Traveller-digest       Friday, June 20 1997       Volume 1997 : Number 1450



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

The following topics are covered in this digest:

Vote Count
Chargen opinions!
Re: Sector Maps:  Can't Grok PBG
Re: MT or KBv2.0????
Concerning Marc Miller
Re: Hardware, firmware, software
Re: Task System Revision and ....
Re: Hardware, firmware, software
Re: Spanish version of CT
Re: Task System Revision
Re: T4 Task Rationale
Re: Rule of Man TL (was Re: Anomalies...)
Re: Task Vote Quorum Call So Far Day Two Delta
Re: Hardware, firmware, software
Does anyone have...
Re: Skill's from Stats - An idea under construction
Re: A Plea to Marc Miller
Re: Finding Andy Lilly
Re: Hardware, firmware, software
Re: Hardware, firmware, software
Re: Hardware, firmware, software
Re: T4 Task Rationale

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 16:30:20 MET
From: "Volker A. Greimann" <GREI5001@uni-trier.de>
Subject: Vote Count

Voting for T4.1 with revisions or variants thereof:
- -8
Marc Miller
A.S.Lilly
Phil Kitching
Tim Reynolds
Simon Turner
Andrew Vallance
Mike Lee
dmcinne
( some of these state that it can't stand as it is though)


Voting for KBv2.0 (or other KB variants or similar systems) were:
- -10
Kenneth Bearden
Peter Miller Dedly
Richard Hough
Kelly St.Clair
Jeff Norton
VolantZep
James W. Lindsay
SD Mooney (willing to Accept KBvXX, prefers MT)
Michael Galligan
Martin FC Pickett

Voting for a system along the lines of MT (or variants thereof):
- -15
Volker A. Greimann
Carlos Alos Ferrer
Andrew Akins
Nick Munn
2drapers
Dave Scott
RFXn
Franklin Cain
Vanya
John Snead
David P Summers
Ryan Dooley
SD Mooney
Bob Sanders
Victor Holzrichter

Other votes generally in favor of change (no specific system)
- -9
Jeffry Miller
John Wood
jwbrewer
Mark Ayers
Neil McGurk
Michael Peters
Paul Owensby
Marc Bradley
Victor Raymond

So we have 34 strictly for change and part of the 8 above (4, i think)
in what i collected in two days. If anybody has been left out or 
falsely put in the wrong column, mail me and i'll add change it!

Strongly suggests change though! 


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: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 16:44:50 MET
From: "Volker A. Greimann" <GREI5001@uni-trier.de>
Subject: Chargen opinions!

1. I am glad heroism awards are back, but i feel they are to easy to 
come by, even easier than under MT adv. Chargen. Drop that 
probability!

2. The squre on the bottom of page three is missing something!

3. University Honors DM: Isn't +4 a bit steep? I mean ok., only a few 
characters get it, but giving it +4?? +2 would be more like it!

4. Important Dates: Love it, as well as Low PSG effects. 

5. Default Campaign Date.: As i've said before, the rulebook should 
be generic for all milieux. Therefore giving a specific date is out 
of place!

6. On character cards, right align the Hit Boxes! 

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: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 07:46:10 -0700 (PDT)
From: Craig Berry <cberry@cinenet.net>
Subject: Re: Sector Maps:  Can't Grok PBG

> Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 13:45:13 -0500
> From: clay@Incite.com
> 
> I'm looking at the sector maps in M0/FS and I can't quite grok what the
> PBG column is on the data sheets.
> 
> I'm *guessing* that it's
> 
> 	P	# of Planetary Belts
> 	B	# of Asteroid Belts, and
> 	G	# of Gas Giants
>
> Am I clueless?

You are 66% clueful. :)  'P' is the 'Population multiplier' -- you
multiply it by the exponential UPP pop code value to get a more precise
population figure.  For example, UPP pop code 7, PBG value 412, would mean
there are 4 x 10^7 = 40 million ihabitants.

- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
   |   Craig Berry - cberry@cinenet.net
 --*--    Home Page: http://www.cinenet.net/users/cberry/home.html
   |      Member of The HTML Writers Guild: http://www.hwg.org/   
       "Every man and every woman is a star."

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

Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 15:39:00 +0000
From: "Kenneth Bearden" <dreamer@weck.brokersys.com>
Subject: Re: MT or KBv2.0????

