Traveller-digest      Thursday, June 19 1997      Volume 1997 : Number 1440



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

The following topics are covered in this digest:

Re: T4.1 tasks
Re: Please please please!
Re: A Plea to Marc Miller
T4.x Task System
Re: A Plea to Marc Miller
FS-Revision: Corridor Sector suggestions
Re: Anyone in Costa Rica who plays Traveller?
FS Revision, other assorted bits
Re: Please please please!
Task Systems
Re:A Plea to Marc Miller
Re: A Plea to Marc Miller
Re: Anomolies stuff...
Re: Costa Rica (very off topic)

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

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 10:15:41 +0100
From: Nick Munn <N.S.Munn@sheffield.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: T4.1 tasks

Kenneth Bearden <dreamer@brokersys.com> wrote:

> Nick Munn wrote:

> > Proposed new weighting: stat/3 (round down) + skill
> 
> Anytime you have to do a calculation with the stat, it becomes
> cumbersome during combat.  I learned this the hard way with KBv1.1.

Everything becomes cumbersome in combat -- while it lasts, which 
isn't usually long in Traveller.  Stat/3 is easy enough to remember, 
anyway: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 get you +1 each.


> What you are left with is the simple addition of two factors--in KBv2.0
> you're adding stat + experience score, just like in T4/4.1.

Yes, but the scales of the systems are completely different from each 
other and from my suggestion too.

T4 over-rates stat vs. skill on 1D - 5D rolls
KBv2.0 solves this but uses 2D - 7D, which breaks somewhat for higher 
  skill levels (which T4/T4.1 are prone to)
I proposed 1D - 5D rolls, modified to revalue the stat. downwards

How do I mean KBv2.0 breaks for higher skill levels?  Well, it's
distressingly easy to get a skill-5, stat-10 character from T4. 
That's a score of 25 in KBv2.0, which gives a 50:50 chance of
succeeding on an impossible (7D) task (average of 7D is 24.5).
It's worse for easier tasks, and using lots of dice biases the 
probabilities towards the average score, so a really good character 
will make mincemeat of things.

Now, I know you want the overskilling relative to CT/MT fixed. 
However, you usually present KBv2.0 as "the only thing one needs to
change to make T4 work", which isn't quite the case because of the 
overskilling.

There are a few other issues with KBv2.0, such as how similar in 
effect a +/-1 DM is in either (fairly similar for average characters, 
but less effective for highly skilled ones in KBv2.0), enough for me 
to suggest that while it's a good answer, it's by no means the only 
one.  Give me KBv2.0 over the existing (unused) system anyday, 
however!

Just for comparison:

KBv2.0 50:50 points

Task  50:50
 2D   Anyone (skill-1 and stat 4)
 3D   Non-specialist (skill-1, stat 7)
 4D   Competent (skill-2, stat 8) or Talented (skill-1, stat 11)
 5D   Professional (skill-3, stat 8) or Upcoming (skill-2, stat 11)
 6D   Top Pro (skill-5, stat 6) or Talented Pro (skill-3, stat 12)
 7D   Star (skill-5, stat 10)


My system: roll < stat/3 + skill; table repeated for clarity

Task    50/50 chance for
1D-1    Average (stat 7, skill 1)
2D-2    Professional (stat 7, skill 3)
          or Talented (stat 12, skill 1)
3D-3    Talented Professional (Stat 9, skill 4-5)
4D-4    Superb (Stat 12, Skill 6)
5D-5    Overblown (Stat 15, Skill 8)

Those tasks at the bottom are meant to be *hard*...


Nick

Dr. Nick Munn, Dept. of Information Studies, University of Sheffield
Tel. (0)114 222 2673, email n.s.munn@sheffield.ac.uk

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

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 05:25:29 -0400 (EDT)
From: Matrixs@aol.com
Subject: Re: Please please please!

please please get me off this friggin list!!!

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

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 10:48:15 +0100 (BST)
From: Alan Huscroft <A.A.F.Huscroft@reading.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: A Plea to Marc Miller

CardSharks@aol.com wrote:
> I understand you have strong feelings about the task system. But out of
> perhaps 300 people on this list, no one is championing the cause except you.
> Assume half don't care about tasks anyway. Assume many others don't care
> enough to comment. Are there 50 people on this list who will echo your
> concerns and, having seen my post of the task system and your post of the
> task system, WANT T41 to reflect yours?

