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Traveller-digest            Friday, 12 July 1996        Volume 1996 : Number 243

(R)1996. Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.
All rights reserved.

The following topics are covered in this digest:

         1. Your back to a wall
         2. [none]
         3. Army equipment cost estimate (TCr)
         4. Re: TNE without the virus
         5. Re: Jump space theory
         6. Re: Sneaks and...uh...Hiver & Ithklur
         7. Re: Jump space theory
         8. Re: Starship construction (VERY LONG!!!)
         9. Re: Pop Culture in Trav (was Corn Dogs)
        10. Re: Insider Trading
        11. Re: Jump space theory
        12. RL Crunch Gun ammo info
        13. unsubscribe traveller
        14. Spanish Gold

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

From: Paul Walker <tiger@datasync.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 10:43:31 -0500
Subject: Your back to a wall

This is a bit off topic, but I found it humorous, and I hope you will too.

I went out with my wife to eat last night, and the resteraunt was a bit
crowded and we were led to our table.  I sat down in the straight back chair
and we started talking.  Not long after I sat down, I realized that I was
uncomfortable with the position of my seat.  Not how I was sitting in it,
but it's location compared to the rest of the room.  This isn't the first
time this has happened, and I told my wife I didn't like the seat.  We
talked about it for a bit, and I came to realize that the only problem was
that my back was towards a substantial part of the resteraunt!  I got to
thinking about it, and whenever I was uncomfortable with a seating like
this, it turned out that I was in the same predicament, with my back to the
room.

I laughed as I told my wife about how in one of my first adventures (Role
Master for what it's worth), I went into a bar, and took an empty table,
sitting down to watch the group outside.  Little did I know that our Ref had
graced this bar with a bully and his buds!  Needless to say, while I was
supposed to be keeping an eye open to be "assistance in hiding" if the rest
of the group needed it, I was busy getting the fire beat out of me because I
got jumped from behind by the thugs.

I guess this just goes to show you that Role Playing can have an effect on
how you live your life!!


Paul  {tiger}


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

From: kshade66@juno.com (Keith P. Shade)
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 11:56:47 PST
Subject: [none]

get traveller CONTENTS

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

From: Steven Bonneville <bonnevil@itlabs.umn.edu>
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 11:09:15 -0500
Subject: Army equipment cost estimate (TCr)

Steve Charlton/Avalon Software Inc <Steve_Charlton@khan.Avalon.COM> wrote:

>This is an overall dilemma that would be even more marked in the Traveller 
>universe.  Figure you have a company of 200 men.  To equip each with a 100,000 
>CR battle dress and a 200,000 cr Fusion Rifle would cost 60 MCr, and that does 
>not include any other equipment or spares.  

Just out of curiosity, I recently made some rough estimates of the equipment
value of the Gram "Mechanized Infantry" battalion from _Broadsword_.  They're
a lift infantry unit equipped to tech-11, which probably makes them fairly
representative of the average planetary army unit in the Imperium.

The battalion has two lift infantry companies and a "combat support" company
that is basically cavalry -- tanks, air/rafts, and artillery.  MegaTraveller
rules were used to equip the unit.  Vehicles were selected from DGP's _101
Vehicles_; the GCarrier and Air/Raft were tech-10 vehicles chosen based on
resemblance to Book 3 designs.  Troops were assumed to cost on average 
kCr 30 to equip.  Everyone gets kCr 20 for combat armor; personal weapon for
most is assumed to be a kCr 1 ACR, which leaves kCr 9 for survival kits,
commdots, radios, entrenching tools, miscellaneous electronic gadgets like
hand computers, and their share of squad weapons and miscellaneous gear.

This came out to:
  Gram Grav APC x 43            ==  MCr 266.8
  Gram Grav Tank x 5            ==  MCr  66.4
  Tarsan Kariku G-Carrier x 40  ==  MCr 182.6
  Traveler Air/Raft x 6         ==  MCr   5.7 
  tech-11 troops x 311          ==  MCr   9.3
                                    ---------
                                    MCr 530.8  

This is in the price range of a small naval escort -- the _Vigilante_ costs
about MCr 600, and has a naval crew of 10 or so, plus landing boat crew and
its' troop complement.  I think a merchant could buy a 2000 ton TI for this,
admittedly at tech-15.

