Traveller-digest     Wednesday, August 11 1999     Volume 1999 : Number 942



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

The following topics are covered in this digest:

Re: first contact
Re: Another Newbie
Introducing the Ha~rsapur Tfkni Ipnapur, a Sword World Confederation Company.
Re: <no comment> 
Re: First In
Re: PRB
Re: New Art 
Re: Vilani Stature
Re: Introducing the Ha~rsapur Tfkni Ipnapur, a Sword World Confederation Company.
Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #941
Re: Another Newbie
Re: Comment on GT Stuff?
Re: P*****s
RE: Another Newbie
Stats and Skills
Relief for Newbies
Re: People's Republic of Berzerkley
RE: New Art
RE: New Art
Re: Comment on GT Stuff?
Re: Ethically-challenged merchants (was re: A New Traveller)
Re: Ethically-challenged merchants (was re: A New Traveller)
Re: Relief for Newbies

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 09:40:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: Michael Houghton <herveus@Radix.Net>
Subject: Re: first contact

Howdy!

> "Keven R. Pittsinger" wrote:
> > 
> > > >>>Canon? Hell I use Vulcans myself!
> > > >>>
> > > >> I just wonder what the first contact scenario for Aslan and Kzinti would
> > > be like...
> > > >
> > > >Duelling hairballs?
> > > >
> > > Why am I hearing the soundtrack for Deliverance?
> > 
> > As sung by Bill the Cat?
> 
> With the Stray Cats playing backup....
> 
Of course, the banjos will be strung with...

yours,
Michael
- -- 
Michael and MJ Houghton   | Herveus d'Ormonde and Megan O'Donnelly
herveus@radix.net         | White Wolf and the Phoenix
Bowie, MD, USA            | Tablet and Inkle bands, and other stuff
                          | http://www.radix.net/~herveus/

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 14:52:07 +0100
From: Phil Kitching <postmark.design@btinternet.com>
Subject: Re: Another Newbie

At 07:35 11/08/1999 -0400, "DaveShayne" <daveshayne@email.msn.com> wrote:

>But I need info on stellar evolution. If I recall my college astro 101
>course brighter stars burn faster.

yes

>But I don't know how fast this is. IE Sol is a main sequence yellow dwarf,
>It will eventually balloon into a red giant, How long does this take, What
>is the life cycle of Blue giants, etc.

rough guess, Sol is about 5,000,000,000 years old.
The red giant bit comes in another 5,000,000,000 years (lifetime about 10^10).

With a stellar scale of:

	O B A F G K

Sol is type G.

Type Ks glow for 10^11 - 10^12 years (or approximately "forever")

Blue giants are (IIRC) type O, and I seem to recall an estimate of
60 million years for one example.

If you mean "how long does the red dwarf stage last?" I'd guess
at a couple of millions years at most.

...

What I ought to do is go home and look this up properly.
Trouble is, if I leave now, someone might notice. ;-)

Phil Kitching
- --
  http://www.btinternet.com/~salvo/
  Postmark Design Bureau, Emerging Technologies Division.
 "Microwaving half-baked ideas from across the Galaxy"

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 10:10:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: William Prankard <cmdrx@magicnet.net>
Subject: Introducing the Ha~rsapur Tfkni Ipnapur, a Sword World Confederation Company.

Introducing the Ha~rsapur Tfkni Ipnapur, a Sword World Confederation
Company.

Ha~rsapur Tfkni Ipnapur (HTI), translated into galanglic as 'Advanced
Technology Industry' is a primary producer of starships and weapon
systems. Its main facility is located on Gram.

HTI produces a number of Late TL9 systems and ships.  Visit the HTI at
http://www.magicnet.com/~cmdrx/xtek/gurps/hti.htm

This site has just begun but  will continue to produce more modules and
ships using "Late TL9"

Take a look and enjoy!