> Problem is: Many people on the list don't know the MT system yet as 
> they started with T4 or TNE or with CT, bypassing MT.
> Maybe we should first post the MT- System to give them opportunity to 
> review it!

Go ahead an post it.

> BTW: My current stats for the vote are:
> T4.1 or variant:
> -4
> KWv2.0 (or variant)
> -8. 
> MT or variant:
> -9
> Undecided, other, unclear:
> -8
> I started counting yetserday morning!

That's because 26 have already written their endorsement for KBv2.0, 
and at least some of your MT posters are posting a second time.

Kenneth.

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 11:07:58 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ethan Henry <ehenry@mag1.magmacom.com>
Subject: Concerning Marc Miller

You know, I've been thinking... (that's the disclaimer)

Anybody here read Packet on a regular basis? If not, check out
http://www.hotwired.com/packet/silberman/97/22/index3a.html
which talks about big media companied cracking down on
"fan sites" on the web. To quote the article, 

                   No longer content to be passive
                   consumers, fans - especially those on the
                   Net - now expect to be listened to by
                   those who create the culture they enjoy.
                   They demand to be in the loop. 

I think this is a pretty accurate assessment of most
TML members. 

I really have to commend Marc for taking our input and not
just being high-handed and saying "This is the way I'm doing
it, like it or lump it". 

Anyways, just had to say that.

Thanks,
Ethan
- -- 
ehenry@magma.ca                                  http://www.magma.ca/~ehenry

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 15:58:52 +0100
From: John Wood <John@elvw.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Hardware, firmware, software

I wrote,
>My second question is more Traveller-related.  What would you want
>Pocket Empires software to do?  This is a deliberately vague question
>to avoid biasing the response.

Which as it turned out was *too* vague a question!  My apologies,
especially to those for whom English is a second language.

My intent was to find out what software would be useful to users of PE,
without specifying whether this should be a game, book-keeping utility,
or whatever.

I don't have access to a Mac, but anything I write might still be useful
if I keep the user interface well-separated from the mechanics, so a Mac
C++ programmer could write their own UI without having to do so much
work.

One quick response, to this from Rob Prior:
>1) Generate the setting for a pocket empire (WBN)
No problem.

>2) Import existing settings, using HIWG-standard text files (ESS)
I was planning on that for my world-building program (now abandoned
because of Dulinor).

>3) Create the background data for me to run the empire campaign (ESS)
What do you mean by this?  Do you mean things like cultural details for
worlds?  I presume you don't mean a history of the region!

>4) Manage all the number-crunching when my players run a PE campaign
(ESS)
Yup.

>5) Let me play a PE campaign solo (WBN)
One of my aims, since solo play is all the Traveller I get.

I'm getting married tomorrow, so may not have much time to post about
this. ;-)  I'll let the feedback accumulate and have a look at it on
Tuesday.  Have a good weekend, everyone!

John

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 15:26:00 GMT
From: "J." <Jonathan@hccm.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Task System Revision and ....

Marc,
In response to your questionaire, here's my opinion:

> 1. T4 is weighted too heavily against stats.  Skills have a minor part in a
> character's success at a task throw.  These should be equally weighted.

I rate this 1, this is the main reason I don't use the T4 task system

> 2. Spectacular Success and Spectacular Failure are hard to do at easy and
> average, and easier at harder levels.
> 3.  It should be harder to roll SS the harder a task becomes.
> 4.  Replace SS with SF in 3.

SS should be easier for easier tasks and slowly getting harder and harder
as difficulty increases.
SF should be difficult to get at easy levels but easier the hrader the task.

> 5. I don't like the half-die. Get rid of it.

I don't particularly like the half die, i'd like to go back to a 2D6 system
but 
any system without half dice would be better. But you can improvise a half
die 
with a D6 and some sticky labels with numbers and once you get used to it it's
better than systems that use nearly every type of dice you can possibly buy.
I'd rate this as 5.


Now a reply to Bruce Johnson's question:

>Another thing that's astonishing me is the number of hitherto unheard from
>lurkers popping out to cast their votes on the issue...

