Traveller-digest       Friday, August 20 1999       Volume 1999 : Number 983



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

The following topics are covered in this digest:

Re: Flame bait
Re: Hats off to Jesse
RE: Imperial Army
Re: Fast Food
Re: Flame bait
Re: Experience System
www.Downport.com
Re: Experience System
Re: Experience System
Re: Grav Belts
Re: Flame bait 
Re: Flame bait 
Re: Hal Clement... 
Re: Experience System
Re: Imperial Army 
Re: Hats off to Jesse
Slings (was Re: Fast Food)
Re: Fast Food

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

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 21:20:09 -0500
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net>
Subject: Re: Flame bait

"Keven R. Pittsinger" wrote:
> 
> > John Buston wrote:
> > >
> > > >Kenneth.
> > >
> > > Is this clif resubscribing under another alias?
> >
> > Better that you should mention the name Hastur than that one....
> >
> > (Waitaminit.  Did I just mention "Hastur"?  Yes, I did indeed type
> > "Hastur"....)
> >
> > *sound of unspeakable horrors popping my soul into a toaster oven for a
> > light snack*
> 
> Got any tobasco sauce there, bud?

Of _course_ I have Tabasco.  I live in Louisiana, after all....

So, H****r will have a nice, spicy snack....

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

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

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 22:51:07 -0400
From: "Jory Earl" <j-man@iname.com>
Subject: Re: Hats off to Jesse

How do I get a picture of just the background in the pic, "acipiter test
shot"?  Thats an awesome background.
___________________________________________________________
 J-Man
 ICQ# 2843475
 New Hampshire - U.S.A.
 Email : j-man@iname.com
 Home Page : http://www.geocities.com/~jman037/
___________________________________________________________

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

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 19:21:24
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <dberry@hooked.net>
Subject: RE: Imperial Army

At 10:18 AM 8/20/1999 +1000, you wrote:

>My only gripe with this would be that the more TLs you have in a single
>force, the more complicated the logistics get.  It hardly seems worthwhile
>hauling TL8 troops across interstellar distances, although, of course you
>use the troops you have available.  

Which is why I see the actual IA being equipped to TL 14-15 standards.  The
extra cost of procuring the equipment and training the "barbarians" to use
it is more than offset by the value of having universally equipped troops.
- --

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

"I created the universe; give ME the gift certificate!!"
                   - Lisa Simpson, Overachiever

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

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 19:14:01
From: "Douglas E. Berry" <dberry@hooked.net>
Subject: Re: Fast Food

At 04:04 PM 8/19/1999 -0300, you wrote:

>>Something about hearing shrapnel whistling above your head...

>        ROFLAMO!
>        The worst thing, Doug, is that I know exactly what you mean.....

The Sergeant teaching me to throw grenades kept going on it was just like
throwing a baseball.  Sad thing was, I never played baseball.
- -- 

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

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

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 20:05:38 -0700
From: "Kiri Aradia Morgan" <tiamat@tsoft.com>
Subject: Re: Flame bait

>"Keven R. Pittsinger" wrote:
>>
>> > John Buston wrote:
>> > >
>> > > >Kenneth.
>> > >
>> > > Is this clif resubscribing under another alias?
>> >
>> > Better that you should mention the name Hastur than that one....
>> >
>> > (Waitaminit.  Did I just mention "Hastur"?  Yes, I did indeed type
>> > "Hastur"....)
>> >
>> > *sound of unspeakable horrors popping my soul into a toaster oven for a light snack*
>>
>> Got any tobasco sauce there, bud?
>
>Of _course_ I have Tabasco.  I live in Louisiana, after all....
>
>So, H****r will have a nice, spicy snack....
>
Funny, on Cottman IV that's actually a family name... there's a whole family
of Hasturs up in those hills...

Course no one's supposed to go to that planet, word has it they've got more
telepaths than your average Zhodani consulate hanging around over there...

Kiri
aka Kierestelli n'ha Sionnavara  =)

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

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 22:36:25 -0500
From: Anthony Salter <badman@austin.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Experience System

>Once the throw is made, whether successful or not, all pips are lost.