\\  // Commander X
 \\//  CEO X-TEK Industries of Deneb, LIC
T E K  Military & Civilan Starship Contractor
 //\\  High Energy Weapons Research
//  \\ http://www.magicnet.net/~cmdrx/xtek/xtek.htm

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 09:20:05 -0500
From: Anthony Salter <badman@austin.rr.com>
Subject: Re: <no comment> 

>Um, I kinda question the *success* of the attempt.  Remember, he said his 
>players went off to play AD&D.  It's what they call in Cleveland an
'almost a 
>good idea'.  <grin>

Ah, my players weren't that into it anyway.  They wanted a fantasy
campaign, but I'd just bought T:NE and I was bound and determined to play
Traveller again :)

None of my players had any previous Traveller experience, and recoiled in
horror when I started describing Virus.  Then I threw this nasty, nasty way
for Virus to propagate itself behind the Claw (for that was the intention
of this strain of Virus, it knew that the Marches were more or less
untainted) and they decided they didn't like this universe any more :)

> 
>> Anthony must have been a Paranoia ref at some point in his career....
>
>No doubt.  <grin>
>
>Keven

Doubt?  Citizen, do you doubt the computer?

Badman (Infrareds from sectors GOV, LAW, and POL, please report to Power
Systems for use as reactor shielding.  That is all.)

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 07:01:08
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <dberry@hooked.net>
Subject: Re: First In

At 05:38 PM 8/10/99 -0700, you wrote:

>>There should be a gravity neutral (Lagrange) point at the centre of mass of
>the two stars. So you could pop a far port (or two) in there.
>>
>This may not be the brightest question that I have ever asked, but what
>exactly IS a Lagrange point?  I put one in orbit around Shiratori, a planet
>in my novel, and now I'm wondering if I have to give Shiratori a moon of
>about the same size as ours.  I needed it to put a station in.

A Lagrange point is a point where the gravitational attraction of two
massive objects cancel each other.  The Earth and Moon have five L-points,
but the ones we're interested in are L-4 and L-5.  The points are 60
degrees ahead of and behind the Moon along it's orbit.  Put something in
those points, and they'll stay there forever. It works something like this:

     0 <--Moon
              * <--L-5  

     *
    *** <--Planet
    *** 
     *

So you will need a large is moon.


- -- 

Douglas E. Berry   Templar Agent at Large.
dberry@hooked.net  http://jump.to/SyleaDownport

TravGeekCode: 
tc+ tm+ !tn- t4@ ?tg+ tt@ to(CORPS)++ ru@ $ge++ 3i
ii+ au st+ ls+ pi kk+ so(++) va++ dr+ zh+ sw++ ?da
         

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 07:06:39
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <dberry@hooked.net>
Subject: Re: PRB

At 02:10 AM 8/11/99 -0500, you wrote:

>As a native St. Louisan, I always figured that White Castle would
>eventually become an interstellar franchise.  Gotta _love_ those Whitey
>One-Bites!  (Except for those maladjusted beings who _hate_ "sliders"
>with an equal passion....)

Naw, with the expansion of the terran Confederation into space, the
Army/Air Force Exchange service went with them.  So every world of the old
Vilani Imperium soon had little road side AAFES snack bars selling gut
grenades and greasy fries.

By the time of the Third Imperium, Aafes is a four-star chain of resturants.
- -- 

Doug Berry             dberry@hooked.net
http://www.hooked.net/~dberry/index.html

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 07:02:05
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <dberry@hooked.net>
Subject: Re: New Art 

At 11:14 PM 8/10/99 -0400, you wrote:

>I've got 'Web of Angels' and 'The Final Reflection' and I've read "How
Much For Just The Planet?'.  I also have 2 copies of the JTAS issue with
'Road Show' in it.