Marc, 

I have to raise my hand in support of Kenneth.  There are some very real
problems with your task system, which Kenneth has done a good job of
spelling out.  KBv2.0 looks like the best fix I have seen, so I would
urge you to consider it.

- -- 
Alan Huscroft     A.A.F.Huscroft@reading.ac.uk

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

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 11:26:01 +0100
From: "Silburn, Luke (Exchange)" <SilburnL@logica.com>
Subject: T4.x Task System

I think it needs revising. 

No way should a neophyte with stat 11 (approx the 8th decile on a 1-15
normal range), be as good as an experienced professional with stat 8.

My two big issues with the T4.0 task system were the crocked
probabilities and the weighting of stats over skills. You've fixed one.
It would be nice if you fixed both.

Luke
SilburnL@logica.com
Suggestions for a witty .sig gratefully received....

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

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 10:56:26 +0000
From: "Martin F C Pickett" <ceemfcp@cee.hw.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: A Plea to Marc Miller

(delurks)

Marc (and Kenneth),

I have been running a T4 campaign for some of the students here for
the last 8 months, and have used both the original T4 task system
and Kenneth's KBv1.1.  Before that I had played and run classic
Traveller games, but I never really got into MegaTraveller.  Some
conclusions that I have come to are:

1) The original T4 system suffers from 2 flaws - the tasks are too
easy, and the stats massively outway the skills (most of the
characters have skills at 1 to 3, but stats vary from 5 to 15 - like
CT characters).  The existing T4.1 system seems to solve the
difficulty problem, but not the stat/skill relationship. 

2) KBv1.1 solves the difficulty problem in the same way as T4.1, but
also solves the stat/skill problem with stat/2 + skill*2.  The
problem here is with recalculating stat/2 in the middle of a combat
(or just with explaining the target number calculations in the first
place).

3) I looked at KBv2.0, but decided against it because of the extra 
dice involved.  5 dice is at the limit of how many I am prepared to 
throw and add up, and I preferred 4.

In summary - yes, I think that the task system needs looking at, but
no, KBv2.0 doesn't work for me.  Unfortuantely, KBv1.1 has its
drawbacks as well, but for the moment I'm willing to live with them.
 And I don't have a problem with the half die, and nor have any of
my players (10 so far) - it's not a bug, it's a feature!

Martin

PS - I don't have access to Word95, being stuck in the age of Win3.1. 
 Would it be possible (and permitted!) for someone to sent the T4.1 
character gen stuff to me in Word 6.0 format, or as a postscript 
file?  In exchange I can offer to send the list my advanced character 
gen for entertainers, based on the old CT advanced character gen 
systems.

Martin Pickett 
ceemfcp@cee.hw.ac.uk
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are alive, well and living on Sylea 

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

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 12:26:42 MET
From: "Volker A. Greimann" <GREI5001@uni-trier.de>
Subject: FS-Revision: Corridor Sector suggestions

I also passed on these corrections to the TML to inspire others to do 
the remaining sectors or correct me where i am wrong or add to the 
changes, in case i missed something!


General notes: and opinions
Names that are Vilani originally (in DGP-Data) should remain with
their original names, not be given new Vilani Names. 
Question: 
Should Frontier regions like Corridor be allowed to have LoPop
planets with highly developed Starports over level C? Likelyhood
of: a) them being built and:  B) them surviving the long night
seems low to me... Maybe they should be lowered to more sustainable 
levels for M:0!
Also: Vland and Corridor sectors should be limited to TL 
B, since that was the highest that the First Imperium achieved. TL C
should be only far in between and as for TL|s higher than D, they
should be impossible in M:0

Suggested Changes:

Antares Sector:
(i didn|t do that sector in detail as i have no fut|rther info on
it, however this one bit must be changed)
ant 2117 Irgi 
    Name change to: Gashukubi (First Imperium) UPP change to:
    X160056-H (Canon: Named by Vilani during 1I (Home of Sabmiquis)-> 
    Ch28, 31:)

Corridor Sector:
Only named that after year 140 Imperial. Name before that:
Eneri!!!
Also, many of the worlds already had vilani names in the
DGP-listing. Shouldn|t those worlds keep that name to reflect
that they remain settled?
Those changes below are what i feel is necessary. I am however,
open to discussions!