My economic estimates of the entire Imperium, circa 1100, using WTH, came
up with the astounding figure of about 146 million army battalions in the
entire Imperium, circa 1100.  That comes to 14000 per world, or about 
167000 per HiPop world, which I think is near Rebellion Sourcebook.  Now,
lets assume that all ground forces in the Imperium cost this much per 
battalion.

Total equipment cost for 146 million tech-11 army battalions:  TCr 77500.

Wildstar got an annual figure of TCr 2237 for planetary army budget.  Now,
lets assume that this figure must support all the army units above, and 
that we don't need to worry about air force or wet navy units.  Ignoring
perishable supplies and ammo, bases, and salaries, it would probably take
at least 40 years for an entire equipment replacement cycle.  This gets
worse at higher, more expensive, tech levels, or if larger or more expensive
battalions are assumed. 

  Steve Bonneville
  <bonnevil@itlabs.umn.edu>


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

From: James Lowry <jlowry@tfb.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 96 09:56 PDT
Subject: Re: TNE without the virus

At 06:58 AM 7/5/96 -0700, you wrote:
>Matthew Harelick wrote:
>
>>Primarily rules-wise, but also background-wise? Instead of saying that
>>the virus wiped out technology and the Imperium how hard would it be
>>to change the background to say that the more powerful sides simply
>>beat each other into the stone age and that the Reformation Coalition
>>formed in order to defend its members  from fragments of the Imperium 
>>raiding their planets for resources?
>
>ewww... eeee... ewww...  That's going to require considerably more work 
>on your behalf.  I've seen a number of posts flying around here with 
>methods of how other people have done this.  You've got you're work cut 
>out for you though, best of luck.
>
>Derek Stanley

        Frankly, I have to say I've never liked the Virus.  (As a plot
device, I make no statements as to how possible it is.)  Mainly, I thought
of it as GDW selling out the Traveller universe to the fashionable 'dark
future/cyberpunk' fad.
        Anyway, I've been thinking along the lines of an 'alternate
history.'  Everything is the same, until the aperance of the Virus.
Unfortionately, while I have lots of neat ideas, materials are lacking.
Notably, thanks to consistent cash problems, the main MT set is all I have
for that era (and what I've seen discussed here).
        Is there anyone who feels the same way, and would like to work out a
'dim future' version of the events of 1120+, or am I alone in this?

	James Lowry

	"They do.  They move faster than light."
	"I think you improve the tale.  Our theory says this cannot be."
	"Maybe we use different theories."
	--Larry Niven, Ringworld


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

From: Tommy Grav <tommyg@ifi.uio.no>
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 20:11:29 +0200
Subject: Re: Jump space theory

Joe Walsh wrote:
> 
  [My jump theory snipped] 

> Hmmm.  T'would take someone more knowledgeable than me to say how
> difficult it would be to sort out a few atoms per meter in deep space,
> and at what distance it would be possible (in the Far Future) to do so.
> Nonetheless, it sounds like a really neat gimmick.  Something I would
> consider using in my campaign.
> 
> -Joe

I just calculated the numbers and came up with 

   4.33 x 10^15 
   3.82 x 10^13

molekyles per cubic meter. For the first number I used the central density of the sun,
and the second is the mean density of the sun. I first calculated the number of hydrogen
molekyles used by my falcon systemjumper (look at http://www.ifi.uio.no/~tommyg/Trav/falcon.html).
It is a 200 dt TL10 starship with jump 1 capabilities. I used

number of molekyles = ((280 m^3)* density of liq.hyd.)/(mass of hydrogen atom)

this number is then divided by the volume of a rectangle made by the dimensions of the ship 
times the travelling lenght. I used a height of 10 meters and a width of 20 meters. 1 parsec
equals 3.857 x 10^16 meter. 

looking at the numbers above this is a large numbers of atoms and I would guess that the
trail is high visible. The density of this hydrogen trail will be 
 
   7.25 x 10^-12 kg per m^3
   6.39 x 10^-14 kg per m^3
 
which compared to interstellar gas and dust with a mass density of 10^-23 kg per m^3 it is 
very large. The track of the ship would be highly visible I guess, but something about this 
calculation is not right, I think. I can't se any clear mistake but my brain flashes a small
red warningsign in the background. Anybody agree with this calculations. 
- -- 
Tommy Grav 
Email: tommyg@ifi.uio.no
WWW-Page: http://www.ifi.uio.no/~tommyg/Traveller.html
"Sooner or later the worst set of circumstances are bound to occur."