You had me fine right up until here.  A character with average intelligence
will need to amass, say, 18 pips to move from skill-2 to skill-3.  At an
average of 1.5 pips per session, that's 12 sessions.  At, say, a session a
week, that's three months that this player has invested in these pips.  To
have him lose them all and have to start completely over based on a single
die roll is, in my opinion, unacceptable.

I'd say just let them spend the pips to buy the new skill level and let
that be that.

Badman

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

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 00:35:24 -0400
From: "Sword Worlder" <swordworlder@clinic.net>
Subject: www.Downport.com

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

- ------=_NextPart_000_00B9_01BEEAA3.E47B3080
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	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Now that we have all our DNS problems cured and our forms working again =
(woo hoo!) it's time to party.  Well, sort of.  During the past week =
while we were in limbo, I have had a chance to do some updates and clean =
up the Classic Traveller area.  Plus, I finally dug in and made a secure =
order form for The Traveller Trader (TTT).  Just in time, too, because a =
whole pile of books and games (CT, MT and 2300AD) came in the past two =
days! =20

We have several new features planned now that we have a better server =
setup.  We will start testing a Traveller IRC server next week(we'll =
make a call for testers when we iron out the initial kinks) and a =
MUD/MOO is in the initial stages.  Later this Fall will see the database =
project begin to come online, too.  Even TTT has some new plans in the =
works.  We are having just too much fun with this project :-) =20

Not only that, but we have room for expansion, too.  We continue to call =
for content submissions, old stuff and new.  We can maintain it (like we =
do for Rob Eaglestone's IMTU code and economics pages) or you can get an =
FTP setup to manage your own pages (like Freelance Traveller does).  We =
have both Unix and FPX support plus some helpful friendly people.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The TRAVELLER Domain
http://www.downport.com
Colin Michael, Webslinger

- ------=_NextPart_000_00B9_01BEEAA3.E47B3080
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	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3401" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Now that we have all our DNS problems =
cured and our=20
forms working again (woo hoo!) it's time to party.&nbsp; Well, sort =
of.&nbsp;=20
During the past week while we were in limbo, I have had a chance to do =
some=20
updates and clean up the Classic Traveller area.&nbsp; Plus, I finally =
dug in=20
and made a secure order form for The Traveller Trader (TTT).&nbsp; Just =
in time,=20
too, because a whole pile of books and games (CT, MT and 2300AD) came in =
the=20
past two days!&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We have several new features planned =
now that we=20
have a better server setup.&nbsp; We will start testing a Traveller IRC =
server=20
next week(we'll make a call for testers when we iron out the initial =
kinks) and=20
a MUD/MOO is in the initial stages.&nbsp; Later this Fall will see the =
database=20
project begin to come online, too.&nbsp; Even TTT has some =
new&nbsp;plans in the=20
works.&nbsp; We are having just too much fun with this project :-)&nbsp; =

</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Not only that, but we have room for =
expansion,=20
too.&nbsp; We continue to call for content submissions, old stuff and =
new.&nbsp;=20
We can maintain it (like we do for Rob Eaglestone's IMTU code and =
economics=20
pages) or you can get an FTP setup to manage your own pages (like =
Freelance=20
Traveller does).&nbsp; We have both Unix and FPX support plus some =
helpful=20
friendly people.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^<BR>The =
TRAVELLER=20
Domain<BR><A =
href=3D"http://www.downport.com">http://www.downport.com</A><BR>Colin=20
Michael, Webslinger</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

- ------=_NextPart_000_00B9_01BEEAA3.E47B3080--

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

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 23:43:38 -0500
From: Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions <dreamer@brokersys.com>
Subject: Re: Experience System

Black ICE wrote:

> I probably would give bonus pips as unattached (not linked to use of a
> specific skill in that session).  This would not only model study and
> practice during the PC's "off-hours", but also serve as an additional
> reward for good role-play (the extra flexibility of getting to choose
> the skill toward which the pip counts).

Thanks for the input.  I've been thinking that way too.  I like rewarding
players for good role play and great ideas during the game session.