Canon Changes in Eneri:
cdr 0312 Amki:     Rename Muugaagen  MTJ 2 
cdr 1209 Kaasu, name stays, but was Mining Colony in Vilani
Times, so UPP should be more in the area of BA7A540-B (max.)
cdr 1413 Gamin:   Rename Itasis                                 
change to E442000-0    MTJ 2,8
cdr 1432 TD 18, 34 states that the worldwas onlyfirst colonized
in the late 300's. Thus change UWP to EAE3000-0
cdr 1511 Luug.(will later be Depot-Corridor, before that
unpopulated!) UPP->X686000-0 MTJ 3, 74
cdr 1606 Remains completely as it is, see history in MTJ 2, 50
cdr 1711 Giiku Es: Rename Naadi                                 
90 people with starport B?                                       
                                                                
MTJ 2,8
cdr 1904 Armaa Khiighar: Although also Pop, Gov, Law 0 in TD 18,
37, TD 18, 36 states that this world had a pop of tens of thousands before a
catastrophe wiped it out. Thus, there should be people living there, 
at your discretion.
cdr 2511 Khegakiir:  Rename Naagasa.... 800 people with starport
B?     
cdr 2806 Ishkad: Rename to Uughrae TD 18, 15

Other changes:
- - Change World of Pop greater than A (unbalances Universe): 
3225 shaniin: Now: C226BEE-9, was (in TD18, 38): B226787-C:
    Solution: Reduce pop to 7 or less!

- -Reduce TL|s of D+ to C:
cdr 1209 Kaasu  -> AA7A940-C

- -Worlds in Great Rift, that couldn|t have reasonably been settled
    in M:0 without the gretest effort and therefore                 
    should be barren, unless indiginous species or minor race!
cdr 0338: Girmi. Has X port in TD, so change port to same or to E
cdr 0638: Arga Am:  change UWP to E542000-0 
cdr 0931: Ashnishinipar: Change UWP to E-894000-0
cdr 1033: Kuun: Change UWP to E200000-0
cdr 1430 Khip: Change UWP to E8C2000-0 (Note: Atm C worlds
    couldn't be settled before late 300's due to lack in specific 
    tech!)
cdr 1923 Uushnii:  change UWP to E889662-4 (Note: I changed this
    world, since it contains mostly (in M:0 only) Chirpers. They 
    should have remained fairly stable in Pop and Gvt



- - Barren worlds that should have TL and Starport reduced to E /0!
(who should have built/maintained them??)