I have my copy of Roadshiow autographed.
- -- 

Doug Berry             dberry@hooked.net
http://www.hooked.net/~dberry/index.html

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 09:24:43 -0500 (CDT)
From: Steven Bonneville <bonnevil@ima.umn.edu>
Subject: Re: Vilani Stature

"Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net> wrote:

> ...the question was Vilani and Genoee are both supposed to have been
> planted on dense atmosphere, 1.3g worlds, yet Vilani are only stocky
> while Genoee are much more dwarf-like.

We know the Vilani can interbreed with Solomani at least; it's highly
likely they can with other human races.  We also know that the Vilani
went to some pains to wipe out other human cultures and make them all
culturally Vilani; the Consolidation Wars and the fate of the... umm,
but that's an adventure spoiler.

So it's possible one reason Vilani aren't so Geonee-like is that they
actually have more "minor human race" genes than Vilani genes blended
into the Vilani gene pool.

> The answer is, "the Ancients dood it!"

On the other hand, what about all those Chirpers that hang around the
Geonee?  As I recall, the Geonee society requires Chirpers to approve
of marriages (from TD)...maybe the work of the Great Old One goes on....

  -- Steve Bonneville

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 07:26:39
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <dberry@hooked.net>
Subject: Re: Introducing the Ha~rsapur Tfkni Ipnapur, a Sword World Confederation Company.

At 10:10 AM 8/11/99 -0400, you wrote:

>Ha~rsapur Tfkni Ipnapur (HTI), translated into galanglic as 'Advanced
>Technology Industry' 

Hraur Tkni Inaur if you want the correct Icelandic.

Nice site!
- -- 

Doug Berry             dberry@hooked.net
http://www.hooked.net/~dberry/index.html

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 10:29:06 -0400
From: Ethan Henry <egh@klg.com>
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1999 #941

"William F. Hostman" <aramis@gci.net> wrote:
> 1) ... 5)

All these point are true.

> 6) All a radio is is "vibration in a metal object" being turned into data
> carriers, sound, &/or video. Strong enough signals create physical
> vibrations; weaker ones merely electric energy.

What? Woah. Somebody better go revise the electrical engineering texts I used
to study then. 

Radio waves are electromagnetic radiatation, specifically relatively
low-frequency EM radiation. Antennas work by being more... ugh, what's the
word... conductive? Susceptible? Anyway, EM radiation moves more easily
through metal (or anything conductive) than it does through air, so when
subjected to am EM field, a small current (voltage? ugh. I have to admit - I
got a really bad mark in the antennas & waveguides course) is induced in the
antenna, which can be amplified, etc.

I have trouble imagining radio waves inducing physical motion in anything,
unless of course the radio waves induce a current, which in turn induces a
magnetic field, which could cause some motion. But otherwise, sticking
something next to a powerful radio broadcast antenna is just likely to make it
hot, not move. The same thing is true of other low-frequence EM devices, like
radar for example. Ask some of the people on the list who have worked on ships
with big radar arrays. Walk in front of them and you won't notice a thing,
well, except for your flesh cooking off of your bones. Althugh those sorts of
installations usually use something closer to microwaves, as opposed to radio
waves. (Where's my spectrum chart when I need it?)

> combine all four (and a few others) and you find out why people too close
> to certain stations who broadcast from atop a skyscraper can't pick it up,
> but people just a little further pick it up on their beds... and the whole
> state can pick it up on their radios. (The building blocks the LOS when you
> get close enough... metal building frames block much RF. A strong enough
> signal on a harmonic frequency to a metal object at the correct angles will
> vibrate.... AM is easy to pick up this way. AM bounces back down, and
> sometimes bounces up again. Hand radios are far more sensitive than
> bedsprings... by several orders of magnitude.)

Well, I've never heard of bed springs picking up radio signals, but if you say
it's true, I won't debate it. The only possible explanation I can think of is
the I mentioned above - radio induces current, whiich in turn induces a
magnetic field. You mention bedsprings, which is interesting, because they
have that nice spiral shape, just like you find in a wire-wound
electromagnet... I imagine that if you have a bed which is just one long wire
wound into a number of coils (a lot of beds really are just one wire!) then
there's a nice long piece of metal for the current to flow through and all
those little coils will no doubt compress & stretch as the current flows
through them. 