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

From: muskrat@msn.fullfeed.com (John Kovalic)
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 13:28:03 -0500
Subject: Re: Sneaks and...uh...Hiver & Ithklur

Mark Clark did opine...
>Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 08:53:28 -0400 (EDT)
>Subject:
>
>  Well, I feel rather guilty now.  As the author of the first review of
>Hiver & Ithklur on this list (and the person who came up with the
>nickname "Sneeks & Geeks"), I think I set the tone for subsequent bashing
>of this product.  As a long-time Traveller player (since 1979) and owner
>of almost everything published for the game, I was offended by the
>juvenile humor of the Ithklur section, and was rather lukewarm about the
>Hiver section.  In comparison to GDW's original Aliens modules and
>especially DGP's Cogs & Dogs and Rats & Cats, Sneeks & Geeks was poorly
>organized, repetitive, and forced in its humor.
>
>  I want to make clear, however, that I like The New Era in general -
>more than Megatraveller, certainly.

Hey, Mark,

I agree completely. I thought TNE was wonderful - for the first year or so,
before the quality of the products started to drop off. Then the level of
writing and humor started bugging me. Then the art became so awful, I
couldn't even look at it anymore. (As a graphics person, I felt
particularly sad about this decline. Good art was always, for me, a
hallmark of Traveller). But I still *enjoyed* TNE's setting, and especially
the rules overall...Even if I am mathematically challenged, and shuddered
ever time I'd pick up FF&S.

Originally, I assumed TNE would blow everything else away. The fisrt few
releases were simply great. But early on, it seemed as if the project was
too ambitious for GDW. Remember the encyclopedia FF&S was *supposed* to be?
(My main fear, after seeing Imp. Games' tentative schedule, is whether
they're trying to leap at the project in an equally overly ambitious way.
But that's the subject of a whole 'nother thread.)

The bottom line is: I *really* liked TNE a lot, but was driven away by
releases like Hiver & Ithklur (graphically an ugly, UGLY book as well, by
the way). To me (I realize others' opinions will vary), I thought it - and
other latter releases - were just substandard.

John Kovalic



******************************************************************
"This must be Thursday. I never COULD get the hang of Thursdays"
                                                     - Arthur Dent
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*                 "Wild Life": a Web comic --                    *
*       MUSKRAT CENTRAL: http://www.msn.fullfeed.com/muskrat/    *
******************************************************************




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

From: Daniel Taylor <dante@polaris.solon.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 14:27:23 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Re: Jump space theory

On Fri, 12 Jul 1996, Tommy Grav wrote:

> Joe Walsh wrote:
> > 
>   [My jump theory snipped] 
>
[and more besides] 
>  
> which compared to interstellar gas and dust with a mass density of 10^-23 kg per m^3 it is 
> very large. The track of the ship would be highly visible I guess, but something about this 
> calculation is not right, I think. I can't se any clear mistake but my brain flashes a small
> red warningsign in the background. Anybody agree with this calculations. 

Hmm, big red warning sign:

  N-space objects leave J-space unpredictably. There may be a generally
higher density of hydrogen along jump routes using this method, but
it would not be possible to trace a ship by them.

 I still prefer the original explanation, where the fuel is burned
all at once, and the regular power supplns the jump field integrity.


Ah hah! Since N-matter leaves J-space upon leaving the Jump field,
it would not be practical to maintain the jump field by pushing 
N-matter out into J-space...  It makes much more sense that the
jump grid must remain energized the entire time.

However it still bugs me that with all the other advances, a TL9
J-1 drive is exactly the same size and uses the same amount of fuel
as a TL15 J-1 drive.

Daniel Taylor

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

From: cyhiggin@usa.pipeline.com (Dragoness Eclectic)
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 19:43:30 GMT
Subject: Re: Starship construction (VERY LONG!!!)

On Jul 12, 1996 10:24:47, 'Paul Walker <tiger@datasync.com>' wrote: 
 
>Also, I'm curious what the "cannon" time to build these other 
>ships is.  I don't think I agree with the 9 month figure to build a Std 
>Scout.  I would probably list is as at least a year and consider it a
quick 
>project.  I mentioned in my post that it was going to take almost 3 years
to 
>build a 600Td hull (Barge only, add at least 6 mo for a ship).  This is a 
>typical time for Government jobs.  Civillian Jobs take a bit less, maybe
two 
>years.  This time is pretty standard for hulls from 250Td to 900Td.  The 
>smaller hulls would take probably a year and a half on average.  I'd be 
>interested to see how your figures match the current norms based on what I

>believe to be a more accurate construction time.  I'll get with the 
>Production Controll guy here and get some numbers on manhours for
different 
>size hulls, and post that later if the interest continues. 
 