>Where are you people the rest of the time?? Sometimes it feels like
>there's only about 30 people on this whole list...not bitching, just
>wondering...
The reason I don't send posts as often as I'd like to is I just don't have
the 
time. I'd like to be more active on the list, but by the time I've waded
through
all the digests any comments I have have already been made by someone else.

The reason I spoke up about the task system was because I felt so strongly
that
it should be changed (as do a lot of others it seems).


While I'm here a quick rules question:

In the Megatraveller trading system, in the freight and cargo section it
gives a
table for determining the number of major, minor and incidental lots available
do I use this table for freight and then again for cargo or role once for lots
and randomly determine if a lot is freight or cargo (ie. a 50:50 chance).
Or what?


Oh yeah John Wood:
I use a PC running Windows 95 (only because I have to for my work).
Just in case your still counting :)

J.

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 08:29:53 -0700
From: scharlto@ifsna.com
Subject: Re: Hardware, firmware, software

Glenn Hoppe <starcity@sk.sympatico.ca> said:
>On 1997-06-19 17:01 thus spake Douglas E. Berry:
>
>>>If you *do* answer this, can we please be careful to avoid any OS wars.
>>
>>Macolytes are Evveeelll!!!  They must be made to embrace the Way of Bill!
>>Just send your paychecks to Redmond WA!!!!
>
>M$ Windoze sucks!!!! Bill Gates is the Antichrist!!!! Microsloth Orafice
>is the work of the devil!!!! Macs RULE!!!!!!
>
>:)

No way, dude!  SEGA rules!!!

(to quote my nephew)


Steven Charlton
(who still has a working Atari 2600,
and likes his SUN Workstation very
much, thank you...)

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 12:46:00 -0400
From: Bill Prankard <BPRANKARD@theiia.org>
Subject: Re: Spanish version of CT

>Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 13:03:33 MET
>From: "Volker A. Greimann" <GREI5001@uni-trier.de>
>Subject: Re: Spanish version of CT

>- -> >Any lying arount in some stores, gathering dust, perchance???
>- -> >Ad Astra,
>- -> >V.A.G.
>- ->
>- -> As a matter of fact, yes.  There's a Spanish CT boxed set still 
looking for
>- -> a home at my FLGS! :)
>At what price? I probably wont buy it since overseas postage is
>usually a killer (you do live in America, don't you bill?) (i am still
>hoping for a store in Spain to have it...). Still, the price would
>indeed be of interest.
>Thanks

Yes, I live in the states. Orlando, Florida to be precise.  The FLGS there 
is a huge monopolistic store called Enterprise 1701 (they have basicaly shut 
all the smaller FLGS's down, and been around for almost 20 years IIRC.)  I 
believe they do some international ordering.  They have a website with lotsa 
information.

www.enterprise1701.com

The price I am not sure of, probably pretty cheap.  This was in the 
used/bargan/want-to sell-this-thing-bad section of the store :-)


Commander X

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 11:48:43 -0400
From: James Garriss <jpg@langley.mitre.org>
Subject: Re: Task System Revision

At 04:25 PM 6/19/97 -0400, you wrote:

> 1. T4 is weighted too heavily against stats. 

Very important.

> 2. Spectacular Success and Spectacular Failure are hard to do at easy >
and average, and easier at harder levels.
> 3. It should be harder to roll SS the harder a task becomes.
> 4. Replace SS with SF in 3.
> 5. I don't like the half-die. Get rid of it.

Not important at all.

6. Stop rolling so many dice.  Use 2d6, 2d10, or 1d100 instead.

Very important.

 James Garriss           Information Systems Engineer, MITRE
 jgarriss@mitre.org           http://www.cs.odu.edu/~garriss

    True Multitasking = 3 PCs and a chair with wheels.

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 11:44:07 -0400
From: James Garriss <jpg@langley.mitre.org>
Subject: Re: T4 Task Rationale

At 07:54 PM 6/19/97 -0400, CardSharks@aol.com wrote:

>The purpose of the Traveller task system and its mix of characteristics and
>skills is provide a means of resolving situations; the details of those
>situations in light of the tasks, skills, and characteristics become the
>basis for the story-telling aspects of Traveller adventures.

I understand what you've said, and it makes sense -- for one or two
examples.  But here's the problem with this system:  there are only 6
characteristics.  So someone can hit grad school, crank up the EDU, and
suddenly he's Too Good at Too Many skills.  