Location, Name,    Changed UWP
cdr 2121: Ishash  E898000-0
cdr 0105: Shar  E356000-0
cdr 0111 Guun  E879000-0
cdr 0119 irar  E615000-0
cdr 0221 kashguuki  E662000-0
cdr 0311 nimush  E300000-0
cdr 0401 esla ges E859000-0
cdr 0502 gakkip  E463000-4
cdr    0601    Nidir . E560000-0
cdr    0611    Vlishummi .     E756000-0
cdr    0617    Lasir Uush .    E223000-0
cdr    0701    Shadga Ishgaa.  E490000-0
cdr    0714    Khiishin .      E438000-0
cdr    0807    Kiigmiiii .     E552000-0
cdr    0906    Mum.    E548000-0
cdr    1003    Raaid  .E000000-o
cdr    1006    Bagur.  E559000-0
cdr    1033    Kuun  . E200100-0            
cdr    1103    Naamuuguu .     E491200-0            
cdr    1104    Suurdashi .     E457000-0
cdr    1111    Mariir .E849000-0      
cdr    1112    Khark . E326000-0
cdr    1204    Pekhe Is.       E692000-0
cdr    1213    Shiipan. E200000-0     
cdr    1216    Galamund.       E577000-0         
cdr    1218    Aarla I. E658000-0    
cdr    1401    Uunmark  .      E000000-0
cdr    1414    Giish.  E412000-0
cdr    1418    Enki .  EAC8000-0 (Atm. C world)
cdr    1506    Daarakegi .     E410000-0
cdr    1513    Kish.   E362000-0     
cdr    1514    Luum  . E567000-0
cdr    1712    Pinkhu Shaa.    E553000-0
cdr    1713    Vliisdulium.    E6A5000-0
cdr    1810    Liri  . E443000-0       
cdr    1811    Lagi .  E637000-0
cdr    2003    Lur .   E100000-0
cdr    2004    Gizuu Im.       E654000-0
cdr    2009    Imki .  E7A3000-0
cdr    2039    Kiun.   E686000-0
cdr    2106    Maark Ad .      E241000-0
cdr    2121    Uura .  E898000-0
cdr    2202    Udgiin .E877000-0
cdr    2205    Zadi .  E629000-0
cdr    2212    Vluush. E400000-0
cdr    2303    Kuuaggi .       E487000-0
cdr    2334    Duueshshi .     E76A000-0
cdr    2336    Gir .   E456000-0
cdr    2440    Iruur . E443000-0
cdr    2503    Iiruunziinme.   E242000-0
cdr    2538    Kig .   E6A2000-0
cdr    2603    Kaaa Kuu.       E534000-0
cdr    2611    Serk  . E9D8000-0
cdr    2738    Guurshi Vlak.   E673000-0             
cdr    2740    Kani Li .       E561000-0
cdr    2804    Dinassi .       E63A000-0        
cdr    2806    Ishkad  .       E766000-0
cdr    2810    Kaas.   E595000-0
cdr    2908    Gir  .  E653000-0
cdr    2932    Irer .  E589000-0
cdr    2934    Kiresh Aash .   E86A000-0
cdr    2937    Zar .   E320000-0
cdr    3010    Giim .  E663000-0                 
cdr    3030    Puuer.  EA87000-0
cdr    3032    Shadirund.      E443000-0
cdr    3104    Gaga Uush .     E454000-0
cdr    3135    Giar Ziip .     E666000-0
cdr    3201    Shuuin .E272000-0
cdr    3230    Rin  .  E643000-0
cdr    3235    Diir  . E341000-0
cdr    3238    Anduum .EC988000-0
cdr    3240    Edge  . E597000-0

- -Add mention of Droyne, Chirper, Ancient site:
cdr 0102 An
cdr 0106 C1
cdr 0807 D1
cdr 0816 An
cdr 1201 C2
cdr 1404 C3
cdr 1504 C6
cdr 2631 C6
cdr 2632 C0
cdr 2806 C2
cdr 2902 C3
cdr 3010 D:0



Abbrev.:
Ch=Challence Magazine
TD=Traveller|s Digest
MTJ: MegaTraveller Journal


Ad Astra,
V.A.G.       
- ------  Volker A. Greimann, also known as: Grei5001@uni-trier.de  ----
- -- Am Weidengraben 86,C6 - 54296 Trier - Germany - T+F: +49651148846 -
- ------- check out: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/4061 --------
- ---- Student of Law, Gamer, Illuminatus Primus, Slayer of Windows95 --

- -----  "Don't hold me up: I am just barely ahead of insanity!!!" -----

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

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 12:38:21 MET
From: "Volker A. Greimann" <GREI5001@uni-trier.de>
Subject: Re: Anyone in Costa Rica who plays Traveller?

- -> Meanwhile, did everyone know there is a Spanish version (hardcover) of
- -> Classic Traveller?
Yes, i knew that, although i never saw it... Hope it went better than 
the German version....

Ad Astra,
V.A.G.       
- ------  Volker A. Greimann, also known as: Grei5001@uni-trier.de  ----
- -- Am Weidengraben 86,C6 - 54296 Trier - Germany - T+F: +49651148846 -
- ------- check out: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/4061 --------
- ---- Student of Law, Gamer, Illuminatus Primus, Slayer of Windows95 --

- -----  "Don't hold me up: I am just barely ahead of insanity!!!" -----

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

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 12:36:36 MET
From: "Volker A. Greimann" <GREI5001@uni-trier.de>
Subject: FS Revision, other assorted bits

Here are some bits and pieces that need consideration for change, but 
have not been fully detailed by me. Maybe somebody on the TML can 
elaborate on these Sectors and make revisions like i did for 
Corridor/ Eneri!
To Marc:
Thanks again for agreeing to fix the data with us. It means a lot to 
me, even if this data isn't used for FS, 2nd edition. I just hope 
that future game designers for IG will have to use this data, not the 
FS-stuff, so that this data is established as Canon! I also hope that 
this data will be included with the new edition of FS either as an 
errata sheet, or (entirely new suggestion!!!!:) on a diskette in 
ASCII format in the back of the hardback. A disk with the full 
data might even be cheaper than a printed errata sheet with only the 
changes noted, and would make the correct data available to those 
who don't have Internet access (we do need to think of them as well!)