Man-hours is probably best.  Remember Liberty ships?  Check the 
speed records in churning those out--but it was with the yards 
working all three shifts and extra workers and war-time  
mobilization. 
 
The Liberty Ships give us a clue how fast it *can* be done, if 
you have to.  Also, allow for advances in construction methods 
over the years and tech levels... How long does it take Lockheed- 
Martin to put together an external tank for the space shuttle? 
 
                        --Cynthia 
 
- -- 
"O Grave, where is thy victory? Death, where is thy sting?" 
                                                --Alexander Pope 
- ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
Alt.gothic.CR Master-at-Arms ---------- cyhiggin@usa.pipeline.com

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

From: cyhiggin@usa.pipeline.com (Dragoness Eclectic)
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 19:49:02 GMT
Subject: Re: Pop Culture in Trav (was Corn Dogs)

On Jul 12, 1996 10:24:56, 'Paul Walker <tiger@datasync.com>' wrote: 
 
>>> How much popular culture from even 150 years ago is still around on
this 
>>> island Earth? 
>> 
>>Uh...Charles Dickens...a few Stephen Foster songs...uh...come to  
>>think of it, that's about all I can think of... 
 
Send this person back to school! 
William Shakespeare, almost all major composers (Bach, Beethoven, 
Mozart, etc.), Canterbury Tales, the Arthur myth, the Grail Quest, 
most folktales, Robin Hood, "Greensleeves", "Lives of the Noble 
Greeks", "Lives of the Noble Romans", etc, etc, etc. 
 
The most significant bits of popular culture become 
embedded in the background folklore of the culture, or  
enduring works of Art & Literature. And I won't even begin 
to mention religious culture; there are religious references 
used today that date back thousands of years! 
 
                          --Cynthia 
- -- 
"O Grave, where is thy victory? Death, where is thy sting?" 
                                                --Alexander Pope 
- ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
Alt.gothic.CR Master-at-Arms ---------- cyhiggin@usa.pipeline.com

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

From: eris@pen.net (Eris Reddoch)
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 96 14:13:53 -0600
Subject: Re: Insider Trading

On 07/12/96 at 09:45 AM,  Ron Dawson <rdawson@cgc.ns.ca> said:

>eris@pen.net (Eris Reddoch) wrote:

>> >Perhaps, in the Far Future, acquiring trading information prior to
>> >its  public release, then trading based on that information, will b
>> >illegal  as well.

>But let's say that Megacorp high tech goods is negotiating with
>government officials to build a new line of starships for the
>Imperium.  This contract will be into the Trillions.  Magacorp and
>government officials know that this is coming down the pipe, so they
>start to buy up stock (through spouses, relations, what have you)
>prior to the announcement at which time MegaCorp high tech goods
>stocks sky rocket.  

But Ron, this is *clearly* insider trading!  The information is not
public knowledge and those *involved* used it to profit.

>Or let's say the reverse, the contract is going to be cancelled and
>prior to that official release, government officials and MegaCorp
>company officers (or their wives, relations, etc.) start dumping
>stock.

>I suspect that these activities will be illegal.  

Sure, if you catch them at it.

I was talking about publicly available information.  Remember
Rothchild used carrier pidgeons from harbor to his office to get
information a few hours before his competition.  That's smart, and
shouldn't be illegal.  

Take a different tack, let's say your scenerio about the government
contract is right, but instead of insider information you have 
enlightened speculation.  You, the smart trader, hire a team of sharp
investigators and analysts who advise you that the rumored contract is
about to blow up (or actually go through).  Based on their advice you
*speculate* in the Megacrop's stock...isn't that perfectly legal?  The
information *you* used was private, but it was gathered legally, and
you don't have a propriatary interest in the corp or a position in the
government, so what's wrong with that?