But radio waves are not "just vibrations in metal".
- --
Ethan Henry                                            egh@klg.com
Java Evangelist, KL Group                       http://www.klg.com

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 09:34:20 -0500
From: Anthony Salter <badman@austin.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Another Newbie

>I'll start off by saying that while I own significant parts of CT, MT, TNE,
>and T4 I only just found out about GT. Is it worth plunking down a couple
>hundred creds?
>Not that it really matters, I'll have to get it just for the sake of
>completeness anyway.

There are several reviews of GURPS Traveller on RPG.Net (www.rpg.net).
They are, for the most part, positive.  Rather than review it, I'll give
you a rundown of what it contains.  The first 80~ pages are a crash-course
in the history and culture of the Third Imperium, mostly in the same format
as the old "library data" suppliments.  The next 25~ pages deal with
characters, and include character templates for just about every character
type available in CT or MT.  The next 20~ pages deal with equipment and
supplies that are common in the Traveller Universe.  Statistics are
included for about 20 of the most common vehicles found in Traveller
(200-ton Free Trader, 100-ton Scout/Courier, the Air Raft, etc) and
deckplans included for a few.  A modular starship design system is
included.  This system is fully compatible with GURPS Vehicles, and you'll
want that book if you intend to deviate from the standard hulls and modules
given here.  Finally, a system is presented whereby starship combat can be
resolved in boardgame style on  a hex grid.  I haven't played this
particular game (and, shockingly, there is no example combat) so I can't
comment on how well it works.

I personally would have paid full price just for the 80 pages of collated
Traveller info (and would have paid MUCH MORE for it when I was a CT ref).

Badman

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 09:40:43 -0500
From: Anthony Salter <badman@austin.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Comment on GT Stuff?

At 07:38 AM 8/11/99 -0500, you wrote:
>My Star Wars game has come to its campaign finale, and now I'm looking
>at picking up my Traveller game again.
>
>I will use one of the Traveller rules sets (either Classic, MT, or T4),
>but I'm curious about the GURPS stuff.
>
>The question is:
>
>If I'm going to use a Traveller rules set, AND I own just about
>everything ever published by GDW for Traveller, will the GURPS stuff be
>useful to me?
>
>Or, is the GURPS stuff just repetitive information I already own using a
>new rules set?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Kenneth.

That's a tough one.  I bought GURPS Traveller because I've got
MustbuyeverythingwiththewordTravelleronthecoveritis.  But it IS a good book
- - much better (in my opinion) than T:NE or T4.  It feels like Classic
Traveller using the GURPS engine - and the match feels very right.  It
really depends on whether or not you want to use the GURPS roleplaying engine.

Or you may just want to wait for T5 - it's SUPPOSED to be out before the
end of the year.

Badman

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 10:50:15 -0400
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca>
Subject: Re: P*****s

J-Man writes:
>Ian ordered :
>- -----------------
>Cardinal biggles, fetch the comfy chair...
>- ----------------------------------------------------
>
>Ah, sir, wouldn't you like to use the RACK on him first?  Can't I just
>interrogate the prisoners a little?

	Of course, but he is made of stern stuff.  The soft cushion
	may not be sufficient.

Peez

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 10:56:07 -0400
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca>
Subject: RE: Another Newbie

Dave Shayne writes:
>Allow me please to introduce myself,
>my name is Dave Shayne, I've been a trav. aficionado
>since the lbb days.
<snipped>

	Hi Dave, and welcome to the list.  This must be Newbie
	week, with the high positive Newbie flux that the TML is
	experiencing.  This is a good thing.