BTW: Will the maps in FS be changed to include full data (like in the 
Marches Map in the MT Boxed set??? I vote yes (in case a vote is 
started ;-)  )


Here goes:
An overall problem i have with the sectors closer to Core and the 
Solomani Rim is that most of the systems have  had their names 
changed to Vilani names. However, i feel that since the Ramshackle 
Empire should have also had it's influence in it's 500 year rule, so 
there should be more of the solomani names already to reflect 
solomani settlement and rule during RoM-times. Names in the area of 
Sylea should also be more Solomani influenced.

In Zarushagar, there should be worlds in Wolf and Oasis subsector 
which still belong to the duchy of oasis, who as TD 21, 21 puts it 
were reluctant to join (...)" (the Third Imperium). It also sais that 
in the Rebellion many worlds banded together to form the duchy 
again", so it can be assumed that most of the worlds listed as 
members in TD 21 were also part of the duchy back in year 0. 
Therefore follows that:
zar 3230  The world of Guudanmi must have it's name changed back to 
Oasis since without an Oasis" there wouldn't be a duchy bearing that 
name! It's TL should at least be A, if not B.


On to CORE:
2118 Sylea: i can only wonder why this one has been changed. The data 
in M:0 made more sense (almost identical to TD9, except for TL): Law 
level of 0 is not right on the capital of the 3I. It should rather be 
A586A98-C, maybe a little lower in the pop department to leave some 
space for growth later on towards 1116.
0722 Kuuda, Rename to F rnow (see TD 9, 35)
0622 Uurgigi, Rename to Sketola (same ref.) Was member of Int. Conf 
under that name.
0128 Sheki, Rename to Protalus, reason, see above. (earliest 
mentioned date: -239)
1623 aggaa Irpu, Already known as Velpare in -258.

I could go on with this name-change list forever in Core:
I strongly recommend not changing a single name in the Core Sector 
from the 1108-1116 dgp data. Core was already well known enough by 
Syleans, and new names had already been well established (see 
examples above!)! 

I have not gone into the UPP's here! Maybe the CORE group could 
donate something to that extent, as they already did the Core sector 
once, before it was trashed in favor of the FS data. Is this data 
still around? If so, you better use that!

I wont go into the other sector with much detail, as others may be 
doing them (Carlos is doing Massilia, isn t he?) and my main work is 
the revision of Corridor. Other sectors can be done by those with 
more info on them (Any HIWG 'ers for Gushemege?) 

I sure hope all this gets included in the M:0 hardbound, or at least 
an errata sheet!


Ad Astra,
V.A.G.       
- ------  Volker A. Greimann, also known as: Grei5001@uni-trier.de  ----
- -- Am Weidengraben 86,C6 - 54296 Trier - Germany - T+F: +49651148846 -
- ------- check out: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/4061 --------
- ---- Student of Law, Gamer, Illuminatus Primus, Slayer of Windows95 --

- -----  "Don't hold me up: I am just barely ahead of insanity!!!" -----

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

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 12:51:15 MET
From: "Volker A. Greimann" <GREI5001@uni-trier.de>
Subject: Re: Please please please!

- -> please please get me off this friggin list!!!
Don't we just love these guys??? Another-one to  ##### to remember to 
keep the welcome letter... Just what DJGolden bemoaned, when... 
yesterday??? 



Ad Astra,
V.A.G.       
- ------  Volker A. Greimann, also known as: Grei5001@uni-trier.de  ----
- -- Am Weidengraben 86,C6 - 54296 Trier - Germany - T+F: +49651148846 -
- ------- check out: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/4061 --------
- ---- Student of Law, Gamer, Illuminatus Primus, Slayer of Windows95 --

- -----  "Don't hold me up: I am just barely ahead of insanity!!!" -----

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

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 07:08:15 -0400 (EDT)
From: Rob Dean <robdean@access.digex.net>
Subject: Task Systems

Like Vanya, I have been satisfied with the task system from MegaTraveller
for many years.