Eris
- -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------
eris@pen.net (Eris Reddoch)    using MR/2 ICE #245
- -----------------------------------------------------------




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

From: Tommy Grav <tommyg@ifi.uio.no>
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 22:16:14 +0200
Subject: Re: Jump space theory

Daniel Taylor wrote:
> 
> On Fri, 12 Jul 1996, Tommy Grav wrote:
> 
> > Joe Walsh wrote:
> > >
> >   [My jump theory snipped]
> >
> [and more besides]
> >
> > which compared to interstellar gas and dust with a mass density of 10^-23 kg per m^3 it is
> > very large. The track of the ship would be highly visible I guess, but something about this
> > calculation is not right, I think. I can't se any clear mistake but my brain flashes a small
> > red warningsign in the background. Anybody agree with this calculations.
> 
> Hmm, big red warning sign:
> 
>   N-space objects leave J-space unpredictably. There may be a generally
> higher density of hydrogen along jump routes using this method, but
> it would not be possible to trace a ship by them.

The point was not to follow the hydrogen trail but I stipulated that the hydrogen gave
of distinct radiation as it left J-space and entered N-space. By being in the vicinity 
a ship could pick up this radiation and track it. This way a ship in J-space going past 
an outer planet where a SDB lies could be detected by the radiation the hydrogen atoms 
produce as they enter N-space from J-space. 

>  I still prefer the original explanation, where the fuel is burned
> all at once, and the regular power supplns the jump field integrity.

I'm only speculating and at the same time developing a Jump theory that I want to use
for my alternate setting, the Terran Confederation (see my sig.). I use TNE and FFS and
want ships in J-space to be trackable even though the "tracker" didn't see the ships 
going into J-space (he could then have calculated the destination from the entry-vector).

> Ah hah! Since N-matter leaves J-space upon leaving the Jump field,
> it would not be practical to maintain the jump field by pushing
> N-matter out into J-space...  It makes much more sense that the
> jump grid must remain energized the entire time.

I was think along the line of the jump drive using the liq.hyd. and because it was no 
longer useful just venting it out into J-space (where it wouldn't do any harm). A ship
that didn't want this would have to route the used hydrogen (now in gas form) into huge
tanks where I quess he could pressurerize it to liquid again. (not my field so I'm just
theorizing. I then se a problem with what the JD wants with the liq.hyd. as all it does 
is heating it to gas form. The answer I quess is cooling.
> 
> However it still bugs me that with all the other advances, a TL9
> J-1 drive is exactly the same size and uses the same amount of fuel
> as a TL15 J-1 drive.
>
> Daniel Taylor

As all it needs is to create a J-bubble and keep it up, why would a higher level
drive be any different. They could be, but shouldn't necceseraly be. Any explanation
works for me.

- -- 
Tommy Grav 
Email: tommyg@ifi.uio.no
WWW-Page: http://www.ifi.uio.no/~tommyg/Traveller.html
"Sooner or later the worst set of circumstances are bound to occur."

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

From: "Bruce Johnson" <johnson@tonic.pharm.Arizona.EDU>
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 13:27:53 MST7
Subject: RL Crunch Gun ammo info

While idly browsing the web the other day (the University just
upgraded their outgoing connection to 3 efficiently multiplexed T1
lines...the web is FAST and life is good!) I found the Jane's
Electronic references site. (http://www.btg.com/janes/) It has a
demo version of it's search engine and databases.

So of course the first thing I looked up was Crunch guns!
Unfortunately the PTRS , Steyr AMR, or the Barrett .50 cal sniper
rifle aren't there. BUT there is an  reference to the .50 cal
Browning round (search on '0.50 Cal').  It seems there are some
<very> interesting variants on this round available.

Here they are:

#1
FRANCE (SFM)
The Societe Francaise de Munitions (SFM) manufactures a unique
piercing round known as PPI. This has a steel core fitted into a
self-tightening non-discarding sabot of brass. The hardened steel
makes no contact with the barrel, the brass sabot engaging with the
rifling; it has a special profile which reduces friction and this,
together with the lighter bullet, admits of a higher velocity than is
attainable with conventional AP bullets. In 12.7 x 99 mm calibre the
bullet weighs 47.82 g and has a V_25 of 890 m/s, with a penetration
of over 25 mm of armour steel at 300 m range and better than 13 mm at
1200 m range. The .50 PPI round is in current supply to the French Army.

#2
NETHERLANDS
Eurometaal manufactures the `API 2000' cartridge with an improved
armour-piercing capability. It is ballistically identical to other .50
AP rounds and no modification to either weapons or sights is required.
It is also possible to mix it in belts with other types of ammunition.
There is no reduction in firing rate nor any increase of the normal
barrel wear. The API 2000 round will penetrate up to 40 mm RHA or
20 mm HHA plates at various angles and ranges. Post-armour effect is
significant.