For instance, in my last Traveller campaign, the players were stuck on this
space station, fighting some aliens they've never seen before.

Power was out on the station, so they were fighting in zero G.

The PCs were on the top level of the station while the aliens were on the
bottom level.  Separating them was this elevator shaft with the car up next to
the PC level.

The problem was getting down the narrow elevator shaft to the alien's level.
The aliens were in vac suits while the PCs had none.  The air in the station
was getting stale, and the temperature was starting to drop, so the aliens
were waiting them out.

The aliens positioned themselves at the bottom of the shaft.  They had a
marvelous field of fire.  Anyone floating down the shaft would be cut to
smithereens.

One of my players came up with an idea.  They had a fusion torch available to
them.  He went to an area of the upper level and cut out pieces of the metal
deck.  In zero G, they were easy to move.  He stacked them together, then
tacked them with the torch so that they wouldn't separate.

Then, inside the elevator car, he cut out the floor.

Now, the aliens were below, with their mouths watering as they saw the torch
cut through the floor of the car.  The pieced shoved aside, the PCs above used
the thick pieces of flooring as a shield.  They floated behind it, pushing
along the wall.  The aliens opened up, but their weapons could not penetrate
the several thicknesses of flooring the PCs had welded together.

This allowed the PCs to get from the top level to the lower level and avoid
the blood bath that would have happened as they moved down the shaft.

Brilliant idea.  I loved it, and it worked like a charm on the bad guys.

Thing was...the guy who came up with the idea during the game did nothing but
come up with the idea.  He's a weak character stat-wise, and he remained up
top during the fighting.  He's not even the same character who actually used
the fusion torch.

No dice rolls for this guy that night.  It was all pure role playing.
Obvisouly, his input made him the star of the night.

I think this is a grand example of using pips as you suggest.  This guy should
be awarded pips for his great idea that really saved the entire party.


> This seems a bit harsh.  Let's take your example of a PC going for
> Medical-4.  Let's say that your gaming group plays once a week.  That
> means that the good doctor needs to have Medical skill be that PC's most
> important skill use for _at least_ 12 sessions (assuming that the player
> always receives a bonus pip due to good role-play).  Unless the PC is a
> "one-trick pony", this will probably take about six months (or more) of
> weekly gaming sessions.  After all that, the player has a 50% chance to
> see all that work go ~poof~.

It does seem a bit harsh...but that's by design.  Remember, I'm trying to
mirror PC Gen.  I doubt we'd play a whole game year in six months of real
time, and I want the PCs to go up about 1 skill level (or so) per game
year--just like what would happen during character generation (I use 1 skill
per year on the 4-Year method careers, like in T4.  It fits better with
advanced char gen that way).

If I don't do something like this, a game year will go by, and PCs will have
improved 5, 6, 7 or more skills levels.  That's too much for Traveller.

What I want is for a character who goes through char gen until he is 26, then
played for 4 years, to have about the same amount of skills as a character who
is taken through char gen until he is 30.

Milage will vary, but I'm trying to skew them to being close.

Char gen makes a lot more sense that way.  And besides, I'm using the CT
rules.  A +1 DM when you only need 8+ on 2D to hit is a hell of an
improvement.  I mean, that +1 REALLY improves that character's chances.




> To balance this, I would consider letting the player postpone the roll,
> collecting more pips.

Character's throw to improve when the players want to.  They are not forced to
roll at any one time.


> Each six extra pips would give a +1 DM on the
> skill roll.  That way, the player can wait another 18 pips (at least 9
> more sessions, probably more) for a sure thing (+3 on the die roll gives
> automatic success).

Good point.  Not sure if I want to go this way, but you will see in my
original post that I would like extra pips to improve the chances of the
roll.  You've got the same idea here.


> I would rule that six pips on an untrained skill equals level 0
> automatically (for skills where level 0 is appropriate).

Nice thought.

Thanks,

Kenneth.

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

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 23:47:50 -0500
From: Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions <dreamer@brokersys.com>
Subject: Re: Experience System

Anthony Salter wrote:

> >Once the throw is made, whether successful or not, all pips are lost.
>
> You had me fine right up until here.