Peez

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 11:05:53 -0400
From: Ian Ferguson <ian@vax2.concordia.ca>
Subject: Stats and Skills

Michael Hughes wrote:
<snipped>
>Hey Peez, if you have a detailed electronic list of your task DMs 
>based on a Traveller's former career, I'd love to seem 'em.

	Michael, I have the list in WordPerfect format but I didn't
	get your e-address.  If you (or anyone else) wants the list,
	please tip me off.

Peez

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 11:11:41 -0400 (EDT)
From: Charles Collin <charles@hebb.psych.mcgill.ca>
Subject: Relief for Newbies

<BREEP! BREEP! BREEP!  Attention!  Signal-to-noise ratio has fallen to
critical levels!  Recommend deletion of all 57 (!) messages from TML!>

Ahem, sorry about that :-).  

First, let me say welcome to all the recent listees.  I don't think we've
had this many sign-ons in a while (though I don't know about lurkers, of
course).  Just so not too much of the obscure references "in humor" (or
alledged "in humor")  flies past you, here are a few pointers: 

1. The commercial viability of pirates is a major pool of gasoline you do
not want to dip your wick into.  Trust me. 

2. Virus is worse.  People have issued death threats over Virus, I'm not
kidding. 

3. BBQ'ed K'Kree seems to be innordinately popular with this group,
probably because the Centaurs are seen as majorly evil (they _have_
genocided a few races for the sin of eating meat, but let he who hasn't
sinned throw the first near-C rock, I say :-). 

4. Which brings us to near-C rocks.  The problem here is the immense
amounts of thrust afforded a Traveller ship.  It can thrust continuously
for a month, meaning that even a 1g launch can get to appreciable
percentages of light-speed.  At that velocity, impacting a planet causes
the planet to go bye-bye.  Of course, you can accelerate a chunk of rock
the same way and do the same thing, making it even easier. 

5. I have no idea at all about the Lesbian Aslan (aka female Aslan in
comfy shoes).  Some folks around here are just strange... 

Well, I think that's it for "dangerous topics".  We've also had
immense debates about "what is a feudal technocracy?", the characteristics
of various peices of military equipment and lots of other junk I can't
remember, but they're either distant past or not that important.

Don't get me wrong, most of the time the list is very pleasant, and the
folks here have IMMENSE ammounts of knowledge to share (e.g., Robert
O'Connor for bio, Leonard Erikson for engineering and natural science,
Hans Rencke (sp?) for economics and Traveller history, etc....).

But as you'll see in the coming days (cuz #1 is flaring up again and it's
impossible to stop it) some people are quite serious about their fantasies
of little spacemen in 57th century. :-) 

Oh, one last thing, don't mention former list members Clif (with one f) or
Leroy Guatney (heh heh heh!  Oh wait, wasn't I supposed to be dispelling
inside references?  Oh well...).  

Welcome aboard!
Charles C.

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 08:16:39 -0700
From: "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com>
Subject: Re: People's Republic of Berzerkley

> There's surely an Ob Traveller in there somewhere.

Sure there is, in Niven's Known Space series there are many mentions of
"future fashion", including, ISTR, moving holo-tatoos, skin-dye job,
fibre-optic hair implants, etc. And nudity. Is there a nudist culture in the
3I? Or other polities? I know the tech is there for most of Niven's ideas,
and elective plastic surgery could produce, well, all kinds of kink.

Do the doggies even bother with clothes?