Gotta love that dry Jane's Humour...'Post-armour effect is
significant' Probably whatever's on the other side of the armour is
swiss cheesed by fragments.

#3
NORWAY
Raufoss A/S (RA) manufacture Multipurpose rounds with unique
advantages. The projectiles combine the properties of insensitive
incendiary and explosive charges. In addition to a significant
incendiary effect the projectile produces about 20 effective
fragments. Improved penetration is achieved by a heavy alloy core. The
combined effects of the projectile are effective against conventional
as well as sophisticated targets. Against helicopters the effect is
increased several times. Light armour (such as the BTR-60) can be
defeated at ranges in excess of 1000 m, while the general suppressive
effect against infantry, due to the flash, fragments and sound of the
explosion, is excellent.
  The good accuracy of the round makes the ammunition very suitable
for use in heavy sniping rifles. The exterior and interior ballistic
properties are equal to those of the US standard ammunition for the M2
heavy machine gun.

Hmmmmm...it would seem that effective AP rounds are available at
lower TL's, after all....:-> 

I can post (or e-mail) all the info if people want.

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


As if this place HAD any opinions...

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

From: t01bpa@abdn.ac.uk
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 21:51:20 +0100 (BST)
Subject: unsubscribe traveller

unsubscribe

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

From: Steve Charlton/Avalon Software Inc <Steve_Charlton@khan.Avalon.COM>
Date: 12 Jul 96 17:07:56 MS
Subject: Spanish Gold

Eris Reddoch wrote:
>The ruination of the Spanish economy had more to do with a long
>seccession of poor leaders, their support for the oppression and
>expulsion of the Spanish jews, and their military mis-adventures all
>around the world...IMO.

No, most of the blame was laid on the gold, or rather the distribution of the 
gold.

Although history class was a few years back (OK, ten) I do remember some of the 
particulars of the Spanish situation.  The problem was not the gold per se, but 
the distribution of it when it came home.  As you would expect, the crown got a 
good-sized pile of it (but less than they wanted) and the Church got a goodly 
amount oo.  However, the captains and troops/crews of the returning expeditions 
came home with a lot of gold.  No individual had a whole lot, but taken 
together it dwarfed the royal/church share.  The problem was, they came back 
with enough gold to live it up for a few years, but not enough to retire on.  
They would come home, celebrate (spend money) buy a new home (spend money) buy 
new clothes (spend money) etc.  The demand for things increased (good) but only 
in spurts as expeditions returned.  The increased demand also increased prices, 
but the demand did not last long enough to force an increase in production.  

The common folk (well, what passed for a middle class) soon found themselves 
being increasingly "priced out" of the market for luxuries and properties, and 
slipped into a more lower-class lifestyle.  As the buyers began to drop out, 
the merchants and tradesmen began to see their businesses fail and also dropped 
out, which basically eradicated the middle class.  BY the time anybody managed 
to figure this out, it was too late; easy sources of gold were now dried up, 
the royal taxes were shrunken away, and the treasury and other prominent 
expedition-backers could no longer fund new expeditions to find new sources of 
wealth.  The merchants and tradesmen whose tax revenues would have allowed the 
kingdom to thrive had gone out of business.  The royal treasury had been 
largely wasted on things like a fleet that didn't perform and attempts to annex 
other European stetes and colonies.

Kind of like the Seattle property value story somebody posted a few days back.  
Peopele came in and flooded the local market with money,a dn drove prices up.  
The newcomers stopped flowing in, but the prices remain high.  Soon, nobody can 
afford a new home, until the market readjusts itself.  But if the adjustment 
takes too long, all of the homebuilders will move away, making it that much 
more expensive to buy a new home.  A viscious circle.

I thought the whole Reformation Coalition storyline was being set up for a sort 
of Armada storyline, with the RC playing a rich but economically-screwed Spain 
and some other state (Terrans?) playing England.  When the Regency eventually 
showed up, the RC would have been knocked down in stature, and allowed the 
Regency to move in more easily.  Maybe the Regency could have played Napoleon 
and set up a puppet kingdom.  Of course, we all remember how that one turned 
out, so maybe not.

Steve Charlton
scharlto@avalon.com
Its 5:00pm on Friday, 
I am OUTTA HERE!

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

End of Traveller-digest V1996 #243
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