, although for background colour there is no real 
reason why at tl 14/15 very small contra grav might be possible.

> 
> What kind of throw-away descriptions would this add to the flavor of the
> game? Do engineers have floating work lights? Anti-grav, always close to hand
> toolboxes? Would luggage be essentially weightless when carried, or would it
> float behind you? Would there be hands-free umbrellas that hovered just
> overhead? Would "no visible means of support bras" need batteries?

Here is one of the problems with the FFS description of contragrav - it 
neutralises only 99% of the gravitational force acting on an object, so items 
still fall, albeit slowly, so additional fans would be needed to keep objects 
in place, which makes the whole arrangement rather complicated. For a starship 
common area it might be possible to just fine tune the artificial gravity to 
get objects to float. One major use for anti grav would be in negating some of 
the weight of ground based structures, simplifying construction and enabling 
projects like truly giant bridges.
The anti grav luggage appeared in the DGP Referee's Gaming Kit for 
Megatraveller. It neutralised the weight but not the mass of the objects in it, 
this meant that it was easy to carry 100kg, but if you tried to stop suddenly, 
the momentum would probably knock you over.

> 
> If anti-grav is commonplace, what kind of adventure seeds does that suggest?
> A PC locked up in prison jury-rigs some industrial-sized lighting fixtures
> and makes a dangerous escape, maybe? Floating over prison walls on an
> improvised air/raft? What would high-security areas look like, if that
> was possible? A lot of sensors, or a really, really big razor wire canopy?

It depends how complex anti grav technology is, and whether it utilises 
components which might be used in other high tech systems. 

> 
> Just some random thoughts before the holiday vacation. If there's anyone
> interested in designing something other than small arms over the break,
> there's a few suggestions.

This gives me some great ideas for _anti-grav grenades_ :-)

> 
> Steve Deemer
> stedee@auto-trol.com
> 

-- 
Brendan 



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Date: Fri, 22 Dec 1995 18:32:16 -0600
From: broussa@ConnectI.com (David C. Broussard)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Nova Ryll Adventure Maps
Message-ID: <9512230032.AA11858@ConnectI.com>

Finally, Paul and I with the help of Andy Lilly have managed to get the maps
to my web page.  Check them out.  Happy Holidays!

David C. Broussard (broussa@connecti.com)  
Home page: http://www.connecti.com/~broussa/
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the proclaimer, and should not be interpreted as dogma, doctrine
philosophy, or anything else other than blabber.  However, if you
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End of TRAVELLER Digest 523
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