See my comment on this in my reply to Black ICE.


> I'd say just let them spend the pips to buy the new skill level and let
> that be that.

I don't like "buying" things.  Never have.  One of the things that attracts me
to Traveller char gen is the uncertainty of it all.

"I want to go to college".

"OK, nine or better."

"I rolled a 7."

"Sorry, no college for you.  What do you want to do next?"

I like how Traveller char gen mirrors real life.  Players can direct the PC's
choices, but things do not always work out as planned.

I've said before that Star Wars has the best game mechanics I've ever played
with.  Well, I'll say now that Traveller has the best character generation
system I've ever seen.

Kenneth.

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

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 23:56:00 -0500
From: "Bont" <felix@felixcafe.com>
Subject: Re: Grav Belts

> >Cleon Industries Mk1+ Grav Belt
> 
> Note the whole thing could be powered by a 30 square foot solar panel
> (retractable). So on a clear day you could fly to the moon :) [For my next
> trick - the near C grav-belt].
> 
> Add a small battery for power at night, fly above the clouds or go into
> orbit, and this baby can stay aloft forever. So this is a very basic
> launch vehicle for anything you want for under $4000. :)

Are you trying to say that my Grav Belts are too useful?
- - - -
FELIX (Thomas L Bont)

- - Encrypt your messages!
  That way only the government knows what you wrote!

- - It is truly the wise man that knows what he doesn't!

- - With your shield or on it ... (Old Spartan Blessing)

- - Fidelitas super omnia, honore excepto

- - Help Stop Forest Fires.  Outlaw Matches.

Be sure to visit The FELIX Cafe at
     http://www.felixcafe.com/

- - - -

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

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 02:00:02 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: Flame bait 

> "Keven R. Pittsinger" wrote:
> > > Better that you should mention the name Hastur than that one....
> > >
> > > (Waitaminit.  Did I just mention "Hastur"?  Yes, I did indeed type
> > > "Hastur"....)
> > >
> > > *sound of unspeakable horrors popping my soul into a toaster oven for a
> > > light snack*
> > 
> > Got any tobasco sauce there, bud?
> 
> Of _course_ I have Tabasco.  I live in Louisiana, after all....
> 
> So, H****r will have a nice, spicy snack....

Alrighty then...

Keven

- -- 
tc++ tm+ tn t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In Reavers' Deep

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

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 02:01:22 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: Flame bait 

> >So, H****r will have a nice, spicy snack....
> >
> Funny, on Cottman IV that's actually a family name... there's a whole family
> of Hasturs up in those hills...
> 
> Course no one's supposed to go to that planet, word has it they've got more
> telepaths than your average Zhodani consulate hanging around over there...

I used to like those books, until I *met* MZB at a con.  I never bought 
another book of hers since.  *shrug*

Keven

- -- 
tc++ tm+ tn t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In Reavers' Deep

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

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 02:15:56 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: Hal Clement... 

> In mail you write:
> 
> > Cynthia, did you ever read "Fuzzys and Other People"?  It was the 3rd book
> > in the Fuzzy Trilogy that was published 20 years after Piper's death.
> 
> The *real* third book, not the odd offshoots that the other authors
> came up with.
> 
> I rather prefer that Fuzzies be native. 

I like them better as castaways.  YMMV.
 
> I also suspect that with education and training, Fuzzies could do quite
> a bit, even if you *did limit their INT & EDU scores a bit. A fuzzy
> chief engineer? No. A Fuzzy engineering assistant, yes. They'd be
> *great* at working in the "too small" spaces that so many designers
> include in the powerr plant and drive spaces.

Why *not* a Fuzzy chief engineer?  All he'd really need is the training, and 
by the books, they're pretty bright.  They just don't have much in the way of 
technology.  Which supports the 'castaways' theory; they're *MUCH* too smart 
to be native stone aged beings.  Also, the fact that they needed a trace 
metal that was only found in one source locally.  If something would have 
happened to those 'land crabs', the Fuzzies would be an evolutionary also-ran.
 