It certainly "feels" better to me to have skill count for more than
stats...

Rob Dean
robdean@access.digex.net

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

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 97 11:20:00 GMT 
From: s.johnson107@genie.com
Subject: Re:A Plea to Marc Miller

On Wed, 18 Jun 1997 13:43:33 CardSharks@aol.com wrote:

> Your plea needs to have some backing.
    I think you misjudge the utter disdain and distaste the great majority of
us have for the Task System in T4.  Let's not get into the pure raw hatred many
of us have for that %$&#@! half die!  I'm not particularly fond of ANY of the
systems purporting to fix the problem.  However I do want it fixed, especially
that Bloody half die gone!

> 2. Task system something other than the one in T4 at present.
    Consider this a vote that something MUST be done to fix the Task System.

Stephen

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

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 11:45:07 GMT
From: "J." <Jonathan@hccm.co.uk>
Subject: Re: A Plea to Marc Miller

>Your plea needs to have some backing.
>Marc

Marc,

I'd rather have any task system that considers skills more important than
stats,
I have tried the T4 Task system but didn't like the way that a character 
with high stats and a wide range of level 1 skills could dominate the game.

I don't have enough spare time to re-write the system, so I bought an old
copy of mega-traveller, which I think has a far better task system for two
reasons, 

1) it placed more reliance on skills instead of stats, in some cases the
task was rolled against 2 skills (no stat modifier at all).

2) the task system used 2D6 for all difficulty levels. I really liked the
idea that you could play the game with a pencil, paper and 2 normal dice
stolen from some board game.

So I'd like to add my voice to the plea for you to reconsider the task
system for T4.1

Back into lurk mode..........

J.

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 00:03:42 +1200
From: Andrew Vallance <a.vallance@netaccess.co.nz>
Subject: Re: Anomolies stuff...

>Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 19:44:44 -0400 (EDT)
>From: NUELOW@aol.com
>Subject: Anomolies stuff...

>I'm probably inviting trouble here, but, hey, I've never been smart enough to
>keep my big mouth shut...

One of the greatest things about the TML is you can 'talk' to the designers
directly.

>Andrew Vallance wrote:

>An impassoned plea to IG and all T4 game designers:

>Please please please don't do this. It just doesn't work. If the Terran
>Confederation was TL 12 when they took over the Ziru Sirka they
>could have reached TL 13, but they just couldn't have reached TL 14. <<

>I agree, to a point. The Ramshackle Empire as a whole probably did not move
>too far beyond the tech level of the Ziru Sirka, but I think progress could
>have been made in certain pockets... a series of systems with extra resources
>and dedicated scientists might have come up with all kinds of innovations.
>(How did the systems come by these extra resources/innovations? They didn't
>share them with anyone else except their closest allies.)

I've been a long time believer in that the RoM was significantly more
technologically advanced than conventional canon from 1100 would
have us believe. In fact I'm planning a late Imperial campaign based
around that fact (players uncover proof of a TL 13 RoM and get caught
up in Imperial efforts to suppress it and Solomani efforts to get it). I just
don't think it could have reached TL 14 in anything but the most
experimental stages.

>Plus, I don't think TL14 & TL15 relics being discovered here and there means
>*every* world in the Second Imperium had reached those heights, or even most
>of them, or even a significant percentage of them.

As I've stated before I strongly hold that the Terran Confederation
worlds did reach TL 13 or near TL 13, I just think pushing that to TL 14
is not realistic. Given that most of their resources would have had to
have been devoted to holding together their empire, it just doesn't
seem reasonable. If a TL 14 (or near TL 14) world did exist, it would
almost certainly be one of the Terran heartland world.

>>> But this is not the Traveller I know and love. This is a dungeon crawl. <<

>Sorry 'bout that. But, as far as dungeon crawls go... one of the things I was
>emulating while writing the "Anomolies" material was what I saw in JTAS. That
>and the "push-pull" stuff in the rulebook... it's entirely possible I wasn't
>up to the challenge. I will say, though, that I made an effort to infuse the
>adventures with more characters then I'd put in a dungeon crawl.

Okay I owe an apology here, I did not want to imply that your adventures
were in any way inferior. For that I unreservedly apologies and retract,
the term 'dungeon crawl' was inapproriate, I allowed my emotions to run
away with me.