BZA
////////////////////////////////////////
Akella 0609 C654474-6 S kk+ hi++ as+ va+ dr+ da+ so@ zh- vi+  A523
IMTU tc++ ?t4 ru@ 3i+(-) c+ jt au@ st- ls+ pi+ ta@ he+

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 08:35:41 -0700
From: "Jesse DeGraff" <fenris@slip.net>
Subject: RE: New Art

Do you need the Bilandin font Mike?
Jesse




> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com
> [mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Michael
> Peters
> Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 1999 3:38 PM
> To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com
> Subject: Re: New Art
>
>
> Probably because that's the font I used. It's the best looking of the
> few alien ones I have (mostly trek) and I didn't whant to make my own.
>
> Mike
>
> Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:
> >
> > I like your art, but why does the script on the starliner look like
> > Klingonaase to me?
> >
> > Kiri, confused
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Michael Peters <travelleri@home.com>
> > To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com>
> > Date: Sunday, August 08, 1999 3:04 PM
> > Subject: Re: New Art
> >
> > >Thanks Kiri, there was a broken link that my browser was ignoring since
> > >it had the originals. I've tried it from the other internet connection
> > >and it should be ok now though!
> > >
> > >again the address:
> > >
> > >http://members.home.net/travelleri/index.html
> > >
> > >and go to the artwork page (which SHOULD work now!)
> > >
> > >Mike
> > >
> > >Kiri Aradia Morgan wrote:
> > >>
> > >> I got an error message that the page wasn't up.
> > >>
> > >> Kiri
> > >> -----Original Message-----
> > >> From: Michael Peters <travelleri@home.com>
> > >> To: TML <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com>
> > >> Date: Sunday, August 08, 1999 1:55 PM
> > >> Subject: New Art
> > >>
> > >> >Please check out the type M subsidized liner art on my web
> page and let
> > >> >me know what you think. Thanks to Steve Hudson for several
> pictures. Any
> > >> >error are strictly of my own making from my interpretation.
> > >> >
> > >> >They can be found at
> > >> >
> > >> >http://members.home.net/travelleri/index.html
> > >> >
> > >> >follow the Artwork link
> > >> >--
> > >> >Mike Peters
> > >> >travelleri@home.com
> > >> >
> > >
> > >--
> > >Mike Peters
> > >travelleri@home.com
> > >
>
> --
> Mike Peters
> travelleri@home.com
>

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 10:25:58 -0500
From: Anthony Salter <badman@austin.rr.com>
Subject: RE: New Art

Ooooh...I'm always on the lookout for a good font.

At 08:35 AM 8/11/99 -0700, you wrote:
>Do you need the Bilandin font Mike?
>Jesse

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 08:39:45 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jetrock <jetrock@emrl.com>
Subject: Re: Comment on GT Stuff?

On Wed, 11 Aug 1999, Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions wrote:

> The question is:
> 
> If I'm going to use a Traveller rules set, AND I own just about
> everything ever published by GDW for Traveller, will the GURPS stuff be
> useful to me?

Yes, if you want to run the Traveller world setting with the GURPS rules
system.
> 
> Or, is the GURPS stuff just repetitive information I already own using a
> new rules set?
> 
There is some new information--but a lot of said new information is
considered highly alarming, non-canon and generally a Bad Thing on the
order of a Virus-infected pirate attached to a near-C rock transported by
jump missile.

Basically, if you just want to run old-school Traveller, you're better off
using your old Traveller stuff. If you want to use the GURPS rules set to
run games in the Traveller universe, then GURPS Traveller is a quite
comprehensive way to do so (though, to be honest, they're still finishing
it in parts.) The old Traveller LBB's, BCB's (big colorful books), deck
plans, secret decoder ring and Sergei hault-Oberlindes action figure are
all still good...

- --Rev. Jetrock, founder of UBERKUNST, Freelance Digital Appliance Healer
http://emrl.com/~jetrock for UBERKUNST and MONSTER ATTACK information!

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 08:39:13 -0700
From: "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com>
Subject: Re: Ethically-challenged merchants (was re: A New Traveller)

>         That's pretty much how my TNEC milieu works...  most "piracy" is in
> fact "privateering".  Corp vs Corp skirmishes through deniable assets.  It
> keeps the UN from sending a Peace Keeping fleet to the area.  In fact, most
> Privateers are paid by the ton of kill...  they just flare the hull and
> didi-mau.

Didi-mau? Ex-squeeze me?