Now maybe if you had 12 or 15 characteristics and you evenly distributed
the skills out over all of them, that problem would go away.  But I'm not
sure folks want that many characteristics (though I've seen other systems
with them).  So the next best solution is to decrease the value of
characteristic compared to the skill.  That's what folks (myself included)
would like to see.

Make sense?

 James Garriss           Information Systems Engineer, MITRE
 jgarriss@mitre.org           http://www.cs.odu.edu/~garriss

    True Multitasking = 3 PCs and a chair with wheels.

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 11:16:48 -0500 (CDT)
From: Joseph "Chepe" Lockett <jlockett@io.com>
Subject: Re: Rule of Man TL (was Re: Anomalies...)

For my curiousity's sake, Leroy, would you list some of the previous
references to a high-tech Second Imperium?  I'm more than willing to
believe you: I just can't for the life of me recall any such.

- ----------------------------*------------------------*------------------------
 Joseph L. "Chepe" Lockett  |"Nullum magnum ingenium | GURPS fan, Amiga user,
http://www.io.com/~jlockett | sine mixtura dementiae | Shakespearean scholar,
  Email: jlockett@io.com    | fuit." -- Seneca       | actor and director.

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 11:35:40 -0500
From: Sam Thomas <sinbad@dfw.net>
Subject: Re: Task Vote Quorum Call So Far Day Two Delta

At 01:19 AM 6/20/97 -0700, you wrote:
>Thu, 19 Jun 1997 23:14:51 -0500, Sam Thomas <sinbad@dfw.net>
>>Backing For Change(s) are:
>>David P. Summers          <summers@alum.mit.edu>
>
>Note: If you include me as a pro vote, you have to make it
>clear that you are only counting votes for _any_ changes.
>(which might even include Marc Miller since he will problably
>tinker with the system even if he keeps the same basic system).
>In fact, while I would go with a MT type system, I disagree
>with a lot of the proposed changes....
>
>____________________________
>Summers@Alum.MIT.edu

Hmmm. I belive that to be clear but that was my intent, I am only counting
those that want/desire changes to the Task system great or small. This will
be the easy vote, the next one will get very "murky" on the many
issues/problems that each of us percieves to be inherent in each task
system proposed.


- -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
(c)1997 Sam Thomas  |Email:sinbad@dfw.net|
Sinbad Sam, Owner and Operator of Sinbad Sam's Saloon 
Chief Weapons Designer For Reddkneck Arms and Munitions
- -----------------------------------------------------

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 09:29:13 -0700
From: Scott Ellsworth <Scott_Ellsworth@alumni.hmc.edu>
Subject: Re: Hardware, firmware, software

At 04:01 PM 6/19/97 -0700, you wrote:
>At 05:03 PM 6/19/97 +0100, you wrote:
>>I was wondering what computers/operating systems people here use?  I've
>>seen quite a few mentions of Macs and only a few Unix/Windows/Dos.
>
>I run MS-DOS 6.22 and Win 3.1.  Based on what page count telles me, about
>60% of the visitors to my Traveller page use Windows, 35% Macs, and the
>other 5% an odd mixture of Linux, Unix, os/2, and the every-popular "other."

Be warned - Web-gathered statistics are often dangerous.  I, for example,
visit with a Win browser from work, but use Unix and Mac stuff at home,
where I do not browse the Web often.  (This is changing - my connection
from home is a 200K cable modem, and work is a 64K ISDN connection.)
Spending 5 minutes browsing the web is one thing, but actually putting
software on the work machines is beyond the pale.

I have always been fond of Unix-y software, even if I do not use it as my
machine of choice, as it is usually in source, and I can get both Mac and
Unix versions fairly easily.

YMMV.

(Macolytes will now concentrate thier psychic forces on the Oppressor of
Redmond.  Murmer - chant - pray - INVOKE!)

Scott
Scott_Ellsworth@alumni.hmc.edu   http://users.deltanet.com/~fuz
"When a great many people are unable to find work, unemployment 
results" - Calvin Coolidge, (Stanley Walker, City Editor, p. 131 (1934))
"The barbarian is thwarted at the moat." - Scott Adams

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 09:43:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Douglas <douglas@*teleport.com>
Subject: Does anyone have...

the sector information already in CSV, Excel Spreadsheet, Access database,
or just plain text format?  I am looking at putting this data on my
computer for future projects, but the thought is a bit...daunting!
Especially with the idea of putting in all _four_ incarnations for my
various projects!  