> And I bet they'd do just *fine* at lower ranks in the Army and Marines.
> Especially for scouting and some types of special ops.

Scouts, definitely.  Special ops, depends on the op.  But I doubt they'd make 
good regular grunts.  They're too small and fragile for it.

Keven

- -- 
tc++ tm+ tn t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In Reavers' Deep

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

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 01:28:32 -0500
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net>
Subject: Re: Experience System

Kenneth Bearden -- Walker Jane Productions wrote:
> 
<<snip>>
> 
> > To balance this, I would consider letting the player postpone the roll,
> > collecting more pips.
> 
> Character's throw to improve when the players want to.  They are not forced to
> roll at any one time.

Well, if there is no incentive to wait, then all one achieves by waiting
is the risk of losing extra pips.
> 
> > Each six extra pips would give a +1 DM on the
> > skill roll.  That way, the player can wait another 18 pips (at least 9
> > more sessions, probably more) for a sure thing (+3 on the die roll gives
> > automatic success).
> 
> Good point.  Not sure if I want to go this way, but you will see in my
> original post that I would like extra pips to improve the chances of the
> roll.  You've got the same idea here.

You can always flex the number of extra pips needed to gain a +1 DM.  I
might go with the following:

1 pip per session for the most important skill roll (applied to the
appropriate skill);
1-2 pips per session for good role-play (applied by the player to the
skill of the player's choice);
Bonus pips for attributes (only applied once per game year [only one
roll per game year can get _any_ attribute bonus]);
DMs from extra pips for a given skill (gained by delaying the skill
roll; 6-9 pips per +1 DM)

Note that, if you want to replicate the possibilities found in character
generation, you will need to allow for the increase of attributes, as
well as skills.  I'd consider playtesting the following:

Every n pips (where the desired attribute = n) applied to an attribute
equals a +1 DM.  No more than once per game year, a PC can roll 2d
against the current attribute, with any accumulated DMs (the PC must
have at least +1 to allow a roll).  A roll equal to or greater than the
new attribute level increases the attribute by one.  All pips invested
in the given attribute will be lost upon rolling to increse the
attribute.  A PC can only increase one attribute per game year.  Note
that this will allow relatively rapid increases to low stats, but will
reduce the chance that players will rapidly improve already-high
attributes.

This system assumes that most pips applied to an attribute are either
discretionary pips (gained through good role-play) or are based on
straight attribute rolls (if such straight rolls are the most
significant rolls made by the PC during the game session).

Don't forget that, while some game sessions will cover only a day or
less, others will include one or more jumps, each of which can be a week
of game time in a few minutes of real time.  If one plays one session
per week, game time probably runs a bit faster than real time.  (Of
course, this depends on the type of adventures one runs.)

<<snip>>

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

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

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 02:24:06 -0400
From: "Keven R. Pittsinger" <jamstar@accesstoledo.com>
Subject: Re: Imperial Army 

> > Thus, the "Imperial Army" will tend be dominated by the armies of the
> > hi-pop worlds in a subsector (rarely will it be practical to transport
> > significant armies across sectors).  This makes for some interesting
> > conflicts, for example TL15 Impy Marines spearheading an invasion
> supported
> > by TL8 Rethe Army units against the large local TL10 army which has scant
> > TL14 support.  Ortillery might be provided by the TL13 Regina Subsector
> > Navy with a TL15 Imperial Navy batron.
> 
> My only gripe with this would be that the more TLs you have in a single
> force, the more complicated the logistics get.  It hardly seems worthwhile
> hauling TL8 troops across interstellar distances, although, of course you
> use the troops you have available.  