To try and put my point in a more reasoned view. 'Lock and Loot' has too
much TL 14 gear. Working high tech relics have to be handled with
extreme care, too many of them can quickly turn a campaign into a treasure
hunt, or even worse unbalance a game by giving the players too much
power. A single TL 14 laser pistol is a fearsome prize, 'Lock and Loot'
has twelve of them, the players could easily retire on the proceads of
their sale alone, add in the vacc suits, the computer (and it's apparently
intact data), and the exoskeletons and you've got a treasure haul beyond
belief. You seem to have underestimated how much this stuff would be
worth, you're not talking KCr for the research data, more like MCr. I
think 'Lock and Loot' is a good adventure (though I think 'Sleepers' is
your best), challanging and creative; its just the rewards are too high
(or at least underestimated).

Okay, so I haven't put that too well; all I'm trying to say is that 'Lock
and Loot' is good, but in my opinion the rewards are too high.

>Carlos Alos-Ferrer wrote:

>>> TWO adventures in Anomalies use TL 14-15 from the RoM. The two are
>from Steve Miller. In another adventure of Steve Miller, he confuses the
>Droyne with the Draysaskin, seeming to imply that there are no Droyne in the
>universe... moreover, he postulates a surviving Draysaskin, but ***canon***
>(flame retardant suit on) state that Grandfather killed them all (he kept
>careful count). The confusion makes me think he is new to Traveller...<<

>Hmm... I've run a TNE campaign, I've read all the T4 material published up to
>the point I started work on the "Anomolies" adventures--"Emperor's Arsenal"
>and the "Game Master's Screen" came out as I was wrapping up and moving on to
>other things--and I've read the "MegaTraveller" boxed set and "Referee's
>Guide" (I think that's what it was called... I don't presently have access to
>any of my "Traveller" material, as it's in storage back in WI.) While reading
>that material, I don't recall seeing references to "Drayaskin." Where did I
>miss that reference? All I recall are Droyne and Chirpers.

I think the term 'Drayaskin' was first defined in CT adventure 12 'The
Secret of the Ancients' and again in AM5 which covered the Droyne.
The Drayaskin were Grandfather's children and grandchildren. The
Droyne are the race they came from, and the Chirpers are regressed
Droyne. The Droyne still very much exist in M:0, though they are not
yet recognised as a single race. The Drayaskin were all wiped out by
Grandfather in the Final War.

>And, no, I haven't read every "Traveller" supplement. Duane Maxwell was the
>only contributor to "Anomolies" who can lay claim to owning every single
>"Traveller" item ever published.

>BTW, I'm not sure how I imply there are no Droyne in the universe. Could you
>enlighten me w/o touching off a flame-war? 

I think he's referring to the phrase:
  "The Droyne were ultimately destroyed in a centuries-long conflict
    by their creator....."

>And as far as canon goes, where is it we get the fact that Grandfather
>successfully killed all his offspring? Who is it that's giving us these
>reliable facts about the Ancients? (That's not an excuse for my overlooking
>anything in research... is just a comment on how I view some of the "facts"
>I've been finding in "Traveller" material.

Well, canon is flexible and maybe one of the Drayaskin could have
survived, but releasing it back into the universe is a _major_ historical
change; one that virtually rewrites it from the ground up.

  Andrew etc.
    a.vallance@netaccess.co.nz

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 00:20:39 +1200
From: Andrew Vallance <a.vallance@netaccess.co.nz>
Subject: Re: Costa Rica (very off topic)

>Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 05:16:20 -0400 (EDT)
>From: CardSharks@aol.com
>Subject: Re: Anyone in Costa Rica who plays Traveller?

>In a message dated 97-06-16 23:47:48 EDT, you write:

[snip]

>I don't know specifically of anyone playing Traveller in Costa Rica (though I
>do get a lot of calls from there... my son is spending the summer on a
>research project [Why Costa Rica has no military] there).

A sudden outbreak of sanity in the 30's as I recall :*)

>Meanwhile, did everyone know there is a Spanish version (hardcover) of
>Classic Traveller?

>Marc Miller

  Andrew etc.
    a.vallance@netaccess.co.nz

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End of Traveller-digest V1997 #1440
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