For the IG lurkers (looking for a way to re-sell work already completed) -
I for one, would be more than happy to shell out some bucks for raw sector
data that I could manipulate for my campaign!  Burning CDs is
pretty cheap these days, and the packaging doesn't run that much!

- --------------------------------------------
Any sufficiently reliable magic is indistinguishable from technology
                                              -Merlin

douglas@teleport.com
http:\\www.teleport.com\~douglas\

MCSE: Windows95, Windows NT 3.51 Server, Windows NT 3.51 Workstation, 
      Exchange Server, Basic Networking, TCP/IP
- --------------------------------------------

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 11:02:27 -0600
From: Glenn Hoppe <starcity@sk.sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: Skill's from Stats - An idea under construction

Eris Reddoch wrote:
> 
> On 06/19/97 at 09:31 PM,  Glenn Hoppe <starcity@sk.sympatico.ca> said:
> 
> >So, low Strength limited Brawling advancement by 2 levels, average
> >Intelligence limited Streetwise advancement by 1 level, but high Dexterity
> >means Dance will only just now be limited, advancement has been steady in
> >Dance skill...
> 
> I'm still concerned by the levels we're getting here.  The Streetwise 4 our PC has after 5 gains in it is pitifully low as a stand along target number against *any* number of 6 sided dice.

Yes, I agree. I think a dice mechanic needs to be decided, and a
suitable skill range agreed upon. As I said, my example assumed skills
range from 1 to 6.

Off the top of my head, one could use the *Skill Points* as the target
number (ie. don't divide by three), using a difficulty progression like
2d6-3d6-4d6-5d6-6d6. I haven't done the statistical analysis, but it
might work.

> About the FUDGE material, yes I got it and have been tinkering with it some.  I'm not bringing up things that don't use d6 in this thread though, because of all the "d6-fanatics" here. ;->

Better to die a heretic then a fanatic, eh Eris? :-)

PS. FUDGE dice are d6's! Just really strange looking d6's... ;-> Also,
there are alternate die rolling methods using d6's. My personal
favourite is rolling 4d6, 2 of one colour and 2 of another (ie.
red=negative, green=positive) Discard all but the lowest die/dice. If
the dice are red, use the result as a negative result, if the dice are
green, it's positive. If you get mixed colour dice as the lowest, the
result is 0. It's fast, and no addition is required.

Examples: R5 G3 G2 R2 = 0   Fair result
          R6 G3 G2 R1 = -1  Mediocre 
          G5 R4 G4 R2 = -2  Poor
          R4 R3 G2 G2 = +2  Excellent
          G6 R3 G3 R3 = 0   Fair

- -- Glenn Hoppe
A bona fide recently converted Task System heretic

My stand on one week jump time is still quite orthodox, though. ;-)

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 97 18:11 BST-1
From: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
Subject: Re: A Plea to Marc Miller

In-Reply-To: <jipccOAqiVqzEwzA@elvw.demon.co.uk>

> As a basic principle I am in favour of skills being more important than
> attributes.  I also don't like half-dice.

I'd agree with that. MT got it pretty right.
______________________________________________________________________
Andrew M J Boulton                  http://www.compulink.co.uk/~fubar/
 "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste"

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 97 18:11 BST-1
From: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
Subject: Re: Finding Andy Lilly

In-Reply-To: <B1C561F8E483D01180E000004B1947730376A7@cisco1-gw.uoregon.edu>

Andy,

> I've been getting bounces from Andy Lilly's ISP with the following
> message:-
>  
> 'One or more mandatory argument(s) were missing from the recipient'

I didn't know it was mandatory to argue with Andy...:-)

(Hmm...too many Andys here...)
______________________________________________________________________
Andrew M J Boulton                  http://www.compulink.co.uk/~fubar/
 "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste"

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 97 18:11 BST-1
From: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
Subject: Re: Hardware, firmware, software

In-Reply-To: <hyLc4KAjhVqzEwT4@elvw.demon.co.uk>

> I was wondering what computers/operating systems people here use?  I've
> seen quite a few mentions of Macs and only a few Unix/Windows/Dos.