It depends on how much high tech you have, compared to how much moderate or 
low tech you have.  A single company of BD-equiped drop troops would be good 
to hold a beachhead on a midrange tech planet (say, 9 to 11ish) while the TL 
10-12 colonial troops land in shuttles.  IMTU, garrisoning low tech planets 
is done by either mercs recruited in the area, or colonial troops of a bit 
higher tech than the indigs, from a colonial world nearby.  There's usually 
only a TL or 2 between the garrison and the indigs, just enough to give the 
garrison an edge.  Also, IMTU, the higher your unit's TL is, the more of a 
logistical nightmare it becomes.  Being part of a TL12 garrison on a TL3 
world is *NOT* going to be a picnic if the enemy cuts off your supply lines.  
Eventually, your supplies *will* run out, and you'll have to rediscover 
'stuff' on your own...

Keven

- -- 
tc++ tm+ tn t4- to ru++ ge+ 3i c+ jt au st- ls pi+ ta+ he+ so- vi zh sy
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Science-Fiction Adventure
                                                     In Reavers' Deep

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

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 23:35:02 -0700
From: "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com>
Subject: Re: Hats off to Jesse

> "Do not taunt the Happy Fun Ball"

That Merc Cruiser is new since I had last dropped by too. Jesse has the
best, a real modeling talent. I get confused enough with Photoshop, etc.

Hey Jesse, how about an orbital colony? A big honking torus or maybe an
asteroid with some superstructure. Or how about a half finished ship with
scaffolding al around and little worker pods scooting around it. Just some
ideas to spur your imagination so we all can see more pics.

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: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 02:35:44 EDT
From: GypsyComet@aol.com
Subject: Slings (was Re: Fast Food)

shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) types:


>That still makes him an asset to a squad. Almost as good as a mortar,
>but with the only extra weight being a few ounces of nylon and plastic
>(a "GI" sling). And if he's any good he can *aim* the damn things. As
>in "Which eye do you want it in?" (Or more to the point "You want the
>grenade dropped through the driver's hatch or the commander's hatch?")
>
>And if he runs out of grenades, rocks will do. Trust me, unless he hits
>your helmet, a trained slinger *will* wound you if he hits you,
>possibly even kill you. 

 Anything but a glancing blow will -RING- that helmet, too.

While the sling was well respected in ancient warfare, it takes living with 
one to get really good with it.  "If you want good slingers, start by 
training their grandfathers."

The only good slinger I've seen in SF&F literature is Leiber's Grey Mouser, 
who could pull off amazing stunts of marksmanship while riding a horse at 
full gallop. Ignoring the "literature" requirement brings up an excellent 
visual guide to slingers in an advanced setting: Walt Simonsen's "Star 
Slammers," a classic Epic/Marvel Graphic Novel (and more recent tepid revival 
comic book). The Primitives-gone-Merc of the title were a sling using culture 
the whole time, and the sling (or "slammer" as they called it) basically 
replaced the pistol as a side arm for many of them. Their grenades were built 
with the sling in mind.  I've been intending to drop the Star Slammers into 
my Traveller universe for years, just never got the opportunity...

GC

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

Date: Fri, 20 Aug 1999 00:05:18 -0700
From: "Benyamene' ZeAbe' Akella" <xrp@sierratel.com>
Subject: Re: Fast Food

> That still makes him an asset to a squad. Almost as good as a mortar,
> but with the only extra weight being a few ounces of nylon and plastic
> (a "GI" sling). And if he's any good he can *aim* the damn things. As
> in "Which eye do you want it in?" (Or more to the point "You want the
> grenade dropped through the driver's hatch or the commander's hatch?")

I love the "low-tech disciplines with high tech tools" slant too. As you
said, a sling is very backwards compatable. Better than even a bow, and much
less bulky, as well as incredibly easy to conceal. Can also double as
binding, a garrot, etc. Can also be used to deploy targeting transponders,
surveilance gear, message capsules, and so on. But yes, it is damn hard to
learn. I worked with one for a while, and after over a year of hucking rocks
at ground squirrels, I finally hit one. Lucky shot. Getting the projectile
to go towards the target, as opposed to straight up, down, or behind you,
only takes a few weeks to accomplish *most* of the time. It's range that's
really difficult.

Does anybody have any experience with those spear chucking thingies? Atlatl
or something? I was thinking of making one. I have no idea how to use a
sling staff, although I had a Kender chr. who was sling stone silly.
BZA
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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 #983
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