And what does "prize crew it" mean?

BZA
////////////////////////////////////////
Akella 0609 C654474-6 S kk+ hi++ as+ va+ dr+ da+ so@ zh- vi+  A523
IMTU tc++ ?t4 ru@ 3i+(-) c+ jt au@ st- ls+ pi+ ta@ he+

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 10:50:54 -0500
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net>
Subject: Re: Ethically-challenged merchants (was re: A New Traveller)

Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella wrote:
> 
> >         That's pretty much how my TNEC milieu works...  most "piracy" is in
> > fact "privateering".  Corp vs Corp skirmishes through deniable assets.  It
> > keeps the UN from sending a Peace Keeping fleet to the area.  In fact, most
> > Privateers are paid by the ton of kill...  they just flare the hull and
> > didi-mau.
> 
> Didi-mau? Ex-squeeze me?

You know, _didi-mau_.  Unass the AO.  Get the [expletive of choice] out
of Dodge.  Depart the area with alacrity.
> 
> And what does "prize crew it" mean?

You send enough of your crew over to the prize to man it, and (assuming
that they are adequately loyal) they fly it home with you.

- -- 
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776

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

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 09:05:26 -0700
From: "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com>
Subject: Re: Relief for Newbies

> 1. The commercial viability of pirates is a major pool of gasoline you do
> not want to dip your wick into.  Trust me.

Hmm. Piracy is canon. Pirates are on the encounter tables. Corsair deckplans
are all over. Privateers are historical.
>
> 2. Virus is worse.  People have issued death threats over Virus, I'm not
> kidding.
>
I have not read any Virus stuff besides this list, as I am a CT guy, but
what I have heard sounds like a poorly concieved arbiters fiat. This is
unfortunate, as I can see how it might have worked. Oh well, kill me.

Kidding.

> 3. BBQ'ed K'Kree seems to be innordinately popular with this group,
> probably because the Centaurs are seen as majorly evil (they _have_
> genocided a few races for the sin of eating meat, but let he who hasn't
> sinned throw the first near-C rock, I say :-).

Well, they did evolve from some form of grazing herd animal...Right?

Mooooo!

>
> 4. Which brings us to near-C rocks.  The problem here is the immense
> amounts of thrust afforded a Traveller ship.  It can thrust continuously
> for a month, meaning that even a 1g launch can get to appreciable
> percentages of light-speed.  At that velocity, impacting a planet causes
> the planet to go bye-bye.  Of course, you can accelerate a chunk of rock
> the same way and do the same thing, making it even easier.

And nobody has solved this? Well, I'm gonna have to do some research,
because I just can't have that.
>
> 5. I have no idea at all about the Lesbian Aslan (aka female Aslan in
> comfy shoes).  Some folks around here are just strange...

I just like anything involving lesbians...

And I am strange.
>
> Well, I think that's it for "dangerous topics".  We've also had
> immense debates about "what is a feudal technocracy?",

That one has always bothered me. What the Hierate is a "feudal technocracy"?
>
> Don't get me wrong, most of the time the list is very pleasant, and the
> folks here have IMMENSE ammounts of knowledge to share (e.g., Robert
> O'Connor for bio, Leonard Erikson for engineering and natural science,
> Hans Rencke (sp?) for economics and Traveller history, etc....).
>
Most of the list is pleasant? This list is the coolest!

> But as you'll see in the coming days (cuz #1 is flaring up again and it's
> impossible to stop it) some people are quite serious about their fantasies
> of little spacemen in 57th century. :-)
>
Resistance is futile...
BZA
////////////////////////////////////////
Akella 0609 C654474-6 S kk+ hi++ as+ va+ dr+ da+ so@ zh- vi+  A523
IMTU tc++ ?t4 ru@ 3i+(-) c+ jt au@ st- ls+ pi+ ta@ he+

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

End of Traveller-digest V1999 #942
**********************************

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