Windows 95. (It's crap, but it's *standard* crap...)

> My second question is more Traveller-related.  What would you want
> Pocket Empires software to do?  This is a deliberately vague question to
> avoid biasing the response.

vague answer: all the hard bits.

______________________________________________________________________
Andrew M J Boulton                  http://www.compulink.co.uk/~fubar/
 "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste"

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 10:04:37 -0700 (MST)
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU>
Subject: Re: Hardware, firmware, software

On Thu, 19 Jun 1997, Glenn Hoppe wrote:
 
> <crusty codger mode ON>
> 
> In my day, we didn't need NO fancy-shmancy blood and gore graphics, 
> mul-TIE-media exploshuns,  ISDN connection to internet with Kali or all 
> that Doom, Warcraft, and Command and Conquer bullcrap to WHUP some ASS!
> 
> We played Trade Wars 2002 over 1200 baud modems. AND WE LIKED IT!
> 
> <crusty codger mode OFF>

Luuuxury...

We had a 300 baud acoustic coupler, a rusty teletype machine with a broken
'G' key, and just the original Colossal Cave Adventure to play "..You are
in a maze of twisty tunnels, all slightly different..." 

Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group

Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 10:00:32 -0700
From: Scott Ellsworth <Scott_Ellsworth@alumni.hmc.edu>
Subject: Re: Hardware, firmware, software

At 03:58 PM 6/20/97 +0100, John wrote:
>I don't have access to a Mac, but anything I write might still be useful
>if I keep the user interface well-separated from the mechanics, so a Mac
>C++ programmer could write their own UI without having to do so much
>work.

Or just us a CLI if need be.  I usually do for simple stuff until I get
around to wrapping an interface around it.  It is usually pretty easy to
add some kind of interface, as long as the underlying stuff is fairly well
thought out.

>>2) Import existing settings, using HIWG-standard text files (ESS)
>I was planning on that for my world-building program (now abandoned
>because of Dulinor).

I do so wish the Dulinor people would either let me play with the source,
or would release a Mac/Unix version.  It sounds quite slick, but I cannot
use it on the machines that I fell comfortable doing so.

I do not dispute their decision to do it where they have, BTW, I just want
to make use of it. :)
Scott

Scott_Ellsworth@alumni.hmc.edu   http://users.deltanet.com/~fuz
"When a great many people are unable to find work, unemployment 
results" - Calvin Coolidge, (Stanley Walker, City Editor, p. 131 (1934))
"The barbarian is thwarted at the moat." - Scott Adams

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

Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 10:12:56 -0700
From: Scott Ellsworth <Scott_Ellsworth@alumni.hmc.edu>
Subject: Re: T4 Task Rationale

At 07:54 PM 6/19/97 -0400, Marc wrote:
>The purpose of the Traveller task system and its mix of characteristics and
>skills is provide a means of resolving situations; the details of those
>situations in light of the tasks, skills, and characteristics become the
>basis for the story-telling aspects of Traveller adventures.

I liked the above write up a great deal. I hope it makes it into the new
book!  I especially liked that you compared Three with a skill of one to
Eleven with a skill of one.

I am aware, BTW, that it supports the opposite position than the one I
voted in favor of, but clearly you can fiddle with the exact numbers
without changing the expository text, and frankly, the expository text is
far more important, IMHO, than the details.  Details can be changed, but
feel is difficult to do.  I might argue the results of that comparison of
Three and Eleven, both after a year course, but having it there puts the
issue in the open, where a DM can fiddle.

The above adds to the feel of the task system.  Toss in a few more examples
of the kinds of things that are difficult, easy, average, etc.  Perhaps a
half dozen to a dozen of each, and people will be set to fiddle as they see
fit.  (I know there are many examples in the rules already, but more would
help the beleaguered game master.)

We can then debate the TS mechanics virtually forever, but at least then,
everyone has a pretty good idea of the expected results.

Scott
Scott_Ellsworth@alumni.hmc.edu   http://users.deltanet.com/~fuz
"When a great many people are unable to find work, unemployment 
results" - Calvin Coolidge, (Stanley Walker, City Editor, p. 131 (1934))
"The barbarian is thwarted at the moat." - Scott Adams

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End of Traveller-digest V1997 #1450
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